is that a stoplight? i guess i'm not in la center anymore!

A New Addition to the Family...

2012-01-02T16:42:00.001-05:00

Jeff and I have been debating about getting a dog and then later which kind to get for the last year. I wanted a small dog...he wanted a big dog. I wanted an inside dog...he wanted an outside dog. And on and on. I didn't think we would ever decide on one. After what seemed like a never ending debate we decided on a Lab. We looked into Chocolate Labs, but never actually went to get one. Jeff is kind of picky when it comes to purebred, registrations, and certifications of dogs.

We got the inspiration needed when my parents bought a puppy while we were home staying with them for Christmas (They got a Golden Retriever). We ended up coming home and buying a little Yellow Lab from Ark Angle Labradors and we LOVE her. We've had a couple of sleepless nights, but she's starting to settle into our home and we're so happy she's here.

Luckily we didn't have as had of time naming our puppy that my parents did :) but it was still hard. I really don't know what's going to happen when we have kids and have to come up with names. It totally stressed me out. After we went to see her for the first time we started brainstorming names: London, Crumpet, and Brie. It wasn't until we went to pick her up the next day that we decided on Brie. It just seemed to fit her. Jeff continues to call her "Puppy," or "Pooch" and I'm working hard to remind him that her name is Brie and she won't learn it if he calls her other names. Jeff is really good with her and it's fun watching him take such good care of her.

a first class anniversary: Quick Boat ride on the Thames

2011-12-04T20:11:00.001-05:00

After our visit to the Tower of London we headed to Westminster Abbey. Instead of taking the tube we decided to take a boat up the Thames so we could see some of the sites. There was a ship right in front of the Tower of London and in honor of my dad I took several pictures of it :) I really enjoyed the ride. We didn't get to see much of Westminster Abbey since we had High Tea reservations and had to get back to the hotel to change. But it looked very lovely all lit up at night.

A first class anniversary: Tower of London

2011-12-02T13:41:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things we did on our trip was visit the Tower of London. We took one of the Yeoman tours which was very interesting and funny (I know it sounds weird to say that a tour of the Tower of London was funny, but it was)

Something that I thought was interesting was that the Yeoman guards live at the Tower of London and are locked in every night with their families. Our tour guide (the picture of the man in the funny hat is of our guide) said it's great cause every night he knows exactly where his teenage daughter is.

Below are pictures of the Bell Tower. One of my favorite plays is a Man for All Seasons which is about the last days of Sir Thomas More before he was beheaded. This is the tower that he stayed in.

Of course we checked out the Royal Jewels. Jeff was a little disappointed that they didn't have very many and thought what they had wasn't that impressive. They basically just had the coronation crowns and "toys" :) However, I was impressed. The picture below is of Jeff and the guard in front of the entrance to where they house the jewels (picture to the left is the place where the jewels are kept)

I had a to take a picture of the ravens. Supposedly there is a belief that when there are less then six ravens at the tower the kingdom will fall. So, the Yeoman guards are responsible for guaranteeing that there are always six ravens on the grounds at all times. They even have cages for them.

Below is a picture of the excution site memorial (right) and the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula (left). The execuation site memorial is for the royals that were beheaded at the Tower of London. King Henry the Eighth Second and Fifth wives (Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard) were among the Royals that were killed here. Their remains are buried in the Chapel Royal of St. Peter

A first class anniversary: Hyde Park

2011-12-01T18:19:00.001-05:00

After our trip to Kensington Palace we walked through Hyde Park. (Kensignton Palace is located at one of the ends of the park) The park was so beautiful with all the fall colors. Unfortunately we arrived right when it was getting dark so I wasn't able to get all the pictures I wanted. Since I didn't have my tripod a lot of pictures turned out kind of blurry.

Once we left Kensington Palace we came across a large lake with a bunch of swans. It was so beautiful. People were feeding them so some were out of the water kind of "attaching" people. I secretly wished my sister was there cause she is terrified of birds and it would have been a good laugh.

