Christmas Miracle

Jk there was no miracle.
But lets be honest... December 26th is by far the most depressing day of the year.
I already miss Christmas and want to fast forward 365 days from now so we can have it again.
It was a Christmas of lasts for us.
The last Christmas for us living in Utah until who knows how long.
Last Christmas as college students.
Last Christmas with my 'lil bro before he leaves for two years.
It was a good one.
On Christmas Eve, after the annual Christiansen party (which is complete with funeral potatoes, green Jell-o, and a live nativity) we headed home and spent the evening eating, laughing, playing, and watching that dumb movie "A Christmas Story" that nobody really likes but we have to because it's tradition.
After my niece and nephew went to bed we acted as Santa and put together all of their presents and placed them under the tree.
This was a fascinating experience, seeing as how it is the first time I've played Santa.
We spent almost 2 hours putting together this doll house for Alli, my niece.
Don't even worry it includes an elevator, patio furniture, and a toilet (her fav part).



I couldn't sleep at all on Christmas eve because I was so excited.
I wonder if I'll ever grow out of that.
Prob not.
Ty got me this....



I am so excited to take pictures with something other than my phone!

I was sad to leave home this morning to drive to San Diego for a week of training. Right now I'm blogging from my phone in a van somewhere outside Beaver, Utah.
Jealous?
Thought so.
Hope Santa came to your house this year too!!!

Naughty or Nice

So don't get me wrong...I LOVE the Christmas season and everything about it.
I just really haven't had the time or felt the urgency to decorate our little apartment all Christmasy especially because we aren't going to BE here for Christmas.
Is that Scrooge of me?
The only decoration we have is a 12 inch tall "Christmas Tree" that I got it from my freshman roommate's mom.
See...
Sad.
I think I will try to get into the Christmas spirit by writing a list of Naughty and Nice things I did this year.

Naughty things I did this year:
Left dirty dishes in the sink for over a weeks and they mold grew. oops.
Punched Ty in the groin.
Asked a lady when her baby was due...turns out she wasn't pregnant.
Faked sick.
Made Ty watch "The Devil Wears Prada." Twice.
Spent too much money at Lululemon and hoped Ty wouldn't find out but he did and I'm sure Santa did too.
Lost a bet and never payed up.
Fought with an old man in the grocery store over one of those sticks you use to separate your groceries at checkout.
Squeezed from the top of the toothpaste tube when Ty repeatedly asks me to squeeze from the bottom.

Nice things I did this year:
Made homemade pancakes for my family.
Gave some old clothes to the D.I.
Raked leaves for my Grandma.
Pretended to have fun when Ty wanted to watch 3 football games in a row one Saturday.
Ate a gross meal just to be nice.
Stopped to let some ducks cross a busy road and honked so other people would stop too.
Slept with the window open when it was 10 degrees outside because Ty likes it cool when he sleeps. I am the best wife ever.
Visited someone in the hospital.

I'd say I have a pretty good chance of getting what I want for Christmas.

