Christmas Lights and Hot Chocolate Cookies

This is hands-down my favorite time of year! I love snow; I love wearing jackets, scarves, and boots; I love baking goods that make my house smell delicious; and I love looking forward to being with family! We were a little overly-excited and put our Christmas tree up about 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. In our defense, with Thanksgiving being so late and us leaving next week, we knew we only had about 2 weeks to really enjoy our decorations before leaving again. So this way, we get to enjoy our tree for a full 4 weeks :) Last year (in our tiny, tiny apartment) we didn't have any decorations, so we decided this year we HAD to get at least a tree, and we love the outcome:

 

 The tree skirt is a blanket- don't judge. One day...

 This is the new advent calendar my mom made for us! It has all different pictures of Christ on the back of each day. We love it and are so glad to add it to our bit of decorations:

 

We have already been to Temple Square twice to see the Christmas lights. It is definitely a perk of living near downtown. The first time we went with our friends, the Bevans (who we forgot to get a picture with!). Luckily it was fairly warm since it was before all the cold fronts and snowstorms blew in. Then later that week, we met up with some of my college roommates and their husbands! It was a blast, but absolutely freezing.

We have all been friends since Freshman year. I love these beautiful ladies:

 

The beautiful temple:

  

One of my closest friends, Yvonne and me:

 

And the beautiful lights! Everything is so amazing and every little tree branch is lit, which is incredible. Props to whoever does that:

 My favorite guy in the whole world:

It was cold enough to need my furry hood:

 These are some cookies my mom inspired me to bake with the leftover marshmallows from Thanksgiving. 

 They are Hot Chocolate Cookies, YUM:

 

Here is the recipe if anyone is interested (and yes, you use hot chocolate mix!)

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 packages (or 1/2 cup plus 3 Tablespoons) Hot Chocolate Mix (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows

*I also put in 1 tsp of Almond Extract (my favorite), because it just sounded so good.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then blend in the vanilla (and almond extract if you want)

Then add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven. Working quickly, carefully add about 5 to 7 miniature marshmallows to the top of each cookie, and gently press. Return to the oven and bake an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the marshmallows start to puff. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

*I refrigerated to make the next day, and felt like the cookies didn't flatten out as much when the dough was refrigerated, so try that if they are looking a little too flat for your liking. I like mine thick and chewy!

Thanksgiving

We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are now enjoying the Christmas season, we sure are! Our Thanksgiving was spent in Colorado with my family, which was a total blast. We drove out and met them at the condo, skied a few days, ate a ton, and shopped a lot too :)

We took my nephew, Ty out to the slopes with us a few days and although he looked so cute and content, he politely said "All done" the whole way down the bunny slope. 

 

 My sisters, Ty and me:

My mom had a blast taking him up the bunny slope:

Some of the ski group:

 Isn't he the cutest?!

 

Basically, we all were like paparazzi the whole way down the bunny slope. Don't worry, I only put these few up of about the 50 I took ;) Oh, and one more of him getting off the lift with his dad (he was extremely sad to get off the "ride" and sobbed the whole way down the hill! Haha)

Before Thanksgiving dinner, we snapped a few family photos for the year. These are some of my favorite people in the world. I am blessed to have them in my life:

 

 And one with the hubs. I'm especially grateful for this guy:

 

I didn't get any pictures of Thanksgiving dinner or dessert, but we ate a ton and enjoyed spending time with our friends and neighbors, the Stephensons. 

My mom, two sisters, and I spent all of Black Friday shopping and running errands (with a Chipotle and many Peppermint Oreo breaks in between). Here we are at Target, feeling pretty exhausted (with peppermint oreos in hand...)

We got the condo all dressed up for Christmas and are so excited to be back there next week (!!!) before heading onto Kansas for Christmas with David's family. We CANNOT wait! Tis' the Season!

Grateful for Autumn!

The last of the leaves are falling off the trees and with two snowfalls in the past week, I can definitely say it's starting to feel like winter. This is what I saw out my window on Sunday morning! We also had another (larger) storm the next day with a few inches that even stuck on the roads. I get really giddy and excited when it snows, so I was very happy and will be happy until January, then it's just a hassle.

Prior to the snowfalls, we have been blessed with a beautiful fall! It has felt really long too because I started making pumpkin treats and fall soups back on September 1st, but that's okay because it's my favorite time of year. Here are some pictures of my view during a morning jog a few weeks back:

 

Yes, those are the best views of Salt Lake you will find! We are so blessed to live with Grandpa Reed! The only downside is that a run is twice as hard because you either run up a mountain or down and then have to do the reverse to get back home.

David and I threw a Soup Party the week before Halloween for his dental class. It was a blast and most everyone came with a significant other and dressed up in costumes as well. Don't mind how awful this picture is of me, it's the only one we got of the whole party and of Halloween in general, so it'll have to do:

David was Fix it Felix from the movie "Wreck It Ralph" and I was a just a witch. Nothing too creative on my end.

