Family Florida Trip

Well I was a complete slacker during the two weeks of Christmas break, but honestly, having such a long break from technology was AMAZING. It was freeing. I should do it more often. I wouldn't have gone on the computer at all if Dalin hadn't shown me a few articles during our trip.

What trip you ask?

For those of you who didn't hear, Dalin, Tenley, and I flew to Florida to spend Christmas with my parents, brothers, and cousins from both sides of the family. It was probably the best trip Dalin and I have ever taken together in my opinion. I didn't even bring my laptop or Kindle because I just wanted to be able to focus completely on being with my family and taking in our experiences.

I have lots of fun photos to share, but there are so many I'll have to go through them and pick my favorites.

But about our trip:

December 23:
We flew to Orlando--which is the dumbest airport I've even been in as far as quality goes (it's super huge and really cool inside with its own hotel, indoor trees, Disney and SeaWorld stores, etc. inside) but they have serious crowd control and customer service issues. They lost Tenley's car seat and stroller (and tons of other people's luggage from our flight) which was ridiculous, but then it was going to be okay because they told us they replace lost ones, so we went through the process of acquiring new stuff when, almost two hours after we'd landed, they suddenly found them. Sheesh. But at least we got them back.

My parents picked us up in their car which they had driven down over the last 48 hours (it's a 24-hour drive, but they decided to break it up) and we met up with my brothers at the Hilton Orlando, which is a really cool hotel. My parents booked a hotel for a few nights just around Christmas because we didn't want to impose on our family for the holidays (though I know they wouldn't have minded). Our rooms were connected and the hotel had an amazing pool, water slide, lazy river, basketball and tennis courts, fire pits, etc. It had several other things too that we didn't even use. We went to Ihop for a late-night dinner then stayed up in the hotel room talking and catching up with my brothers.

Christmas Eve:
We went to SeaWorld (like two minutes from our hotel) and enjoyed the dolphins, rides, and particularly the new ride called Manta which is amongst our top favorite coasters now. We also went to a special Christmas-themed Shamu show which was especially awesome because they actually included Christ in the music and message. Afterward, the boys played on the basketball court while my mom, Tenley, and I roasted marshmallows and relaxed. Well, Tenley just relaxed ;)

Christmas Day:
We opened our stockings while listening to Christmas music in our hotel room, then we spent the majority of the day down by the pool. We "tanned" (ha ha, except I'm still snow white) and played in the lazy river, then played doubles on the tennis court. We ate some very good homemade pizzas at the hotel restaurant and had tropical drinks. It was definitely the most unique Christmas we'd ever had. We wouldn't trade the experience, but it was very weird having no snow, Christmas tree, or Nativity (we left all those at home). Still, I don't think anyone wanted to trade it.

The next several days were a blur a fun and tiring activities. We tried to fill every moment and truthfully over-planned a little. Or a lot. But it was awesome and I'm so glad we took advantage of every day! Here are some more highlights from our trip (December 26-January 3):

Payson taught Tenley to grab her feet which she now does frequently. She also loves sucking on her tiny toes. It's precious. (This is a milestone for babies so it's a big deal ;)

He also taught her to roll over but she can't get completely over by herself yet. She's so close though!

We also taught her to sign "I love you" back to us in ASL. I'll post a video if I ever catch it!

We went to Islands of Adventure and spent the majority of our time at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which is amazing (but SO busy during Christmastime!)

We rode Dragon Challenge and the Forbidden Journey.

We ate authentic British food supposedly--delicious fish and chips (fries)--in the Three Broomsticks.

We also tried Butterbeer both in slush form and regular (I preferred the slush).

We visited Honeyduke's, Zonko's, Ollivander's, and Dervish and Banges (obviously we had to go in every Harry Potter store...)

We also rode the Hulk, Spiderman, Jurassic Park, and plenty of other rides at Islands of Adventure.

We took Tenley around Dr. Seuss world (too bad she won't remember it...)

Uncle Payson held Tenley like 50% of the trip. She just LOVED him.

