Happy Holidays!

I am not much of a decorator but I absolutely LOVE our Christmas tree. This year it was very fun to decorate because it only took 20 minutes to put up since I spent 6 hours last year making sure the lights were wrapped around every branch of our inherited artificial tree. Mike and I were both shocked when all the lights actually worked and we spent Thanksgiving decorating it. Finally the "useless" room as Mike likes to call it, (we have zero furniture in it) has a purpose; it's now the Christmas tree room! I am so proud of it that I had to post some pictures.

The theme of it has been, and probably always will be, a red and silver color scheme filled with stars, our initials and some of my favorite words. My mom helped me shop for cranberries and silver fillers last year and they really pulled the tree together. Here are some pictures of my favorite touches.

Love and Wish ornaments purchased at Tai Pan. I also have a Hope one.

M, L and R Initials purchased at Restoration Hardware. Hoping to add a few more soon :)

Large Sparklie stars purchased at Target. Also have sparklie red and silver balls which kind of look like disco balls but I love the twinkle they bring!

Mini sparklie stars purchased at Tai Pan. I think I have 3 dozen. I do love stars!
Cranberry sprigs purchased at Joannes.

Wish Star, purchased on a random shopping date with my mom.

and of course a tin man to honor my dad. A gift from my thoughtful mom. :) She even kept with the silver theme.

Can't wait to finish decorating the rest of the house and putting some presents under the tree!

Happy holidays everyone!

Reason, Season, Lifetime

Lately this has been my mantra and I see myself going back to this poem multiple times a month. It reminds me to forgive, understand and be willing to let people go when needed but still appreciate the influence that person had in my life while they were in it. I hope it brings you the same perspective it brings me.

"People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant."

Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you are for a reason, a season or a lifetime. I hope you are a lifetime though :)

Thankful!

Usually I don't get to reflect on what I am thankful for because we are always traveling to St. George and running around trying to get everything ready. This year we decided to stay home and celebrate Thanksgiving with the Brown family, so I have been able to just relax and think about the things and people that make my life what it is. Here are the things I am thankful for, in no particular order.

-My hard-working, loving, supportive, sexy, and funny husband who loves me unconditionally and is always there for me when I need him.

-Wonderful family who love me for me and who make the holidays so great.

-DTSB, aka my mom for being everything to me.

-Rod, who makes my mom the happiest she has ever been and who is always so helpful and giving to Mike and I.

-My adorable dogs Miss Mekah and Mr. Semper who keep us laughing and who are always there for some cuddle time when we are having a hard day.

-My awesome Fidelity job that not only provides us a paycheck and great benefits, but that has made life more enjoyable.

-Mike's job which provides us security, our livelihood and a lot of fun travels.

-Whitney, my sister, who has always been there for me, forgiven me when I should not have been forgiven and for being my lifelong friend.

-Miss Annie who has been an amazing friend over the past few years, is supportive, is a great listener, a joy to be around and who reminds me it's ok to be me while giving some of the best advice.

-The ability to forgive and realize friendships change while cherishing the times I had with old friends.

-Aubz, for keeping me laughing, for always being there, for my faux nephew Kyler and for being so understanding of my insane life.

-Brittney who has been my partner in crime, my confidant and who always offers support, friendship, laughs, a listening ear and a place to stay when we venture to Logan.

-Our beautiful home that I still can't believe is ours.

-Sharing Place which offers me support, humility, encouragement, a second home, a baby savings fund and some of the most inspirational and loving people I have ever been blessed to know. Also for being the only place that can cure my soul.

-My bunco group for taking me out of my comfort zone and introducing me to some of the funniest and wonderful girls I know and for allowing me to have at least one night of me time.

-Modern medicine for giving me the strength to get through my battle by offering alternative options.

-Sigma Chi for bringing my best friends into my life, for making my husband into the man he is today and for many lifelong memories with more to come.

-Our newest splurge, Marilyn our house cleaner, for keeping me sane.

-My friend's children for filling my void and reminding me it is my destiny to be a mom no matter how it happens.

