April's Miscellany

I'm going to keep blogging pretty regularly (hopefully daily) but it won't be a photo a day. I think I'm going to have sort of a theme for each day of the week. I have so many random things I want to blog about so I have them written for future reference, and it's really just overwhelming to think of all I want to write. I want to write about memories I have that I don't want to lose, my life as it is in the present, my beliefs and the new things I learn, trips I've been fortunate enough to take, projects and recipes I'm working on, goals and even details from my wedding day. And so, I give you April. And this isn't an April Fool's trick, although I'm thinking I should've done something clever. By the way, I'm pregnant! Okay, that actually is an April Fool's trick.

Sunday's aren't a great blogging day for me usually, because it's my day to spend a lot of time reflecting on what I believe and hold dear. So, if I post anything on Sundays it will be of a spiritual nature. I expect I'll have a few things to say about General Conference tomorrow. What a great way to start off the month.

Where you relax

My bed, as I think I've mentioned before, is like heaven. When I have an opportunity to relax, it's usually done here... BUT, now that the weather is turning warm and lovely I think it's just about time to take the repose out of doors.

In other news:

- We found a new apartment!! I'll write an update exclusively about it soon. We'll be moving in two weeks!

- We're loving General Conference (go here to watch it or listen online tomorrow - 10a and 2p MST).

- We spent the evening at City Creek in Salt Lake last night. It lives up to the hype. Go.

- This is the last day of the photo-a-day. Trying to decide if I should continue next month and if it was worth it. I suppose you'll know tomorrow what I've decided.

Toy

My phone is pretty much my toy. I play with it a lot. It's pretty great.

Feet

No one wants to see a picture of bare feet, right? These awesome sparkly shoes were a birthday gift from my older sister. I love them, and I wear them basically ever single day. Thanks, sis!

Trash

We get way too much junk mail, and we don't have a recycling bin, so, sadly, most of our trash is made up of these flyers.

Your Name

When my mom was pregnant with me she thought I'd be a boy. She was going to call me Timothy. A friend of hers sent her a print one day. It was just a little picture, an illustration of an ancient village. Today the village is called Al-Azariye* because Lazarus was raised from the dead there (can you pick out his name in the Arabic name?) The caption of this intriguing little drawing was simply Bethany because that's what the village was called before it became famous for Christ's friends living there. I guess the print struck my mom, and she decided that if her baby turned out to be a girl she'd call her Bethany. I was a girl (still am) and I am Bethany.

In the autumn of 2008 I got to go there, to Bethany. I felt like it was my town. My name was on everything. "Bethany's Souveniers" and "The oldest well in Bethany!" It was what I was named after. It wasn't just a pretty-sounding name to my mom, she really named me directly after this place and after that drawing. I returned home from Jerusalem right before Christmas. My mom had begun painting with watercolors not long before that, and for Christmas she surprised me with a painting she had recently completed; a copy of the print, Bethany.

It hangs in my apartment, and it reminds me of my time there. Al-Azariye looks nothing like this anymore, but it's still beautiful to me because of what happened there and because we share something.

Al-Azariye, as I mentioned, is what Bethany, is now called, so when I was in Jerusalem my friends starting calling me Azariya. When I started taking my Arabic classes I had to choose an Arabic name, and I chose Aziza*, which I thought was a good shortened version of Azariya. Aziza just means Bethany to me... in a strange little way.


*It should also be noted that Aziza in Arabic is about the equivalent of Beula, or some other uncommon, unpleasant name in English. It's what people in Egypt might name a lazy cow or an old car that doesn't work so well. It got me lots of laughs when I was there. (Luckily because they said the name didn't suit me!)

Keys

House keys? Piano keys? Computer keys? I went with my laptop keyboard for this one. House keys = boring. And I recently posted about my amazing new birthday present keyboard. My laptop deserves a post of its own.

