Another Saturday In-doors

I'd die to be at the new local mall, City Creek, this weekend checking out all the neat fancy expensive stores.  But, alas, I am here.

At home.

Doing homework.

My list of things to do is growing and I'm putting them all off to write this 10 page research paper.  I thought this paper would be a cake walk, but it's proven to be more of a monster than I had originally thought.  But I know it will all be worth it when it's over and I get a nice fat A+ out of this class.  I apologize to the small hand-full of people that may read this blog.  It has been quite boring lately.  But in my defense, so has my life!  I have so many things I want to do this Summer.  I don't think I've ever looked forward to a Summer as much as I look forward to this upcoming one ever in my life.

Well, social media is calling...

Cruise 2012

Caribbean, here we come!

Well, not yet.  But soon.  I can't tell you how excited I am about it.  This will be my second cruise ever and my first with my husband.  We are so due for a vacation.  R & R is on the agenda for it and we will savor every minute.  We will be visiting Cococay, Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.  The mere thought of it relaxes me.  After the cruise we'll be staying in Orlando for a few nights and going to Universal Studios.

School has been good, but a tad overwhelming lately.  I have final projects due in both of my classes within the next two months and they are stressing me out.  I dream about them all the time. They are constantly on my mind.  Next week is Spring Break and guess what I'll be doing?  You guessed it.  Homework.  I'm even taking three days off of work to work on it.

May cannot get here soon enough.

Ghost Tour

Last weekend Howie and I went on a spooky ghost tour of downtown Salt Lake City.

First we visited the Devereaux Mansion where we were the only people to spot a mysterious orb of light in the upper left hand window.  Our tour guide convinced me that it was a ghost and I believe him.

It looks like a face!

Then we went to the Rio Grande where our guide told us a very sad, scary story.

Once there was a young, newlywed couple waiting on the back platform for a train and they got into an argument.  The wife got so upset at the husband that she threw her wedding ring at him.  He then turned around and threw the ring onto the train tracks.  In a fit of desperation, she ran for the ring and failed to notice the large train coming straight for her.  She was killed.  Our tour company had done a ghost investigation there and caught a recording of a woman saying "My husband pushed me."  Scary!

The Shilo Inn

The Shilo Inn's story was the one about the crazy people that stayed there back in the 70's.  I'm sure you can find the story if you Google it.  Basically, a group of religious nuts stayed in one of the top suites and convinced all their children and followers to commit suicide off the balcony.  So, they did.

Our tour guide outside Shilo Inn.

The old Salt Lake County Building.

And our last stop for the night was the Salt Lake Cemetery.  It is seriously creepy to be there at night.  This was the first time I've ever been there after dark.  We couldn't walk around, but we got off the bus and he told us stories on the curbside.  I guess they've had problems with tour groups desecrating graves so, they banned them.

We also drove down near Memory Grove/Gravity Hill and tried to see the "Hoppity Lady".  I had NEVER heard of that story until this night.  There is said to be a Hoppity Lady ghost that runs through the area in her blood stained wedding dress.  She was killed in a car accident on her wedding day and her husbands head was decapitated and landed in her lap.  She roams the streets looking for her husband.  If you pull your car over and turn off your headlights, then flash your headlights three times while chanting "Hoppity Lady...Hoppity Lady...Hoppity Lady" she will appear!


Unfortunately she did not appear on Saturday night.  No one in our group spotted her.  Darn.


This really was a fun activity.  If you're interested in doing it, you should!  We booked it through Grimm Ghost Tours.  www.grimmghosttours.com 

Valentine's Day

I hope your Valentine's Day was as wonderful as ours!

Howie,
I sure do love you.


XOXO,
Tara

HGTV Dream Home 2012

Yesterday Howie and I went and toured the 2012 HGTV Dream Home that is in Midway, Utah.  It was neat to see it all in person.  I enter to win their Dream Home every year.  It has yet to happen, much to my dismay.  On our tour they told us that on the very first day they started the contest they received 12 million entries.  Wow.

