Baking Needs

NEW BLOG!

2011-01-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hey guys... Follow my NEW BLOG! My married blog! Follow it! Follow it!

wifeandhusbandcole.blogspot.com

Come follow me, Mrs. Cole said, and let us in their footsteps tread. Too much? Sacrilegious? Maybe. Sorry.

I'm shaking this off

2011-01-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

I've lost all desire to blog on this URL. I don't want to do it anymore. It feels heavy and dusty and it needs a new start. If you would still like to hear about my silly little life, follow me and Husband at our new blog (I say "our" loosely. He'll never blog. ever.)

Home inside the Green House

(and yes, I know I forgot the second "i" in "inside", I'm working to change that as soon as I can.)

Hair Cut

2011-01-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

I cut my hair short again. Husband loves it. Unfortunately I rarely have internet at my house so no photo for now as I'm on campus. I'll give you an inspiration photo. It looks like this but with longer bangs and a bit longer on the sides.

I would like to stress how much Husband LOVES it. My mom hates it when I cut my hair, but Husband's opinion is much more important to me.

The snow blowing outside my window looks like glitter

2011-01-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

Though my house isn't very warm in temperature, and husband keeps trying to turn up the heat even though half of it floats up and away out of our house, its very wonderful to snuggle in bed with husband. I love waking up before 5am and snuggling until the alarm goes off 5 times and he finally gets up and goes to work. I feel bad that he has to get up so early and has to work so hard when I'm hardly working at all right now. So today instead of waiting for him to come home and make his own cold pb&j for lunch, I cleaned the house and made him some warm bean burritos. I love you, husband.

Marriage, Rome, Barcelona and other updates

2011-01-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in my cold little house in bed stealing internet from a neighbor. I don't know how long I'll have so I'll try to post as much as possible.

I'm married. The wedding was perfect and I love being married to Matthew. It's amazing how you can be so scared of something that is so blissfully wonderful. Matthew is a perfect husband, which makes it easy. After only 2.5 weeks, it's incredible how much more I love him than I did the day we got married. Here are some wedding photos:

We were married in the Oakland Temple which means that we did not take vows "until death do us part,"
but we made eternal covenants. We will be married to each other forever. I think this is one of the more tender parts of my religion.

We were lucky enough to be able to go to Barcelona and Rome for our honeymoon. And we were especially lucky because we didn't get stuck in Heathrow like 10,000 other people did during that week.

Barcelona was beautiful. The whole city was a distinct mix of varied architectural styles and it was all very art-centered. We ate some amazing food there and bought almost 2 kilos of candy (all of which is gone already). We spent Christmas Eve at Midnight Mass. The people there were unbelievably kind and friendly and welcoming. They were beside themselves with excitement that we were there. The Priest himself came to us and said (more or less since neither of us speak Catalan) "It makes me so happy to see such young people attending church." I almost cried I was so touched. It was wonderful to feel the love of Christ and charity from these people, especially on Christmas.

Xurro and Xocolate (Catalan for "The best thing EVER!")

Sagrada Famili

This is a real thing. Part of the Christmas tradition is that there was one shepherd who missed the angels coming because he was off going poop (see image above). To be fair to the poor shepherd, whose only crime was obeying his bodily necessities, people add a pooping man to their nativities because it's not fair that he should be left out. Here is a giant effigy made to honor that man.

My husband, feeding pigeons. He then informed me that I would make him the happiest man alive if I bought him a pigeon as a present. No way.

Delicious paella. It was so good going down -much worse coming back up several hours later. Matthew was a good husband and stayed up with me until I could fall asleep again. We watched Catalan dubbed "Saddle Club".

Our next stop was Rome. We actually spent a disgusting amount of time in airports this trip. In SFO we sat in the airport for 4 hours. In Heathrow, 9 hours. In Barcelona, 5 hours. In Rome, 8 hours. Then in Heathrow again but we had to sprint across the entire airport. I thought I was going to pass out. I love traveling, but it is really comforting to know that I don't have to fly anywhere any time soon.

These photos are very out of order so bear with me. This is a photo inside St Peters Basilica early one morning.

Outside the Capitol building. It was built right next to the original Roman Forum in homage to its first capitol buildings.

St. Peter's Basilica -the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. Usually the line is 4-6 hours long (see photo a few down), but we woke up at 6.30 and we were the first in line. American's know how to wake up early to queue. We toured the Basilica with no more than 10 other people. It was incredible to be there as it was, but to be there alone made the Basilica even bigger. It was honestly an enormous structure. It was early enough that people were taking mass and we could hear some people chanting somewhere.

My favorite thing was pointing our Papal Keys all over the city. There were EVERYWHERE. I loved it because of the clearly defined importance the Roman Catholic Church placed on keys of the kingdom while we have a very strong emphasis on keys in our religion. Little things like this remind me that the Gospel is true.

Our favorite Gelati place. We went there every day (sometimes twice a day). Pistachio was THE BEST. Followed closely by Blood Orange.

Outside St. Peter's in the early morning. Rome really doesn't wake up until almost 9 am.

Best pizza ever. Again, we came back almost every day.

Rafael's tomb. Yes, Rafael.

Here's the long line I was talking about. At its peak, it almost went all the way out of Vatican city.

No explanation needed.

The man who made our delicious pizza.

Tiramisu. It was even better than I thought it would be. And it was absolutely worth 7 Euro.

Remus and Romulus. We bought one of these statues for our house.

Colloseum. There is too much to say about it. It is bigger than you can possibly imagine and the whole time we were there we wanted to watch Gladiator.

Pantheon

In the massive ruins of the ancient city Palantine we found an orange orchard. The oranges were so golden and beautiful and plump. They were, however, really gross.

We had an incredible trip to Europe. We're so blessed that we were able to go. I could really go for some pizza right now. We did throw coins into the Trevi Fountain (which means you're supposed to return to Rome in your lifetime) so hopefully we'll go back someday.

Married New Year

2011-01-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

I am married now. It really doesn't feel any different from before except that I get to stay with Matt continuously. I love it. I'm at my in-laws house in Texas and today is our second reception.

When I am home in Provo with my camera and everyone's wedding photos then I'll post about my wedding, my honeymoon and the second reception.

Honeymooning in Rome and Barcelona was absolute perfection. I love Europe!

I get married in 3 hours.

2010-12-21T07:40:00.002-07:00

There's not much more to say than that. Married. Me. Three Hours. To Matt. AH!

Through Hell and Back Again, A Roadtrip tale by Lana Pewitt

2010-12-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

We are home in Redding. I don't know how we made it here alive -really.

We left Friday morning at 330 am. When we got into Nevada we hit fog -really bad fog. Nothing went wrong for a few hundred miles. We hit snow. We were stuck in a line of traffic in snow 15 miles out of Reno. We were stuck there for almost 2 hours. When we finally started moving we counted 8 crashes, half of which were flipped and crushed. Leaving Reno was a disaster and we were starving and we were battling snow in a city we didn't know and tensions were getting high. We ate at the Waldorf Saloon and then we left. We had to exit the freeway and turn around to buy chains, the pass we wanted to take was closed for snow. Also, did I mention that our windsheild wipers weren't working? We didn't put the chains on right away and I was driving so slowly. Everyone was falling asleep but I kept on in the tracks of the truck in front of us. Suddenly everyone was stopping, my car wasn't however. I veered off to the right and then I kept going and was slowly turning around and going backward...down an embankment. We barely missed a metal pole and a telephone pole. I started sobbing. I could have killed everyone. Not even a minute later a man pulled up in a truck with a chain and pulled us out. We put on the chains and Matt drove for a long time. We were driving through snow from before Reno until Shingletown. (170 miles) The chains started to break and were whipping the car with each rotation of the tires. Eventually we just had to take the chains off. One was frozen and wrapped around the inside of the tire. Seth was up to his elbow trying to pry it off. I drove the rest of the way home. As soon as we were out of the snow we hit fog -again. Then we hit really hard rain (remember the wipers weren't working). We did eventually make it into Redding after the 11 hour drive had been extended to nearly 17 hours. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I was worried the entire time we were driving and I was incredibly stressed.

We're here. We're getting married in 3 days. We're safe. We made it alive. I can hardly believe it.

Last Days

2010-12-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day to get everything done before I leave Provo. I will be here tomorrow, but I'll be working all day so it doesn't really count. Today I need to:

Finish my Utah History final
Order my wedding flowers
Get an oil change
Fill my tires with air
Get my legs waxed
Get a pedicure with my dear friend Nicole
Grab the camera from Becky
Buy a photo album and print some of our engagement photos
Make special popcorn (a LOT of it) for the reception
Buy plates, forks, cups and spoons from Sams Club
Do laundry

I think that's it. Thats a long list... Good day. I'll be married in less than 6 days! Huzzah!

I want to eat at Wonderful restaurants, and listen to Wonderful music

2010-12-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

Last night after my wonderfully inspiring dentists appointment (my teeth were the recipients of high praise. The DDS said he wished his teeth looked like mine *ding*) Matt and I had a little date night. We had a buy one get one coupon for Malawi's Pizza. Yes, Malawi, like the country in Africa. Their deal is that with each meal purchased, they donate a meal to orphans in Malawi. This sort of commercial endeavor is very hip right now. Matt adds, "Toms, Eat your heart out." The pizza was super delicious but WAY overpriced. We prefer Nicoitalia Pizzeria.

We spent an hour or so walking around the Riverwoods. It's all decorated with Christmas lights and scattered bonfires and a brass band dressed in Victorian gay apparel (like from the song. I'm not jabbing anyone...). We spent 45 minutes in a toy store reminiscing on our childhoods and fantasizing on the childhoods of our children. We want Matt's dad to make us a Rocking Horse (maybe a hint?).

We ended the evening watching An Education. It was better the second time (and it was pretty good the first time) and surprisingly (to me) Matt liked it. We both agree that the man in the film is indescribably creepy.

It was a lovely date night. I really cannot wait to marry Matt.

I've stopped looking at the countdown.

2010-12-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

Is that odd? I've got too much to do. I'm really just one half-arsed whim away from saying "To Hell!" with my Family History project and taking a C in the class. I'm almost there.

Also, it may be because things are actually happening now. I'm going through the temple on Tuesday. I've got my flowers figured out and almost ordered, I'm almost done with school, I'm making money, etc. Things are happening so the countdown is irrelevant? I don't know. But 16 days isn't very far away.