I've had my pretty little white computer for almost four years now. (Kimball is insisting that it's time to replace it (it is a bit lot slower than it once was) but I just love it. I got it when I got home from my mission in 2008, and it changed my life. It seriously really changed the way I do a lot of things. It has travelled with me to Israel, Canada, China, Egypt, Scotland, and all all over Utah. It has been my window back home when I was away and wishing I was home, and has been my window into the world when I was at school, wishing I was away. It has facilitated long-distance relationships, and it has been a big part of short-distance ones. It went with me through college (I stopped taking notes on paper in 2008), and it has stored pictures and memories of so many great things. It has been with me through the best years of my life! I keep my journal online, so this computer has been my key tool in helping me preserve my thoughts. (I recently read my journal entries from meeting and dating Kimball, and they are priceless!)

The keys, which were once matte, are now shiny with use, and the screen is slowly but most surely dimming with age. I guess the good thing is that when I do finally replace my little beauty with some fancy aluminum update, I won't lose any of that. It'll just look different, right? I don't like getting attached to things, but I'm afraid I'm quite attached to this one. I don't know that I've ever used another object as much as my laptop. It has been such a big part of my life for a long time.

How funny. It's just a computer.

Kimball and I laugh about Siri, and how she it feels like a friend... We worry about people getting attached to artificial intelligences in the future and developing relationships with them, and little kids having trouble discerning the difference between robots and real people. What a world that will be. I guess I'd better get over my attachment. Until I do, though, I love it!

Breakfast

Honey Nut Cheerios for brekkie today. They were on sale yesterday, and thank goodness, 'cause they are deeelicious!

*the free cheesecake I got yesterday at lunch turned out to be one of the most delightful things I've ever indulged in. It was a lemon something or other (a flavor I never choose for anything), and it was the size of two pieces of cheesecake, in my opinion. So I have some dessert for later today! Lucky me. (I cheat on my no-treats goal on weekends).

Animal

I don't have much interaction with live animals, so this animal was my lunch. My sisters-in-law on my husband's side (most of them) and I went out for lunch today with my mother-in-law for a belated birthday celebration. We went to The Cheesecake Factory. I ordered salmon, since my husband does not like it (or the smell) so I never make it. I understand, and I sympathize with him since I used to really dislike it, too, so I just don't buy it anymore. It so healthy, though, so I eat it at restaurants when I can, and my mom makes it pretty often, too.

Anyway, the waiter forgot to bring me my side salad, which was fine (the salmon filled me up), but I mentioned it to him at the end of the meal, and he offered to give it to me to go. I declined, since I was full, so he insisted on giving me a free piece of cheesecake. No complaints.

Moon schmoon

I had a busy busy day, and I couldn't even see the moon anyway, so no pic of the ol' moon. Just think of me next time you see it.

Tonight I sang in little benefit concert at the Draper Historic Theater (an old movie theater that's been converted into a theater theater). It was a big showcase of Broadway favorites. I sang Wouldn't It Be Loverly from My Fair Lady, and Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again from Phantom of the Opera.

It was stressful to prepare for, but all in all, a good experience. I loved being Eliza Doolittle, wiping my nose on my hand, and being all uneducated and un-lady-like.

My kind, supportive family (Kimball, Brook, Brit, mom, Bruce, ma- and pa-in-law) came and we all snuck out at intermission and got ice cream. Thanks to all who came to support, and sorry if you got guilted into paying the "suggested" admission fee.

Kitchen sink

Really? Kitchen sink?

Well, let me take this opportunity to remind everyone out there to be conservative with your water usage, but very liberal with your water drinkage. Choose water over soda, milk, juice, and especially alcohol! Don't drink anything but water!! I know it seems extreme, but seriously, I would love to do a study and see how switching to only water as a beverage would improve overall health. We drink way too much sugar and artificial sweeteners. We don't just need to drink water, though. We need to drink TONS of water!

If you start recording how much water you drink each day, you start to notice how little you're actually drinking. I know, because I was there like two weeks ago. I know I don't drink enough water (and I've even always been a water-drinker) so I've set some goals for myself.

I've been trying to drink 80 oz (10 cups/about 2.5L) of water each day, and it's rare that I get all the way there. It's hard, but I'm pretty sure it's good for me. Here are some of my tips for getting enough water each day:

- I drink a tall glass of water first thing in the morning. The earlier in the day I start, the easier my day turns out to be.

