This and That

During our holiday vacation, I was able to do this and that. I wasn't able to do all the fun outings we had planned because I hurt my lower back/hip flexor area, but we still managed a few stories. 

With the Dunn's in town, we were able to get together and go bowling. That probably was not the best choice for me since I was already hurting from my injury, but how can you say no to those two cute faces? I got at least five strikes over the course of three different games. I kept the hurt under wraps because I wanted as much family time as I could get, and I was very pleased with the opportunities I had despite the aches and pains.

We got together with Sam's cousin Kelsey, her husband Matthew, and baby Brentlie for a dinner/game night activity. Seriously though, check out this sweet little munchkin face! She's just about the cutest little babe ever.

I'd only been to their townhouse once before, and Sam had never been at all, so we only got lost twice before we actually walked through the door. Kelsey made a yummy pot pie and we brought a chocolate lava cake, and after dinner we played a game called Disney Pictoria. The game shows you images and then asks you trivia questions based on the pictures. The game was a fine choice because Matthew and Kels are Disney die-hards and it made for a healthful competition. I finished the game first, and Sam finished last, but it's not like we are really keeping score ;)

 A member in our ward offered us a larger dining room table, and we were eager to snatch it up. Our old table only sat four people, but this new one sits six! We were so excited to have a larger, sturdier table, which means we can actually invite more than two other people over for dinner. We christened our new table by making a Hanukah-themed brunch of potato pancakes and turkey bacon. The recipe I found for the pancakes is a bit healthier than the latkes I've made in the past, I didn't have to use nearly as much oil to make them this time.

Overall, it's been a pretty decent break from work. Sam heads back to the grind tomorrow, but I still have a few more days before school is back in session. I think I'll spend some time on painting and see what kind of inspiration strikes my writing. 

So far, 2017 isn't off to such a bad start, injury and all.

Starting 2017

Our New Years Eve was pretty low-key, but it encompassed our preferences in so many ways. We didn’t really want to go out and be in large crowds of people, so we opted for a night in with another couple. For dinner, I made Shepard’s Pie (mashed potatoes, cheese, beef, and corn) and for dessert we had chocolate raspberry Milano cookies.

Following our meal, we played a game called Dominion. It took me a whole game to figure out what to do and the best way to strategize, but once I connected the dots, we were in business. We played three rounds before attempting to watch the countdown in New York City. When I say attempt, I mean we missed the countdown by about 10 seconds, so we performed a countdown redo just for our own amusement. We popped open a bottle of sparkling cider and ‘cheers-ed’ our way into 2017 (and only two hours early!).

After our friends left, we talked for a bit as we got ready for bed. I know, I know, going to bed at 10:30 on New Year’s Eve is lame, but it was exactly what we needed. I mean, what else did we need besides a game night, a good dinner, and family snuggles with our puppy?

As we turned off the light to go to sleep, the hamster in my mind decided to jump on the hamster wheel and keep me up for another 30 minutes. I began thinking about lots of things that I am looking forward to in this new year. I’m excited for so many things, especially investing some time and effort into our house.

We were at Lowes the other day looking for stickers numbers for our brand-new locking mailbox, but for some reason we got hung up in the door section looking at new storm doors. You see, the storm doors we have are quite old, they are heavy, clunky, and look incredibly run-down. I was determined to check out what some of our options would be should we decide to upgrade with new, more modern doors.

I was immediately overwhelmed by the selection in front of me. There were so many styles and colors (and price points!), how in the world was I supposed to narrow it down?

After a good stroll through the choices and finally ending up on the aisle to get the numbered mailbox stickers, I was pretty sure of how to proceed.

When we arrived back home, I scoured the internet and came to the conclusion that Home depot had the same selection as Lowes, and would most likely honor Lowes coupons if I asked them. I learned that it would cost just as much to install the doors as it would to purchase them. Suddenly, my $600 purchase turned into $1100.

However, we could install the doors ourselves and save some money there. Lots of choices.