black friday

This year, Ty decided we needed to go all out for Black Friday. He usually doesn't like shopping, but for some reason he felt an urgency to wake up at the crack of dawn and get some killer deals. I once considered myself quite the shopper, but after seeing these crazy people out shopping at 3am....I now know I am an amateur. I have never participated in Black Friday before in fear of being trampled and killed my a mob of furious bargain-hunters, but this year we figured we'd take our chances. Ty, my sister Maren, her husband Logan, and I started our morning at 3:18 when we woke up and headed to Target. I had no idea what to expect and was astonished to see the massive line of people waiting out in the 10 degree weather. People were sprinting to get in line first, yelling, and going crazy with competitive excitement. Just as I took this picture laughing at all of the crazy, stupid people waiting out in the cold... I realized I was one of them. People were just SO serious about this. Like they had planned out exactly what they were gonna get and had mapped out their shopping route to make sure they all of the best deals first. Fascinating. We made a couple of purchases at Target and then headed to Wal Mart, which opened at 5am. Ty and Logan headed back to the electronics while Maren and I picked up a Microwave and an electric razor for like 50 cents. Never have I seen so many people crammed into one store! Apparently the store opened at midnight, but the registers didn't open until 5 so people had literally been waiting in line to pay for their stuff for 5 HOURS!!! Sea of crabby people. We saw 2 fights. I was already getting tired at this point and decided I would never be participating in such an event ever again. Maren waiting in line with her Wal Mart friends and looking fresh as a daisy at 5am. After Wal Mart we headed to the Gateway Mall because we heard Banana Republic was opening at 6am with 40% of everything. I was so disappointed when we got there and it was pitch black and definitely not opening at 6. We found out it opened at 9. A logical thinker would say, "Well that's 3 hours away and it's freezing outside so let's just call it a day." Not the Baldwins!!!! We decided to hang out at the Gateway Mall for 3 hours wandering around and going into other random stores that were open waiting for Banana Republic to open!!! Stupid. We did make one rest stop to Denny's to get some breakfast. We are quite the classy bunch aren't we? We ended up getting some good deals and gifts for our family. Was it worth it you ask? I don't know but it was hilarious and something you gotta do at least once!

SNOW-POCALYPSE!!!

If you haven't yet heard....there is a ginormous blizzard heading this way!!!!
All of BYU campus was completely closed down!
People are raiding the grocery stores for wood and food storage!
Sever weather warnings have been issued for numerous counties across the state!
So...where's the snow?
The anticipation is killing me!!!
I just can't wait any longer for this crazy storm everyone keeps talking about!
Right now it's actually quite nice outside, if you have a jacket on.
Snow or no snow, I am excited to stay in tonight, watch a movie, and not worry about homework or doing anything productive.
Ty and I have been looking forward to Thanksgiving break for quite some time now, and boy am I glad it's finally here.
Happy blizzarding/Thanksgiving break!!!

lazee

I need someone to come smack me in the face.
I can't snap out of weekend mode!!!
I just really miss it.
It was so fun and long and nice.
And I got to do nothing, really.
I ate huge meals.
Watched a movie.
Slept in until 10 on Sunday.
That part was nice.
I even accidentally purposefully missed my first class today because I still wish it was yesterday.
Does this post makes me seem lazy?
Ty called me lazy the other day because I was mad I had to get off the couch to pick up my laptop.



I love this video, btw.
I have watched it many times.
Ty and I keep imitating it and then dying laughing.
We crack ourselves up.

TS3

Just watched Toy Story 3.
I've been hearing about how good/sad it is.
Didn't think I'd cry, but I did.
Ty doesn't know I cried even though he was sitting right next to me because I composed myself quickly.
I was embarrassed.
He wasn't as touched by it as I was.
Anyway, Toy Story 3 stands for a great cause-- the promotion of old toy awareness.
It made me think about my own toys.
Where are they now?
Did I treat them with the respect they deserved?
They were probably thrown away, melted, and turned into sippy cups or are sitting at the bottom of some nasty day care center toy bin.
How sad for them.
We should all take the time to think about our toys and do all we can to make sure they are in a safe and loving environment.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

halloweenie

So I know Halloween is like, so three days ago, but I'm a busy girl.
Ty and I celebrated Halloween on Saturday by dressing up as.....

Snooki



And The Situation

Think we pulled it off???

Sorry for the lame pix...I only had my iPhone bc my camera died.
Anyway, we had a lot of fun dressing up and hanging out with some of our friends!
We even won the costume contest : )
I liked being a guidette, and I honestly think Ty liked dressing up as a guido.


The orange face was part of the costume, promise.
Ty was in character the entire night if you couldn't tell haha!

