Birthday Test

Happy Birthday to Jordan! This is his first birthday since he was a freshman in college where he didn’t have to study for a final…and he is spending the day studying for his board exam. Boo! Since Jordan has to be studying for a test this birthday, I thought it would be a appropriate for us ALL to study a test today. I present to you: The Jordan Test. 

You know how people say, “On a multiple choice test, when in doubt, just choose C”? Well, follow that advice because every answer is C (except for one question, where is it D).

 The Jordan Quiz

1.       Today Jordan is turning
a)      86
b)      13
c)       29


2.       Jordan’s number one goal for the age of 29 is
a)      To repay all his student loans
b)      To run a marathon
c)       To convince his wife that they need cable

3.       Jordan’s favorite dessert is

a)      Pie

b)      Banana split

c)       Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting with chocolate fudge and chocolate syrup, served with a chocolate milkshake and…and a chocolate straw.

4.       Jordan broke his arm as a kid by trying to “ride”
a)      A horse
b)      A go-kart
c)       An automatic garage door

5.       Jordan’s version of hell would be
a)      A fiery outer darkness
b)      A very cold, bleak existence
c)       A room full of shedding cats while the show “How I Met Your Mother” plays in the background on repeat.

6.       Jordan’s biggest man crush is
a)      Mitt Romney
b)      Aston Kutcher
c)       Ron Swanson
d)      All of the above


7.         Jordan’s greatest accomplishment was
a)      Marrying a smokin’ hotty
b)      Being  honored as Valedictorian of his PA class
c)       Having the world’s highest score on the app game Hungry Santa
(though C is the correct answer, B is also true!)


8.       Jordan’s special talent is

a)      Unicycling

b)      Juggling

c)       Knowing every word to every song, no matter how obscure

9.       When Jordan was a freshman in college, he wanted to be a _______ when grew up:
a)      Police officer
b)      A PA
c)       A kindergarten teacher (isn’t that cute??)


10.    If Jordan could give his wife any gift, it would be a a)      Puppy, because he knows she really, really wants one
b)      fur coat
c)       Six extra inches of height so he didn’t have to hurt his back when he kisses her

 Good job, everyone! And Happy Birthday, Jordan!

Change is a'comin'

We have exciting news, sad news, and scary news.

The exciting news is JORDAN GOT AN AWESOME JOB OFFER AND WE ARE MOVING TO OKLAHOMA CITY IN JANUARY!

The sad news is we are moving to Oklahoma City in January.

The scary news is we are moving to Oklahoma City in January.

(see what I did there?)


Jordan has been working hard to be a dermatologist PA candidate straight out of school, which is tricky. For PA's it is one of the most coveted specialties to work in- no call, good pay, normal hours, and lower stress. Plus, it is a total bonus that Jordan really likes derm and is very interested in it. In October he was offered 2 derm interviews- one in OKC and one in Mesa, AZ. He went to both interviews, and loved the doctor in OKC and really didn't like the Mesa one. A few weeks ago, he got the magic call and was offered the position in OKC!

This whole experience has been a roller coaster ride of feelings for me. I am so proud of Jordan and how well he has done. I'm also feeling excited to start a new life with him somewhere. I am excited to be close to a temple again (12 minute drive instead of a nearly 2 hour drive). I am sad to be leaving my friends in Tulsa. I am sad to leave my job (I really grew to like it, as far as work goes). I was also happy to leave my job (some of my clients and their parents make me want to take up drinking). I've been scared of not knowing anyone or anything, and I am anxious to find a new job and learn how to get around in the city. I am sad to be far away from my in-laws and I am scared of being "stuck" in OKC for the rest of my life.....The roller coaster goes on and one.

Jordan has been supportive of my crazy/worry spells. The first thing he said to me when we found out about the prospective OKC job was "You can get a dog!" We also together have committed to being there for 3 years, and then assessing what to do next with our life (whether or not we leave). One awesome thing about Jordan's new boss is he straight up told Jordan that he knew Jordan's wife (thaaaaat's me!) would probably want to move closer to family eventually, but if Jordan could stay with him for at least 2 years he would be happy. That calms my nerves a bit.

