A Priceless Life

Werther

2012-02-04T19:42:00.000-06:00

Gabe is starring in Werther this weekend with Minnesota Opera. He is playing the role of Albert, a man who is married to a woman who is in love with Werther. It's a pretty large role so Gabe is excited and also nervous. There is actually going to be a live webcast on Feb 5 of the show for free (tomorrow!). So excited for all of our friends and family that won't get to see the show in person. If you've been wanting to see him perform, here's your chance. Here is the direct link to the website.

Live webcast

Here is a link to the MN opera website for more details about the show!

Werther performances

Have you seen his website? Check it out...

http://www.gabrielpreisser.com/

(Thursday night, backstage)

He was awesome, can't wait to see it again tomorrow. I'll be in the audience while you listen to the webcast :)

Timberwolves

2012-01-29T17:36:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago we got tickets to go see the Minnesota Timberwolves play the Chicago Bulls. It was really fun. It ended up being college night so it was very busy and a little chaotic. The timberwolves lost unfortunately but it was a fun game to watch.

(our friend AJ)

he's 28

2012-01-28T17:23:00.000-06:00

Gabe's birthday was January 6th. We celebrated with our friends Adam and Rebecca at Outback steakhouse then came back to our house for games and more dessert.

Happy Birthday my hubby! You make life so much sweeter!

Winter

2012-01-26T20:17:00.000-06:00

(Pretty planter on Nicollet mall via phone)

I realized today that Gabe and I are slowly adapting to the Minnesotan winter.

Here are two examples....

This morning at 7am I was about to leave work-

Me: Shannon is it freezing outside?

Shannon: No it's really nice, like 35 degrees.

Me: Oh awesome, that's not bad at all.

Gabe got home later this afternoon and we had this conversation-

Gabe: It was so beautiful outside today.

Me: oh yeah, that's great!

Gabe: Yeah I had the windows down in my car.

Me: Geez, must have been amazing, what was the temp?

Gabe: 40 degrees.

For real.

6 years!

2012-01-23T16:49:00.001-06:00

We had an amazing 6th anniversary. We ate at a restaurant called Seven, a steakhouse. It was quite chilly outside but we were able to sit by a beautiful fireplace. It was a great spot! So romantic! Fun times in our "minne" city!

Six years goes by so fast. I can't believe all the places we've lived and all the things we've seen and done. On January 8 we had the 12th anniversary of our first date! Twelfth!!! It is unbelievable. I love him so much and I've always believed our love truly grows. We're happier and happier, really! Love you baby! Here's to many, many more!

yippee

2012-01-16T04:42:00.001-06:00

These two are getting married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't even believe it, so exciting!

We've been going crazy on pinterest, and recently found the wedding chicks blog. Any of my bloggy friends know of any good wedding resources??

Congrats Sarah and Kris!!!!!!!!!!!

Ringing in 2012

2012-01-15T21:54:00.002-06:00

On New Year's Eve we stayed in. So exciting, I know. We ended up having a pretty long day and woke up from a nap at like 6:30. We were groggy and felt like snuggling and watching the snow fall. That's right! SNOW! (Guess what it melted again, but at least we enjoyed a little bit for a time.) Here's a fuzzy video of the snow falling.

So after celebrating at 11 central time, 12 eastern we headed out to play in the snow. Kind of awkward "playing in the snow" downtown. We were actually in a parking lot. :)

(Costco "Uggs" are like the ultimate. Best $40 I ever spent!)

(We live in the building in the background)

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

Snowball to the thigh, anyone? See the skyway behind Gabe?

The next day I made chicken and dumplings in my new dutch oven!!!

So good. Recipe here. It's fairly healthy too!

Happy New Year everyone!!

2011, so long farewell (January thru May)

2012-01-15T04:39:00.001-06:00

January- Pensacola, FL

February- Pensacola, FL

March- Pensacola, FL

April- Pensacola, FL

May- Orlando, FL

New York, NY

Logan, UT

to be continued... (just scroll down)

2011, so long farewell (June thu December)

2012-01-15T04:26:00.001-06:00

June- Logan, UT

Salt Lake City, UT

July-Logan, UT

Orlando, FL

August- Orlando, FL

Minneapolis, MN

September- Minneapolis, MN

October- Minneapolis, MN

November- Minneapolis, MN

Via Minnesota Opera/Michael Daniel

December- Minneapolis, MN

Orlando, FL

Minneapolis, MN

The end, or beginning. :)

Festive (part IV)

2012-01-10T09:40:00.001-06:00

We were in Minneapolis for the holidays as I had to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas night. I came home Christmas morning at 7:45 am and Gabe was dressed for church and had made us an amazing breakfast to feast on while we opened a few presents.

He had the TV set to the Yule log channel. How great! We went for the ever traditional christmas ficus. Who needs a gorgeous Christmas fur tree? Not us!

My Dad and Beth brought me a beautiful wooden jewelry box from Italy. It's so pretty.

Then Gabe had me open his present to me, my dutch oven! Yah so exciting! I also got another piece that I opened that morning from mom and linny, a baking dish. Yah for more cooking in 2012!

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

Gabe later told me that in order to keep the dutch oven a secret he was hiding it at our friends, the Malone's home. I thought he was asleep Christmas eve when I left for work but he actually drove to their place that night to pick it up. What a trickster. Hope everyone had a great holiday! I think that's the last of my christmas posts. :)

The Wild

2012-01-09T18:38:00.002-06:00

We were fortunate to recieve tickets to a Minnesota Wild hockey game a few weeks before Christmas. It was at the Excel energy center in St. Paul.

Someone was excited!

I was extremely excited to get a bag of mini donuts for $5. It was a fun game, though!

The wild lost in an overtime shootout. Talk about nail biter. Fun game, even better company.

Festive (part III)

2012-01-09T18:13:00.000-06:00

One of the most enjoyable parts of living downtown is walking through the skyway and admiring all the awesome Christmas decorations. The trees below were in the Target financial building.

This is my favorite tree, in the IDS building. It just came down yesterday and I was so sad. They even had performances during the day in front of the tree from different musical groups around town.

Here is another view from the IDS building at night right before the Holidazzle parade.

The holidazzle parade runs downtown on Nicollet Thurs-Sunday for several weeks in December. We actually saw it twice and we were impressed. We took these pictures on the last night and everyone else showed up too. So crowded!

Fun times downtown!

Festive (part II)

2012-01-09T17:34:00.000-06:00

While I was home for my aunt's wedding we did an early holiday with my family. I got some great clothes and cute jewelery. I also got this...

Just a subtle hint for a prosperous 2012. :)

Then we visited the Stetson mansion in Deland, which is the home built by the stetson hat creator. The couple that owns it now decorates it for Christmas and offer tours of the home. So Beautiful. I learned with Christmas decorations, more really is more.

a lovely wedding

2012-01-03T13:15:00.000-06:00

My Aunt Carol married her sweetheart, Dennis on December 10th at Holy Family Catholic church with a reception held at the Keene's point country club. What a special day. Everything was white and gold and lovely. Congratulations Ca and Dennis!!

So much fun!!

Festive (part I)

2012-01-02T21:21:00.000-06:00

I'm a little behind on blogging. It's been a bit crazy around here. I feel like I work all the time and when I'm not I want to spend as much time with Gabe as possible and blogging ends up getting put to the wayside. Here are a few Christmas related activities we took part in before the holidays :)

The Macys downtown is 12 stories. 12. Not all of them are retail but the shear magnitude is impressive. The top floor even has a cafeteria style eating area and also a really nice restaurant called The Oak Room. We soon found out that there was an amazing Christmas display on the 8th floor. It's called Santaland and walks you through a day in the life of an elf. It was awesome! We were in shock the first time we went through. We went several times since it was free and this last time when I got all the pics it was Christmas Eve.

How fitting.

Then at the end you can wait in a cue line to see Santa. Fun, right? I wish now I would have gotten some video, since most of the elves moved. It was darling. A very special surprise at the top of Macys. If you're ever in Minneapolis over the holidays, we highly recommend!

santa came...

