Imagine Christmas Wishes Shooting Out of Your Eyes

Since the Christmas stations on the radio aren't playing any good Christmas music I had to turn on my Mairah Carey holiday Pandora station today. I normally hate it when Christmas starts before Halloween and can be found in a Grinch mood until the Thanksgiving left-overs are just a memory.

This year, I am not ashamed to be in the Christmas spirit a little early. 

We have been so behind on all the other holidays this year and Halloween a bit of a let down for me. We didn't carve pumpkins, make costumes or do anything very festive. We did get to watch a Halloween parade in a neighboring town which was pretty cool but I felt like Halloween crept up so quickly and then was gone way too fast!

We are going to Flagstaff for Thanksgiving and don't really have much else to do to prepare for that except find some bow hunting gear (more on that later). We will probably help with some of the food prep once we get to AZ but mostly we get to love on our adorable nieces and nephew for the whole week.

I can't wait to see these sweet things at Thanksgiving!

The AZ Reeds added one more niece to the bunch and moved from NYC
to Flagstaff since we saw them in May

With Thanksgiving plans all taken care of I will gladly take a few extra weeks to get excited for Christmas. 

Last year's Christmas made us realize that we wanted to start some of our own family traditions and change the way we do Christmas. Don't get me wrong, we loved seeing family and enjoyed the opportunity to think about others as we picked out gifts. We loved being on the receiving end of some great presents as well. But in the end there was just something missing. There wasn't quite as much magic. Maybe we're getting older, maybe the traveling was stressful and tiring or maybe we just lost sight of what it's really all about. 

So, this year I dreamed up a theme to hopefully inject some of the Christmas magic back into our holiday season.

Meaningful Memories Christmas will be focused on our Savior first and foremost. It will also include some of our favorite traditions, serving others and decorating the heck out of our house!

It will mean no money budgeted towards presents for each other. Gifts for family and close friends will be a little more meaningful, something that took some time and creativity on our part and less clicking on Amazon wish lists. I want to make pineapple filled cookies and feel the adrenaline pump as I run to someone's doorstep and leave a Secret Santa bundle. I want to have a fancy, candle-lit Christmas Eve dinner and read the story of our Savior's birth. I want to pull out all of the ornaments we've collected over the past few years and reminisce about the adventures we've had traveling around the country as we put them on a real pine tree. I want to watch Elf, It's A Wonderful Life, Home Alone, A Christmas Story and Christmas in Connecticut too.

If it were completely up to me our house would look like this:

I don't know if I can get the Dr. to put up this many lights.
We may have to work up to this over the next few years.

Regardless of how many lights we put on our house or how fancy our food is, I am going to try my best to make this a meaningful Christmas filled will magic and a lot of great memories.

Food Storage

Does anyone else ever get really panicked about their food storage?

I have been thinking about getting it started and built up for a while now. When I was single I bought a gallon jug of water and some extra boxes of mac 'n' cheese. I think I had a box of Saltine crackers in the cupboard too. I was definitely going to survive the zombie apocalypse.

Since the Dr. and I got married I have been thinking about it a lot more and actually putting a little more effort to make it happen. I have a spreadsheet and I've been calculating, making lists and organizing. I feel like I have a pretty solid plan to store about 3 months worth of food. Once we have that perfected, I want to work on rotating through and maintaining that supply for a while and then move on to building up to a full year of food.

This hasn't been an easy process. One of the surprising things I have discovered is that many of our favorite items aren't available in our local Costco. Like re-fried beans. Seriously, when I asked the customer service desk if they carried them the guy didn't even know what I was talking about. Really!? They also don't carry our favorite pasta sauce and we can't find good enchilada sauce anywhere. We have resorted to some pretty extreme measures to acquire our favorite foods. When I was in Texas I went to Wal-Mart and bought 12 cans of El Pato enchilada sauce, packed it in my suitcase and flew it home with me. Boston, they just don't understand the beauty of good Mexican food.

Following a conversation with my boss about the government shut down I may have driven straight to Costco to pick up a few more items for the cupboards. I have packets of mashed potatoes stuffed into the drawers of our TV console and we are actually using the little cupboard above the fridge. Yep, that one that never has anything in it because it's too out of reach. There are a few boxes of long-term items from the church cannery sitting in the guest room waiting to be stuffed under a bed or into a hidden corner of the house. I promise I am not a hoarder, I am just trying to follow the prophet.

Don't mind me, I am just hoarding food.

We have also started making our own bread lately. There are a few things that have motivated me to begin doing this- the price, the taste and the ingredients. I can't believe the price of bread at the grocery store. Maybe I am just a cheap skate but why does it cost $6 for one loaf? I haven't been able to find a bread that I really enjoy eating either. I feel like Goldilocks- it's either too dry, too coarse, not substantial enough, it gets soggy by lunch time when you make a sandwich out of it. I am also unpleasantly surprised by how quickly it will mold, especially considering the amount of preservatives and added ingredients.