I get to go to San Diego tomorrow for a swim meet and then Ty is meeting me in
The Vegas for another meet on Saturday!
We are going to see this show:

sososo excited.
AND my parentals are coming.
AND Ty's Dad is coming from NC.
I'll let you know how it goes.

comunikashun

Yes, I am majoring in communications.
Broadcast Journalism, to be exact.
Does this mean I am an exceptional communicator?
Depends on who you ask.
If you asked Ty today, he would probably say no.
I failed to communicate that I had already made a trip to the grocery store, so Ty thought he needed to go.
This means we now have 7 gallons of milk on the fridge.
Along with multiples of many other items.

Anyone thirsty?
I mix up a mean glass of chocolate milk.

nie nie

Have you ever heard someone speak and then just wanted to be their best friend/BE them/save the world?
That just happened.
Of course you've heard of Stephanie Nielson.
a.k.a Nie Nie....as in this blog.
Well she is in my stake and I just heard her speak at an R.S. activity.
The first time I heard her story was when she was on Oprah.
That is how I was introduced to her blog which I occasionally read.
She first caught my attention because she is from Provo and is mo.
So much in common.
I almost didn't go to the activity tonight because after a long day of swimming, school, swimming, homework all I want to do is go to bed.
Yes at 7pm.
Boy am I glad I decided to be active this week!!!
Her message is inspirational, to say the least.
Not to mention she has amazing style...she was wearing these glorious anthro boots which I've had my eye on.
Watch this and you'll get a glimpse into her amazing life.
She has a uniquely spiritual and positive outlook on life and her role as a woman.
Perhaps one can only achieve such perspective after going through a life-altering and traumatic event like the one she has experienced.
Or perhaps we can all gain from what she now knows and is willing to share.
Thx nie nie, you go girl!!!

drowsy

Today I went to the dry cleaners to pick up some clothes and I forgot to pick up the clothes.
Yup.
That's what happens when you wake up at 5:30 every morning.
I felt like such an idiot walking back into that place after having driven all the way home empty handed without a clue.
In other news...
Have you seen Lauren Conrad's line of clothing for Kohl's?
Kind of embarrassing but there's actually some cute stuff!
I think she has great style and it actually looks like stuff she wears.
Here ya go.

If Only....

we could all be as positive as little Jessica.

Fall Favs

These are a few of my favorite things (right now)
...in no particular order...

#1- NARS blush in 'Orgasm'. Fall is here, I'm getting more and more pasty by the minute. Out with the bronzer and in with the blush!

#2- Snuggie. This is no joke. I'm thinking this is one of the best inventions of all time besides electricity and stuff. Just look at how happy this woman is:

#3- PB Crunch. Yesterday I had 6 bowls.

#4- The Apprentice. This show is the best. Ty and I have been struggling to find a show we both enjoy. I kept falling asleep during '24' and he feels weird about watching 'Glee'. Thus the sexually neutral....The Apprentice.

#5- Lululemon yoga pants in 'Astro'. Probably one of the best purchases I have ever made. LOVE LOVE THEM! Comfy but not frumpy...what could be better???

That's all for now.

ICUP

When you were little did you ever play the joke on your friends where you make them say 'I' and then spell the word 'CUP'?
Such a funny one.
Because when they say it out loud and all together it sounds like "I see you pee."
LOL
Well this funny little trick has taken on new meaning to me since I started my NCAA swimming career.
We sit through countless meetings at the beginning of every year about drugs.
What not to take.
What is considered 'performance enhancing.'
What will happen if you use.
I have never had a problem with this.
Fortunately I do not struggle with the temptation to use drugs.
But for some reason unbeknownst to me, I have been "randomly selected" all four years here at BYU to participate in "NCAA Random Drug Testing."
Let me walk you through this process....I am an expert at this point.
First you walk into a room and fill out paper work including social security info, birth date, prescription and over the counter drugs you take, etc.
You think that's personal....just you wait.
Then you get this plastic cup and an NCAA representative follows you into the restroom.
Here comes the best part....
You go into the stall to do your business and the rep comes with you.
Yup.
Just you two.
In a bathroom stall together.
They have to watch you pee so you don't pull any kind of switcharoo.
After filling your cup to a certain black line, you take your "specimen" (specimen=pee, urine, #1, wiz, etc.) and carry it back to the paperwork room and set it on a table.
All of the other "randomly selected" athletes look at the color of your specimen and make awkward comments about your hydration.
Once you get there you have to carefully pour your "specimen" into a small tube.
Careful...don't spill.
Then your little warm tube is sent off to be thoroughly tested.
Today I had to do this for the fourth time.
Let us all hope and pray that this is the last time someone will have to watch me create a specimen.