I originally wanted to replace our front door, only because the glass design is totally see-through and I want the option to stand in the kitchen in my underwear without my neighbors seeing me ;) Our friends had suggested simply frosting the glass from the inside either with contact paper or frosted spray paint. I checked out Michael’s to see what they had, and sure enough they had a decent spray paint product that would meet my needs. Suddenly, I no longer desired to replace our front door.

Doors aside, our rain gutters need some updating, and I’m determined to turn our light blue house with tan brick into a red house with tan brick. Now I get to start searching for a handyman who can help us with some of these tasks. If you know anyone in the greater Salt Lake Area who you’d gladly recommend for some of these jobs, please let me know.

Honestly, I think these three projects will increase the curb appeal of our cute little house exponentially, I just need someone to teach me how to actually do these household improvements and I’ll have it made.

Like I said, there is so much to look forward to in this new year, and our home is merely one item on my list of things to be excited about. I’ve made commitments to my art and my body this year, and I’m ready to test my dedication. I’m determined to focus on ‘me’ for the remainder of the school year, and see what comes of it.

Happy New Year!!

Injured and Inspired

We were lucky and got another white Christmas in Salt Lake this year, amounting to about 12 inches of beautiful white freezing holiday symbolism. I'm amazed, mostly because it literally appeared overnight. What an amazing surprise on Christmas morning!

Anyway, with snowfall comes great responsibility to shovel it off of sidewalks, driveways, and large steel locomotives. Being the ambitious freak I am, I tackled the driveway in addition to the walkway inside our front yard. This was all fine and dandy, until I came inside and felt a sharp pain on my left side. Long story short, I had sprain strained my left hip flexor area. It also didn't help that I went bowling the day after I shoveled, and shoveled again after returning from my bowling adventure. Shame on me, I know, but I guess there are some things I am destined to learn about the hard way.

Being the amazing husband he is, Sam finally convinced me to go to the chiropractor today. I enjoyed it very much, especially being told that my original diagnosis was accurate ;)

So there's the injured part, now for the inspirational part.

My wonderful friend Scoshi gave me a watercolor set for Christmas, which will give me the opportunity to expand on my acrylic skills. Her only condition for this lovely present was that I was to make her a picture (duh!). I had a dilemma though, because Scoshi is such an incredibly unique individual, choosing just one idea to paint for her has been quite a challenge. I was stuck in my own brain, so I turned to Pinterest and stumbled upon some pretty exciting concepts.

Of course this search for inspiration spilled over into my own interests. This search only furthered my obsession with Paris and butterflies; I am legitimately concerned that I will run out of wall space to display all of these ideas. Here is one that caught my eye:

Watercolor Architectues by Maja Wronska

Photo courtesy of cured.com

I'm so inspired! Good thing I have another week of break to continue excising my creative brain muscles and make beautiful things.

Happy Holidays

Technically this will be mine and Sam's third Christmas. While we weren't a couple for the first one, I count it because we exchanged gifts that we each put special thought into.

I continued the Christmas brunch tradition by us hosting this year (it's my favorite part of Christmas).

I woke up early on Christmas Eve and began making potatoes for hash browns. Mom was supposed to bring the bacon and eggs, while the Dunn's were bringing breakfast casserole.

Kate decided to engage my dad in a staring contest using her trademarked "death glare."

It was our first Christmas with our little Princess! 

Santa brought her a large bone and put it in her special doggy stocking.

Grandpa might have gotten the most presents this year.

For dinner we were invited to the Boston's, to which I got to spend some time playing with little miss Mione and little Penelope.

Happy 3rd Christmas!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I love Christmas, but not for reasons most children do. One could argue that I love Christmas because of the gifts I receive, or because of all the baked goods (and they'd only be half right).

I love Christmas because of what it means to me. To me, Christmas means family is around for holiday gatherings, warming the house with smells of freshly baked cookies, listening to Christmas music (starting December 1 because otherwise I'm sick of it before Christmas Day), cheesy Hallmark movies, a break from working, and service.

