Misc.

So I have a lot of things running through my mind that I want to blog about-but they are all like 2-liner posts, rather than lots of little mini posts...here is a miscellaneous post.

-He is We-
During my early morning custodial escapades I discovered this really awesome hidden gem on my iPod. I got a lot of music from various people for my wedding playlist and never listened to all of it. I am in love!

-Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown-
I got this workout video for Christmas. I just tried it for the first time and it totally kicked my butt! It targeted all the areas I'm trying to skinny down and I am so stoked. Home workout videos do present their challenges...and I've tried a few. But Jill is my Biggest Loser home girl and she's not going to let me down.

-'Do-
I found a really cute hairstyle tutorial on pinterest that I had to share. They are so easy and seem to work on just about any hair type.
This one comes from this great beauty blog.

.Betrayed.

TWIZLBERRY IS CLOSED.

To understand my unhealthy love and obsession for frozen yogurt refer to this post.

Chris and I decided to go out for some Fo Yo this evening. We drove up to Twizlberry and it was dark. Honestly- I thought it was kind of some sick joke someone was playing on me, but Chris looked as surprized as I did. There was a sign on the door that said "Twizlberry is now closed. Thank you for your business. Happy Holidays."
What. The. Crap. I need more closure than that! Did it simply go out of business? Did the owner relocate? What happened to my favorite dessert place?
Does anyone know the cause of this atrocity? I feel utterly betrayed.

As an aspiring therapist, I am wondering if it is unhealthy to be this upset over the closing of a frozen yogurt bar. 

12.22.11-12.26.11

I didn't take my laptop down to Utah with me because I wanted to spend every second with friends and family. I knew I would be too tempted to blog every day about the festivities. Anyway, I had a great Christmas and had such a blast having Chris with me. Last year we were separated by approximately 2179.28 miles. Not fun! Our first Christmas married was a success and I can't wait for the next eternity of Christmases.

12.22.11
We drove down to Utah...very tired from work. We left as soon as we got off. About 1.5 hours into the drive I was done. I couldn't keep my eyes open! Chris relieved me of driving duty and was kind enough to let me sleep the rest of the way there. What a sweetie.
We (the Jenkins clan and our Elcock cousins) went to Chuck-a-Rama that night for dinner (which brought back Choir Tour 2010 memories...anyone?) then we were off to Zoo Lights....it was far too cold. The poor kids were trying to enjoy themselves, but were done after about 45 minutes. I was too, haha. Then it was back to our house for hot chocolate. Douglas got ahold of our iPad and I found some treasures I have to share. :)

Keep in mind there are about 30+ more. These were just my favorites.

Megan, Betsy, & Henry. Aren't those the cutest Christmas PJ's?

12.23.11
Chris and I did a little shopping on our own. Chris went to 4 pawn shops and 1 gun shop...just for fun. He loves that kind of stuff. I do my best to be a good sport. :)
That night we had a spaghetti dinner and decorated gingerbread (graham cracker) houses. It was really fun to watch Chris get all into it. His house was very elaborate....it even had Santa out front shoveling snow. Regrettably, I didn't take any pictures of our masterpieces.
We then watched some Donny Osmond youtube clips (courtesy of mom) and then watched Mr. Kruger's Christmas....a tradition.
That night Chris and I went on a double date with Megan & Quinn/Thomas (a boy with 2 names, not 2 boys hahaha) to see In Time. A good movie- I really enjoyed it.

12.24.11
Christmas Eve is a big deal in my family. We have a big family party in the party barn. It goes for most of the day- we eat, play games, open presents, and play wii. Its pure chaos....I love it.

Cute Sister

Grandpa ready to pass out presents

Grandkids all lined up

We have a tradition that every year we get to open one present on Christmas Eve. Chris and I were assigned to give gifts to my brothers. We decided to play a little joke on them.... inspired by this video. We filmed ours too...but its not as exciting because my brothers aren't brats like most of those kids.

