Ben, Heather, and Lexi Lou

Video Overload!

2012-01-17T10:04:00.015-07:00

So much has happened since Lexi's first birthday, I'm not even going to attempt to recap everything.

So let's see how quickly I can hit the high points...

Lexi quasi learned how to stand. She's kind of lazy and doesn't really like to do it very much, but occasionally I catch her on camera when she's not looking!

I had a Christmas piano recital for my students at our TINY house. Our living room was filled to capacity! It was definitely "cozy!" My students did great, and thanks to pinterest, I had never ending ideas of cute holiday treats to make!

My little brother got his mission call to LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, Spanish speaking. He sent his call to my house since he was heading home from BYU and was afraid it wouldn't make it in time. Once it arrived at my place, the suspense was too much, and I GOT TO OPEN IT for him!! I was a good sister though, and didn't look at it before taking a picture and sending it to him to read via conference call. I have no idea why I deleted the pictures from that night! It was so fun!

Lexi, who at one point knew exactly what a horse said, became quite mixed up in her animal sounds. She did however perfect the art of riding the pink horse! And got back on track with what a sheep says...

We spent Christmas alone this year, just our little family. We were able to see my family on either side of Christmas; a few days before, and a few days after. But as for Christmas morning, we (for the first time in 5 years of being married) had it at home, in our own house. As much as we missed being with family, I did love not traveling around the holidays! And I loved that Christmas was on Sunday. I can't think of a better place to be on Christmas morning than at church. It was a perfect day!

Alexis got a new car seat...and miraculously doesn't hate driving in the car anymore!!

We sold Alexis' luxury ride (saying "so-long" to the BOB was a sad day for me!), and upgraded to this sweet $15 beauty till my dream stroller goes on sale. Alexis does not understand the concept of the umbrella stroller, and tries as hard as she can to turn around, and stand up in it, all at the same time. I sure do miss my 5-point harness seat belt!!

Alexis continues to thoroughly enjoy reading. She could spend the whole day looking at books, which makes me SO happy! I love listening to her read to herself. I'm convinced she thought she was actually on the bear hunt the day she was reading this!

An update would not be complete without documentation of the new car. Next to books, this is definitely Alexis' prize possession! She rides it quite the same way she rides her horse, which is incredibly entertaining to watch.

And last, but not least, we're having a baby BOY in June! We are thrilled! Also, I'm completely scared out of my mind, but we'll worry about that in a few months. At this point, I'm trying to just hold life together with my one, incredibly rambunctious and completely spunky one year old! They say if the first is wild, the second is calm, right.? Or did I just make that up?!?!

Birthday Celebrations Continuted...

2011-11-30T16:35:00.005-07:00

We decided to celebrate Alexis' birthday over the span of three days since we knew today (her actual birthday) would be a crazy day for both Ben and I between work and teaching. We had a party for her on Monday night, followed by presents on Tuesday night, followed by...a regular old day today (scratch that...she got french toast for breakfast; that doesn't happen every day!)

It was so fun watching her open presents. At first she wasn't too sure what was going on...but as soon as the paper came off, and she realized there were new toys and books for her to play with, she was SO excited!!

One of Lexi's presents came gift wrapped from Amazon in a big blue bag. She was so curious to see what was inside, she basically crawled into the bag. Once she discovered it was a big yellow school bus, she couldn't get to it fast enough. I love the way she's hanging off Ben's leg, as if to say "faster Dad, faster!"

Baby Stella was a HUGE hit! I was afraid she was maybe too little to be interested in a doll...but she was so excited! Mind you, she had no idea what to do with it, but she couldn't stop laughing and talking to it. I couldn't have asked for a better reaction!

Thanks to everyone who made Alexis' birthday celebration so special. We are so happy to have such a spunky little girl in our family!

Alexis' FIRST Birthday Party!

