sunshine

It was 69 degrees today. That's almost 70. Sure, it came with a tornado warning, but even so it was welcome. And do you know what 70 degree weather means?? A bike ride!! Jamey got the tires fixed up yesterday and today we went for a lovely ride through the neighborhood. I say lovely because the word makes James cringe & it was killing him to go so slow. I don't know the last time he just took a leisure ride and didn't gear up for a "real" ride, so whatever, it was good for him. I still don't have a helmet (who would've thought I'd need it this soon?) so I wore Jamey's and he went without. Good man. I don't know at what point in my life I became so adamant about helmets because my parents never made me wear one when I was little- sure my mom wouldn't let me cross the street, but she didn't make me wear a helmet. Maybe it came when I started riding motorcycles, it's just stupid to not wear one. Who needs a brain? Me. So you can laugh all you want but I won't be the one in a hospital bed with brain trauma.

I love my bike.

my birthday in Instagram

I did it. I splurged on my bday and got the app. It's not likely that Jamey will always be so lucky that my splurge is for something free, but for now he is.

 Saturday was my study day was my birthday. And I have a cute husband.

Jack & Benny's had real yummy breakfast at a price we liked.

Birthday bike!!! As soon as the back wheel gets replaced (by my handyman husband) and I get my helmet, I'll be cruisin.

  The infamous Baskin Robbins banana split. I finished this beauty before Jamey was done with his "one healthy scoop" of rainbow sherbet. Point for me.

   That's Jamey lookin good in my apron. He made Cafe Rio pork salads for my official birthday dinner on Sunday. Yes, I am very aware how lucky I am to have a man that can & will cook for me.

All those candles? Not even the number of how old I am! 

The Great Wall of Chocolate Jamey picked up in Indainapolis and brought home for me. Too rich chocolate cake is my Achilles heel. 

wind terrifies me

I'm not sure if I've blogged about this before, but the wind really does terrify me. I hate it. Everything sounds and looks different (horrible) when the wind is blowing. I love a good thunder and/or lightning storm- they make me feel like the world is filled with wonder and I am especially happy if I'm woken up in the middle of the night because of one. I also enjoy listening to it rain outside my window. But a wind storm? Hate hate double hate. So I'm sitting home alone on the couch trying to study and trying not to think about having to go to bed alone tonight and being brave and praying to go into such a deep sleep that I won't notice a thing. Jamey left me for a few days. I thought I'd be ok, and I have been for the past couple nights. But now, tonight, the wind came, and I'm being a scaredy-pants.

we're anticlimactic

No pics from Vday this year. I guess that's what happens now that we're married. I did wear pink though. We spent the entire day apart, me at school & work, Jamey at school standing in line for Drake tickets to sell later and make mucho moolah off 'em. We woke up & I threw Jamey's present & card at him while he was still trying to snooze. I'd stashed it under the bed the night before. He got a coupon file. See? Romantic. Then he ran downstairs to grab mine. I now have a date with a mani/pedi. Thank you Groupon. (He was relieved that he'd taken the time to put it together the night before so he had it ready for me!) He made me breakfast again. I hope this will be a lifelong tradition. I got pink french toast and a delicious Caramel Apple Cider from Starbucks (that says love because he hates spending $4 on the thing). Jamey took the Elders out for dinner since he couldn't take me. When I finally got home after 9 I think we watched a movie?? Then I made him go on a scavenger hunt for his real Vday gift, some sweatpants he wanted. He was so tired that usually he'd have loved the game but it was pure torture for him, which made me enjoy it all the more. He was surprised so I guess I win.

