Trip to Las Vegas and Disneyland

This past October, over Fall break from school, Howie and I decided to go on a little road trip.  We stopped in Vegas for two nights before we headed on to Disneyland fun for three whole days.  Then we stayed over in Vegas another night before heading home.  We had SO. MUCH. FUN.

For our first stay in Vegas we got tickets to see a show called KA.  It's a Cirque Du Soleil show at the MGM Grand.  It was visually one of the best things I've ever seen.  Coolest show ever.  It was quite expensive to go to it, but I'd say it was worth it.  We stayed one night at Bally's and another at the Paris.  I wish we would've just stayed at the Paris both nights.  Bally's was sort of a dive.  The Paris was awesome.  We walked the strip, ate a lot of good food, and watched all the crazies that hang out in that area.  My goodness.  There are a lot.  We saw a guy at one point that was holding a sign that said "For $10 you can kick me in the nuts."  Poor guy will never be able to have children...maybe that's not such a bad thing.  We tried our very first frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity's.  Wow, they are good.

Two days in smokey Las Vegas was enough for us.  We were on to bigger and better things...Disneyland!  Our hotel was literally right across the street from the main entrance to the park.  We had three day park hopper passes to use as we wished, and we did.  Howie hadn't been to Disneyland since he was a little kid so, I was so excited to take him.  And neither of us had ever been to California Adventure so, that was new for both of us.  California Adventure really impressed me.  Especially the above pictured Paradise Pier.  It was so freaking cool!  We absolutely loved that big white roller coaster in the background (California Screamin').  We must've rode it almost 10 times.  Space Mountain (in Disneyland) is probably my favorite still.  We rode that one a few times, too.  Still awesome.

After three filled days of the happiest place on earth we headed back to Las Vegas.  This time we got to see David Copperfield.  Childhood dream come true!  It was kind of funny seeing him in person.  He's getting old.  It's kind of sad.  But his hair is still (dyed) as black as ever!  Howie got to semi-participate in the show.  He got picked to pick the next people to go up on stage.  I wish he could've gone up on stage.  That would've been a moment to remember!  He hates being the center of attention!

I'm just glad we got to do something fun for once over Fall break.  I'm always the loser that comes back to school and all I have to show for Fall break is completed homework.  That is so lame.  This time I was one of the cool kids.  Best Fall break ever.

Witches Night Out

Last night was our annual trip to Gardner Village's Witches Night Out.  We had a blast as always.  This year I decided to not be a witch and dressed as Mary Poppins instead.  Wow, that costume is envied.  When I told Howie that I was going to be Mary Poppins he said to me "Everybody loves Mary Poppins."  At the time I just shrugged his comment off because Mary Poppins was his most favorite movie while growing up.  But, he wasn't kidding. EVERYBODY loves Mary Poppins!  People seriously light up when they figure out you're her.  It was SO fun to be her.

The girls were going to meet me at Sizzler for dinner prior to going over to Gardner Village.  As I sat there awaiting their arrival, a cute older couple came in.  The gentleman leaned down to me and said "You look very nice."  and smiled.  I appreciatively said "Thank you!" and he carried on his way.  I really hope he put together that I was Mary Poppins!  Haha, I'd hate for him to think I go out on any given Saturday night to my local Sizzler's all dressed up like that.

At Gardner Village I got attention from people, as well.  In fact, as we danced the night away there was a small group of younger boys (around early 20's) that were kind of watching us all dance.  One, in particular, seemed quite taken with my ensemble.  Who knew it would have such an effect?

After we had had our fill of dancing and Witches, Cheryl, Chauntay, Genelle, and I all went to Cold Stone for some much needed ice cream.

After saying goodbye to the girls I headed over to make an appearance at my friend Dan's house for his annual Halloween party.  I've known Dan for years now.  He and I went to Jr. and Senior High School together.  He's a real hoot.

Once again, my costume was a huge hit!  One girl at the party couldn't get over how cute my costume was.  "Best costume here!" she exclaimed.  "The best!"  (I think she had already had a little bit to drink.)  When I first walked in to Dan's house there was a couple sitting on the couch (I feel I need to specify that they were a gay couple, the story will make more sense!).  One of the guys could only partially see my costume at first, but the hat was a dead giveaway.  "Oh my gosh, are you Mary Poppins?!  I want to see!  Come here!"  I laughed and said "Yes."  I walked over to show him my complete costume.  "How adorable are you?  You are so cute."  I just smiled and thanked him.  (I was still in shock at how much attention this costume was getting me.)

Another successful Witches Night Out!  I have loved the tradition this has come to be.  Can't wait for next year!  I already have some costume ideas going!

I love babies!

My cousin gave birth to two beautiful twin babies two weekends ago!  I got to go and see them last Sunday.  They were too precious.  They've named them Alyssa and Allison.  This makes a total of 5 girls for their little family.  All of them are just adorable.

They are two little bundles of joy.  I love babies!

Happenings

Life has been very simple this year.

I am still loving my new job as a Marketing Associate with the company I have now been with for over 9 years (feelin' old).  It's definitely a better fit for me than what I was doing previously.  Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for my time in Customer Service, but I am also glad that it is behind me.  Onward and upward.

