Final Days in Utah

After we got home from Vegas we had a jammed packed week.

• Saturday: We had a triple date with our friends Andy & Sariah and Darla & Sam. We went out to dinner and to a Real Salt Lake soccer game. It was a surprisingly fun game. Afterwards we played games and such. 
• Sunday: Easter! We spoke at church and it was the most well-received talk either of us had given. We used a book I picked up at work and walked through the last seven days of the Savior's life, ending with Easter Sunday. I'll admit it was a different and interesting talk. We enjoyed preparing them. We really liked the ward we were in too. I wish we could have got to know them better.
• Monday: Checked out City Creek with Andy (for the third time). We went to a Jazz game (vs. the Spurs) with tickets we scored at Fanzz for buying $50 worth of stuff for the aforementioned Real Salt Lake game. 
• Tuesday: We had won tickets at my work party to the Hale Center Theater. We had a nice dinner out and then saw Zorro: The Musical. We loved it! It was a super small theater with the stage in the center. Quite a few of the cast were very talented! I'm happy to add it to the list of musicals I have seen live. 
• Wednesday: Went on a double date with Darla and Sam to a Thai restaurant in downtown Salt Lake called Sawadees. That was a first for almost all of us. It was delightful! It was even more sad since it was our last night there, but we had a really great time with Darla and Sam. (Don't worry guys, we'll be back). 
• Thursday: We caravan-ed back to Rexburg with Daniel's dad. I'm a little sad. And I miss my job. But here we are.

Vegas, Baby

New York-New York

In our final days of living in Utah, we decided to take our spring break down to Vegas. True, we aren't the usual spring break crowd, but I figured I need to see Vegas once in my life. (That's really all it takes).

I was actually really excited about Vegas at first. I thought it was so cute and cheesy. But after three days of walking up and down the dirty Strip I was certainly done.

Caesar's Palace

M&M Factory

I was hoping for more out of the M&M "Factory"--it's a four story store. But it was cute.

Our hotel

 Our hotel was great. We were literally at the furthest end of the hotel and it was really quiet and pretty high up. Everything there was white so it felt more like Miami than Las Vegas. We spent the warmest of the days chillin at the pool, which was absolutely great. Not to mention, I saw Joey Fatone eating at the fancy restaurant at our the hotel. We totally made eye contact.

Hash House A-Go-Go

 We love to hit up our Travel Channel favorites which included chicken and waffles at Hash House A-Go-Go. We even went back later that week for lunch (yes we ate all that for breakfast). We kinda got used to eat two enormous meals a day. I'm not entirely sure we have adjusted out of that schedule yet.

Chicken and Waffles!

Pawn Stars

Paris or Vegas?

 We went shopping at the Vegas Outlets, the Caesar's Palace, and some other mall. Then we hit up the wax museum. It was surprisingly cool. However, all those stars better not be that short because I felt enormous.

 The Bellagio fountains were pretty awesome. Surprisingly cool.We also ate at the Bellagio buffet. Suprisingly uncool. We waited FOREVER to eat at nine thirty at night and, sure, the food was some of the best buffet food that I've ever had, but after dying of thirst in line and waiting that long. It was not worth the price tag.

 We enjoyed the lights down at the "Glitter Gulch" more than the Strip. They were more classic, old Las Vegas. I did have some drunk girls yell at me and a solicitor compliment me way too much. Vegas people are odd.

Vegas has some highs and lows. I'm glad we went. We planned on visiting the Hoover Dam, but we were too tired and I felt sick so we hit the road home.

Bye Bye Brother

 We said good-bye to little brother at the end of March. The drop-off at the MTC was pretty uneventful. We literally pulled up to the curb and then off he went!

A Day in the Life...

Our time in Utah is coming to a close, so here we are documenting our little journey. I snapped some pictures of how my day usually goes.

