Surprise!

So, on Monday I was a little bummed because even though my hubby had a day off from school, I still had to work.  I got up with the detested alarm and started getting ready.  Guess what Landon decided to do on his one day off. He got up early with me and made breakfast.  I came out of the bathroom to a table all set, and pancakes shaped to say "i love u".  He even prepared them just like I like them--one with whipped cream and fruit and the other with peanut butter and syrup.  I'm a pretty lucky wife, what can I say.  Sadly, I ate them so fast I neglected to take a picture.

Epiphany

Recently I have made a very important discovery. So, my dearest gave me a sweet hat for Christmas. It’s one of those that are like a beanie with the ear flaps and crocheted strings and a fun ball at the end of the strings. It’s like the one in this picture - sweet hat huh!  On the mission you always learned that when you bent over to wash your hands or to pick up your scriptures that you should cover your pocket. If you didn’t, just about every time you would have a pocket vomit. Yea not a very good thing, right, but it’s really funny when it happens to somebody else.  Anyway, naturally afterward and still I catch myself doing this, but just whenever I wear a white shirt and lean over I always with one hand cover my tie and hold my pocket- even if there is nothing in there. Ha. My recent discovery has to do with these natural bodily mannerisms. I have decided that those stringy balls on my hat are sweet but they always get in the way. Whenever I am putting on my shoes or trying to find my zipper to put on my coat or simply just eat a bowl of cereal I am constantly trying to push them back out of the way. Annoying right! So, I told Britney I don’t know how girls do it with long hair cause it would just drive me nuts to always be pulling my hair out of the way. She said I know huh and especially when you are eating a bowl of cereal and you just did your hair and somehow you get one of your hairs falling down into the milk. Yea I agree it’s a pain. Oh well I guess. I think my hat's sweet and I wouldn’t trade long hair or my hat for it, but just love it when it happens. So here is my shout out for all you girls who have long hair- I now feel for you and have a little more sympathy. But your beautiful long hair is worth it.

Happy New Year!!!

NEW YEARS 2011 

So this is my first time blogging, so just to warn you I'm no professional, yet... After cousin Theo's reception and a grueling game of bowling (that we don't need to talk about) we got to spend this new years up at our cabin. We spent lots of time goofing around without any worries about school, work or anything of the sort, and just having fun. Some of our activities included: ping-pong, shuffle board, volleyball in the lodge with Theo and Trina, Scotty B and J-Burt, Binklemire and Marissa and many other Rowley cousins. B-zo, the master rip-sticker, taught us some sweet moves as we improved our rip-sticking skills. Not to forget, the most fun things were snow-shoeing and snowmobiling up the mountain. Man! Brit was a champ and tamed that beast as we rode on top, and even loosened up a little and had some fun when she gained a better feel for the machine. She did great!! Later we had some mad Wii Dance competitions and Theo, Gurr, B-zo and I shot off some pretty amazing fireworks. Later that night we enjoyed a sweet midnight snowmobile ride to Honeymoon Point at the top of bear mountain to see the fireworks across the valley. It was pretty sweet!     

The Unforgettable train ride.

It started out as a freight train

and turned into a....

.... Train wreck: Michael, our fearless leader, nose-dived into the snow.  Our second in command, Ryan, took over leading most of us the rest of the way down. Somehow our caboose Britney barrel-rolled, face planting Mason and pulling a sweet maneuver to land him on top and save him from a nasty face grind in the compacted snow. Poor Lindee got flipped over and crashed in the snow also. But all those involved were champs, and like in Cool Runnings finished the race.They kept going strong afterward, maybe a little beat up and bruised, but all for the better.

As you can see this is no ordinary sledding hill. Constantly pushing for new records or sweet tricks, when we finally reached the bottom we were all smiles cause then we got to get a ride to the top via snowmobiles or 4-wheelers for another run at it. 

 

 Our day was not complete without some nasty crashes though. Sometimes that jump was a doozee, too much speed, wait there is no such thing -just ask Mason--our air-born flight manager. Later some crazy thought he could do a barrel roll, ha it was so much fun! Even baby drew loved it! 

At the end of the day it was great fun. Mom cooked a good dunch. For you who don't know what that means its lingo for lunch and dinner. Sometimes when you have too much fun you forget about the essentials like food, but not for too long (just long enough for the tummy to start growl'n :)

It was lots of fun! I think everyone enjoyed a good time and it was the perfect way to kick off the new year having fun with those you love. It couldn't have been better.

PS. for all you English fanatics forgive my grammar errors.
                                                 Thanks.

Christmas Vacation

I Love Vacations!  Especially at holidays where you get to be with family.  We started off our Christmas with a walk through temple square this year.  I was pretty proud of this picture, but I will admit that Landon told me to take it.  He's the artistic one of the family. 

We both actually had lots of opportunities to show the artistic side.  We tried some architecture with gingerbread houses.  This is an interesting procedure when you get two people going at it.  I am all for just getting four walls up and taking time on decorating with candy.  But Landon likes to have an interesting structure, so we compromised a little.  We struggle to keep up with Michael and Anita though, who made Chichen Itza last year and were going to either do the Pentagon or the Colosseum this year. They finally decided on the Colosseum and were both adamant about having a trapdoor where the lions come out.  :) We joked with Michael that the best one would win and he got so stressed out!  "Since when is this a competition?! I can't handle the stress!"