I've also been thinking of all my friends and family who have been good examples to me of wives who bravely move for their husbands' jobs. I often think, "If Julie could move literally across the country, I can move 2 hours away, " or "If Melissa can move to Blanding, then I can move to OKC." You girls are awesome!

Plus, there are some great things about OKC. Flights out of the OKC airport are cheaper than flying from the Tulsa airport. We will live close to the temple, so our Tulsa friends can come visit us when the attend the temple periodically. We will be close to a lake, an amusement park (which I would grade as a B, but still- it's there!), a big water park, a cool zoo, and we will be closer to our precious NBA team, the Thunder (SoJo + Westbrook 4EVA).

Yesterday we went to OKC to check out various apartments to rent for a while. We found one that is literally across the street from Jordan's new job, so we don't have to worry about getting a second car for a while. I also checked for essentials- within 5 miles, I have access to a mall, a Dollar Tree, a Target, and a Hobby Lobby so I will be able to survive. Things are a little more spread out over there, which I will have to get used to, but it won't be so bad.

Overall, I do feel a lot fo gratitude from God. We have been praying for derm job for several months and we are so pleased that Jordan has been able to get one right out of school. I am so grateful that Jordan LIKES the doctor that he will be working for, and that even though we are farther from family, my in-laws are still obtainable. I am excited to see what our new life chapter will bring.

In other news: JORDAN GRADUATES THIS FRIDAY!!!! Can't wait!

Happy Halloween! Keep in Touch! Have a GREAT summer!

Jordan and I were yearbook pictures this year for Halloween. I thought they turned out pretty good! Everything came from Dollar Tree, except our clothes and Jordan's wig (no, that is not a real fro, sadly).


Now allow me to present the various yearbook picture categories:

The Blinker

The "Where is he looking?"

The Chin-to-Face

The "I just started to say 'cheese' like you asked and then you took the picture...jerk"

The Over-Excited

I'm still debating whether or not I should wear it to our huge company party at work. It is during work hours, and none of my co-workers in my program are gonna dress up. I may just chicken out. We'll see...

State Fair

Every Fall, the Tulsa State Fair comes to town. Jordan and I love to go. I love it for the animals, and Jordan loves it for the food. The fair is a time when Jordan feels we should "let loose" in regards to calories, and money to pay for said calories. Within twenty minutes of being in the fair, we spent $20 on food. By the end of the night, we had shared a philly steak sandwich, a large corndog, a funnel cake (my fave), a deep fried s'more, a lemonade, and a plate of curly fries. We were feeling both elated and distgusted.

"Let's get this party started!"

 

"Please bless this deep fried cake smothered in sugar to nourish and strengthen our bodies..."

"AMEN! Now it's healthy to eat!"

The only thing better to do at the fair than feed yourself is feed animals. They have a cool petting zoo where you can purchase overpriced animal food. I. LOVED. it. I was far more excited to pet and feed the creatures than most of the kids in the area. They had several different types of animals- deer, llamas, pigs, a kangaroo-like thing, and approximately 1000000 goats. Jordan was my photographer since he doesn't share the same enthusiasm for touching communal animals (weirdo). We couldn't have the flash on, so some of them were a bit blurry.

 

This poor guys was so scared. He just sat in the corner with his legs literally between his legs. :(

It tickled when they ate out of my hand.

 

Overall, we had a great time. We have no clue whether or not this was our last Tulsa State Fair. It will definitely be something that I miss. 

 

Chase and Jessica's Wedding Trip

This fall has been pretty friggin sweet. I do not miss Oklahoma summers one bit. Plus, Jordan and I have had some fun happenings taking place since this season has graced us with its presence.

At the end of September, I was able to have a 4 day weekend in Salt Lake City for my cousin's wedding. (Leave it to me to take my camera and somehow not have one single picture of the bride and groom. Whoops.) I was able to hang out with my parents and sister, which was a bonus. The wedding was lovely, the reception was so fun (can you saaaaay photo booth??), and it was so cool to see all my extended family from my dad's side.

 All the girl cousins from my dad's side of the family! Love them!...even though they are all taller than me.

Molly and I had a little too much fun with the photo booth at the reception. I think we went in a total of 5 times. Here are some of our highlights:

My cute parents <3>

These four go in a sequence...yes, we are dorks.