2011-11-30T12:14:00.005-07:00

Lexi's first birthday party...in a nutshell. Not much explaining necessary, other than the fact that I totally acknowledge having a big party for Alexis' first birthday was way more for me, than for her! She was so confused/tired by the whole thing, that we put the birthday girl to bed 30 minutes into her own party! Regardless, I had a great time planning it, and it was a perfect excuse to get together with good friends, and eat cake.

It's hard to imagine life without that little face!!

Jumping

2011-10-16T15:57:00.003-07:00

My baby has never-ending energy. She is ALWAYS moving. These days her most favorite thing is jumping with Grandma!

Not in the Mood...

2011-09-20T17:28:00.004-07:00

It was one of those days with the camera today...

Luckily she redeemed herself with a couple of cute shots!

TV Addict?

2011-08-31T14:19:00.004-07:00

"Hey, look what I found!"

"I know what to do with this"

"Yum!"

"Wait a second, I need a dvd to watch."

"Let me just put it in the dvd player"

"No wonder it wasn't working."

"Sheesh, that was hard work. All for the love of tv!"

2011-08-31T14:06:00.004-07:00

It's so fun watching Alexis learn new tricks!!
She's getting pretty good on her feet these days...which basically means I can't ever take my eyes off her anymore!

2011-08-31T13:50:00.002-07:00

I can't seem to get enough of this little face!

(Thanks for teaching me how to make collages Vanessa!!)

Camping with the Fam

2011-08-31T12:24:00.007-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we met my brother's family and my parents for a day of camping in Niagara Falls. We had originally planned on camping the whole weekend with them...and then we remembered we had a baby! I was NOT brave enough to spend 3 days in the wood with a very active 9 month old who insists on putting EVERYTHING in her mouth!
We ended up having a great day together.

There was lots of hanging out around the fire pit...with/without a fire...

Playtime with the cousins

Some intense games of horseshoe...

Yogurt time in the stroller

Not too thrilled about the peas...

But loving having company at lunch time...

And lots of yummy food!

How is she old enough to be doing this kind of stuff?!

2011-08-23T10:22:00.002-07:00

Um, can someone please tell me where my little baby went?!

Where's the love?!

2011-08-21T11:25:00.003-07:00

I spend all day, every day with this girl, and this is how she repays me!!

You heard it correctly...her official first word was DAD!

Where did the time go??

2011-07-29T06:16:00.005-07:00

Six jobs
Five years
Four apartments
Three cities
Two degrees
And one teething baby later...

We went from this:

To this!

I can't believe we've been married 5 years today!!

Something New...

2011-07-23T19:05:00.006-07:00

Our first time riding in a big kid swing!! Lex had so much fun exploring...

And my new favorite picture of all time. This is probably her most favorite place to hang out these days...

A new city, two holidays, and a couple of videos...

2011-07-14T13:09:00.010-07:00

We finally made it Buffalo!! We were so sad to leave Phoenix, but have surprisingly loved our first few weeks here. I can't believe how friendly people are! I feel like we moved here and instantly had friends. Our neighbors are all super friendly, and there are lots of families with young kids in the neighborhood. Our ward is really outgoing, and people have been so welcoming. Ben has been working long hours (lots of 7-7 days), but no call yet, which is WONDERFUL! I'll take just about anything over 30 hour on-call shifts!

We (I speak for all of us...) love being so close to CANADA! We got to spend Canada Day in Niagara Falls with family. Lexi loved spending time with some of her cousins. She's really in to kids these days. It's super cute to watch her interact and be playful! Her cousins were so sweet to her; wanting to hold her and play with her! We attempted several photo shoots that weekend, with not much success!

(This one captures the moment perfectly!)

It wouldn't be Canada Day without the obligatory flag cake

Our patriotic Canada Day outfit!

We had a little better luck getting a few good ones the next day...

We bought a little wading pool for the backyard and have been spending lots of hot and humid afternoons outside playing. Lexi can finally sit up, so she seems to be enjoying playing a little more now. I bought her this little two piece swimming suit thinking the top was pretty long. But her chubby little tummy totally sticks out, and it is just TOO cute.

