Sunday Dinner

So Ryan and I are blessed enough to live within 20 minutes of both of our families. This has been an amazing blessing for us - we are so grateful for the love and support of our family members, and they're great about respecting the fact that we're our own family, too. One of the best parts is that we get to go to one of our families for Sunday dinner every week - which is a lot of fun and gives us a chance to relax and enjoy being together.

This week, though, Ryan had to stay late at church for tithing settlement - and so I got to make Sunday dinner! It was a lot of fun planning the meal myself. I used my crock pot and made chicken stroganoff. Aside from the fact that it turned out a tad too salty (I put in too much soup mix) it was very delicious, and we had a great Sunday dinner at home together - with Christmas music playing and Christmas lights on, of course :)

Recipe: Chicken Stroganoff

6 chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
16 oz sour cream
1 pkg dry onion soup mix (in the future, I'll probably only use about 2/3 pkg just to cut down on the salt.)

Put the chicken breasts in the crock pot. Mix the soup, sour cream, and soup mix together and pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 4.5 - 5 hours. Shred chicken and serve over cooked egg noodles.

Happy Sunday!

Autumn in full swing...

So between school and work and more school and more work, Ryan and I have managed to find time to do some really fun things. In addition to hanging out with some friends from the ward, finishing watching Psych season 6 and White Collar season 4 (can't wait for January!!), we've done the following fun things:

BYU football! We were right at the front on the north endzone one week, it was a great perspective, when they were at our end...

We went to Pizza Factory after priesthood session of General Conference. I won the who-can-build-the-biggest-salad on the one-trip salad bar competition...

We went to McCoard's Corn Maze here in Provo with Scott and Lisa. SUPER fun. We like playing with them.

At the end of October, I attended the American Translators Association conference in San Diego. It was a great experience, I made a lot of connections and I'm still trying to catch up on missing three days of school! It was warm there - that was the best part - but I missed Ryan... a lot. 

With the Hilton in the background (where the conference was held). This was the closest I got to the water all week...

With my little bird friend - this guy had a bird rescue and let me hold one on my shoulder.

The first aircraft carrier I've ever seen - it was soooo big!

Then, of course, Ryan and I had to celebrate Halloween. We started on Monday by going to Tucano's and carving pumpkins with my mom (lots of fun!) Then we had treats and watched the Sixth Sense on Halloween night. We didn't get any trick-or-treaters at our apartment - we're not right on a main road - it was sad. But we had a fun night anyway.

Ryan made the pumpkin snowman - I thought it turned out awesome!

 

If we had a quote wall...

Infamous quotes by Ryan tonight: 

"Mr. Trash Can is hungry, and his favorite food is spinach." 

"Jen, it's NEVER too early for Christmas music." 

"Football season IS fall. They're one and the same." 

"Let me tell you, this is totally overloading my endorphins." (In a flat, bored tone of voice.)

"You WAY overthink things!" 

Oh, how I love Friday nights with my Ryan! 

April 2009 at Temple Square :)

In two weeks...

Two weeks from today, I shall be on an airplane to San Diego...

I would like to be planning to do this:

(click on this link for endorphin overload... San Diego Zoo PandaCam)

Or visiting this:

But instead, I get to be attending this: (!!!)

My official certificate of ATA student membership arrived in the mail yesterday. I have polo shirts with the logo of my internship company sitting in my closet ready to go. I'm working on designing myself a business card and getting copies of my resume printed, and I'm so excited to go and meet lots of people who have been where I'm at and can give me advice on getting where I'd like to go with my degree and my career. 

The only really really really lame part is that Ryan can't go with me. He will be very busy doing this: 

 And getting familiar with this:

And hanging out with this awesome guy, who is getting home from his mission next 

week - and whatnot! :) We are all VERY excited about this:

Life is good!

Holiday Season!

One thing that Ryan and I have in common is we love holidays - especially Christmas - but all holidays are pretty great. We got really excited for Christmas this weekend, so last night we had a Christmas FHE and then decorated fall cookies (it was just too early for Christmas cookies). I think it makes school a lot less stressful when you have seasons and holidays to look forward to!

He's gotten pretty good at this decorating stuff, after doing cookies three or four times and helping me with cakes :)

Football season and fall all combined

Our predictions for the game on Thursday - mine on the left, Ryan on the right

Liebster Award

So today I did one of those random-facts-about-yourself blog posts. Click here to read it on my other blog, Viva la Vida.

Maple Mountain and Jackson

The summer continues... with more work, adventures, and vacations!

Hiking Maple Mountain with Scott and Lisa - 11 mile round trip hike, I wouldn't have made it without Ryan's help and support!

At the summit

We installed sprinklers for my mom, and then she got sod. Her yard has come a long way since two summers ago!

We spent a week with my mom visiting my grandparents in Idaho Falls and then camping in Jackson. We rafted the Snake River, ate at the Bar J Chuckwagon Dinner and Show, saw Cat Ballou, visited Old Faithful and spent a morning canoeing and an afternoon playing in the river.

Buffalooooooooo!

Jumping off rocks into Jenny Lake

Me and my mom and the Tetons

Jumping into the swimming hole in the Gros Ventre River

Trying to swim against the current - Ryan did better than I did :)

Mrs. Moose!

Gros Ventre River - I think this is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

We had fun! Upcoming adventures: selling furniture, shingling the shed, canning beans, camping with my dad, and watching lots of White Collar...