For their "real" present we bought them both slingshots and amo. For their fake present we found some Disney themed underwear. We hid the real ones and had them open the fake ones first. Jackson tried to act excited and Douglas was to disappointed to say anything. When I couldn't stand it anymore we pulled out their real presents and got to watch them be excited for real.

Haha, my poor brothers. I wouldn't have been happy either. Luckily, they were very pleased with their sling shots.  

12.25.11
Christmas Day was probably my favorite day. We had a phenomenal sacrament meeting service, I absolutely loved it. I had a blast watching my little sister and brothers open presents. Then Chris and I got to Skype with his brother who is currently serving a mission in the Dominican Republic. We visited Grandparents, ate leftovers, and played more games.

We played some "Just Dance" as well...I have videos, but unfortunately one of me is saved on an online locker ready for blackmail if needed.

12.26.11
Our last day in Utah. :( We went to lunch at Zupas and a $3 movie with the family. It was a good last activity. Then we were on our way...not looking forward to the end of the workless part of the break. We arrived in Rexburg at 11pm and collapsed into bed.

Great Christmas Break? Check!

Hairy Scary

So...I recently got a hair cut and ended up loosing a lot more than I initially wanted (I guess that's what I get for using a free haircut coupon at a hair school....no offense hair school students).  But its slowly growing on me- It definitely takes less time to do and a lot less effort.  I actually did my hair today for the first time in awhile....and I even shaved my legs (the legit kind...with shaving cream and everything- I even got the backs). Don't judge! Its so cold here, its hardly worth the effort. You go outside and it all grows back within a matter of seconds. Anyway- I'm off to the temple with Chris and then we're packing for Utah! T-minus 18 hours till we're driving out of Rexburg!

Break

Christmas break is treating me really well. Chris and I have had time to rest and recover from the semester and have also been able to work and generate some income-- two crucial things! It is so nice to have a break from school. I can't wait to leave for Utah on Thursday. I am excited to see my family and to celebrate Christmas with them. We have a lot of fun plans; it will be a great few days. I am so grateful for all of the blessings I'm enjoying. I know that I am not responsible for all of these good things happening. Heavenly Father has been watching over me and is mindful of my wants and needs- I cannot even begin to list all of the prayers I have seen answered in the last little while, nor the amount of strength I have received. Life is good.

I hope that everyone else is enjoying the season and is as happy as I am!

Check

Tonight I checked this off my list. Bliss. Merry Christmas!
+1 Packet of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate
+1 Tablespoon of Coffee Creamer
+1 Hershey's Kiss
+1 Handful of Marshmallows
+1 Candy Cane                       
1 Happy Girl!

Review: Acne.org Products

For as long as I can remember, I've struggled keeping my skin clear. My skin is affected by stress, diet, and any other possible factors. I'd sometimes break out for no known reason. It was super frustrating- aren't teenagers only supposed to have blemishes? My mom's friend Amy told her about Acne.org and the products. She said she "hadn't had a single zit since she started using it consistently." My mom ordered it for my sister and it worked for her too. Once I saw how it had worked for her- I had to have it. I ordered mine and started using it right away. I am happy to report that I have seen a huge improvement in my skin; its less temperamental, the texture is better, it's less oily, and I also haven't had a breakout since I started using it. I am loving this product! It is also reasonably priced: I got the large (16 oz. bottle) kit which lasts 2-4 months and costs about $60- which is about $15 a month if you make it last the four full months.

If you wanna laugh really hard....

....click here.

Thanks Rach for sending this to me!

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

This semester I somehow landed six finals...six seems a bit excessive to me, but whatever.

2 Online (Take Home) Finals
2 Testing Center Finals
2 In Class Finals

Good news is I've just finished my two online finals. Thank goodness. I am so grateful that I didn't have any internet problems. I might have had a break down.

