::AND THE STOCKINGS WERE HUNG::

If we had a fireplace then our stockings would be hung there...but since we don't the wall will have to do. I also had to get an odd number of stockings because it looks better. I also just loved the white one (and they were super on sale) so I got three. Our house has looked like this since the beginning of December because we LOVED decorating for Christmas.

Our Christmas tree has so many meaningful ornaments on it this year. My favorite of the year is the "Y" near the top of the tree that my parents gave to me when I gratuated. There are also a couple from last year that Angela gave us that say "our first Christmas" along with some others that Donny's grandma has given him over the years.

I had to put garland over our massive mirrors in the living room. I also got some of the spray snow and put it on the mirror to make it look frosty in our living room. It was a challenge to figure out the best way to arrange the furniture to fit the tree but we got it all figured out.

These little snowflakes are my pride and joy this year. They were at an expensive home decor store in Boise that was closing and they were some of the last items left. I found 10 of them left in the store and got them for 75 cents a piece! So they are snowflakes hanging from our ceiling this year. In the future they may end up on the tree but they are so beautiful and cool that I couldn't leave them in the store!

Just a little update on us...Donny just finished his finals yesterday and is out for Christmas break until January 20th but he'll stay busy working. I'm still working full time and am really liking my job. We feel blessed to both have good jobs at this time when so many are struggling. I got all of our Christmas gifts delivered to our friends and family...wishing all of them a "sparkling" holiday season with a bottle of Sparkling Cider. We're looking forward to Christmas and our 1 year anniversary coming up on Monday! We also can't wait for Ang, Ry and the kids to come this weekend!

::WE DECKED OUR HALLS::

Sorry this past month has gone by in a blur! My job has been taking up so much of my energy that I get home at night and can hardly stay awake by the time Donny gets home from work! Our dinners now consist of soup and sandwhiches rather than gyros or anything more time consuming. I'm getting into a routine and figuring out how to be gone 9 hours a day and still running my household. It makes for hectic Saturdays but I'm getting better at it.

So for an update...our apartment is decked out for the holidays. Our Christmas shopping is mostly done, Donny only has a week left of school in the semester and we are soooooo excited for Christmas! I will post pictures soon of our apartment and our decked halls!

::OUCH::

I had to go in today to do some screening for my new job. My boss had mentioned something about a drug test so I went in expecting to do the basic yet uncomfortable urine sample...but it was a little more than that.

I had to fill out a health history which was pretty simple and then they called me back. I answered some questions and then she got to the bad one..."Have you had your Hep. B vaccine?"...Well, I had the first of the series back a couple of years ago before I went out to China and never went back to finish off the other two in the series of shots. Well, since I'm working at a hospital I have to have all of my vaccines up to date because of the risk being around people carrying illnesses. So, she concluded that she'd give me that vaccine. Then she asked another one..."When was your last TB test?"...so yep, I got one of those too. So, in that first office I had two shots that I was not expecting at all.

Then, they sent me to another building across the street to have some lab work done. I ended up having two viles of blood taken. Then the lady handed me that disgusting little cup and I headed into the bathroom. Now, for those people who have done testing like this know that the pressure you're under...and sometimes the body does not respond very well under that pressure. Anyway, I eventually came back out and everything was fine but it was so sick.

The highlight of my day though was getting to go and vote. Donny and I went together and we were able to beat some of the lines which was awesome. I'm just nervous to see what happens as the evening goes on.

::HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!::

Dad---I'm sorry that I didn't post this yesterday!

I made these yesterday and Dad, I would have given them to you...but you're in Hawaii and like the little sign says you can eat Macadamia Nuts and drink Guava instead! They are little chocolate truffles that I decorated to look like eye balls!

I also made little spider deviled eggs...

As a little tribute to my Dad since yesterday was his birthday...Donny actually wore his suit as a costume to the party we went to last night.

I wore one of Angela's old Prom dresses and was Glinda the Good Witch from the musical Wicked while Donny was Fiyero. Naturally we can't all travel by bubble like Glinda does but it was still a really fun night!