2011-12-27T01:49:00.001-06:00

...and left me this!!!!!!

In aubergine no less. I love saying that word now aubergine.

The very first thing I want to make is this Pioneer Woman chicken soup! I can't wait!

it snowed...a little

2011-12-24T22:13:00.001-06:00

See? Just a little. It's going to be 42 degress Christmas Day so it will probably be gone soon.

He's so sneaky

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Remember when we were here a few months ago? There was no snow and that icy pond had ripples.

It looked like there were quite a few footprints on the ice, and it was about 5 inches deep so we took our chances...

Made it to the center!

We stood on a frozen pond for the first time in our lives. Pretty cool!

Happy Holidays from Minneapolis, Minnesota!!

White Christmas??????

2011-12-18T18:11:00.000-06:00

This was the view from our window on Dec 3, 2011...

Then we went to Orlando for a little less than a week and the temp spiked in Minneapolis into the 40's.

This. means. no. snow.

Not one iota of snow on the ground. Wanna know that the 10 day forecast looks like...

no. snow.

Christmas Day it will be 23 degrees and sunny.

A Florida girl can't even get a white Christmas in minnefrickinsota.

Sigh.

Holiday Inn circa 1942. A family favorite. (In color too)

Dear Santa, Please don't take this the wrong way and arrange for five feet of snow to be dumped on minne. I just want some flurries on Christmas day. Thanks, Christina

A visit

2011-12-07T16:49:00.000-06:00

I'm a little behind but I wanted to post these pictures we took while Gerry was in town to see Silent Night. We had fun touring her around the big city and eating at some yummy restaurants!!

We were able to visit Minnehaha falls. It is pronounced just like you'd think and always makes me laugh. Minnehaha, haha.

He was still sporting the stache'. It's gone now. I kept telling I couldn't take him seriously with it and it's audition season. Lucky break.

Here's another pic that was taken that weekend at the opera after party.

via Clare pix photography http://www.clarepix.com/

Doesn't he look so different??!!

Anywho, one last pic from the visit with Gerry. We stopped by Mall of America before she flew out on Monday. I realize I haven't posted much about this special place. All you need to know is that there are two Auntie Anne's pretzels. Two. One on the south side and one on west side. I've obviously been to both. Not on the same day, but there's an idea. hmmmmm.

There is a MEGA Lego store there and it's a favorite spot for Gabe when we go. I took this picture on my phone outside the store...

The pictures are made out of single legos. Tiny single ones! It's pretty cool!

Thanks for visiting Gerry!! We had fun, sorry you missed the snow! ;)

Very pintersting

2011-12-04T08:39:00.000-06:00

I seriously love pinterest! I used to collect favorite projects under my favorite tabs but then they would be forgotten. This way I can check back regularly and come up with new ideas. A few weeks ago I shared a blog post about a turkey shirt whose inspiration came from a pin, so I decided to share a few more pins that have tuned into more than just inspiration.

Source: creatingkeepsakesblog.com via Christina on Pinterest

I have done this with all my ribbon and it has made storage so much easier!

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Christina on Pinterest

Ree Drummond blows my mind. I love her so much. I especially love this amazing chowder!! Turned out so yummy. Probably all the half and half.

Source: lightrefreshmentsserved.com via Christina on Pinterest

Cool coasters that were so cheap to make. I just bought the tiles at home depot and I already had the paper and mod podge on hand. I also bought the rubber pads at target. Here is how mine turned out...

I love how they turned out.

Source: mamaandbabylove.blogspot.com via Christina on Pinterest

This was a great post with several recipes. We made the chicken curry and it was so yummy and made great leftovers.

Now for the creme de la creme.......

Source: favfamilyrecipes.com via Christina on Pinterest

I will preface by saying that in the (almost) six years we have been married I have never gotten such an amazing reaction over food from the opera singer. It was a What about Bob moment. If you click on the link it takes you to the recipe for the Cafe Rio (chain in UT, CA) burrito/salad elements. I made the sweet pulled pork in a crock pot and it was pretty darn good. I even ate it which says alot since I don't eat much meat. He on the other hand about died and went to shredded pork heaven. You should try it :)

I have to do a major blog catch up soon. Sorry for the lack of blogging. I've been working too much! Gabe is in "audition season" again. Send some good vibes and prayers his way if you could :)

Thankful

2011-11-24T14:42:00.000-06:00

(via)

In honor of Thanksgiving I wanted to take time to write down a few things we are grateful for.

First and for most each other. I don't know what I'd do without him.

Our amazing families and getting to visit soon.

Our health

For Linda doing well

Our church, which provides a place for us always, even with our crazy gypsy lifestyle.

The knowledge of the gospel

Our teeny tiny apt that is just for us and heat included :)

Our friends

Two operating cars

Food in our fridge

Jobs (My husband gets payed to sing. Can you believe it?)

The skyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first beautiful snow fall we got to watch together. (I'll post pics soon)

The confidence to cook more. Home cooked meals are becoming easier for us :)

We are so blessed. Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!

Tin Cup Food Challenge

2011-11-21T19:55:00.000-06:00

(via)

Let's start off by saying if you have no clue who this guy is...this post will likely confuse you.

Gabe would like to BE him. And that is that.

Adam Richman stars on Man v. Food Nation on the travel channel and we both love the show.

He goes to cities around the U.S. scouting out good food spots and takes on extreme food challenges.

Gabe saw one recently where Adam visited the Twin Cities and was giddy with anticipation of going to a local dive called Tin Cup.

The challenge:

Two- one lb. burgers and two pounds of fries. These aren't just any burgers, they're juicy lucys which means they have a cheesy filling in the interior and these so happened to have jalapenos in the center and the actual burger was smothered in a hot pepper siracha sauce. Sound good?

Gabe and his friend Jon were up to the challenge.

Haha, don't you love the excitement!

Gabe finished the first burger in four minutes...

Second one took a little longer but he was foooooooooooooooooocused.

Starting to not feel so good.

.....aaaaaaand he's done. Finished both burgers but couldn't mange all the fries. The best part- he had to be at rehearsal in less than 30 minutes. I'm not sure how he didn't get sick.

In the fight against man versus food...sadly...FOOD won.

One beautiful silent night

2011-11-14T21:30:00.001-06:00

This weekend marked the opening of Silent Night, a world premiere opera, which Gabe was so fortunate to be a part of. The show was stunning and probably my favorite to date. Remember a few weeks ago I told you about a photo shoot Gabe was a part of for the opera...

Here's how it turned out.

Cool, huh?

The show was even cooler. Here are several links to photos, and reviews. So exciting over here!!

Here's a great article from MPR that was written before the show. (It has great pics and audio)

'Silent Night' recounts Christmas Truce across no man's land Minnesota Public Radio News

(Via Minnesota Opera/Michael Daniel)

Review from the Star Tribune

Troy Cook's Palmer, Andrew Wilkowske's Ponchel and the trio of lieutenants (Liam Bonner, Craig Irvin, Gabriel Preisser) merit special praise.

The review from the Examiner

Vocally Silent Night relies heavily on the commanding baritones of Craig Irvin (as the German Lieutenant Horstmayer), Gabriel Preisser (as the Scottish Lieutenant Gordon), and Liam Bonner (as the French Lieutenant Audebert). The interplay of these three talented singers - from tersely delivered formalities to the affectionate cordialities of unlikely friends – is endlessly compelling, their tonal synchronicity suggesting a private sympathy that runs deeper than the capricious ideologies of their clashing nations.

skyway

2011-11-08T02:20:00.000-06:00

Last week Gabe and I went on a date night to the movies. It was the first time going since we moved here and we decided to try taking the skyway there. The Minneapolis skyway is over 5 miles long and connects 52 city blocks. It is crucial during the winter months (more crucial now for the FL kids) and we are connected to practically everything. It's not always the quickest route but it's defintely the warmest. We went to the movies and came back home and didn't walk outside once. Thank the heavens for this skyway connected apartment. Gabe calls the skyway our house, just a connection of where we sleep. It is filled with shops, restaurants, salons, etc. The catch...only open late on the weeknights with limited places open on the weekends. Definitely catering more towards individuals that work in the city. I made a little map so you could see where we go most and how far it is from where we live.