Appleness

When it comes to technology, I have the worst luck.

More specifically Apple technology.
I have never met anyone who has had as many problems with this as I have.
My Mac laptop has completely crashed not once, but twice.
And now my iphone is frozen.
I'm starting to see a pattern.
Maybe I should listen to Ty and switch to a PC and wannabe iphone.
I called Apple Tech Support to get help with my iphone probs but they told me that they can't help me until I buy some bajillion dollar tech support plan.
Um does this seem odd to anyone else?
YOUR product was a dud.
Now you wont even tell me what's wrong with it until I pay you???
Of course.
Now I am on hold with some guy at the Apple Store....it's been 57 minutes.
I'm 99% sure he forgot about me.
Tell me, what other options do I have?
What am I supposed to do without my cell phone?!
(Not that anyone will call/text me besides my mom)
So yes, Apple Store, I will patiently sit here on hold for the next three hours until you either a) fix my phone or b) give me a new one.
Preferably the new and improved iPhone 4.
I get secretly happy when my stuff breaks because that means I get new ones.

R.I.P iphone.
May you forever waste hours of my time.

camping sorta

Last night the swim team went on our annual camping trip.

(Except for we slept in a cabin because it was cold outside.)
Now I'm not one who tends to love camping, by any means.
But anything I do with this group of girls is FUN.

Despite the fact that I only got 3 hours of sleep last night and wanted to kill myself waking up at 7am....it was a blast.
I don't know what I'm gonna do without these three next year...


Freshman year we were dubbed "The Fab Four"




loves ♥

sicky

Guys...I'm ill.

Can't breath.
Runny nose.
Sore throat.
You name it.
Who gets a cold when it's 80 degrees outside?
If you see me, run the other direction because I will probably cough on you.
Ty has assumed all household duties including laundry, dishes, running errands,
and getting me lotsa this:

It just makes me feel better.
I promised him I'll return the favor when he's sick next week ; )

WARNING

DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE:
Unless you want to sit in boredom and confusion for 2 hours and 13 minutes.
I'm pretty easy to entertain...feed me and give me something to look at and I'm a happy camper.
But I seriously almost walked out of this movie because of sheer boredom.
I even TRIED to fall asleep at one point.
Maybe I have ADHD.
No that's not it.
The movie is about a 40 something year old woman who divorces her husband because she "doesn't want to be married anymore" and wants to "find herself" by traveling.
She meets some peeps, sleeps around a bit, and eats food.
That's it.
That's all that happened.
Sorry if I ruined the ending.
And sorry for being such a negative nancy....I'm just still slightly bitter about wasting over 2 hours of my life.
On a more positive note....the first BYU football game is today!
Let's go Cougs!!!

confusion

So the first week of school has been great and whatever but I am freaking out about something...

Labor Day is fast approaching.
Do you understand what this means?
NO MORE WHITE PANTS!
I have always been a firm believer in this rule, but then I read this and now I feel like maybe it's an outdated idea.
I have fully been planning on putting my white pants away come Monday, but now I'm like...Maybe I'll be a rebel and keep wearing them.
But then I'm like...What if people don't understand I'm trying to be a rebel and just think I didn't know about the rule in he first place?
I have worn different variations of white pants every day so far so I could squeeze all of my best white-pant-outfits into my first week of school.