 

We also made the annual ornament, which Angie did a great job at picking this year.  It was fun, and at our skill level, ha.  Landon also decided that we must start our family with the tradition of new matching pajamas at Christmas.  After searching in the stores, we were lucky to find that the Rowley's had fun BYU fabric and we just made them in the week before Christmas.  Yes, it was WE--Landon did all of the cutting and tying.

We have been working on our Annie Oakley skills by going shooting with both families.  I got a practice run before going with the in-laws, and Landon doesn't really need practice in that category, so it was great.  He did ask afterwards though, "Do you think I impressed them?" Ha.  We went with Uncle Alan and the cousins, and then with the Rowleys.

With the amazing snow in Basin City we built pretty much the awesomest snowmen ever.  The boys had to use a ramp to get the middle on.  Lucky we have enough brothers, right.  Ryan, Brent, and Landon did most of the heavy lifting, but Kaden, Megan and I helped.  To be fair, they made both a man and woman.  Sadly, the snowman was not as sturdy as he was tall and fell over in the wind later.  But the snowwoman was still standing strong holding her tennis racquet.

We also got to see a cool office that has their light show timed to music.  

I'm pretty sure Michael gets sick at every vacation.  This time it was both he and Anita who got it.  But, his obsessive compulsive nature proved useful when he insisted that they both covered their mouths the whole day so that nobody else would get it.  I had to laugh every time he walked up to someone and said "Stick 'em up!"

One of my favorite parts of the holiday was the caroling.  With the Rowleys we made the usual Christmas tree rolls (700 or so!) and had to divide and conquer to deliver them all.  Then the Draneys did their singing on Christmas Eve.  Meta said she had waited up for us because she just couldn't imagine a year where the Draneys didn't come sing.   Overall it was a great holiday.  We had a blast with our family, and it's always so comforting and peaceful to have a time to focus on the Savior when you are surrounded by the people who have taught you the most about Him.

Becoming a Tech Wiz 101

 So, if you have not heard from us in a while... you might still have known that I was unemployed--it lasted a while. At least it seemed that way to me.  It really was only about a month, including Thanksgiving break.  But I pretty much hate the job-application and interviewing process.  Plus, when all you have to do all day is run errands and finish all those projects that you have never had time for, I feel like it has been a long time.  But you need not feel sorry for me.  I am now a workin' girl!  I am working for a software company that develops new applications for Apple.  The two CEO's needed an administrative assistant, and already I am pretty busy.  The main challenge so far is that I have to become somewhat of a "tech-y" to keep up with my surroundings.  I realize that I have somehow avoided the whole ipod and iphone craze, and I have never really used a Mac--until two days ago in my interview when they gave me an on-the-spot test of my skills.  My favorite.  Now, technology is pretty much my world.  They tell me that in a couple of weeks I will wonder why I ever put up with Windows, but we'll see.  I can now check my email, texts or voicemails all at one time in the palm of my hand.  I never understood why you would ever want to be so available, so that your email, calendar reminders, voicemails and phone calls can all reach you even when you are not at work or sitting by a computer, but I am learning to appreciate it all.  Maybe someday I will learn how to actually use all of these "modern conveniences". Until then, I figure, I look cool holding them, right?

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

It's amazing what a tree can do for the spirits! Landon and I brought home a hand-picked tree from the cabin this year. After 4 days, we decided we really should cut the bottom off so it would still get some water. Well, at least I thought so. Landon was ready to abandon the idea after the following struggles. As newly married college students, a saw is not really one of those things we have on hand. So, we had to make do. Our tools of choice turned out to be a steak knife, hammer and screw driver (acting as a chisel), and an electric drill. We grossly underestimated the time it would take to cut off the bottom (2-inch diameter). But, I am proud to say, that we now have a Christmas tree, as well as garland and ribbons, and a wreath we made ourselves from the tree scraps. I felt pretty crafty, but I must admit that Landon made most of the wreath himself.

With the snow outside and our newly decorated apartment, "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!"

Thanksgiving!

Landon, Whitney and I got to go home for Thanksgiving. Of course, the worst blizzard in seven years was expected to come through on the very night we would be driving. So, to be safe...and slightly because the road was closed, we left the next morning. Seventeen hours later, we arrived safely at our destination. I won't get into the details, but 17 hours can make people a little crazy. We had some fun with games, including deaf karaoke, but I was told I am not allowed to post videos.

We did some intense sledding at the Rowley cabin. Landon and I were determined to beat Pa's record at distance, so we tried about every possible way to get two people down a mountain on one or two tubes. I am proud to say, that on our last run we succeeded. Apparently riding on your stomach, with separate but connected tubes is the best strategy. My favorite part about the Rowley's sledding is that you don't have to trudge up the hill, walking in the snow. We were lucky enough to have Mom waiting at the bottom taking pictures and ready to give us a four-wheel ride to the top again. Love it! (below: Me after a collision with the ground and a tree, Landon's amazing form, and us both havin' fun)

The Draney gathering had everyone home this time! We had an intense game of family hockey, using whatever skates we could bring together. For some people, running was deemed more effective, and under the circumstances I couldn't blame them. I forgot how much I love that game! Even Lindee and Mason played their hearts out, with a couple of defensive stops. The highlight of this Thanksgiving was the new Draney baby! Landon and I got to hold baby Tyler, and everyone gave some wisecrack comments about not getting any ideas... There are some fun pictures of the little guy on Michael an Anita's blog. I would just like to say, Tyler definitely smiled while I held him.