We are finally Home!!!!

We have been away from home in El Paso now for one solid month!!!

Crazy!! But , Oh so much fun.

Lets start back in December shall we?

(More details to come with each event, but for now a brief explanation should suffice to let you know what has been happening)

Friday, Dec. 18th: Drove the 4 hours up to Albuquerque for Dan's sister, Lavinia (Lovey for short), wedding. I shot the wedding for her. I told her i would rather do that then be a bridesmaids when Andrew and her started talking marriage and asked Dan and I for some advice. Sealing at 7pm.

Saturday, Dec 19th: Drove 4 hours back to El Paso for reception.

Sunday, Dec 20th: Drove 13 hours to Thousand Oaks, California for Christmas with the family.

Wed, Dec 23rd: Disneyland!!!

Mon, Dec 28th: Drove 13hours home to El Paso. (granted i was home for two day but i do not count this as being home)

Thursday Dec. 31th: Flew to Houston to spend New Years Eve with Dad and Veniece. I got to see Mr. Scott Wiest and I finally meet his beautiful wife Abigail. He lives in Austin. (More on that in later post)

Friday, Jan 1st 2010!!!! at 11:59pm: Flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Saturday, Jan 2nd: boarded Celebrity Cruise ship Millennium.

Saturday, Jan 2nd to Monday Jan 11th: Sailed the beautiful seas of the Caribbean!!!

Monday Jan 11th: Flew to Houston

Tuesday Jan 12th: Flew home to El Paso.

And now to Thurday Jan 14th: Back at work :)

It was fun and i can't believe it's over and It's back to reality now!!!

Favorite Clip for the Fall TV Season..

Elizabeth and I were talking about shows and what we are liking this new Fall season and i remembered this clip. This scene is the only scene that made me almost pee my pants.

I hope you like it.



"Donaghy saves GE comma marries your mom. "
"Laser Shield"....hahahah :)

Oh and Alec Baldwin has the sexiest voice EVER. Just FYIing you. :)

Peace

A few things I'm excited for this month....

• I get to see my family, that includes, Mom, Grandma, Lizzy, Patrick, Audrey, Katherine, Dad, Venice, Sammy and Matt. Hopefully: Jenny, Jason, Gavin. { we are driving through Phoenix}
  
• California
• Cafe Rio {again driving through phoenix}
• In and Out
• Found out my babies sex.....It's a girl. :)
• CRUISE
• all my grandma's awesome Christmas treats hmmmmmm

It's short and sweet but I'm super excited for it all.

Peace

Christmas time is here!!

Update on what is happening with us.

Our Thanksgiving weekend was fantastic and a well needed break for both Dan and I

We had a wonderful thanksgiving day, spent with Dan's family and eating awesome food prepared by Sally.

I made my usually thanksgiving day dessert, a pumpkin roll, which everyone loved. :)

Friday, we spent the day relaxing and went shopping for Christmas specials. We didn't find anything that was really worth purchasing at this time in our lives but we did get some gifts

Saturday, we went to Sally and Roberts to watch the BYU game. I will admit it's not as fun to be here in El Paso and watch games cause i don't get to gloat to anyone. I miss BYU football. :(

Monday, we found out that we are having a little girl. Dan and I are super excited and can not wait for her to arrive in April. Even tho we hope to have a name picked out soon, I'm still going to call the thing a little monster cause all it does is make me want to pee all of the time and it kicks when i find a comfortable position and it is not.

Monday, it also rain/snowed here in El Paso and Tuesday morning we woke up to find a small THIN!!! layer of snow on the ground. But for some reason people here freak out and they closed the schools till 11 in the morning and no one was on the roads. Seriously people, The world is not going to end because of a snow storm. I don't think in all the years I lived in Utah and went to school there we ever had a snow day. It was just funny to see my co-workers freak out because of a little bit of snow and some of them didn't show up till about 11 in the morning "cause the roads were icy..." Liars!!! When i got on the road at 7:30 in the morning it was wet! No ice! Nothing! They just wanted an excuse not to come into work.

Anyways i'm going to leave you with this.....Have a happy fun time preparing for Christmas!!!
Here is a awesome video for your enjoyment to get you in the christmas cheer.

Peace

Michelle

Beige or Burnt Sienna?

One show that Dan and I started to watch this summer was the "Big Bang Theory" on CBS. Dan's uncle, Robert, his wife, Sally, ( you following me?) got the 1st season for him for his birthday. When we were over at their place this summer, we sometimes would watch it with them. After some viewings we thought that it was a worthy show to start watching.