The 4th of July was relatively uneventful for us. This is the best I got of Lex in her festive dress.

I introduced Alexis to Gerber "puffs" today. Let's just say she hasn't really master the pincer grasp yet! We'll have to work on that one. And she was a little confused as to what to do with the puff once it was in her mouth. It was so cute watching her explore something so new!

Alexis has also been introduced to the art of knocking over towers. It's her new favorite game. Keeps her entertained for at least 10 minutes, and that's saying something...

Like I said, we've really been enjoying Buffalo so far. But it's not a perfect city, that's for sure! Ben came home from work yesterday only to tell me that someone had gotten their car stolen that morning, at gunpoint, in the parking lot of his eye clinic. Well, I guess it wasn't technically "at gun point" but the guy supposedly had a gun. He was nice enough to let the woman's child get out of the car before stealing it though. So that's a plus...

So, we take the bad with the good, and hope for the best! I'm really optimistic it's going to be a great three years. Oh, and I also hope we don't get our car stolen, by a guy with a gun!

The big 3-0

2011-06-08T08:51:00.009-07:00

Ben turned 30 yesterday. I still feel like he's 25 and we just got married!

We threw him a surprise party last weekend. And I think we actually surprised him. So much so, that even after everyone yelled "surprise" he didn't know what was going on! Too bad the only real shot we got at the party was this...

Apparently I was really enjoying that root beer!

Also, note to self: throwing a surprise party is actually really hard to execute. Especially when you're bad at keeping secrets. And when you have a demanding six month old to care for. I probably won't attempt to throw another one for at least another 30 years!

I'm glad Ben was born. And that we're married.
So is Lexi.
We both thinks he's pretty great!

My family came to town last weekend for my cousin's wedding. We had a great time at the reception...the only part of the wedding we actually went to. Why didn't we think to get a babysitter?!

Our moving truck comes next Saturday. Our house is full of empty boxes I don't want to fill. Every time I look at my sister, I start to cry. Anyone who has ever lived near a sister knows how amazing it is to live close to your best friend. I really don't know how I'm going to get through these next few weeks...

On a lighter note..I love this series of pictures of Alexis waking up from a nap! (For some reason, the photo quality looks a little weird. If you click on them, they look better.)

Life is never boring!

2011-06-01T08:06:00.009-07:00

Who knew dry cleaning could be so entertaining?!

I'm afraid we may have a little joker on our hands....

Six Months Old...

2011-05-29T22:42:00.007-07:00

My baby is going to be six months old tomorrow. I get teary-eyed just thinking about it. Is that normal?? I hate how fast time is going. I wish there was a way to just slow things down. And I wish I would do a better job of just enjoying every minute. Because I feel like before I know it, she's going to be in college...(or at least in kindergarten!)

I love my little girl so much. More than I ever thought possible. I feel so lucky to be her mom!

Bribery

2011-05-14T20:34:00.004-07:00

Those of you who have ever held the calling of "ward choir director", or who have even had friends with this calling, know how hard it is to get people to actually participate in ward choir. For some reason, it seems to be my eternal calling. I clearly haven't mastered it yet, I guess...

Shortly after moving to Phoenix, I was once again assigned this calling. After attending the first rehearsal and assessing the participation (or lack-there-of), I decided that desperate times, called for desperate measures. I was clearly going to have to bribe the ward into coming to choir. So I quickly instituted a treat policy, which was basically this: "come to choir, you get a treat; bring a friend, you get two!" You're probably thinking "how juvenile, adults don't actually care about treats that much." But in fact, they really do! I have been making treats for choir every week since August, and for the most part, we have had steady participation!

Tomorrow is one of our last performances before we move. I decided a basic chocolate-chip cookie just wasn't going to cut it. So I decided to make a Kunz classic, which has become one of my most favorite treats of all time. I had it for the first time my first Christmas married to Ben, at his parent's house, and have been hooked ever since. It's a variation on the old classic caramel corn...and sure to be a crowd pleaser at any party you take it to! So next time you're in a pinch and need a go-to dessert that everyone will love, MAKE THIS!