Basic Map via

The heart shape covers my fav place, Target. Nicollet Mall, the long red line is literally like an outdoor/partially covered mall, it's in the opening credits of the Mary Tyler Moore show.

Star = movies, Basketball = Target Center. After I finished editing this map I realized it's totally outdated. The skyway goes much further now. They are even building another one on the building next to ours which will give us a shortcut to certain places. Pretty neat, huh?

Timbeeeeerrrrrrrrr!

2011-10-30T22:45:00.000-05:00

little bitty shirt

2011-10-26T03:54:00.002-05:00

Recently I was admiring a cute sewing craft on pinterest.

Source: None via Christina on Pinterest

The pin came from a google image search and when I tried to find a tutorial or source online I had no luck. The more I stared at it the more confident I became that I could make it. I loooooooove ribbon so I have quite a few spools to choose from and knew that I had enough variety to pull it off.

Here are the supplies I used...

Basic Cherokee t-shirt from Target (I used 18 mos.)

Brown minky fabric, small scrap piece

Various colors and sizes of ribbon

Heat 'n Bond

Thread

Scissors
Disappearing fabric ink pen

Sequins and small beads

Template for turkey body (I made mine using MS word, overlapped two circles)

(Next-sorry didn't get a picture. I sewed tiny beads on top of a sequin for the eyes and beak. I tried to hand sew and even used the sewing machine initially, but nothing looked right. When all else fails find sequin.)

I sent it off to little V, my cousins baby. Not as perfect as the original but I was still pretty happy with how it turned out!

**********************************************************

Here is an updated picture of little V in the turkey shirt...

She's so cute!!

according to the camera phone

2011-10-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii husband! You look awfully handsome!

Hello beautiful sweater that was rejected from Talbots. I will gladly buy you for $16.99 at Marshalls, especially since you started out as $90.

Downtown at dusk

Beautiful sky

Opera pre-show. Gabe sang a piece from Cosi.

Broccoli Quinoa Casserole. It was soooo delicious!

Definitely making this again. Here is the recipe.

Hope everyone has a great week!

sculpture

2011-10-10T17:25:00.001-05:00

This weekend we went to the sculpture gardens to explore. The "spoonbridge and cherry" is the central sculpture and also a Minneapolis staple. It was a beautiful day. We had so much fun spending time together admiring our new city.

A walk around the lake

2011-10-09T17:48:00.000-05:00

The state of Minnesota is known as the the land of 10,000 lakes. The chain of lakes in Minneapolis has tons of bike and walking trails. Lake Calhoun is the largest of all the lakes and we have loved visiting that area. A couple weeks ago we met some of Gabe's coworkers for a walk around the lake. It was brisk that day and fairly overcast, but it's been in the 80's all week again. You won't find me complaining though!

Here are some of the pics we took.

Mary Lacey, AJ, Gabe, Vicki- downtown in the background

Little bitty blankets

2011-10-05T21:54:00.000-05:00

Boys, boys, boys!!

Lots of baby boys lately. Cutie pie little baby boys. I wanted to try something a little different for baby gifts for my friends and sister-in-law so I started looking through some of my sewing books and found a pattern to make a tactile blanket, or taggie blanket. It was pretty easy and turned out so cute and soft with the minky fabric. They are quite itty bitty considering the title of "blanket." They're designed to be held and played with more or less.

This is the sewing book I was referring to. It's a great book with all kinds of patterns and ideas.

Great book for beginners too!

Pumpkin Creme Pies

2011-10-02T21:11:00.001-05:00

I found this recipe the other day and couldn't wait to try it. Prep time took quite awhile and we're still adjusting to cooking/baking in our little kitchen. The results were definitely worth it though!! They were supposed to be like an oatmeal creme pie, but ended up more like a whoopie pie. Who cares really?? I love them both!

Here is the recipe!

Recently

2011-09-30T23:09:00.001-05:00

Recently...we have been busy. I got a job, working with mommies and babies again. This time at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. People refer to this place as "The U." I woke up entirely too early this week to attend orientation that feels never ending. I have several more weeks of day shift then I'm going back to the dark side. In at 11p out at 7a. This is a contact through the end of the year, so if I hate it there will be an end in sight. I'm going to miss snuggling my honey at night. Brings back memories when we were first married, trying to figure out how to be a wife, yet asleep all day. It made the time I was at home even more special.

Gabe is in production week of Cosi Fan Tutti. He is covering a role, so he is able to sit and enjoy the performances, but has to be ready at any moment to go on. I'm going to see the show this weekend. The rest of our weekend will be spent watching General Conference, cooking, baking, relaxing, with a little bit of exercise thrown in somewhere. What are you doing this weekend??

On an unrelated note...

The other day we were in my most favorite place of all, Target, when Gabe stumbled upon the xbox. I perused for awhile, came back to see him and started chatting with him about buying a TV. Shortly after he said, "Honey, I know you're wanting to talk to me right now, but I'm trying to find Darth Vader."

He was totally serious. So I stopped to take a picture so that I could give him a hard time later then went and got a refill of diet coke. I think we both ended up happy.

reminisce

2011-09-22T11:01:00.001-05:00

I realize now that one year ago I had a love affair with Louisville, KY. I think about that place a lot. I loved walking around downtown everyday. I was sewing and reading, we were making friends and seeing new sites. Let's reminisce shall we....

See what I mean? Pretty awesome.

photo shoot

2011-09-20T19:38:00.001-05:00

Last night Gabe was part of a photo shoot for the world premiere of Silent Night, The opera is about the WWI armistice on Christmas Day. The photographer brought us to this really cool part of the city in the mill district right next to the river. It was the site of an old mill that they have kept around for historical purposes, and for photo shoots of course. :) It will be on the cover of Minneapolis Monthly, a local magazine. Hopefully we'll get a copy so I can share the final pics with you.

Since we were down there I took a few shots of him, for possible headshots. I wasn't thrilled with them, but I learned a little bit about shooting at dusk. I'd love to take a bunch more. This was one of the better ones, but still a little out of focus.

This picture reminded me of another pic I love of him, taken 5 years and 9 months ago.

What a sexy dude. Over and out.

a giant

2011-09-16T17:26:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week we made the decision to get some produce from the farmers market downtown on Thursday. I have a great recipe for stuffed zucchini and I was excited to make it again. Thursday morning Gabe went to work and soon after came home with a GIANT zucchini from his coworker's garden. GIANT. ENORMOUS.

(that is one of the largest cookbooks I have)

My first reaction was WOW, then um...what am I going to to with this thing. The recipe calls for 4 medium zucchinis. This whole thing was way bigger then 4 zucchinis. Maybe 6. Gabe basically challenged me to make it work since it was huge and free. Boiling it was a joke. I had to keep rotating it, then flip it to make sure the whole thing would soften. Overall though, it turned out pretty good. I just had to double the filling.

I mean, for real. HUGE.

Here's the yummy recipe

4 med zucchini, about 2 lbs.

salt

pepper

3 tb EVOO

1 med onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 c freshly grated pecorino romano

2 tsp minced thyme or oregano

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 tb bread crumbs

1.Bring several quarts of water to a boil in large saucepan. Simmer zucchini until they offer just a little resistance when pierced (about 6 min). Drain and cool. Trim the ends and slice zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and some surrounding flesh. The zucchini should still be about a 1/2 inch thick in most places.

2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 tb olive oil in pan. Add onion and sautee for 5 min. Stir in garlic and cook additional 2 min.

3. In a seperate bowl place onion mixture, ricotta and pecorino cheeses, thyme, egg, salt and pepper to taste. Mix together. Divide filling among hollowed out zucchini.

4. Add remaining olive oil to a baking dish. Arrange in a single layer. Sprinkle bread crumbs over filling.

5. Bake 40-50 min. Then, you're done!

We did still make it to the farmers market. Here are some pretty flowers we picked up for $5. I was able to split it and make two arrangements. Flowers definitely made our place more homey.

