Simple Pleasures

There is just something to be said for simple pleasures they really can lift your mood. Wednesday are usually so hectic for me because of my dance schedule and I usually can't wait for them to be over.  However, today I have tapped into my reservoir of simple pleasures Wednesday doesn't seem so bad.  (Haha although I might change my mind after teaching 3 more hours of dance!)

1.  Wednesday is laundry day which usually equals me setting my oven timer to try to guesstimate when the loads will be finished.  Usually my calculations are incorrect and I end up waiting in the basement for like 5 minutes for the load to finish because I am too lazy to go back upstairs only to come back down in 5 minutes.  In Logan I was cursed blessed to have my washer and dryer in my kitchen so I always knew the minute the cycle was complete so I never had to really figure this out.  However, last week I learned a wonderful trick from my amazing neighbor and visiting teacher (thanks Dani!).  Ready to hear it?  Are you sure?  I mean this is going to blow your mind.  Simply open the door to your laundry chute if you can't hear the washer/dryer then your clothes are all ready for you.  Brilliant right?!?!

2.  Fruit Bar Popsicles.  I love these and on a plus side they have been on sale at Woodman's for the past two weeks.  If you are looking to try them I would highly recommend Pomegranate and Lime or Strawberry if you want one with actual fruit inside it.  So enjoy the fact that the weather is actually warm enough for popsicles.  

3.  Fried Rice.  I seriously could live off this stuff.  I made it for dinner on Saturday but we finished it by Monday so I had to make some more today for lunch because it just sounded so good.  If you are as addicted to fried rice as I am and would like to try my recipe just let me know and I'll gladly share it with you so you can enjoy the simple pleasure of fried rice too!

Now go out there and find your own simple pleasures so you can enjoy your hectic days too!

February Updates

1. Last Sunday Ryan and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked along the trail at picnic point.  It was beautiful and nice to get out after being cooped up during winter.

2. Ryan has been called to serve as the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric in our ward.  We were lucky enough to have both sets of parents here when he was sustained.  

3. Ryan accepted an internship this summer at Rockwell Automation in Mequon, WI.  Mequon is about 1 hour and 40 minutes from Madison.  He will drive out Monday morning and come home on Thursday evening.  It will be hard to be apart that much but we are excited for this opportunity.  Not to mention we'll have an extra apartment out by Lake Michigan so it will be fun to spend a couple weekends out there this summer!

4.  We had a great Valentine's day.  I love that Valentine's day is pretty much our 1/2 anniversary since we were married August 15th.  This year Ryan made me my favorite dish for dinner (chicken pasta) and then we went to the Overture Center to see Jim Brickman.  It was fun to get dressed up and go out.

5.  We're glad February is finally over.  For being the shortest month it sure did drag on.  So go out and celebrate, March is here and spring is just around the corner!

Superbowl Party

So before you read this I need to you pretend that it is still February and only a couple days after the Superbowl and not an entire month.  Deal?

So this year we invited Ryan's friends from school over for our Superbowl party.  It was fun to have them since they are all from different countries and this was like a cultural experience for them.  We didn't watch the game very intently because we were getting to know each other better and explaining football.  Everyone brought delicious food from their home countries.  It was definitely a great evening.

Ryan and I were excited and nervous since this was a rematch of the Patriots and Giants.  The game that happened four years previous was heartbreaking and we really wanted the Patriots to get their revenge. Well, long story short the Patriots lost... again.  However, this year it didn't seem like a big deal because all of the people we invited didn't care who won or loss and really when you look at the big picture it doesn't matter.  So here is to future Superbowl parties of good food and good friends.

Countries our friends are from (left to right): Spain, Venezuela, Germany, Ryan, Alyssa, China, India.

Happy Flannel Friday!!

If you recall from my Christmas Break post Ryan started flannel Friday after getting flannel shirts for Christmas and we plan to have flannel Friday all winter.  It is catching on so go dig up your flannel and join us next Friday!