We were fed numerous amazing and authentic Swedish dinners from my Swedish cousin, Arielle and my aunt Nina.

On Sunday, we went to Church with our Swedish cousins.

We visited with a lot of wonderful family members from each side of my parents' family.

We ate at the Black Hammock and Payson and I shared gator, catfish, and frog legs for dinner. 

We also held Max, a small gator.

After, we took flashlights and went gator hunting in the dark by the lake (so freaky when you see their eyes glowing in the distance).

We visited Blue Springs and watched wild manatees swimming down the clear blue and green river.

We drove to Tampa to Busch Gardens and rode the water rides and best of all, Shiekra. We also liked Cheetah Chase and the Sky Ride which took us right over the animals.

We got free Quick Queue passes at Sea World just because a worker saw my dad's Red Sox shirt!(meaning we got to skip the regular lines).

We caught dozens of joeys (that's our name for those little lizards that are everywhere)--especially while waiting in line for rides.

We rode Manta, Kraken, and Journey to Atlantis at Sea World.

We spent more quarters (and more money) squirting people on the water rides with my dad than probably anything else at every park we visited.

We ate way too many turkey legs.

We learned that Florida drinking water is awful no matter how many times you try it.

As a result, I drank more soda during the trip than I have since I married Dalin (who doesn't drink soda and it rubbed off on me).

We loved the Men in Black ride, Transformers, E.T., and the Mummy ride at Universal Studios.

We started collecting magnets from the places we'd been on this trip.

We roasted marshmallows on New Year's Eve, watched the ball drop, played Bananagrams, and cheered 2014 with Sparkling Grape Juice (no one in our family drinks alcohol).

We went to an awesome outlet mall and my mom bought Tenley some rad little Nikes.

We got a tour of the University of Central Florida from our cousin, Nathan, and checked out the Psychology building for Dalin.

We watched a Knight's game with family and ate the most delicious filet mignon you could ever imagine (courtesy of Uncle Brad ;).

We canoed/kayaked down a crystal clear and winding river through Florida's swampy woods at dusk (it felt like we were in the amazon or somewhere crazy and was one of the coolest parts of our trip).

We got rained and poured on (unusual for us when we've visited Florida).

We laughed so much with all of our family.

We dreaded leaving...

So we extended our trip another 24 hours and looked into extending it further (but all the flights were sold out).

We decided we should probably go back soon.

Prepare for a photo overload. Seriously, it was so hard to pick just a few.

My parents surprised us with these cute plates. #Favorite grandchild ;)

Christmas morning in pajamas!

The water slide leading into a very small part of the humongous pool at our hotel

Flaring her nostrils at me. Can't handle the cuteness!

Slightly excited to be at Harry Potter world

A joey.

Realistic reaction to getting mauled by a T-Rex.

Wild manatees (a mom and two babies!) at Blue Springs!

My brother, Donovan, holding Max the baby gator

Grandma Searle and our sweetheart, Tenley

This was so cute of Tenley and my brother, Payson, how could I NOT put it?!

Canoeing down the Amazon...jk, but it felt like it!

Looking much happier than I felt to be leaving Florida :(

What did you do for Christmas and New Years?

Have you ever been to Florida before?

What about Orlando? 

Is there something you love/would love to do there?

The Christmas List

Let's be honest--November and December are both like the fastest months of the year (that is, until about the week before Christmas) and somehow it is already the Adam of November (I guess tomorrow would be November Eve--if you don't get my stupid joke, just tell me haha ;). Anyway, if you haven't begun your Christmas list, now is the time to do so! Especially if you, like me, need plenty of time to think of gifts and find great deals (or make them if you're crafty!).

I don't want to spend a lot of money this year (haha because we don't have it) so I plan on doing my best to make most of my gifts. I wish I could share my ideas, but my family reads this thing more than anyone and I hate ruining surprises.

