Good Idea. Bad Idea.

Good Idea:

Making buttercream frosting to go with your sugar cookies

Bad Idea:

Putting 7 cups of granulated sugar in the recipe that calls for confectioner's sugar

A Cold Night and a Warm Heart

Last night my husband and I were invited to see the lights at Temple Square with my sister and her family. Of course we couldn't resist an invitation to see the reactions of my sister's cute, little monkeys. They met at our house and waited patiently while I put on the layers of thermal, fleece, and cotton. Topped off with some synthetic goose down. The boys were so excited and kept asking when we were going to see baby Jesus.

We headed for the cars and the two year-old said to me, plain as day, "You guys going to follow us to the temple?" Off we went. We parked the car and got the kidlets piled into their plastic, Graco chariot. The boys looked so silly in their puffy, marshmallow coats, hats with ear flaps, and mittens that couldn't actually come down far enough on their wrist because of their coat sleeves. The two year-old look at me and said in his excited voice, "We're going to go in the TEMPLE." I was so sad to have to break the news that he couldn't actually go in the temple.

We walking around Temple Square and helped the boys reach all of the lights that they wanted to touch. They kept asking where baby Jesus was, which we were saving for the end. Finally, we began making our way to the nativity scene that lights up and has some narration and music that plays every few minutes. I was holding hands with the four year-old when we heard the music playing as we got closer to the nativity. He yelled, "Let's go see Jesus!" And he pulled me along even faster. It was at this point that I realized he might think that we were actually going to see the real baby Jesus. He kept pulling me and every now and then, he'd look up at me and ask, anxiously, "Where's Jesus!?" This pulled at my little heart strings and my eyes started to well up with tears. This little, innocent child and his brother don't know a lot of things yet in this life, but the all ready know the significance of Christ. He was so excited to see Jesus. That's all he really wanted to see the whole night. What a touching little moment. We have so much to learn from little kids. It's no wonder the scriptures urge us to be child like. I hope we can all find Jesus this Christmas season, whether it's on Temple Square or in our hearts.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Ch-ch-ch-Changes

A few weeks into marriage and I'm noticing some big changes all ready. The biggest of which has been the switch from a "pre-marriage ward" (a.k.a. singles' ward) to a family (a.k.a. retirement ward). No, I'm not joking about the retirement. The boundaries of our current ward include a retirement community, a small neighborhood of condominiums, and a small set of townhomes.

So essentially, I will be going from this:

U32 Ward End of Year Slideshow - 2009 from Tanner Christensen on Vimeo.

To this:

Yikes.

My day just got a whole lot better

What a crappy morning and day so far. I feel like my head is going to spin off and I have to much to do before the wedding and not enough time to do it.

BUT

Thank you Cadbury for making Christmas candies.

Thank you retail chains for stocking Christmas candies at a ridiculously early time.

Thank you Albertsons for keeping your shelves fully stocked... and for answering you phone and confirming that the shelves were stocked before I made my journey.

Thank you car for getting me to the store in a safe and timely manner.

Thank you taste buds for working so well and recognizing delicious and creamy things.

Thank you metabolism for burning through this entire bag of eggs quickly. (This won't actually happen... but a girl can dream....)

Good-Bye, Old Friends

Today I say good-bye to a few friends that have meant a lot to me over the years. I have been very close to them and during almost all moments of my life have been inseparable.

Good-bye to the blue with yellow and pink stars, hot pink, days of the week-style, "Laughing Out Loud," boy-fit style, and my personal favorite, wide red and white stripes. You know who you are and what you've meant to me over the years.

If you are confused by this post, that's probably for the best. It's meant to be cryptic. If you understand this post, you, too, have made the change. I couldn't be more excited.

Stay Tuned...

Dear Interweb,

I am sorry that I have neglected you as of late. And I'm sorry to leave you hanging without the rest of the details of my story I've been telling. Work and other things have consumed my every moment... including moments usually spent on blogging. A travesty, I know. But never fear, I will soon write the end of my story. Although, I must admit that finishing with, "... and the rest is history" did cross my mind.

Also, I heard the all too familiar sound of Canadian geese flying south for the winter this morning. Which can only mean one thing, that they were flying south for the winter. I hate winter. Especially in my state, blah. Here's to hoping for a swift and mild winter!