Kunz Popcorn:

12 cups of popped pop corn
1/2 cup of white corn syrup
1 and 1/3 cups of white sugar
1 cup of butter

Put all ingredients in a large pot, and bring to a boil (soft ball, approx. 220-230 degrees).

Once boiling, take off heat and add:
1/2 tsp of cream of tarter
1 T of baking soda
1 tsp of vanilla

Mix together and pour over popped popcorn.

Melt dark and white chocolate, and drizzle over top. And beware, once you start, you can't stop!!

And speaking of food...I swear we don't starve our baby. But this video would lead you to believe otherwise.

She's so hungry, she's resorted to eating her toys...

Could someone please teach this girl some manners?

Worth Sharing

2011-05-13T15:02:00.004-07:00

I don't usually post random videos on our blog, but Ben made me watch this Google commercial yesterday, and it totally made me cry! It is so sweet. It's probably old news...everyone's seen it before. But it was new to me. And just too cute to not share!

One of those days...

2011-05-11T14:17:00.004-07:00

It's been one of those days. You know, the kind that just needs to end. And it's only 2:00 in the afternoon. Too many tears, too few naps. I think my child just might be bi-polar. Yesterday was the most perfect day. Two long naps, and the rest of the day we spent laughing and playing together. Today, the exact opposite. No naps, and NO laughing! I'm just counting down the days till Ben's schedule ISN'T 6-6 everyday. I think Lexi gets sick of my face by the end of the day...

It's a good thing her face is so dang cute though. How could I ever get sick of a face like this...

I've decided it's really hard to fill 12 hours of the day with meaningful activities. I feel like we do it all; read stories, play with toys, listen to music, go on walks, go to library, the zoo, the park, the mall, buy groceries, run errands, clean the house, cook dinner (occasionally)...and it's still only 1 or 2 in the afternoon. I'm running out of productive ideas...and my baby is only 5 months old!

Ahh, the joys of motherhood! Speaking of motherhood. I had a great Mother's Day, thanks to my incredibly thoughtful spouse. Beautiful flowers, a delicious meal, and a lot of relaxing on the couch! I feel so lucky to be married to someone so perceptive and caring.

I still hear crying coming from a special someone's bedroom. I think I'll just go to my happy place and let her work through this one on her own...

Keeping Busy

2011-04-29T09:32:00.008-07:00

April ended up being just as busy as March...if not busier! The traveling continued with a road trip to the Grand Canyon, and a half marathon in SLC. Alexis started eating rice cereal, rolling over like crazy, and STILL not sleeping through the night. Not even close! We had a visit from the Lingmann's, Alexis got to hang out with cousin Clara in SLC, and we spent Easter with Auntie Alie! We bought our tickets for our upcoming move to Buffalo in June, and are in denial this year is coming to a close. (We, as in Alexis and I...Ben is counting down the days till he never has to do Medicine again!) We're quite successfully accomplishing our goal of going to the pool every day before we move! And finally, I think Alexis has developed her first crush...starting a little young, don't you think??!

A little bit of everything...

2011-04-03T19:44:00.006-07:00

March was a busy month! Ben had a research month, so we were able to spend lots of time together.

Alexis and I flew to Orlando and spent the week with family at Disney World. I'm almost sure she was the youngest baby there! Lexi wasn't nearly as excited to meet the characters as I was. What's that about?!

When we got home, we were lucky enough to have several members of Ben's family come visit. Alexis thoroughly enjoyed being allowed to watch hours of March Madness and playing with her Auntie M, Uncle Sam, and Grandma and Grandpa!

The following week we headed to San Diego for 5 days of sheer happiness! How am I just now discovering the awesomeness that is southern California??! GORGEOUS! I instantly fell in love. We hit up the beach, the zoo, spent a day on Coronado with Ben's grandparents, met up with friends, and ate lots of great food! I hope we have the chance to go back before we head east!