A sports town

2011-09-12T12:04:00.000-05:00

The first week we were here our hosts, the Wilson's, took us to our first ever Minnesota Twins game. We all devoured the stadium food. Sooooo yummy. The Twins lost unfortunately but it was still a blast. Target Field was amazing! It's practically brand new. I forgot my camera so the phone pics will have to do. We hope we get a chance to go again before it gets too cold.

He was just a little bit excited!

Then when I went to Orlando Gabe scored a great deal on pre-season Minnesota Vikings tickets. He was on the third row and payed $17!! He was PUMPED!!! The best part, they played the Houston Texans! Gabe became a huge fan when we lived there. He even wore his Texan's jersey and he said the six other Texans fans there came up to him and talked like they were buddies. He was able to see Christian Ponder (former FSU QB) play three quarters of the game, but Matt Shaub didn't play for the Texans so he was kind of bummed about that. Overrall you could call that one heck of a week for Gabe. Two pro athlete games in his first week in Minnesota!

Pics from inside the Metrodome. He walked there from our apt. (Fireworks for every TD!)

Showered with Love

2011-09-10T15:01:00.000-05:00

My Aunt Carol is getting married in December. I was home just recently and was able to attend her shower. My Aunts know how to throw a party for sure! All the details were so sweet and meticulous!

(Shower games by Casey and Aunt Marie)

(Opening gifts)

Congratulations Aunt Ca and Dennis!

Our digs

2011-09-08T12:51:00.000-05:00

Just a few pics of our place and our view. We're liking the downtown lifestyle so far! Reminds us a lot of living in Lousville, KY but on a much bigger scale! And...if you remember our digs, they are much improved from Louisville, although we're still in a loft space. It's a lot less to clean for sure. The kitchen laminate floor is like a 2x5 space. Last night I was like "oh how about I clean the kitchen floor. ok, done."

Yippee

2011-09-07T16:43:00.002-05:00

...and the choirs of angels sang when I walked into a multi-level Target four blocks from where we live.

Busy week!

2011-09-05T00:02:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone, sorry for the lack of updates. We finally found a place in Minneapolis and a few hours after we moved in I flew back home for the weekend. I was supposed to come home for my hs reunion which has been postponed (insert eye roll here) but luckily it happened to be the same weekend as my Aunt Carol's wedding shower. So, the visit has been great but I still feel exhausted from the last two weeks. Gabe has been so sweet to organize our new place while I've been away. As soon as I get home and we get the internet figured out I'll post more pics. Love to you all!

I attached a picture of our view of Minneapolis. We're in a loft on the 26th floor.

lumber jacks and fried food and such

2011-08-28T14:51:00.000-05:00

Road Trip

2011-08-27T12:43:00.001-05:00

We drove over 1500 miles in two days. We were tired, our car was tired. Towing anything is a complete pain let alone across many states. We were so blessed not to have any car trouble or any major hiccups. We had perfect weather the first day. The whole day would have been completely perfect except for the fact that Gabe got pulled over two hours into the trip around Gainesville, flashing lights and all. We were both so confused. We were going 60mph . After the cop made Gabe get out of the car and stand in the grass where he proceeded to get multiple fire ant bites the cop said "Just wanted to check on ya. You know it's hard driving a tow dolly." Basically it was a huge waste of time. But we were grateful for yet another reminder to be careful.

Driving through Wisconsin was beautiful. We went around Chicago to avoid a storm so we got to see some more rural areas of Illinois and beautful farms in WI just before the state line.

Driving into the Twin Cities. You betcha!

New in Town

2011-08-25T21:59:00.003-05:00

MinnesOota, ay! We're here. We went downtown today to fill out some paperwork for a rental we're hoping to snatch up. Then, we found a farmers market and a yummy french restaurant for crepes. Our trip here went well, I'll post more about that soon. Tomorrow we're going to the State Fair, which is supposed be amazing!

(Six dollars! Can you believe it!)

This eatery was as big as a closet!

The results were delicious, though!

By the way have you seen this movie?

Once you see it you will be very worried for us :)

(via)

on the road again

2011-08-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

We're locked and loaded. 5:00 am is going to come quickly. Wish us luck! Minneapolis or bust!

water babies

2011-08-12T23:26:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday we went to the beach for the day with Gabe's brother and our niece and nephew. The beach was fun but these kids live for the pool!

Uncle Gabe caught a crab for them and it took shelter in their fort. They named him Joe.

tomorrow

2011-08-07T23:59:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow Gabe flies home from Utah. I haven't seen him in three weeks. I'm soooooo excited! This also means that we leave for Minnesota in two weeks! Time flies. We've known about this contract since December and it always seemed so far away. I am scared and restless about it, but I know the Lord is watching over us and hears our prayers and knows our every concern.

I made a Minnesota wish list which included things like..

-find a great job with some flexibility in case of major snow storms.

-find a great apt/condo, reasonably priced with easy parking.

-NO car accidents. I have no idea how to drive in the snow/ice. Pray for us.

-save, save, save

-Let Gabe make a lot of connections that will help him in the future.

That's just a few. On the plus side I found out it's super cheap to fly in and out of Minneapolis. I had to buy a ticket for my HS reunion which happens a few weeks after the move. Who's coming to visit???

Hope everyone has a great week!

"And upon these I write the things of my soul..." 2 Nephi 4:15

honey

2011-08-02T08:32:00.002-05:00

I was watching a rerun of Oprah a few weeks ago. I hadn’t seen it previously. Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks were promoting their new movie. Oprah played several clips from previous shows they had been featured on and I was struck by one in particular. Julia Roberts was speaking to Oprah about becoming a mother to her twins and she mentioned that her husband was the most amazing father. “Watching him as a father has been one of the great thrills of my life,” she said.

At that moment I felt tears well up in my eyes. I have always felt that precise thing, but in anticipation. I look forward to seeing Gabe become a father, I feel like it will be one of the greatest thrills of my life. I know he will be so amazing on so many levels.

People often ask us when we will have children and are maybe a little surprised when we mention that we have been married for 5 years, without any little ones. Here is the simple answer- We live like gypsies without a place of our own. We live out of boxes and suitcases without any real stability. We have felt through prayer that dream will be realized for us in the next few years. You’ll just have to wait and see. :)

Dearest Husband,

I love you and I dream about the day we will have a baby and I will watch you become a Daddy. I am so grateful for you in my life. You are an amazing companion and I often feel like I would be lost without you. I am so blessed that you are a worthy priesthood holder and that you have made so many right decisions along your life’s journey. Every decision has led you to this life we have with travels and friends and music. You are so talented and I am proud of you for providing for our family with your voice. We are so lucky. Thank you for being mine.

Bobby and Kylee get married :)

2011-08-01T08:26:00.001-05:00

My cousin Bobby married his sweetheart, Kylee, this past weekend in Naples, FL.
A beautiful wedding for a beauitful couple!

Mr. and Mrs!

Sisters, sisters!

Sarah and Kris

Baby V

Girl Cousins!

Girls cousins plus our cousin's wives

(Myself, Sarah, Kass and Virginia, Kylee, Amy, Casey and Lauren)

Beautiful couple!

Great speech by the Best Man, Andy

My family

There a bunch of dance-a-holics!

Bluebird

2011-07-30T13:52:00.002-05:00

Est. 1914 right on Main Street across from the Tabernacle

This is the cherry ironport I told you about in this post.

Yeah, this place is pretty much amazing! They serve huge warm dinner rolls right as you're seated. The food has been great every time we've gone and I think Gabe made it there again recently. Yum-O!

This darling sign is hanging right by the exit. AMEN!

a few more

2011-07-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

These pictures were from a walk I took in Utah right before I left. So pretty. I miss those mountains!

By the way, I want a cherry tree now.

Green canyon

Gabe and Joe taking it easy. So cute!