I just love how they give any outfit a clean, preppy look.
They are one of my favorite things.
Besides this, I am excited for the Fall wardrobe changes because I just ordered these boots.
Obv I wouldn't wear them with white pants.

skool

Tomorrow is my last first day of school!!!!
I remember by first first day of school...
Seems like only yesterday I was standing nervously in the playground of
Ensign Elementary.
I'm kinda sad.
But more happy than sad : )

a pic

Thanks to Cate Williams for the beautiful wedding pictures...more to come!

an animal

I lay awake in bed last night thinking about the way I eat spaghetti.
I couldn't get this grotesque thought out of my mind.
I am usually quite a polite person.
I even went to cotillion when I was in elementary school where I was taught etiquette and manners.
But for some reason I can't figure out how to eat spaghetti without looking like a starving animal.
I try to twirl it around on my fork (I've even tried doing the spoon/fork twirl thing) but there are always lose ends hanging down.
Then when I pick it up everything unravels.
I attempt this multiple times before I get frustrated with myself.
I end up scooping the noodles up in my fork and shoving them in my mouth.
This, of course, leaves multiple strands hanging out of my mouth and I look like a rabid beast.
I proceed by slurping or jamming the dangling noodles into my mouth as quickly as I can before anyone sees.
This tends to make me look even more vicious.

Ty never ceases to twirl the noodles perfectly on his plate and makes a perfect bite size portion every time.
No dangling ends.
No animal-like behavior.

I apologize if you have ever been in my presence when spaghetti has been served.
It probably made you feel uncomfortable and embarrassed for me.

My sister got married yesterday.
It was a beautiful, perfect day.
I will post pictures of the wedding.
I just have to wait for someone to put them up on facebook so I can have them.

so yeah

Back in P-Town and ready for action
(e.g. sitting in front of the TV watching the newest season of Friday Night Lights.)

I haven't documented anything that has happened for the last two weeks so it feels like a lot.
We celebrated our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!
We are officially no longer newlyweds.
That's ok with me as long as people don't start asking us when we are going to start reproducing.
We turned it into a weekend of celebration starting off with Ty finishing work on Friday!
We were so happy to be officially done with our internships.
Not that we didn't enjoy them...just ready for a break.
Then we ate at a lot of yummy restaurants and Ty gave me a present that was 10 gajillion times better than what I gave him...which happens every time we exchange gifts.


Packing up our apartment was hard...I didn't realize how much I had accumulated over the summer.
(Ty was more shocked)
But we finally got it all stuffed into our suitcases and headed to North Carolina.
We went to the beach for the final installment of our celebrations and then hung out with the family.
Oh I learned how to play tennis!
I want to get good at it so that I can play when I'm 80 with my other elderly friends.
And so I can look like this:

A bit of news...Ty accepted an offer to work full-time at the job he was at this summer so that means we are moving back to NY after we graduate in April!!!
Excited!/Happy!/Need to find a job!/can't wait!/yay!!!
It will be nice to not have to stress about what we are doing after we graduate.
AND my sister gets married tomorrow! We are so excited for her and Logan. Should be a fun day.

So yeah.

The End.

Today was the last day of my internship at Fox News here in NYC. It went by SO incredibly fast...12 weeks ago I was a timid new intern walking into the NewsCorp headquarters without a clue and today I didn't want to leave! Couldn't have asked for a better experience...loved every second of it. Here's some pix of my last day (go me for actually taking pictures!!!!).

My fellow intern Sarah-Gordon. Yes, Sara Jayne and Sarah-Gordon. Very confusing for everyone.

Us with Glenn (no, I didn't buzz my head...I just decided to slick my hair back very tightly and nastily in honor of my last day).

Oh how I'll miss it here.

Spent a lot of time in this room.

