Tradition!

So, lest next year rolls around and I look at Geoff and ask him what the heck we did that we want to repeat and he looks at me blankly and says "I like everything we did last year," I'm am documenting some of the favorite traditions we have enjoyed this past Christmas. Fondue (3 courses) on Christmas Eve Wrapping all the presents in coordinating wrapping paper, complete with ribbons and bows. Writing the "to" and "from" on the gifts with silly clues...

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Merry Christmas!

I don't know about you, but Geoff and I had a wonderful holiday. It was our first Christmas that was just the two of us. And, while we definitely missed having family and friends with us for the holiday, we made the most of it.On Christmas Eve Geoff had to work, so I slept in a little bit and then got the house in tip-top shape. When he got home (early) from work, we started our day of fondue off with a cheese fondue appetizer and dipped asparagus,...

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Reminders

I've been writing the past couple weeks about our holiday adventures: cooking, parties, shopping, wrapping (and wrapping and wrapping), family, and snow. While all of these things are wonderful and fill me with joy, I'd like to get serious on you for a moment.I want to share my faith, appreciation, and humility for the true reason for this holiday season. It is on Christmas that we have the opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior...

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Happy Doggydays

I've been enjoying this holiday season very much. Shopping, especially, has been very fun and surprisingly easy. I've snatched up a slew of fun presents to give to family, friends, and the hub and haven't found the process to be stressful or aggravating in the least.As a dog owner, I'm a sucker for pet-themed items. I love little toys that squeak and candy-cane shaped raw-hides. Both my dogs have stockings and I love to stick delicious-smelling...

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Spreading Some Cheer

Don't forget to check out this blog post and vote.I'm feeling very accomplished this holiday season. Last year our life was in a bit of a shambles as we practically lived out of our car for a couple weeks. Right around this time of the month on '09 we had packed up the moving truck and I had finished my final day of work at BYUB. We were driving across the desert to spend a week with my family in CA just to turn around again and drive back to...

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Need Some Amusement?

Are you ready, friends? We are going to play a little game. For your reading pleasure I have compiled a list of my 10 best blog posts since my lil' blog's inception in 2008. Please peruse them at you leisure and then come back and vote for you favorite out of the bunch. If you would like to entered to win a little holiday prize, also leave a comment here on this blog and include which blog post was your favorite. And now, for the good stuff (in chronological order):Voting closes December 21st at 2pm CSTBlog 1 which really must be read in conjunction...

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Sky Mall: The Snuggie Edition

A few months back I wrote a blog post highlighting a few of my "favorite" items from the Sky Mall catalog. I was fortunate enough to be on a business trip last week and I got to peruse the Holiday edition of Sky Mall.Unless you have been living under a rock, you have likely come across a commercial for the confusing Snuggie product. Now, let me be frank, I own a Snuggie. However, I am as aware as you are that it is a STUPID product. A blanket...

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Holiday Daze

I'm so full of blogs, you wouldn't believe it. I just don't have the time to amuse you will all my antics as of late. I've been adding notches to my stick as a "world traveler," entertaining a house full of wonderful guests, destroying yet another cell phone, decorating the Christmas tree, coordinating - and practicing for - the Christmas program for church on the 19th (I'm the ward music chair - more on that later), trying to finish up the letter...

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Kirby rocks.

Conversation as heard through the walls of the Parker household last night: Geoff, while vacuuming the kitchen floor with the 'sweeper' attachment of our Kirby vacuum cleaner turns to me and asks, "Have I told you recently how much I love this vacuum?"To which I replied, "I don't believe you have." While in the back of my mind my face is growing a smile as fiendish as the Grinch himself as I plot ways to be sure that Geoff is in charge of all the...

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Living. Room.

Well, Geoff and I have been working hard to get the house in order before the fam comes for a visit next week (YAY!!).Here's a little sneak pe...

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Houses, and Travel, and House-guests. Oh, my!

Life has sped up like a locomotive - and it's going to be awhile before things really settle back down again. We are all moved into the new place now. There is still some serious cleaning to do at the apartment, but everything we own is officially in the house! We've got some unpacking to do yet, but the kitchen and bedroom are all set to go and we are enjoying all the space! The fence went up yesterday and we are now just a gate away from unlocking the dog door for good! Romulus found out on Saturday how fantastic the dog door can be and...

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Secret Movers

We are officially about 98.9% of the way moved! There is still one last load of junk hanging out over at the apartment (not to mention a flurry of cleaning to be done). It's exciting! I hasn't been too bad.I've been kind of getting the giggles about it the past couple of nights, though. We both work full time and, obviously, couldn't wait a week after closing 'til the weekend to actually move, so all of our moving efforts have been after 6:00...

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Welcome Home, Parker Family

It's official! We are homeowners!We picked up our keys from our real estate agent over our lunch break. We picked up the dogs from the apartment and introduced them to their new home. Excellent!We'll start moving our stuff over tonig...

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Yowza

I'm feeling a bit frazzled today. I think I'll feel better after we close on the house tomorr...

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4 days!

We close on the house in 4 days! It's hard not to start thinking about (and searching out) all the cool things we would like to [someday] buy for the new house. Including but not limited to:An awesome sectional for the family room:A new vanity for the main bathroom:A dog-door insert for the sliding glass door:An island-type piece for the kitchen:A new ceiling fan:Now if only I could buy it all. :) Oh, well, internet explorer window shopping is...

