Simply having a Wondeful Christmas Time!

Although I would have been content just playing with my Cricut machine the whole break, we did do other things too. Here's a quick summary of Christmas morning through Sunday when we had to come back to Provo.

Christmas morning we woke up and opened presents. I've already mentioned Mamma Mia and my Cricut, but I also got a BYU sweater, lights for my bike, clothes, and gift cards. Rog got a tie hanger, a tie, a tie caddy, a video game, money for a bike, clothes, a camping tent and knife, and season 3 of the Office. I'm forgetting lots of things (we are so blessed), but those were the highlights. Here's Rog on Christmas morning. Look at those blue eyes. DREAMY!

After presents we had a feast for breakfast and then spent the afternoon preparing another feast for dinner. I made my famous rolls and funeral potatoes. Rog and Jared played some video games and we all watched Mamma Mia sing-a-long style although I was the only one singing most of the time.

Friday morning we bundled up (in my parent's 80's coats!) and played in the snow. The snow wasn't right for making a snowman, but we made do.

We had lunch with my friend Aubrey and then after dinner, we went with my parents to the Judd's house. They were our neighbors growing up and their daughter Amber was my absolute best friend! It was fun to see them and hear that Amber is going to be a mommy in August! I am so excited for her!

Saturday was the wedding of two of my best friends, Emily Galbraith and Zack Pugh. We did an endowment session in the Salt Lake Temple that morning and then went to their wedding luncheon that afternoon. They had it at Braza Grill (like Tucanos in Provo). We sat with Nate and Ann Edwards. The food was delicious and it was fun to catch up with them.

Finally that night we went to their reception. Emily was a beautiful bride, the food was great, and it was so fun to see many of my friends from high school and even some from college.

It was an awesome week filled with great food, family, and friends!

Best Christmas Ever!

This year I was more excited about opening presents than I have been for a few years because I knew a few of the things I was getting and I was super excited about them. Of course one of them was Mamma Mia!! The other was a Cricut machine!! It seriously was the best gift ever. I also got some cartridges and a carrying tote!

I immediately set it up and started "playing" with it.

Here are a few of the pages I have done already. I'm looking forward to taking my Cricut down to St. George for New Years, so I can do even more pages!

Twas the night before Christmas

Christmas Eve is always one of my favorite parts of Christmas. We gather at my Grandpa Ririe's house with my family and my dad's brother, Kevin's family. It was the first year in about 5 that everyone was able to be there and it will probably be another 5 years before we are all there again, so it was extra special this year.

The whole group (Don't mind my cousin, he is mentally disabled, so he didn't know he was flipping everyone off.)

The night goes like this:

First we have appetizers. This year I made Cheddar Bruschetta which turned out very well and completely disappeared before I even thought of taking a picture. And Diana brought some veggies and dip.

Next is dinner. This year we had soups, salad, and rolls.

After dinner is the program. We used to have a talent show, but most of us have outgrown it, so this year my Uncle Kevin gave a nice lesson on the greatest gift of Christmas. Then we read the Christmas story found in Luke 2.

Next is presents. This year my Grandpa is taking everyone on a cruise to Alaska in July, so our present was some money to use on excursions! Here is my Grandma Ririe with the Christmas board I made her.

And finally we have desert. This year we had pie! YUMMY!

I am a big fan of traditions, so I love Christmas Eve. I love how we do the same thing every year and I was so excited to show Rog how Riries celebrate Christmas Eve!

Shopping is done... And just in time!

I finally finished my Christmas shopping yesterday! I've been done with everyone but Rog for at least a week. And I've known what I was getting him for at least a month, but I couldn't seem to get it done because he was always with me when I was out shopping. So finally I went out alone yesterday. Thank goodness for bestbuy.com and the in-store pickup option. I had to go to the American Fork store and the Orem store, but at least I knew they would have what I wanted!

2 years ago...

We got engaged!!!