- I drink a big glass of water before I start my workout.

- I work out. I always drink a lot of water when I exercise (you just need more water when you sweat it all out) so I try to drink a ton during and after my work out.

- I drink a tall glass of water before lunch and dinner. This makes it harder to over-eat. When I over-eat I rarely want to drink any more water.

- I try not to leave home without a full water bottle--even a small one. I make sure it's empty before I get home.

- If I still haven't reached my goal before bedtime, I drink one more glass of water before I go to sleep. Even of it didn't get me to my goal it will certainly help wake me up in the morning!

It's hard to start a new water-drinking routine (especially on days when you're out and about for hours at a time and need a bathroom!) Drinking water on an empty tummy sometimes even makes me feel a little queasy, but you push through it, get used to it, and crave it!

It's kind of fun to see what rants of mine the photo of the day will bring to the surface.

Delicious

This pb&j is quite delicious.

Before and After

Lunch was good today. Here are before and after pics. Not terribly exciting, but I'm trying to stick to this photo challenge to get me back in the habit of blogging regularly. April just might bring real blogging and interesting post/photos. Until then, my food.

before: (avocado, eggs, asparagus, tomato, & kale)

after: lunch 

Funny

I find this quite funny. (Picture quality is bad - read the caption).

I didn't realize when I posted this that the quality was so bad! This is what it
says:
THOSE ARE MY SHOES
GIVE THEM BACK
YOU ARE A DOG
THEY DON'T EVEN FIT

Corner of your house

This corner of the kitchen is usually relatively un-exciting (except for the mortar and pestle from Alisa). Actually, I take it back. It's home to some pretty great things, including our knives from my brother and sister-in-law (which have changed my life! Usually about half are missing from the block because they're alway in use), my favorite bigger kitchen utensils (amazing tongs, W&S silicone spatula, the avocado tool, lettuce knife, etc.), olive oil, orange-infused olive oil, balsamic vinegar and balsamic glaze. I wasn't thinking about any of those things today though, because I had something delicious on my mind.

My awesome husband made buttermilk scones this evening, which we topped with homemade (not by me) raspberry jam. He also made orange juice in our blender with mostly ice instead of water. It was this perfect slushy masterpiece! It was the best Sunday afternoon snack after waking from the best Sunday afternoon nap.

bible videos

Have you seen these yet? These Bible videos are seriously my favorite thing to watch. I cannot get over how much I love them. Perfect activity for a Sunday afternoon. Watch them, love them, share them. There are a ton of new ones relating to Easter, and they are the perfect teaching tool for any Christian denomination. They're short and simple, and very true to the Bible and to history. I love love love them.

Click here to watch them!

Green

My "green" picture is a tiny little book full of tips for living green. A little St. Patty's gift from mama. Love it. Love the planet. 

We headed to Salt Lake yesterday to spend some more birthday time with my mom. We had dinner at the Blue Lemon downtown near Salt Lake's new City Creek, and we were planning on taking mom and Bruce to see the Orchestra at Temple Square's spring classical concert, but it ended up being completely sold out. Instead we spent a couple hours meandering through Temple Square and City Creek. The weather was perfect, and it was such a beautiful night! I honestly wish I lived down town. I love being in the heart of a city, and I would love to live in one someday. I love the atmosphere there in Salt Lake, and I have for years, but this new mall has made it even better.

The Salt Lake Temple - where we were married!

I'm not crazy about shopping (although I love that City Creek will have a J. Crew, H&M, Forever 21, and a Restoration Hardware!) but this mall is more than shopping. The architecture and the landscaping is beautiful, there's a little waterfall, it's all so well-done, well-lit, and clean, and it just feels so nice and new. I would love to spend a summer evening there. And don't even get me started on the new Harmon's... I LOVE nicely done grocery stores. I wish I could shop there weekly! I'm such a nerd, and I realize it, but this Harmon's is a museum, cafe, cooking school, boutique, health food supplier, organic food retailer, and grocery store all in one. And the carts have an anti-theft device, so they just stop and become un-pushable when you try to steal them. Hilarious! I have to say, the Church (of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) is pretty awesome for completing such a beautiful gift to the city. We had treats and played games the rest of the night and went to bed way too late.

