can I just say...

How much I love sleeping???!!! Does any one else out there love their bed and sleeping in it? Who am I kidding, OF course you do! Sleeping is the body's way to completely relax, restore nutrients, calm down, de-stress, and allow for total and complete rejuvenation.

our wonderful bed where I spend a LOT of time :)

With a bed like that, who wouldn't want to spend 8-10 hours in it?! Yes, I normally get 8.5 hours of sleep a night. What can I say, I am a busy bee and quite active all day so I NEED my rest. Like I would die without getting adequate rest. Actually, ask my husband, sisters, mom, you do NOT want to deal with me when I've only had 5-6 hours of sleep. I am a walking meanie.

SO what are the benefits of getting 7-9 hours of sleep you ask. Well, today's your lucky day, I am going to fill you in on those points:
1. Sleep is the body's way to recuperate and rejuvenate.
2. Sleep is the best time to up the body's immune system's ability to fight. Ever notice how when you lack sleep you get sick easier??
3. Enough sleep helps you handle your emotions better. During PMS time every woman should get at LEAST 8 hours of sleep a night. For the sake of your marriage. haha.
4. Sleep is SO relaxing. Actually it is THE best way to completely relax.
5. Good sleep is restorative.
6. Sleeping enough is linked with lower risk of obesity and overweight.
7. Getting good sleep helps the next day go SO much better. You have more energy!

I love sleep what else can I say?! Hit the sack a lil' earlier tonight, and I promise you'll feel better in the morning! If you don't like to sleep (really, who doesn't?!) go get yourself some good sheets, a comfy pillow, and turn on a fan. You'll be snoozin' like a baby in no time.
Peace.

week recap

What a week! It was quite the busy type- but luckily we enjoyed it, right? :) (we're not complaining, just commenting) It consisted of dinner with my little bro (more on that in a sec), fireside, work, gym, our special FHE (more on that, too), meetings, s'mores with friends, reading, walks, library, meetings, a dance party, and some sleep scattered within. (Who am I kidding? Sleep was the starring role of the week, as usual, for me! I am a sleeping guru. Love it. NEED it. My husband? Not so much. But he'll crawl in bed with me, just to appease me. ha)

Dinner with my little bro was HI-larious. He is such a great guy and it is fun to hear his tales of the freshman dorms and eatery. WOW. There is drama, no sleep, and lots and lots of socializing going on there. He struggled to tell us stories during dinner because........it was freakin' SPICY! I made black bean burritos with a few peppers from our garden. This garden is on loan to us by our neighbors b/c they can't eat it all, so I had NO idea what KIND of peppers....I knew they were going to be maybe a bit spicy, but I was wrong. VERY. they were insanely spicy. My little bro (k, he's like 6.3  feet tall 190 lbs- so big bro technically) was in tears. YES, tears. I felt SO bad. He doesn't necessarily enjoy spicy foods.....so I stuffed him with bread, yogurt, and tomatoes to calm him down as he ate. He said it was still really tasty (in my defense, it was, I promise!), but I could tell his mouth was still on fire..... oh well, gotta love the homegrown peppers with no-name. ANY clue you all as to what they might be called?! Might never use those bad boys again....

after we survived the dinner

I had another epic fail in the kitchen this week, but you can just call me and ask me about it. It was hilarious.... (yep, gotta call me :) )

my husband in our special apple tree

us with our tree above us (I thought we were making funny faces....oh well!)

And last update: Monday's special FHE was amazing. We had a great time reminiscing about those moments a year ago, picking apples, and trying to recreate the whole meeting-under-an-apple-tree experience. We're hilarious, I know. Love my man, though. We made applesauce from those tart apples and it turned out pretty good (hey, it caught me my husband last year, might as well try it- you single ladies out there!) :)

have a great weekend!

once upon a time one year ago today....

...lived two people who had NO idea how their lives would change that day....

cue the music, choirs, and apple tree scene

Unsuspecting Annette picks apples from her tree with her roommate.

They decide they can no longer reach the highest apples on the tiptop parts of the tree

so Annette takes to shaking (yes SHAKING) the apple tree to get those apples down

while she and her roomie giggle and shake and pick those apples up

a certain man who happened to be next door

hears a lot of noise and laughter and decides to investigate..........

what does he find???

TWO girls: ONE on a step ladder in heels and a skirt, SHAKING an apple tree

TWO running around protecting her head as she gathers the fallen apples

He shook his head and just watched, quite amused, at the scene played before him

While shaking, girl number one (ANNETTE) looks up to see this man on the porch

He promptly comes and helps gather and pick the highest apples for the girls

He engages the girls in conversation

Girl number ONE had no interest. NONE. She suspected her roomie had interest in this man....

And that, my friends, is where the story all began, that fateful day,

September 20, 2009

ONE year ago today.

And so, Jared and Annette will celebrate the fairytale tonight

picture taken Valentine's day 09'

---you guessed it---

AT the place where it all began!

this was taken 3 weeks after the incident. right beside the fateful TREE!