This Semester will NEVER end

2010-11-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

I had such a lovely Thanksgiving with my dear Rudy and her family. After dinner and naps, Matt and I rallied everyone around the TV and we finished off the night with the very stressful zombie show The Walking Dead. Now that Thanksgiving break is over and I finished 2 papers and a book, I'm back to doing homework. I have to rework one of my horrible research papers about comprehensive sex ed, that honestly, I just don't care about anymore. Teach them all abstinence! See if I care! Just don't make me write anymore! (And really, I'm super against abstinence-only education, I'm just sick of all this work) And after I edit that paper (which I should be writing right now) I need to write a 8 page research paper on Butch Cassidy, and then a 10 page portfolio of all my family history research from this semester which will include 10 more hours of research. Kill me. I know I only have 3 more weeks of school, but honestly, this will never end. And I still haven't sold my contract (if I don't, we'll have to take out a loan to pay rent for a place in which neither of us live), and once I'm married and moved into my new place we'll have to start an even busier semester with no money. I don't know how we'll do it. Semester, please go to hell.

A wife's idea of relaxation for her husband is to let him share whatever entertainment she enjoys

2010-11-24T10:20:00.002-07:00

I was watching a silent film from 1920 today to help me with an assignment. It's called "Why Change Your Wife?" It's a story of a frumpy wife who, through her own blameworthiness, drives her husband into the arms of a younger, more sprightly woman. The film is punctuated with anti-woman maxims. It was quite a laugh. The best one compared a womans nagging to molten lead being poured on your face. It was very interesting to see how womens' media image has changed (or hasn't) since then. Though phrases like this would certainly be inappropriate in a film today, I'm sure you've seen similar sentiments expressed in contemporary films.

One last post for tonight.

2010-11-21T22:54:00.001-07:00

I HAVE to sell my contract! Please, please, please, if you know ANYONE who needs to buy a contract this winter semester (and is a girl), PLEASE leave a comment below. My apartment is only a few blocks south of BYU campus, and my roommates are wonderful. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me!

Only one month to go now.

2010-11-21T22:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday our employers at Marvellous Catering threw us an engagement party. They made us sweet pulled pork enchiladas with fresh pico de gallo, caesar salad, artichoke dip, delicious cookies, and THE BEST popcorn in the world : white chocolate with candy pieces, and cinnamon roll popcorn. So good. We had so many leftover cookies that I brought them to my Sunday School class today.

We were so lucky that Marvellous Catering threw us a party and that we had so many wonderful friends who came to help us celebrate. We work for the best people. This little party was kind of like a rehearsal reception and it made us both really excited to get married.

Matt and I made monster sugar cookies a few weeks ago. I never posted the photos. The best one is on the bottom left-hand corner where the bear is eating his own foot. Also the one on the top in the middle is my Robo-bear and I love it. Plus, they were delicious. The sugar cookie recipe courtesy of my sis Jaime.

Something Old, Something New & Borrowed

2010-11-21T22:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of my poor broken computer. Look how sad it is.

Here's a photo of the new and borrowed computer courtesy of Matt's grandparents. Thank you so much! Matt overhauled it and it runs like a brand new computer. It will definitely be a blessing if we can keep this for a while and we wont have to buy a new one until after we graduate.

An easy way to fix an addiction.

2010-11-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my computer fell off Matt's coffee table and hit my foot really hard. My knee also hit the screen and, well, it's destroyed. The Mac people said it would cost more than my computer is worth to fix the screen. So no more computer for me. I can use mine, but barely. All the information is fine, I'm just limited to the top left-hand quarter of my screen. We'll probably get another one in March or so. Until then I'm living on a borrowed PC (shame). I can't imagine I'll be blogging or facebooking as much. And it is definitely going to take a lot more effort to do my homework (since until we get the borrowed PC I'll have to go to the library to do things if my roommates are using their computers. Sad day. But I suppose things could be worse.

P.S. In an unrelated topic, I cannot wait to be married.

A Hot Bath and a Gallon of Water

2010-11-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today ended better. I'm sorry for the whiney, spoiled post. Things didn't get better, and I definitely had a few more crashes and tripups and breakdowns. BUT I got grilled pizza and my extremely stupid genealogy assignment done, and before I crawl into bed to rest before I have to be at work at 6a tomorrow morning, I took a really hot bath and then drank from my wonderful bedside gallon of water; ending it off with a really superb run-on sentence.

I'm grateful that I have a wonderful roommate with whom to go get pizza and a wonderful fiance who will volunteer for an Eagle Scout project and bring me back more wonderful grilled pizza.

I wish I could write a happy post...

2010-11-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

Let me think, what good thing has happened to me lately? uhm, I got charged a $90 deposit for our B&B in ~~Rome~~ The Vatican. Good that we have the place, bad that that money is gone.

Matthew is a gem. I'm thankful for him. He doesn't run screaming when I come home from school crying every day. He just tells me it will be alright and hugs me.

It's getting progressively harder to stay in my classes. I HATE them. Every single one. I can barely force myself to sit through them. And they require so much of me -not just going to class. I have a never ending- Honestly NEVER ENDING- pile of projects and papers and research and reading to finish. I HATE IT. I want to quit. I want to cry to my teachers and tell them I can't do it all.

In 4 weeks I get to go to the Temple. In 4 weeks I will be done with everything but finals and the wedding. 4 weeks. 4 weeks.

I can do it... (?)

This has been me this past week (and most of the semester)

2010-11-04T19:48:00.000-06:00

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/05/sneaky-hate-spiral.html

Baby it's Cold Outside

2010-11-03T09:43:00.001-06:00

For the last 3 years I've had fall roommates who insisted upon listening to Christmas music as early as possible (one year it was September). I've always fought against it. Since Halloween and Thanksgiving are my favorite holidays, I hate it when carols take all the glory and we wiz by those holidays only thinking of Noel. So my rule was no Christmas music until AFTER Thanksgiving.

So, I'm ashamed to say that, now that I don't have roommates pushing to listen to Christmas music so early, I kind of miss it. And, please don't tell anyone, but I added Christmas music to my ipod and I'm currently listening to a French Christmas hymn!

Oh the shame!

Ma and Pa: My role models

2010-11-02T09:52:00.000-06:00

I finished rereading Little House in the Big Woods, because this time of year (and summer time) all I want to do is read the Little House books. This is a photo of Ma and Pa Ingalls, at 21 and 24 respectively, when they married.

I know that the Little House books are fairly fictionalized, but something that has always struck me was the wonderful relationship that Ma and Pa have. They love each other and always have the other person's best interest in mind. Pa looks after Ma with an affection bordering reverence, and Ma always lets Charles take the lead and supports him to the best of her ability. I love them. I want to be them. I read these books and it's all I can do to not pine after a relationship like theirs. Luckily, I have Matthew and he's so wonderful to me. I'm not as wonderful as Ma, and I definitely have a lot of things I can work on to be a better (future) wife to Matthew.

Maybe someday Matt will let our children call us Ma and Pa. :)

Love love love long-sleeves

2010-10-29T18:04:00.000-06:00

I'm a bit obsessed with long-sleeved wedding dresses, maybe because I'm always secretly on the lookout for temple OK gowns. Maybe. I love this one. Not temple ready but beautiful.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-29T11:08:00.000-06:00

Matt and I entered the BYU newspaper costume contest yesterday. Early this morning when Matt was on campus he opened to paper to find that we WON (!) for most creative! How exciting. We won a $25 gift card to Target, I think. But really, HOW Exciting! We're the BP oil spill and Louisiana. Halloween is my favorite holiday. And tomorrow my lovely friend Becky is throwing me a bridal shower! I can't wait!

What a wonderful weekend.

The Hotel Pink Floyd

2010-10-27T05:58:00.001-06:00

Last night Matt and I booked our hotel for Barcelona, but we had the hardest time finding a place to stay in Rome. We found this place called Hotel Pink Floyd, their own website made it sound pretty good -really close to the center of Rome, really cheap, bare bones but workable. We were about to book it when we read this review:

Where do I start? On arrival at Rome Termini, I spent a good one and a half hours wandering the streets of Rome looking for the ill sign-posted, Hotel Pink Floyd. On eventually finding it, I thought I had arrived at the scene of Dante's Inferno.

The decor can only be described as being that of a retro-sixties crack-den. The bunk-beds, whilst functional (insofar as you could just about sleep on them - and we only managed this because we went out and got bladdered to make up for the pain of having to stay here) were somewhat dangerous. I sat up a bit too quick and ended up with a sharp shard of metal scraping my forehead.

Now onto the toilets. Ah yes, I thought I was in Rome yet I got to see one of the world's natural wonders, Niagra Falls recreated before my very eyes as I attempted to flush the unit. We basically had to limit our toilet trips during the night so as not to create a flood.

We didn't have to co-habit with any humans, although I would say that Alexander Fleming would've had a field-day with the amount of penicilin available - so at least if you need antibiotics, you can probably help yourself to the vast array of moulds there.

Bare wires in the wall (apprantly a television arial), removable windows (see 3rd reviewers pictures) and a wonderful door which needed kicking down practically to get in, all added to the experience of one night in purgatory.

Seriously though, I've stayed in many hostels - and this is by far the worst I've stayed in. Hostel isn't really appropriate - this is merely a couple of rooms in a ghetto - no social life.

Why it's called Pink Floyd? Who knows? The only reason I can think of is that you'd require an LSD trip of Roger Waters proportions to enjoy. Please don't stay if you value your time in Rome - it almost spoilt ours.

We're not staying there...

A Left Leg Story

2010-10-23T11:12:00.000-06:00

3 years ago I was a little freshman in Helaman Halls. It was the first time I wasn't in ballet for over 5 years. During an FHE people were showing off how flexible they are. I said I could do the splits. As I sunk into them I felt something rip behind my left knee...

Flash forward to last year. My leg was normal again though not as flexible as before. I had done yoga for a year and was in a ballet class again. My left leg was getting stronger and more flexible. Yay!

This last spring I was in a new yoga class. We were in downward dog position:

Then we were instructed to lift our right leg and bend our knee drawing our leg to the left side to open up our hips. When I did this (not hard and not even very stretch-y) I felt my left knee rip again.

