You've Had a Birthday Shout Hooray!

Happy Birthday Tom!

Quality Service

Today was our Relief Society's March 17th party. They served us the most delicious meal! I think part of the deliciousness was because I didn't make it, and it was all served course by course and all of it together made it extra tasty. We had a garden salad with raspberry vinergerette that had a variety of vegetables. Then we had grilled chicken and onion and pepper shishkabobs (spelling??) with cooked carrots and mini roast potatos. Dessert was a homemade creme puff with strawberries and a raspberry drizzle. Chris was one of the volunteer workers and I think he got pretty worked in the kitchen, but it all looked amazing and tasted great!

Good Taxes

Our taxes are done! The University's Accounting Club has a volunteer service to do taxes for small returns for free and yesterday we took advantage of that service! I guess the club pays for this program where all you have to do in fill in basic information and then it processes the return. Chris and I could have done it ourseleves (and I think we would have been better off than a few of the clueless volunteers) but at least we got them done and done for free. So what's good do you ask? Well that would be our return! It's so much more than I was expecting, which at this time of year is the best news one could get!

Guess Who?

Tonight our ward had a Guess Who's Coming to Dinner activity. We've done it before and always been a guest, bringing either a salad or dessert and then having dinner with two or three other couples in the ward. They are really fun because you end up with people you might not meet and have a good time and a good meal too. This time we hosted, but I guess because of numbers we only had one couple. It was still good though. We had a spaghetti like casserole that I made and garlic bread, and a green salad. Normally someone else would bring dessert, but when I found out there wouldn't be anyone (last minute - like 1.5 hours before they came) I decided to make something. So I made a chocolate pudding pie with an oreo crum crust (a first time try). It was delicious! We had whipped cream and bananas to go with. It was a very tasty meal, and nice to do something with another couple.

Easter Feast

The Easter bunny sure did visit us on Sunday. We had baskets with chocolates and jolly rancher gummies. Chris hid ourpainted eggs and some plastic ones so I could hunt for them before church. After church we went to Beaumont for dinner. It was absolutely delicious and very filling. We had turkey, a bit of ham, some perogies, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and salads. There was pumpkin pie and a chocolate pudding pie for dessert. I'm already looking forward to the leftovers we took home for dinner tonight! Aunt Jeana and Amy stopped by last night with some Turtles Easter eggs and we visited for just a little bit. Aunt Jeana was up visiting for the weekend.

Back to school tomorrow, and hopefully back to regular eating patterns!

Egg-cellent Art

Chris and I work on our art skills as displayed in these beauties!

Almost There

Only one day left until I can eat chocolate again. This last week has been the worst. I have wanted chocolate everyday, and what with the long weekend I kept thinking Thursday was Friday and Friday was Saturday and thinking all along I was one day closer to chocolate, but not so! I'm thinking we'll have to do a midnight egg hunt or something so that I can eat some right away. We are planning to paint eggs later tonight as well, for which I am very excited.

I hope everyone has a nice Easter weekend!

Good Friday

Even though I always have Fridays off, today has been exceptionally nice. Possibly because I am taking the day off from school work too. This morning I did some laundry, we cleaned the bathroom and did the floors, and then in the afternoon we went to the Temple. I also just finished kicking Chris' butt in 'Harry Potter Scene It' (not really, it was a close race), but he is getting better now that he's finished all the books. Tonight some friends are coming over to play games and so in short it has truly been a good Friday.

Pancakes and then some

Today's dinner started out as just going to be pancakes and homemade syrup. Then we decided yesterday to buy some bacon too and orange juice. Last night we had cravings for milkshakes so we went to Safeway to buy and ice cream and berries to make our own. So then today we thought, we might as well have cream and berries with the pancakes too (there was some leftover cream for a week ago). Just as Chris was starting to make everything I thought, well we have some apples, lets have fried cinnamon apples too, since we're already having bacon, and then it just seemed like if we didn't have scrambled eggs, we'd be missing out. So thats what we had for dinner. It was delicious. Chris made everything but the apples, which was probably my favorite part of everything (him cooking, i got left with dishes though, not a bad trade off). I know I'm always saying we're poor, and truely we are, but we just seem to eat very well. We're definitly blessed that way!


Notice Chris' cream in his mouth, what a goof!

Val in Real Life

Last night we went to a newly married institute class. They serve us free dinner, yesterday was lasagna and breadsticks and salad, with cheesecake desserts, and then one of the institute instructors gives a lesson. Yesterdays was on communication, good topic for newlyweds. They only have the class once a month, and this was the first time we have gone this semester, which really is too bad, cause they're really good, and didn't I mention, free food.

After that we watched the movie Dan in Real Life. It was a gooder. Both Chris and I really liked it, funny and a bit of romance too, possible one we will own in the future.

Today will be spent studying. Less than a month left of classes though, time really does fly...

Them!