But for the same reason I can't share their gifts, I can share my wish-list which includes mostly home-made items:

1. A small hand-held drill (for drilling holes in wood and screwing in screws)

2. Wooden fridge alphabet magnets

3. A quarter ring (a ring made from a silver-edged quarter, instructions here)

4. One of these babies for New Hampshire and Idaho

5. Some simplicity wood nativity people

6. Pretty much anything on my Pinterest...particularly my *Create, Paint, Make* board

(located here)

7. A trip to Orlando to see my family and go to some theme parks. (Really, I just want this one more than anything ;)

This is me...forever ago. And this could be my baby girl in a few years! 

I feel like most of these things are do-able for my parents or brothers, so if you want to make me something (because I don't really just want "stuff"), here are some good ideas! Mom, make Dad, Payson, and Donny look at this please!

What is on your Christmas wish list? Anything immediately come to mind??

By the way, if you need a quick Halloween-related laugh, check out this video from the Ellen DeGeneres show. She's hilarious.

The To Do List: Provo & Orem Edition

I'm not going to lie--I am starting to like Utah a little bit. You may be thinking, "Sheesh, it only took two whole years..." but seriously, we have found a few things around here recently that we never knew about until now (like a sweet short-cut to Orem for one...) and it has changed my outlook on living here dramatically. Not that I would want to make it a long-term thing--I'm still an east coast girl who needs the clear blue lakes and ocean--but I need to take the advice of numerous sisters in the church and "bloom where [I'm] planted." 

So I'm creating a "To Do" list, which will also be a bucket list of sorts, or basically a compilation of ideas and suggestions from people in the area (or previous residents). It can include restaurants, cafes, sights to see, or fun places. Or it can just be something we should do at a certain time of year and get a good deal (like near particular holidays for example).

What I would like from those who make suggestions are the following:

• the name of the place
• a summary of what it is/what there is to do (or what YOU did/ate there)
• the general location (preferably Provo/Orem area because we don't travel much)
• an idea of the cost (FREE, cheap, or kind of costly)

If you could give me a few ideas, I would SO appreciate it! We have just one year left here and I'm going to do my best to make it fun. So please,

Give us your suggestions! :)

Christmas Goals

Goal 1: Not ruin Christmas by sleeping on the couch all day long 
'Cause lately I haven't done much else. I've gotten approximately 16 hours of sleep each of the last few days. I've been so tired. Yes, it's been kind of nice but it also can be incredibly boring and tiresome when I can't accomplish the things that I would like to. But overexertion is dizzying. Still, I will try to sleep a little less. 

Goal 2: Finish the gifts for both sets of parents
...I'm making them, so we shall see how that goes. I seriously need to get moving though. (We are spending Christmas alone this year so I do have a few extra days). 

Goal 3: Eat normal food 
All I've had is tons of soup, juice, and water--none of which is very filling. Unfortunately, I do not have much of an appetite lately.

Goal 4: Do more for myself
I've been very needy this last week and I know it has not been very easy on Dalin. I have not felt my best, but still I need to get some of my energy back and try to function normally. 

Goal 5: Write my Christmas letter to Dalin
We are making it a tradition. Each year on Christmas Eve, we write a letter to one another describing our favorite moments from the year, sharing our testimony, and reminding one another of our love and gratitude for the other. Our first letters to each other had amazing similarities. It just reminded me how blessed I am to have found such a kind and thoughtful husband. As quoted from one of my favorite movies, "We're both so similar!" (Elizabeth Bennett from Pride & Prejudice). 

Goal 6: Make this Christmas special
Somehow, I have to make this Christmas Eve and Christmas memorable. Very likely, it will be the last and only (as well as the first) Christmas we spend alone together. We unfortunately could not make it to New Hampshire for Christmas this year (I sure have been missing my family though) and we won't be able to head up to Boise until next weekend. I am so hoping I will be feeling better at that time. Until then, I need to make this one and only Christmas alone together extra special for my sweet husband. He deserves so much and I am so, so grateful I have him. I am so happy to have him by my side forever and ever.

Goal 7: Wish everyone a very merry Christmas!
I hope everyone has a very joyful Christmas and remembers with all their hearts the true meaning. Let us all be a little kinder and a little more giving this Christmas and throughout the new year (which is coming fast!). I know that my Savior lives. I am grateful for His immense love for all mankind. I am trying to be more like Him. 

