every year ok really only the last few years we have gone with Matson's sister and our bro in law to Thriller presented by Odyssey Dance Company.
Ladies, you need to go because A) it is dancing...that's a plus for you (and it isn't all dancing, there's singing and lots of humor) then B) it is Halloweeny and brings out that Halloween spirit...that's a double plus for you and the hubs and C) They have discounts for students hallelujah, that's a plus for us BYUers and college people. Next, D) it has guns, knives, etc. so that's a plus for the hubs.
All in all everyone is happy. But if you have kiddos...
probably not the best to bring em. Get a sitter.
They added some new dances that were good. But I still had my favorites I love the river dancing one. I laugh every time one of them get shot. The bright lights in certain dances fuh-reaaks me out. I jump every dang time.
What a great impression of a bear?
Matson's sister and her husband. They introduced us to Thriller when we were dating.
People you still have a couple more days to go. It stops this Saturday, the 29th. GO!
Much fun and I look forward going every year.
See ya next year, Thriller!
a change to my hair is always a risky thing. and an expensive thing. so I need your opinions.
my sophomore year in high school I went blonde and dang short. no way doing that again-I got that out of my system-but here for some laughs and giggles.
When we got married, my hair was same color as it is now. But I had side bangs and hair was a little shorter. Do I cut my bangs short/side swept again?
My hair now is long-ish (I want to grow it so I am not cutting it shorter). I have not dyed my hair for 3+ years, so this is my 100% natural hair color.
bangs at awkward length
friends I want to make a change again. but should I? you are going to help me.
read all my reasonings and such below then leave me with your opinions, friends.
1. Right now my hair is getting long-ish. I want it longer. So there decision made not cutting it shorter.
2. My bangs use to be side swept bangs. Now just at the weird awkie length. So there is a decision I need to do something with my bangs but how? Full bangs or just side swept bangs (like in wedding picture) or keep growing them out?
Full bangs?
3. right now my hair is my 100% natural hair color. It has been the same for like 3+ years. So I kind of want a change. So options here: dye it a little darker/warmer brown (not black or super dark) or leave it at my natural color?
Like this hair color. A titch darker than mine but not killer dark.
We had some friends over on Friday (the 14th) to carve pumpkins with us. Everyone is super creative in their own way, but I must say no matter how good or not my pumpkin turns out, it is still such a fun tradition to do each year!
Matson cutting into my pumpkin for me!
My brother and sis-in-law starting to carve into their pumpkin!
Everyone was super into their pumpkins.
Tali was slicing and dicing his pumpkin up.
This is the only picture of T* and C* that I took. I promise they carved their pumpkins and it was a good one! They just finished first and chilled while all the rest of us took our sweet time.
Our Finished pumpkins for this year, 2011! Matson had his pumpkin sit on its' side, kinda creeper pumpkin face. My not so original pumpkin.
Our friends T* and C*'s pumpkins. Both was their first time carving pumpkins?! Crazy huh! But they did great! T*'s pumpkin is suppose to be like our Frankenstein decoration (which is why the frankenstein is in the picture...for your reference). Ha!
Every year (at least since we have been dating) we have carved pumpkins together. We always try to be super original and not do your average jack-o-lantern face. This year though I did not want to spend hours on a pumpkin that you throw away at the end of the month, so I resulted to the average jack-o-lantern face. We still have some more pumpkins to carve that I bought so maybe in a week or so we will be super creative again.
2009 Frankenstein Pumpkin - We cut it, painted it, put ribbon in it, and it took us like 3 hours.
My 2010 Beware! Pumpkin - I will be honest, I followed a pattern but it still took me an hour and was kinda hard!
2nd time doing pumpkins in 2010 - Matson did the big pumpkin and I did the little one. The little one is eating a piece of the big one. Pretty funny!
Have any cool pumpkin ideas for me? Leave me a comment with your creativeness.
Headed to the dentist here in a little bit. SOOoooo not excited especially after thinking about one of last year's dentist visits (read this post about my last dentist visit last year). I am drop dead serious about being nervous about going.