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Who Knew?

So, I have Google Analytics. Which means, yes, my blog website is currently calculating exactly how long it is taking you to read this post. Don't worry. It can't tell me who you are. It can tell me where you are, but if you wish to stay anonymous it might help you feel comfort to know that in an average 30 day span I get about 500 visits from 22 states. So, I don't really know who you are or where you happen to be. I just know a handful of...

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Important tips on being "green"

I'm a California girl at heart. I was born and raised in the great state and, like it or not, I have inherited a number of traits due to growing up there. When I moved to Utah, I was shocked to find that recycling bins were optional and pickup of recyclables cost extra. As a consequence, there was very little recycling done. Fargo is a pretty progressive place when it comes to wind power and keeping things "green." Anyway, the topic came up at...

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Artsy Fartsy

Remember my tables that we re-painted? Well, here they are in all of their final glory!Don't you just LOVE my dollar store pumpkins?And how about that amazing Shih Tzu painting that I found while browsing the aisles with birthday money at Target. It looks just like my little guy - right down to the blue bone collar. Anyway, it seems a little weirdo-dog-obsessed-lady to have just a big painting of the Rubester...so, with a gift certificate from...

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Fencing

As you are likely aware, we have purchased a home. A home that we will officially own in just a couple short weeks. A home that will also house our dogs.One of the most notable benefits of home/dog ownership is going to be the ability to send the dogs off to "do their business" without supervision. We have been poop supervisors for nearly three years now. And we are putting in our two weeks notice. However, there is a little flaw in that plan....

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I've got boxes and tape...what's next?

Top Ten Reasons I need to start packing:1) We close on the house in 18 days.2) Geoff has been collecting boxes from work and the more they pile up, the more daunting it looks.3) We only need to use about 10% of our stuff over the next 18 days. The rest can be packed. 4) It will make the upcoming move seem more "real." (Right now it feels kind of surreal)5) Neither of us are taking and time off work for the move, so we really only have evenings...

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Me and Evo

I got my new phone in the mail today (one, might I mention, that I do not deserve since my last one met with an untimely demise due to my uncoordinated fingers). It is handsome. It is SO fast. It is already playing my Halloween ringtone.Welcome to the fam E...

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Wake Up Call

There's something about buying a house that has brought out from inside me a woman who just wants to do all those "housewife" things. I want to cook and clean and fit into my skinny jeans and decorate and crochet and all those good things. Yesterday, however, I had a bit of a harrowing experience. Right after work, I was leaving to go pick up Geoff and I saw a huge wall of black smoke billowing in the [not too] distance. I picked Geoff up, and...

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Giving Thanks

As the leaves start turning yellow and orange and red and strain to be the last hanging onto the tree, and as lights start to twinkle on homes as dusk comes earlier each night, and as the air feels crisp on your lungs and the breeze hints of the winter to come, I feel filled with memories. Memories of pumpkin carving and costume making; memories of family and friends and Thanksgiving dinners; memories of Christmas trees and cocoa and warm fuzzy...

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Fresh Paint

Geoff and I went out to some thrift stores this weekend to see if we could snag any deals. I was mostly hunting for some nifty Halloween decorations (which I did happen to come across). While we were out hunting, though, we found some really cool, mod tables. There was a coffee table and a side table. The downside: The color. They were this yucky light yellowish that looked just terrible. And old. And outdated. The upside: The price and the...

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Parkers = Homeowners?!

It is with great excitement that Geoff and I announce the news that we have purchased a home! We still have to go through the inspection process and all the finalizing, but if everything goes as planned, we will be closing on our new home on November 12th! A few details about the house: It's on a corner lot of a little cul-de-sac and has a perfectly sized yard for our little dogs!It is a 4-level floor plan. The main level has the (large) kitchen...

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Highly Gifted

In honor of turning 24, I wanted to make a list. But 24 whats?For you: A list of 24 of the greatest presents I've received. Please note, this list is missing MANY, MANY, MANY wonderful gifts and this list is NOT in any sort of order of importance. So here you have, The Top 24 Reasons I'm a Lucky Lady: Trip to Disneyland with my mom, pop, and BFF for my 16th birthday. My engagement ring. My first car, given to me the Christmas...

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Winner

Top Reasons Coming Home to my Hub is Awesome:He always picks me up at the airport with a bouquet of beautiful flowers. This time it was sunflowers and yellow roses.He also always picks me up at the airport with a fresh, icy cold 44 ounces of Diet Mt. Dew.He took the doggies for haircuts while I was away. They are so cute that it's almost ridiculous.He also got himself a haircut and was looking pretty freakin' handsome himself.My house was totally...

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Cahoots

So, I've been in Texas now for 8 days. With all the traveling I do, I'm forever grateful for my Sprint phone that comes with Sprint GPS to keep me on track - most of the time.It seems that the Dallas/Fort Worth area is in cahoots with Sprint to maximize their tax dollars. I met my SIL (sister-in-law) on Friday night for a movie in Dallas. The drive there (as guided by said GPS) was smooth sailing. Only one freeway connection.On the way home,...

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