We slept late today, and then we celebrated mom's birthday with (another) lunch at my sister's place. She had decorated in such a cute way. The table was all golden (like a pot of gold), and then there was a rainbow of balloons hanging from the ceiling.

I'm not typically a huge St. Patrick's day celebrator (I wear green some years, and that's it) but it was so cute seeing my niece and nephew following little leprechaun foot prints to a pile of gold and telling them to pinch Kimball, who forgot to wear green.

It was a fun little weekend, and now we're back home, and ready for a nap. How are weekends more exhausting than weekdays?

Mama opening gifts surrounded by grandbabies

Sunglasses

It's been such a sunny week, but today is cloudy and a little rainy. Not a good day for shades. And so they remain unworn.

Car

Does a bus count as a car? It's gonna have to today.

I'm not feeling great, and I left the house as little as possible today. I did go out a few times to get my husband to work, but I stayed in my comfy yoga pants and didn't bother with hair or make up. I've been searching for apartments, without much success. Anyway, this little double decker bus is a key chain that my mama got me, along with many other pretty little things when she travelled to Europe last spring. The little book in the background is also from that trip.

I've always felt a little tie to England. My grandmother (dad's mom) is English, and I always swore she was somehow related to Queen Elizabeth II, and that that made me royalty. It's a place I really must visit someday. I've only been through the airport once, on my way from Cairo to Scotland in 2010. I remember meeting this girl in line for visas. It seemed like we would have been friends. We'd both been studying in Egypt, and we were heading to the UK before returning to the US. She'd been studying art in Alexandria and was headed to Ireland for a week, and I had been studying Arabic in Cairo and was heading to Scotland to visit Alisa, my holdwine*, for a week. Anyway, we didn't exchange info, but we were friends for our time in that line. That's my memory from England.

*What's a holdwine? If you know (without cheating), you're a huge nerd. Tell me in a comment below so I can congratulate you. If not, I suggest you carefully read The Lord of the Rings and the appendices.

Birthdays and Coloring

Mama and I

My mom and my mother-in-law have the same birthday. Strange, isn't it? When we were dating, my husband and I thought it was awesome... now it's just difficult. No, it's still awesome, it just requires more planning.When you live close enough to spend time with both families, you're expected to be at every event (and you want to be at very event), and you need to split time during the holidays. It definitely has it's up side (we get to see a ton of family all the time) but it can be a bit stressful to figure out.

This year, in an effort to make sure neither mother felt left out, we ended up somehow planning two events for each of them over a period of two weeks, and there will likely be a joint dinner thrown in somewhere in the mix for good measure.

The first birthday celebration was a little birthday lunch with my mom. We had a yummy lunch at my sister's home and then we colored. Yes, we colored.

My mother's daughters and my mother herself have this thing in common: we all love coloring. I gave everyone coloring books for Christmas one year, my sister got me a paint-by-numbers kit for my birthday this year, and for my mom's birthday we colored. It relieves stress, it's creative, beautiful, and it's a fun thing to do whilst visiting or watching a movie or listing to general conference. I can't get enough of it.

I have several coloring books of my own, and the thing I love about them is that they're made with grown ups in mind. They are so much fun to color.

When I was little, I would go through my Disney princess or Living Scripture coloring books and find all the ladies. I would color their lips, their nails, their jewelry, shoes (anything that set them apart as a princess) and then I would move on to the next page. I would also use primarily pink, red, and purple. It's fun to use browns, greens, and yellows now.

A few Christmases ago my mom and two of my sisters photocopied a page out of a coloring book and spent an hour or so coloring the same picture and seeing how they differed in the end. It was amazing how different they all looked. I can only find pictures of two of them, sadly, but they were amazing!