The Merry Widow

2011-07-29T12:36:00.000-05:00

A group of us including Ron and some his family went to opening night of Merry Widow. Gabe was amazing! I think he impressed everyone and definitely stole the show!

On the left is our friend Lisa, who attended our ward in Houston, and Ron, her father who hosted us in Utah. On the right is our friend Jennie who also sang in the program. Being silly after the show.

Then we had a flat tire. Such is life.

Good job honey!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lately

2011-07-27T22:41:00.000-05:00

Wisdom teeth extraction...check

Feel like getting hit by a truck...check

I feel so lousy. I made the quick decision to get a consultation with an oral surgeon and scheduled my surgery within two days. It had to be done. I've been putting it off waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long, but the feelings of remorse exist still. It hurts to talk, but I can type. Hopefully I'll feel better in a couple days. Wish my hubby was here, but if I waited that long we would have been too close to our move to Minnesota. I wanted to be completely healed. Mom and Linny are taking good care of me, though.

Aside from that, I just wanted to share some news with you all. Gabe competed in a singing competition in Utah yesterday and won!!!! He gets a paid trip to Italy to sing at the international level now! I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo proud of him!!! We don't have all the details but as soon as we know more I'll let you know.

Group shot of The Merry Widow cast (minus a few). Pic from one of Gabe's friends. Can you see Gabe? Ten points to gryffindor if you find him. That might be the drugs talking.

Stay tuned for more blog updates from Utah and my cousins wedding!

Have a cookie and thoughts on shortening

2011-07-25T20:22:00.003-05:00

While I was in Utah we had the privilege of staying in a home with a packed pantry and freezer. One night while I was alone I went hunting for a cookie recipe and the right ingredients. I found everything pretty quickly including vegetable shortening which I had never recalled using while cooking. Never. Can't remember my parents ever using it either for anything.

A few days later while reading The Help (my new favorite book) I came across the following passage. Minny is attempting to help Celia become a better cook.

I’ve never told a white woman what to do and I don’t really know how to start. I pull up my stockings, think about it. Finally, I point to the can on the counter.

“I reckon if there’s anything you ought to know about cooking, it’s this.”
“That’s just lard ain’t it.”
“No, it ain’t just lard,” I say. “it’s the most important invention in the kitchen since jarred mayonnaise.”
“What’s so special about”- she wrinkles her nose at it- “pig fat?”
“Ain’t pig, it’s vegetable.” Who in this world doesn’t know what Crisco is? “You don’t have a clue of all the things you can do with this here can.”
She shrugs, “Fry?”
“Ain’t just for frying. You ever get a sticky something stuck in your hair, like gum?” I jackhammer my finger on the criso can. “That’s right, Crisco. Spread this on a baby’s bottom, you won’t even know what diaper rash is.” I plop three scoops in the black skillet. “Shoot, I seen ladies rub it under they eyes and on they husbands scaly feet.”
“Look how pretty it is.” she says ”Like white cake frosting.”
“Clean the goo from a price tag, take the squeak out of a door hinge. Lights get cut off, stick a wick in it and burn it like a candle.”
I turn on the flame and we watch it melt down in the pan. “And after all that, it’ll still fry your chicken.”

The book is so freaking amazing. So, after some experimentation with butter v. shortening, I tried both. It was amazing!

Sift 1/4 c flour

1 ts salt

1 ts baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 ts vanilla
1/2 tb water
2 eggs

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup reese's peanut butter morsels

1 cup nuts (I used chopped walnuts)

Combine dry ingredients. Add shortening, butter, vanilla and eggs. Mix. Fold in choc chips/pb and nuts. Then bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Campfire

2011-07-19T18:03:00.007-05:00

Before I came home we went up green canyon with some friends and had some yummy food. The canyon was beautiful at dusk. We had so much fun. I'm in Orlando now and I miss my honey and the beautiful Utah weather!!

fun

2011-07-16T22:28:00.000-05:00

It is all over and I am sad. Going in I had equal parts elation and disappointment that it was all over. The movie was great. So glad I got to see it with someone who loves it as much as me.

******************************************************************

Today we woke up on the sixth anniversary of our engagement. Gabe had been home from his mission only a few weeks. I had recently passed my nursing boards, and was working as a new nurse. I was thrilled he was home. We spoke about getting married and prayed and the peace always came. On our very first date January 8, 2000 we went to the Olive Garden and five and half years later he took me back there. After dinner was over he blindfolded me and drove me to a friend's home directly across the street from the Orlando temple. He brought me in to the house sat me down and serenaded me on the piano, then got on his knee and asked if I would be his. It was magical with the backdrop of the illuminous temple.

Would you believe I do not have a single picture? Not one. That was before I had a digital camera or camera phone. We were a little preoccupied anyway.

I am leaving Utah tomorrow so we tried to have a fun day in between shows. We ate at a local joint called Angie's. They are famous for their "kitchen sink." So, we just had to get one. Twist our arms.

When we finished it (with another friend) we got a bumper sticker. Really it was Gabe's prize.

He had a performance tonight and he boasted about his new bumper sticker.

He texted me earlier to say that everyone wanted his picture with it.

I told him I was proud.

Potter lovin'!

2011-07-15T12:09:00.000-05:00

We are going to see the movie tonight!! We are so excited. We got our tickets yesterday just in case they sold out.

Ummmmm, could you tell I was excited?

I am also really sad that it's all coming to an end. I started reading the series when I worked at TMH in the mother/baby unit. It seemed like everyone was reading them but me! I quickly fell in love, of course. Have you seen it yet? Did you love it??

In honor of Arry Potter here is a link to a recipe for Butter Beer that we have tried before with friends! It's delicious! Give it a try!! Heather Bailey has all kinds of fun Potter recipes!

Butter Beer

lovely wall art

2011-07-15T11:48:00.000-05:00

This could be yours for four whole quarters. Looks like a placemat turned wall art.

We love the DI. (thrift store in UT)

local treats

2011-07-13T13:36:00.000-05:00

Here are some fun treats we have been experiencing in Utah lately! We had countless people implore us to go get Aggie ice cream when they found out we would be in Logan. The shop is located on USU campus and it did not disappoint. In fact, we had it two nights in a row!

The next joyous discovery has been from a local operation called Cox Honeyland. We have become addicted to cream honey. Try in on fruit, oatmeal, cereal, ice cream, crackers, granola, cookies, etc. I plan on buying a giant tub of this before we leave! Soooooooooooooooooo good!

The next amazing thing we found was Root Beer milk, made at Gossner Dairy farm. Believe it or not this stuff has a shelf life, no refrigeration necessary. I still haven't figured that out. Not only does it come in root beer flavor, but also mango, orange, and banana. Whaaaaat? The root beer milk tastes like a root beer float and it's very tasty. We haven't tried the other flavors but I've heard they are like drinking creamsicles. They even have recipes for the stuff. Go here Crazy! Have you ever had root beer milk?

Shows, shows, shows

2011-07-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

Gabe has had one performance after the other lately. The season opened up last Wednesday and have already had 5 performances. Tomorrow is Gabe's big show, The Merry Widow. Michael Ballam recently spoke before a Tabernacle concert and introduced Gabe and spoke very highly of him, which is always nice to hear. He told everyone the story of meeting Gabe and when he heard his audition piece from The Merry Widow he instantly knew he had to replace the Danilo whom had already been cast. He said, "I wasn't really sure how to go about telling someone they were out of a job, but it happened pretty quickly...since that person was me." Everyone thought that was pretty funny! I'm sure Gabe will exceed his expectations. Here's another costume pic for you from The Merry Widow!

Gabe's first performance of Don Giovanni went really well. After all the shows there is a meet and greet outside the theatre and Gabe was thrilled to be able to meet President Dieter F. Uchdorf, a leader in the LDS church. He greeted everyone in the show, but I think Gabe may have been one of two people who actually knew who he was. Gabe said he was so gracious. I wasn't there and Gabe was unprepared with no phone or camera, so he was even happier to see him the next day after South Pacific with his wife. Gabe came prepared with phone is hand this time.

