COMMITMENT & MARRIAGE COUNSELING

New Year's resolutions, what's yours? I was telling the bubs the other day I didn't think I was going to make any. I have great intentions, but they seem to go to the wayside pretty quickly. As I was reading different blogs and their resolutions, I came across one I really liked. This blogger had a reader leave a comment about how she doesn't make resolutions. She actually picks a world and focuses in on it for the year. I loved that idea! As I was thinking about what word I could apply this year, several things came to mind. The one that really stood out? Commitment. So, for 2010 I am going to focus in on being more committed whether it's at home, work, church, etc. I had a friend do this a little while ago. Her word was simplify. I don't think I'm quite there yet...maybe I can commit to simplifying next year?? Anyway, as I was thinking about what commitment really means, it reminded me of the marriage counseling session the bubs I went to before Christmas. There have been several people I'm very close to announce recently they were either getting a divorce or going through a separation. When a particularly good friend told me she and her husband had separated, it totally freaked me out. At my work we contract out with a company that does employee assistance....things like counseling, financial help, help with weight loss, etc. As this assistance is free, I thought why not take advantage of it and meet with a marriage counselor? On the advice of a couple of friends, we chose to meet with Rich. Love him. When we first sat down, he asked us why we were there. I told him my reasoning first and then he looked at the bubs. Bubs just simply looked at him and gave him an analogy I loved...."When you buy a new car, it runs great. You know you don't have to worry about it breaking down. You do, however, have to worry about maintaining the car. Regular oil changes, a new battery...the little things you do to make sure that later down the road the car doesn't have major problems or even completely die on you." Rich's eyes lit up....I later found out he LOVES it when couples come in for preventative marriage counseling. He also told me that I was a walking statistic just waiting to happen (umm....okay?) My parents and grandparents on both sides are divorced, so it lowered my chances of staying married significantly (did you know in Utah the divorce rate is over 60%? Yeah, me neither). It was really interesting to hear Rich talk about marriage, but especially about marriage in the church (he's also LDS). All in all, it was a great session. As I later told the bubs, we have a pretty good marriage. Sure, there are stresses and sometimes we can't help but fight. But, overall I think we're pretty good. The counseling can only make it better, at least I think. So, we made another appointment (hey, it's free, why not?) Anyway, one significant point Rich made during the session that leads me back to my original topic and resolutions, was commitment. He asked us why we thought our great-grandparents and past generations stayed together. It wasn't because they particularly liked each other some of the time, it was because they were COMMITTED to each other. Yes, they lived in a different world than we do now, but they had that strong commitment and saw it through until the end. I haven't seen that type of commitment much in my life. The one couple who strongly stands out in my mind are the bubs grandparents on his mom's side (that's who's in the picture above....aren't they cute?) They were together through thick and thin and truly loved each other. Not only were they committed to each other, they were happy together, which is rare. Towards the end of his grandfather's life, they had to put him in a care center because it go to be too much for his grandma. I'm sure it killed her to have him not only gone, but not able to serve him and take care of him anymore. But, she made the regular trips to see him and show him not only her commitment to him, but also her love. This couple is my inspiration of how I want the bubs and I to be. I want our grandchildren to be able to come to our home and see how much grandma and grandpa love each other. I want them to be able to see what a committed, happy marriage is like.

So here's my question to you.....what's your resolution or your word? Also, how do YOU keep your marriage alive and happy?

GLUTTONY AT IT'S FINEST!

I was making dinner tonight and went to the pantry to pull out the needed ingredients. Every time I open the door I'm greeted with this sight.....

(Don't mind the mess....I REALLY need to clean out and organize the pantry!)

Throughout December whenever we'd get treats, I'd throw them in the pantry to get them out of the way. This is what happens when you get WAAAYYY more than you can possibly eat, or even want to! I didn't take a picture of the other side of the pantry....it's stocked with leftover cookie packets from the neighbor/friend/co-worker gifts. Between home and work, I'm pretty much candied out for a while!

I also had to stock up on these:

I just recently found a very cute blog that had a VERY cute idea that I'm going to do for Christmas next year (for both the parentals and the siblings). It will take me the majority of the year to get these done, so I'll be starting them in the next couple of months. I'm way excited and hope they turn out as cute as I envsion them being!

CHRISTMAS DAY

For some reason these are the only pictures we got of Christmas day. How sad! Usually we take tons of pictures of opening presents. Oh well, guess there's always next year. We had a really nice Christmas which started off at my little brothers house. He and his wife were awesome and invited us over for breakfast (thanks guys! It was sooo good!)


After that, it was back to our house to open presents and then head to the grandparents. Overall it was a really nice, relaxing Christmas. Usually we run around like crazy from house to house. This year we just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. Hope everyone else had a great day as well!