-Jill for welcoming me to Fidelity and her life with open arms and who is exactly the friend I have been needing and waiting for.

-My blog for being the one place I can truly express all of my emotions without hesitation.

-For the ability to grow, to learn, to embrace change, to love and to give of myself to others.

-Andy, Seth and Jess and Spears for sticking with me.

-Coke, Limes, Starbucks, OG, Cheetos, Ho Hos, TV, our DVR, cookie dough, fast food, Facebook, Netflix and all of my other vices. You make life more enjoyable.

- Music and quotes for keeping my secrets and putting words to my emotions.

-Hannie for keeping me beautiful inside and out, for always being a listening ear, for loving me, teaching me, helping me grow and going through all of my experiences with me.

-Chris for being an incredible friend who allowed me to become who I never thought I could be and being with me every step of the way.

-For being a US citizen, for not being in debt, for cars that run, for a heater that works and for a million other things I take for granted on a daily basis. These simple things I forget about make life so easy and I am grateful for a roof over our heads, clean water, a bathroom, food on the table and all other modern conveniences we are so fortunate to possess.

-For mine, Mike's, our parents, my siblings, my friends and my family's health.

-For everyone else who makes my life enjoyable and who is a true friend. Life wouldn't be this wonderful without each and every one of you in it.

There are a million other things I am thankful for and I feel so blessed to live my life. Most days I don't think I deserve the happiness I have but am incredibly thankful I do. I hope ya'll get a chance to think about what you are thankful for as well. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Another Yummy Recipe

I have also been asked for this yummy appetizer recipe so I thought I would share. Ironically it also came from Toni. She finds the most delicious treats and every time I make this, it's a huge hit.

Captain Rodney's Cheese Bake

1/2 cup mayonnaise

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 stalks green onions, chopped

10 Ritz crackers, crushed

8 slices of crispy bacon, chopped

1/2 cup Captain Rodney's Boucan glaze (the SECRET ingredient)

Mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and onions together in a greased pie tip or other baking dish. Top with the crushed Ritz crackers and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Top with the chopped bacon and drizzle the Boucan glaze over the top of the dip. Serve with Fritos or any other cracker you prefer.

*Note, I have yet to find Captain Rodney's Boucan glaze anywhere in Utah, but I order it from the Bell Buckle Country Store. The bottle is $10.00 and will make about three cheese dips. The flat rate shipping for it is a bit pricey, so I always order a few bottles at a time. The Boucan glaze is the same as the Mango Pepper glaze. If you ever find it being sold in Utah, I would LOVE to know!

Thanks and enjoy :)

If I can do it, so can you!

For Mike's birthday, he requested homemade chicken chili to serve at our Notre Dame vs. Utah viewing party. I love cooking for Mike's single friends because they always make me feel like the best cook, even though I am pretty sure it's because most of them just aren't used to a home cooked meal rather than my cooking abilities. Anyway, this chili got especially good reviews so I thought I would share the recipe with you. I promise it will be a crowd pleaser! Thanks Toni for sharing!

Southwestern Chicken Chili

2 TB olive oil

1 large white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green pepper, cored and chopped

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

4 medium tomatoes, chopped (I use canned whole tomatoes)

1 whole chicken, cooked (I used the Costco's rotisserie chicken)

6 cups water

8 oz can tomato sauce

2 15 oz cans black beans, not drained

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 heaping tsp cumin powder

1 heaping tsp chili powder

2 TB chopped fresh cilantro (garnish)

sour cream (garnish)

In a large stockpot, heat oil. Saute onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add green pepper, mushrooms and tomatoes. Saute for 2 minutes. Add whole chicken, water and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cook 30 minutes. Remove chicken. Add beans, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, debone chicken. Discard bones and skin, reserving chicken meat. Add chicken to soup. Taste for seasoning.

Serve with chopped fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream on top. Serves 6-8 people.