Fun times!!!!

I saw a mighty angel fly

2011-07-08T08:08:00.000-05:00

I saw a mighty angel fly; to earth he bent his way,

A message bearing from on high to cheer the sons of day.

Truth is the message which he bears, the gospels joyful sound,

To calm our doubts, to chase our fears, and make our joys abound.

He cries, and with a mighty voice; Ye nations lend an ear, and isles and continents rejoice:

The great Redeemer's near!

He cries; let every ear attend, and thrones and empires all!

Fear God, and make the Lord your friend,

The King, the Lord of all!

Fear God, who made the water pure, the heavens, sea, and land

His judgement will be swift and sure; the day is night at hand. Then all ye people worship God;

Give glory to His name!

To spread these tidings far abroad

The holy angel came.

Text: Anon., ca. 1840
Music: English melody, arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872–1958.

Costumes

2011-07-07T08:35:00.001-05:00

Gabe likes to take pictures of his costumes and send them to me. Take a look see.

Masetto (Don Giovanni)

Masetto, take 2

Random French man in South Pacific. Haha!

Hunka Hunka Burnin' sailor love in South Pacific. Excuse the urinals.

Aaaaaand, my personal favorite...........

LOL!! He captioned this photo "Do you believe in modern day prophets?"

Ensemble member in Boris Godunov

He's been a little busy!

blessing

2011-07-06T14:34:00.000-05:00

Before flying home to Orlando we decided to visit temple square in Salt Lake City. We got there in the afternoon after Gabe's rehearsal and were in awe of the majesty. It's even more amazing than all the pictures I've ever seen. We were both so happy to be there and felt blessed that it worked out for us to visit. I took so many pictures as you can imagine, so this is a sneak peak. I'll post more soon.

Another blessing from the weekend showed up on Friday afternoon...

Gabe's sister, Gretchen, had her third boy. His name is Carter and he is competely adorable.

I think he's the perfect mix between Aiden and Owen.

Gabe's Dad and Michele holding Carter

(I borrowed ths one from Gretchie, her camera takes pretty pictures)

Happy Birthday Carter! Uncle Gabe and Aunt Christina love you very much already!

Mae Mae

2011-07-05T00:48:00.000-05:00

(Christmas 2008, taken by Gretchen)

The service for Mae Mae this weekend was lovely. Gabe sang Amazing Grace, Ave Maria and a few other selections that Mae Mae requested ahead of time. In fact, Gabe spoke to her on the phone two weeks before she died so they could go over the music she wanted him to sing at her funeral.

She will be greatly missed!

home for the weekend

2011-06-30T13:38:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the blogging lapse. Things have been a little hectic. Gabe's grandmother, Mae Mae, passed away Tuesday morning. She was 90. We feel very fortunate that we were able to spend an afternoon with her before we left for Utah. We are heading home today for the funeral. She was a wonderful lady and will be missed greatly.

In Celebration of a life well lived

Idamae C. LaVoie 90, of Eustis, passed away on June 28, 2011. She was born in Ashkum, Illinois and moved to Eustis in 1999 from DeBary. She was a retired private school teacher and a member, Lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Mary of the Lakes Catholic Church of Eustis, she also volunteered with the bereavement ministry at her church. She is survived by three children; Rebecca (Chet) of Orlando, Gary (Michele) of Orlando and Irene (Bob) of Eustis, 15 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren. The family will receive friends in the Hamlin & Hilbish Chapel on Thursday, June 30th from 5 until 7 PM, Wake Services will be held at 6:30 PM. Mass of the Resurrection will be held in St. Mary of the Lakes Catholic Church of Eustis at 1 PM Friday, a reception for friends and family will follow in the Parish Hall. Committal services will follow at 3:45 PM in Woodlawn Memorial Park, Gotha, Florida. Those desiring may direct memorials to Cornerstone Hospice or the Lake Sumter Community College Foundation Nursing Scholarship in memory of Mrs. LaVoie.

scripture

2011-06-25T12:41:00.002-05:00

Hope you all have a great weekend!

friends

2011-06-23T12:51:00.000-05:00

This past week we were able to catch up with some friends in the area and also within driving distance. On Wednesday I drove to Ogden to have lunch with my friend, Jan. We worked together at MDA in Houston and she was visiting her sister in SLC. We met halfway and had lunch at a cute outdoor mall right next to the Ogden temple.

Isn't this barn neat? I think it's pretty iconic in the valley and I was able to capture it during my travels that day. I may or may not have been driving when I aimlessly took it, so I was shocked that it came out decent. I feel like it would be appropriate for me to go back and stand in front of it with a big gulp and have Gabe take my picture.

Saturday night we drove to Provo to visit with our friends, the Larson's. They are family friends that Gabe has known since he was young. Gabe and Gary had a little jam session one night in their basement and I got some pics.

We had a great weekend. I posted this just in time for the next one. Love to you all!

Logan Summerfest

2011-06-22T09:36:00.000-05:00

Last week Logan held their annual summerfest. I went all three days. They had great vendors and even yummier food, though I deeply regretted that funnel cake later.

Here were some of my favorite vendors...

(Image via her etsy shop)

http://www.calliehulsander.etsy.com/

(Image via etsy site)

http://www.winborgdesign.etsy.com/

Very cute stuff!!!

good reads

2011-06-21T08:27:00.000-05:00

(via)

Absoluttely hysterical!!!!!!!!!! The chapters about growing up and about her Dad are priceless!

(via)

I have to be honest I liked the movie better, perhaps because that was my first experience with this story. It really is magical! The book is much more "adult" than the movie, which surprised me, I would have thought it would be the other way around. Other than that, I loved it.

(via)

Go and by this book right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't even finished it yet and I already love it so much. The movie comes out in August, so you still have time.

(via)

I just finished this book a few days ago. I had mixed feelings after I read it but, I'm still thinking about it, so I believe it was worth it. The main draw for me were beautifully written passages about being a nurse in a WWII hospital. You see one of the characters go from being a terrified student to a very brave nurse that could not imagine a life without such "elation" from helping people. I will say from personal experience there is nothing like it.

Do you have any good book recommendations?

walk

2011-06-20T08:02:00.001-05:00

defensive driving

2011-06-17T08:39:00.002-05:00

Yesterday as we were driving home, myself in the passenger seat I made Gabe aware of someone walking towards the intersection we were driving through. "Better watch out to make sure they stop." Obvious I know, but I always do things like this. He then made the joke that I needed to write a book on defensive driving to include, but not limited to the following points...

Always be aware of more than is necessary, such as a cat that is 5 blocks down or a strolling pedestrian two streets over (make sure to yell loudly your observations especially if you're not driving, who knows if the driver is a defensive driver like you-don't trust anyone especially not your husband).
Always keep hands white knuckled on the steering wheel at ten and two (long straws come in handy here for those with Diet Coke addictions)
If possible keep one foot on the brake at all times and when applying the brake apply as quickly as possible causing the car to jerk forward and causing the passenger to suddenly wonder if his/her life is over.
Speaking of braking, brake for everything, roadkill a street over, music on your radio that sounds like an ambulance but you're not quite sure if it's coming from the radio, helicopters overhead, cars a couple hundred yards in front of you on the interstate that happen to change lanes or tap their breaks (they might happen to be defensive driving friends and allies just practicing their braking but to you at that moment they are the enemy and their blinking brake lights are like morse code signaling a possible attack on your SUV).
ALWAYS stop for gas. You can't trust your gas gauge or gas light. Are you crazy? They might be malfunctioning and you could get stranded and eaten by bears in the middle of Utah or even worse get stuck in the middle of Pine Hills.

These are just a few tips from what is sure to be a best selling Defensive Driving Model which I am entitling "Honk, Honk, Brake, Brake, AHHH!" dedicated to my husband. You'll have to purchase the book for more important tips. Drive safe and overly defensive!!!

**Portions of post brought to you by the opera singer

get a load of this

2011-06-16T13:38:00.000-05:00

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

We were in awe! I was ready to get in the car until I looked at the lift ticket prices!

weekend

2011-06-13T17:28:00.000-05:00

Hi friends and family! Hope you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. Here are a few pics from ours!