You can find us at the tree tonight, giggling, picking apples, kissing (ewwww), and fondly gazing into each other's eyes :)

But we'd rather you leave us alone to our trip down memory lane... wink wink

a "Knight" with my hubby

Instead of heading to a barbeque we had originally planned to go to, we hit it up at the dollar theatre for a really fun flick: "Knight and Day" with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. I thought it was funny, action-packed, and quite the edge-of-your-seat movie. Luckily I had a handsome man to my left who let me grab his arm every time somethin' got jumpy on the screen!

After the movie (I would recommend it, ps), we hit up a local frozen yogurt place. After eating our share of tasters (haha) we got a bowl to share.

he loves getting his pic taken, I can assure you :)

Notice how when I smile, he makes a fun face and vice versa....

yah we both have great faces here. haha

A fab "Knight" out with the husband, for sure! Lucky me, I get to have my man and best friend for a night out on the town (if you can call it that)!

Happy Birthday to a special woman.....LARA!

I have an amazing sister. (actually I have 5 but a certain one of those 5 has a birthday TODAY!) Miss Lara!!! Happy birthday girl! I adore this sister of mine for many reasons and thus will name a few as a shout-out to her on her special day.

1. Lara is an amazing people person. She can relate to anyone. and I mean ANYone!

2. Lara is super fun to be with because she is so happy and so positive. See below picture for proof...

B-day gal on the right-strike a POSE!

hello FUN sister!!! She knows how to have a good time

she was prob the best sister missionary the church ever saw

3. I love talking to Lara because she cares. Plus, she is an amazing multitasker.
4. Lara is THE best listener EVER. You could talk her ear off and she wouldn't care. Don't worry, I've tried.
5. Lara was one of my inspirations for serving a mission. Loved that she totally rocked it. Loved her personal letters to me while she was gone. and LOVED that she taught at the mTC. (yes I followed her footsteps in many MANY things)
6. Lara is a wonderful mom to her two boys. They simply adore her and you can tell.
7. Lara is SO fun to be around. She does not judge and she is always happy.
8. Lara is a good baker- seriously, she can make a mean carmelita.
9. Lara is the bestest best friend because she makes time for you.

who wouldn't want these silly doctors for their own??

10. and last of this list, Lara is a great confidant and secret-keeper. You can trust her to listen and not spread it around.

I love you LARA, wala, big sister, amazing friend, and BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!!! Have a great day being treated as a queen. And in reference to Caroline's post, I too wish I could be there for your day.... Anna will just have to channel the rest of us sister's presence.... love you birthday girl LARA!

weekend bliss

Weekends are enjoyable with my husband because we always find something fun to do, even if it is random and/or spontaneous, we get to do it together (cheesy, I know, but if you had Jared, you'd understand!)

in the car.....I need to aim better..

that's better, need the hubby in it

Saturday we found ourselves after our workouts perusing the local Farmer's Market at a nearby park. I love love homemade things such as jewelry, pottery, tablecloths, soaps, lip wax, lotion, etc. Not to mention the delicious home-grown veggies, fruits, and honeys. I was in heaven. Unfortunately we had no pictures together in front of the booths (hence the car photos), but here is one of my husband with a huge tie

they call this the 'honeymoon tie' for the woman to wear.... ;)

my man is HOT, I know

wearing 4 in heels...haven't worn em' since HS

That evening we had adult session of Stake Conferance. Loved it. So much! It is fun to be among the married now (no offense, but it makes it that much better to have a man on your arm...well, or stroking your arm. haha) We had an awesome couple over that evening for games and a night of fun. SO much fun that we stayed up until 1:00 a.m. YIKES! Those of you who know me know that I never slide into bed after 11:00 p.m.... I was one tired gal Sunday morning (but it was way worth it, b/c we have new friends!) Loved the speakers on Sunday and loved our nap that afternoon also. The new week has just begun and we're excited about it- hope you are too!

HUMOR us!

yes, that is a beautiful bowl of Creamery ice cream (mine shown, his is not)

I seriously love dates with my man! Even more so, I love good, clean dates that involve fun entertainment and maybe free food too.  SO, last night turned out to be the best of all those worlds! We got an invite from a friend for a dinner/music fest on the fields near campus as a celebration for a certain school club's opening social. It included free food (J-Dawgs--hubby likey, me nolikey- and Creamery ice cream--hubby sortoflikey, me likey), a great live band, and some fun games on the field.

it was a gorgeous evening

My little bro called and asked what I was up to.....he heard live music in the background and asked if I was at a certain club's social? I affirmed and he said the unthinkable...."I was just there!" SAD! I didn't even SEE my little bro at the social! I felt way bad about that and hopes my mom forgives me....In our defense, however, little bro was playing ultimate frisbee on a far-off field; so far the people looked like Legos men. He didn't seem as distraught as me that we had been at the same social event and didn't even see or acknowledge each other's presence. Typical boy, yah?