Talk to you soon,

Megan

Showered With Gifts... And Attention

Last night was my very first bridal shower. Three of my very best friends threw this party for me. I call it a party because we laughed the whole time and ate lots and lots of delicious sweets! I have always dreaded any kind of shower (except the kind that keeps you clean and covers the bathroom mirrors with steam)... even my own bridal showers. But this was SO FUN!

I have to admit, though, that I think this cultural tradition of ours is very, very odd. First of all, after mingling a bit and eating some goodies, everyone sat down in a circle and stared at me. I felt a little like a circus monkey or at the very least a winter window display at Macy's. I had an almost completely captive audience of good friends who suddenly acted as though they were hearing me speak for the very first time. I like attention as much as the next gal, but not of this magnitude. Then my cute friends who threw the shower shared a funny video of my fiancé answering questions... which lightened the mood and made us all laugh really hard. (Don't tell him, it'll go right to his head.)

THEN the strangest thing happened... everyone started handing me gifts, for no reason other than my pending nuptials! I felt so silly. I should have accomplished something or won an award to merit that kind of attention and those kinds of gifts. Even today, I feel a little silly and spoiled. Perhaps I'll go do something big and noble today, so I feel like I've earned all the doting. Then again, I'm sick, AND pretty busy today... so maybe tomorrow... or the next day....

I forgot to take pictures until almost all the guests were gone. Luckily, I got some of my BFFs. The others are just going to have to recreate the night so we can get proof that they were there.

Some of my best friends...

Oh, the memories we share!

When you're as cool as Michelle, you carry a film camera at all times.

This little stud had all the guest eating out of the palm of his hand...

or was it the other way around?

And our little night owl stayed up later than she has in years...

that's how much she loves me! ;)

Thanks for the wonderful evening, friend-Os!

Over the top?

All this frilly wedding planning stuff has got me thinking...

So I added a background to my blog. I think it's cute, but I feel kind of claustrophobic. It might just need some getting used to, or it might just drive me crazy. How do so many of you change up your backgrounds all the time? I hate change.

Look at me... growing up so fast and stuff.

Something New to Blog About...

For the past couple of years, I have been blogging about a lot of things: vacations, family, work, memories, but mostly dating. This blog has served as an outlet for each and every dating frustration of mine and of others. Let me take a moment to thank those who have endured my many dating-centered posts and especially those who left comments of empathy. And I do mean empathy. Dating is really difficult, and I think it's supposed to be that way. As my dad has always reminded me, nothing worth doing is easy. And to this phrase, dating has stayed true. But every once-on-a-while something good happens in dating to remind you why you're doing it in the first place. It isn't because you don't know anything different, it's because you want to find someone you love who loves you back. And that's not an unworthy goal— it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's easy to get lost in the dark abyss of first dates, dead-end relationships, and awkward break-ups and to forget to enjoy dating and to enjoy the search for someone to love.

[cue "Somebody to Love" by Queen]

I claim to be no expert on dating. I developed a talent of flying by the seat of my pants in dating over the years. Worked for me, but not the best option for everyone. However, I am please to announce that in addition to dating, I will now have a new topic of which to blog.... MARRIAGE! I'm engaged and I couldn't be happier about it. I will have all sorts of new adventures to post and new stories to tell.... and new insights on relationships. And for those of you who fear losing the enjoyment of my single life stories, never fear. I have kept years of journals and notes for just this purpose, entertaining you.

I have intentions of posting more details about the exciting news, but I can hardly keep my eyes open. So, stay tuned for juicy details of how two best friends fell in love (but not too mushy, 'cuz I'm just not that girl).

Danger is My Middle Name

So I was pulled over last Thursday, for the sixth time. How many tickets do I have, one might ask? The answer is complex, because I don't believe ZERO qualifies as an actual whole number. That's right, no tickets. Now, just to be fair, I should admit that I did have a ticket on my record at one time. It's been clear for some time now. The dialogue from the most recent run-in with the law went a little something like this:

Scene One: At a local Chevron about 1 mile away from place of residence and work. Parking lot and pumps are completely filled with cars of neighbors and old acquaintances. Suspect car has just entered the last empty parking stall and police car has torn into the parking lot with lights on and short siren noise. Police can remains parked behind suspect's car, lights on.

me: Hello

him: Did you know your car's registration is expired?

me: [small gasp] I had no idea. Is it really?

him: Yes. In fact, it has been for over two months.

me: [cheeks flush with embarrassment] I had no idea. I didn't get anything in the mail. I'm sorry.

him: May I see your driver's license and proof of insurance.