Thank you to my family and friends who are such wonderful Christ-like examples to me. I notice your actions more than you may realize. 

In case I don't get to say it to you in the next day or two, 

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Good Things Are Happening

Life is wonderful right now. It is always wonderful, but particularly now.

Dalin and I both are just about done with school this semester to start--that is certainly a good thing. 

But there are many other reasons life is grand. 

My mom will be here this Wednesday! She will only be here for a week but it will be lovely to have her here before Christmas and know that she can help me with gifts and housework and I can't wait to do some of the crafts from Pinterest that we love (it's gonna be so great!!!!). 

I wish Dad, Payson, Donovan, and Butterscotch could come too, but it looks like that won't be happening this year. Thanks to my job, we won't be seeing any family for Christmas (which is a huge bummer because Dalin doesn't need to work during Christmas vacation) but we are planning on visiting Dalin's parents and sisters in Boise for New Years. 

We will be driving up there for once in our new Camry! We finally got a new car! It is a 2012 silver Toyota Camry and it had--get this--40 miles on it when we got it! 40 miles EVER. I couldn't believe it. Anyway it's gorgeous and sleek and it rides smooth. And my parents first car together--also a silver Toyota Camry--was the car that they brought me and then Payson home from the hospital in. When my mom told me that, it almost made me cry. 

I am so looking forward to the end of finals...just 3 left for me and 4 for Dalin. So exciting! Lots of exciting things coming up...more news later ;)

Hope everyone is having a lovely Sabbath day! We certainly are! 

Excuses, Excuses

Well, I haven't posted in over a week and I feel kind of bad about it. Mostly because I was doing so well up until the Thanksgiving break.

Let me just give you a brief synopsis of why I am lacking in my blogging:

Número Uno, I have SO many papers to write!
I have to write:

• A ten-page analysis of James Joyce's "The Dead"
• A five-page theoretical analysis of a work I have not even read yet
• A four-page essay on a specific section of the Doctrine and Covenants and its history (I chose section 49--revelation for the Shakers--if you're curious)
• An essay on "La Dama del Alba" for Español
  
• A delivery outline for a final presentation
• A preparation outline for that very same presentation

#2, I need to study!!!!
I need to study for:

• My Marriage and Family final exam
• My D&C final exam
• My Spanish oral exam
• My Spanish final written exam
• My English final on various literary theories (zzzz...)

#3, We are planning to get a new car!
In the next week are so, we are planning to buy or lease (whichever we end up being able to afford) a car with a warranty. We are considering:

• A Honda Accord
• A Honda CR-V
• A Honda Pilot
  
• A Toyota Camry
• A Toyota Rav-4
• A Hyundai Elantra

So many choices....

#4, Our apartment is an endless pigsty of doom.
I need ought to:

• Do laundry
• Put our tornado of clothes away
• Unpack from Thanksgiving break (or just leave it for Christmas, ha ha not)
• Pick up our living room which looks like an explosion of school papers, pillows, and jackets/sweatshirts
• Clear our kitchen table (which has basically been unusable for months because of the mess on it)
• Clean our bathroom (or beg Dalin to do it for me...)
• Get rid of the tons of extra crap that we have...seriously, why do we have so much stuff
• Simplify. This goes with the last point, but it needs re-emphasis.

Here are some lovely quotes on simplicity:

"Let us turn to the pure doctrinal waters of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us joyfully partake of them in their simplicity and plainness." ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

"Let us simplify our lives a little. Let us make the changes necessary to refocus our lives on the sublime beauty of the simple, humble path of Christian discipleship—the path that leads always toward a life of meaning, gladness, and peace." ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~Leonardo da Vinci

 

It looks like I will need to do some mighty praying to accomplish all of these things. 

I'm also recovering from the most obnoxious cough which began (unfortunately) the day that we left for Boise for Thanksgiving break. I promise I will blog about our wonderful holiday as soon as possible. For now, wish me luck!