The dentist is the worst. I really hate having things mess with my teeth, whether it be a small little popcorn kernel at the movie theater or if it is the actual dentist himself. It bugs me and I don't like. BUT I love white, clean teeth so I go through the pain. Beauty is pain, right?
Halloween in our house marks the beginning of decorating pretty much for 3 straight months. And I love it! Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I grew up with a mother that decorated for every single holiday and that made every single holiday a fun time to celebrate life!
Since my Mom is so cute and decorates so fun, I since having my own household have decorated for every single holiday too! So I will give you a little tour of all my Halloween decorations. This tour isn't just for you (you are totally welcome to steal/manipulate ideas) but it is also for me so I remember next year when I am decorating for Halloween so I can kinda do the same thing-ish.
I will tell you about the new things I added this year to our Halloween decor! I try to do it for cheap, but still fun!
Crows
I bought these $1 crows at the community dollar store. They are perfect and have little wire on their feet to wrap them around things.
3 Crows
Zoomed in on the crows on the lamp. It was a little hard to get them to stay. TIP: Just play around with the wire.
Zoomed in. Just stuck the wires on his feet into my plant.
Another crow on a lamp.
Banner
I made a banner from a Printable I found on Pinterest here. I printed each letter out and used purple ribbon. To keep them from flying/flopping around I tapped one part of the letter to the ribbon so that they wouldn't flop around.
Witch Table I saw this idea on Pinterest too. There were no instructions or anything of how to do it...so here are INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOU:
Buy cheap, used black boots - the pointier the toe the better (D.I. for $4.99)
Then cut out your boots heels. Matson cut out the heels of my boots for me with a really thick knife. It got kind of messy...
Ribbon
Add ribbon to your boots for an added cute touch.
Buy striped witch tights (Savers for $3.99)
Cut the top part of your tights off (the crotch) and put them over your table legs. Then put on the boots and the bottom of the tights will sneak out the bottom of the boots looking like the heels.
Super cheap and a unique, fun Halloween decor!
Misc. Our entertainment center has a few new things this year. The Trick or Treat sign with Pumpkin. The candy jar on candle holder and the spider web. And another print out that I printed off of Pinterest.
The spider web is another dollar store purchase ($1 store was a hit this year)! Was perfect for our house because we do not have any spider Halloween decor. Just what I needed!
Zoom in on the candy jar. I filled the candy jar with black & white candy balls. I made the little label.
"Say Boo & Scary On" was framed in a $1 store frame along with preexisting decorations.
I printed out my Fall List (I posted it in a previous post) and last year I bought corn like this from the grocery store. I will keep it every year to reuse and reuse. Just put in groups of 3 with little leaves or other fall colored fake clowers tied around them.
My sister made the wreath for me for my birthday. I added the orange ribbon for Halloween. My mother made the quilted pumpkin pillow.
Zoomed in on Wreath.
I got these super cute pillows at Target after Halloween last year for cheap price. Go day after Halloween for good deals at Target, ShopKo, and other stores like that. Usually 75%-90% off.
Usually people make their own resolutions on New Years, I have never really stuck to those resolutions I mean who does? but just kind of keep them in my mind as reminders on what goals I want to keep throughout the year. My sister in law, T*, has made a list on or around her birthday for the past 2 birthdays. Her lists include a certain number (the number she will be turning the next year) of things that she wants to do before her next birthday. You can see her list for this year's birthday here. You all know my obsession with lists so of course I {heart} this idea.
So here are some small and reachable goals and things I would like to do before I turn 22 in a year.
Eat less carbs, More veggies and protein My food intake as of lately is sweets, breads, and cereal...ugh need to change that. Plus I do not eat nearly enough protein. - Only eat 1 sweet or treat instead of grabbing 2 or 3 treats. And eat whole wheat not white.
Read a church book every Sunday with Matson - whether it be 1 page or 1 chapter JUST read and learn.
Try 1 new recipe each month (I would say each week but with our school/work schedules that just won't happen and is not reachable, we often eat on busy nights our "Go To" meals like soup, cereal, or lean cuisines)
Try 5 new foods
Make a quilt
Turn my blog from the past year into a book
Catch up on all my journaling so not a word, but it should be. I am 3 months behind. AH!