Aside from the day we got married, this was the happiest day of my life!

Finals week is over, the goose is getting fat.

That's how the song goes... right? Well, I'm a little late posting about finals week, but I thought I would post it now, so everyone knows what Rog is up to. Anyone who's ever taken finals knows that some go how you hope, some don't, but either way, you're always happy when they're over! He took his finance test on Tuesday, management communication Wednesday, humanities Thursday, and then accounting 210 on Friday.

Accounting 210 is a very difficult class. (It was my favorite class at BYU, but I'm a little weird.) The grading scale is pretty set in stone, so before you take the final you can calculate exactly what you need to get an A, A-, B+, B, etc... Rog figured out that if he absolutely aced the final he could get an A-, if he did average (above a 68%) he would get a B+, and if he didn't do very well he would get a B. He decided to go for the B+ because the A- didn't seem too possible.

So on Friday afternoon he called me after he took the final and told me that he got a 67%... I honestly thought he was joking because he had gotten above a 70% on all the other tests in that class. But unfortunately he wasn't joking. Obviously he wasn't very happy, but we got Papa Johns pizza and breadsticks for dinner and that seemed to cheer him up a bit.

Now he has absolutely nothing to do for 2 full weeks. Lucky him... Some of us have to work over the break. Ok, I only have to work Monday and Tuesday and then I get Wednesday through Friday off both weeks, so it should be a good break for both of us.

December 19, 1980

28 years ago today was a great day for Cougar fans everywhere! It was the day of the Miracle Bowl. That day was also the day my parents got married. I'm sure it was a great day for me up in heaven... Seeing my parents start our eternal family and cheering on my cougars. Oh yeah! Happy anniversary mom and dad! I love you!

I DO NOT like the dentist

Growing up I didn't have a problem with the dentist. But this all changed about a year and a half ago. If any of you have been on the BYU Health plan, you know it doesn't count as dental insurance. They give you wholesale prices or 20% off; i.e., you have to pay 80%. So going to the dentist can be very expensive. While we were on the BYU Health plan, we went in for our 6 month appointment and paid for the whole cleaning and x-ray thing. I had been to this dentist before and I thought he was fine. But this time he told me I had 6 cavities... I cried the rest of the day.

Because having all 6 "cavities" would have been equivalent to the cost of a semester at BYU (I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea), we went down to Boulder, Nevada where Roger has a great uncle who is a dentist. When we got there, he took one look at my teeth and said that our dentist must be a liar because I only had one cavity...MAYBE. He filled that cavity, but said that if I was a regular patient of his, he would have waited 6 months.

Now we have real dental insurance through APX and for obvious reasons, a different dentist. Our current dentist is actually in the same building as our old dentist. Every time I pass the liar dentist I feel like going in there and giving him a piece of my mind, but so far I have restrained myself.

I like our current dentist much better. 6 months ago, I had zero cavities and Rog had one. This time we traded places, Rog had zero and I had one. Luckily mine was a little baby one. When I went in to have it filled, he said that it was the perfect kind for a board review. Apparently dentists have to fill a cavity in front of a board before they can become a practicing dentist. He said my cavity would be perfect for that because it was just barely big enough to need to be filled.

Unfortunately after I got home from my appointment, I realized that the filling was too low, so when I bit down, I wasn't biting on all my teeth. Rog asked about it at his appointment and they said just to come in and they'd drill it down for me. So after 3 trips to the dentist in 2 weeks, I am cavity free again. As I said, I DO NOT like the dentist.

Dear Santa,

I have been a very good girl this year. Please bring me Mamma Mia and I will be the happiest girl in the whole world! Now just in case you don't know where to find it, my friend at work told me she found the 2-Disco Special Edition at Walmart for $17.00 even including tax. The special edition is supposed to have a sing along with all the songs, so that is the one I want. Thank you Santa!