CHICKEN & STUFFING BAKE

Every other Sunday we go to my brothers house to have dinner as a family. On the off weeks, I like to experiment with different dishes. Often times when I ask the bubs what he wants for dinner on the off Sundays, he will request this dish. He LOVES it! I got it off of a blog that Alan's cousin has....one of her many (Home Sweet Home...Nelson Family Craft Blog). Brandy is seriously adorable....I often tell her I want to be her when I grow up. She probably thinks I'm kidding....I'm not. She reminds me of Martha Stewart, but with three kids and superhero capabilities. Anyway, she posted this recipe last year and it's become a family favorite. I've often commiserated with family and friends how hard it is to find good recipes everyone likes, so I thought as long as I was making this, I might as well share it!

Brandy uses chicken breasts, I however, cheat. I LOVE the Tyson pre-packaged and cooked strips. For those days when I get home late from work and need to hurry and get something on the table, they work great. They are a little more expensive, but well worth it I think. I also double the recipe....my little brother and sister currently live with us and eat Sunday dinner with us. My little brother, well, how do I put this nicely? He eats like a freakin' horse! He's into weight lifting and so has to increase his caloric intake....it's amazing (and sometimes gross) to watch him eat, seriously.

1 pkg instant mashed potatoes
1 pkg stuffing mix
1 pkg turkey gravy
2 boneless, skinless turkey breasts (I use the frozen chicken strips)
1 can corn
1 T. oil
Garlic powder
Pepper
Salt
Heat oil in frying pan. Add diced chicken, garlic powder, pepper and salt. Cook.
In seperate pan, prepare potatoes as directed. Put in a 8x8 casserole dish. Add corn for 2nd layer. If using canned corn, drain and rinse. Prepare stuffing as directed and add as 3rd layer. Add chicken for last layer. Make gravy as directed and pour on top of casserole. Bake uncovered at 375 for 20 minutes to heat through. Enjoy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas everyone! Hopefully the majority of your hustle and bustle is done at this point and you can sit back, relax and enjoy your Christmas!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!

(This is at the Bellagio when we took a trip to Vegas in October of last year....she doesn't look real thrilled, does she??)

I have to give a shout out to my very adorable mommy! It was her birfday yesterday....since everyone had to work until pretty late, we're taking her out tonight to celebrate. Also, happy belated birfday to Reecers, my very cute niece. Hope you had a fun birthday party, thanks for inviting us! Love you both!

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.....DAY 12

Last day.....again, wahoo! We actually haven't given this yet, it goes to work with the bubs on Monday. But, it's done. Day twelve is twelve drummers drumming:


The 12th day of Christmas requires some drummers, but the noise might be too loud and would be a bummer. We thought and thought, what could we do? Suddenly we had it, we're such a good crew! It's important in life to not be too proud, we all need to remember to laugh out loud.

We've had so much fun and we hope you have too. Enjoy this holiday season, but always remember to keep in mind the real reason.

My mom had a block someone had given her that say's laugh out loud on it. I put that in with the Disney movie UP. Hope you enjoyed the 12 days!

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.....DAY 11

Day eleven is eleven pipers piping:


Those eleven pipers piping reminds me of our plumber. To leave him on the doorstep would be a real bummer. Now make your water piping hot, and fill your cups with care. We're giving you some hot chocolate we know you'd love to share.

Pretty self-explanatory I think.....also really cute!

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.....DAY 10

I think this has to be one of my personal favorites. Day ten is ten lords a-leapin':


Ten lords a-leapin', now that would be quite a sight.....We REALLY tried to catch them, we tried with all our might. The lords were evasive, they broke free with no delay. And ran right over to the Nutcracker to watch the ballet.

We simply can't believe this game is almost done. We've had a great time bringing these gifts and this fun.

I LOVED the coal bag.....this one was super easy, I just purchased tickets to the Nutcracker. What's more Christmasy?

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.....DAY 9

Yeah, I did get pictures for this one, aren't you proud of me? Day nine is nine ladies dancing:


Nine ladies dancing would be a big crowd. Besides that their music is just way too loud. We thought these cd's might be more your style. So sit back, relax and stay a while.

I bought some Christmas cd's at Seagull book.....

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.....DAY 8

Day eight is eight maids a-milking and unfortunately I didn't get a picture. I accidentally left everything at work, so the bubs had to come to my work extra special early to get it before he went to work. So, because I was at work by 6:30 in the morning and still half asleep, I completely forgot the camera, sorry! But, here's the poem for the day:

We found the eight maids, they were milking away. We learned that the milk goes to this place where you play. Everyone loves pizza, we're sure you do too. Enjoy this certificate, dinner for two!

A couple of years ago they built a new plaza by where we live that not only has a VERY cool movie theatre (can you say reserved seating!) but also a huge building that has an arcade, bowling alley, rock climbing, gym, etc. They also have restaurants there, once of which is a pizza place. Since I had previously given them movie tickets to this place, I thought it would be a great idea to give them a gift certificate to the pizza place. Genius I tell ya!

