O Christmas Tree

I'm so excited for Christmas this year! I listen to holiday tunes at work, added a wreath to our front door, and am so excited to open gifts with Brandon. I haven't always been the best gift giver and hope I can get something right this year~ 
Our only decorations in our little apartment is our wreath on the front door, a bowl of cinnamon pine cones at the foot of our bed, and red sheets! I mentioned to my mom my wish for red sheets for the holiday season (they can be used for Valentines and 4th of July too!) She surprised us my gifting some beautiful red satin sheets, Santa would be jealous. I love crisp red and white for Christmas. Such a fun way to celebrate and they make me smile every time I pull down the comforter.

We move December 14th, back home with my parents for a short time until we know what county we'll find jobs in. It didn't seem practical to bring up boxes of decorations when we're in the process of boxing up the apartment right now. So over Thanksgiving break I decorated a small Christmas Tree at my parents home, ready for us when we get there.

Every year my mom gives us an ornament. I added just a few to our small tree this year. They are always so fun, sometimes homemade, sometimes representing something from the year's experiences, always special. We each have a box of ornaments so when we leave home we have a piece of our Christmas traditions with us and I must have a full trees worth of ornaments! I've loved her efforts and hope to pass on that tradition with my own children. 
Thank you Mom for creating memories. I hope everyone's enjoying this magical time of the year! 

Temptation Cupcake

How do you get empty milk glasses, piles of wrappers, and big smiles?

You visit a cute cupcake shop, Temptation Cupcake, in Logan, UT and you select beautiful and divine cupcakes like these:

 Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Cinnamon and Sugar, Chocolate Swirl, Bavarian Cream, Chocolate Ganache, Bavarian Cream, Cookies n' Cream

I had seen this shop and wanted to visit so badly. The thing is that they sell out everyday and there'd be nothing left by the time I get off work. But one Saturday Brandon took me in the morning to taste these sweet treats. It was so hard to choose. They make about 14 different kinds everyday, they have some that they make everyday but rotate most of the flavors, always introducing new decadent flavors. 

Our favorites were the cookies n' cream (i've been craving it ever since) and the cinnamon and Sugar. I know i'll have to have one more before we move too far away to visit easily. 

Brandon and I had fun splitting all the flavors and ranking them. 

Thanks babe for the fun outing!

They picked the perfect name for their shop! By the way, the owners are an adorable husband and wife, he's the baker! Previous farmers, now cupcake shop owners. I wish the best for them! Sweet Success!

Now that we've devoured way too many sweets and we've had a hard time scheduling time to work out since moving here we realize the following has become true: 

We're dying to get into a better routine. This picture perfectly describes how we feel right now. 
She's a darling little girl though! :) 

Super 8

A while back Brandon and I were informed by our apartment manager that the water heater we share with the apartment below us had broken and been condemned. Awesome. We were ok with it; it was a Sunday and we'd already showered. But when Monday rolled around, snowy and cold, I was wanting a hot shower by the end of the day. Management offered to send us to a local hotel, we took it! Hey a hotel stay that we don't have to pay for AND a shower that is bigger than the box we've got! Done deal!

Little did we know the luxury we were in for! We were directed to the Super 8.

We were given a handicap accessible room on the first floor right by the front desk.

It was 5 stars all the way!

Brandon being a "Price is Right" model, showcasing the deluxe accommodations.

That's right-13inches of full color. What more could you ask for?

We made the best of the situation by making it an "escape". 

We stopped by the grocery store and loaded up on some delicacies: Coke & Peanut M&M's.

  Brandon was pretty excited about the ice machine. He's terribly fond of ice. 

 The hotel featured a pool and hot tub. The lights of the nearby fast food restaurant really set the mood. Did we take advantage of this luxury? Yes. 

We packed our swimsuits and sat, momentarily, in the hot tub. 

Overall it was a funny night. I enjoyed the "continental" breakfast the next morning by myself while Brandon got in a few more minutes of precious sleep before taking me to work. 

Thanks Management of University Villa for the free night's stay and the experience! We appreciated the offer and it was fun to mix up our normal routine at the Super 8.

It's in the Details

I live in a beautiful place. There is so much history here and it's evident in some of the beautiful, historic architecture. I often drive home from work a different way so I can experience more homes. I have somewhat of a bipolar style, I die over the details and trends of this time period but love sleek modern lines. Brandon and I would probably never choose a home in the style of the photos I'll showcase but I appreciate the details and the workmanship. These homes inspire me, they make me smile, they are works of art, they honestly take my breath away. I sigh as we pass by and Brandon just laughs at me. They're not just houses-they are stories and history to me.

While Brandon was busy working a few Saturdays ago I wandered out into the newly snowed streets to capture some of my favorites. 