It really is cute and funny. I really really like it. Anyways, it airs on Monday nights and thank goodness for TVIO or i wouldn't have been able to read this....

At the end of the show they have what is called a vanity card... don't know what it really is suppose to be, but this is what i read last night....It comes up for about 4 secs and then goes away and in those 4 sec i read this.... "Frankly, every time I hear someone comment on America's...." It was in the middle of the paragraph. I'm a very curious person. Leave me in a house for 10 minutes, by myself, and i will be all over it looking at things. Yes, yes it's also being called a snoop. Dan always tells me i am the biggest snoop ever. Back to story, because of my curiosity i decided to rewind it and stop it to read what it said and this what it said.....

I have long believed that part of our problem with resolving race issues in America is our inability to accurately name what we are. Aside from the occasional Johnny and Edgar Winter, there are no white people. Any child with a box of crayons can tell you that white people are, in fact, beige. The sickly ones are gray. Following this crayon logic, one can easily see that there are really no black people. They are brown. Or perhaps raw umber. Or maybe burnt sienna. Frankly, every time I hear someone comment on America's first black president, I can't help thinking, "No, he's not. He's more like caramel." Which is why I think we should all get in the habit of calling each other what we really are. How can you racially slur a man by calling him "beigey" or "umber?" The answer is you can't. Because that's exactly what he is. The melanin doesn't lie. Buy a box of Crayolas and see for yourself. We are all members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Can I hear a kumbaya?

I was dying. I thought is was very clever

Hope you enjoyed my funny find.

You can read other ones here.

Peace

Michelle

I'm a closet who?!?

This might come as a shock to some friends but......Yes....I am a Star Trek closet fan. I have always loved them. I think it has to do with my uncle's obsession of them and always watching something trekieish during the holidays. And their obsession comes from my Grandfather who worked for NASA.

Anywho...I am one and I love it and the new Star Trek is just as awesome as the other ones.

Did I go and purchase the new Star Trek last night right after work so Dan and I could watch it on our fantabulous new Blu Ray....yes!!!

Is Blue ray that cool? Yes!!

Did I work some magic at Best Buy and instead of getting the blu ray for 24 bucks, i got it for 20 bucks? Yes go me.... (if you see a product of theirs online for cheaper then at the store, just tell them and they will change the price.)

Is my Dad super jealous that I have a blu ray? Yes.


If you have not seen this movie yet, i suggest that you do.

Peace

Michelle

One Fantasitc Year Down....

Dan and I celebrated our 1st Anniversary this weekend. We decided to celebrate up in Santa Fe. It was about a good 5 hour trip up but so worth it.

I get off work at 12 on Fridays and Dan usually finish up tutoring at about 12 too. We got home and at about 1 we were on the road to Santa Fe.

Nothing to exciting happened on our trip up there. We stopped off at the Albuquerque temple's distribution center to pick me up some new garments. I'm a little on the bigger side now, being 17 weeks, I think I deserve a few things that fit nicely. It's a gorgeous temple. Dan's sister, Lovey, is getting married up there in Dec. I will get some images of the temple then. I offered to do her wedding for her. I'm kinda happy to do it. I have progressed a ton when it comes to events like this since Fitz's wedding.

After stopping there we drove the last 45 mins to Santa Fe.

Our hotel, Hotel Plaza Real, was located right off of the Plaza in down town Santa Fe. Everything was with in walking distance. It was a little chilly but nothing I'm not used to and miss so very very much. Winter outfits are just more fun then summer ones. More layers and more awesome things to wear.

The Hotel Plaza Real

The court yard of the hotel

Our 1st thing we did after checking in was to find a place to eat. We had not eaten anything of substance since El Paso. Our front desk suggested a place called The Shed. If was oh so Divine. It reminded me of Cafe Rio, but better!! Yes, there is a place better then Cafe Rio and I love me some Cafe Rio. I need it here in El Paso!!!

While waiting for our table we decided to just walk the plaza area and see what there is. Most of the shops were closed by then. It was beautiful. Santa Fe is a gorgeous place and I would definitely be fine with living there.

After that we went back to the hotel and slept. This kid is killing me when it comes to energy. I have none!