I went to the doctor and he told me to just stretch it. I did (sometimes). It hasn't really bothered me all summer through yoga- I've just noticed that my left leg is not that flexible. BUT today...

Today is my last day of yoga since I've canceled my gym membership. It's a beautiful rainy day and I was loving yoga. A little over halfway through the class we were in straddle position (standing with legs spread apart wide) and we bent forward from the hips (not hard, again). I looked underneath my legs to the mirror behind to make sure my hips were square and one wasn't higher than the other. I only had a tiny amount of adjusting to do, and my left knee ripped again!

So now, no more yoga, and I'm sitting on my bed icing it with green beans -awesome. I had to limp out of class early...

Autumn = Apple, Pear, Cranberry Pie

2010-10-20T22:24:00.000-06:00

I made an Apple Pear Cranberry Pie with an almond biscuit crust. This magical pie fed 9 people, 7 of whom were watching my FAVORITE Halloween movie: Hocus Pocus.

I got the recipe for the crust from the latest Martha Stewart Magazine. For some reason she sent the November issue to me at the beginning of October -honestly 2 weeks after receiving the October one. Whoa, slow down there, let me enjoy both of my favorite months? Anyway, I was skeptical about the biscuit topping, but it was actually really good. I also loved the combination of pears and apples with the cranberries. And no, mom, I did not reduce the sugar. Who wants to eat low-sugar pie? If I eat pie, I want to enjoy it. I'll just have a smaller piece.

A week or so ago Matt and I went for a little walk in Rock Canyon. We took a few photos. Mostly I had to beg him to smile in a photo. He hates the first one because he looks like he was trying to show off his chest by having his shirt unbuttoned so low. (He was.)

And this is a photo of one of the creatures infesting our yard and eating my dying plants. My pumpkins are pretty much dead. All the leaves have withered. I can't imagine why! I water them and love them and pray for them. But they are dying. I have three pumpkins that will not turn orange! One of them looks like a cat has been attacking it in the night. There are lesions all over the surface -poor thing. I doubt we'll even be able to get seeds from the other two. They're too green. I'm so sad.

Croque Monsieur

2010-10-20T22:10:00.001-06:00

This photo is accidentally emphasizing the pomegranates. It's the sandwich on Matt's plate that you should be interested in.

I had this cheese sandwich for the first time in Avignon, France. I fell in love. Surprisingly, I hadn't made it for Matt until tonight. While he shelled a pomegranate, I buttered bread and sliced up a small block of $10 Gruyere cheese. Matt says nothing constitutes buying a small block of $10 cheese. Too bad these sandwiches were constitution enough.

The sandwich.

Buttered bread with Gruyere cheese and a slice of ham. Toast on both sides in a pan. THEN add Béchamel sauce over the top. (Butter and a bit of flour with milk, salt and pepper, stir until thickens to desired consistency) I added a bit more cheese to my sauce. I stuck the sandwiches under the broiler just to make everything a bit more cripsy. (The croque of Croque Monsieur is from the word "croquer" in French which means "to crunch")

Awesome. We also had a side of minestrone and a bowl of pomegranates. Very delicious, highly lactose-y dinner.

Wouldn't it be awful if your last name was Whitehead?

2010-10-18T17:39:00.001-06:00

It's a real name. gross.

Speaking of gross, why is everything at the mall so gross? People cannot honestly buy/wear 80% of what they're selling. No more mall for me. I'm sticking with JCrew (sales of course).

I had my first midterm today. Poly Sci. I think it went alright.

I guess this is a wrap up post.

10 days ago Matt and I drove to San Bernadino for our marriage license. We spent the night in St George with two London-y married people Josh and Misty Everett. Lovely to see them, but in the morning at 245a Matt and I were on the road to CA. We were in California for a total of 1.25 hours before we were back on the road. Matt drove 15 hours that day (he wouldn't let me drive his car :p).

It's kind of autumny. The leaves are changing colors. I love autumn so freaking much. No other season is even .05% as good as fall. I could live all year long in perpetual fall. I really really could.

I've had very little work lately so not a lot of money which equals not a lot of food. But today I spent $12 and bought things to make a really delicious dinner:

Sage-Rosemary Chicken stuffed with...

Apple, Cranberry, Hazelnut stuffing. (bread courtesy of old cheesy biscuits) This is honestly the best stuffing. I had too much for the chicken, so while that is cooking I'm just munching on the stuffing. Love love love!

I hate school this semester. But I am determined to do just as well, because being engaged is not an excuse. And right now I'm blogging instead of studying. Boo.

First Wedding Present!

2010-10-12T16:57:00.000-06:00

We received our first wedding present today from my great-uncle Richard and wife Nancy. Thank you both for the $50 Macys giftcard. That was super generous and we're so thankful!

Woo hoo!

'The whole wood is full of her spies. Even some of the trees are on her side.'

2010-10-10T21:13:00.000-06:00

Remember earlier this month when I made a gingersnap crust pumpkin pie?

Remember how it was a stroke of genius and extremely delicious? (I don't mind saying something I've made is delicious when I eat it and cannot get enough, sorry humility.)

WELL! In the November 2010 issue of the Martha Stewart Magazine, in the "Save Room For..." section she featured a, ahem, pumpkin pie with a gingersnap crust!

I'm proud to say I did it before Martha (not that I really imagine I was the first). Also featured in the issue was cranberry tarts, which I made last year and Nicole and I have been dying for since.

Oh Martha, you're so Lana.

Has anyone ever died of being engaged?

2010-10-09T21:59:00.000-06:00

What a horrible infliction -similar to teenage years. A pulling stuck feeling where you don't belong before it and you can't yet belong after it.

ready for marriage

Better late than never; good wedding ring photos:

2010-10-02T23:20:00.000-06:00

I can't take it

2010-10-01T23:22:00.000-06:00

I don't like scary movies. I like some movies that are creepy but end well or have a great twist that nullify the former creepiness, but I do not like scary movies. I try to like them, heavens knows why. Matthew loves them, and I wish I could be there for him. But I can't. I'm too sensitive. I still cry when I think about The Shining. Matt says he'll save the really scary movies for when we're married so I wont have to go to bed alone afterward. I really don't think that will solve the problem. It is inevitable that I will at some point be alone and when that happens, the scary scenes will visit me...

Now, I do love Halloween, though. But I love Hocus Pocus, and Halloweentown, and Casper, and Sleepy Hollow, etc. I love the Happy Halloween movies.

I tried to watch The Omen with Matt tonight. I got half-way through before I asked him to turn it off. We spent the rest of the evening watching Nicolas Cage montages and the end of City of Angels. I feel a little better now.

I wish I could like scary movies. But they are just too real for me, and they stay with me for YEARS! I'm too sensitive and impressionable -but I don't really mind, in fact I kind of like being sensitive.

Photo Uploads

2010-09-30T22:03:00.000-06:00

I haven't uploaded photos from my camera since before I went to Texas...in August. Tomorrow is October. Here's what you've missed out on:

The only two photos I took in Texas: getting frozen yogurt (mine was way too big. I made Matthew finish it for me.) and on our way to Hurricane Harbor.

One of the bigger carrots that I grew in my very own garden.

This tomato clam vegetable soup. It was really really good on rice or with french bread.

Nicole and I on the first day of school. So classy, so JCrew.

Homemade candy bars: semi-sweet chocolate, almonds and pecans. Matt's invention, my creation. They were gone so fast I didn't have time to take a proper photo of them.

Pumpkin Advent Calendar. I got the idea from the latest Martha Stewart magazine, and jazzed it up a bit. In the magazine, it's just a children's game and some of the balloons are filled with glitter or other things. In my version there are 31 balloons, counting down to Halloween, and in each balloon is a piece of candy (or several in the case of candy corn). Each night a roommate will be able to pop a balloon and reap their candy. Very fun, and I want to do this EVERY year, because I LOVE HALLOWEEN!

I also love Matt a lot. And even though he doesn't read my blog, I didn't post a photo of my wedding dress, just in case he ever actually reads it.

Indian September

2010-09-22T08:31:00.002-06:00

Last September we went to India Fest on our first date -but you know this.

This September during India Fest time I had a breakdown about all my homework so we did not go. No big deal, we stayed in and I calmed down.

On Monday Fiance asked me if I could get all my homework done on Monday for Tuesday so he could take me out on a special date. Well I did.

Last night we rode bikes, in a roundabout way to downtown Provo. It was lovely to ride our bikes fast down the streets in the late-summer evening with the warm wind whipping us. We arrived at India Palace. I LOVE India Palace and I haven't been there in ages! We got Lamb Tikka Masala and Chicken Coconut Korma with garlic Naan bread and Onion Bahjis. So delicious, except the Lamb. I always try to like lamb, because I don't really dislike any foods, but I guess I do not like lamb -or pickles for that matter.

After dinner we rode our bikes back up to BYU campus. Fiance had purchased tickets to see a performance by the foremost sitar player in the world Nishat Khan.

It was awesome. He played, uninterrupted, for a solid hour. No breaks. By the end of it I was in this meditative stupor, but it was also getting late, so we didn't stay for the second hour.

It was a really great date. I love Indian September. Maybe someday we'll get to spend Indian September in INDIA!

12 September

2010-09-12T16:36:00.000-06:00

10 September 2009 I decided that I couldn't handle going back to BYU, that I needed to return to London and finish Le Cordon Bleu.

When I was leaving my Intro to Folklore class later that day, some boy walked up to me (and hit me on the arm) and said, "You going to India Fest?" I replied "Maybe, if I don't have to work." He said, "Want to go with me?" Again, "If I don't have to work."

10 minutes later (still talking and me getting annoyed that he hadn't introduced himself yet) I said, "I'm Lana, by the way."

"Oh, I'm Matthew Cole. Nice to meet you."

It was not love.

12 September 2009 we went to India Fest together.

Thus began the awkward three months of, are we dating? hm, I'm not really interested? Why are we holding hands? Why are we kissing? What's going on? We can't be friends anymore, I'm not going to keep taking you out for nothing. You're my best friend. We're a couple now.

12 September 2010, we're engaged and happy and trying to figure out how to get everything done for the wedding while going to school.

12 September 2010, it's definitely love.

Blog Fame

2010-09-09T15:02:00.000-06:00

My blog is not famous. Probably only a handful of people actually read it regularly, and a few others have possibly stumbled upon it.