The house was neat to see and had amazing views, but if we won it we would definitely sell it.


The master bedroom closets were way too small.


That is just a deal breaker in a million dollar home.

Missoni skirt on clearance? Yes, please.

This gem of a skirt was found by yours truly on clearance at Target.

I got SO many compliments on it today.

It really is special, isn't it?

In fact, it is so special that a lady in my branch asked me to put her down in my will as the beneficiary of all of my clothes when I die.

I need to keep an eye on that one.

Brian Regan

Last night we went to see Brian Regan at Abravanel Hall.


That guy is such a hoot.

Merry Christmas

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner at my parents house last night.  I brought a Green Bean Casserole and Rosemary Au Gratin Potatoes.  Yumm!

We had a wonderful evening watching the kids do the Nativity Story, playing a game that strained our brain to remember lyrics to old Christmas Carols and watching It's A Wonderful Life.


Howie and I had to still pick-up pies for today to take to his Dad's house so, we stopped by Village Inn on the way home because they were open until midnight.  We decided, since we were there, we might as well stop in for a cup of hot chocolate.  So, we did.  To be honest, there was something strangely romantic about it.  It was sweet.

We woke early this morning to attend church at our branch.  Even though it was early, and Christmas Day, we had a really nice turn out which surprised me.  I thought everyone would be out and about with their families.  A couple from one of our nearby wards came in and sang and played the flute for us.  It was wonderful.  Our branch members really enjoyed it.


After church we went back to my parents house for presents and an awesome breakfast/lunch.  My family made the most amazing sausage I have ever tasted.  It was brown sugar and honey sausage.  Oh.  My.  Gosh.  SO good.  We always open our presents that we got each other at my parents.  The biggest present we got ourselves was a little thing called an iPad 2.

Yup, totally stoked about that one!  We spent way too much on ourselves this year but, when you're a couple of D.I.N.K.'s that's what you do.  Some other things Howie got me: Brown boots, socks, my pearl from Hawaii mounted on a ring, new PJ's, car iPhone charger, and a U of U hoodie (Go Utes!).


Things I got him: Two new belts, Old Spice gift set, 32GB flash drive for his Xbox 360, new outfit, new PJ's, and the movie Thor.


After presents we headed to Howie's Dad's house for dinner and more present opening.  It was a great night and I love being able to sit around after dinner and talking with everyone.  We really enjoyed our Christmas and I hope all of you did, too!


Here is this years Christmas card wall (door).  I'm hoping the sending of Christmas cards never dies because I love to get them.  We've sent one out every year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Cute Neighbor Gifts

I'm so excited about our neighbor gifts this year.

Three rolls of wrapping paper (baby, birthday, and wedding themed) all bundled up with a note that says "We're wrapping up another year!"  So clever!  I wish I could take all the credit, but my Mom gave me the idea from one of her neighbors that did it for her last year.

Date Night iPhone Photos

Howie called me up at work one day last week and said "I'd like to go on a date this Saturday."  I said "Ok, do you know what you would like to do?"  "Yeah, I want to go to the temple since it's been a while since we've been.  Walk around and look at the lights, and then eat at The Roof."  Be still my heart.  Howie rarely plans things out so, you can imagine my amazement when he had a detailed itinerary of what he would like to go and do.  "Ok, I'll make the reservation!"

And so, we did sealings in the temple.

We walked around the new Deseret Book store.

Got warm in the JSM building.

And enjoyed the beautiful view from the 10th floor.

Here is a rose in glass that they had on display at The Roof.  Cool, huh?

Dinner was marvelous.  I've been to The Roof once before for a wedding dinner and I couldn't really remember what I thought of it.  But, this was really good.  I highly recommend the chicken cordon blue.

It was a great night to spend together.  I love all these little date nights that we've been having.  It's good we've been having them because I start school soon and who knows what kind of free time I'll have after that!