There are too many to capture, too many to love. 

Can you see the dental trim peaking out beneath the snow? I love it. 

The balcony and porch made me long for a lemonade on a summer evening. I love the green capitols on the ionic columns. I love the symmetry. 

Below is a house that I pass daily on my way to work. It's been kept so well and has such a welcoming, warm tone. It sits on a street lined with trees, most of the streets in Logan are tree-lined. It reminds me of growing up in old Provo. The trees feel so wise and protecting to me. I've always been drawn to them. 

The following house is my favorite. It's massive. There is an extraordinary amount of detail and craftsmanship.  I want to go inside so badly! It's a castle, a dream. I have a huge love of turrets, I have always wanted my room to be in one.

 Are you breathless?! I'm in love! I could stare at it all day, I'm so glad I found it!

Next is the house that I walk by daily. It's the house situated just in front of our apartment, see that old, orange motel thing in the background? That's us, but this beauty is basically home too.  I wish there was an apartment open when we moved in. The entry way is a beautiful staircase with dark woods and  transoms above the doors.

I'm so glad we have been able to live in Logan for a short time and so grateful for the builders of these homes and the individuals that seek to preserve them!

Mr. Finch's Birthday!

Birthdays are more than just another day or candles on the cake. It's an opportunity to look back at the last year and our lives so far and reflect on all we've accomplished. Be proud of where you are today and how you got there! It's a new start, a new year to decide who you are going to be and how you're going to progress.

In Twenty Eight years Mr. Finch has:

Fulfilled Countless Church Callings

Played multiple Sports: Learned to love basketball

Earned his Eagle Scout

Developed life time friendships with wonderful people

Graduated High School with Honors

Graduated from Seminary

Served a Two Year Mission to Montreal, Canada

Learned French

Taught himself Guitar

Earned his Associate Degree from SLCC

Received a Full-tuition Academic Scholarship to USU

Received a Privately-funded Art Scholarship based off his portfolio

Become an Excellent Artist, Designer, Oil painter, Ceramics, Print-Maker

Practices excellent Money management principles enabling him to support himself at USU

Maintains a High GPA and has been featured in countless Class Showcases

Created a New Eternal Family by being Sealed in the Temple 

Much, Much, More

He Continues to make his families and me very proud and happy he is in our lives. 

I'm so happy we got to celebrate his life so far and look forward to the next year!

Brandon at 28 is going to be a Good Year!

Here's how we celebrated the BIG 28!

Movie Money Ball with Peanut M&M's and Crunch N' Munch ~ Sandwich from Old Grist Bread Co ~ Cinnamon Toast Crunch for Breakfast *Added bonus it had a comic book inside:) * ~ Logan Hero, BBQ Baked Lays & Pudding Pack for lunch ~ Dinner at Factory Pizzeria ~ Caramel Pecan Silk Supreme Pie ~ Modern Family Episodes ~ Spa Night ~ New Pants and DVD's ~ 

Birthday Songs and Wishes from Family and Friends

I hope to do my part to make the next year an exciting year! I love my Mr. Finch. 

Happy Birthday Babe!

Happy Honeymoon

Throughout the wedding planning process Brandon and I had to keep reminding ourselves when we were stressed that sandy beaches and warm sun awaited us at the end of the wedding planning. We had such a blast and we're so lucky we had the opportunity to have such a spectacular start to our marriage.

Western Caribbean Cruise: 7 Day, 4 ports, Norwegian Cruise Line

In case you missed the detail that most found so funny, we left for our honeymoon the day of our wedding. Red Eye Flight.A completely packed red eye flight!  That's right-our Wedding night. 

Marriage-Pictures-Luncheon-Setup-Reception-Red Eye Flight! 

(Thanks to Matt & Kate for the drive to the airport!)

We left SLC airport at 1am. (Next time you see us ask about Brandon being blind according to the airline!-Fun Story) Got to Atlanta, made our connection (Luckily!)  and arrived in New Orleans at 9:30am. Taxi to the Port. Stood in Lines. Boarded the Ship and waited for our rooms to be available-exhausted and ready for a shower from the humidity. Here's a hammed up picture as we waited to board.

And of course we made the best of the buffet. Notice my hair? Yeah. As soon as I got in the airport metal detector I had to quickly remove all the pins. There was never time or energy to fix it.

We were given the all clear to head to our rooms-shower at last! Well not yet. We realized we needed our luggage. We napped restlessly as we waited a few more hours for the delivery of our bags. Showered, emergency drill complete, a boat full of possibilities...nap time. We were so exhausted. The previous 48 hours we'd both clocked only 2-3 hours of sleep. We headed to the buffet for dinner-too tired to dress up for the dining rooms. We decided to watch a movie-or at least the first 5 minutes of it. We both fell asleep-good thing we had the following day at sea.  