Howie has been working a new job at his same company, too.  He now works as a bread mixer.  I'm not sure he likes it any better than his previous position, but the hours are a little better.  At least he's working days now.  Those night shifts were rough.  After 5 years of marriage I have to finally start adjusting to sleeping with someone.  I'm used to having nights to myself, but it sure is nice having him around.

School is going at a good pace.  I took this past summer off because I was getting a little burned out.  It was a nice 3 month break.  I really needed it.  I was able to start the Fall semester refreshed and ready to learn again.  I'm enjoying my time at the U.  It's a great school and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Howie and I both got new cars!  I got a 2013 Nissan Rogue and Howie got a 2013 Nissan Altima.  We love them both.  The Rogue is really fun to drive.  It suits me so much better than my old Mazda.  Both of our cars were 10+ years old and we felt it was time for an upgrade.

I'm happy to say that since this photo was taken I have lost 10 pounds.  It's just like me to schedule a family photo shoot, hate the way I look after the fact, and THEN lose the weight.  Yes, I am dieting again.  I don't really look at it as a diet though because I'm still eating what I want.  I've joined Weight Watchers and I really like it.  My friends, family, and coworkers have become intimately aware of "points" and what foods hold what point value.  I remind them all the time.  "Are you sure you want another bagel?  They're like 9 or 10 points each."  "That small bag of chips, juice drink, and cookie you're eating?  That would be a meal's worth of points for me."

Another bit worth mentioning is that I have become almost completely vegetarian.  I know, I never thought this day would come either.  I've been watching a number of documentaries lately and doing a bit of research.  I will eat chicken occasionally (hence the "almost") but the plan is to go completely vegetarian soon.  Definitely off of red meat.  No red meat for me.  I am still continuing to research it, but I tell ya, I have lost a lot of trust in our public food system.  It makes me sick, to be honest.

Anyway, that is what's going on in the Gardner residence.  I'll try to start posting regularly again.

5 Years

Happy Anniversary, Howie.

I absolutely love you more and more every day.

Candlelit Dinner

There are some dinners you come home to cook and you just go through the motions.  

You cut up the chicken.
You put the rolls in the oven.
You cook the corn.
You cook and mash the potatoes.
Your goal is just to put a meal on the table.

All the while you are reflecting on the day at work you've had.  You're thinking about all the things you need to do the rest of the week.  Errands you need to run.  Frustrations that exist.

There are some dinners like this that end with two people scarfing down the meal to get on their way to other things that need to be done and then there are dinners like the one we had last night.  After preparing said meal above I called Howie to come and eat.  He didn't respond.  Frustrated in thinking that he fell asleep after I had worked and slaved over a hot stove, I went looking for him.  He wasn't in our bed.  He wasn't in the spare bedroom.  I notice the master closet light is on and so I open the door.  In the closet I find Howie putting the finishing touches on his Sunday best outfit.  Tie and all.  Instantly I smile and say "What are you doing?"  He smiles back and says "Getting ready for our special dinner you've made."  His choice of words are humorous to me since I didn't consider anything necessarily "special" about our dinner.  I was putting a meal on the table.  That was all.  He then asks "Do we have any candles?  Some music maybe?"

Our everyday, mundane meal instantly turned into something romantic and needed.

It's easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget the importance of bonding with one another.  This simple gesture from Howie made my heart absolutely swell for him.  He is the sweetest man and I am so lucky to have him in my life.

Trip to Vermont and Canada

From May 25th to the 31st we took a little trip to Vermont.  We had such a good time.  Some people ask us "Why Vermont?  Do you have family there?"  Nope, sure don't.  We had just never been to Vermont so we decided to go.  And Vermont is super close to Canada (specifically Montreal) so, we went there one day, too!

Day 1 we were supposed to go kayaking, but Vermont had some massive amounts of flooding the day we arrived so, our guide said we couldn't.  Instead we went and toured the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory in Waterbury, Vermont.

We toured the factory and then got a free sample of ice cream when it was over.  The sample was called "Better Than Chai".  Good stuff.

After Ben & Jerry's we went and watched a live presentation of glass blowing.  It was so neat to see how they do it!  They sell blown glass art all over the state.  It's very popular there.

 

Day 2 we spent most of the morning walking around Stowe, Vermont.  Stowe was a short 20 minute drive from where we were staying and it was the cutest little town.  I refer to it as the "Park City of Vermont".

They had a recreation path you could take through the city and so we walked it for a bit.  The scenery was very pretty.  After walking around Stowe we headed to Stowe Mountain Lodge for a spa day.  This was the highlight for Howie.

We got massages, swam in their pool, and sat in their hot tubs.  In the bathrooms they had saunas, steam rooms, and a big hot tub.  Howie and I each spent time in those on our own, too.  We had heard of spa days, but never experienced them until now.  Loved it.

Day 3 we drove the two hour drive up to Montreal, Canada to spend the day.  Beautiful city!  We decided to do a hop-on-hop-off city bus tour to see as much as we could in our limited time there.

I couldn't wait to see the beautiful St. Joseph's Oratory.