 We also got to spend the day with some of our family on my mom's side.Uncle Tim and Aunt Denise have property where we got to go feaux camping. We shot guns, did archery, hammocked (new verb), and ate. It was glorious.

"I volunteer as Tribute!....Oh, wait. I suck at this. Never mind..... Uh, I'm going to lay in hammock instead."

 

Our cousins also have quite the zoo at their house. They have one dog, 2 guinea pigs, one gerbil, and a bearded lizard. It was fun being around animals for a change. Can't wait to get a pet someday!

Wearing a live lizard. Lady Gaga got nothin' on me.  

 

Overall, it was a fantastic kick to Autumn!

Not a tag...but kind of a tag

I was avoiding bed (again) and was crusing through my facebook timeline (still don't like the timeline structure. Boo!) when I came across this note I wrote on facebook over 3 years ago. I remember having fun with it, and I liked reading other people's creations as well. I didn't think of this game, it is like those "tags" from back in the day. So have fun and do it if you want :) This was mine from 2009. None of my answers have changed (though I am not reeeeeally a mess of blues right now).

Directions: Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it onto people you like. You can't use the artist I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "my life according to (artist name)"

Pick your Artist: Elvis Presley

Male or female: Hard Headed Woman

Describe Yourself: Big Hunk O' Love

How do you feel: A Mess of Blues

Describe where you currently live: In the Ghetto

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Promise Land

Your Best Friend is: A Fool Such As I

What's the weather like: Kentucky Rain

Favorite Time of Day: One Night

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: That's Someone You Never Forget

What is life to you: Just Pretend

Your friendships: Something Old, Something New

Your fear: A Woman Without Love

What is the best advice you have to give: Treat Me Nice

Thought for the day: Always on My Mind

How would you like to die? I Got Stung

My soul's present condition: Young and Beautiful

My motto: Don't Be Cruel

Oh, What a Night

Jordan and I often joke about how I have undiagnosed ADD (or technically ADHD, Inattentive Type). Last night/ this morning proved this once again.

Around 11:30 pm, I was dorking around on the computer and I noticed that my nails looked ugly. I thought, Ooh, I think I will paint my nails! 

While I was painting my nails, I watched an Arrested Development to keep me entertained. During the show, they mentioned a certain food. This lead me to look on Pinterest to see if there was any new recipes. While on Pinterest, I saw a cute cute cute pattern for an apron. I think I have the perfect fabric for that, I thought. I went to our spare/hoarding room to check out my material. I started to measure it to see if I had enough for an apron when I realized I had ample fabric. I thought, Wow, with all this extra fabric I could make a skirt!  I immediately got to work.

The problem was I was way too inpatient to actually bother to look up directions for the skirt. I figured I knew what I doing...

Three hours later, I had a mildly cute, yet moderately ugly skirt. I didn't even realize it was 3:00 am until I  snuck into our room to steal our mirror. (I had to sneak because Jordan was asleep...at 3 am?? What a wimp.) Our spare room is completely covered in a thread/scissors/ elastic/ fabric blizzard. I looked at the mess, and thought....Huh, I should blog about this! So here I am at 3:15 am.

So there you have it. Now, if you'll excuse me....I have a mess to further avoid and a bed that I should probably become reacquainted with.....ooh, Tetris!

*Facepalm*

I love Pinterest. A lot. But man oh man, there are some pins that make me want to rip my hair out. I never want to comment on the pins that my fellow pinners pinned (I like the word "pin". Sue me), because I don't feel like Pinterest is a place of debate. So instead, I will rant about them here.


The following pins = facepalms

1. The "modest Barbie"

The idea is that some moms don't think a child should see Barbies "naked" body, so a solution is to use nail polish and cover her body up.

Uh.....Whaaaaaaaaat? I'm sorry, this is simply ridiculous. I feel that the idea that naked is bad and needs to be fixed is downright silly. Personally, I feel that this does more psychological damage (body shaming) than leaving her naked.

