When It Comes To Books . . .

So the truth is, I'm honestly not a big reader.

I want to be. I know it's good for you, in a sense, and I really do enjoy it. Most of the time I love becoming so involved in a story that you feel like you are part of it. Sometimes, it's just for fun, when you know that only in a book could it really happen. That's the fun of it though.

Other times though, it makes me feel like my life is easy compared to what it could be.

My new years resolution last year was to read more. I didn't set a goal of 'this many books per month' or anything, but to simply read more. I'm definately a slow reader, and I think that comes into play a bit, as it takes me forever to finish a book.

At the beginning of the year I did really well. I really got into a couple of different authors, and took off on what I felt like was book after book.

About halfway through the year; however, it seemed to dwindle down. I was becoming overwhelmed with wedding tasks, and felt like there were so many other things I should be doing than simply sitting and reading a book.

So this year, I made a conscious thought about doing it again.

But unfortunately, I am failing miserably. Once again, I find myself in the mind-set that there are more productive things I should be doing that sitting around reading a book.

But of course, I manage to find the time to watch TV . . .

Anyway, so I'm thinking that maybe if I share some of the books I'm reading, it will get me wanting to read more. It's a thought at least, right?

I did manage to start and finish one while we were on our honeymoon, one that is definately worth sharing.

I have read quite a few of her books, and haven't found a single one that I haven't liked. This one was exactly the same. She seems to write about issues that you hear about in the news . . . The Pact written about teen suicide, Nineteen Minutes about school shootings, and Perfect Match about child molestation. They are obviously not light topics, and majority of them are terribly sad, but the way they are written really opens up your eyes to each topic.

House Rules isn't any different. Here's the recap of what it's about from her website . . .

"HOUSE RULES is about Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject – in his case, forensic analysis. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger’s – not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, inappropriate affect – can look a heck of a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel -- and suddenly, Jacob finds himself accused of murder. HOUSE RULES looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way – but lousy for those who don’t."

So if you are looking for something to read to pass the time, I would definately suggest this one.

And next on the list . . .

Westin Gets A Haircut

Before . . .

And After.

Which do you prefer?

Yes, We Now Have Clean Clothes . . .

While I'm on the subject of new things . . .

I mentioned in my last post that we recently bought a new washer and dryer. I have been wanting a new one for quite a while, and had continued to tell Joel that this was the number one thing I wanted to buy with the money we received from our wedding. And because people were so generous, we received almost enough to pay the whole thing off.

I used to call our old machines the 'Dinosaurs.'

They were generously given to us quite a few years ago from a lady that works with my mom, and were just what we needed at the time in our appartment. They did the job, and although they used a mass load of water with each load, we were even lucky to have a washer and dryer in our apartment, so we didn't complain.

When we moved them into our house; however, I began thinking about how nice and brand new washer and dryer would look in our laundry room. To add to it, for the last few months we have been having to run clothes through the dryer twice, just to get them dry.

We found out that afterall, these machines were over 30 years old.
So at the beginning of the month we went out and began looking. I didn't really know what kind I wanted, but after talking to quite a few people, decided that a top-loader would probably be best. One of the main things I wanted was to be able to was a comforter in it . . . something that can be done in the top loaders now, but all of the front loaders.

After just two stores, we ended up with these (I told you we buy things quickly). . .

The Maytag Bravos.

And let me say that I absolutely love them. Unlike our previous ones . . . They use hardly any water. They are quiet. We only have to put a load through the dryer once and it is dry. The dryer even has a 'wrinkle free' feature, where you can put your clothes in for about 15 minutes and they will come out wrinkle free.

Another thing that I love is that they are essentially dummy proof. The knob literally lists out all of the possibilities of what you could be washing, so you can just turn it to that and start. It even weighs the load so it can decide what temperature it should be and how much water should be used.
I know it's kind of hard to see in the picture, but you get the idea. The timer is a nice little added bonus as well, so that you know how much time is left until the load is done.

We ended up buying them at Home Depot. They have a great deal, in which they will look at this website they have, telling them how much their competetors are selling that exact washer and dryer for on that particular day. If it is cheaper than their sale, they will give it to you for that price. So thanks to Sears' deal for the day (I'm not a big fan of Sears, but appreciated them that particular day), we got the machines for about $200 less than they normally would have been apiece.

So in the long run, it worked out well. I actually don't even mind doing laundry anymore, since it's so much easier.

Now, I just need to figure out how to make them do the part I hate most . . . folding and putting the clothes away . . .

Happy Presidents Day!

We celebrated the president's birthdays by buying ourselves a little present.

A 2008 Toyota Highlander.