One of the things I wanted to see in London was the Peter Pan statue. (confession: I always wanted to see this after watching the Mary Kate and Ashley Winning London Movie. I secretly love that movie. Don't tell Jeff!) I was totally upset cause it was almost pitch black by the time we found the statue. I guess I will have to go back in the daylight sometime :)

The picture below is the view the Peter Pan statue stares at all day

I really like Hyde Park. :)

a first class anniversary: Kensington Palace

2011-11-30T10:52:00.001-05:00

Last time Jeff and I were in London we didn't do a lot of the tourist stuff. We walked around a lot of went out to great places to eat. :) This time were a little bit more touristy. I really feel bad for Jeff cause I made him go a lot of the historical places. He was a good sport about it.

Our first day we went to Kensington Palace. I was really looking forward to going since I'm such a huge Royal Family fan (especially Diana). I loved the grounds! They were so beautiful! Of course a large part of it was under construction so we couldn't see everything. :( There's always next time.

We went inside to see the Enchanted Palace exhibit. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. I just wanted to see some of the rooms and learn about some of the Princess that lived there, but they had these modern fashion installations which told the stories of some of the Princess that lived there, but in a modern art way. While I did get into learning about the princesses, the fashion/modern art part was a little over the top for me. It was really dark with black lights in there and you couldn't really see the rooms. I think I will have to try and see it again next time we go when they have something else in the rooms. Here are some of the pictures of the things I thought were cool.

and a year ago today...

2011-11-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Jeff and I were sealed in the London Temple.

I'm such a lucky girl. Not only do I get two anniversaries, but I get a great husband too! (sorry for the cheese, but it's true)

I can't wait for year two!

A year ago today...

2011-11-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Jeff and I were married.

Happy Anniversary Jeff!

Jeff and I are celebrating in London. I'll post pictures when we get back!

P.S. Jeff and I wanted to get married on November 12th because my birthday is September 12th and Jeff's is October 12th and we thought it would be easy to remember. Sixth month in Jeff was telling people we got married on the 11th. Great!

2011 Fall Family trip...

2011-10-31T10:40:00.000-04:00

It seems like every Fall my family (or at least my Dad) come out for a little vacation. This year we decided we would join Dad at the end of his bike trip. After Dad rode his bike for 10 days he ended up in Bar Harbor Maine where Mom, Kari, and I were waiting to pick him up :)

After checking out the sites in Bar Harbor we made our way down to Camden, Maine. This was one of Dads favorite towns he visited on his ride and wanted us to come back and see it. We ended up having dinner there. Lobster Dinner! It was a good time.

The next day we got up and went to Salem, Mass. I really wish we could have spent more time there, but we were also suppose to go to Boston that day and wanted to make sure we had the time. The whole way to Salem I was telling Kari I wanted pictures of her in the stalks. I was not disappointed. :)

Boston was next on our list. We went to Fenway Park first. It was one of the things on Dads lists of things to do. It was really interesting learning about the history of the team and the ballpark, but I'm still faithful to the Yankees.

We then took a bus tour to see the city. It was a lot of fun, but really long.
We ended the evening at Cheers for dinner (another place dad wanted to see). Jeff joined us at this point.The next day we went to Plymouth and Cape Code. Supposedly, I have two relatives that came over on the Mayflower, so it was cool to be there.
It was a fun family road trip. I hope to go back and spend more time at some of these places in the future.

Dad's East Coast Bike Trip

2011-10-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

Dad started his summer bike trip at our house this year. Usually he rides the Oregon/California coast, but decided to give the East Coast a try. Supposedly there were a few people back in Washington/Oregon that were giving Dad a hard time about riding on the East Coast. They said it was too dangerous that he was going to get mugged. Jeff and I both though this was ridiculous. Jeff offered to mug Jeff in our driveway before he left to give him something write home about. We didn't want to disappoint the Washingtonians :)

Our Trip to Philly

2011-10-16T09:00:00.002-04:00

I'm so behind in my blogging. So sorry. I will do my best to catch up.

Jeff and I went to Philadelphia in August for a little weekend getaway. It was my first trip to Philly and I can't wait till we get to go again. It's such a fun city and the food was amazing!We started off our trip at Reading Terminal Market. What a place! I can't wait to take my family there. I know they will love it! Naturally we had to have a philly cheese steak!We then walked to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Of course we stopped to the see the Rocky statue. Yes, the statue is as ugly in person as it is in the movie. I was still excited to see it since I'm such a big Rocky fan. We then did the steps which was a lot of fun and not as high as I thought they would be.After spending some time in the museum we made our way to Old City to see the Liberty Bell. Unfortunately the line to get in to see it was so long that we decided to just see it through the window. Maybe next time we go we will go in. We still had fun walking around and seeing all the historic buildings.
I will admit that I'm a Philadelphia fan :) I'm looking forward to our next visit.