However, there is something so fun about being recognized from your blog, well sort of. Let me explain.

I was talking to this girl I know from a class I had last winter. I mentioned something about the high price of books. See Here. And she said, Oh I know! I feel like I was just talking to someone about this... Oh YEAH, on your blog.

Fun. <3

Today I ran into my favorite former french teacher who's been in Paris nannying FOREVER. After a brief how are you exchange she said, I saw your fiance in the hall yesterday. I didn't want to say hi because then I would have had to admit that I recognized him from your blog.

Oh Matt, you're becoming famous too.

Even if only a few of you read this, and probably the two of you unnamed but referenced here, I like it when I know that people read my blog -even if it can be boring. Let's face it, the goings on of a 21-year-old Mormon university student is not that grand. But keep reading! I love it!

(Also, I probably read your blog too.)

I want to make this

2010-09-06T19:30:00.000-06:00

If anyone who reads my blog out there is a knitting genius, please tell me how I can make one of these for my fiance. He is dying for one. Plus I'd rather he walked around in this than in the unicorn beanie he's begging me to make him.

Pumpkin Season has begun!

2010-09-05T08:35:00.001-06:00

We, as an apartment family, officially began our autumn celebrations with our first pumpkin! This pumpkin has been growing in my garden for a few months. I made a pie with a gingersnap cookie crust for Nicole's birthday. It was delicious.

Plus it's starting to get cooler in the mornings, and there are Halloween decorations in all the stores. I'm starting to freak out. I LOVE FALL!

When I was baking the pie, I was singing "It's beginning to smell a lot like Autumn, everywhere you turn..."

love school hate books

2010-08-30T17:10:00.000-06:00

not all books. just text books. i love learning, but books cost so much money! byu has a new thing where you can rent your books, but here's the deal. you know which classes you want to take, but you usually end up dropping or changing at least one, or the 'required' books aren't all actually required, so you wait. you wait for the first class to see which books you absolutely must buy. then you check the syllabus and reading is due almost immediately. so you can opt to rent or buy from amazon, but you have to wait several days to receive them so you fall behind. or you can spend ridiculous amounts of money at the bookstore but stay ahead. i opted to wait. i'll catch up. but i can never justify spending $400 on books I will toss at the end of the semester. even with renting and amazon there are ALWAYS books that must be purchased new from the byu bookstore, and they will always cost you an arm and a leg.

Bragging

2010-08-25T15:23:00.001-06:00

Check out these boots. I have them. I love them. I love it when I love something and then the next year it starts to creep up into more mainstream fashion. I don't invent things, I just find classy things I love and when other people start to love them I rejoice as we all revel in the classiness.

When I was 14 I fell in love with red ballet flats. Flats were NOT popular. In fact they were impossible to find outside of wedding wear websites where they dyed your shoes to match your dress. After rummaging through thrift stores and old lady stores for months, I found a pair. The next season they were everywhere.

Last fall I decided I loved This Hat and These Boots. Well, This Hat was featured in the JCrew 2010 Fall collection, and These Boots are now featured on The Sartorialist. Awesome. Way to go me. Keep up the classiness.

A sickness

2010-08-23T18:17:00.002-06:00

I adore JCrew. Anyone who knows me well, knows this about me. Nicole and I pore over each months catalog and coo and sigh and revel in its classiness.

Sometimes JCrew fails to impress:

Sequined Harem Pants (apparently so popular that they've completely sold out. REALLY?!)

I don't even want to talk about this one...

Gross.

But JCrew also NEVER fails to blow me away with at least one item. This month it was the Noelle Gown:

Long-sleeved, high neck, high back, almost temple ready wedding gown. I challenge you to find a classy looking long-sleeved wedding gown that would actually look good on someone. I was convinced that this could never be done. But JCrew has done it again. Oh JCrew, what can't you do? Did I mention it has POCKETS?!

Upside-down Plum Cake...

2010-08-21T17:08:00.001-06:00

...equals the BEST CAKE EVER. Matthew has said this a few times. He also said that he wants a grooms cake of that variety, but I'm not going to make a cake so close to the wedding.
It really was delicious. I made it last night and it's gone, less than 24 hours later. Nicole and Brooke are partly to blame. The rest of the blame goes to Matthew. Rudy could only take one bite before the sugar was too much for her.

It was a delicious upside-down cake with plums and a peach, and I topped it all off with a plum glaze (plum jam, which equals the best jam I've ever made/eaten, watered down and some powdered sugar added and drizzled over the top)

SO Delicious. I wish it wasn't gone. I would like another piece.

Texas- pronounced Tey-hass

2010-08-17T16:45:00.000-06:00

Contrary to popular belief -my belief- Texas is not all desert. Here in Flower Mound it is very, very green. It's so weird to be a fiance. I love it, but it's weird. It's weird because it's now ok to say things like 'Matt and my kids, will look like etc' or 'When we're married, etc.' I love it. I love meeting my in-laws. I love Matthew so much. The separation right after engagement was a really terrible idea though, because now I just want to be married RIGHT now. I don't want to sleep alone anymore. I don't want to be Lana Pewitt. I want to be Lana Cole.

Today we went to a huge water park. At said park was a giant swing contraption where you are harnessed and a rope pulls you up 15 stories or so and then you free fall and then swing. It was terrifying. But it was also so much fun.

Have I mentioned I'm in love? Absolutely I am, Right now I get to baby sit an adorable baby. So blogpost over.

Worried?

2010-08-13T20:04:00.001-06:00

Today I had to pack up Matt's apartment and store all his stuff in my car because he's supposed to be out by the 14th, and he's not coming back until the 19th. Luckily, I'm a really good fiance, so I told the management I was his sister and they let me into his apartment to move out for him. It was pretty tedious, but I know he'll make it up to me. Make it out with me?

While I was packing up my fiance's things I found a few interesting oddbits. I picked up a model human skull and it fell to the ground. The top plate came off and out rolled some brass knuckles. Not kidding; who has brass knuckles? And WHY? Next, as I cleaned out his closet I came across a squirt gun, a toy motorcycle and... a box of legos. Who am I marrying? Should I be worried?

I love him. And we'll have lego family night when we're married. And he'll hang up his picture of The Kramer and I'll hang up my picture of The Audrey, and we'll have a happy little home full of oddbits. [I shouldn't judge him too much since I am in the possession of a tutu (yes a real tutu) and a kimono (also, yes, real), and two pair of awesome Thai pants that I ordered from Israel.

He has legos; I have dress up clothes. I guess we're just two kids getting married. Worried? Not at all.

Registration

2010-08-11T08:29:00.000-06:00

Wedding registries are NOT fun. I always looked forward to registering, but I now realize the follies of that cognition.

But I did finish registering while Matt was away hiking mountains in New Mexico. We're registered now at Macy's, Target, and Williams-Sonoma. Matt will probably update/edit our registries, but for now you can see them.

Macy's Target Williams-Sonoma

To see them, just click on the link, and enter my first and last name. It should bring you to a site that shows you everything that we hope to get so we can make a home from a rented house.

Days

2010-08-10T14:09:00.000-06:00

Today is Tuesday.

Tomorrow is Wednesday. Wednesday means Matthew has cell phone reception once more and is no longer hiking mountains in New Mexico. Wednesday also means I get to talk to Matthew.

In 5 days it will be Sunday. Sunday means that I will be on a plane to Texas to see Matthew for the first time in 19 days.

Bah, I'm tigged. But you can't double tig on a tog.

2010-08-05T15:31:00.001-06:00

Leslie: I'm not amused :P

However, this is how it goes:

. list things which you love about yourself
. post a picture
. tag some friends (I will not)

Somethings I love about myself?

Vain thing: I love that I can be confident without wearing ANY makeup (and I think I look pretty too).

Not so vain thing: I love that one of my natural instincts is to play the devil's advocate and look for the good in people, regardless.

Photo from my first date with Matt last September '09. I love my fiance, even with his short unflattering hair in this photo. (And I'm also very excited for all the married things and marriage bonds Becky and I have formed/are forming/will form. I've missed her.)

Everyone who reads my blog is tagged if they want to be. TAG!

Wedding Folder inspiration photos

2010-08-03T15:52:00.001-06:00

On Engagements

2010-07-30T20:59:00.000-06:00

I did love Matthew quite a bit before we were engaged. And the act of proposing and accepting, in and of itself, is no remarkable physical action. But since I've said 'yes' and have worn this ring, everything feels different. I feel more attached to Matt, not like in an obsessive way at all, but in a we're linked together by the official intent to marry sort of way. I can only imagine what sort of sealing feeling there is to being married. I had to take the ring off today to do a lot of really gross dishes at work and I instantly felt weird. My hand felt odd and I kept rubbing my ring finger where I should feel (even if dissipated by sensory adaptation) that little circlet of gold. It's only been on for 3 days. Pathetic. :p

He's hiking mountains in New Mexico and I wont be able to talk to him for at least 10 days. I'll certainly get a lot of reading and wedding planning done, though.

Engaged!

2010-07-27T07:38:00.001-06:00

Last night, July 26th Matthew asked me to marry him.

He is leaving for Philmont for 2 weeks and I wont be able to talk to him or see him, or even text him the entire time. He kept telling me he wanted to have one more real date before he left. Yesterday was the day he planned. He kept every detail of the date secret, he likes to do that, but it started to rain and he had to say, if it rains my plans will be ruined. Without further clues I guessed that we were going to go on the lake in paddle boats and have a picnic. He was really disappointed that I guessed it (with frustrating accuracy he says), and he seemed a bit put off. We went to the lake anyway but after waiting a very long time dealing with Alpine Rentals we discovered that the paddle boats were all broken! Someone had some in and trashed them. Poor Matt! All his plans gone awry!

We sat by the lake and had our picnic anyway. We talked about how lovely the overcast sky was and how it would be nice to live near a body of water. We threw bread to/at the ducks. I told him that I was really sorry that I had ruined his plans by guessing them. He said, "You didn't guess all my plans." I asked him what other plans he had and everything went still and he said, "Lana, will you marry me?" Without even responding, I took the ring from his hand and sobbed on his neck. I managed to choke out 'yes' but mostly I was crying.