Love, Chief

P.S. For anyone that reads my blog and might be looking for a Christmas gift idea for me... I'm 99.9% sure Rog is going to take care of this one, so check with him before you go out and buy it! I don't need two. :)

Saturday in SLC

On Saturday we went up to Salt Lake City and got to spend the day with my grandparents on my mom's side, the Fords. We started the day out by going to the Utah Woolen Mills. My grandparents had a gift certificate that they let Rog use and then they picked up the rest of the bill for his birthday. He got a sweet sweater and some nice pants.

After playing dress up Rog, we had dinner at Applebees. Everyone but Roger got my absolute favorite, the Chicken Oriental Salad. If you haven't tried this salad, you should. It is SOOOOO good! After that we went to the Buckle for a final attempt to find me some jeans. Shopping for jeans is always the worst, but luckily we found a perfect pair! We had been looking for weeks, so it was quite the accomplishment!

Then we got to walk around and see the lights on Temple Square in the snow. It was beautiful, but COLD! Finally we got to go to the Tabernacle Choir and Utah Orchestra Christmas Bells Concert in the Conference Center. It was a very impressive, professional performance.

It was a busy, fun-filled day! We loved spending time with my grandparents and celebrating the holiday season! Here are some pictures from Temple Square.

Unfortunately my grandma's eyes were closed in this one, but it was too good not to post.

Life's Adventures

I saw this on Ashley Lee's blog and it looked fun. I have so much blogging to catch up on, but I don't have time right now to do anything justice, so I thought I would do this one to get my blogging fix for the day. What I've done is in bold.

Started your own blog
Slept under the stars
Played in a band (in Middle School I played the flute)
Visited Hawaii
Watched a meteor shower
Given more than you can afford to charity
Been to Disneyland
Climbed a mountain
Held a praying mantis
Sang a solo
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Taught yourself an art from scratch
Adopted a child
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Grown your own vegetables
Seen the Mona Lisa in France
Slept on an overnight train
Had a pillow fight
Hitchhiked
Taken a sick day when you're not ill
Built a snow fort
Held a lamb
Gone skinny dipping
Run a marathon
Ridden in a gondola in Venice
Seen a total eclipse
Watched a sunrise or sunset
Hit a home run
Been on a cruise
Seen Niagara Falls in person
Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Canada)
Seen an Amish community
Taught yourself a new language
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing
Seen Michelangelo's David
Sung karaoke
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance
Had your portrait painted
Gone deep sea fishing
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (snorkeling, but I didn't enjoy the experience)
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie (Going to the Mat - a Disney Channel movie filmed at my High School)
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Taken a martial arts class
Visited Russia
Served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout Cookies
Gone whale watching
Got flowers for no reason
Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi concentration camp
Bounced a check
Flown in a helicopter
Saved a favorite childhood toy
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Eaten caviar
Pieced a quilt
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
Broken a bone
Been on a speeding motorcycle (our scooter...ok, I guess that doesn't really count)
Seen the Grand Canyon in person
Published a book
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem
Had your picture in the newspaper (for Sterling Scholar...I think)
Read the entire Bible
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared an animal for eating
Had chicken pox
Saved someone's life
Sat on a jury
Met someone famous
Joined a book club
Lost a loved one
Had a baby
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake (sad that I haven't done that...it's on the list of things to do this summer!)
Been involved in a lawsuit
Owned a cell phone
Been stung by a bee

Some pics from my favorites...

Disneyland for our Honeymoon

The Grand Canyon - Havasupai Senior Trip

Times Square

Skydiving

Deseret News Marathon - July 24, 2007

Every family needs an...

ADVENT CALENDAR!!!

I found this project on my friend Emily's sister's blog and decided to copy it. The directions for making it can be found here. It wasn't too difficult and I would have been done much sooner, but I had to order the wedding favor tins online because they were very expensive in the store! At least we'll have it for half of the countdown this year and the full countdown for many years to come!