So currently we are experiencing a horrible ant problem!! It started out small, and now they are just everywhere! Well not everywhere, just against the wall in the living room, but they crawl through the kitchen. It's gross and I hate it. We don't know where they are coming from. We're not messy people, and I've tried extra hard to keep food crumbs off the ground and generally keep the place clean. We finally got some Raid, so hopefully it will work. But the climax of this tail is that today in my anthropology class we watched clips of this 1950s (i think) movie called THEM! Its about these mutated giant ants that destroy buildings and kill people. I thought, oh no that will be my kitchen next! I hope I don't have any nightmares of giant ants, and that none of them mutate overnight!!!

Go Oilers

Last night I had my first NHL experience. Amy had gotten 2 free tickets from work for her birthday and I was the lucky one she chose to take. Poor Chris, he was jealous! They played the St. Louis Blues and won in overtime! Quite an exciting game. In the first period the Oilers scored three goals and were leading 3-0. In the 2nd period the Blues scored 3 goals, and no one scored in the 3rd period, so into overtime it went. With only 5 seconds left of overtime before going to a shoot out the Oilers scored. It was great. Amy and I had such a good time. Our seats were pretty decent too, but we'll take anything free!! Now that I've had a taste, I definitly would love to be able to go to more games, we'll have to be on the lookout for cheap tickets!

I forgot to bring my camera which was disappointing, but here is me after the game back home. Good thing I have an Oilers t-shirt. Amy borrowed her roommates. So many people had Oilers gear it was great.

Stolen!

Yesterday morning when I was on my way to volunteering and getting into the car I noticed that our license plate looked a little cleaner than the rest of the car, and then I noticed that the numbers and letters didn't look familiar. Now I'll admit I don't know my licence plate number down pat, but at least I recognized something. So I check the registration and sure enough that plate on my car was not our plate!! I thought at first I was going crazy, so I ran in and told Chris and he verified that our plate had been stolen! I had to head off to school, so Chris was going to call the police to see what to do. When I got back home I had to go to the police station and make a statement. They took the plate from my car, and said that it had been stolen back in December. (Just to note, when the officer was trying to get the plate off (he had a hard time) he came in and asked one of the other officers for his leatherman....and I thought, well all my brothers have one of those!) It was a bit of a hassle to get new plates. I drove the car home without any plates at all, and then just walked to a registry a block away. I felt bad not going to Amy's, but the officer didn't advise it. Even though I had a police report he said it really depends on the guy who pulls me over. I didn't want to risk it.

Well now we have new plates, and I don't think I'll have trouble remembering them, MUM 987.

I swear everything interesting and odd that happens to me occurs in that car. Whether it's car alarms going off, beging stranded in the praries, or having driver-less cars headed towards me! At least it gives me stories to write on my blog!

Still here

I am alive, so no need to fear. It started out as a quiet week last week so I didn't have anything to write, and then it just got so busy, that I didn't have time. Last weekend was a movie weekend for us. We watched 'No Reservations' which was cute. Chris even said he liked it. Then we watched Fever Pitch. Saturday night I went to a cheap movie with Amy and we saw Enchanted. I've already seen it, but Amy hadn't, and it was only a couple bucks. So I've been singing songs from it again this week. Sunday we started watching Pearl Harbour (I've seen it before and I don't like it, so I made cards and made the occaisional comment on how I didn't like it, I don't think Chris was too appreciative of that). Chris had to go home teaching so we didn't finish it.

Also I finished the second book of the Twilight series. This one I read in just a couple days cause I couldn't put it down. I still wont say I really liked it, but I just had to find out what happened!! I'm trying not to start the third one until school has slowed down, which probably wont be until school is done. But we'll see how anxious I get.

Snowfall

After over 2 glorious weeks of warm weather we awoke to quite the snowfall today, and it hasn't ceased yet. I know its only March, and it was very optimistic of me not to expect anymore snow, but it had just been so nice, we were even wearing spring jackets.

Today is election day for our Provincial government. Chris and I decided since we got our weekly TIME magazine subscription we are much more informed about US policitics than Canadian. But at least we are both going out to vote. I was already on the roads today, and what with the snow and ice, and all the seniors out for voting, it wasn't good for driving!

Back to Reality

It has been back to the grind for Chris and I. I had my last midterm this week, but now I've got lots of papers and group projects to start, and finish! I've reverted to my usual procratinating tool of cleaning the house instead of studying. I figure at least I'm still being productive. Chris still has 2 midterms next week, so we hope those go well.

This weekend is full of wedding celebrations. We went to an open house last night and are going to a calling reception tonight. We haven't had to spend a cent though, thanks to re-gifting and homemade cards...oh how I love making cards now. I always tell Chris though I need for stuff for it. Truthfully I don't think I could ever have enough, which I'm sure you would all agree!

Congratulations to John and Alicia!

Welcome Maggie! We're excited you're finally here, and hope you and mom are doing well!