Saturday we decided to go to the farmers market and see what fun things they had in the Rail Yard. It was more then just a farmers market. Its a thriving place of awesomeness...meaning it had shops and galleries. It was oh so exciting. We are lame and wanted to warm up a little and decided to go into the Verizon store and check out the new Droid phone that they have. The girl that helped us was so sweet. She then asked me if i was pregnant. I was shocked. How the heck did she tell that? I was wearing my bigger coat and a scarf. I said Yes, I'm just about 5 months along... She said, I don't look pregnant it's just the way i walked into the store she could tell. I looked kinda uncomfortable. She said I didn't have a waddle I just was holding myself differently. She said she was the same way. She was nice and I liked her complements to me. :)

At the Rail Yard. My little camera is a good little sucker I took this with it.

Rail yard. Farmers market on the left galleries and shops on the right.

After that we walked back to the plaza area and went to my all time favorite artist museum... Miss Georgia O'keefe. It also helps that she was married to one of my all time favorite photographers, Alfred Stiglitz, who coincidentally helped make photography into an art form, and miss Georgia O'keefe did so much to help woman in the art word. So they are an all star team when it comes to art!



Georgia O'keefe loved New Mexico and after Stiglitz death in 1946 she moved out there permanently until her death in 1986.... She was like 99 years old. Dang!!!

Before we went into the Museum, I noticed an art gallery dedicated to photography, the Andrew Smith Gallery, Inc. I told Dan if it cost money we don't have to go in but being a gallery usually those are for free cause they want people to come in see their work and purchase something.

I had know idea what i was walking into. I was floored!!! (I'm going to be name dropping right now and i know you won't know a single artist i mention, just know that they are great and marvelous!!)

They had:
Lee Friedlander
Anne Leibovitz
Ansel Adams
Evan Fredrick
Edward Steichen
Edward Weston
Alfred Stieglitz
Paul Strand
Eadweard Muybridge
Minor White
Dorathea Lange
Julia Margaret Cameron, she was the one who got me to change to photography. The Getty in LA had an exhibit dedicated to her and that is when i went, "I wanna do this"
William Henry Fox Talbot

Most of these artist prints were going for like 35,000 to 60,000! Most of the images that I saw, I have only seen in books. I was tearing up by the end. I love art and I love what i do. I miss being able to get into the lab and work with the chemicals. Smelling like chemicals. My fingers dyed to the chemical dye i was using that day. .......sigh.... Dan has promised me the minute we can start affording everything. I can start playing again.

After the gallery and Museum, it was just a little before 2. We walked around the plaza a little more and found a Subway, because out of everything in the plaza area, it was the only thing fast foodish and cheap...come one those 5 dollar foot longs are a great deal for two people.

In the Plaza area.

I like all the lines in this picture. Still in the plaza

I will write a letter everyday just to walk to this mail box and put something in it.

We decided to go back to the hotel for a while.

For dinner we got more dressed up and went to a Italian restaurant around the corner from our Hotel named Il Piatto. It was pricey and not so good. Our waiter was good at the beginning but by the time she gave us our check she just threw it down and said nothing. Not so cool. So if you are ever in the Santa Fe area, Do not go and eat here. Just because we didn't get a bottle of wine, nor a appetizer or a dessert, cause none sounded good, doesn't give you the right to treat us like animals by the end.

We decided to walk back to the Hotel ask the front desk where the closet General store/grocery store is and get something dessertie there. Albertson was just a few miles away. When we got there we went to the frozen dessert area to see if something was there. While there a little old lady decided to ask us what we were looking for and we said just something to eat as a dessert and we can't decide which one. She then tells us not to get anything with high fructose corn syrup and that it's bad for your health. She then continues to ask us some questions like where are we from what are we doing here....etc and then starts to tell us the history of Santa fe in her own words. It was cute, Dan and I were in no rush so we listened to her and found out a few things about Santa Fe.

We decided on nothing in the frozen food place and went to the bakery area and found a strawberry short cake small cake, with some Martinelli's and plastic champagne glasses. Albertsons was way more fun then the restaurant.

Sunday morning we woke up to SNOW!!! I love snow and miss it so much. Santa Fe gave me the best Anniversary gift it could have, Snow. Dan hates the snow. Really really hates the snow so we packed up and decided to just head on down to Albuquerque early and get breakfast/lunch and visit old town Albuquerque. We got off on random exit and started to look for a place to eat and to my surprise.....there was a Waffle House. I don't know where my love for this place stems from but i do, I love it like a fat kids love chocolate cake. Dan indulged me and we ate there. After eating we decided to just keep driving home. Albuquerque was cold, it was only like 30 and no snow. We didn't want to go walking around in that weather. Santa Fe had at least been about 48ish.

We got home around 4ish and just vegged for the night on our love sac.

All in all it was a great weekend and here's to our second year. Hopefully it's just as grand as the 1st. :)

I love you Dan.

Peace

Michelle