This particular one isn't ours, obviously. I tried taking pictures once I got it home, but had a hard time getting a good one in the dark. But you get the idea.

The thought of buying a new car has been lingering in the back of my head for a while. I've had my Neon since 2007, and felt like I was ready to move up into the SUV world sometime soon.

I was a little hesitant; however. We recently bought a new washer and dryer, as well as new furniture for our living room / family room. Both were purchased after the wedding, and the thought of buying a new car, adding that to the purchase list, made me a little uneasy.

Regardless, I had been looking a bit on the internet, as well as keeping my eyes out by admiring every SUV we managed to pass on the road.

To add to it, over the weekend I had noticed multiple car sales. Afterall, it was the big "President's Day Sale." So I suggested to Joel that we go look around, just to see what was out there.

I really had no idea as to what kind of car I wanted. I knew that I wanted something that could seat up to 7 people, and would be a good car to start a family with. I'd seen a few that I liked the look of, but other than that pretty much everything was a possibility.

Now let me back up to say how much I strongly DISLIKE car shopping. I don't care for the pushy car salesman. And, I always seem to get overwhelmed with the multitude of choices and which car offers what, nevermind trying to bargain at the end for a decent price.

I was hoping that going to a sale like this, in the parking lot of the local Ranch and Home, would result in a not-so-pushy-salesman. Luckily I was right, and we found a very nice man who lead us to a group of cars that seemed to fit us the best.

We tried out a few cars, but in the end I really liked the Highlander. Long story short, it was a great deal, and after a test drive, we decided that if the numbers worked out, it would be ours. So we did some number crunching. We got back a decent amount for trading in my Neon, and put up a hefty down payment. And after a few hours of paperwork and lots of signatures later, I was able to drive it off the lot!

Really it was somewhat of a spur-of-the-moment purchase. We hadn't particularly researched it too much (although my mom had looked into the Highlanders quite a bit, as that is the car she really wanted as well), but I'd heard good things about it. But, I've determined that I am definately a spur-of-the-moment kind of buyer. Afterall, we did find, buy, and close on our house within a week.

I also decided that this way, I didn't need to do any more car shopping. Like I say, the thought of going to multiple car lots, looking at the multitude of options out there, and trying to decide who had the best deal for what we were looking for. Afterall, here it was, right in front of me, at a great price, being sold by a decent salesman.

You are probably wondering why it turned out to be so cheap. . .?

The only downfall to the whole deal was the amount of miles the car has on it. It's definately more than the average amount one puts on a car in a year. But after some discussion, and finding out that the car had been a rental car for some time (answering some of the question as to why there were so many), we decided this wouldn't hold us back from taking advantage of what a good deal it was. In all reality, we most likely won't be putting any more than the average 12,000 to 15,000 on it each year anyway.

So in the end, I am now driving a new red SUV. I'm definately excited about the purchase, and am definately realizing what a year of purchases it has been for us . . . But we are definately quite thankful to be able to have we do!

A Few Surprises . . .

Valentines Day in our household was fairly eventful . . . more eventful than I had originally expected.

Joel and I weren't sure exactly what to do for our first Valentines Day as a married couple. We were both able to be together Monday evening (I didn't have to work, and Joel was able to be home right around 5:00), something that rarely happens in itself. So that was a good start.

We thought about going out to a fancy dinner. Sure it would be fun, but I wasn't so sure I felt like getting dressed up, nevermind paying an arm and a leg just because you are at a fancy place.

Another option was to stay at home, bring something to our house, possibly have some friends over, and play some games.

This definately sounded more like something I was up for. Sitting at home in my sweat pants sounded a lot more comfortable than getting dressed up and going out. We would get just as much great food for about a quarter of the price, and what is more fun than playing games with friends?

So I set out to make it a fun Valentines dinner. We asked Tommy and Terra to come over, and decided we would play Dominoes (one of my favorite games).

My next goal was to try to make this dinner as "themed" as I could. So I set out yesterday on a bunch of errands, hoping to get some ideas.

We happened to have a gift card to Papa Murphys, a local take-home-and-bake-yourself pizza place. They also happened to be selling heart-shaped pizzas for Valentines Day.

Perfect! What is more "themed" than heart-shaped pizza?

We also celebrated with salad (with red tomatoes), and heart cookies.

And to drink, what's better than red Strawberry Daiquiris?

Oh, and Valentines Day themed paper plates and red napkins were involved as well.

Next on the list were gifts. Joel is always a hard person to buy gifts for to begin with. He never hints as to what he wants, he really has no hobbies, and in all reality, he has a lot already.

So, that left me with the lingering question of what to get him for Valentines Day.