This ring is perfect. It's rose gold with wheat scrolling on the sides and it's from Provo from around 1900. The diamond is the diamond that Matt's dad used to propose to Matt's mom. It's an antique, it's an heirloom, it fits perfectly, and I love it.

I feel just awful though because earlier that day I had a 'serious' talk with Matt about not taking positive steps forward toward getting engaged. I think I would have made him feel bad if he hadn't had all this in cache. I feel so badly about it now. He loves it because he thinks it's funny, and because it proves that he's sneaky and that I really can't guess all his plans.

I'm in love. It's super weird being engaged. I've wanted this for a long time, but it's very strange being there suddenly. I know we'll be wonderful together. The date is December 21. We'll have a reception in Redding, and a reception in Flower Mound.

Mt Timpanogos

2010-07-26T11:25:00.000-06:00

Saturday morning at 5.30a Matt, our boss' son Jackson, and I climbed a mountain. 12000 ft of mountain. The first half hour was in the dark, and then the sun slowly peaked over the horizon.

Jackson and I in the lovely flowers. Unfortunately for Matt and Jackson, I had to stop every few minutes. It was a really arduous hike. It was so beautiful, but the air was so thin, and I guess I was too weak.

We passed tons of water falls. I appreciated the glacial runoff because my fingers were swollen the entire hike from the thin air and high elevation and it felt really good to stick my fingers in the icy (literally there were ice chunks) water.

The whole mountain was in bloom. The air was so fragrant. There were red, yellow, blue, pink and white flowers EVERYWHERE! I saw tons of wild roses and could smell chamomile.

Boys, standing on an ice flow in Emerald Lake.

We saw herds of mountain goats scrambling over the hardscrabble ground. Jackson found some mountain goat wool. It is surprisingly soft. Almost as soft as cat hair.

As hard going as it was, there's no denying how lovely the whole place was.

Resting our feet and refueling our bodies at Emerald Lake.

Baby Mountain Goat. :)

View from The Saddle.

The Summit. Striking resemblance to Mount Doom.

I look happy, but I felt like dying. Matt literally had to push me up the mountain several times. This was taken just after we climbed up a steep snowy rocky "path" to The Saddle.

Emerald Lake and the Glacier from the Summit. You can't see the glacier very well because it's further to my right. Instead of climbing back down the summit, we slid down the glacier on our butts to the lake. It was fast and rocky and painful on our hands, but very fun. I love hiking.

We were still relatively happy at this point. It was the three hour descent that put everyone in a horrible mood. I got sunburned, Jackson fell asleep on the trail, and Matt slipped and nearly fell twice in 3 minutes. Our knees felt like they were going to blow and I had to go to the bathroom so badly I thought I would mess my trousers. Luckily that did NOT happen. When we finally got down we were exhausted. It was a 9.5 hour hike. I had a really hard time walking the rest of the day, and on Sunday I woke up feeling sick and I was SO sunburned on my neck and shoulders. Luckily it was never too hot, just a lot of direct sun.

The Priesthood

2010-07-24T22:52:00.000-06:00

Gotta love them Priesthood boys. I do. But it seems highly unfair that they should control the thermostat of church. That's my one beef with the whole thing. Because no matter how cozy you boys are in your full suits, when it is 97 degrees outside, it should NOT be 55 degrees inside the church building! Summer is the worst in church because it is too cold. I'm dreading tomorrow. I may wear a coat (A WINTER COAT) to church in THE END OF JULY because last week I had goosebumps and was shivering the entire three hours. Other than that though, I love having the Priesthood in my life. What a blessing to be a member of the church.

2010-07-22T21:44:00.000-06:00

I did go running. I ran 6.32 miles. After mile 5 I got a second wind and couldn't seem to stop. I didn't stop until a slow song came on my iPod. Then I came home and it took nearly all my strength to not crash down the stairs. My knee is killing me, but I ran 6.32 miles. And I had made some homemade minestrone and bread this morning which served as a wonderful post-run meal.

2010-07-22T10:32:00.002-06:00

I should go running. Right now. I should run at least 5.5 if not 6 - 7 miles today. But I can't seem to get myself to leave my house...

Paul McCartney

2010-07-14T14:20:00.001-06:00

Yesterday at work someone casually mentioned that Paul McCartney was in Utah and was going to do a show. This was the first I had heard of it and, naturally, I freaked out. I instantly got online and searched for tickets. After two unsuccessful securing of tickets (people told me they were mine and then called back to say they weren't) I got some. I had to drive an hour to West Valley to get them and they were $75. But they were also $85 seats.

Matt, me and 25,000 other lucky persons were tightly packed into the Rio Tinto Stadium barely able to contain our excitement.

And there he was. Barely 300 yards from us, Sir Paul McCartney. My heart about stopped. I LOVE Paul McCartney. He's absolutely my favorite Beatle. Plus, I grew up hearing his songs from my brother's late father. Being there was amazing, and I'm sure if Darrell were alive he would have been indescribably jealous.

Paul was so great with the audience. He read some of the signs and laughed about them. He read one aloud that said, "Welcome to Utah Paul. Marry us!" He responded, "What? All of you?"

He told us that the greatest compliment he ever received as a musician was from Jimi Hendrix when he was doing a show and chose to play The Long and Winding Road. He told us that Hendrix used a lot of slides and back in those days that it would mess up the tuning really badly. During the middle of the show the guitar was way off and Hendrix turned to the audience and asked if Eric Clapton was there and if he would tune the guitar. Clapton was there, and he did tune the guitar for Hendrix.

He also dedicated a song to John and everything left unsaid, and a song to Linda for all the lovers in the audience.

About halfway through, Paul picked up a ukulele and sang Something as a tribute to George Harrison. Apparently George was a fantastic ukulele player.

He commented on the span of generations in the audience (there were certainly a lot of blue hairs) and said to a little girl on her father's shoulders, "Welcome to our grownup concert." But he said it in this silly stuffy Britishy way and it was adorable!

You can't tell from this photo, and I couldn't get a better one, but during this song (can't remember which) Obama's face kept appearing in the background of the stage. I thought it was so funny. Not subtle at all :)

As you can see I'm in love with Paul. I documented the entire show and reveled in his silly dancing between songs and bouncing while playing.

During Live and Let Die these spectacular fireworks and flames shot out of the stage. It was awesome. Before he left he ran around the stage with the British and Utah Flags. He did three encores. On the last he said, "I get the feeling that you want to keep on Rocking!" which was met with uproarious assent. Before the last song, (Sgt Peppers) he said "There comes a time when we all have to go home." Met with booing. "And the time when you go home correlates to the time when we go home. You've been great. This is the last song."

It was awesome. I loved every minute of the 3 hours with Paul. What an amazing concert and awesome opportunity. To think, I woke up yesterday with no idea that I would, in several short hours, see my favorite musician live.

I hate being tickled

2010-07-12T12:08:00.000-06:00

Recently (yesterday) I was tickled. The perpetrator, who will not be named, was relentless. As a consequence my favorite glass that I've had for 3 years was knocked off the coffee table and smashed to the floor. I am not amused.

I Love Summer Saturdays

2010-07-10T11:52:00.001-06:00

I especially love them when I don't have to be at work all day and I can go to the Farmer's Market with a dear old friend and buy produce.

Yummy Lunch here I come. Plus a little homemade cherry pie for dessert? Yes.

Utilities

2010-07-07T19:21:00.000-06:00

I am NOT OK with how much utilities cost me this month for many reasons.

1. They did not cost this much during the winter when the heat was on.
2. I'm NEVER EVEN HOME!
3. There are only 4 of us in this house. Why is the electricity bill so high? WHY?!

4th of July (or Banana Bread French Toast with Pure Kenyan Sugar)

2010-07-06T08:54:00.003-06:00

Here in Provo Independence Day seemed to last the entire weekend because the 4th was on a Sunday. Saturday Matt and I went up to Squaw Peak to watch the fireworks. Luckily we got there several hours early, or we would never have been able to get a spot.

While we were up there, I kept hearing someone speak in a British accent. Finally, I mustered up the courage to ask him which part of England he's from. He said, "Reading." I asked if he knew the Perry's then. Looking stunned he said, "I am a Perry." I was so excited. I told him how I knew his little brother David Perry, and his wife said, "Oh you're Lana. Yeah, I remember hearing about you." I was so excited. It's amazing to meet someone half way across the world on top of a mountain who knows someone (let alone is related to someone) I knew well in London!

Sunday, which was the 4th was fairly uneventful. We all went to church and before we watched our Sunday Documentary, I got to visit with Becky, and then Matt blew up some fireworks. We put bottle rockets down the tube of a broom, and placing the bristles on our shoulders like guns, shot them into the sky. Then we blew up a disgusting tissue box holder sent from Korea. Sorry Sophie, Lauren made me do it. (Though I honestly didn't protest.)

Monday was a long day. The parade was going on in the morning. We didn't go see it. But Matt and I tried to navigate threw it to get to a bakery that ended up being closed. So I made Banana Bread French Toast with Pure Kenyan Sugar. It was delicious. It was especially delicious because I didn't have milk, so I had to water down sweetened condensed milk into which I whisked the eggs.

After Breakfast, we all (which always means Me, Matt, and Lauren) worked on my garden. It now looks beautiful! And then headed to Lauren's grandparents house for a barbecue (which we learned is not actually spelled with a "qu", who knew?). We had hoards of children attacking us. And it was wonderful.

After the Barbecue, we all met up with some other friends to float down the Provo River. I was advised strongly to not take my camera on the river, though, having completed it unscathed, I wish I had.

The river was SO COLD! We had a really hard time getting used to it. We had a really great time all in all, even though Lauren claims she hated it. We know we had fun. All of us had fun, except one. She was hurt pretty badly. I felt really awful for her. But she's alright now.

After the river, Matt was craving bucketed chicken. So we had to go to KFC. I can't remember the last time I actually ate there. At the time it tasted really good, but I'm kind of regretting it now. I picked some green beans from my garden, and we made some fries and had a picnic in my living room and watched The Edge.

It was a really good weekend.

I can't stop posting!

2010-06-29T14:22:00.002-06:00

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? Very well, Thank you.

I'd like to introduce you to, Onion stalks and Peas. Peas are very sweet and well mannered. Onion stalks still have a bit of growing up to do.

