Wishes

I have been wanting to transform our little side patio area (ever since we moved in) into a place where we could go out and relax.  Have a little outdoor couch, or a hammock or something.  I can see this little outdoor sanctuary in my head and it's killing me that I haven't been able to create it in real life.  Today I'm living in this haven I have created in my head and I'm decorating it.  I found some SUPER cute things that I absolutely LOVE!  They are so fun and whimsical and I wanted to share how cute my patio looks in my head. :)

This is my couch that I will someday have.

I will probably never be able to buy it from Pottery Barn because it is a bajillion dollars, so my plan is to somehow get Jared to construct it for me and then I will make all the cushions and pillows.

This is the coffee table I need want to have.

I have a little lantern like the one on the table already and then I will add this cute little guy.

and this ( I love Kirklands!)

I have some cabinet storage that Jared built for me over the chest freezer last fall.

This weekend we are going to paint those cabinets.  I'm thinking about maybe painting them white and then distressing them a little... not sure yet, but I bought some cute little glass nobs for the doors.

This is what our patio looked like when we moved into this house.

This is what it looks like now.

As you can see... there's still lots to be done.  We want to run electrical so we actually have lighting out here and then put up siding so that you don't see all of the studs.  We want to board up the ceiling as well because we think it will help keep it a cooler place and it will look way way nicer PLUS it will hid all of the electrical wires that we're going to run.  Oh  yeah... and something HAS to be done about those awful cinderblock spacers!!!  Ideally we'd like to just pour concrete, but that tends to be a bit expensive so we'll see.

Hopefully in the sometime near future we'll get this baby turned into a sanctuary so we can enjoy it next spring.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm in a cookie kind of mood today so I thought I'd share a recipe for cookies that I love love love! :)  The Cub Scout Leader in our ward bakes the following treats for the boys on a regular basis and always makes a round to all the adults that are there too.  Yay!  It's just the nestle tollhouse recipe but instead of white sugar, you put in instant vanilla pudding.  Delicious!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 package instant vanilla pudding
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Chocolate chips

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

We made a double batch the other day because we needed to give a bunch away and we wanted leftovers and we just froze the rest of them in a ziploc bag.  They freeze soooo well!  I just let them thaw out on the counter for a few minutes and they're good to go.  :)

Another year down

The Mr. Sasquatch competition has once again come to a close.  

Thanks to the friends that voted :)  

Jared has once again been crowned Mr. Sasquatch for another year.

If you want to see the rest of the winners, you can check it out at here

I'm insured!!! :)

I just wanted to announce that

I HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE!!!!!!!! 

Yahoooooooo!!!!

Now Jared and I can start in vitro! Yay!!!

Fingers crossed it works and baby barney is on his/her way this year :)

A wedding on April Fools

We're back!  Jared and I spent the last week out in Utah for my sisters wedding.  It was SO good to see her! And the rest of my family :)  On Wednesday Kristin and I went and got our downstairs waxed.  Holy crap.  People may say it isn't that bad... but it was that bad.  Kristin screamed, hahaha it was so funny!  Will I do it again?  Yes, probably.  It wasn't traumatic enough to keep me away.  

Will Kristin do it again?  hahahahahahahahahaha

I really enjoyed Thursday.  Jared and I had lunch with my mom, grandma, some of my siblings and Jason's cute friend Elizabeth (I'm crossing my fingers that she will one day be my sister in law) at Cafe Rio.  YUM!  I love that place!  Then we had to go super fast and get ready because Kristin was going to receive her endowment at the Provo Temple at 4:45.  We got all pretty and then had to run to the mall because 1. I forgot a white bra and 2. I forgot church clothes.  Silly me.  At least I remembered my temple clothes and all the wedding stuff.  Anyway, I found a super cute dress, put it on and then bought it, with me wearing it.  The cashier was laughing at me.  But we made it on time!  I've never been to the Provo Temple before so it was fun to go.  I just love the feeling inside. :)

I especially enjoyed going to this temple because it is the temple that my parents were sealed in.

Friday was the wedding.

Yes, it was on April fools day.

You can't get married on April fools day and not get pranked right?

These were my thoughts.

So I called Kristin up around 7:00 pretending to cry.  I told her that I fell in the shower and that Jared was taking me to the hospital.  I was pretty sure my leg was either broken or fractured but that it hurt like hell and I wasn't sure how long I was going to be.  First words out of her mouth?

"You still have to wear your hair up"

hahaha I was like What?! and she goes, "no, I'm kidding, you can wear it down if you want to..... I hope you're okay!" hahaha oh that girl.

I finally told her April fools after I let her sweat for a couple minutes.  It was soooo funny!
So after I freaked her out I finished getting ready and we all headed out to the Manti Temple.

The sealing ceremony was perfect and it was so fun to see all of our family in that sealing room together.  I love going to the temple, especially with my family <3
 Their luncheon was super cute and the reception was a blast (although the people that worked at the reception hall were complete retards)
Here's some of my fav. pics I took.
The happy couple

 Their matching shoes

Everyone who came to the temple

 They really are perfect for eachother
 
 Bride with mom and bridesmaids

They took a horse and carriage from the Temple to the luncheon

This was an adventure, haha

 Daddy-Daughter Dance

 Wedding Dance

 Cutting the cake and yes.  They smashed it on each others faces

Everything was as close to perfect as it could get. :)  Kristin really, really really did NOT want snow on her wedding day.  So mother nature held out for her... barely.  We woke up to snow the very next morning.

Overall it was a very fun trip... but I'm really glad it's all done. 
Oh yeah... and Jared and I looked soooooo good, lol :)