Ty's last day of work is tomorrow....I cannot describe to you my excitement for this.
alskdfhaskjfalkjsdblakjdbfajkshf!!!!!!!!
I don't think I have been this excited since I was 4 years old on Christmas Eve.
No more work....
This weekend is our anniversary...
Then it's off to North Carolina...
Then HOME!!!!!!
Let the summer begin : )

By the way...did you see me on TV?!?!?!
I represented the U.S. Treasury in a segment on the live show yesterday. LOL

The guy on the right is David Buckner, Professor at Columbia University.
Watch this from a few months ago...you'll die.

back 2 reality

Can you believe it?
Is this some kind of sick joke?
Summer is almost over?
School starts in 3 weeks?
I'm a senior?
Only one year left in college?
I ask myself...how did this happen to me?
Time sure is a funny thing. It goes by incredibly slow when you're in the moment, but looking back it always seems to fly by.
That's how I feel right now.
I cannot believe we have been in New York for three months and that we are going home next week. I really have loved it here, but I can't wait to be home.
Living here has made me feel like we are on the fast track to adulthood and makes me realize how precious our time as young married college students really is.
How many people get to experience college with their spouse (besides @ BYU)???
Like none.
I feel like we have already moved on from that and now we are getting a second chance to go back and live one last year as true zoobies.
Come April we will be thrown into the real world with real jobs, real problems, and all other things real.
I can't wait to go back to little old Provo for our final year.
I want to go through the drive through at Wendy's...
put on a sweatshirt and head to a BYU football game...
stay up late watching past seasons of our favorite TV shows...
and study for an impossible exam that I always get a 64% on.
Ah the lap of luxury.

kkk sry for being reflective/deep...
DiD yOu WaTcH tHe BaChEloReTtE??!?!?!!
i KNEW she would pick Roberto from the very first night!
Ummm first impression rose? DUH!!!
Who's watching Bachelor Pad?
Anyone? Anyone?

my race

Last week I decided I like running. I have always, kind-of liked running, but now I really like it. A friend called and asked me to go running and took me on the most beautiful run along the Hudson River. I just loved the feeling of running outside and having the water to my left and the amazing city of NY to my right. We ran about 5 miles and I felt great.

SO great in fact, that I decided to go on another run the very next day.

Guys...I ran 8 miles! That's a lot for me!

At the end of this 8-mile excursion, I was running along with about a half mile to go when I saw this skinny, middle-aged man running about 50 yards ahead of me. I decided to speed up and catch him.

That I did....and he did not like it.

As soon as I passed him he started running right on my feet to try and regain his lead.

That he did.

I tend to be competitive when it comes to stupid things like this, so I instinctively decided to go even faster and pass him again.

But this time, he wouldn't let me.

He started sprinting.

SPRINTING.

I wasn't going to let this skinny little man beat me, so of course I had to start sprinting as well, trying with all my might to catch him.

There we were, two strangers running our hearts out down the West Side Highway in the dark. He was looking over his shoulder trying to see how close I was.

And then...it happened.

"Just a small town girl...livin' in a lonely world..."

The Glee cover of Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin' came on my playlist.

I love that song.

I felt adrenaline flowing through me and I just couldn't help myself but to pick up my pace even more.

I felt creepily happy as the distance between us grew smaller.

And then we came to a crosswalk and had to stop.

AWKWARD!!!!!!

I went one way and he went the other.

I really hope I never run into him again.

Boston!

I went to Boston this weekend to visit my sister-in-law Brittanie and her fam! Oh how I loved it so. I didn't take any pix...sry. It was a pretty quick trip, left after work on Friday and came back Sunday afternoon.
Took a bus.
Got sick.
Let me tell you, it is the most miserable thing to be on the verge of puking on a hot bus and knowing that you aren't going to stop for another three hours.
MISERABLE!
But I got through it. The weekend gave me just enough time to play with my nieces and nephews, shop with Britt, eat and hang out with Britt and Whit at a couple yummy restaurants, and get to see what a beautiful place Boston is. Here are some fake pictures of my trip that I found:

These are called Swan Boats and we took a ride on one in the Boston Public Garden...straight out of a storybook!