These are some other pages I've colored out of my other books. See? Not so kidsy as you'd think. It's sometimes actually difficult to stay in the lines...

For my mom's birthday lunch we all colored this sweet little picture. Even my little niece (can you spot hers?) My little nephew did one as well (it's cut off a bit in the picture) but his was a picture of a little boy with chickens. My sister gave us each a little bundle of colored pencils and we could only use what we had. It was a fun little challenge. My picture is the little Snow White girl. If you loved coloring as a child, I suggest picking it up again. 

Clouds

This morning, in usual Wednesday fashion, I drove my husband to school and busied myself at the grocery store until it was time to pick him up and bring him to work. We do this so I can get myself to the temple later in the day. It's a great little system. Sometimes I get back to BYU (Kimball's school) a little early, and today the sky was beautiful!

I took this out the window while I was waiting for Kimball. Can you find
my hand in the reflection?

It wasn't even 11am, and it was 60 degrees outside! The warming weather is making me so happy! This winter was short and calm indeed (at least in Utah). I was planning on buying some boots for the cold months this year, and I'm so glad I never got around to it. I wouldn't have wanted to use them!

Time has flown by since the fire in late November, and that was basically the entire winter. I'm thinking a walk is in order today, if I can find the time. Or maybe tomorrow, so I can have some male, Kung-Fu-trained company (I'm scared of our neighborhood now, since the fire and a recent rape four blocks away).

Hopefully the next few months won't fly by so quickly, especially since we've got to find a new place to live ASAP. (Anyone know of a great basement apartment in north-ish east Orem, preferably one that isn't dark and gloomy?)

Sign

I did a lot of driving today, and I couldn't bring myself to snap photos on the road. Today's photo comes from long ago. I was just trying to think if I had any pictures on my computer of signs, something I don't normally photograph. Then I got to my Egypt albums. 

Today's pic (sign) comes from Siwa, the blessed oasis. This was one of the better days of my life. I'm sure I'll write about it in more detail one day (I really will!) Okay, two pics. One isn't enough. One of the sign and one of me in heaven!

The little sign on the side says,
"HERE IT'S A PLACE FOR BIKE RENT"

Fork (it's more interesting than you thought!)

This is the biggest fork I could find. Forks are so small and seemingly un-exciting, so I thought I'd treat you to a picture of a salad-server fork. It comes with a matching spoon. This couldn't be a more boring photo idea, right? Wrong. Have you ever wondered why forks have four tines? Did you even know that the little pokey things were called tines? Well, dear readers, today is your lucky day. I shall answer these questions, and more, below. Today I treat you to a history of the fork in the western world (according to research done by Mr. Bill Bryson, one of my very favorite authors). 

Bryson is speaking here about the late 17th century and the emergence of the dining room. Until then, meals were served on tables in any room in the house. Dining rooms, according to Bryson, came about because of "a simple desire on the part of the mistress of the house to save her lovely new upholstered furniture from greasy desecration."

The following (and the quote above) is taken directly from his brilliant book, At Home: A Short History of Private Life. Go (buy it here) and read it! It is well-written, hilariously-written, and extraordinarily interesting, if something as dull as home life is fascinating to you. I can't help myself; I love it.

The arrival of the dining room marked a change not only in where the food was served but also in how it was eaten and when. For one thing, forks were now suddenly becoming common. Forks had been around for a long time but took forever to gain acceptance. Fork originally signified an agricultural implement and nothing more; it didn't take on a food sense until the mid-fifteenth century, and then it described a large implement used to pin down a bird joint for carving. The person credited with introducing the eating fork to England was Thomas Coryate, an author and traveller from the time of Shakespeare who was famous for walking huge distances--including once to India. In 1611, he produced his magnum opus, Coryate's Crudities, in which he gave much praise to the dinner fork, which he had first encountered in Italy. The same book was also notable for introducing English readers to the Swiss folk hero William Tell and to a new device called the umbrella. 