And this is String Beans. String Beans are growing fast and taste delicious with some butter and garlic. But then, what doesn't?

Here is Lavender, Chives, Basil and Cilantro. Chives is a little behind the rest, but is growing fast. Cilantro is growing too fast. It's already gone to seed! It's so tasty though.

Behind Lavender you can see Mint.

And over here you can see Carrots, and Strawberries. Strawberries grew up too fast, and all the ants ate away her delicious fruit.

You can't see them in these photos but Pumpkin is growing SO FAST! Lauren is against it, but I'm going to milk feed one of my pumpkins this year. Isn't that a funny idea? I read about it in Little House on the Prairie. I'm going to do it and that Pumpkin is going to be huge! You also can't see Spinach, Jalapeno, Butternut and Lettuce.

I love Summer and I love gardening and I love eating the fresh veggies and herbs. Yum.

No food? No Problem.

2010-06-29T14:09:00.000-06:00

Since I've been hired to work for Marvellous Catering, I have not been grocery shopping. I was hired in April. That's nearly 2 1/2 months of no food shopping. I get fed so well there and I get so many leftovers (plus I practically live there) that I really don't ever need to buy food -which is great for me, and my bank account.
But it happens sometimes that I didn't work all day. So I'm not fed a huge meal. So I'm at home with no food -and hungry.
The last week or so I've been in this position a few times and I've had to improvise. I'm happy to say that I've done quite well. Not on my own, of course, it helps when people move out and leave leftovers.Though I would much rather they all hadn't left for Africa and Canada.

Yesterday's lunch: Quinoa spiced with ground ginger, garlic salt, fresh cilantro from my garden, soy sauce, and a drop of sesame oil ( sorry Lauren :) ).

Salad made from Lettuce from my garden and a bit of Romaine that had frostbite, some frozen raspberries from work, some craisins, some leftover steak from work, topped with a homemade dressing : Olive Oil, Garlic Rice Wine Vinegar, Salt and Pepper.

Cucumber Balls from work and Kiwi slices from work. I don't know how filling it was for Matt. But I really liked it. He loved the Quinoa.

Lunch for me today: Penne with a handful of freezer burnt broccoli, cucumber balls, an infinitesimal amount of steak, a bit of feta (that's been in the fridge forever) and the same dressing as yesterday but with oregano. Kind of like a Greek Pasta Salad thing. Whatever it was, it was delicious.

What to make for dinner now?

There's a lot of Posting going on around here

2010-06-29T13:53:00.000-06:00

This is what Matt has been driving around for the last week while his car has been in the shop. Remember?

A few days ago the three of us (Lauren, Matt and myself) decided we wanted to get out of the house. We hiked around Bridal Veil Falls.

He always makes this face when I kiss him. Secretly, he likes it.

Catholic Priests in their natural habitat. We saw the pair of them climbing up the falls as if there was nothing a bit strange for two Fathers to be hiking up a waterfall.

Hello down there Lauren!

Look, a Rainbow!

I spy Lana and Lauren. Can you?

(Don't tell Matt, I just scratched my hives again.)

Halfway There!

2010-06-29T12:45:00.000-06:00

Today I added another chunk to my tuition fund. And after only one month of saving I have managed somehow to put away half of the money I need for Fall Tuition -which has increased by $100, again.

Two more months like this and I'll be set for tuition and extras!

What will I spend it on? Books? Rent? Housing? Clothes? Something maybe bigger that will only (hopefully) happen once in my life? ;)

The best parts of Summer

2010-06-29T10:45:00.001-06:00

sitting in my cool basement apartment reading a book -for hours.

the ~~second~~ (other) best part of summer?

being in love.

wimpy

2010-06-24T15:46:00.000-06:00

This past winter of extreme cold made me soft. Since when in my life has 90 degrees been unbearable? Never! But today, I can't take it. Today it's too hot.

I scorched my feet on the pavement watering my poor plants -withering in the direct sun (poor lettuce and basil).

I'll read a book about extreme cold for the rest of the hot afternoon and water my plants again later to save them.

Thank goodness I thought to close the windows this morning or my nice, cool, little hobbit hole basement would be a boiling cave.

Provo Sourdough

2010-06-22T03:04:00.002-06:00

I'm up at 3a. Why? Baking bread. I somehow miscalculated when I started my tempermental loaf of sourdough yesterday. So now, I'm sitting half asleep waiting for my bread to finish up so I can go back to sleep. The things I do for baked goods!

Last Tuesday's Special

2010-06-21T14:29:00.000-06:00

By the way... On our way to Salt Lake last Tuesday, stopped innocently at a stoplight, a woman in a huge Trailblazer backed into the passenger side door -where I was sitting. It's been a big to do. We were hit outside the police station but it took them 30 minutes to come outside to help us... The whole situation seems to be taking the same sort of feel. Nothing has happened so far with the claim and the perpetrator wont answer the insurance calls, so we're stuck, until at least Friday, sharing Monty.

Something great happened Tuesday morning, however. I made this skirt. I took an old dress that was really too short to be allowed and I transformed it into a great high-waisted skirt that I LOVE! I was wearing this dress the first time Matt talked to me. <3

Popsicles

2010-06-21T14:15:00.000-06:00

Happy Official First Day of Summer!

The solstices and equinoxes are my favorite times of the year. I love the change to a new season. I love each of them for a different reason. I love the summer solstice because I am warm from head to toe and I can live off of popsicles until September!

Fried Apples and Onions

2010-06-21T11:17:00.000-06:00

I had NO idea that this existed! I want this so badly!

Most of you who know me well know that I ADORE Little House on the Prairie books. They make me so nostalgic and cozy inside. I've read them so many times and I want to read them again and again. I've learned so much from these books about how to embroider, make a braided rug, knit, gardening tips and even some recipes. But there is an actual Recipe BOOK!?

I must have this.

It does the job

2010-06-20T21:22:00.003-06:00

Tonight:

"How's your pork, Matt?"

"Uhm, it does the job I guess."

"What?!"

"It's just a fork."

miscommunication disorders are already setting in

But mostly I'm happy

2010-06-14T15:41:00.002-06:00

Today I'm really happy. I don't have a lot of food (and when I'm not at work and can't eat there) I have to be creative. Because, lets face it I could afford more food, but I've been in a really cheap mood since I paid off my credit card! Today I made fried apples and onions. It sounds super weird, I know. I read about it in Laura Ingalls Wilder's book Farmer Boy. It was Almanzo's favorite dish. And it was really tasty. I just thinly sliced an apple and a red onion, fried it in butter until the apples were soft and toasted and the onions were nearly translucent. It was really delicious. I'm in love.

Sometimes I get scared

2010-06-10T20:57:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I just "think myself into a hole" as Rudy would say. I take things I know are true and I think about them way too much until I can't separate verite from faux.

Luckily, I have a guy who will take me to In-N-Out after I've been throwing up and sleeping all day. A guy who tells me it's ok that I'm insane. A guy who is sure and who knows and yet has been patient with me from the very start. A guy who tells me he will wait for me.

I don't know that I'll ever stop being insane, but someday I'll stop being scared.

Why am I sick?

2010-06-10T09:07:00.003-06:00

I'm sick. It started on Sunday. I have a persistent headache and nausea almost all the time. I barely eat and when I do it usually gives me a headache. I can't move too quickly or, headache. I can't look at something quickly or, headache. Today my sense of smell seemed heightened to an unearthly degree. I walked into work and smelled raw eggs. I could smell them on the counter. There wasn't a spill of them. Maybe someone dropped a bit of egg on the counter yesterday. I could smell everything. And it was awful. It made me really nauseous and I threw up a few minutes later -good thing there was nothing to throw up but BILE! ugh.

Is it the stupid birth control I started taking to help regulate my delicate stuff? Is it that stupid car ride that made me so sick? Did that somehow throw off my inner ear balance thing and now I'm sick? Is it because the Vijgebooms and LaVelles all had the flu the week before I visited them? Is it some monstrous combination of the three?

All I know is that I'm sick. And I can't even work. I tried. I stayed at work 2 hours after throwing up before I thought I would pass out. But I need these hours, which means I need to get better quickly.

I'm going to curb stomp this birth control if I don't start feeling better soon.

California

2010-06-07T15:31:00.012-06:00

This weekend Matt and I roadtripped out to my hometown of Redding, California. Driving out there isn't bad, unless the rental car you secured doesn't have cruise control!

The Sundial Bridge

When we were walking on the river trail with one of my oldest friends, Adrienne, we found a mulberry tree. Some of the berries were too high for us so Matt had to take his shirt off (the berries stain EVERYTHING) and pull down branches for us. Mulberries are so tasty.

Skipping rocks at Brandy Creek.

The area around Whiskeytown Lake is so beautiful. It was especially green from all the rain. I shot so many photos, while we were eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Nor Cal...

My little brother graduated from High School, so some old family friends came to help us celebrate. We had a lot of really delicious foods. Matt couldn't stay away from all the berries. My mom supplied us with a refilling cache of berries. Matt was in heaven.

The day of the graduation it poured all day. We weren't sure how that would go for the walk. But by the time it started the sky was dry and beautiful.

When I'm in Utah, I miss my cat Noni. Matt loves her now too. Especially since she slept with him every night.

Saturday we went to Lake Shasta Caverns with Adrienne and Evan.

The caves were so cool. Photos from my little Cannon just don't do it justice.

Cave Bacon.

Sunday we drove back to Utah. I was unbelievably carsick almost the entire time and poor Matt had to drive a lot. We saw this lovely little gem of an election poster in Lovelock:

She needs a better photographer.

When we arrived in Utah Valley there was the most beautiful lightning storm overhead. I was still too sick to take many shots but I got this one over the Jordan Temple. I couldn't believe how colorful the sky was. I was in awe. And I am very thankful to be home and not in a car anymore.