Today my whole wonderful family back home got together to celebrate 3 birthdays and I missed it. So I had to make up for it. Jamey and I went to a garage sale and two libraries. Wait, it gets better. I didn't have to get dressed! I stayed in my sweats and no bra, the fleece jacket covers up these size As nicely, and I didn't brush my hair even. We just left the house. And I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I was very productive and finished my CV for school and prepared to teach my lesson at Church tomorrow and went out with the girls tonight. We all met at Noodles & Co for a final farewell, but I don't like that place because it always sends me home sick so I just gabbed it up. Now I'm home putting the finishing touches on my lesson, debating if I should make some homemade treats, and admiring the picture Jamey hung up for me in our living room.

lately

I seem to post the most when I have something to study for the next day. It's when I really get the most out of my procrastination. I have a lab practical tomorrow and instead of going over the calculations I've done 2 loads of laundry, caught up on emails, baked a new dessert (if it turns out I'll share the recipe), watched some shows, and spent too much time on the web (and I don't even have a Pinterest account yet, could you imagine?)

So here's some stuff we've been up to, hopefully you all like pictures.

 Arancini night. They're these meat/sauce/cheese filled deep fried rice balls that Jamey used to eat on his mission. They were pretty delicious. Here he's teaching everyone how to make them. Our house smelt like oil for 3 days but overall it was worth it. I love having a husband that can cook. 

 Superbowl. The helmet actually belongs to a 2ish-year-old. 

And this was yesterday. The beard/moustache is now so long that if Jamey combs it straight down he has no lips! I was laughing so hard. I wanted him to go to Church like that but no luck. He parted it. 

And just one more thing to share. Maybe two. I've been thinking a lot about mormon.org lately, probably because I've been spending so much time reading everyone's profiles. I think it's fabulous and that's what everyone should do for their next Family Home Evening. I know it was created as a missionary tool, ya know, to show the world Mormons aren't really weirdos but everyday people. But the benefit for Church members is huge too I think! There's this idea (in and outside of the Church) that Mormons live cookie-cutter lives and we all dress, sound, talk alike, the women are crafty and the men are four-eyes. But when you start reading these bios it shows that we don't fit a stereotype, and more importantly we are not expected to! Just go read some. You'll feel great.

And along the reading lines, my sis-in-law shared this article with us. It's fantastic. I've read it a couple times. Read the article he's referring to first (he links to it) and then read his comments. It's about Mormonism too, fyi. I hope you really do go read it. 

all around a good day

Jamey was waiting for a package to arrive today. The UPS man came while we were sitting on our couch with our front door open. (The back door was open too, but that's not exactly relevant to the story. But just so you know, it happens to be February 1st and it was a delightful high-50s today, maybe hit 60? can't be sure) Jamey was so excited he popped up and grabbed it and came back in super confused. The package was for ME! But I didn't order anything. Didn't matter. Still for me. I opened it up and there were some lovely cakebites from the Sweet Tooth Fairy, but no card. What a wonderful mystery! Turns out, they were an early birthday present from my cousin because she was thinking about it and didn't want to forget. hahaha Fine by me!! Happy Birthday Month to me!

...Jamey's package came later and he was happy.

The weather's been so nice I've been running outside this week. I've also completed Day 3 of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. Ha! Me doing a workout video, I know. Ridiculous. I'm so sore!! My girlfriend lent me the tape and some weights to see how I liked it before I invested. I tried the 5s for like 4 seconds before I downgraded to the 3s. I'm a wuss. I'm going to try and keep with it and hopefully at some point I'll just lose the feeling in my limbs so it won't hurt anymore. And just so you know. I'm not doing the diet with the video, just the video. I ate an entire banana split yesterday about 20 minutes before I did the workout and didn't even feel a twinge of guilt.

Also on the news end, my mormon.org profile has been approved and you can see it with the little "I'm a Mormon" link over on the sidebar. It's not everything about my faith, just a bit to whet your appetite. But I love all the other stories on there. I can sit for hours reading and watching those.

We went to see STOMP tonight for free at school. It was a lot of fun, even if the innertube number put me to sleep. I think it was just so rhythmic that I didn't stand a chance.

And that concludes this very long update.