Off to the second part of our date..... Humor U's best-of show on campus. We laughed ourselves silly. My cheeks hurt SO bad at the end of the evening. We even got a picture with the oh-so-famous Stephen Jones (BYU student and star of BYU's rendition of NewSpice on YouTube).

with the hilarious Stephen and my good-lookin' man

Once again, being out with the husband was so magical and super fun. Not going to lie, I love me a bit of humor, especially good, clean humor, with a side of husband :)

shootin' the rocks up high

Thursday I was beat, physically and mentally (teaching classes is sometimes hard!) . So my sweet husband surprised me with a short, beautiful, and fun getaway. Where, you ask? Up Provo canyon into the beautiful mountains we hiked.

I still had NO idea what/where we were doing/going, until he proceeded to take out a weird arm sling-looking thing.....a Wrist Rocket! What the?!! He showed me how to strap it on, stick rocks in it, and successfully sling shot the rocks into the air. WOW. It was something I've never seen and I surprised myself by loving it!

I shot some bottles, cans, and other items he brought, off of their spot on a rock! My husband was even more impressive with his aim and the power of his shot. But seriously, WAY to go us! This experience reminded me that I can do anything, especially when there is some muscle, rocks, and a cool contraption involved :) Thanks to a great husband with awesome ideas, it was a beautiful evening with the hubby!

a date with two men...

So you know how every couple has their IT place? Ya know, their GO-TO restaurant? For some it is a Chinese eatery, others a Mexican joint, and for still others it is an Italian wine-dine place.  Well for the hubby and me it all comes down to these two (well maybe three including the apostrophe).  
Jason's Deli.   

guess where we went after dinner??? remember, I am married to a techy-lover...

Yep, it is our special place. We ate there during our early stages of dating (the night before our triathlon BEFORE we were technically dating), during serious hunger pains (on the way to an event in SLC), with other friends (on a double w/ Rebecca and Coach), and most important, on the night we got engaged (Feb 12. 2010). 

Jason's Deli is AH-mazing! It boasts very healthy eats such as soups, whole-grain bread sandwiches, and their famous Salad BAR. I for one will not miss out on a great salad bar! And this one puts the rest of em' (salad bars that is) to shame.  Another amazing thing is that they serve free soft-serve ice cream. Yep, that is right, you can get as much soft-serve as your heart desires! 

enjoying some soft-serve after a delicious meal of sandwiches and salads

It was a delightful Tuesday evening date with my man (love the guy). Gotta hand it to Jason, though, he really does serve up a mean (and delicious and HEALTHY) meal :)

a very merry weekend story

Jared and I sure do love the weekends! They are usually more laid-back and full of random adventures plus there are less scheduled events/appointments on Saturdays/Sundays (besides church of course). Add to that phenomena an extra day of fun and you've got extra laid-backness :)

Friday evening Jared and I found ourselves in Midway at the Swiss Festival. I was super stoked to go because of my mother being Swiss and all, not to mention my love for all things Swiss. Well, we got there and it was quite the sight of booths, tents, food, activities, and people. However, it was not very Swiss-y at all. Like NADA. Yes there were Swiss flags everywhere and a few German words here and there, but all in all the booths there and the crafts being sold were FAR from being Swiss, German, or even European! It was all so very American. The crafts and paintings and beauties being sold were all very creative, colorful, and artsy, but I was sorely disappointed that they were in no way Swiss :( We did find a few Swiss looking things.....

me and my hubby at the "Hammock Haus"

Pretty American SWISS looking booth (hey, they tried!)

me with a wonderful best friend, Laura (We served missions together in Germany/Austria)

there is a German word! YAH!

AH-mazing candles. WOW. I adore candles and I wanted to buy them all

love this man! LOVE that a Swiss flag is behind us too :)

So, after looking around and meeting up with my best friend, Laura (from my LDS mission to Germany and Austria) and her fam, we did one more lookaround and found this amazing candle place. The picture above is a sample of some of the gorgeous candles they made. They even showed us how! What talent some artists have! Even though it wasn't necessarily Swiss persay, I did enjoy the varying talents on display at the festival.  I guess they just wanted to call it Swissdays because so many people from Midway originated from Switzerland? I was just baffled, but pleasantly pleased with the crafts.  The most unfortunate part, you ask? NO Swiss chocolate for sale! :( Guess I'll have to raid my parents' house when I go visit. haha.


On Saturday my saint husband took little bro' Jacob to buy skis at a sale while I hit up the gym. They were successful (sort of) which made Jacob very pleased :) We spent the rest of the weekend in Centerville at Jared's parents' and with Jared's best friend and his wife and kids.  We witnessed the beautiful blessing of our nephew on Sunday. All weekend we had a blast playing games, chatted, did Zumba, and Jared and his friend went and shot guns. We're back home now after a Labor day meal at Jared's sisters' home. I realized again how much I love grilled chicken. It hits the spot every time, YUM! I did not have my camera out for the rest of the weekend (I guess I need to be better??), but I and Jared did participate in the above activities and enjoyed them thoroughly (prob that's why we didn't stop to take pics).  We're ready for another (short) week to begin tomorrow! Peace.