But the thought of 4 more tests is quite discouraging. Good thing I have some things to get me through the next few days...
These yummy treats:

 And some pictures of Chris eating that I found on my phone:

 That boy loves to eat & is great fun to eat with. :)
Dear Remaining Finals-Please be kind to me.  No love, Mel

Insanity

Good news, kids! Chris and I are FINALLY employed! After searching for jobs all semester long we have both finally landed something---We will be custodians on campus working Monday-Friday 4-7....(wait for it)....AM! Yep, that's right. Starting December 19 we will be rising around 3:30am and going to bed at 7:30pm.

All jokes aside, this job really is a blessing for us for the following reasons...
1. Although we start work during the Christmas break we will still have about 4 days in Utah to spend with family, including Christmas Eve & Christmas day.
2. We will be making 8.20/hour....which is about a dollar more than people who work "normal" hours.
3. We will be done with work AND school every day by 1:00pm...giving us time for homework, going to the gym, and getting to bed early.
4. We will both be able to work 15-20 hours a week each- most on-campus jobs range from 5-7 hours a week.

This opportunity came at just the right time and is such a blessing. We are so grateful- just had to share the good news!

I hope everyone is doing great and that those who are finishing up fall semester do great on their exams and have a great Christmas Break.

Love you guys!

Holiday Bucket List

I am feeling a little Christmas nostalgia. It is hard to carry out the traditions that I love with just Chris and I. There are a few things I know I want to do, and want to make sure happen, that I have control of. So, I present to you, my Holiday Bucket List.

(I know the font is a little hard to read, but it just said "Christmas" to me.)

December Happenings

4 days in & December is already a pretty exciting month.

We get a Wii! We got some Christmas money and we spoiled ourselves with an early Christmas gift. We got a killer deal at Walmart and came home with the Mario Brothers Bundle.

Complete with blue and black controllers- mine is the blue one :). Who knew they made Wii in colors now?
Next, Pinterest has turned me crafty. Chris and I have had fun trying the new recipes; and I like to find the easy crafts that give me something to do. So far we have tried Crock Pot Hot Chocolate, Oven Baked French Fries, & D.I.Y. Whiteboard. Here is how my whiteboard turned out:

 

I used notebook paper as my background because I use mine on my desk- probably mostly for to-do lists and reminders. But, for now, it's my Christmas Countdown.

Last night was date night. We got all dressed up and went out for dinner and then to the BYU-I Christmas concert featuring Brian Stokes Mitchell. I was so excited. It was a lot of fun to get dressed up and go out. We hadn't been on a date-date in a while. It's a lot of fun to date your spouse. The best part is, you don't have to say goodnight! Anyway, we went to Wingers for dinner and then after the concert we went and got some frozen yogurt. It was a great night!

I can't wait for the rest of December!

Fasting

"Fasting, coupled with mighty prayer, is powerful. It can fill our minds with the revelations of the Spirit. It can strengthen us against times of temptation. Fasting and prayer can help develop within us courage and confidence. They can strengthen our character and build self-restraint and discipline. Often when we fast, our righteous prayers and petitions have greater power. Testimonies grow. We mature spiritually and emotionally sanctify our souls. Each time we fast, we gain a little more control over our worldly appetites and passions...Fasting in the proper spirit and in the Lord's way will energize us spiritually. It will strengthen our self-discipline, fill our homes with peace, lighten our hearts with joy, fortify us against temptation, prepare us for times of adversity, and open the windows of heaven."
-Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

I am not a huge fan of fasting...it is really hard for me. I get headaches and am really grumpy. But, reading that quote helps me to have the desire to fast the right way in order to receive the blessings that come from it. Happy Fast Sunday!

Logan

We watched this video in my Book of Mormon class today. It touched me, so thought I would share. It has such a sweet message, very appropriate for the first day of December. Enjoy!

(Logan is a 13 year-old boy who lives on a ranch in a very small town in Nebraska. Logan listens to Christian Radio station 89.3FM KSBJ which broadcasts from Houston, TX. His words have wisdom beyond his years)