Kathy (my sister-in-law...but also good friend) threw a really fun party at her house. We ate, played games and after the kids went to bed we danced too! Glen tried to teach us Michael Jackson's Thriller which was one of the highlights of the night for me!

One of the funniest moments of the night was when I found a little surprise pinned to the inside of the dress I was wearing...I'm not sure which one of my sisters had planted it there but it's been there for a few years!

So we partied hard...but the whole time I was thinking about my Dad and how I wished I could call him to wish him a happy birthday!


My Dad...

My Dad and I have always been close. I have fond memories of my childhood that include him. We were snowboarding buddies starting when I was in 8th grade. Dad was always encouraging me to keep going and to be better.

In August I graduated from BYU following in the footsteps of my dad. It was so neat that him and mom were there to celebrate that big occasion in my life. Even though Dad lives far away now we are still close thank goodness for the Internet. There are times when nothing else can make me feel better than some encouragement from my Dad. He's always thinking ahead and encouraging me to live my dreams.

Dad, I love you so much. You are one of the hardest working people I know and I admire you so much. Sometimes I will make a joke or do something that I know that it is my dad's personality coming through! I am SO my father's daughter and I wouldn't have it any other way. Love you Dad! Thanks for being an example to me and to Donny.

P.S. Donny says happy birthday! And that he can't wait for you to come home so that you guys can go backpacking, fishing, work on cars and "fix stuff" together. (the "fix stuff" was exactly what he said...you both love to take things apart, figure out how they work and then put them back together to see if they still work)

::JOB::

I HAVE A JOB!

I got a call this morning from the manager that I interviewed with yesterday afternoon and she offered me the job. I have to go in on Tuesday for a drug and health screening but I officially will start working for St. Alphonsus Rehabilitation Center on Thursday! I'm so excited! It was just the job I was looking for. The starting wage is more than I expected for the work load and it's a M-F 9:30-6:30 job which is exactly what I wanted! I will get vacation and sick days starting day one so that works out well. I can still take two weeks to go to China next Spring to visit Mom and Dad!

I want to thank everyone who has been praying for us. Yesterday when I went into my interview it was so nice to feel the support of my family who are so far away. It's amazing how close you can feel to people that are spread from China to Hawaii and from Northern Idaho to Utah. I am so thankful. We have been so blessed during this challenging time of being unemployed and are so excited for the opportunity to work again. So thank you for praying for us and thinking of us often, thanks Aim for putting our name in the temple...I don't doubt that it was perfect timing.

::SCENTSY::

I just got home from the coolest meeting EVER ! It was a meeting with my local upline director, other consultants ranking in different areas of the company as well as many other consultants in other states that joined us by phone. It was so amazing because...

Team MagnifiSCENT was the number one sales team in the company this past month! There are so many teams and to be number one is awesome!

Scentsy is the most amazing company to be part of because it takes everyone to be successful. It's not about making money (although that has been a huge blessing to us) but it is the funnest experience in my life! It is a reason to socialize, a reason to set goals and an amazing opportunity to rub shoulders with incredible people. I also got to stand up tonight and be recognized because I have set the goal to move up a level in this next month! It's amazing to know that I will be making 5% more commission soon and it'll be nice to have some extra to put towards our food storage fund. I love being able to set my own hours, see friends and make money while I'm doing it. Not to mention that it's an amazing product that people fall in love with and people want more of once they have it!

I wish I could just share the Scentsy opportunity with everyone I know because there are so many opportunties within it. I LOVE SCENTSY!

::HAUNTED HOUSE II::

Carrying on the tradition from last year Donny and I decided to make another haunted house. We did it on Monday night for our little family home evening.

It's a ghost house party!

I normally don't wear bright pink scrubs around for fun, I had just gotten off work and hadn't gone home to change. I also have to point out my bright blue earrings from our wacky earring day over the summer! Thanks Mom! :)

(my hair looks really red in these pictures but that's just the lighting...it's actually just dark brown)

I couldn't resist eating some of it before the frosting had even dried!