Tip 1: Next time I make this I will probably just use the breasts of the chicken because the rest was a pain to debone

Tip 2 thanks to Miss Annie: In you have a Kitchen aid, you can put the deboned and skinned chicken in it and use the white attachment. This will shred the chicken for you!

I served the chili with garlic bread and added fritos to my bowl to give it some crunch.

Bonus Recipe! Since this snow is making me depressed, I thought I would share a summer recipe with you to make me feel better. We have made this multiple times and it always gets rave reviews. Again, credit for this recipe goes to Toni.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Skewers

2 Tablespoons kosher salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

2-2 1/2 pounds peeled shrimp rinsed and drained (I buy these at Costco)

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon grated lemon peel

2 or 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

lemon wedges (garnish)

1) Mix salt and sugar in bowl. Add shrimp and stir gently to coat. Cover and chill for 45 minutes-1 hour. Rinse shrimp well and drain. Also, rinse and drain bowl.

2) Return shrimp to bowl. Add olive oil, parsley, lemon peel, garlic, and pepper. Mix to coat. Thread shrimp on metal or soaked wooden skewers. Run skewer through body and head so the shrimp looks like the letter C.

3) Lay shrimp on an oiled BBQ grill on high heat and close lid. Cook, turning once, until shrimp are bright pink and opaque, but still moist looking in center of thickest part. 5-6 minutes total.

4) Serve with lemon wedge to squeeze over shrimp.

Happy cooking and Happy Turkey Day!

Bad wife turned good wife!

After I completely failed on Mike's ACTUAL birthday, I made up for it by surprising him with our new favorite gadget, the Apple TV. This honestly may have been my best purchase in quite some time. We had been talking about getting a device that would allow us to play Netflix without having to plug our computer into the TV, but were having a hard time finding one that met all our needs. A few weeks ago we went to the Bowers' house to see their finished remodel and were introduced to this little gem. We both thought the Apple TV was awesome as Seth showed us all it's capabilities, but we left it at that.

After not doing anything for Mike on his birthday, I began realizing what a bad wife I had been and began thinking about how I was going to make-up for it. After racking my brain for things he might want, the Apple TV popped into my head. I went down to the Apple store (which is an incredible place by the way) and purchased this new toy. Mike was COMPLETELY surprised when I gave it to him, because it wasn't something he has asked for and it's not often I get to surprise him. He immediately set it up and began enjoying what is the awesomeness of the Apple TV. Apple continues to impress me with their innovative technology, their user interface and the ability to just plug their products in and use them immediately.

For those of you who don't know what the Apple TV is (because I didn't until 2 weeks ago) it's a tiny box that hooks up to your TV and wi-fi using an HDMI cable and essentially turning your TV into a file server. You can watch Netflix, play Pandora, listen to your I-Tunes, watch a picture slide show, watch YouTube and rent movies and TV episodes, all from the comfort of your couch. We have really loved being able to watch a movie whenever we want, listening to music as we cook and clean and seeing random old pictures pop up while we enjoy some time together. The best part about the Apple TV is that it was only $99 bucks, there are no monthly service fees and we can control it with our I-pod touches!

So, if you are looking for a good gift for your hubby (or yourself), I highly recommend looking into it. You can click here for more info about it but I promise you won't be disappointed!

Welcoming Baby B... a new little Lucky 13!

Baby Sawyer Lee Bowers was finally born on November 9th to two of our dear friends, Seth and Jess. She was due November 13th, but instead she entered the world at 4:13 am after mama ironically pushed for 13 minutes. She weighed in at 6 pounds, 4 ounces and is a gorgeous baby girl. Mike and I couldn't be more happy for these 2 wonderful people who are already amazing parents, and Baby B is one loved little pickle. Congrats Seth and Jess, we look forward to seeing her grow and welcoming her into the BASM and The Lucky 13's. Here are a few of my fave pics of her that I stole from the website Seth set up for her. (http://www.sawyerbowers.com/) Photo credits go to Seth and his sister Jessica White photography.