Which leads me to another Barbie rant. Aboutu 5-6 years ago they changed Barbie's measurements to be more realistic. I think this was such a dumb idea. Barbie circa 1980-2000 had about EEE boobs, a 13" human scale waist, and was about 6'5'' inches tall on a human scale (these are total estimations by myself, FYI). Every girl knew that Barbie's body was totally unrealistic. I doubt too many girls compared their own 10 year old bodies to her's because- HELLO! Not real. The new dolls have more realistic (yet flawless) bodies. I think the new bodies are easier for girls to compare their own to, which is sad. Ok, Barbie discussion over.

Well, almost over. This was my very favorite Barbie. Hollywood Hair Barbie!! Yeah-yuh! YOU COULD PAINT HER HAIR!


2.  The JFK/Monroe Picture

This pictured has been pinned with a comment that is usually along the lines of "JFK and Marilyn. So sweet" or "Two love birds!"  Allow me to be redundant.....Whaaaaaaaat? This isn't a love picture- it is photographic evidence about an AFFAIR. Just because they were two celebrities doesn't make it cute. As G.O.B. Bluth would say, "C'MON!!!"

3. The John Smith Indian Picture

So there are a lot of different Disney art pins. I don't mind most of them because I love me some Disney. But THIS PICTURE:

One more time. WHAAAAAAAT?!! This picture is implying that Pocahontas and John Smith stayed together (which if we remember in history, and more importantly at the end of the movie he left to return to England after he got shot), got married, (which if you were cool like me and watched Pocahontas 2 or read a history book you know she married John Rolfe), and lived as indians with a kid? I don't mean to be that annoying person, but I think this one is just plain dumb.

Ok, rant is over.

Wuss Alert

I have always, ALWAYS been a wuss.

When I was a kid, I got homesick at almost every overnight outing- even when I visited my beloved cousins. There were several nights when I would stay the night at a friend's house only to ask their parents to drive me home or have my parents pick me up around 1 am. Just couldn't hack it.

When I was a Senior, I was soooo scared to move away from home. I decided that BYU was out of the question (800 miles from my mom? But what if I NEED something??) and applied to only Washington schools. I got into Central Washington University, which was about a whopping 3 hours away ....mmmm, no. Too far.

When I was 20, I FINALLY took the plunge and went to BYU...but ALL of my siblings were living in Provo at the time (which was awesome), and I was rooming with my sister. So, it really wasn't all that brave.

Throughout my BYU days, my siblings trickled away into different states until I was the lone sibling left. However, by then I was seriously dating Jordan and had incredibly close girlfriends so I had a comfortable pseudo-family. Plus, my grandmother was ill in Clearfield so my parents were making somewhat frequent trips to Utah ....so, yeah. Still not all that brave.

The scariest move was definitely moving to Tulsa right after we got married. New state, no family in driving distance (on my side, at least), and I knew hardly anyone. However, Jordan's entire immediate family lives in the next town over, and Jordan had friends and knew where everything was and how Tulsa worked. My in-laws were (and still are) a huge help and we see them very often...Still not completely brave.

As Jordan has been slowly approaching graduation, we have been asked "So...whereyaguysgonnago?" repeatedly. Initially, I would respond, "We could go ANYWHERE! California, Vegas, back to Seattle, maybe somewhere cool in Texas, the possibilities are ENDLESS!" Don't I sound awesomely adventuress??  As more time has passed, Jordan has seriously considered going into Dermotology. This is a great field for PA's, but it is hard to get into without any experience. We decided together that we would be willing to go almost anywhere that could get Jordan's foot in the Derm door. That means that recently, when ask us where we are headed, we have courageously said, "We are willing to go anywhere if it gets Jordan into Derm, and we plan to stay there for a few years".

I had been giving myself mad props for my bravery and how exciting it can be to go somewhere far away and magical. However, today Jordan excitedly told me about a lead he got from his current derm preceptor who offered to make a reference for Jordan to a practice looking for a new PA. Jordan was happily telling me about this great potential opportunity when he stated, "And it is only in Oklahoma City!"

"....Oklahoma City? BUT THAT'S ALMOST TWO HOURS AWAY FROM TULSA!!!! AAAAUGH!"

I've been a bit of an internal nervous wreck ever since. Turns out I will always be wuss!