We made the house over at my in-law's house so it had to travel home with us. On the way home one of the walls fell down against my shirt and made a mess! We had to do some major remodeling when we got home in order to give our house more structural integrity!

P.S. I'm off to a job interview at the hospital...wish me luck!

::QUOTE OF THE DAY::

To live with Saints in Heaven is bliss and glory
To live with Saints on Earth is another story

I love to know that Brigham Young had a sense of humor. He wrote this statement in the autograph book of Barbara Neff. I found it in If Life Were Easy It Wouldn't Be Hard by Sheri Dew. I'm so grateful that we are all in this life together and that we can learn from each other. If that quote doesn't make you smile I don't know what will today.

P.S. Keep your fingers crossed...I'm going in for an interview tomorrow afternoon for an awesome job!!!

::MY QUIRKS::

My cousin, Trina tagged me so here it goes...


The Rules:
• Link the person(s) who tagged you.
• Mention the rules on your blog.
• Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
• Tag some fellow bloggers by linking them.
• Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged!




QUIRK #1
I can't stand "street" clothes to be on my bed. If the clothes have been worn out of the house I hate them to even sit on the bed without being washed first.




QUIRK #2
I have to shave my legs before I get in bed if I washed the sheets that day. I love the feeling of freshly shaven legs on clean sheets!


QUIRK #3
I don't run with music because I love the sound of my Nike running shoes on the pavement. I get into a rythm and I love listening to it. (and I only run in Nike)




QUIRK #4
If I'm ever home alone and get too lonely while I'm waiting for Donny to get home at night I turn on Christmas music. There are so many wonderful memories attached to Christmas music and it instantly fills the lonliness. It's the best!



QUIRK #5



I don't really like folding clothes but I love to hang them up. I like my closet to be organized so everything has a certain section where they belong....short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweaters, button up short sleeve shirts, button up long sleeve shirts, pants, jackets...you get the idea! But I figure that most people have their closets organized in whatever way works for them but...all of my hangers HAVE to be white. I don't hang my clothes on wire hangers or colored plastic hangers. They're all on white hangers. I just think it looks better.





QUIRK #6

I LOVE to vacuum. I vacuum our apartment all of the time because I love the carpet being clean. When we finally got a vacuum of our own it was sooo exciting!

I tag: Mom, Breanna Eaton and Jeni

::OUR PANELS::

These are panels that Donny and I saw at Ikea over the summer and we've talked about them ever since. We had planned on just ordering them online after we moved to Boise but then I got online and saw that these panels can't be ordered online...LAME! But...Aimee is coming to Boise tomorrow and she's bringing our panels! I'm soooo excited!

Here's the info Aim...

FLYN OFELIA-curtain panel light blue, white
$44.99/3 pack

designer: Camilla Diedrich

Product dimensions:
Length: 118"
Width: 24"

Product description & measurements:
75% viscose/rayon, 25% plolyester

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10135555

::HOLY DANG STINKIN COW, BATMAN::

PREFACE: I don't hate snow. I love seeing it on the mountains. I love the layer of white it brings to the world. BUT...I hate being wet and it makes me just want to stay home.

What the heck...This is out my window...yes, it is snowing. I was innocently driving home from Eagle and it began to snow. I was shocked, well, actually still am in shock. I didn't believe the
weather forcast when it predicted 30% chance of precipitation because here in desert land Idaho that usually means nothing. I was soooo wrong. So, here I am...Friday night sitting in my fabulous chair, drinking my Route 44 Sonic drink and eating my body weight in kettle corn (which is slightly burned). That's what happens when Boise plays the nasty trick on me and it snows WAY before it should, I mean, seriously it's not-quite-mid-October.

P.S. I took this picture almost an hour ago and it's still going strong...

::IT HAS MY NAME ON IT::

Donny has been working for RC Willey since February and it has been an awesome job. It's the perfect situation for a couple who is trying to collect things together and create a home. We've been able to acquire some of the essentials now and so our living room no longer looks like storage. But, the one thing we still didn't have was a TV. We have done a lot of research and have been saving up for one but never quite felt like the timing was right to buy one.

