We're off

Finals have been taken, bags have been packed, and as of tomorrow we are on our way to Cancun, and then Missouri with all the fam. Probably won't post till we get back in January. Merry Christmas to all!!

For Cathy (and any others who would like to enjoy)

This Thanksgiving we went to dinner at the Smiths who are Enumclaw friends that now live in Michigan. We had a wonderful yummy dinner and I brought a cheese ball that seemed to be a big hit. My family has made it for years and years and this was the first time I've ever made it myself. It's super easy and so good! Thanks for having us Smiths!

2 packages cream cheese (room temp)

1 block (16 oz) of extra sharp Cheddar cheese grated

1/2 white onion grated

1 large fresh garlic clove finely crushed

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients together until well blended with spoon or hands. Form into a large ball, roll in finely crushed pecans and refrigerate for a few hours. Set it out to soften before eating. Serve with an assortment of crackers.

He's Baaaaack

My awesome brother Chase just got home from his mission from Mexico yesterday. It was so good to talk to him on the phone last night and I am so extremely proud of him. I am just heartbroken that we cannot be in WA to see him and the rest of the fam for Thanksgiving, but I guess that's the life of poor college students! We love you Chase and are glad you are home safe and sound.

Okay folks,

In one month from today we will be relaxing nonstop for a week here...

Sunny Cancun, It couldn't come sooner.

I think Dustin might feel a little like this...

(minus the office with a view and the highlights of coarse)

The poor guy has been jet setting to Minnesota, Georgia, Florida and Illinois in the last 7 days on interviews, while trying to stay on top of school work, squeezing in some sleep and spending time with little old me. All this with a head cold. I would be tired too.

On a side note

I have been told 3 different times lately that I have an accent! Apparently since I don't nasally draw out all of my vowels like everyone here in Michigan, then it means that I am the one who talks weird. But who knows, maybe I do have accent and I am just in denial. I know I don't have the WA accent because I don't say "Warshington" instead of "Washington" and I don't say "fleg" instead of "flag" or "beg" instead of "bag". So if I do have an accent it must have come from somewhere. Anyways, I'll just assume for now that they are the weird ones and I'm the one who actually talks normal.

I'm sorry but I think we have THE cutest nephews in the world

I could look at pictures of these cuties all day.

(Thanks for letting me steal pictures off your blogs guys.)

Pumpkin Patch

Dustin excitedly picking our pumpkin

Dustin was too tall this fall and exceeded the sign

The finished product

Rock and Roll!

I participated in a fashion show during a benefit concert last week. The benefit concert was put on by the number one radio station here and had hundreds of people in attendance with all proceeds going to breast cancer. So I volunteered through my school to style one of the many models in a fashion show between some of the bands that were playing. It was a fun experience and kind of stressful as well because we were in charge of coloring, cutting and styling their hair, doing their makeup and styling their wardrobe. The theme was Rock and Roll and the fashion show was judged and I ended up getting second place and won a $100 blow-dryer. Whoo-hoo!

What I loved this past week...

I love that it has been in the 70's and sunny for the last 3 or 4 days and we are supposed to have 2 more nice warm days ahead.

I love the trees right now. They are so beautiful.

I loved watching Dustin play guitar hero at Best Buy. Quite entertaining and he's actually pretty good.

We loved eating homemade chicken noodle soup this week. I have a great recipe if you want it. (this isn't the actual picture of my soup, but you get the idea)

If I had a chubby baby...

...I would more than likely dress him up like this for Halloween

This one's pretty cute too...

Love Fall

I love fall and am trying to take advantage of it because is seems to fly by so fast here in Michigan, winter comes way too soon (which it sort of already has since I had to scrape my windshield this week!) Dustin and I went for a walk this morning and it was perfectly sunny with a cold chill in the air. It was wonderful!

Some things I want to do this fall before the snow and cold hits:

take pictures of the leaves changing

bake everything and anything. Already made banana bread and it was gone in no time

Pick pumpkins at a Pumpkin patch

And carve them of coarse

Find a good scary movie to watch for Halloween, any suggestions?