Eating forks were thought comically dainty and unmanly--and dangerous, too, come to that. Since they had only two sharp tines, the scope for piercing one's lip or tongue was great, particularly if one's aim was impaired by wine and jollity. Manufacturers  experimented with additional numbers of tines--sometimes as many as six--before settling, late in the nineteenth century, on four as the number that people seemed to be most comfortable with. Why four should induce the optimum sense of security isn't easy to say, but it does seem to be a fundamental fact of flatware psychology. 

 So, think about that the next time you use a fork. Thank you very much, Mr. Bryson. 

Someone you talked to today

I talked to many people today, but none I was comfortable taking and posting pictures of.

Also, since it is Sunday, and I'm at church, I don't have my phone on my for much of the day. The picture's from yesterday, or maybe the day before. It's my husband. I talked to him today, as I do every day. He's my very favorite person to talk to. He's very funny, insightful, and interesting. He also can't get enough of his helicopter.

We went to his parents' home for dinner tonight, and he brought his chopper so he could fly it with his dad. They had so much fun flying them around until the batteries were completely dead. If was such a funny night.

Anyway, there's my man, and there's my picture of the day.

(Sunday isn't the best day for blogging for me. My whole schedule's different and I'm just thinking about other things.)

Loud

Woke up this morning to a little helicopter loudly buzzing around my head.

My father-in-law recently got one of these, and since I was going to be away for the weekend, Kimball was planning on hanging out with his dad last night and today. Kimball even got a 'copter of his own to have flying duels with his papa.

My sister-in-law ended up having her baby yesterday, (a little bit earlier than was anticipated) the day we were going to escape for our girls' night, so we had to postpone it. 

(He's such a cute baby! And he has so much black hair! His name is Domenico, but he'll likely go by Dominic).

Anyway, this helicopter is amazing, and I'm glad I'm here to witness the childlike joy on my husband's face as he maneuvers it around our apartment. We may even take it outside later today...!

Red

Three pictures today. I'm not a huge fan of red. I don't own any clothes that are red, except a bridesmaid's dress. It just doesn't look great on me. I switched through my house looking for red things to photograph, and I found that my house is pretty much devoid of red. All I have in red are things I truly love. I  have this awesome belt. I got it years ago, and even though the buckles are admittedly excessive, (it's diesel, it's to be expected) I just really love it.

The second picture is my copy of The Lord of the Rings. It was a gift from my brother many years ago, and it's one of my favorite things. For those unaware, I'm a complete LoTR nerd. I have a matching green copy of The Hobbit. They're so cute together.

Last, my favorite treat. Lindt Lindor Truffles (although my favorite flavor is up for debate). These are from Valentine's Day, but I've been avoiding treats, so they remain untouched. That's true gratification.

Out with the old

I'm getting rid of a ton of stuff today. Nothing feels better than bringing unwanted clothes and things to a second-hand store. It feels so good. Also, in preparation for moving out of this apartment in April, I've been deep cleaning a little bit every day so we can keep our cleaning deposit. In the spirit of cleaning, organizing, and fixing things up, I present to you my new blog (look). It's pretty fun to play around with, so go through all those tabs up top and see which view floats your boat. Also, feel free to peruse old funny posts. I say funny not because I think I'm funny, but just because they're full of old boyfriends, less-mature days, and just a different me in general. Oh, and don't miss the photo-a-day post below, called Window!

my hair looks so yellow! and my face looks like gollum.

Window

I woke up early and eager to get out of bed today, which is pretty rare. I attribute it to the beautiful patterns of sunlight, which even the big, floor-to-ceiling blinds in our bedroom couldn't obscure. The light didn't wake me up, but it kept me up and helped me to be excited to start the day. I got my work out and scripture study in before I drove kimball to school and freed up so much time for later in the day. 

Sunlight does something to a person. It invigorates and enlivens. I seem to get so much more done when it's sunny outside. I can't wait for summer!

Scrambled eggs

I just made and ate the BEST scrambled eggs I've ever had. So good, I had to capitalize, embolden, italicize, and underline the word best. Oh my. I have to post this, mainly so I can remember what's in it in the future. We had some asparagus last night (baked with nothing but a little garlic salt), so I had leftovers in the fridge, and I just have an assortment of veggies on hand, so it was pretty thrown together.