Over the summer RC Willey had their Employee Party at Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake. They were also giving away prizes in the evening near the end of the day. They gave away some promotional items like really ugly hot pink umbrellas...but the jewel was the TV they were giving away. Because there are so many employees in Utah they had three different days that we could choose to go. Donny wanted to go because he wanted the chance to win the TV. He would always say, "One of those TVs has my name on it." Well, we went on our day and actually ended up getting tickets for a different day too...and didn't win anything. So, we went to two employee parties and came away with only the experience of going to the zoo...twice.

So about a month ago there was an employee party at Settlers Park in Meridian one evening. They had food, prizes, and everyone just was hanging out together....Of course, Donny wanted to go because there was the chance that we may win a TV because they were giving away two. Once again before the party Donny would say, "One of those TVs has my name on it." Well, we went to the party...sat...ate...talked...hung out...waited for the drawings...They had two boxes...one with names of employees and another with each of the prizes on a slip of paper. The guy pulled a slip out and it was a 32" Sony Bravia LCD HDTV...then he pulled the name of the employee out and said...."Donny Lloyd"...yep, we won our TV!!! The thing that was really funny is that when they were doing the drawing Donny was over getting some chips and salsa off the table so he had to walk over and put down his food before he could go up and claim his prize. He also hadn't work at the Boise store for very long so everyone was really jealous. A few of the guys knew that we had been looking at different TVs and saving up so they were happy for us.

Ignore the clutter around the TV...this is when it was first set up and it was a little bit of a mess. I realized that I never posted the story behind this treasure.

::NERDS & ROSES::

Yesterday I had two job interviews and I didn't sleep well the night before because of the stress. The two jobs are exact opposites of each other. One is not very glamerous and could make me crazy while the other is very professional but is very challenging with a huge committment. So, when I finally got home last night I was torn and tired. I hadn't seen Donny all day because we just missed each other coming and going to our various places. But I walked in the door of our apartment and this is what I saw...


I then looked up to the table and saw...

With a special message from the stems of the roses...

There was also another little love note to the left that said, "I am such a NERD (and it had a little box of nerds). I hope your day was great! I love you!"

It was just what I needed. Of course, I started crying (that doesn't surprise anyone!) I am so grateful to have such wonderful support as I try to figure out what to do with the next step in my career and in our life together. It's so wonderful to have someone taking such great care of me!

::MYSTERIES OF EGYPT::

One week ago tonight, I surprised Donny with a night at Anniversary Inn. We just needed to time together and rejuvination that comes from the enchanting rooms of Anniversary Inn.

They had their 10 year anniversary celebration the Saturday before we stayed there so I went down because we knew that they would be having some specials. I happened to get there and take a tour during the time that they offered the room called Mysteries of Egypt for only $110 when it's normally $229 on a weekday and $259 on a weekend. I had to book it in a certain time frame and I couldn't get in touch with Donny at work...so I just did it anyway. I decided to not tell him about the room I had booked for Monday, the 30th. I knew that the only thing I needed to do was make sure that he didn't look at our checking account online because then he'd see that I spent exactly $50 for the deposit and he'd get curious.

Sunday I kept it a secret...but was really excited!!! But Sunday night I walked into his "man room" and found that he was on the computer and he was checking our account balance! I nicely said that he couldn't look at that right then because I had spent $50 but I was going to return what I bought because I shouldn't have. He then started asking me what I spent it on...I'm not very good at lying (or at least I thought) but started guessing what I had spent money on. He asked me if I had made a deposit for a room at Anniversary Inn and I played it off by asking if that's all it took to make a desposit there. I tried to play it off but I didn't think that I was being very smooth. He kept guessing and finally with one of the options I just kinda smiled so he thought that I had purchased something that I was going to take back. I walked out of the room to make sure that I wasn't going to just break down and tell him.