 

In the gardens they had the stations of the cross.  All twelve of them.  Very cool.

We also did a tour of the Notre Dame Basilica.

It was gorgeous inside.  Very pretty building.

Before we left we had to try poutine.  It's a Canadian dish that consists of fries, gravy, and cheese curds.  Sounds odd, but it's pretty good.

We met up with my in-laws who were also vacationing in Canada and had dinner with them.  (I wish I would've taken photos of them!)

Day 4 was a little bit of a disappointment.  This was the day we decided to explore Burlington, Vermont a little more.  We had flown in to Burlington, but didn't get to see very much since we were staying an hour away.

NEWS FLASH: There is nothing to see in Burlington!

Such a let down.

We walked down their main street, Church Street, and saw their big open mall.  We asked locals what there was to see there and everyone just kept asking us if we'd been to Church Street yet!  Lame.  We tried to just pass time until our boat tour on Lake Champlain.

Then I got a voice mail from the boat company letting me know that they had cancelled our boat tour due to lack of interest. Grr!  Burlington, why do you suck so bad?

 

So, we went down to the pier and looked out at Lake Champlain.  It is lovely, but I wish we could've seen it some more.  There were no other boat companies running since we were there a week or so before their full summer season officially started.

Day 5 was fun.  We took a little road trip south of where we were staying and headed first to Montpelier, the capital city of Vermont.  We toured their state house.

This is where all of the state of Vermont's legislation is made!

After that stop we continued on to Joseph Smith's Birthplace in Sharon, Vermont. 

This hearth stone is from the Smith's original home.  The missionary that was in the visitors center said she believes there is a good chance Joseph was born near it since he was born in the month of December.

This monument was erected in 1905 in Joseph Smith's memory.

Here are some photos of the "notch road" that we had to drive on to get into Stowe, Vermont.  They call it the "notch road" because it was literally driving through the notch of the tallest mountain in Vermont.  It was just a gorgeous drive and I'm glad I took some photos along the way.

We had a blast!

My Dad

Today my Dad went in for his third back surgery.  I should probably give a brief history on why he's having to do this.  My Dad has been a Mechanic for pretty much his entire adult life.  Being a Mechanic is not good on your back.  He has had nothing but problems with it.  It doesn't help that he has also inherited my Grandma's back issues, as well.  I'm not sure how I got so lucky, but my brother, and both of my sisters suffer from back problems, too.  I had a slight instance with mine back in 2004, but a quick trip to the chiropractor and days of doing lower back stretches solved my problem.  I still do those back stretches when I feel it coming back, but aside from that I've been fine.  With each of my Dad's surgeries they have appeared to only offer a temporary relief for him.  It doesn't take long before he's back to being in pain again.  Eventually his back pain turned into an even worse problem.  My Dad found out he had a pinched nerve in his lower back that was causing the blood flow to his left leg to lessen.  His left leg is now considerably smaller than his right leg, he has problems lifting it, and it no longer grows hair.

About two weeks ago his left leg started to go numb and by last Wednesday or so he had lost all feeling in it.  He woke up to a paralyzed leg.  He has fallen twice as a result of this; once at the doctors office and once in the shower (yikes!).  He is now seeing a neurosurgeon at the University of Utah to try to regain feeling in his leg.  We feel confident that this surgeon will be able to fix him.  Hopefully the damage is not too far gone.

This feeling of my Dad becoming dependent on things like walkers to help him walk is very foreign to me.  I don't like seeing him in pain or needing to see a doctor for anything.  In my eyes he is just supposed to be healthy and able because that's how he's always been to me.  My whole life I have relied on him to be the strong one.

He's the one who always:
..came to save me when my car was stuck in a snow storm
..fixed my car when repairs were needed
..helped me move all my heavy furniture from one place to the next
..opened the cans I couldn't open
..shoveled the driveway
..mowed the lawn
..picked me up when I fell down

Now it's my turn to do for him what he did for me.  Getting old sucks especially when you're too young to be considered old in the first place (he's only 57 for crying out loud).

I'm praying that this surgery helps.

Struggling to Update

This is probably the longest break I've taken with blogging.  Except maybe when I first started it, but that was because I wasn't sure I wanted to do it.  Our holidays were wonderful.  Full of joy and all that good stuff.

Back in November Howie and I got a room at the Zermatt Resort and went for a swim in the crater.  It was so much fun and we talk of that fun little weekend often.  It was the same weekend that Salt Lake got it's first major storm for the season and we felt practically snowed-in.

It was beautiful.

December was full of the usual holiday traditions.  Zoo Lights, Temple Square, etc.  I am thrilled that the candy windows have returned to downtown Salt Lake City.  They provided the greatest wave of nostalgia.

So far, January has only given me snow storms galore, the start of a new semester at the U, and my first taste of sushi...ever.

Is it sad that I'm a woman in my 30's and had never had sushi before now?  Well, my co-workers sure thought so.  So, they took me out for sushi.

It was as expected...gross.

Sorry, but I just don't do fish.  Especially uncooked fish.  The only one I even semi-liked is the one in the top right corner of the picture above.  But, hey, I tried it!

Here's to 2013 and a good year full of good things.