Here's what it was:

I cracked three eggs into a skillet and added a small handful of crumbled feta. I stirred it up, and once the cheese was melted in and the eggs were no longer liquidy, I added about 6 asparagus... things? asparagi? (that were pre-cooked with galrlic salt), a diced Roma tomato, about a quarter of a diced avocado, a handful of baby spinach, and a little dash of salt.

I can't stomach eggs unless they're cooked beyond reason. I have to leave them on the stove till all the liquid is evaporated or I tend to gag, so I cooked them until the eggs were nearly browned, and I am telling you, it was heaven. Not to mention healthy. I'm most definitely having this for breakfast and maybe even lunch tomorrow. It's even worth cooking more asparagus, or I guess I could just throw it in and cook it on the spot with some minced garlic... Oh, man, yeah that's totally what I'm doing. Try it. You shan't regret it.

the eggs in all their glory

Something you wore

These are the clothes I wore to the temple tonight (I volunteer there and love it). The coat is my old mission coat, and the skirt is one my sister gave me years ago. She got it at a thrift store, and the label says it's a size that today would be double my usual size, so it's very old. The shirt is also passed down from said sister. I don't own/wear much that's new. I was running out the door on my way to the temple, and I knew I'd forget to take a picture when I got home, so I had to take this one quick... hence the awesome phone shot, and the coat on, and the towels, and me checking the image in the phone. It was just one of those days. Also note, the I-didn't-have-time-to-do-anything-else-with-my-hair topknot. 

Pure awesomeness today.

And my lovely, one-of-a-kind diamond ring is something I wear every day, but I still love it, and after nearly nine months of marriage I think it deserves a little cameo. Thanks, baby.

5pm

I haven't owned or worn a watch since I got home from my mission (four years ago). I use my phone for basically everything. It's an alarm, camera, clock, music box, library, tv, personal trainer, notebook, computer, tape recorder, map, flashlight, calendar, personal assistant, gospel library, and friend (I'm talking to you Siri) all rolled into one. On top of it all, my phone reminds me of how handsome my husband is. I love him!

Smile

Lots of reasons to smile today:

I got to sleep in.

I got a lot of cleaning done and got three loads of laundry done, folded, and put away.

I had a great workout and a fabulous deep stretch!

I got some things organized that needed organizing.

I made a super yummy/easy dinner, and got to enjoy it with my love.

I got invited to a ridiculously fun-sounding girl's weekend with my mother- and sisters-in-law (shopping, pedicures, hotel, movies, and eating out).

We had a great Family Home Evening and watched Mormon messages until I was crying. (how are they SO good?)

I got to hang out with my dear friend Stephanie, who I really don't see nearly enough, while Kimball was at Kung Fu. Oh, and we had Red Mango, which was sooo yummy!

And... my dear husband made a yum yum yummy smoothie (orange banana, as seen in the photo).

Bedside

My bedside is always overwhelmingly stacked with books. The funny thing is I do about 90% of my reading on my phone. I guess I just start too many books at once and they all pile up. I need to invest in some bookshelves eventually. Or get rid of all the books I don't want. I used to think books were inherently good to collect, but no longer. Classics, my absolute favorites, and church books are all I want anymore (and good kids books when we get to that stage). Some of them aren't worth the space to me, and some are just better read digitally.

I want to use the daily photos as a way to prompt other, fuller posts. I didn't yesterday, since we were with family, but I have read so many incredible. Books lately that I have to share them. I really got back into reading for fun the Christmas before last (2010), when my hardest semester of college was behind me. Since then I've read as much as I can, and it has been so nice!

These are the books I have read in the last 14 months:

The Maltese Falcon, Candide, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Great Divorce, Home, The Book of Mormon, Dracula, Frankenstein, A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, The Hobbit, The Song of the Lark, and now I'm about 1/7 through Les Miserables (which is a lot for such a beast of a book). I feel like I need to write a little review for each one, but maybe a little line or two will suffice.