Get back to writing in my journal daily
Run a 5k
Read at least 8 books I know some of you are thinking what the 8 books? I didn't start reading for fun until this past year so this is a reasonable goal here people.
Go on a road trip with Matson
Visit all my grandparents - finish their life interviews that I started back in May 2011
Go to a play at Tuacahn in St. George
Make pillows for our couch and chairs
Go to all the Utah temples
Prepare my sunbeam lessons better and make each sunbeam feel special.
Go to the Manti pageant
Give Matson more back scratches he always asks for them and honestly I probably say yes 1 out of 10 times. I don't know why but I just never do. I am horrible. so really this one means Be a more selfless and caring wife
Get mostly all A's in school (1 or 2 B's are ok)
Buy, repaint, redo, or whatever it takes to new dressers
Hold craft nights with cousins, friends, and whoever wants to come!
General Conference is like another holiday for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We spend time with family, eat traditional snacks and meals, and get to listen to wonderful stories/talks/inspiration!
I loved General Conference this October 2011! It was such a treat.
We watched Saturday together and in between session played pickle ball with my parents and sister. Then Sunday we watched morning and had breakfast with Matson's family then Afternoon with my family and my Sunday birthday dinner that I talked about ______ Anyway some stand out talks for me are:
Sister Elaine Dalton's Talk - I literally wrote a whole full page of notes about wonderful tips for parenting not just daughters and fathers but for mothers and all your children.
Elder Carl B. Cook's talk - This one still stand out because I loved the story he told about him seeing President Monson in the elevator. I love this quote and I think that I want to hang it in my house or in a little boy's room or something in the future that says, "It is better to look up!"
And of course, President Monson's fun first little happy intro. I was seriously laughing so hard that he got up a little late after the hymn and said, "Hello!...I wonder who I should call upon to substitute for me?" Such a great man, Matson and I kept saying how without really knowing him he makes you feel like you are best friends. He makes me feel like he is talking to ME and that every little joke is to make ME laugh. Matson also said that he felt like he could go sit one on one with him and talk about anything seriously anything with him. I think that is so true and that is a very Christlike attiribute.
For Saturday Priesthood Session slash BUSIEST TIME EVER AT THE MALL besides Christmas and Black Friday, my sister and my mom and I usually just eat a quick dinner or as some say a tip free dinner (Cafe Rio, Noodles & Co., or Rumbi's). We went to Rumbi's got our usually dishes. So we had our usual Priesthood Session din din but we did not do our usual activity. We usually make cards and watch a movie at home or go shopping at less busy shops like T.J Maxx or random strip mall like places. This October General Conference though we did not do the usually. We decided to go shopping at the mall during the BUSIEST TIME EVER AT THE MALL besides Christmas and Black Friday. At first I was not happy that my Mom had a return at the mall but MAN oh MAN, I am so glad we did because ladies and gents I scored big time! I found some of my newest favorite things ever!
My daring sister wears beautiful, daring outfits. I on the other hand am a little more classic. But she helped me to go out and try some on some of the new trends and some more daring colors and such. I loved everything I bought (with birthday money, thank goodness!). I seriously cannot wait to wear them all. But I haven't worn any of them yet because I feel this way:
I seriously feel this way! What if I wear a cute outfit and no one cares? Not that I need attention ok maybe just a few compliments don't kill...I think I need to post about this problem of mine of holding off on wearing new clothes. Anyway, hopefully I will wear all my new clothing items and share with you all about them and then you can high five me in the blogging or at least on my blogging world high five me=leave me a comment.
My sister and I waiting for the movie to start being weirdos?
All in all Conference was the best ever! With the yummy traditional Conference food, a fun movie Moneyball (we saw it after Priesthood session with the guys), family time, shopping, wonderful words (talks), and all the other traditions that go along with General Conference. This was my first year since my senior year in high school of taking notes and it really helped me to listen and pick out things that meant a lot to me.
I hope your Conference weekend was a wonderful weekend too!
My birthday started on September 22nd, my real birthday is September 29th. We went to Mary Poppins with my parents in SLC because that is what we gave my pops for Christmas last year. BUT my parents took us out to dinner before as my birthday dinner. This was the beginning of my birthday celebration.