Apparently Roger's family never had an advent calendar, so when I told him what I was making, he had no idea what I was talking about. Of course he was much more into the whole idea when I told him he would get some candy from it every day!

Sunrise, Sunset

This past week the sun has been setting at just the perfect time for me to enjoy the sunset the whole time I'm driving home. It is soooooooooo beautiful!

While we were in Colorado, Marti (my little SIL) said that she misses Oklahoma because she can't see the sunset with all the mountains in Colorado. I disagree and I think she will too when she sees this picture! I actually took this in 2006 when I came out of the temple at just the perfect time.

Discomania

We had our first performance for the tap company I am in tonight. It was just a little thing... A clogging studio in Orem had their recital and they invited us to do two numbers. We have two big shows coming up in January, so this was just a practice performance for us.

I haven't performed since I was a senior in high school, so it was weird being back on stage! I made a few minor mistakes, but overall I was happy with my performance. I'm excited for our shows in January! (I will post when those are as they get a little closer.)

Roger was filming the dance for our director, so he didn't get to take any pictures of the performance. But here I am in my disco costume before we left for the show. I was having the hardest time finding a costume, but finally I had my mom go through all our old costumes and she found this little gem. I'm pretty sure I wore this when I was about 10.

All ready for Christmas...

Ok, maybe we aren't ALL ready for Christmas, but we bought our tree and got our decorations up. So at least our apartment is ready. While we were growing up, Roger's family always bought a fresh tree, while my family usually used a fake one. For our first two seasons of Christmas he has won out, but I make no guarantees for years to come. I find decorating a real tree harder than a fake one because you can't move the branches around and such. Anyway, here are some pictures of our little tree, Sappy, and other decorations around the apartment.

Picking out the perfect tree

The finished product

Our stockings that I made last year and the Happy Holidays board I made this year.

Even the frogs are ready for Christmas!

Our little bear family that only gets to come out for Christmas. Aero is a new addition to this family.

Creative Release

All day today at work I was going crazy because I wanted to do something creative. I wanted to sew, or scrapbook, or anything... just something creative. It was probably because I was doing my most hated account of all... or because I have many Christmas crafts that I want to do right now, so I was thinking about them. I found this quick project on an old ward member's blog. So as soon as I got home I went to work on it. And when I was done I felt millions times better!

It's a coaster! Basically I just sewed the two pieces of fabric together on 3 sides, flipped it right side out, stuck some batting in there, hand sewed the 4th side, and then sewed the design with my new walking foot. (Roger is giving it to me for Christmas, but he said I could use it early.) It's not perfect, but I think it turned out pretty cute. Maybe I'll make a whole Christmas coaster set!

All I Want for Christmas is You!

As you might have guessed from my blog background and header, I'm VERY excited for Christmas! Unfortunately we haven't been able to decorate yet because I came home from Colorado with a NASTY cold. I seriously can't remember the last time I had such a bad cold. Rog has been so good taking care of me, and today I have been feeling much better. I wanted to have our apartment all decorated and pictures up by now, but instead here is a special Christmas video for your enjoyment. I sent this to Rog when he was living in Colorado the semester before we got engaged.

More Colorado

One night while we were in Colorado, we went to the Denver temple to do sealings. Roger's aunt and uncle that are currently serving a mission in South Africa had left the cards for a family that needed to be sealed together. It was fun to do the work for a family we are related to.

When we came out of the temple, there was a little surprise waiting for us. It was snowing!

A major part of the trip was Rockband (an Xbox 360 game). I mostly stuck with the drums. Don't mind my face in this picture. Haha...

By the time we left we were a lot better, but we were nothing compared to Taylor, KD, and Marti. They are pretty dang awesome, and it was fun to see them play together. They're like a real band. :)

Finally, we took pictures for our Christmas Card. Guess which one we are going to use...

We had a great time! Thanks Phillips Family!