Sea Day:

Today was magical, Why? Because we were privileged enough to witness "Magic with Jorgos!" A Greek magician that was, well, interesting. The preview clip of his act was much more entertaining than the odd sleight of hand tricks we were dazzled with. It makes a good story though. We had dinner in the Garden Dining Room. Candlelight made the atmosphere cozy and intimate. We had a wonderful three course meal and then walked around the deck help our stomachs settle. It had been overcast all day and a storm was just rolling in-lighting and thunder in the distance. We were glad to have a relaxing day to catch up on some much needed sleep. 

Costa Maya, Mexico
Costa Maya was a little bit of a shocker to Brandon and I. For our first stop on our dream honeymoon we were disappointed. Guards with Machine Guns were everywhere. It was not lush or tropical-just the opposite. It looked like a hurricane and fire had ripped through the area.  The sun was no where to be seen on the very cloudy and gray day. Neither of us are very good at just hopping in a taxi with no idea where we're headed. No one from the cruise was leaving this small shopping area. We started on foot asking guards that spoke zero English where the beach was. We got some points and headed out. Bad idea. We were attacked by mosquitoes-My forehead had a swollen bump on it from one of the bites! We made it to the beach. Ate lunch, snorkeled. We caught a cab on the way back. What a day. Later we discovered we both had been completely fried and we had put on so much sunscreen! Our shoulders were so red! What a way to start out the trip eh?

Roaton, Honduras

Hello-Beautiful! What a breath of fresh air when we stepped of the boat in this hill-side retreat. This is what we had been waiting for! We headed inland and swam with some dolphins. It has been a dream of Brandon's for so long! The Lagoon we were in was gorgeous. After we headed to a beach. It was so beautiful! We had some local lunch and the best lemonade drink we've ever had. It is indescribable! We couldn't get enough of it. We snorkeled, Enjoyed the sun with our shirts on and found refuge against a rock. This day was perfect. 

 

Belize City, Belize

You better Belize it! We had a lot of fun in Belize. The locals were so fun and so energetic about us being there. We took a bus through the country. I am amazed at how blessed we are to live in the country we do and for the blessings we enjoy. We hiked through some jungle and went cave tubing! It was a cool experience. We unfortunately didn't have a waterproof camera so we don't have pics of our cave adventure. 

Cozumel, Mexico 

Brandon wanted dolphins, I wanted ruins. That's what we did. We headed out to Tulum. The ruins sit on top of a cliff that overlooks the most beautiful beach. We'd go back to just there! It was the hottest and most humid day ever! Our sunscreen was dripping down our faces. Sounds fun right?! We were glad we went and glad to be back in our air-conditioned room.  

Sea Day:

I love to sleep in-I never do at home but thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to on the cruise. We made our way up to breakfast and had omelets made. It was pretty sunny so we ventured up to the sun deck to "layout". Of course we were still burned so we were covered up besides our legs. We lasted 30 min. We relaxed all day and began packing up so we didn't feel rushed. We ordered room service for dinner-Salads, Pizza, Wings and Desserts:sadly the pizza was far from tasty. One more thing that makes the trip memorable. 

Flowers on the cruise:

New Orleans, Louisiana:

We stayed one day in New Orleans-French Market District.  The architecture is beautiful and there were art galleries everywhere, including street vendors. We went to Cafe Du Monde, I was so pleased to visit, the Food Network always showcases it. We devoured our Beignets and Chocolate Milk. So satisfying on a hot, humid day. We checked into our beautiful hotel, napped and then headed out for dinner. We found ourselves on Bourbon Street, Sunday, 4pm. I did not expect to see such filth. Everyone was drunk, screaming from balcony's. It was disappointing. We quickly made our way off the street. I wanted to experience some New Orleans seafood-we ended up at the Hard Rock Cafe. Brandon can always eat a burger.  I attempted the only seafood option i found on the menu-should have had a burger with Brandon. The city is unique   but quite rundown and definitely has a dark side to it. We had an unusual run in with our housekeeper the next morning, hailed a taxi and headed to the airport. 

Salt Lake City, Utah

We arrived at 9:30pm. Brandon's friends had thoughtfully surprised us with a Hotel Room on our wedding day. Our day was scheduled so closely that using it wasn't an option. We moved the reservation to the day we got back. It was lovely to take a ride to the hotel (which was beautiful) and have one more night to just rest before returning to real life. We got some delicious food from the bar, showered and slept. 

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and made so many memories and inside jokes that we share together. Someday we'll do it again. Until then we have plenty of adventures to go on a little closer to home and everyday life. I'm so glad we got to celebrate the beginning of our marriage. 

The trip may be over, but the honeymoon isn't!