Make apple cider and Carmel apples

Buy a pumkin or spice scented candle

We'll see if I can convince Dustin to join me in any of these! haha

What I've been up to

It was Homecoming around here this weekend and I was able to do a few updos at school on Friday, which are my favorite to do! This cutie had hair down to her lower back so it was quite the challenge, but had fun doing it non the less.

Dustin Gets Political

Dustin went to a big career fair in DC and was able to squeeze in some time for sightseeing. Just wish I could have gone with him.

Okay I know I haven't blogged in over three weeks....

I think it has something to do with us leaving the luxurious life of New York and traveling, then being dropped back into real life where school is all we know.

Dustin and I pretty much only see each other in passing these days. What can you do!? I'll try not to let another 3 weeks go by.

Labor Day Weekend

We took advantage of the holiday and made a trip to New York to see Niagra Falls and visit Palmyra as well. We are really glad we went and had a great time, excluding Labor Day traffic of course. The weather was sunny and perfect, Niagra Falls was even bigger than we imagined and going to Palmyra and seeing the Sacred Grove and Hill Cumorah was a very cool experience.

Now we have to accept the fact that summer is pretty much over and there is nothing that we can do about it. I have to say this has been the best summer of our lives, and I'm not quite sure how happy we are that it is coming to a close. We have had so may wonderful memories like our time in New York City, visiting family, my trip to Hawaii and then all our sightseeing. If I added right, Dustin and I have been in 13 states and 2 countries combined this summer. It was truly a summer to remember.

After we left New York and spent a few days in Missouri with family we made a little detour on our drive home to Nauvoo, IL and also made a trip over to Carthage jail. It was really cool being in these places because their history and significance.

Outside Carthage Jail

Beautiful scenery in Nauvoo After a summer of traveling and play we are back to Michigan AND real life. Dustin starts up his second and final year at MSU next week and I started Cosmetology school this last week. (I had all my school hours transferred from Idaho so I only have about six months left). Life is busy and will get busier as the semester goes on. But I think we are starting to see what looks like a small glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

So long, farwell...

We didn't think it would come so soon, but we are leaving Manhattan for good tomorrow morning. Dustin finished his internship on Friday and learned a lot from his experience at Pfizer. It finally sank in today while packing that we are really leaving and we got pretty bummed out. This has been a once in lifetime experience and we wouldn't trade it for anything. We were just feeling like we were starting to "fit in" here and now we have to leave. We were to the point where tourist asked us for directions. We loved when this happened because that meant we looked like locals and knew what we were doing!

We are going to miss:

- The food! Champs blueberry muffins and peach smoothies, great Cuban food at Cafe Habanas in SoHo, Shake Shack, Pinkberry, and a good hot dog is never too far away.

- The endless possibilities of entertainment and things to do. Broadway shows, concerts, going to new restaurants, going to the park or just walking around somewhere new.

- Our great apartment. Dustin's work definitely treated us well with a fully furnished, great place downtown

- Our maid, again another perk. We got used to that pretty fast. She will truly be missed.

- The overall excitement of this great city. The people who live here love it and the people that visit love it just as much.

- The great people we have met at work or church and being able to meet a lot of interesting people.

Goodbye Manhattan!

Finally Home...for now

I'm baaaack. It's been a busy and fun two and half weeks of traveling. I went to Seattle to spend a few days with my family and went to my cousins wedding, and then off to Hawaii with my sister and her two friends. I was sent as the "adult supervision" but I'm pretty sure I had just as much fun as they did. Maui was beautiful, warm and relaxing. Highlights of the trip included parasailing 800 feet in the air, flying over to Honolulu and staying overnight in Waikiki, multiple spa treatments, laying on the beach everyday and shopping entirely way too much. Only downsides - a few sunburns, being away from Dustin way too long, and getting seasick twice and throwing up overboard (too much information?). Anyways, it's great to be back in New York and Dustin even had pink roses waiting for me when I got home. Now all we have to do is sit back and enjoy our last week in New York City. Sad!