Letter

2010-06-05T01:58:00.004-06:00

Dear High School,

My little brother graduated tonight. Being back on your campus made me reminisce a lot about what it was like to be that age. I admit I do not miss you a bit. Do I miss being 10 lbs lighter and in the best shape you could image -yes, of course. But when I was talking with a dear old friend (still attending) I remembered all the things about you that terrify me. The drugs, the sex (so much sex, what are these kids thinking? children should not be making babies!), the parties, the drama, the alcohol, the politics, the fashion, etc. I do not miss you one bit. And, actually, some of the things shocked me. I feel old, but maybe being in Provo for so long has made me feel so far removed. I remember a girl showing up to class with acid boils, and a girl in my class graduated pregnant. I remember tons of people getting stoned during lunch or having sex instead of going to second period. But that never affected me. Now that I know loved ones are in high school and possibly doing things that I think they shouldn't be doing, it stresses me out. I know so many kids attending you right now who are doing things I would never dream of. and yea, I know their standards aren't the same as mine. But can't they see that hard drugs will destroy (like physically destroy, like sever synapses and cause permanent damage to) their brains?! Is abstinence really harder than raising a child? Is it? I feel a little sick from hearing about your dark side. I hope these kids can pull their lives together after their 4 years of acid trips.

Broken Heartedly,

Former (always sober) High School Student

Let's Recap

2010-06-03T15:17:00.010-06:00

A week or so ago Matt made me lunch. It was delicious. Spaghetti with vodka sauce and kielbasa sausage and stuffed portobello mushrooms and garlic toast. So good. Lucky my man is such a good cook.

Spring City Pioneer Festival:

Last Saturday we went to Spring City for the historical pioneer festival.

This church (including banister down which Matthew is sliding) was built in 1902.

Awesome.

There was a reconstructed log cabin. I was so excited. It was just like the cabins built in Little House on the Prairie, except that it was Norwegian built and they didn't use chinking like Pa Ingalls.

I was in the middle of saying something to Matt when he snapped this shot. I think it's funny because I'm making such a mean face! I promise that I'm not this mean. Or at least I don't make mean faces like this frequently.

We took a horse drawn carriage ride. We thought it was going to take us around town. False. The driver took us way outside the map and all around in the country. It was a beautiful day and a really nice ride though.

Cool old fireplace.

We found a house on the side of the highway that was half sunk in water. It was so neat that we had to take a few photos. It would have been a great setting for a zombie movie.

Ryan and Kathryn's Wedding:

Everything was perfect and beautiful -including the cake, if I do say so myself. It was a really nice wedding and the weather was perfect. By the end of the night I was exhausted though. I had to get up at 4.30 the next morning to work a few hours before...

Matt and I headed off for California!

More awesome Californian photos to come!

Welcome June

2010-06-01T21:56:00.002-06:00

Matt and I went to a historical Pioneer festival on Saturday -photos to come.

I made a Peach Lemonade wedding cake -photos to come.

I went to another wedding for two very good friends -photos to come.

I leave for California tomorrow. I will post more plus photos then.

ps. A year ago I decided I would never make another wedding cake. But now, I LOVE making wedding cakes. I think I will make a wedding cake blog. I also think that I would love to make your wedding cake. They are delicious and less than half the cost of normal priced wedding cakes -because I don't think a cake should cost $400 even if it is worth it.

You know you're a Geography Major when...

2010-05-27T22:31:00.001-06:00

Someone erroneously calls the Baltic states the Balkan states, and you recognize it. Thank you How I Met Your Mother.

2010-05-25T22:16:00.000-06:00

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
- Sir Francis Bacon

The Big Decisions

2010-05-23T23:06:00.002-06:00

One minute you are incredibly excited and tantalized by the possibilities that come from big decisions that change your whole life, and then the next minute you're scared out of your mind about making those decisions and moving forward into that whole new life. I wonder, when it comes to big life decisions, will you ever feel completely ready for the change?

(ps to those wondering, NOT engaged. Not even close, so don't worry.)

Bienvenidos a Mexico!

2010-05-19T19:40:00.009-06:00

I got home from Baja (which coincidentally means 'low' in Spanish). I spent a week at Rancho Los Amigos near San Jose del Cabo (as near as you can consider over an hour drive away on a windy dusty potholed road that induces instant nausea.)

Fishing in the mornings

Sipping Mango juice or water with lime in the sun in the afternoon. Mostly this is what I did the entire time I was there: nothing. And it was wonderful.

Chino Maro my Dad caught.

The city of San Jose del Cabo for some shopping. Cabo means 'end' in Spanish.

Sunset from the back porch.

The scary inside of a fish's mouth. Yes, those are teeth way down in its throat...

My dad is the self-proclaimed King of Baja. He caught over 50 fish from the beach in two weeks in Mexico.

Fish Omelet for breakfast!

Cabo Pulmo, home of one of the last living coral reefs in the world!

I was so excited to snorkel, but...

I got stung by a jelly fish! A bluebottle to be exact! It stung me several times on both legs. I had a red line connoting where its tentacle wrapped around my thigh. Luckily it didn't hurt worse than razor burn and all the pain went away with a little meat tenderizer. Unluckily, I didn't get to go snorkeling.

We did a lot of fishing. I nearly caught something big on the beach. I don't know what it was because it got away. I do know that it messed up my wrist and I'm having a hard time using it now! I also know that even though I was in Mexico and far away from everything, I still looked cute. Cute enough apparently for a very drunk man to tell me he loved me before crashing through a table in a small cantina that looked something like this:

Monday Morning:

Mexican boys casting nets for sardines at sunrise.

Deep-sea fishing early Monday morning.

Look at that beast!

I caught a dog-toothed snapper! We ate it that night. Delicious. Though the catching of the fish made me feel uncomfortable. You can see it in my face.

Then we saw dolphins! And (unpictured) manta rays and sea lions.

Scary dog toothed fish. Look how sharp those teeth are! What if that bit you?

We also caught Trigger fish that WOULD NOT DIE! I felt so sorry for them. They kept flipping and trying to breathe TWO HOURS after they had been in the water. And, oh guess what, they filleted them alive. Yes. Alive. And yes they continued to be alive after both of their sides had been filleted. Luckily I hadn't had lunch, or I would have lost it.

It was a good week. I got a good tan and a lot of naps. I was well-relaxed to come back to work at 4am this morning... No one is that relaxed.

2010-05-18T20:32:00.002-06:00

Just got home from Baja. STOP
Now I have to go to sleep. STOP
Work starts at 4a tomorrow. STOP
Will post photos when I can. END

Up in the Atmosphere, Up where the Air is clear...

2010-05-04T15:11:00.008-06:00

.yesterday we flew kites.

.here i am struggling with the stupid lizard kite. it was so small it wouldn't fly.

.lauren was the photographer. she was smart and sat in the grass enjoying the sunshine.

.matt's parrot kite.

.poor lauren had never before flown a kite. she struggled at times.

.her younger brother david showed up for some of the high-flying fun.

.we untangled a lot of knots. most of them were lauren's doing. not all, but most.

.when we got tired of flying we took a page out of lauren's book and enjoyed the sun.

.in this picture matt is trying to stick his fingers up my nose.

.binghams.

.the boys look like creepers in this photo.

.the boys started biting our hair.

."this is me as a kite".

.i'm so happy it stopped snowing and now it can finally be proper springtime.

Wedding Cake No 3

2010-05-02T23:00:00.005-06:00

This weekend I did a cake for my friends Sam and Roxanne. Everything went smoothly and the cake was perfect. I feel more confident and comfortable with this whole cake thing.

The little sign at the base of the cake read: "This Wedding cake was made by Miss Lana Pewitt." I was so thrilled and proud. The wedding was beautiful and I felt so honored to have contributed.

The wedding was held in a huge barn in Mapleton. Luckily it stopped raining for the reception. Everything was hydrated and vibrant for photos.

You can see the annoyance on Matt's face. he did NOT want to take these photos with me. He said that they felt too much like engagement photos. I, however, just wanted a nice photo of the two of us with the beautiful background.

The wedding was perfect, the cake was perfect, the bride was beautiful and it was a great evening. I'm excited to do my next wedding cake (June 1st!). Such a difference from the fondant disaster of July 2009. I swear to NEVER do a wedding cake with fondant again. Ever. I will however do beautiful buttercream frosting. So, uhm, anyone getting married and you want me to do your wedding cake?

Mind the Snow, it's nearly May you know.

2010-04-28T19:25:00.002-06:00

it's the end of April. But it's snowing. It's snowing. IT'S SNOWING! Not hard, mind you, but who ever heard of snow at the end of April? Last week it was in the 80s. I'm just worried about my poor little garden. I have so much planted in my little plot of earth and I do not want any of it to die. I'm going to stretch trash bags over them tonight so they can try to keep warm and keep the snow off.

My love is pushing through the dirt

2010-04-23T21:24:00.003-06:00

My plants are starting to grow! Precious tender seedlings are pushing up through the often nutrientless Utah soil.
Who can look at spring and not be in love? I am in love with the blue sky -not the blue of freezing air, but the blue of soft tender air. I am in love with the baby green that is transforming my vista.
I find it easier to be happy and show affection when I'm warm. I feel my Savior's love. I'm happy to work (especially since I'm baking again and NEVER will work a swimsuit shift again). I'm happy to be busy -though not with school.
I am in love with the possibilities that come with the warming of the earth. I love the axis of Earth. I love having this time to face the sun with all our might and bring life and love back into the Northern Hemisphere. I love geography.
I love surprises (though not secrets). I love that we all have weaknesses -our fallibility strengthens our bonds. I love the frailty of life -it makes everything more meaningful.
If you read this, (which means I probably know you) I love you. I love you readers from London. I love you readers from Redding. I love you readers from Utah, Arizona, New York, Cairo, Washington and anywhere else you may be. Matthew, I know you don't read my blog very often but some time you'll read this. I love you. You have become a dear friend to me. I'm so thankful for your strength.

winter's gone and taken my roommates

2010-04-21T08:21:00.004-06:00

Exciting news pt 1: I got my very own KitchenAid. It is this lovely blue machine behind the lovely white cake it produced. I will never be able to live without my new friend.

Exciting news pt 2: The stupid tree in my yard has been taken to task. With the help of my hometeacher's yard tools, my strong boyfriend, and my helpful roommate we to' that tree up! No longer will it darken my garden with it's undesirable shade.

"Exciting" news pt 3: Three of my roommates will be in Africa this summer. Sophie moved out on Tuesday for Cairo, Nicole left this morning for Uganda, and Paige will leave on Friday also for Uganda. I miss them all already.

Exciting news pt 4: I love fish tacos! To celebrate Nicole's last day with us we went to Rubio's and got their World Famous Fish Tacos -for half-priced Taco Tuesday.