For dinner on Friday night I tried a new recipe that ended up being a big hit, even though some people were not as excited as I was when I explained what we were having.

Mango Quinoa salad from Our Best Bites

We had grilled chicken with the salad, but it can be eaten as a vegetarian main dish. Yummy!

Gabe usually has evening rehearsals so he left that night after dinner. He called me on the way home to tell me he spotted a huge rainbow. Huge was right, I was able to capture it in our backyard too.

I loved Gabe's point of view with the rainbow behind the Logan temple.

The next day Gabe was at it again, singing his heart out. I visited him a little bit then went to the rec center. They have a nice gym there and it is super convenient, since it's a block from the opera offices. Here are some pretty flowers I found on the walk there.

With all the cooking I've been doing I was feeling pretty brave and decided I would make my first ever meatloaf that night. I did my research and kind of came up with my own little concoction based on two recipes. Did you know that it is actually better to cook meatloaf on a baking dish instead of a loaf pan? In fact all the recipes I looked at on line suggested that it would cook better that way.

I mainly looked at this recipe on our best bites but I didn't wrap the loaf in bacon. The glaze was awesome, though. I don't eat a lof of red meat, case i point why I've never made meat loaf so I basically said a prayer every 15 seconds.

...but it was not so gross. I even ate it which is HUGE!!! So, basically you should try it if you like meatloaf. :)

Does that look appetizing? Even now I'm not sure...

Two new recipes in two days. Basically my husband almost passed out. Then he woke up from dream land and gave me lots of kisses.

On Sunday we traveled to Ogden. Gabe was invited to sing in a ward there. On the way back home we drove through Brigham City and saw the construction of a new temple.

More magnificent mountains.

Love to you all!

something new

2011-06-10T09:03:00.013-05:00

After my trip to Purl Soho in NY I became inspired. When I went to a thirft store here and found two knitting needles for 30 cents, I knew it was meant to be. Conincidentally, I found out that the blog Craft Snob was featuring a knitting 101 series with videos and I have been practicing.

This was my first try at a knit stitch and then the whole thing fell apart. It's tricky to coordinate the needles, but I am doing much better than I was a week ago. I wasn't able to bring my sewing machine to Utah since we flew, so this might be the next best thing. I can work on this while watching TV or waiting for Gabe during a rehearsal. I finished this much last night when I gave it another go...

Our host, Ron, and his daughters gave me a whole box of knitting needles and crochet hooks after they found out I was learning. It was so gracious of them.

Keep your knitting needles crossed for me friends. We'll see what happens.

all about food

2011-06-09T14:55:00.001-05:00

Some firsts for the Florida kids:

1) Gabe and I were introduced to Cherry Ironport at a restaurant called The Bluebird Cafe located on Main St. in Logan. Mr. Ballam took us there for lunch a few days ago and insisted that we try this beverage. I think the best way to describe it would be really, really sweet cherry coke. It's a soda only sold in this part of the country and it was definitely worth a try. My lips puckered at first, but we got used to it quickly. Pretty yummy. The Bluebird is an old fashioned soda fountain and cafe. It was adorable inside and the food was great. I'll have to take more pics the next time we go. I didn't want to be like paparazzi in front of Gabe's boss, whom was probably approached by at least half the restaurant while we were there. Also, the peanut butter ice cream pie...ridiculous.

2) Cafe Rio!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been hearing about this place for several years from friends and blogs and I could not wait to try it. I had the Cafe Rio salad which did not disappoint. I dove right in and almost forgot to take a picture. It's a flour tortilla with rice and beans and a yummy salad on top with amazing tomatilla ranch dressing. We tried their burritos today but I still think the salad is my favorite! Please excuse the phone camera picture quality.

3) Red Velvet Strawberry Shortcake. You should make this. I found the recipe via my friend Amanda's pinterest and I'm so glad I made it. The original recipe is for a four layer cake. Two layers of red velvet and two layers of white cake, alternating. After making all four layers I decided it would fall over if I personally stacked it that high so I made the executive decision to make two cakes each with one layer of red velvet and one layer of white. We had a get together with our host's family so it was a good thing it made a lot :). It' super simple- box cake mix, cool whip, and strawberries. That's it.

I recently set up a pinterest account and I'm so glad I did. It's a great way to catalog ideas and projects and I probably would never have found this great cake recipe. Here is my pinterest if you want to take a peek. I don't have much on their yet, but I'm sure I'll collect more over time. Does anyone else have pinterest? Let me know so I can follow you :)

Meet Joe

2011-06-06T09:51:00.002-05:00

He's our tiny friend. We live in his house.

He likes to wake us up in the morning then fall back asleep with us.

He also likes to give kisses but his tongue is so small you can barely tell.

We really, really wuv him.

(excuse the bum shot, it was too cute)

canyon hike

2011-06-05T13:19:00.001-05:00

A couple days ago we headed out on our first ever hike. We headed up green canyon again since it's close by. We took the trails into the canyon and found a cave. Climbing up to it felt like a huge victory!

Then, we decided it might be fun to go up even further. I really had no fear and just kept climbing. I got up on top of the cave.

(my view)

It was steep, with slick rock and lots of pebbles. So after I made Gabe a little panicked I headed back down which turned out to be a bit more scary than climbing up.

I felt awesome after we got down. Gabe had a battle wound so he was not as excited. We went up further in the canyon and found some beautiful mountain bike trails and camping sites.

All these pictures were taken on our phones. I was a bit nervous to bring the camera not knowing what to expect, but I know for sure I'll have to go back at least to capture the sunset. It was brilliant as we were walking back. It is so beautiful here. I was so grateful for the journey we have been on this year. We left Houston last year about this time. Even though it's crazy and we live out of our suitcases, walks like this up a mountainside help me realize how much there is yet to explore.

I know God has a great path for us lying ahead.

New York (Part III)

2011-06-04T10:07:00.001-05:00

The last day we were in New York we visited our friend, Christina. She took us to the most amazing place for brunch called Max Brenners. He is a chef that specializes in chocolate. Need I say more!

Even though it was 10:30 in the morning, we all felt the need to try some dessert. Gabe solved that for us, he ordered a chocolate sampler! It had everything- brownies, fondue, dark chocolate shot, chocolate egg roll, and a chocolate chip waffle. Sounds a little strange at first, but it was genius. I ordered a spinach crepe and Christina ordered blueberry pancakes with blood orange syrup. I have to say it was one of the best meals of my life. Not only was the chocolate good, that crepe came straight from heaven as far as I'm concerned. I'm pretty sure this place will have to become a repeat every time I go to NY.

Not too far from the restaurant we ventured to a store I had been reading about called Fish's Eddy. It was a charming home store with all kinds of fun antique items and interesting pieces.

They had this really cute "cheer up" line and these porcelain hands are made from rubber glove molds. I bought a miniature one to hold my rings. I was collecting ideas for a future house someday.

Isn't this fun art work? We found it in the subway on our way to the airport. Makes the subway a little more inviting I think. :)

We are so happy we were able to make the trip to NY. The first few days we were there we stayed in CT with our friends Brenda and Braden, so it was fun to see the calm side of life not too far from the city. Then Christina let us stay at her place in the Bronx too so we got to see all kinds of places. Thanks so much to our friends for letting us stay. We had an amazing time!

New York (Part II)

2011-06-03T09:06:00.001-05:00

**********************************

After our lovely afternoon spent seeing the boat house, bethesda fountain and belvedere's castle we headed over to The Museum of Natural History

I would like to take this time to publicly make you all aware that my husband is a subway/public transport genius in NYC. We downloaded subway apps on our phones which helped, but we never got lost, not once. He would just grab my hand tight and weave me through tons of people and we always made it to the right place. Without him I would have curled up in a ball somewhere that would have inevitably smelled.

Thank you husband!

Okay, that was a bit of a tangent. After the museum we headed to midtown to eat at a great pizza place we heard about called Bella Vita. It was delicious!!!