Matson and I at Mary Poppins! We tend to not communicate in photographs.
Matson and my parents in our perfect seats! And farther up too close and looking up. Any farther back..much worse!
Well Merry Christmas to Dad and Happy Birthday to me!
The next day after Mary Poppins we went boating on someone's boat in my parents' ward. My parents had bought in a ward auction a day on the lake. So we went. My family does not own a boat, we do not go boating often, and therefore we are not well skilled at boating skills like wakeboarding or surfing, etc. If you don't believe me then watch this video of me attempting to wakeboard:
Ok I told you. I am way bent over and so not good! I have not been wakeboarding since my Senior trip with friends right after we graduated.
We surfed and wakeboarded. Surfing is so much dang fun! It was my first time and I loved it! Now all my siblings and I are trying to talk Pops into getting a boat!
Matson Wakeboarding
Matson surfing. First time for him too.
Next for my birthday festivities was my actual birthday! I woke up that morning to a note right where I stepped out of bed and something on my porch:
My mama brought my favorite fall treat: dried pears! And a yummy sugar cookie.
I had lots of school on my birthday, but a yummy lunch at Zupas in between and when I came home from school I saw this:
Matson always gets the most perfect roses. I have had them almost a week and they still look the same!
Then Matson and I both had some homework before we headed out for dinner at Outback (some of you might be thinking...Matson so chose that. But actually I did! I love their salad!).
I love this picture. He was laughing when I took this!
Matson seriously or maybe kidding said, "Since you are 21, let's order you a drink and then just not drink it." It didn't happen.
After dinner we still had time before our late night movie so Matson told me I got to open one present! This is what I opened:
Matson gave me a very cute picture of him as a child. In a very cute frame that all goes along with a picture of me that I have and have wanted to put up on our wall in our room somewhere with a little saying or something about childhood or something? (any cute quotes or ideas let me know).
This is the picture of me from when I was little in a ballet class. Both the pictures are of us around the same age and in similar style frames just one more manly and the other more girly. I love it and have wanted to get a picture framed forever! I just never got to it. Man, Matson is a good gift giver!
We then went and saw the movie The Help. I had to finish the book before going to see it. It was a great movie. We both loved it and I will admit that I cried a couple times. It was kind of a low key birthday, but very fun and so us to just talk and enjoy a nice din din and a much anticipated exciting movie! Thanks Mats for making it so fun!
Since my parents and family were busy on my actual birthday, I kind of got to celebrate my birthday alllll weekend.
Friday - We watched the Cougs play and pull out the greatest win ever so great that I was even yelling. me the person who usually does not even get into the games but just watches to make Matson happy. I was so into and yelling so loud that it freaked out Rookie (my family dog). After the game I got to celebrate my Bday with Matson's family. They spoiled me rotten! They got a yummy cake and gave me some FUN gifts I failed to take pictures though. URGH! My sister in law made and gave me the cutest little homemade book that she titled "The Book of Lists". It is so cute and I cannot wait to make lists in it! I am such a huge lister person! I also got a paper cutter!! ahhh I have wanted one for forever!
Saturday - What better birthday gift than General Conference? (I am going to blog about GC all on its on because it deserves its own). We got scones for breakfast and yummy treats throughout the day and shopping with my sister and mama!
Sunday - Conference (blog post coming soon...), yummy breakfast, treats, and my favorite Sunday meal made by my mother! I got an old favorite that I don't get to eat very much anymore because I try not to eat potatoes, but I got FUNERAL POTATOES. Seriously my favorite, I am so weird! I got some sweeeet gifts from my family. My sister made me a wreath off of Pinterest. I got some boots from Matson, another pair of boots from my parents, perfume, and clothes! Yipee! Then at night we had some friends over and played 2 of my favorite games with them and ate homemade cinnamon caramel apples!
Me and the Wreath my sister made.
Awkward picture by some of my gifts.
BEST BIRTHDAY EVER. I seriously got to celebrate it all week long it felt like. And I got spoiled by everyone. Not to mention how everyone and their dog writes on your Facebook wall now on your birthday. So thank you because without that I would feel so dumb that I would have an instant big "L" on my forehead! Thanks family, friends, and everyone!