Hi, I am home made bread. Resistance is futile.

Coconut pineapple bread. We don't make sandwiches with this one but it's still tasty

I've found that homemade bread is just right. I can substitute sugar with honey, I can throw in some rolled oats, make it whole wheat or 50/50. I could roll cheese and ham inside and have ready made sandwiches for the week. I can make it just the way I want it. I usually spend a few minutes after church on Sunday throwing the ingredients in a mixer and waiting for it to rise while I take a nap. Then we spend our late afternoons smelling delicious bread puffing up and browning in the oven. Is there anything better than that?

When My Melly Came to Visit

Melanie and I have been friends for a long, long time. We have seen each other through a whole lot of ups and quite a few downs in the past decade or so. We have laughed so hard our tummies hurt and our faces cramp up. We've cried because we didn't know what else to do. We have worked together at "the Crack" and Sunglass Pros, we have been roommates, island mates and concert mates. I have watched her belly grow three times and seen her develop into such a wonderful mother to her boys. And we have eaten. Oh man, have we ever eaten more than our fair share of food together. I may have even flown her a few orders of our favorite Tiny-Spicy Chicken all the way from Logan, Utah to Maui while she was pregnant and craving nothing else. That is true friendship.

This year I have been able to see Mel 3 times! I surprised her in May by showing up at her house unannounced, we went to see Fun. in concert in September and this fall she came to Boston with Mama Rosa (her mom) and her youngest babe, Jaylen.

They arrived late on a Friday night, flying standby with a 18 month old through 3 airports. Bless their hearts!

Saturday we drove up to New Hampshire and enjoyed a little leaf peeping. We found the most amazing country lane lined with tall, tall trees in the most beautiful colors!

Can we just build two houses at the end of this lane and be neighbors forever, please?

Me and the Dr.

Mel, Mama Rosa and Jay-bird

Sunday was church day of course and that means driving through some of my favorite neighborhoods with the most drool-worthy houses. We pass this house on our way to the church every week and I want to have trees just like these in my yard someday.

I can haz?

After a quick lunch we headed for the beach. I think Mel and I would agree that the beach just soothes the soul. There is something so comforting and relaxing about being there. Even if it is freeing cold, windy and there was a pack of dogs running wild.

Melanie and I shared many deep conversations on the beaches of Maui. The ocean is like an old friend to us, holding all of our worries, our hopes for ourselves and each other, it remembers our laughter and the sunburns we've sustained from long chats at it's shore. It remembers eating ice cream on the sea wall in Lahaina for Mel's birthday and breaking into the ocean-side pool at Papakea. It remembers me laying on the cool sand at Wahikuli beach late one night, gazing at the stars and wondering what in the world I was doing in Maui. As I lay there trying to grasp the gravity of a situation I hadn't expected, the ocean became my friend and has remained ever since. Although this is not the Pacific, I still feel the same reassurance as I always have when I see the sea.

I suppose that is enough cheesy reminiscing for one post. 

Jay ate lots of sand and ended up plopping right down in the water, soaking himself to the bone. 

Monday was spent walking all over the city. We went to Harvard, Boston Common, the Public Gardens (Jay loved the "Make Way for Ducklings" ducks), Cheers and the carousel all before we even started on the Freedom Trail.

He was trying so hard to get these ducks to come to life

Make way for Jay!

I can't get enough of the old graveyards here.

The Declaration of Independence was first read to the citizens of Boston from this balcony.

We ended our day in the North End of Boston where the greatest Italian food outside of Italy can be found. Giaccomo's is our staple in this quaint neighborhood. We once waited in line for nearly two hours in the freezing cold for their food but luckily we only had to wait a few minutes this time. We ate ourselves silly and Jaylen made friends with our waiter. He just couldn't figure out this man who spoke so loudly and with such a strong accent, Jay was fascinated. I wish I would have snapped a picture of them together. We stopped at Mike's Pastry for some sweet treats although we had to take them home with us and eat them once our stomachs had processed dinner a bit.

Paul Revere's house in the North End

Tuesday was a little slower day, we went for a drive to see where Mama Rosa grew up near Bedford. We saw the house she lived in and she pointed out the places in the neighborhood where she used to play with her siblings and friends. With all the major historic sites we saw this weekend it may seem like this was just another boring neighborhood but you could tell it was a sacred and special place for her. 

We toured the Concord area including:

Walden Pond with a picnic lunch

Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House where she wrote the novel Little Women.

And Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thorough and Ralph Waldo Emerson are buried, among others. Have I mentioned that I like cemeteries? 

Old North Bridge and the sight of the shot heard around the world. Jaylen was very into the ranger's presentation. Just kidding. He was eating rocks and throwing leaves the whole time.