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.....DAY 7

Because I'm on a roll, I'd thought I'd just finish these up tonight. Day seven is seven swans a-swimming:


The 7th day of Christmas and we are half way done. Remember no peeking, or you'll spoil the fun. Santa is watching to make sure that your good. The crew made the naughty list, you knew that we would. Seven swans a swimming, you can't be for real. The swans swam south, you know the deal. However we don't want to leave you
in such a sad state. Some games about now, wouldn't that be great? I bought some board games for both kids and adults. The bubs bosses have grandkids, so I thought it would be fun to have some games on hand for them.

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.....DAY 6

Am I bad at this or what? I've had these done, just haven't found the time to post the pics. I finished day 12 tonight which the bubs will take on Monday. Wahooo! I'm done! This was a fun project but took a lot more time than I thought it would. Anyway, day 6: Six geese a-laying:


Six geese a-laying, an interesting sight. One of them squawked and they all took flight. A sixth night of of birds would not have brought cheer, so for merriement and laughter, what could possible top root beer?

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.......DAY 5

Day five is five gold rings, but, I thought a relaxation basket would be a little more practical.


On the fifth day of Christmas, gold rings are called for. But we wanted to leave something a little more practical at the door. We know the front office is under much stress, so we thought we'd leave something to ease the duress. This glad Christmas season is so full of fun. We're happy to share with your family, then run. We hope you are having as much as fun as we are, we laugh and giggle, driving away in our car.

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.......DAY 4

Day four is four calling birds.....


My version (oh, and I know the graphics on the verses are pretty cheesy. I was pretty tired at this point, so you take what you can get, right?):
Four calling birds were not easy to find. So we really found ourselves in quite the bind. The holidays get busy and crazy we know, so we thought you'd enjoy this candy and a show.

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.......DAY 3

Day three consists of three french hens......here's my version:


Day 3 arrives but we're not in France, and three french hens don't come by chance. What should we do? We couldn't decide.......so we opted for dinner.....spaghetti, sauce and french bread are inside! Pretty self-explanatory I think....

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.....DAY 2

I bought turtle chocolates from Mrs. Cavanaughs and then found a cute container to put them in......super easy.


Today you have turtles & doves coming your way. So relax, enjoy and eat all the chocolate you may. Because in your family you have quite a few, we've left on your desk more than just two.

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS......DAY 1

I thought I'd share another Christmas gift idea that I'm currently working on. Every year for Christmas, the bub's co-workers pool their money together to get a bigger gift for the owners of the company (the main bosses). For the past, well, I can't really remember, I've been in charge of putting the gift together. I don't mind actually PUTTING the gift together, it's just hard to figure out what to do for them year after year. I mean, these people have three homes, what do you give someone like that? This year (after literally months of thought) I decided to do the 12 days of Christmas, MY style. I've actually have had a lot of fun with this. It was kind of hard thinking about what to do for each day and coming up with the verses, but once I finally got that figured out (thanks mom for the help!) it's been a lot of fun to put together. Because I didn't have a lot of money to work with, this has had to be VERY budget friendly. So, I give you Day 1: A Partridge in a Pear Tree (I took a 2 ft. Alpine tree and rag tie decorated it. I then found a cute serving dish, placed the tree in it, put some fabric around the bottom and then placed the pears in it. I also found some really cute tea towels with pears on them at Tai Pan....how perfect is that?)


Here's the verse I started with:

'Twas the first day of Christmas and all through the house, er, office, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. 'Cept suddenly some little souls did appear, it is the Harmony Crew, bringing you holiday cheer. Today calls for a partridge in your pear tree, but partridges are tough to catch, as we came to see. So how 'bout fresh pears, and a few ornaments for the bird? These pears are quite tasty, or so we have heard. Today's the first day, and this is where it all starts. Know that each of these gifts comes straight from our hearts. Now each day going foward, we'll bring gifts to your door. The twelve days of Christmas, not one less or one more. Beware of this warning - the crew will be here. But you better not look, or we will all disappear. Then all of your gifts that we've carefully planned, on some other desk they will surprisingly land.

CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY THIS YEAR.....

The bubs came home with some of the best news last night. Because it's almost January, tis' the season when insurances renew and open enrollment begins. So, his company health insurance rep. paid them a visit. In discussing their health insurance, bubs found out that fertility IS NOW COVERED. Happy dance here! They also will also help cover in vitro, which makes me want to cry. We weren't going to even go that route as it can be anywhere from $10,000-$15,000 per procedure and most of the time it takes more than one time for it to take. We were just going to do adoption because both would have been way too expensive. But, now both may be feasible for us. My mom works with a lady that has been doing fertility for years and just had a baby. She found a fertility clinic down in Sandy that she loved and highly recommends. Everyone there has had some sort of problem getting pregnant, staying pregnant, etc. so when a patient does get pregnant, the whole office celebrates. She also said it was nice because unlike some other clinics, you're an actual person, not just a number. It's also cheaper than the University of Utah (which is where we were headed next) so that makes me happy. I've been kind of putting off making an appointment because we are going to starting the adoption paperwork in January, but now it looks like I can go ahead and schedule the appointment to get the testing started. Merry Christmas to us!