After looking around and trying to think of something unique, I ended up with a stuffed monkey and a bag full of goodies (a movie, some chocolates, some of his favorite snacks, etc.). Not really unique, but something I figured he would enjoy.

So, Tommy and Terra came over, we cooked the pizzas, and began to play Dominoes.

And as we were sitting there playing, the doorbell rang.

Now let me back up and say that our doorbell hardly ever rings. Unless we are expecting someone, and aside from an occasional salesman, hardly anyone ever comes to our house. I knew it was too late for a salesman, and since everyone else I could think of was accounted for, I was puzzled as to who was at the door.

When Joel causally answered and I heard a group of peppy "hellos", I suddenly realized who it was.

Now, on a side note, let me take you back a couple of Valentines Days ago, to 2009 to be exact. We were both working a hockey game at the coliseum when my boss called for a little "group meeting." As we were all standing around, this group of high school kids came out of one of the rooms singing love songs. Joel had arranged for this group to come, and in front of everyone, they sang to me.

Embarassing? Yes.

So, back to my story, you can probably now imagine who was at the door.

Yes, it was none other than the Kamiakin High School choir.

Terra and I were told to sit in the middle, and once again, they began singing.

After two songs, they left. And had I known people were coming, I probably would have dressed up for the occasion a bit more as well.

But after some laughing and Joel being awfully proud of himself, we got back to our game.

An hour later; however, the doorbell rang again.

This time I had a feeling of what was coming. And sure enough, this thing came through the door . . .

This pink gorilla has visited me before. It's actually kind of an ongoing joke . . . Joel sent it to me for our first Valentines Day together (a month after we had started dating), and again two years ago while I was at work at the hospital. Even at that, it still surprises me every time.

I'm pretty sure it gets uglier and creepier every time as well.

But regardless, it's the thought that counts, right?

So after all was said and done, I have to say that Joel never ceases to surprise me. Between the flowers, the choir, and the monkey, my Valentines Day was quite the eventful one. In the end, we were left with this . . .

I hope everyone else had as great of a Valentines Day as we did!

My Valentines . . .

The Top Three Reasons Why I Love Valentines Day . . .

Even Westin celebrates Valentines Day by letting everyone know what a 'ladies man' he is . . .

The surprise I received yesterday while I was at work . . .

And this guy, the love of my life.


Happy Valentines Day!

Superbowl 2011

Phew . . .

We finally made it through all of those pictures. Quite a few, huh?

I do have to admit though, it is becoming quite convenient to have them all on here. This way, when people ask for pictures from the wedding, I can simply direct them here . . .

Anyway, it's time to move on. I figured our lives would 'slow down' somewhat after all of the wedding extravaganzas were over, but I was definately wrong. It's crazy how fast life flies by you. Between the everyday activities, trying to keep my house clean all of the time (one of my 'New Years Resolutions'), and some unexpected (but good) changes at work, I'm having a hard time believing it's February already.

But at the same time, I am finding myself enjoying every minute of it. It feels good to get back into somewhat of a 'routine,' and be able to sit and relax, or go to a hockey game without feeling guilty about not spending the time on wedding details.

So . . .

On that note, I am completly going to change the subject.

As you obviously all know, the Superbowl was last weekend.

And, as you all know, we are very large Pittsburgh Steeler fans.

Because of this, there was no other way to celebrate the Superbowl than to obviously have a Superbowl party.

Normally such events take place at my parent's or Joel's parent's houses. But because of a small scuffle resulting in my parent's TV not receiving the FOX network (although they did get it back for the game, but that's a whole other story. . .) and because we actually have a house now (call me crazy, but I'm still getting used to the fact that we now actually have room to host people . . . nevermind that we've been in the house almost a year already . . .), we decided to have the party at our hosue this year.

And yes, the Steelers did end up loosing . . .

. . . but it definately was NOT due to a lack of Steeler spirit in this neck of the woods.

We ended up setting up three different TV's throughout our living room. My number one concern was that there wouldn't be enough seating for everyone to see the game.

But, with three TV's, we made sure that at any given angle in our kitchen and / or living room, a television could be seen.

This definately turned out to be the answer to that problem. It worked out great, and there was definately enough room for everyone.

Quite a few people ended up showing up. I had asked everyone to bring something to share, as well as contributing some items of my own to the pot. We definately had more food than anyone knew what to do with!

My very spirited cupcakes

We had our fair share of beverages as well . . .

Just remember that majority of those were only half full . . .

My motto is always 'the more the merrier,' so I was glad everyone ended up coming. And by looking at the pictures, I think everyone ended up having a great time.

Cheers!

Wedding Pictures . . . Bringing In The New Year . . .