The next day he finally went to school I set off to get everything together....a bottle of Sparkling Cider, bubble bath for the huge bath tub and some treats. Luckily we had wanted to go out over the weekend because it was the one year anniversary since we got engaged on September 27th but we were too busy and never got to go out to dinner or anything. So, it was easy to say that we should go out to dinner on Monday since it's Donny's day off of work. I safely stashed the packed suitcase and a blind fold in the trunk of the car and Donny got home from school around 4. We went out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory...and ate some delicious food! I was nervous and excited as we ate because I was planning on blind folding him and taking him downtown. We got done, got back in the car and I started driving but he kept guessing what part of town we were in so I had to drive around for a while. I drove around until he had no idea where we were. We were quite a site...driving around downtown Boise in the Mustang with the top down...with Donny blind folded in the front seat! We pulled up to Anniversary Inn and I told Donny that I had to run into the store and get something and he just had to sit in the car. I ran in and checked us in. There was a couple who went in right before me and they said that it was a fun surprise idea, they had seen us pull in and were curious what the occasion was!
I went back out to the car and tried to lead Donny towards the building. Finally I told him to take the blind fold off when we were right in front of the building. It didn't click to him at first and he just kept saying "No way...NO WAY!" Turns out that he really did have NO idea that we were going there! I was so happy that it turned out just perfectly the way I wanted it to!

We went back out to the car and go the suitcase. He was so impressed because I even remembered to grab his contact case and glasses without him noticing! It was so fun to watch movies on the two TVs in our room and have a wonderful breakfast delivered to our room! It was fabulous! That night we went out to get some ice cream and just walked around BoDo (the weird nickname that the city of Boise named it's downtown "strip"). Here are pictures of our room!

If anyone wants to go we have Refer a Friend cards that helps us work towards getting a free night stay. :) It's the best place EVER! I know what I'm asking for since our 1 year anniversary is coming up in a couple of months!

::FREE HANDBAG::

My Mom sent me to this site to enter to win a free handbag. They are launching this new site and giving away a free handbag every hour on Oct 15th. Go check it out and enter to WIN. They have 24 darling bags to choose from, so pick your favorite and ENTER! (they are REALLY cute!)

http://www.handbagplanet.com

::NEW LOOK::

I had my hair cut the day that my parents left (like a couple of months ago) because I was sad to see them leave after all of the fun memories that we had made over the summer. You'll have to ignore the slightly swollen eyes and that red face from a few sad tears that day.

This is Donny's new look...can you tell what's different?...Yep, I've got bangs and he's got facial hair.

He took over my chair but don't worry...that didn't last for long. I love my chair and ottoman. I had to convice Donny that we'd need a chair and ottoman instead of a loveseat.

::HOME SWEET HOME::

So, as many people know we moved to Boise over a month ago. We are finally getting settled in our apartment and since most of the boxes are gone (or at least stuffed in the closet so that noone can see them...) I can finally take some pictures. This apartment needed a bit of work when we first moved in so we've done some painting, a lot of deep cleaning...and a lot of organizing. I also have a lot of stories to tell...like us winning our TV for free...and getting our couch...

Here is our kitchen...it has some Asian influence given that my parents live in China, it is to be expected! (Mom, do you notice the different color of light fixture?) Try to ignore the bottom right corner that has a bunch of stuff that needs to go back to storage. Thanks to RC Willey for wanting to get rid of this table that only had a little bit of damage that Donny could easily fix.

Here's our couch. It's ivory, microfiber. It is sooo comfortable! The back cushions are so soft and I love lying down and cuddling into them. Donny bought this couch kind of on his own as a surprise for me. We had walked through RC Willey and I had told Donny that this is the couch that I would want if I was single and had my own place. A few days later he came home and said that our couch would be in soon. He brought it home as a surprise for me one night. It was so nice to finally have a couch since this is our first since we got married!

Here's my chair. It is called my chair because I really wanted a chair with an ottoman. It's almost more expensive to do that than to just get a loveseat but I really love this look. It's so funcional and I love this chair! This is my spot when I'm blogging, reading, or waiting for Donny to get home at night!