Youth Conference 2011 - Kirtland, Ohio

2011-07-26T21:25:00.013-04:00

I had the opportunity to go to Youth Conference this year. The funny thing is that I was just going because Jeff was (he's the Young Men's president in our ward), but by the time Youth Conference rolled around I was called as second counselor in the Young Women's in our ward. Funny!

I have to admit I'm not use to going to youth activities and having to be the adult leader :) So, I'm sure I wasn't much help to the leaders that went with us.

We went to Kirtland, Ohio for Youth Conference this year. It was such an amazing experience being there with the youth and seeing all those church history locations. I've learned about all of these locations before, but it was amazing standing there and listening to the revelations that were received in these places being read.

We went to the Johnson Farm, Historic Kirtland, the Kirtland Temple, and Malory farm. Does anyone know what all four of these places have in common?

Here are a few pictures I took on the trip.

We stayed at Hiram College. The first night we had a devotional and dance in the Kennedy Center. Carl Anderson came to speak to us about Kirtland. It was nice having a little review about what we were going to see the next day.
We woke up early and headed over to the Johnson Farm.

Next we went to Historic Kirtland. We started out at the Whitney Store. Some of the boards of the upstairs are originals from when Joseph Smith used the room work on the JS Translation of the Bible. The table in the fourth picture down is also the original table he used.After lunch we went to the Kirtland Temple. We watched a short video and then had a tour of the temple. It's so beautiful and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to experience it for myself.On Saturday morning we got up real early and headed over to the Kirtland Temple for a testimony meeting. It was such a memorable experience. The youth had the opportunity to bear their testimonies while sitting on the first floor of the temple.

Showing Dad the High Line

2011-07-12T13:00:00.000-04:00

After CP and a quick stop at PAX for pizza, I took my dad to the High Line. It's one of my favorite places in the city and I was so excited to take him to see it. It was very crowded, but we still had a nice little walk in the sun :)

Photo Fun in Central Park with Dad

2011-07-10T19:30:00.003-04:00

Dad came to New Jersey for a little vacation and to see Jeff and me. We spent the first day in NYC. I really miss the city so it was fun walking around with Dad to some of my favorite spots. After breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup (one of my favorite restaurants in the city) we had a little photo fun in Central Park. While Dad was trying to get pictures of the wildlife, I was taking pictures of him :) We had a good time.

Viva Las Vegas!

2011-06-01T10:15:00.018-04:00

Jeff and I went to Las Vegas a few weekends ago for a conference. I just laid around and was a bum for most of it. It was kind of the perfect vacation.

On our first day we went to Red Rock Canyon, Bonnie Springs Ranch, and Hoover Dam with the Lomurro's. I usually just stayed on the strip when I go to Vegas, so it was fun to go our and explore new things.

Red Rock Canyon was absolutely beautiful. We drove the 13 mile loop and made quick stops for pictures a long the way. We realized when we got back to the hotel that we could see if from our room as well :)We then went over to Bonnie Springs Ranch. It was cool seeing all the old buildings, but a little creepy at the same time. There was a petting zoo that we went too that totally creeped us out. They had animals in cages and some really managing looking animals roaming free.
We then headed down to Hoover Dam. Totally reminded me of Transformers (I'm obsessed with those movies) It was really amazing to see in person.We stayed at the Aria and totally recommend it. The room was great and the view was amazing.
All in all it was a great trip to Vegas....well, unless you include the flight home when we were stuck in Utah on the runway for an hour and then stuck in the air over Jersey for forever! Longest flight home ever!