More chicken, please

I try not to get too preachy or political on our blog (that's Jordan's facebook timeline's job. Haha), but I am pretty bothered by this whole boycott Chic-Fil-A bid'ness.

As most of you know, Dan Cathy of Chick-Fil-A made a statement where he expressed his opinion and beliefs about marriage:

[Cathy's remarks earlier this week to a Baptist website, in which he affirmed the Atlanta-based company's belief in "the biblical definition of the family unit," went viral Wednesday. Supporters and opponents of gay unions immediately weighed in.
"We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles," Cathy told the Baptist Press.]

Now there are several groups (including the Muppets) that are encouraging a boycott on the restaurant, saying that it is disrespectful and hateful. Whaaaat?

My own views about gay marriage are not so black and white, and I applaud those who DO have a firm belief or stance on the matter. Good for you! But I am SICK of people adding the words "hate" or "prejudice"  to anything that has a different opinion. If the restaurant said "We will not serve gays", then YEAH, that would be awful and prejudice. But for one person to have a different opinion is fine and dandy to me.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, I was totally against those who boycotted JC Penny after they made Ellen DeGeneres their new "mascot", so to speak.  Ridiculous!

So, today we decided that for lunch we are going to hit up Chick-Fil-A to support them. Not so much to support their view  of marriage, but mainly to support the fact that people are entitled to respectful opinions that are different from others. I invite others to do the same.

Which Jo Said It?

Hello and welcome to the first (and probably only) round of "Which Jo Said It?"; the game where you read a quote and have to decide whether it was Jordan or I who said the phrase within the last 3 days. The winner gets props, and loser gets our take-home prize: shame.

Let us begin!

1. "Don't be mad, but I bought some really expensive shampoo today. It's one I've wanted for a really long time!"

2. "Wanna watch the Bachelorette? *after the other Jo declines* "Well, you don't have to watch it but I want to!"



The answer to both of these is the ever so manly Jordan! HA!

Bring on May...

(Note, this was written three months ago, but I wanted it on my blog so I could remember it. Sorry for the confusion)
 ____________________________________________________________________

Wow. Blogger got all fancy on me.

This month has zoomed by. Pretty crazy. Jordan and I have been super busy this month. We half-jokingly tell each other "I'll see you this weekend" when one of us leaves the house because it feels as though our schedules just are NOT colliding well.

 Jordan gets up at 4:00 am so he can be on time for his surgery rotation that starts at 5:00 am (yuck). This leads him to get home around 5:00 pm and go to bed around 8:00. Meanwhile, I have taken on a temporary second job at work which makes me have to stay late most days. On Wednesdays, I have mutual so I just work until 7, head straight to church, and then come home at 8:30 to find poor Jordan asleep on the couch. This is usually the case on Thursday too, as I have had some auxiliary training and RS activities. The GOOD news is Jordan never has to go to work on weekends with this rotation, where on his last rotation, he had to work at least one weekend day for four weeks straight.

Like I had mentioned before, I have been doing a second job for my agency. It was originally an agreement for 6 hours a week for 5 weeks...but has morphed into 7-8 hours a week for 6 weeks. Blah. The job itself is not so bad, but it sure makes for long days. I'm usually the first one in my office, which creeps me out a little (since I usually come into work early as well for the job). Luckily, I am getting paid separately for this gig, and Jordan agreed that since this was a bonus job, the money is MY money to play with...I certainly didn't argue with that. So far, I have purchased a Silhouette cutting machine *cue the angelic chorus*. I am so excited! I've wanted one for about 18 months and finally feel justified in buying it. I also can't decide if I want to get a camcorder or a fancy camera with the rest of the money. Any ideas/suggestions??

Another cool thing about this month was our trip to Oklahoma City last weekend to see Cake in concert! I have liked that band for a long time. Jordan and I made a day of it. We ate cupcakes in honor of the band, and walked around the botanical garden in OKC. The concert was pretty awesome too.

So, yeah. April had some nice moments as well, I s'pose. I'm just looking forward to getting some vacation time!! In May, Jordan and I will celebrate our THREE year anniversary (say whaaaat?) by going to Dallas (at least that is the current plan). In June, my sister and her family are coming to visit and Jordan will get two weeks off! Can't wait!