me: [hand him the requested items]

him: [returns to car]

[Moments later, the officer returns...]

him: Did you also know that your driver's license is expired?

me: I totally forgot.

him: Yeah, it's been expired for three months.

me: I'm sorry. I've just been so busy lately and part of that time I was out of the country.

him: While you were gone, did you have someone getting your mail?

me: Yes, my parents.

him: Hmm... I see that you have no record so I'm just going to give you a stern warning on the conditions that you go directly to the DMV to get this taken care of.

me: Okay, I will. I'm so sorry. Thanks so much. Have a nice day. [Thinking, "Yeah, right. Like I have time to go to the DMV. Little does he know my oil hasn't been changed for 1,000 miles over the suggested mileage."]

him: [walks away, expressionless]

Morale of the story: Be honest, play dumb (or in my case, be dumb), admit your wrong-doing, and you'll drive away with a clean record. This seems to be the pattern I've experienced through my many run-ins with the law. That's right... I'm dangerous like that. Look out world, this girl drives with an expired license... unregistered. [Insert mental image of Lloyd Christmas at the phone booth in Aspen giving one deep "she's unlisted" breath.]

Summing up some summer

I'm currently sitting at my kitchen table, trying everything I can to avoid doing more editing. As I was sitting here, pa rousing some blogs (non-productively), I heard some music begin from a spare room at my house. I listen closely and realized it was a lullaby CD that is kept in the CD player at all times to aid with naps for the kidlets to whom I'm related. How did this lullaby music suddenly turn itself on? I don't have the answer to that. But I do know that it's beckoning me to take a nap. I don't usually believe in signs... but this one is just so clear.

I have been tired a lot lately, for good reason. It's summer, and there are a lot of fun things going on in my life as of late. Such as:

Coke slurpees

Mozart

Flowers

Mendelssohn

Deer Valley

late night convertible drives

Robert Redford (indirectly)

Electric harp

Miniature golfing

Moonlight bike ride

swimming, swimming, swimming

yoga

Tchaikovsky

Burgers

Friends

Burgers with friends

Run-ins with the law

Dinosaurs

Muddy Buddies

Star Wars

Weber River

Backroads and parkways on my bike

Deer with HUGE antlers

Cannons

Editing, writing, standards, assessments....

Here's to hoping for an even more eventful August!

Frankles?!

A friend recently decided to award me with the nick name frankles, for obvious reasons; I came home from Europe with Cankles and freckles. Clever, right? Well, I thought it was a nick name that was funny for a one-time conversation. Turns out it's sticking, and catching on with others. Thanks a lot, friend-who-I-cannot-come-up-with-a-mean-nickname- for!

I guess this is a step up from Megs'n Bacon.

[sigh]

Boys...

[sigh]

Freckle Juice

So last night I had an appointment with my esthetician. I've been seeing her every couple months for quite a while now. Last night I laid down on her little bed thingy. She got everything ready to go, turned toward me and exclaimed, "Whoa! Um... I have some bleach I think you need to start using on your face to help control your freckles." All of a sudden I was flooded with memories of reading Freckle Juice in third grade and wondering, while reading it, if there really was a way to rid myself of freckles. After all these years, I've finally accepted my freckled self and now a licensed professional is telling me there is an actual product that can gradually bleach away my freckles. Where was she when I was nine?!


But seriously, as an adult, who worries about having freckles (because now I kind of am)?

Nephews make the best dates

I wish everyone had a nephew. Nothing beats spending an evening with darling, intelligent, fun children that you get to drop off to someone else at the end of the night.

The boys chose to go to Maddox Drive-In, in Perry. They were so busy talking about worm holes, black holes, evolution, and dogs that we eventually had to leave ... and finish our food on the go. Yes, I took the next two pictures while I was driving on the freeway, in case you were wondering.

If you'd ever care to see the red cocktail sauce pictured here, you can see it embedded in the carpet of my car anytime. 

Then I had the bright idea of the Farr ice cream parlor in Ogden on the way home. But they had been there before. I don't know why I thought I would have been the first person to think to take kids there. (Sometimes I live in a dream world.) We accidentally ordered some HUGE portions of ice cream and ended up in sugar comas just trying to make it to the bottom.

[Aren't their smiles the cutest?!]

[Yes, I'm actually posting this super flattering photo. The boys said I needed a picture of myself, but I wouldn't let them hold my camera with their sticky hands (I know), and this is the awesome photography we ended up with.]