The Flowers Around the House

2011-05-28T10:51:00.010-04:00

I've really enjoyed watching the flowers bloom around our house. It seems like every weekend there is something new that catches my eye. Of course I don't know what any of these flowers are (some might even be weeds hahaha), but they really do brighten up the place.
And Jeff's Banana Tree...It's finally starting to grow :)

Something I like about NJ: Delicious Orchards

2011-03-23T20:41:00.010-04:00

Delicious Orchards is on of my favorite stores in New Jersey! Jeff introduced me to Delicious Orchards when we first started dating and be became a regular Saturday activity. We hadn't been in awhile since it's kind of a trip out to it, made a quick trip out there on Saturday in preparation of Saturday night dinner. The produce is just amazing and I really love the sweet treats they have to offer.

Their Apple Cider Donuts are amazing! Jeff and I have been good at not getting some every time we go, but I will admit it's hard to do.The apple cider is also amazing!We made sure we had a Delicious Orchards pie for Christmas this year. It was soooooo good. I hope we make that a tradition.I think one of our main reasons for going to Delicious Orchards is for the produce. They have everything!

Something I like about NJ: The Flaky Tart

2011-03-12T19:21:00.014-05:00

I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of New Jersey, but I'm trying to get a better attitude since it looks like I'm going to be here for awhile. I've been making a list of things that I like about the "garden state" to help me feel better about living here. One of the things on my list is the Flaky Tart.

Jeff and I discovered this bakery while we were dating and it's one of my favorite places in New Jersey. They have a lot of amazing sweet treats, but what I love the most is the Macaroni and Cheese. Seriously, it's the best. Jeff and I tried to replicate it at home, but didn't even come close to this masterpiece of cheesy goodness.

It's a little out of the way, but if you are ever in Atlantic Highlands, NJ be sure to stop by for a treat. http://www.theflakytart.com/

Jeff and I made a little trip out there today for a Macaroni and Cheese run and the staff let me take a few pictures.

The Wedding Saga: Part 5

2011-02-10T09:15:00.000-05:00

We had an open house here in New Jersey on December 4th. There was concern that the house would be too small for all our friends and colleges, so we had tents set up in the back yard. It was a great idea, until the generator that we rented to heat the tents stopped working. It was so cold! I think the reception turned out well, but I will admit there were several hiccups.

For our guest-book we had a photo-booth where people could have their picture taken and then taped in a album for Jeff and I to keep. People also got a copy to take home. Jeff and I had a lot of fun looking at the pics when the open house was over.

Jeff's personal assistant did a lot of work for the wedding including picking out the cake. Checkout what she decided on:

We gave out cakes (like the other receptions) and caramel apples as party favors.

Before
After

The Wedding Saga: Part 4

2011-02-08T19:33:00.005-05:00

Mom and Dad threw a wonderful open house in Washington on November 27th. We had a little family lunch and then an open house that followed. It was so much fun catching up with friends and family. Mom and Dad did a lot of work to get the house "ready" which include some remodeling :) It was a great open house.

Our First Christmas

2010-12-28T09:30:00.000-05:00

Since we have been doing a lot of traveling as of late we decided to stay home for Christmas. We got a Christmas tree and a few decorations to help spruce up the place and get in festive spirit.

We got the tree at Home Dept and were so grateful for the nice man that tied it to the top of Jeff's car for us. Mom sent a few of my Christmas ornaments that my Grandma made over the years to help decorate the tree. I made a few ornaments as well. Thanks Martha Stewart!I made this little Christmas card wreath to help display all the beautiful Christmas cards we got. Once again, thanks Martha Stewart!Grandma A made Christmas stockings for us! Mom and Dad filled them with little gifts for us to open on Christmas morning.We bought a nice nativity scene at Macy's. We bought it on the 23rd and it was 70% off. Go with that I say!For dinner I made ribs and parmesan sweet potato fries and Jeff made a lovely goat cheese wanton salad. I know it's not very traditional, but it was sooo good. Then we finished the night off with some apple pie and ice cream. It was a really nice Christmas, but poor Jeff was really sick, but I don't think he mind sitting around playing Wii Sport Resort for most of the day.P.S. Doesn't Jeff look so excited for me to be taking his picture. I think he has a rough life ahead of him. :)

So much SNOW!

2010-12-27T18:54:00.004-05:00

So, Jeff and I were sitting at home watching a little NCIS when we noticed that it had started to snow. I got all excited and said we should build a snowman. Jeff said that we probably wouldn't get enough snow to build a snowman.