Finally, this past weekend I completely spoiled by three of my most favorite people in the world for my birthday. Ben, Lexi, my sister Alie and I spent the weekend together watching conference, eating cake and enjoying our last weekend together before Ben heads back to the wards for two more months of craziness! Alie watched the baby while Ben and I went out for dinner...and when we got home, I was greeted by the best surprise ever. A NEW JOGGING STROLLER! Who would have ever thought a stroller could make me that happy?! We gave it a test run on a walk around the lake today, and I'm completely in love. I can't wait to go for a run tomorrow!

What is she thinking?

2011-03-09T13:10:00.007-07:00

It's so funny to think about what might be going on in her little head...

i can't wait to try pizza!

do you ever feel overwhelmed by the increasing unemployment rate?

what is mom wearing?!?!

that funny face you're making is getting a little old., but i'll give you a courtesy smile.

three words, dad...changing table - now.

i'm thinking about pizza again.

i didn't realize there was that much trans-fat in pizza. nevermind.

you've got about three seconds to get out of my face and bink me or i'm gonna blow up.

Hand-me-downs and Road Trips

2011-03-09T11:43:00.005-07:00

Alexis is so lucky to have a cousin and Auntie who are willing to share their adorable outfits with us! I absolutely love dressing her in Clara's hand-me-downs! I think it is the cutest thing ever. We've been waiting patiently for this Sunday outfit to fit...and Lexi finally got to wear it last week.
She's getting so big...she's even starting to sit up on her own (with the help of the Bumbo).

It was only fitting we take a picture of Alexis in the outfit with her Auntie Alie, who was the original gifter.

Here she is sporting Clara's old swimming suit which we're planning on getting good use out of this spring!

Not only is Alexis the recipient of adorable hand-me-downs, but she is of course, totally spoiled by her Auntie Alie. This little Baby Burberry outfit is seriously TOO CUTE!

Have I mentioned how much I love dressing my little girl?!

This past weekend we headed out of town for our first road trip with the baby! It was a little nerve racking not knowing how she was going to do, but she was such a good sport the whole time we were away.

We spent the weekend in Palm Springs with friends. The guys competed in a Sprint Triathlon on Saturday morning, we spent lots of time by the pool, and even fit in a little outlet shopping. By Saturday night we were so beat that we ordered room service and were in bed before 9:00! Traveling with a baby is exhausting!!

We had such a great time away. Kirby and Erica...lets for sure plan another mini-vacay, SOON!

Alexis and I are heading to Florida this Saturday. I am so excited Lexi will get to meet my brother and his family for the first time! They are nice enough to let us tag along on their family vacation to Disney World. We're so excited to see everyone (Grandma and Grandpa too!)...but feeling super nervous about our first flight w/o Ben. Cross your fingers for us!

2011-02-22T19:23:00.005-07:00

We've been keeping busy these days with race spectating, visitors, and playing in the sun! Alexis is growing and changing daily. I fall more in love with her everyday. I didn't even realize that was possible. She is my best buddy and I feel so lucky to get to spend every day with her.

My sister Alie has run two half marathons in the past few weeks and we've been lucky enough to get to see her along the race course both times. She's hard core, in case you can't tell. Oh to love running that much!

We enjoyed a visit from the Red Sox Nation a few weeks ago. My sister Katie, her husband Chris, and their most adorable little girl Clara spent the weekend with us. We sure wish we lived closer so we could see more of them! Their little girl is to die for. She is SUCH A DOLL!

Alexis has recently found her fists. As hard as I try to convince her that toys are fun, she simply has no interest in them. Instead, she insists on being entertained by sucking on her fists...all day long. Pretty darn cute if you ask me!

Here she is sporting a hand-made creation from my BFF Mary. Talk about mad creative skills Mare!

Her little expressions kill me these days. She's really starting to develop her own personality!

We're having such a hard time getting her to nap well during the day. This was such a precious moment just a couple of days ago when she wouldn't let go of Ben's hand. Every time he would move, she would start to cry!