After leaving the little pizza joint it began to pour!! Pour, I tell you. So, we made a quick deicison to hide in a delicatessen. "But we just ate dinner," I mentioned to husband. So, the next best thing was cheesecake. I only remembered to take a picture when we were almost done. Oops. It was heavenly though!

I'm sure you can imagine.

When it stopped raining we headed to see this..

(via)

We loved it!!!! Loved it! I didn't know much about the show going in, but our friend, Jessica Rush was performing in it so we decided to see it. So worth it. I didn't realize how many of the songs I recognized. It was so well done. Everyone was awesome. We both highly recommend seeing this show!

That wraps up the end of day two in the city. Was that long or what??

New York (Part I)

2011-06-02T11:33:00.000-05:00

The weekend before coming to Utah, Gabe and I traveled to New York for a few days. He worked with his voice teacher and had a meeting with an agent, and I just went for fun. Here are some pictures to sum up our adventure on Day 1 in the city.

I forgot to mention it rained a lot. Bummer. Although it made the sunny moments even more special!

After playing with his nephew, Aiden in Orlando someones love for Legos came back full force!

If you love to sew or knit, this is like mecca. Beautiful shop!

We had dinner in Little Italy to finish our day. We had the cannoli before dinner of course!

These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, lets hear it for new york

Mom's Day

2011-06-01T09:18:00.000-05:00

We were able to celebrate Mother's Day in Orlando with our families. That morning we had an unbelievable breakfast courtesy of Grant.

(Gerry, Gabe, Gretchen, Garrett, Grant)

Later that day we headed to my mom's house and replanted one of their flower beds.

Then we headed to Sarah's to relax and have dinner.

We love our Mama's. All of them :)

Snow on Memorial Day

2011-05-31T12:23:00.000-05:00

Well folks, the Florida kids have been tricked again. We thought we were coming to Utah for a pleasant summer as opposed to one with 97 degree weather. It is pleasant, like 30 degress pleasant and snowy!

Remember how I posted pictures of Green Canyon, from a walk I took a few days ago. This is what it looked like yesterday...

That morning when we woke up we took some pictures in the backyard too to document the occasion.

Green Canyon is in the backdrop of the photo on the left.

It was snow-free a few days ago and filled with yellow flowers.

Gabe was totally smitten by the snow and wanted to explore to see if we could find even more up Logan Canyon. We drove about 45 minutes one way and made it here...

Needless to say, we found a lot of snow! Too bad the slopes were closed!

It's amazing what you can find when you take a drive. We had a great time and I'm so greatful Gabe had the entire day off. Here are some more pictures from our journey. Enjoy.

I love how this photo turned out.I thought the tress looked like a whisper as we drove past them.

Just so you know, by the end of the day the slush had melted in the backyard and half of green canyon was green again. We're glad we went exploring when we did. :)

Green Canyon Drive

2011-05-30T12:15:00.023-05:00

I took a walk one day and found majesty. Not too shabby.

A place of love and beauty

2011-05-29T12:06:00.001-05:00

Disney date

2011-05-28T08:39:00.004-05:00

Aiden and Gabe, Grant holding Owen, Cal and Gretch

Beautiful flowers!

Owie and I dancing in England!

Later that night after everyone else retreated home, Gabe and I decided to go back to Magic Kingdom to have some more fun. It was a perfect date night. We rode space mountain, the race cars and had some ice cream on Main Steet.

birthday fun

2011-05-27T18:29:00.000-05:00

Who blogs about their birthday over a month after the fact? Oh, that would be me. I know I posted a quick pic on the actual day but I have to share some more for memories sake. I didn't really know what I wanted to do that day and miraculously Gabe had the majority of the day off, except for three hours that night. As a result of my indecisiveness we just drove along the coast and had no plan. It was amazing. The weather was beautiful, but it was super windy!

Our first stop was at The Grand Marlin a beautiful restaurant on the beach for lunch. Soooo yummy!

We drove down the main beach drive all the way to Navarre beach and stopped

to take pictures along the way.

ooooh, this makes me miss the beach

Later that night after rehearsal all our friends from the opera came to The Melting Pot with us for some yummy chocolate fondue dessert. I didn't take any pictures.
Sometimes you just have to live in the moment, right?

Thank you for bearing with me as I post something from 6 weeks ago. I knew I loved you for a reason.

throwback revisited

2011-05-27T12:00:00.003-05:00

In case you didn't get enough the first go around...

My senior prom, April 2001

May 2001, on family vacaction to celebrate graduation.

(Get ready for major blog catch up. I have a lot to cover and I've missed you)

downtown

2011-05-26T16:24:00.000-05:00

(Gabe's new workplace, the Dansante)

Amazing little bakery! Our favorite, so far. We ordered a muffin and peanut butter bar for a snack and then they slice you a piece of fresh, warm bread to take for free! AAH! We died and went to heaven, then came back the next day to do it all over again.

Tabernacle. Gabe will be singing in several concerts here.

Pretty much every corner I turn there are pretty pictures waiting to be taken.

Utah

2011-05-24T22:44:00.001-05:00

We are here!! It is beeeeeeautiful! Not to be confused with the city, Bountiful, which is close by I think. Really I don't know where I'm at. The sky and snow capped mountains are so amazing they look fake! Turns out all that snow has to melt. Everyone says it should make for an interesting summer.

I haven't been able to figure out the internet situation where we're staying, so my postings might not be consistent. We'll figure something out. :)

Here is a pic of the South Pacific ensemble rehearsal I went to today. "Bloody Mary" sounds amazing! Gabe and I were in South Pacific my senior year in high school. Brings back great memories!

Love to you all!
C

throwback

2011-05-17T16:52:00.000-05:00

Whoa!

Can you believe it! Circa 2000 at a homecoming dance.

NOLA (part II)

2011-05-11T15:39:00.000-05:00

NOLA (part I)

2011-05-03T16:30:00.000-05:00

First stop, of course! Amazing!!

The only pic we got of all five of us :)

Eric, Jennifer, Me, Zech, Gabe

Farewell

2011-04-29T23:58:00.000-05:00

Bye Bye Pensacola! You will be missed! Here are some of the highlights!

royal st

2011-04-25T17:43:00.000-05:00

More pics to come. We loved it. (well, most of it anwyay) I should be packing. What's new. We're out of our humble house tomorrow. Our hosts are coming back from their cruise. We'll be in a hotel for 4 nights, then we'll be Tally bound...and then home :) Four months went by so fast!

a big easy weekend

2011-04-21T22:56:00.002-05:00

(via)

Okay, we will. See you after the weekend everyone. More posts to come about my birthday, and our little mini vaca we are taking with friends from the opera to New Orleans! I should be packing but this seemed more important somehow. I also had a revelation the other night while looking at older blog posts that I want to do a series of posts about events that happened way before I knew what blogger was, like our wedding and such. So, maybe this summer while I have some free time you'll see more of that. :)

On a more important note...we hope everyone has an amazing Easter weekend!

Love to you all!

28

2011-04-16T18:19:00.000-05:00

$3.79 for the best chocolate chip cookies on the planet

$1.50 for diet coke

one very happy birthday girl

it's funny

2011-04-14T23:25:00.000-05:00

This little post is to share with you one of the funniest things I've seen in blogland in ahwile. I think it's most funny because I can relate to it so well. If you are easily offended by the "b" word, sorry. You don't have to peek. I most definitely live with chronic "b" face.

Please see illustration here.

(My most favorite part is the birds tying a ribbon in her hair.)

Kris Atomic and I could be best friends for this condition for which there is no cure.

Here is my example....

Good day to ya.

Just because she's so cute

2011-04-13T21:51:00.000-05:00

I know most of you have not been properly introduced to the newest member of our family, Ms. Virginia Irene. My cousin, Kass delivered this beauty right after Christmas. She is absolutely darling. I can't wait to get home and kiss her all over her face. I promise not to slobber too much.

I mean...really. Look at her face.

Her parents are very lucky, indeed.