I ate 2+ of those tasty taco temptations.

Matt was unsure how he felt about the tacos.

Nicole shunned him for not understanding the flaky fiesta that is a fish taco!

At least I'll have Rudy all summer. She'll get me through missing the rest of them. (Matt you look stupid in this photo...)

Rudy's Last Swim

2010-04-16T08:09:00.001-06:00

Missionaries and Wrinkles

2010-04-15T20:45:00.002-06:00

Matt's little brother Michael went into the MTC yesterday. He's been called to serve in the Pocatello, Idaho Mission. On Tuesday we all went up to Salt Lake. While Matt, his mom, and Michael did a session, I did baptisms. Unlike the Provo Temple that takes FOREVER to do baptisms, I was done within 30 minutes. The Salt Lake Temple is so beautiful and old and has so much history.

The temple grounds have flowers blooming all year long because of an expensive heating unit in the ground that keeps the soil at a temperature sustainable to fragile flowers. Tulips have got to be my favorite flowers. I think they're just elegant. The ones around the temple were so lovely.

It was a beautiful day. I didn't mind waiting 2 hours for the rest of them to be finished. It was cold outside but I enjoyed myself.

We went to the Joseph Smith Memorial building for lunch and I took photos of Matt and Michael for a bit after. I think Matt looks so handsome in these photos. I love him in grey.

There was an old woman on the piano playing a medley of The Sound of Music songs.

I'm getting wrinkles. It's hard to imagine why that could be....
I think it's kind of unfair to still have acne when I begin to get wrinkles.

haute couture

2010-04-09T10:03:00.003-06:00

Wild Things

The Legs of a Ram

Arctic Explorer

David Bowie

Beethoven

Victor Krum

None of these things are things that I would like to look like. Maybe Chanel understands more about what actually looks good than I do, but I'm going to stay away from the oversized furry pieces...

I only liked 2 things from the Chanel Fall 2010 collection:

They were actually pretty. Some of the other cockail dresses looked like someone had to shear a yeti to stay warm in the arctic tundra. Unflattering.

text support

2010-04-08T21:45:00.004-06:00

Today Matthew flew home for the weekend to say goodbye to his brother. Michael will leave for his mission on Wednesday. It's not that I miss him -I do but that's not really what this is about. It's that I know I can text him at any time but for the first time in 4 months my text is second. Family is first. That's the way it's supposed to be. I want it to be that way. But, I miss having my best friend only a text (or a 3 minute drive) away.

I'll probably get a lot done this weekend though.

At work I got a text sent from a flying plane. It made me remember the last time he sent me a text from the air -Thanksgiving. I wasn't sure I wanted to be with him then. When I got this text I was sad for the November Lana because she really didn't know what was up. She didn't know how amazing Matthew is. She didn't know how much happier she would be if she gave him a proper chance. She didn't know. But April Lana knows. And when April Lana got the text from the air, it made her smile. It made her sigh with contentedness. She knows how amazing he is. She knows how lucky she is. She knows and it makes her glad.

Easter Weakend (Strengthened)

2010-04-06T21:24:00.014-06:00

Not a type-o, but a silly pun I guess. Weakend as in the end of being weak. First we got to be spiritually strengthened through General Conference (the end of our weak resolutions and a strengthening of resolve to do better) and second we celebrate our Savior's resurrection -the overcoming of everything weak.

I got tickets to see General Conference from my Bishop. It was my first time. Matt and I drove up in the morning and watched the first session in the old tabernacle (pictured above). The organ pipes were beautiful and it was really neat to be able to watch conference being broadcasted in the building where conference had been held for so many years.

Salt Lake Temple

During the intermission Matt and I took a tour of the Beehive House and had a lunch-to-go from the Lyons House.
The Beehive House was where Brigham Young lived with his family. It was really beautiful and very opulent (especially considering the times and how difficult it would be to make and obtain these things out in the middle of Utah when very little transactions were taking place).

You can see us in the mirror.

Digression: Lately, Matthew and I have been getting a lot of :"You two look like siblings!" False. We do not. This is what my siblings look like:

Sister

Brother

While Matt and I are cute together and I'll admit we may look similar, I do not think we look like siblings.

Back to Conference:

Conference Center aka The Meganacle

We looked darling. I curled my hair for the day and felt very pretty. I was really thankful to be able to go to conference (even though I fell asleep during the sustaining and my pen fell off my lap and the little girl next to me put it back on my lap while I was snoozing away on Matt's shoulder). Also I look A LOT like my niece Katie in this photo I think. Compare with photo below.

For Easter I made a Lemon Crepe Cake courtesy of the Martha Stewart Magazine. I hate lemon curd but this was absolutely delicious. Though I could only take a few bites before I hated lemon curd again.

Holi Fest

2010-03-28T13:38:00.007-06:00

This weekend was the Holi Fest, or Festival of Colors, at the Spanish Fork Hare Krishna Temple.

Holi, or Holli, also called the Festival of Colors, is a spring festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and others.

The main day, Holi, is celebrated by people throwing colored powder and colored water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before, also known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Chhoti Holi (little Holi). The bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlad accomplished when Demoness Holika, carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch devotee of god Vishnu, escaped without any injuries due to his unshakable devotion (he was chanting Vishnus [Krishna] name).

Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (February/March), (Phalgun Purnima), which usually falls in the later part of February or March. (thank you Wikipedia)

Matt and I wore my India pants because we knew our clothes would be thrashed and I was ok with these being dyed. I don't really like that we're twins though... I'm not into the matching couples thing.

Lauren went to the morning session with her brothers, but the four of us went to the later one. I almost regret it because it was SO crowded.

We found Becky, and I look dreadful in this photo because I'm trying to hold the camera back far enough to get all of us... triple chins...

You're kind of supposed to wait for the color throwing all at once, but no one could contain the crowd or their anticipation to get people colored. Matt got me in the eye. The color is actually dyed corn starch. So it really sticks to everything.

Matt got Nicole and Paige in the face as well.

Throwing color

Sprinkling color... >:|

This was my position during the actual throwing as well. I got a great video of everything. I'll try to post it.

The temple through the colored dust.

After the coloring

The color-throbbing crowd. It was so packed. I bet this is what Holi is like in India.

The color got everywhere... And Matt looks like Aladdin.

To my love...

2010-03-25T21:41:00.005-06:00

I loved you from the start.
I love you just the same now.
I'll never stop loving you.
I always want you.
I get excited when I think about you.
I brag about you.
You make me happy.
You fill me up.
My friends love you too, which makes this even better.
I adore everything that you are.
I love the way you make me feel.
I never want to be without you.
I want to have you for the rest of my life.
I love your sweet buns.
InNOut Burger, I'm Yours

Dearly and Forever,

Lana

{There has been some confusion, this post is actually about InNOut, not Matt}

No offense, but...

2010-03-24T00:07:00.004-06:00

Does anything nice ever come after that intro? More than anything else, it seems to be an excuse to say something rude. You may not mean to offend the person, but you certainly mean to say something that should offend them.

No offense, but you are so blankety blank.

What if I told you a joke in French? If you don't speak French would you enjoy it? Would you catch the humor that is embedded in francophone equivocation or French incongruity? Would it seem rude if I expected you to enjoy the joke as much as I do?

Tu ne sais pas? Tu ne comprends le blague? Moi, je le comprends, mais, je ne tu comprends pas quelquefois.

If you don't speak my language, you may not appreciate my jokes. If I don't appreciate your jokes, I may not speak your language. You may find it humorous, whereas I may be offended or fail to see the humor.

We all have an access point. One thing may not seem like a 'big deal' but maybe it's a smallish deal: a smallish deal that pricks where we are weakest.

I try to understand you. Request: Try to understand me as well. We can meet halfway.
My back is starting to hurt from bending over for you.

Measure of Character

2010-03-22T12:39:00.005-06:00

So, I hate my job. I was talking to my dad yesterday and he gave me a little piece of wisdom:

Anyone can learn how to do something they enjoy. The true measure of character is learning how to do something you hate.

So I've decided to stick out my job. It pays really well (for Provo standards) and the work isn't that hard, it's just not very enjoyable. Plus, this isn't a career choice, it's just a summer job to get me through school next fall and winter.

Paige thought I was making a "whiney" blog post, so I'll add some whine, just for her. Does anyone else HATE econ? I think the principles of it are really interesting, but honestly I'm DONE with this semester (I've been this way since the first week). Only 4 more weeks of school and then I'm free of econ forever (or until I have to take History of Economic Thought next winter...). Right now I'm living for 1. The next four weeks and finals to be done, and then 2. Mexico!

whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine (just for you Paige.)

Birthday pt 3: "Real" Birthday

2010-03-21T18:01:00.005-06:00

Baby Lana

21 years old

So, for those of you who do not know. My "birthday" is the 21st of March -The First Day of Spring. It was believed to be my actual birthday until I was 12. At that age, I needed my birth certificate for one reason or another, so I rifled through the filing cabinet to find it. I found my birth certificate (from the birthing center where my mom delivered me), but the date did not say March 21. It said March 20. I looked again and found another birth certificate (this one from the hospital) and it said March 21. My head reeling I asked my mom when I was born. She said the 21st, but when I showed her the conflicting certificates she supposed that she didn't remember the exact day. So we don't really know when my birthday is. Either way it falls on the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring) and it is the cut off exactly between Pisces and Aries. I like not knowing my birthday -or as I say, having two birthdays.

Today after church Lauren and I cleaned out the cupboard under the stairs. Matt came over and, while working on his paper, whined about how much the rubber band in his hair hurt him. Too bad he put it in there himself...

Matt and I got locked out of my house for 20 minutes because he threw rocks at Paige and Lauren. Good thing it was beautiful and sunny. Perfect spring day.

I bought myself a ticket to Mexico for May. One week on the beach catching fish and sun. The ticket only cost me $350. It was an awesome deal. I'm very excited.

Bishop came over and gave me three tickets to General Conference, score!

And I made split pea soup. Yum.

nice photo of Matt with crazy post-rubber band hair

Birthday pt 2: Saturday Night

2010-03-21T11:22:00.004-06:00

Food: Cheap Chinese takeout. Miyazaki : My Neighbor Totoro. Board Games: Ticket to Ride.
Perfect Evening.