In other news:

In the past 8 days I have been called a brat/snob three times.

I was told by a boy that I don't feel and that there is a cold, dark cavity where my heart should go. 

I had an Emma moment last week. Not the kind to be proud of.

I celebrated Taco Tuesday on Wednesday at work, for which I made homemade guacamole dip (thank you, Erika!)

I went on my first bike ride of the summer, on the Legacy Trail with a great friend and my bottom only hurts just slightly today. I never knew I could be so excited about an un-sore bottom.

My cankles have subsided. I'm considering throwing a Welcome Home party for my real ankles. 

And a good friend encouraged me to not be so indecisive in life.

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."

Thus, I have started making decisions. And we'll see where those go.

Turning 26 Never Tasted so Good

I actually turned 26 while I was in Heidelberd, Germany. But I held off on birthday celebrations until I returned home for obvious reasons... It's got to be hard to find my Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip birthday cake mix in Germany! Also, there are so many more people here to celebrate me. 

And because I only turn 26 once...

I went with some of my good friends to eat at Taggart's Grill.

I ate, and shared (some) delicious chocolate cake.

I posed for really awkward photos... because I can.

And now I'm just trying to adjust to remembering my new age, 26. It seems like ever since I turned 23, I can't seem to remember how old I am. Just a few months ago, in fact, I told someone I met that I was 23. And I really thought that I was. You can imagine my shock when my friend called me the following day to tell me that I hadn't been 23 for over 2 years. 

They say that you lose your mind as you grow older. I just might be living proof.

Since You Been Gone...

So I've been out of the country for a few weeks. I was too busy to blog while getting ready for the trip. (You can thank me later for not boring you with the details of packing.) And since I've been home, I've been just trying to catch up on life and get back on a somewhat normal sleep schedule.

I went with two friends to backpack all over Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. I kept a journal and took pictures while I was there. I plan on posting some of the more interesting and entertaining journal entries I kept while I was there. So here's one for today to wet your whistle:

6 June 2009

Capri, Italy

In Europe everyone wears bikinis at the beach, and I mean EVERYONE! Everyone also smokes and drinks (I realize that's an inaccurate generalization in hind sight). We see kids that look about 12 walking around with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. Perhaps that's how they all stay so thin so they can wear their bikinis. I, on the other hand, keep reaching into my backpack for gummy bears, or "pandas," as they call them here in Italy. Maybe I should consider taking up smoking.

Everyone in Italy wears designer glasses, sunglasses, clothing, and accessories, I have seen maybe one pair of glasses while in Italy that didn't have HUGE designer emblems on the side— and they were mine.

Rome is absolutely filthy! It if weren't for the many ancient Roman attractions, I would refuse to step foot in that city.

I have had cankles since the moment I first stepped off the plane in Frankfurt. So just in case my pasty white skin isn't attractive enough, I have sweet, thick cankles to supplement it. Note to self: Google how to prevent and get rid of feet/ankles retaining water for future trips. It's surprisingly painful.

List of Items Lost, Stolen, of Misplaced:

Today- Andres' camera

Airport in Malaga- my really expensive, new trail shoes

Airport from SLC to Frankfurt- my towel

Airport in Geneva- my black flip flops that gave me wicked blisters in Munich (good riddance)

Hmmm.... I don't really recall why I wrote what I wrote. But I did. I'm sure those of you who have never been to Europe feel like you have been there now through the imagery and thoughts portrayed in my journal entry, huh? :)

Keane Observations

Tuesday I went

[here]

To see

[these guys]

with

[this girl].

And it looked a little something like

[THAT!]

It's surprisingly difficult to get a decent picture of the band when there are a million strobe lights. This was my best effort.

Concert Review: Hands down, my favorite concert I've been to. I loved both opening acts (Mat Kearney is one of my top ten favorites) and knew and loved all the Keane songs. Plus the absence of alcohol made for a much less obnoxious crowd. And I haven't been to a Coldplay concert, so this one remains the best until I do.

Music Suggestion: Keane- all of their albums, but especially the latest. Mat Kearney- pick and choose his songs on his albums (see me for specifics). Helio Sequence- not bad at all, but much better live.

Word.

Almost a Parent

No, this is not an announcement. I'm pretty sure you've got to kiss a boy or something along those lines to become a parent.

Anyway...