Grandpa T

Yikes! I didn't realize that it had been 2 months since my last post! Oops.

The past 2 months have been pretty eventful for us!  I'll do my best to catch up.

In May, my paternal grandfather passed away. He had been in hospice care for a while, so his death was not unexpected. However, it was still very sad. Grandpa's passing meant that I no longer have any living grandparents. It also meant that I would never get to visit his and grandma's house again. That house was a fun part of my childhood. I'll never forget the fake hardwood carpet, the orange hide-a-bed couch, the candy duck, the wallpaper, Marj's huge knitted cube, grandma's spoon and Precious Moments statuette collections, and their clock and always gonged every hour. It meant the end of our bi-annual Thanksgiving in Boise with my dad's entire family (we've been doing that since 1990).

Most of all, it is sad to no longer see my grandpa in this life. He was a great man. He loved God and his family. Grandpa always smiled and was very generous. He was not one to say "I love you" out loud, but I never cared because he showed he loved us in so many ways. He gave very tight hugs each time I saw him and would be attentive to any of my stories that I would tell him. Growing up, every time we said good-bye, he would always say, "You be a good girl". I always liked hearing that. I remember one time when I was about 20, he simply said, "You are so good!" That's a simple but sweet memory I have of him.

Jordan and I were able to fly to Utah and attend my grandfather's funeral. It was wonderful to see my cousins, aunts and uncles, and siblings. I was also happy to visit my grandparent's house for a final good-bye.

Grandma and Grandpa's candy duck

 Dad and his sisters (and cousin)

My family, minus the spouses

My dad's cousin and husband, my parents, and the Jo's

We love you, Grandpa! We are happy you are reunited with loved ones; especially Grandma and Ozzie (their beloved and faithful dog who died last year).

3

Tres.
Drei.
San.
THREE!

Happy 3 year anniversary to us! Can't believe our wedding was 1096 days ago.

The past three years have not been filled with too much adventure. We have lived in the same apartment for the past three years, we spend many a day and night falling asleep on the couch watching tv, we have 0 pets and 0 children. Still, these years have been simply wonderful.I would rather be in my little Tulsa apartment with Jordan than traveling the world solo.


I remember when I was single, marriage was pretty terrifying to me. The idea of sharing my life with somebody, having to allow someone else to have a say in what I do...yuck. Now, I can't imagine being independent. I have really grown to love being a couple and having one life we share together. Plus, it's nice to have someone around who can carry heavy stuff and reach high things for me.

Three down, eternity to go!

My Homemade Weekend

I like crafting, and I loooove to read about crafting by people who are far better at it than I am, so I usually spend a good portion of my lunch hour looking at crafty blogs every day. One theme I see often is people proudly making something that is "homemade" when it would be either cheaper or just as much money to get it from a store.

For example, I attended a relief society meeting about making homemade jam. What. a. HASSLE! The whole process takes well over 45 minutes (which is about 44 minutes longer than buying it) and costs more than buying the stuff. "But you can make so much with the recipe". Don't care. I'm not in desperate need of more. Jam costs me about $2.50 at the store and usually one jar lasts several months (hmmm....after typing this out, that sounds kinda gross...oh, well). 

Another one- I've seen a lot of tutorials on homemade deodorant and shampoo, homemade toothpaste, etc...Usually these end up costing MORE than something bought, leads to making a mess, and takes up time; precious time that could otherwise be spent watching Law and Order: SVU. No, thank you.

However, when a homemade tutorial DOES claim to be cheaper and better than store bought, it peaks my curiosity. So, this weekend I tried a few "homemade thingies" out.

Homemade Thing #1: Greek Yogurt
Jordan has been successfully becoming more healthy this year. He has lost 15+ pound since Christmas and has been getting more exercise. Mainly, he has been watching his calories and eating better. I'm totally fine with this, as it means when I make cookies they are ALL FOR ME! Or when his dad gives us a chocolate bar, I know I don't have to share it. Muhahaha (hmmm...after typing THIS out, that sounds kinda gross...I can live with that). Anywho, one of Jordan's favorite new treats to eat is Greek yogurt. It's all the rage right now, apparently. It IS really good, but the packs that Jordan likes are $1 per HALF cup. This lead to us spending about $35 a month on yogurt alone.Yikes. So, when I stumbled upon a homemade yogurt recipe, I thought it would be worth a try. I made some this weekend and....