The adorable and famous Newbury Street. Great shopping.

This is probably what Britt and I looked like shopping. I don't know who that other girl is tho.

Boston is just so cute and fun. I would totally live there.

By the way..Did you watch the Bachelorette tonight? Ali was def wearing a bump-it!

Only in NY

New York truly is a beautiful place, but just like all big cities there tend to be a lot of...well, bums. I usually don't quite know how to handle myself when approached my someone in need...though I wish I could help, I would go broke if I gave food or money to every person who asked for it on the street. Yesterday something happened that made me feel a little better about all the times I have denied needy people of my assistance. I came around a corner and saw a man who looked...well like a bum...and had a sign by his feet that said, "Handicapped, please help." Just as I was noticing how he didn't appear handicapped at all, he pulled his right arm through the sleeve of his shirt and held it against his chest. VOILA....missing a limb. Really? Really? How low it that?
Almost as low as Frank leaving Ali for his ex.

Dear Frank

I'm glad you're gone.
And I knew you would do something stupid like this.

The REAL Housewives

I found this list on a friend's blog (sorry for stealing it!) and just had to post. It is hilarious. Do yourself a favor and read the whole thing. Perhaps there is truth to the idea, but some points are slightly outdated to say the least.

It is from Housekeeping Monthly, 13 May, 1955.

1.Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.

2.Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

3. Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

4. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.

5. During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

6. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.

7. Be happy to see him.

8. Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

9. Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

10. Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

11. Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.

12. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

13. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

14. Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

15. A good wife always knows her place.

By the way, I have been a wife for 11 months today. Still trying to learn my place.

read this

if you have a spare minute...I found it to be very interesting.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/938ff454-8a32-11df-bd30-00144feab49a.html

feet/books

Well here I am, back in the big city! Being at work again has been great, and Ty and I had an excellent weekend together because his hours weren't too bad. He did have to go in for a few hours on Saturday, so while he was at work I went and got a pedicure at this cute little place on 6th and 38th. The girl who did my toes did an amazing job...so methodical and spent such a long time clipping, filing, and polishing. Felt oh so good! The only problem was that my heels were so dry and cracked that when she filed them down they started bleeding. Embarrassing! I have always had this problem. Sorry if this is TMI about my feet. You are free to stop reading if you don't like the image of bleeding feet in your mind... don't worry I won't post pix. When I got home Ty and I had the brilliant idea to put super glue in the cracks to help seal them off (yes, glue on my foot). When we realized the lid to the bottle was broken, we then had our next brilliant idea of taking it off and pouring the runny liquid onto my foot straight from the open mouth of the bottle. This obviously was a disaster. The "super-quick-dry" formula ended up all over both of our hands, the bathroom floor, and numerous other places that should not have super glue on them. Three of my fingers were stuck together for 10 minutes, and the label that was once on the front of the glue bottle was tattoed onto my index finger. The bottle was glued to the top of the toilet. Last time we try that.

Change topic now.

I have never been much of a reader. I always loved the idea of reading, but I just never found a book that I could really get into. Couldn't do Harry Potter, only read the first of the Twilight saga, they just didn't do it for me. Maybe I am just impatient and can't sit still long enough to get into a book, or maybe I am lazy and would rather entertain my mind in other more-veg-out kind of ways. For the most part, I have stuck more to reading for school and less for leisure purposes. My mother-in-law recommended I read a book called The Firm by John Grisham. Have you read it? I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed every page and I could not put it down! All of the similarites between the couple in the book and Ty and I made it both relatable and kind of creepy. I would highly recommend it. It was the perfect mixture of mystery, romance, and action. It inspired me to pick up reading as a more regular hobby, so I have now started the book called The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. So far I have enjoyed it as well. Maybe this is the birth of a full-fledged book worm! Maybe not but I'm doing pretty good, right?

still here.....

