2012: A year of changes

      This year has felt so quick and swift that I can't believe tomorrow is the beginning of a new year which I can only see as being as great, if not greater, than this past year.

     This year has been filled with a major life change where I was able to marry the man of my dreams and the light in my life in the LDS Timpanogos Temple. I was able to make covenants with my Lord and my husband that will be kept throughout this life and eternity.   

I started my new major of Elementary Education, worked and received a 3.9 GPA, the first in my life! I can't believe how hard I worked and how much of that work paid off. I have come to know that I do like to teach, I love to be around children, and I have finally found the path of education that I am needing to be on.

     I have to say that getting married has changed the way I now look at life. I love having someone who is rooting for me, who will cuddle with me, who always has the best interests for me, and loves me no matter what I do. If I make a mistake he hugs me while I cry. If I am stressed out while studying for psychology he will coax me to come into the kitchen and eat a piece of Thanksgiving pumpkin pie with half a bottle of whipping cream on top.

I can't wait to continue the path that Matt and I have begun to build as husband and wife. 2012 was fantastic, 2013 even better with more new exciting changes and moments that will continue to shape who we are.   

I have changed as a person over this last year. I have become more confident and sure of myself, while continuing to keep the simple and kind demeanor that I have been blessed to have. I have become harder working and a better student, more organized and on top of things now that the classes seem to matter more to me.
 I have seen my mom become more confident, move on from past memories holding her back. I have seen my father make a major move down to Florida. I have seen my friends break past barriers that they were scared to even think about.
I have lost friends and gained many more. I have learned what attributes I would like to work on and those attributes that I would rather leave in the past.

All in all. Great year. I love my life. I love my husband and I'm genuinely excited for 2013.

Mash-ups

I love music. I love all types of music. I especially love it when someone puts together a mash-up of two songs that I adore...what's even better than that? A mash-up of my guilty pleasure, the top pop songs of the year.
I have found this DJ who makes one every year and they always turn out to highlight the top 50 of the year with the most popular finding their way into the music video more often than others. I think he does a great job.
I have come to find though that through the these last 3-4 years of listening to his mash-ups that pop follows each other in their subject matter. The most recent one pertaining to "night time" or "things that can or do happen at night" (like dreaming)

For your listening pleasure:

2012 Mash-up 

"Night time or dreaming" 

2011 Mash-up

A ton of "boom, boom, boom's" and "dancing"

2:20 gives me chills with Adele!

2010 Mash-up

"partying" 

2009 Mash-up 

This one will always be the best! I still have it on my I-pod!

"blame it on the pop!"

Can't believe we survived "the end of the world" and are headed into 2013.

A family's fruitcake

The Call's have this fruitcake recipe...
Which makes 17 pounds of trukish delight equivalent/fruit cake but dense enough to be a fruit cake-cake...
We bought the ingredients :

67 Dollars worth of Pecan Halves

16 Dollars worth of candied cherries, raisins, and candied Pineapple 

A whole bag of flour

A whole dozen eggs

We'll embark on this little adventure Wednesday....

17 pounds of talked about treat...

Hasn't been made in over a decade...

Bring. It. On. 

Here's our receipt 

Studying all day

Studying is always better when there are three things:

Hot Chocolate

Pandora Christmas Music

and

Getting things done :) 

Psychology and I

Here I am trying to consolidate all that I have learned from my psychology class into a massive page of study material...I'm trying to be a good student.

 I'm trying to get ahead of the game so I'm not gasping for air in a week and a half when I have to take this comprehensive exam.

It's hard though. 

I read the chapters.

I did the homework she assigned.

I have done all she asked me to do and it still isn't sticking and frankly it has me worried.

I try my best to find methods of study but nothing ever seems to work. 

I continually study my butt off for a week, head into the testing center with my head and hopes high, and come out with a test score lower than the last. 

I am horrible at taking tests. 

Yes, to toot my own horn: I am good at homework. 

Give me hours upon hours of homework: No problem.

Give me a test and I start to perspire as soon as I hear those dirty words. 

"There will be a comprehensive end of semester test and will cover everything from A to Z about all the theorists that have ever lived, their theories, how you apply them to the classroom, plus the age of dinosaurs and the applications the theories have to how the dinosaurs became extinct..." and on and on and on.

....

Anyway enough of this whining blogging. 

I'm wasting precious time proving this blog post wrong. 

I will and shall pass this exam and get a passing grade in this class.

Our First "Bountiful Basket"

Ever since Matt and I got married in April I have heard about this cooperative veggie/fruit organization that makes it incredibly simply and inexpensive to get a nice amount of fruit and vegetables for a low price of only 15 dollars. I never hunkered down and signed up for until this week, when a friend of mine in "A Christmas Carol" (playing Dec 1-Dec 22 at the Hale Center Theater Orem. Matt and I are in the Monday, Wednesday, Friday cast)  enticed me to sign up. So I did. 

Here's how it turned out!! For 15 dollars I got all of this: 

Do you see that little purple carrot!?!?! 

What the heck is  persimmon?

Papaya? Isn't that exotic?

I'm so excited for the new possibilities this opens Matt and I's taste buds to! 

I'll be sure to post recipes that work with the new stash I have acquired at 7 in the morning on a Saturday! 

Happy Food!