This Christmas season, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

I have a family that doubled 18 months ago, and continued to grow this year as I got two new sisters-in-law and a puppy.

I have a new job where I am blessed with a great new group of friends, and I continue to learn and grow as a public education crusader.

We have a permanent home that we are making more beautiful every day.

I feel so very blessed for all of the little things that enrich my life on a daily basis.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year to be reminded of that every day :)

The 27th Year

Today I turned 27!

I love my birthday, I often refer to it as Lindsey-Palooza. Sam wanted to celebrate by going to my favorite restaurant (The Dodo), but in the end we decided on takeout from Cafe Rio and a movie night of my choice.

As I drove home today, I pondered why my birthday meant so much to me.

Love.

It's the one day out of the year where friends and family shower me with love.

I love my birthday because everyone always makes me feel so special. Everyone I know spends at least a minute thinking about and acknowledging my special day.

I definitely felt the love today.

My sweet husband sent me a text last night, being the first to wish me happy birthday. My parents texted me around 6:30AM, followed by my in-laws shortly thereafter.

Many coworkers and several children wished me happy birthday. I got a special signed handmade card from the Special Ed class as well.

The kids FaceTimed me and had sent me photos of the birthday card that is in the mail.

I received a few sweet presents as well: a pink and gold Fitbit Alta and sparkly earrings from Sam, a few pieces of Christmas decor from my pals at work, fuzzy christmas socks from Mere, and some beautiful lounge socks from Tyler and Lorena.

I had a great birthday. It was a wonderful day to start being 27. I have my husband, my puppy, my friends, my work, and my loving family.

Happy Lindsey-Palooza!

Wisdom from Hamilton

Hamilton, the Musical has become a cultural phenomenon. I first heard a selection of the soundtrack on Pandora late last year, and was enchanted.

I had loved Lin-Mauel Miranda's In the Heights, so it was no surprise that this score struck my fancy. I dabbled in some of the songs, tailoring my Pandora station to a few of my favorites.

Recently, I bought myself the 2-Disc soundtrack, and have been listening everyday for the last week during my 20 minute commute, and I continue to be enchanted by the historical picture being painted for my from the perspectives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

As a lover and enjoyer of words, I find Miranda's work to truly be a refreshing and unique snapshot of multiple political and historical legacies. As a whole, the story has enthralled me, as well as inspired me in more ways than one.

First of all, I relate with Hamilton in his desire to prove himself and will never be 'satisfied' unless he accomplishes every single goal in a specific way. Here are a few of his quotes that have given me reason to ponder my beliefs and ideals:

"There's a million things I haven't done, but just you wait!"-Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton

"If you stand for nothing, then what will you fall for?"-Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Sir

Second, Aaron Burr may have been more relatable to me than Hamilton. While I don't think I could actually practice what he preaches ("Talk less, smile more"), in his moments of quiet contemplation, he speaks to me on a level where I know he speaks the truth. For example:

"Love doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints."-Burr, Wait For It

"I am the one thing in life I can control."- Burr, Wait For It

"If we lay a strong enough foundation, we'll pass it on to you, we'll give the world to you and you'll blow us all away."- Burr, Dear Theodosia

Third, George Washington may have been the unsung voice of reason throughout the story. The amazing mentor he was, helped me understand what it really means to be older and wiser. His philosophy is both profound and modernly accurate. If anything, he plainly states universal knowledge in a way that makes it sound so much more effective.

"You have no control over who lives, who dies, who tells your story."-Washington, History has it's Eyes on You

"Winning is easy, leading is harder." Washington, Cabinet Battle #1

Finally, the hidden gem of the musical themes come from Elizabeth "Eliza" Schulyer Hamilton. Throughout the show she says, "Look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now." How right you are Eliza, hearing this made me stop and think about how lucky I am to be here right now. You offer me hope, that no matter what, I live in a time where things are happening and I get to be right in the middle of it.

History has it's eyes on you, so how do you want to be remembered?

You know, there's a million things I haven't done, but just you wait!