So I've taken up having her nap at the pool. Not sure why I didn't think of it sooner. She slept for 2.5 hours today by the pool. She loves the background noise of the fountains, and I love the peacefulness of sitting by the pool reading for hours. Win-win, if you ask me!

And even if some days she is a little turkey and cries all day because she's over tired and refuses to take a nap, I just look at this picture and remind myself of how much I adore my little girl. I feel so lucky to be her mom!

Christmas, and 2 months old...

2011-01-19T10:52:00.010-07:00

We had such a great Christmas this year! We were able to spend a week with both families and Alexis was able to meet almost all of her aunts, uncles and cousins! She is such a loved little girl.

It's hard to believe she will be two months old tomorrow. It's so cliche to say...but time is going so fast. Too fast. She had her two month check up yesterday. I was nervous about the appointment all day leading up to it since I knew she had to get her shots. Not only did I cry before she was given them, I also had to LEAVE the room while she got them. Good thing Ben is a little tougher than I am!

Alexis is growing fast...she's already 11 ponds and 24 inches long. I think our little girl is going to be tall and skinny! Her red hair is still red as ever, which draws all sorts of attention everywhere we go. People have a hard time believing she's my baby! (I also got told two separate times this month that I look 12 years old and that there is no way I am old enough to have a baby. And I got asked at the dry cleaners if I was the nanny! I can only imagine what people would have thought if I'd had a baby in my early twenties!)

Ben has had three easier months with work but unfortunately it's back to reality on Monday. Of course we don't get to ease back in slowly either...his first day back on the wards he's on overnight call. Kind of predictable, I guess!

We are loving the Phoenix weather these days. It's sunny and in the 70's every day. It's going to be so hard to leave this behind in June! We booked tickets to Buffalo for the end of March to check out the area and try to find a place to live. It's crazy to think we are more than half way through this year. Time flies!

Thank Goodness for Grandmas!

2010-12-13T14:13:00.009-07:00

We've been lucky enough to have visits from both of Alexis' grandmas in the last week! My mom originally wasn't planning on coming to visit until the 18th of December due to her busy work schedule...but she just couldn't stay away! Alexis was born on Tuesday and she bought a ticket to come visit the very next day. The best part is...she didn't tell me!! Needless to say I was shocked when she walked through my front door on Saturday! We had a great 24 hours together, and I'm so excited she will be back this coming Saturday, for a whole week this time!

Ben's mom also came to visit this past week. I was so grateful to have her here! She was such a huge help. Who knew taking care of a newborn was SO time consuming...not to mention a little isolating, when all you do is sit at home alone feeding your baby all day! It was so great to have the company, and the help! We haven't eaten that well in months!

I'm on my own this week, since Ben is back at work, and my family doesn't get here till the weekend. I'm honestly wondering how people do it alone. Having a newborn is a BIG JOB! It's a good thing Alexis is so dang cute...because between the marathon feedings, constant diaper changes and lack of sleep at night, I might be feeling a little down at this point. But the fact that I get to cuddle with the most adorable little girl all day every day kind of makes all the tough stuff worth it!

(And yes, in case you were wondering, we were having a picnic in 80 degree weather in the middle of December!)

Alexis Jayne

2010-12-03T11:44:00.007-07:00

We are having so much fun with our new little girl! We can't seem to get enough of her.
It's great to be home from the hospital and to be able to spend some quality time together, just the three of us.

We are so grateful Alexis is happy, healthy, and a part of our family!

Alexis Jayne Kunz, born November 30th, 2010 at 5:47pm. 7 Pounds, 1.6 ounce, 21 inches long!

We're obviously a little biased...but we sure think she's perfect!

2010-09-03T08:19:00.008-07:00

With only 12 weeks to my due date, the anxiousness has definitely set in!

In an attempt to start really preparing, we decided to buy one of these...

and one of these...

Now if only we could figure out how to get one of these...

without ever going here...

or experiencing any of this...