Hurrary for yogurt!

The Verdict: WE LOOOOVE IT! It takes a while to cook in a crock pot and you have to babysit it a little more than I like, but in the end it taste the exact same as store bought, it costs $2 to make about 3 1/2 cups (where store bought would be closer to $6). Plus, I got the satisfaction of sounding more domestic by proudly texting my mom "I just made yogurt!" I ended up making more on Saturday as well! (Here is the recipe: http://shannonskitchencreations.com/2011/05/30/crock-pot-greek-yogurt/ ((the only difference I made was sticking the towel covered crockpot in the oven with the light one- I learned that from another website))

Homemade Thing #2: Laundry Detergent
So, I've been hearing about people making homemade laundry detergent for a while now. Initally, I thought it sounded like something that was way more trouble than it is worth. But then I read more blogs about how it makes your clothes sooo much cleaner and smells sooo much better than normal detergent, so I thought I would give it a try. It actually didn't take very long at all  make, AND I got to watch Law and Order while I made it so no time was lost :).

The Verdict: Meh. It works fine, but I didn't notice anything different or special about my clothes. They looked equally clean and didn't smell like much of anything. I'll keep using it until it runs out because it works, but I'm not sure if I'll make more. Probably will just stick to buying it from now on.

Homemade Things #3: Necklace
There is no special story. I made this necklace:
 The Verdict:...um, jury is still out on this one. When I initially made it, I thought it looked dumb, then I kinda liked it, then I went back to not liking it, etc. I'm gonna wear it to church today to see if anyone comments on it in a positive or negative way before I make up my mind.What do you think? Does it took obviously homemade? Should I just chuck it? It won't bother me either way because it cost about 30 cents to make.

And THAT was my homemade weekend!

Bye, 25

Another year of life almost completed. I'll be 26 tomorrow. Even though I have moaned and groaned about getting older, I'm feeling a little more "at peace" with this year. Yes, I know that I am still very young...it's just sad to know I can never be this age again. As I've mentioned before, finality never really sits well with me.

But, all in all, the twenty-five year old version of myself had a good run. Here she is in review:

Me, version 25
In April, I sang my first solo in church since primary. It was terrifying and required several days of prayer and a blessing from Jordan, but I got through it and I was pretty proud of myself for not crying during it.

In May, Jordan and I celebrated our two year anniversary on a Caribbean cruise, and it was maaaahvalous.


In June, my sister and my niece came to Oklahoma and visited, which was way too much fun! I also got to go to Utah and see one of my good friends, Melissa get married in the Draper temple!


While I was there, I also got to spend an afternoon with my OTHER very amazing friend, Melissa. She and I hadn't seen each other in over 2 years and were so excited to hang out. Naturally, we had a blast. I'm so grateful I got to see her one last time. She passed away this past Winter (I've wanted to blog about her for a while now, but I've been avoiding it. Makes me too sad right now.) I'm also sad that the last picture we took together was so blurry :(

In August, Jordan and I got to go to Tucson and play with my brother and his family.


In September, I got to go to Seattle and see my amazing cousin Jaime get married in the Seattle Temple. She and I are only 2 months apart and lived only about 30 minutes away from each other throughout our childhood. I was so excited to be there for the big day!


In October, my parents came for a week to play with us in Oklahoma. I also got to go to the ER for the first time since I was super young AND  ride in my first (and hopefully last) ambulance ride.

In December, we got to go back to Seattle and spend an entire week with the fam!



In January I got to experience the joys of a kidney surgery, a stent, kidney stones, and enemas (yes, plural). Didn't really love that time.

In February, things chippered up as my entire family (minus one poor Brad) got to go to Southern California for a week. It was magical and exhausting; just the way a vacation should be. I may blog about it someday.

So, yes. Twenty-five year me did pretty well. I also had about 350 boring and highly uneventful days during 25, but we can forget about them. I'm hoping 26 brings more traveling, less surgeries, and a puppy. Stay tuned...