On another note, isn't that blanket above adorable. I got it for her from this new Kiosk that opened at Gateway. They are super soft and you can customize them. They even sell adult blankets, lovies and crib bedding. Here is their website Minky Couture. Their prices are cheaper at the kiosk though and they have a better selection. Either way, they are my favorite new baby gift so if you are expecting, don't be surprised if you get one!

Youngblood

I am sure the title "Youngblood" makes you think of Twilight or some type of creepy vampire book but it is actually my new favorite make-up. My cute friend Jill from work introduced me to it and I absolutely love it! I have been using their pressed mineral powder, in addition to their mineral primer, and it's awesome. It is incredibly light while offering great coverage, looks really natural and has great staying power.

So, if you are looking for a new foundation, I HIGHLY recommend it. Here is their link, (Youngblood) but if you are interested in anything, let me know. I can order it so you don't have to pay shipping. Here is also a link to some reviews.

Here are the products I use and I have plenty more on my Christmas list!

Pressed Mineral Powder

Mineral Primer (this stuff is AWESOME!)Concealer (great for bags and zit coverup)

Pressed Mineral Rice Powder (to set)

Now that I have found a great foundation, I am looking for an eyeliner that stays. I rub my eyes a lot and it tends to be all over my eyes or completely gone by noon. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them!

Look alike...

Recently Mike and I have been told he looks just like Jake Gyllenhaal. What do ya'll think? I personally agree, and take the comparison as a total compliment.

Either way, I have one sexy hubby! Well, at least I think so :)

The joys of being a landlord...

A few weeks ago our tenants called us and told us part of our tree had fallen down due to a major windstorm. This is what we came over to...

Luckily my brother Ryan was willing to come over and clean it up for us for a VERY reasonable price and he did a great job! So, if you have any odd end jobs you need done, I am happy to give you his number. Oh the joys of being a landlord!

Happy 29th birthday to mah Be!

Mike's 29th birthday was yesterday and I will be the first to admit that I wasn't the best wife for it this year. We have both been so busy that we didn't even have a chance to think about it before it came and went. We didn't go to dinner, he didn't get any birthday presents and we spent all of two hours together. Even though I wasn't completely on top of it like I am most years, it doesn't mean I love him any less. In fact, I love him more than I ever thought possible. I love where we are, who we have become and how much our marriage has grown. He is my absolute best friend and I enjoy every minute I get to spend with him. I look forward to the continued growth, the moments I fall in love with him all over again and starting a family together. I love you Miguel and I promise to make up for my lack of planning on your 30th! Thanks for being the most amazing partner and for being my best friend. I hope this year only continues to get better! XOXOX... Be

Some RANDOMness!

I just wanted to thank you all for your help choosing a new Dr. I was amazed at how many people recommended Dr. Terry and I especially want to thank Steph for her help in getting me an appointment. I will be seeing him the beginning of January and am looking forward to just enjoying my holidays and not worrying so much about baby Ricci. I am excited to start the process again and have a feeling 2011 may be our best year yet!

On another note, I went to lunch at Gourmandies with some friends today and I have to say, it's my new favorite lunch spot. It's super cute, they had the most amazing grilled cheese panini and their desserts looked delicious. Click here for their menu. You WON'T be disappointed!

Speaking of food, I am looking for some new places downtown I can use to order breakfast, lunches and desserts for work. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Finally, I just had to express how much I love Giuliana and Bill (the show on Style). I am so impressed they have gone public with their fertility troubles and allowed us to follow them as they endured in-vitro and their heartbreaking miscarriage. Seeing others go through the same thoughts, decisions and emotions we have experienced has been very inspiring. I truly appreciate anyone who is willing to share a painful experience with others in order to grow and help someone else. Infertility is a lonely place to be and it's nice to see others going through something similar, even though I don't wish this pain on anyone. Maybe I like this show so much because I feel I can relate to them, their marriage, their friendship with one another and their journey. Whatever the reason, I highly recommend it.

Thanks again for caring, being wonderful friends and reading my thoughts. You don't know how much it's appreciated and how much your comments have gotten me through this difficult time. Hope you all are well and happy holidays!