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett: A fun little mystery. A book I probably wouldn't read again - the mystery wouldn't be there - but definitely worth reading once.

Candide by Voltaire: A clever little satire. Again, I enjoyed it (I read it in a day) and would recommend it.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: I was intrigued by the description of this book, and I couldn't wait to read it. I liked it a lot, but I was surprised at how vile Dorian was. Such a great concept for a book, and it definitely made me think.

The Count of Monte by Alexander Dumas: Okay, I can't say enough about this book. I read it about ten years ago, so I knew I already loved it, but I had forgotten enough of the story to make it interesting again. It's so different from the movie, and I'm hoping someone will come along and make another movie that is accurate. He's not as kind-hearted in the book and is just full of vengeance. Love it.

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis: C.S. Lewis' look at the afterlife. Very thought-provoking, and enjoyable... But it's Lewis, so what else would it be?

At Home by Bill Bryson: This is one that I would certainly read again, which is strange since it's the only non-fiction book I read (excluding the Book of Mormon). It's an in-depth look at the home - why we live the way we do, how people used to do it, and a remarkable amount of funny stories and facts. I realized that anthropology, history, and sociology are among my favorite things to read about and learn about. I couldn't put this book down and I can't wait to read more of Bryson's stuff.

The Book of Mormon: Obviously a fabulous one. It's true, and i love it, and it should be read by one and all. I only mention it here, because I read the edition that has no verses, and seems like a novel (only spiritually uplifting and truer than any novel). I would highly recommend reading it that way. I read it in a month, and really couldn't put it down.

Dracula by Bram Stoker: I never would have wanted to read this, but it's on the list of 100 greatest books of all time, so I had to. (My family has a sort of competition going, and it's already been going for years, to see who can read the 100 Greatest Books first. We realize it will take years, and I have a long way to go, so I'm trying to get ahead. I love having this list to draw from. There are so many books I never would have touched.) I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. It is nothing like modern vampire stuff (which I haven't read, but I think I know). It was scary, intense, beautifully written, but has a pretty abrupt ending. I won't probably read it again, but I recommend it. Just don't keep reading after your husband goes to sleep, because you'll be too scared to turn off the light! (Kimball read it and loved it, too).

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Another that surprised me. I think I actually would read this again. It shed light on parenthood (even godhood) and goodness, and responsibility. I underlined a ton, and couldn't put it down. I read it in one day. A little scary, too, but so good.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: This one came highly recommended (President Monson reads it every year), so Kimball and I read it together. We read at the same pace, so we would just sit together and read a chapter each night leading up to Christmas. I love it, and I think we may do it again next Christmas.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: This one probably shouldn't be on the list. I didn't actually finish it, because it really wasn't my cup of tea. The writing is good, but I found the story lacking. Maybe I'll finish it one day, but I just couldn't get through it this time.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: in anticipation for the movie coming out in December (thank you Peter Jackson!) we decided to read this one together, too. We got through it in a couple weeks, read a chapter together here and there. I love reading with Kimball! I'd read the hobbit when I was little, but I'd forgotten much of it. It's just a classic. Tolkien is amazing. (Lord of the Rings is next for us! We've read the first chapter already. Kimball's coming to love it as much as I do!)

The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather: This was a birthday gift from my mother-in-law. It's about a 19th-century Swedish immigrant who studies opera, and it goes from her childhood into the peak of her career in New York. I loved love loved this book. I don't know if everyone would, though. I felt like I could relate with the character in so many ways, and that I'd been through much of the same emotional struggles and had had similar thoughts. It was a really great book, and anyone who's been "the singer" of the neighborhood, or who's studied voice would really appreciate it.

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: I'm still in the midst of this book, and I cannot put it down. I have always loved the musical and the film adaptations of Les Mis, but anyone who's read it know that nothing compares to this book. It is truly remarkable. I'm sure I'll finish it this month. It's super long, but so great, I can't stop reading it!

I want to try to read a new book each month this year, so I'll take suggestions, but most if not all will likely come from 100 Greatest Books list.

And there you have it: my bedside.