We woke up this morning to this. I think we have enough for a snow family or two :)

The Wedding Saga - Part 2 London Sealing

2010-12-27T10:12:00.000-05:00

Jeff and I arrived in London at 6:45am and headed straight to the hotel. We stayed at the Lanesborough. It's at the corner of Hyde Park. It was amazing! We got to stay in the bridal sweet for our first two nights, so we had a nice big room for everyone to get ready in.

Mom, Dad, and Kari joined us while we got ready for the little photo shoot with the photographer and to go to the temple.We then spent some time walking around Hyde Park getting pictures :)
We then made the trek down to the temple. The temple was about an hour drive from the hotel, and Jeff and I both ended up falling asleep in the back seat. I ruined my hair, but I couldn't help it. I was so tired.

We then met up with the family at the temple for a few pictures before the sealing. It was nice to see everyone.After the sealing we headed back to the hotel for dinner. I don't think I can image in a more perfect dinner. The hotel took care of everything. They had waiters serving canapes and drinks before dinner was served. They had a beautiful room set up with a banquet table and the wedding cake at the end. They really did a nice job. The food was amazing! It was absolutely perfect!

The Wedding Saga - Part 3 Honeymoon

2010-12-23T22:35:00.009-05:00

Jeff and I spent the week in London seeing the sites and relaxing. It was so nice and just what the doctor ordered.

So, you may not know this about me, but I have this obsession with Tiffany's and have a goal to visit everyone of the stores and buy something :) I know it's an expensive goal, but I've been having fun doing it. I've only been to 15, so I have a long way to go. Jeff and I were able to go to four Tiffany's while in London. I bought the new Tiffany Christmas ornaments. Well, the four ornaments that are available in London. I love Tiffany Christmas ornaments and I'm so glad I got to get four more to add to my collection.Our hotel was down the street from Buckingham Palace, so we took a little stroll through the park to see it. I have a bit of an obsession with the British Monarchy. I was soooo excited to see it. When we arrived there were a lot of photographers around taking pictures, we thought it odd, but something told me it was about William and Kate. It was. I got a paper with their engagement as the head line. I was so excited.After a lovely lunch at Clariges on Wednesday, we spent the evening checking out Big Ben and the London Eye. I was so excited that we were able to make it to the London Eye cause it was something that I've been wanting to do. It was so beautiful.Thursday we went to the Langham for afternoon Tea. It was perfect! I totally recommend doing afternoon tea if you go to London.
We went to see Billy Elliot with my family on Friday night. Billy Elliot is one of my favorite shows, so I was ecstatic to see the London Production.

We flew home in the Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic. It was amazing. We spent a few hours in the lounge before we boarded the plane. The lounge was so cool! We walked into the lounge and order anything we wanted. Burger, soup, cheese plate, drinks, desserts! I even got a massage!
The flight was very relaxing as well. We watching movies and ate a really good dinner. After a quick nap I woke up to Jeff sitting in his chair having afternoon tea (scones, hot chocolate, and little sandwiches)

The Wedding Saga - Part 1 Civil Ceremony

2010-12-23T21:48:00.007-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting about the significant events of November. I wish I had a good excuse for not posting earlier, but I just can't think of one. I guess I'm lazy :)

Well, here goes....

Jeff and I got civilly married on November 12 at the Battle Ground Country Club in New Jersey. A few family and friends were able to attend. Jeff's stake president married us in a rather quick and to the point ceremony outside on the lawn. It was perfect!

Waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Jeff's parents signing the marriage license as witnesses
Dad signing

Sarah, Mom, and MeWe then headed inside for lunch. The country club did a really nice job considering Jeff met with them only a few days before to arrange everything. The food was great and it was nice meeting/catching up with people.

Jeff and I then headed back to the house to pick up our luggage for London. We were on a six o'clock red eye flight, but it was all good cause we flew first class! I will admit that this has ruined me. It was so nice. We got to hang out in the first class lounge while we waited for the plane. They gave us a five course meal before we boarded and they came and got us when it was time to board. Our seats converted into beds so we could sleep the whole time! REALLY...this totally ruined me. Now I want to fly first class always

Engagement pictures...

2010-11-08T21:24:00.007-05:00

We had our engagement pictures taken in Jersey City, NJ. Our photographer was Emily from http://www.1314studio.com/