• Morning commute with my carpool buddy (Daniel)
• Off to the Deseret Book store or to the Corporate offices on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Daniel drops me off and continues his drive up to Layton.
• I work until four/four-thirty each day.
  
• Head home, and if I am feeling ambitious I actually make dinner.
• The end.
  

This is the actually building that I work in. It is on the opposite side of the store as the original Deseret Book offices.


This is the view from the office that the Director of Merchandising shares with me. Not too shabby huh?

I love working downtown and so close to Temple Square. I've met some interesting people and some very important people. I've met Sheri Dew, Ardeth Kapp, Kristen Oaks, Harriet Utchdorf, and other artists and authors that have come in. It has been a wonderful experience and I will be sad to see it end in two weeks.

Where We Are and What We Are Doing...

So...
We now live in Riverton, Utah, temporarily.
Daniel's wonderful Aunt Evon and Uncle Mike are letting us live in their great basement apartment, and it is turning into a extreme blessing. Daniel and I have about a 40 minute drive to work, which really hasn't been that bad. But then it snowed. Daniel had to turn back today and come home because I-15 was so backed up he would have never made it to work in under two hours.
Anyways, I had been working at the Layton Deseret Book, which was a great learning experience for me, but a window of opportunity appeared shortly after we arrived here. I received a call from the manager of the downtown store in Salt Lake with some interest in having me come work for him. However, someone else put the cherry on top that made me decided to move stores.
The director of merchandising called me with some interest in having me work as her assistant while I am here. I am extremely excited to be working in the corporate offices of Deseret Book. One for the things I will learn, but also for the people I will meet. This is a great opportunity for me that I never thought I would receive and I am feeling very blessed. I will be working both in the offices and at the Flagship Store. Go me!
Daniel is fitting in well with his internship and his co-workers. Piece by piece they are giving him more projects that challenge him and interest him in accounting. He has even taken on a customer account to be his own. They are very flexible with his schedule which is also a great blessing to help me get to work when I need to.
So far, I've learned how wonderfully kind people can be. Everyone we know has been so accommodating and so nice.
We are grateful for everyone's helpful hands and we are enjoying our time here.

Christmas 2011

Now that everyone else has posted about Christmas, I thought I'd let the magic linger a while longer! Christmas was a lovely holiday. I worked a lot as usual, but after a long week we made it to my parent's house at nine o'clock Christmas Eve night. We ate some delicious appetizers, shared Christmas stories, and opened some new pjs.
This was Spencer's last Christmas with us for two years! As of today, his mission papers are in to the stake president. We should be hearing about a call sometime soon.

We were well spoiled this year. Daniel got a new jackets, books, movies, a Cardinals shirt from my trip to St. Louis, and other goodies.

I also got some movies, books, clothes, lots of smelly goodies, perfume, and a new wallet.


Daniel's brother Alan and his family drew our name for Christmas and bought us a great blanket from Boston. Thanks everyone!
Did I mention we just just a few movies? 13 total! {8 of which were Harry Potter, which we are now watching in reverse order}

We missed Daniel's parents for Christmas while they were in Arkansas, but after Christmas dinner we had some friends over for games and more delectable food. Mike and Lara and Aaron and Roni came over to celebrate. After games, Aaron, Roni, Daniel, and I drove around to check out Christmas lights. There is a house in Idaho Falls that is synchronized to Christmas music and we sat and watched that house for the entire show. The family that runs it is so sweet, they even brought everyone that was watching their house candy canes!

Christmas was far too short, but we had a wonderful holiday. I always like when we get to go to church on Christmas as well. The rest of the week was spent packing up and moving to Utah!

That story up next...

Magic of Christmas

Daniel's brother Alan has an uncanny gift for cutting some of the most meticulously crafted snowflakes I have ever seen. They drew our name and the first half of our presents were these amazing snowflakes. We just thought we'd share these marvelous pieces of art.

This one was made just for me. Check out that Eiffel Tower and Fleur de Lis!

Shocking, huh? Thanks Alan!