When I was in college I was a nanny of sorts for a family. Another girl about my age and I would take turns helping the mom with the kids on extra busy days or watching the kids on nights the parents had something. Over the years as I've become busy with a full time job and other things, the other nanny girl and I have stopped babysitting but have kept in touch with this cute family. I still take their kids every once in a while so the parents can have a date night and I can catch up with the kiddos. The other nanny girl does the same. Sometime over the course of the past few years the other girl got married and now has two kids. I didn't. This is confusing for the kids' little minds.

A few weeks ago I was watching the kiddos while the parents went to catch a flick. I was helping the five-year-old get his PJs on and get ready for bed. He looked at me and asked, "Are you a parent?" I took time explaining to him that I wasn't married like his other sitter that has kids, thus I had no children. 

He looked at me again and said, "So you're in high school?" 

"No, I've been out of high school for a while," I said.

"So you're in college?" he inquired.

"Um, no. I've been out of college for a little while. Now I go to a job all day," was my answer.

"And you have no kids?" he asked again, just to double check.

"Nope."

"Oh, I get it! You're almost a parent!" he exclaimed

"YES," I said. "I am almost a parent."

A couple weeks later, I was helping this same little boy put his PJs on again. We went through a similar dialogue. Except this time at the end of the conversation, he looked at me and said, "You're not married 'cuz you're saving your appetite for me, huh?" (while doing some sort of disco dance.) I could have died laughing. And then I felt bad, because he was completely serious. I grabbed his chubby cheeks, looked at him and said, "Yes. I want to marry someone exactly like you someday. Hopefully he'll be a  little closer to my age."

So although I don't have children to have given me cause to celebrate Mother's Day yesterday, I am almost a parent. So I almost celebrated. 

But to all of those actual mothers out there who raise these clever and entertaining children, thank you! Thank you for devoting your life to such a selfless, noble cause. And to all you Mother's Day greeting card writers who brought me to tears in the aisle at Walmart, I hate you. But I love my mother. She's not perfect, but she's better than any other mother I could have imagined. And she's a really great woman for putting up with me and loving me even after seeing me at my very worst... over, and over, and over. 

Happy belated Mother's Day, everyone!

Don't Judge Me

For weeks now, I have been talking to my oldest niece about our date night. I had taken her older brother and cousins out on movie "dates" when they finished reading books that were made into movies. She was feeling a little left out because she hasn't learned to read yet. So I told her that she and I could go on a date of our own. She decided that she wanted to see a movie too. But not just any movie, the Hannah Montana movie. I begged, pleaded, and bartered with her to try to get her to choose something else... anything else! But she would not budge.

So a few nights ago, I picked my niece up for our date and we went to see this movie. She made her mom do her hair again so that it looked cute. She giggled and chatted the whole way to the movie theater. I did my best to act excited while thinking to myself, "When she's an adult I'm going to use this night as leverage to get a favor out of her." We parked the car and she grabbed my hand and started skipping into the theater, grinning from ear to ear. Our conversation about how super cool Hannah Montana is was cut short as the previews began rolling. She giggled, grabbed my arm and looked at me with an expression that made me think she might actually explode. 

From the second Hannah Montana appeared on the screen, my niece was like a statue who no longer cared about her Sprite or the popcorn, and who forgot about her candy I had stowed away in my purse. It was pretty darn cute.

The movie ended. Later that night and the next day at work, many people asked me how the movie was. And I'm just going to put it out there... I liked it. Don't judge me.

Hits & Help

So I put a counter on my blog almost two weeks ago. And the last time I checked I had 415 views... no, hits. I like hits better. I had 415 hits. That either means a) I need to rack my brain to come up with some entertaining banter to post on here or b) 415 people have too much time on their hands. At any rate, I'm really writing this post to enlist your help.

In just a few short weeks (or long weeks, I guess) I will be embarking on an international adventure. And although I'm somewhat excited to leave the country for the first time in my life, I'm mostly freaking out. I'd say I'm about 21% excited and 79% freaking out. Aside from the fact that I'm a complete germ-a-phobe, I have to pack almost a month's worth of living supplies into a small-ish backpack that can weigh no more than 40 pounds. I need to prepare for all types of weather, activity, and terrain. If you have any suggestions from lessons you've learned while traveling, please comment here! Maybe there's something you'd wished you would have known, wished you would have taken, wished you wouldn't have taken, etc. Please let me know! I am notorious for over-packing. This will be a truly humbling experience for me. Wish me luck!