SO I am still in Utah! I was supposed to go home on Monday morning, but I just couldn't do it. My mom has really needed my help so I thought the best thing for me to do would be to stay here for a few more days. I changed my ticket to go back to NY on Friday. The people at my internship have been soooo wonderful and understanding, telling me to take as much time off as I need.
Along with helping out at home, being here has been great because I was able to go to my friend Brooke's wedding. She married Jake, her high school sweetheart, who I am also good friends with (and actually "dated" my freshman year haha!). They had the most beautiful wedding and Brooke was even nice enough to invite me to be a last minute addition to her wedding party.

High school pals.

The happy couple stuffing cake in each others' faces.

One thing I realize I have missed from home since being here is the ability to get in a car and drive wherever you want. In NY, you have to plan out this whole subway routine and it's hot and stinky and just not that fun after a while. What a joy it is to have access to a car! Just a side note.

My mom is continuing to get better with each day that passes. Though it will be a long road, she is expected to make a full recovery. We have been extremely overwhelmed with the outpouring of love from our friends, family, and neighbors. We have people bringing us dinner every night this week and next! People are just so thoughtful, and it has really made a difference.
Thank you and goodnight.

Home Sweet Home

It's funny how you can make all the plans you want, but somehow they will always end up changing. My plan for the weekend was to spend the Fourth with my mom, in New York, shopping at LuLu Lemon and seeing the Broadway musical Memphis. Well, my plans changed and I am going home to Salt Lake tomorrow to spend time with my family there. My mom is still in the hospital recovering from her surgery and I just can't stand being away any longer. It was quite the dilemma deciding whether or not to just stick it out and stay here (plane tickets for the holiday weekend are extremely expensive and I have to miss a couple days of work) or go home to help my mom. When I really thought about it, I knew that if it were me in the hospital with a severe injury, my mom would come from anywhere and be there as fast as possible. That's just how she is. SO it just didn't make any sense for me not to go.
Though it would have been fun to enjoy the city with mama this weekend, I am just grateful that she is on the road to recovery and that I get to make a spontaneous trip home to see all of my loved ones.
Who needs plans anyway, right?

Good News/Bad News

The Good News: I had a fabulous weekend playing in the city with Ty's mom and sisters. We packed an obscene amount of activities into the 2.5 days we had here. We made a mile-long list of things we wanted to do and see, and we accomplished almost every single one of them. Highlights of the weekend include but are not limited to the following:

1. Rachel being followed in the MOMA by "Willie."
2. Jodi falling. Twice.
3. Jodi knocking over picture frames in the store and blaming it on me.
4. Dessert for breakfast.
5. Shopping at the ever-so-classy Easy Spirit.
6. Makeuping in Sephora for 2 hours in the middle of the night.
7. Everyone buying the same shirt, shoes, sunglasses, etc.
8. a lot more that I can't even think of.
How lucky am I? The Baldwins are just great. I somehow acquired 5 of the most beautiful, kind, smart, and funny women as my new big sisters. To say the least, it was a perfect weekend spent in the city and I am sad it is over. Hopefully this becomes an annual event. Let's start saving our pennies!

Breakfast at Max Brenner-Chocolate by the Bald Man (Ty got to come too).

Out of all the shirts in Nordstrom Rack, three of us decided to buy the exact same one.

Outside So Good. And yes, it was.

Cute Toni and Rachel.

Eating Shake Shack.

The Bad but hopeful News: I got a call from my dad yesterday telling me he was at the hospital with my mom. She was in a bike accident and broke her back Saturday morning. She is in surgery right now to try and repair the vertebrae. I got to talk to her for a minute and she sounds like she is doing alright. She is the strongest and most positive person I know, so I'm confident she will make a quick and full recovery. I'm sad that she won't be able to come visit me this week, but I just want her to get better soon.
I love you mom!
(She's the blond on the left)