Our last stop of the day was the Boston Temple. We tagged along with a youth group for some baptisms and confirmations. I can't believe that this is the first time we've been in the Temple together.  It was such a sweet feeling to sit next to this sister of mine, all dressed in white. My heart swelled with happiness to participate in such sacred work with such a dear friend. It truly was the cherry on top of a wondrous long weekend.

Fall

It's been quite a few years since I've lived somewhere with seasons. Sabra Barbara was the land of perpetual summer. In the winter I just didn't wear my flip flops every day. I occasionally had to put on socks and shoes. Both.

Hi winter in Santa Barbara. I am going to miss you.

If the sun hid behind clouds for more than two days in a row you'd hear nothing but complaints about the terrible winter weather. I have a feeling I'll wishing for those days as"real" winter approaches here in Boston.

As much as I've been dreading winter's approach I've really been enjoying autumn. New England is know for its breath taking colors during this time of year and we've had so much fun enjoying it. We have been watching the leaves in the forest behind our apartment change daily.

I found myself distracted while driving because I was constantly passing trees that look like this:

 I found colors in our back yard that I didn't know existed in nature:

And every morning on our drive back from Seminary we would pass my favorite cemetery. The trees there turned neon orange and in the light of the sunrise it was mesmerizing.

While the Dr. was away for a conference in Monterey I went leaf peeping with the cutest couple in our Ward. We drove up to the White Mountains in New Hampshire and saw the electric colors on display. My phone's camera can not do justice to the mix of orange, red, yellow and green that we saw. It was something that is best seen with your own eyes.

In another graveyard. I love graveyards.

Sometimes I don't know where to look when I take my own picture

Jo and Joann

This is a tree in the church parking lot. I want a whole yard full of these someday!

The colors are slowly fading from neon orange to burnt orange, fire engine red to burgundy and I am loving every minute of it. I know winter is coming, there is no doubting the chill in the air but for now I will enjoy Autumn.

Red Sox 2013

I went to my first Red Sox game in the summer of 2007 while I was living and working in Boston for my then boss Steve. I was selling sunglasses at Sunglass Pros and helping to train a few new employees. I was also preparing to serve a mission and needed to get home to Utah to get those things going. Steve bribed me to stay in Boston for weeks longer than originally planned by getting me a pair of Red Sox tickets. With the first taste of those famous Yawkey way Italian sausages I was a fan. As I sat in the cozy stands of Fenway Park wearing my new Red Sox shirt I felt the electricity of those fiercely loyal fans I wanted to be a part of it.

Fast forward a few years and the Dr. and I had the chance to move to Boston and I knew this was a community I wanted to be a part of. I love the patriotism and history here, I love the feeling of unity. We are Boston strong.

This summer was our first as more than just visitors in Boston and we have loved exploring and eating our way around the city. I surprised the Dr. with tickets to the Red Sox v. Mariners game in July. We are Seattle fans in our house- mostly because I have little opinion when it comes to sports- so it was the perfect chance to get to see my favorite team play the Dr.'s. The Sox won (yaaaay!) and Gomes hit a home run over the green monster. It was so great!

The Dr. with his ball glove, just in case a foul ball came our way.

 Fenway Park is such a small stadium, every seat is a great one!

We ended up going to another game later that week when my brother Seth was in town. It was Mormon night at Fenway Park, at least that's what our Stake decided it would be. We sat in the outfield, ate some awesome food before and during the game and got to hang out with a big group of our Ward family. The Sox won again, little did we know that they would do a lot more winning this season!

Hey brother!

Tri-tip with BBQ sauce and melted cheese? Heck yes!

With all the winning they Red Sox did this year it's was very exciting to see them go all the way to the World Series. We watched as the players grew their beards and we crossed our fingers along with everyone else in Boston that they would do it. I woke up on the morning after game 6 to every media outlet bursting with excitement that the Sox had won, at home, for the first time in 97 years! Truly historic!

When the mayor of Boston announced a celebratory duck boat parade through the city I knew it was something I couldn't pass up. I woke up early on Saturday morning drove to the train station and crammed onto the T with about 1 million other people. Seriously, 1 million people turned out to watch the hometown heros ride through the streets. 

With the bombing at the Boston Marathon earlier this year, we really needed this. We needed something that proved we were still strong here- Boston Strong. The crowds erupted with cheers as Gomes, Saltalamacchia, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Uehara and of course the MVP Papi Ortiz waved from the duck boats as they parade made it's way past the Common where I stood.

There were so many fans!

Even the duck boats had beards

Can you see the trophy up there! Jonny Gomes stopped at the Marathon finish line at Copley Square, place the trophy on the pavement and draped it with the special 617 Red Sox jersey as tribute to the victims of the bombing. 

A slightly better view of the trophy

Even Wally, the team mascot sported a beard this year

Big Papi Ortiz

I spent the rest of the day wandering through the city and shopping on Newbury Street. It was sunny, warm and packed with Red Sox fans. Just the way I like it.