This is our wall...and I need to get more pictures printed to go in the picture frames but this is what one of the walls looks like. Eventually we'll change the paint color because this color gets really orange during the evening when the light comes in our west facing sliding glass door. It's fun though to have special wedding pictures to put around our house.

I need to put up pictures of the bathroom too since I've gotten done painting it. I need to clean it before it will be picture ready though! :) (not exactly something that I love to do!)

::SHANGHAI & MUMMIES::

This morning I woke up to Donny watching a on History Channel and they were talking about mummys...yeah, a great way to wake up in the morning. But then they started talking about how a 2,000 year old body was found in China and it's organs still had blood in them. It is pretty impressive because that is a science that noone has figured out today.
Then they started talking about how Shanghai is home to some of the most beautiful buildings in China, then they showed a really old looking building and said..."Except for this one"...It was a nasty old building that experts still go to all of the time because it is home to some of the oldest mummies in the world. They showed some of them (which is really gross) but way to go Shanghai! They showed a few pictures of the city and it made me think of my family! : )

::REPENTANCE & SABBATICAL::

Repentance:

–noun
1. deep sorrow, compunction, or contrition for a past sin, wrongdoing, or the like.
2. regret for any past action.

Once again, I am grateful for repentance because it allows me to pretend that I have been blogging faithfully for the past three months...when in reality it has been way too long! I consider these last few months as a personal sabbatical (according to definition #5):

1. of or pertaining or appropriate to the Sabbath.
2. of or pertaining to a sabbatical year.
3. bringing a period of rest. –noun
4. sabbatical year.
5. any extended period of leave from one's customary work, esp. for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.

I have lots of pictures because SO much has happened in the past few months. I am now making my grand entrance back into the world of the blog! :) It's nice to be back.

::TO MANTI...AND BEYOND::

The past couple of weeks have been a blast!

On the Friday the 13th we drove down to Manti and went to the Mormon Miracle Pagent. It was amazing and so much fun! I've gone every year that I've been at BYU so this was my fourth year in a row. Donny has seen it once before but it has been quite a few years. It was awesome and we are so glad we went!

Then on Wednesday night we went to the...PG STRAWBERRY DAYS RODEO!!! It is my favorite rodeo in Utah! I love it because you sit at the rodeo and eat a cup of strawberries and cream for a dollar...well, now it's $1.25 (Donny blames it on gas).

It was Aim's first rodeo so I had to make sure that we had so much fun! I was so excited to eat my strawberries!
I was wearing my "Boys heart Cowgirls" t-shirt. But I love my cowboy! :)
Making goofy faces...so excited to be eating strawberries and cream!
This is one of the awesome pictures that Donny took with his camera. It turned out so well. These cowboys are crazy or really talented...I'm not quite sure which one!

This rodeo only comes once a year so I had to eat my fill of strawberries....

I didn't want to leave the rodeo when it was over but I knew that we had a lot to look forward to because...Friday we were leaving for the Lloyd Family Reunion McCall, ID at Ponderosa State Park.

We left Provo around 1:30 and got to McCall around 11:30pm. It was quite an adventure but we had fun camping in a tent, eating camping food and playing in the lake!

Here is our canoe adventure! I was a little nervous that we would flip but we made it back to dry land safely!

Here is my father-in-law running the auction. Donny bought me some really cute ice cube trays that are in the shape of flowers. He then bid on some Hannah Montana pencils and a notebook (it's a joke between us) but one of the little cousins wanted it so he traded her for her High School Musical notebook and pencils!

On Saturday evening we were all sitting around right before dinner and a camp ranger came around and told us that there was a storm that was going to hit us in about 45 minutes. Donny and I hadn't staked down our tent since we got into town so late the night before and the weather was supposed to be pretty mild...well, it ended up raining almost all night! Luckily we stayed dry but putting our tent away on Sunday morning was not easy because it was so wet still!

Now we're back at home and today it laundry day! It's also...clean up the apartment so that tomorrow we can play when Mom gets here!!!