Although fall isn't entirely over, I am already listening to Christmas music on my Pandora station at work, and counting down to the holidays. Also, I'm getting in the spirit by eating this:

 I'm not even a huge eggnog fan, but this stuff is SO GOOD. Please try it if you feel the need for some good ice cream :)

We are getting excited for Thanksgiving and this month is always a good time to reflect on everything we have been blessed with. I am extremely grateful for my loving and hardworking husband! I am also so thankful for our families, we are truly blessed to have them in their lives. I am extremely grateful to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and a personal relationship with our Savior and Heavenly Father. What a wonderful time of year. I hope you have some time to reflect on all that you are grateful for in your life and get to enjoy the last of autumn :)

Playoffs + Conference + Family = Great Weekend

Conference weekend is always a weekend to look forward to! Our church leaders gather twice a year at General Conference to give us inspired messages and counsel, and it is just so uplifting. On top of the anticipated spiritual uplifting, we had another reason to be excited for that weekend: The Oakland A's made the playoffs! David has always been a big fan and grew up watching games with his dad and brother. Once they made the playoffs and we realized it was in Oakland, I called my sister and we decided to drive out for the games. David, his brother Daniel, and I made the trip out. It was completely last minute and totally worth it! 

We drove through the night on Thursday and got there just before sunrise on Friday...hello long drive. After we got a few zzz's, we went to meet my brother-in-law for lunch at his work. He works at Apple, which is amazing and we enjoyed eating outdoors in the perfect California weather (while it had just snowed in Utah). Here we are at Apple Headquarters after lunch:

 

 

This is my cutest nephew ever! (Don't worry...he's my only nephew). He loved playing with the stickers from Apple, so got a quick shot:

After lunch, we headed up to Oakland to beat traffic and get there in time for the game. It was a perfect evening at the ballpark and we had a blast!

Plus it was very entertaining:

 

Unfortunately, the A's lost. But it was only the first game of the series so there was still some hope...until the lost the series a few days later. World Series 2014 maybe?!

On Saturday we woke up to donuts thanks to Carrie and Andrew, and then watched the morning session of General Conference. After that, we headed to Santa Cruz to enjoy the beach for the afternoon. It was perfect. Carrie always talks about how amazing the beach is in October, and she is definitely right! It was around 90 degrees and perfectly sunny, which is very rare for California beaches. Here is cute little Ty:

David and Daniel playing in the water. The boys had a blast, but I still can't believe they went all the way in in that freezing water:

My love:

 My sister, Carrie, and me: I love this lady so much!

After the beach, David and Daniel went to another A's game (where they won!), Andrew went to Priesthood session of conference, and Carrie, Ty and I went out to eat with Carrie's friends. It was so great and Ty was just so stinking cute with his "milk mustache" from the ice cream, but he just didn't want to show it to the camera:

Sunday morning we had a delicious breakfast and watched the morning session of General Conference. It was fabulous and Carrie and Andrew were just amazing hosts! I love them so much and always am so impressed with their generosity and willingness to let us stay with them last minute! After that, we hopped in the car and made the trek back to Utah. Although we missed a few sessions of conference, the boys considered this a once-in-a-lifetime event, and we are currently catching up by watching the ones we've missed. Please watch the sessions if you missed them, they are great and will inspire you to be a better person!

New beginnings and the start of fall!

David is officially a dental school student! He has been in school for nearly 2 months and is really enjoying it. The first week, they did a "white coat ceremony" or initiation type thing into the new dental school, which was a great excuse to get together with David's siblings and show them our new place. There was a nice ceremony with a few speakers, then each student was called up to the stage to receive their white coat, and then we ate dinner! Woohoo for free food.

Here is David getting his coat:

 

 Scott, Daniel, Me, David, Jen, and Phe

Since we live right by the U and David goes to school there, I found a job working as a receptionist on campus. So far, so good. Plus, you can't beat the 8 minute commute!

Life is good and we are loving the beginning of fall! Here is a random compilation of photos from the last month or two:

Soup! This tomato basil soup is a copycat of Nordstrom's recipe and was delicious. Great with a grilled cheese and a strawberry salad. I have been addicted to making soups recently and have already made these ones. But there's still a ton of time to make all the others.

• Chicken Tortilla (Best soup in the history of the world- I should put this up so it will change someone else's life too)

• Cheesy Vegetable Soup

• Tomato Basil

• Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon (I made this recipe up after researching many blogs and websites and must say I am very proud)

David and I did a hike awhile ago up by Brighton Ski Resort. It was beautiful, we saw a moose (actually a few), and I'm thinking we should get back up there now that the leaves are changing.

 The Tour of Utah bike race is a 6 day race that takes place all over the state during the beginning of August. The 4th day was a circuit route, so they did a 6 mile loop around part of Salt Lake 5 times. It was a blast to watch and almost scary because they go SO FAST and would zip around this corner. Good thing no one wiped out, or they would have landed in our laps. We wished so badly my parents were with us because they would have loved it! Here is the peloton:

And the 100+ cars zooming after the racers:

Labor Day Weekend, my whole family came out to visit me! Well, not really because my parents were moving my sister into her dorm at BYU for her freshman year! I just love having her here near me. But while everyone was here, my sisters and I threw a 30th Anniversary party for my parents and it ended up being so fun!

Here is the cake table:

We did a lemon/lime theme and it turned out pretty cute:

My sister, Carrie, and I getting ready for the party:

 It was so fun and great to see tons of family and friends!

We also went berry picking a few weeks ago down in Payson, UT with David's sister Jen. It was gorgeous. Seriously, this may be one of the prettiest views I have ever seen:

Don't mind this horrible picture of me, but it's the only one I got of the two of us:

David and I picked around 8 lbs and I made 4 jars of Blackberry & Raspberry Jam, which is so good! We also ate a ton while fresh and still have a bunch in our freezer. YUM!

 

 David has been really into football this fall (like always) and even got to watch a game with our "Grandpa" Reed! This is the old man we live with and we just adore him. He is a HUGE football fan (especially BYU) so he and David get so excited about watching the games. So far, we have only been to one football game, which happened to be the BYU vs. TX game. That was an amazing game and if it's the only one we go to all season we will be happy. 

Happy Fall everyone!

Our Summer in a Nutshell

Europe was definitely the highlight of our summer, but we have still been so busy and luckily had a few more trips planned! After returning to America, we had two weeks to wrap up our lives before moving up to Salt Lake. David worked as a sports camp counselor at BYU and also at his research lab, while I packed up our tiny apartment. We were so excited to move, but also very sad to leave our first home together and all our family and friends in Provo. Luckily, we are only an hour away. Plus, we LOVE Salt Lake! So fun, much more diverse, more to do and just beautiful this time of year! 

Our current living situation is unique but we are really enjoying it. We live with a very old man. We call him "grandpa" Reed, even though we have no relations. He is just the greatest and we love living in his basement. Here are a couple pictures of our space: 

About 3 days after we moved into our new home, David left for his Commissioned Officer Training (COT) for 4 1/2 weeks. Now that he is an officer in the U.S. Air Force, he needed to learn how to walk, talk and do all things military. Although he had no idea what to expect, he ended up really enjoying it. Mostly they learned to march (drill) and had a lot of classroom time to learn about different aspects of the military. He was at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, AL. I expected him to sleep in barracks and be yelled at constantly, but apparently it's not all like the movies. He had a great dorm room and private bathroom with a roommate that was also from Utah. And although they did get yelled at a lot the first week, it got easier and he made some great friends and had good experiences (like camping in a tent with air conditioning?) Luckily we did get to talk on the phone every night, and by the end we were both so glad to be back together :) Here is David trying on his new uniforms before he left:

Here he is with the birthday package I sent him. I was sad to not be able to celebrate with him for his 24th! 

 Here he is on their plane tour. They wore their ABU's (airman battle uniforms) everyday:

And here is a picture of his official Air Force picture. So Handsome!

Luckily I did not spend those 4 1/2 weeks alone. I am grateful for great family and friends who helped me stay busy during this time so I wasn't too bored and depressed. First, I met my parents in Colorado and spent a week at the condo for the 4th of July. We had a blast road biking, hiking, and just enjoying the beautiful scenery. 

We took a boat out with some friends onto the lake and watched the fireworks being shot off above the lake. It was so beautiful. Here is the stunning sunset on the lake

Basically my parents are awesome and I was so glad to tag along with them for the week. After Colorado, we road tripped back home to Kansas where I visited for another week. Some highlights included visiting the KC temple, biking with my parents (they are so fit!), and just eating and being lazy at home...nothing better ;)

I then returned to Utah and the next week I road tripped with two of my girlfriends, Jessica and Carly, to Los Angeles! Here are a few pictures. I only have some phone ones, because most of them are on Jessica's nice camera. Here we are in front of the Hollywood sign. We took the wrong hike and didn't actually make it to the sign, but had some great views of it:

After our hike we went to a food market:

On the beach for an outdoor concert at the Santa Monica pier! This is where we also saw Des, the Bachelorette!! 

The pier all lit up

At the beach during the daytime! 

I had an absolute blast with these girls, and we decided girls trips should be an annual tradition! We loved California and were so grateful we could stay with Jessica's sister and have her show us around Beverly Hills. After we got back, I only had a few days before David came home. It was just the greatest to be back with him! Our summer has been busy and one of the best ever! 

Tomorrow, David starts dental school!