I might actually be able to sleep at night!

Why does something so exciting, have to be so incredibly terrifying at the same time??!

If you're interested...

2010-08-17T11:32:00.004-07:00

I recently started a job at Baby Gap (for obvious reasons!) and have a huge stack of Friends and Family coupons if anyone is interested. They are good for 30% off at all Gap Inc. brands (BR, Gap, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta). You can use it multiple times in the stores, or once on line. The coupon runs from August 26-29th. Let me know in anybody wants one, I can pop it in the mail, or just email you the online coupon code!

Happy shopping!

Catch Up

2010-07-25T13:36:00.006-07:00

Lots has happened in the last 2 months! I can't believe how fast time is flying.

Ben graduated from UVM in May. Was had such a fun time celebrating with family and friends. I was an emotional wreck that day! I'm blaming it on pregnancy....but it probably had much more to do with the reality of leaving so much behind that we had grown to love. Moving is so fun, but it sure was hard to say goodbye to a beautiful state, close friends, and such an incredibly rewarding job.

After the hectic week of graduation came and went...the stress of moving set in. We had an apartment to pack up and move out of, end of year recitals to deal with, and lots of loose ends to tie up.

Saying good-bye to co-workers and students was probably the hardest part of moving. My job is the one thing I miss every single day. I have to just focus on how lucky I was to be a part of such a great studio for three years, and realize that new opportunities will come my way....some day!
As for right now...I'm just trying to figure out what those opportunities might be!

The move to Phoenix was EVENTFUL, to say the least! Ben made the long drive across country, all by himself...in only three days! He's way hardcore. I'm so glad my trip only took me 5 hours. I'm anything but hardcore!

We were anxious for our belongings to arrive...but disappointed to find out our mountain bikes had been stolen off the moving truck, our tv had been smashed and our car that was towed, showed up in Phoenix not working. Not exactly what we were hoping for! (not to mention I was sentimentally attached to our bikes since I had ridden mine through college and my mission, and Ben's was a birthday present I bought him a year ago. SAD)

But alas...turns out they were only material belongings, and life goes on.
That being said...we'll definitely be looking for a different moving company come June, when we head back east.

We also found out a few weeks ago that we're having a GIRL! We would have been excited about either, obviously....but I feel great about the shopping possibilities that a girl gives us!

(I'm in love with the little romper look this season!)

Ben started his intern year the middle of June and has been working like crazy. He is so positive...it really amazes me. He works 80 hour work week, has one day off in about every 8 or 9, works every weekend, and yet he tells people it's just not that bad! All I can say is I'm glad that all of residency won't be like this! He is gone ALL the time!

We're loving the AZ heat. People here sure complain about it a lot...but it's still pretty new to us. We have no problem being out in it! On Ben's days off, we almost always get in a round of golf and some serious pool time! Not to mention we try to go to the movies as often as we can. I think we're realizing that November is coming sooner than we think!

You Decide...

2010-05-31T16:22:00.003-07:00

Hard to decide what's more exciting....

Ben winning FIRST PLACE in my parents' ward "Chili Cook Off" (true story!)

-OR-

The fact we're having a baby in November!!

Recent Travels

2010-05-21T05:35:00.005-07:00

If any of you have ever seen this show...

then you've hopefully seen the episode where Bobby Flay does a throwdown with the "Wafels and Dinges" truck in NYC.

On a recent trip to the city, we made it our first priority to track down the waffle truck! And let me tell you....we were not disappointed. BEST WAFFLES EVER!

It was actually quite an interesting trip to NYC this time. We usually plan our trips full of sight seeing and events, but this time, our objective was simply to see how much great food we could consume in 24 hours! Between the waffle truck, Mesa Grill (one of Bobby Flay's restaurants), the Shake Shack, Momofuku (and it's accompanying Milk Bar), and the Doughnut Plant...I think we were successful in consuming all of our allowed calories for the entire WEEK, in 24 hours.
Such a fun trip!

Other great trips in the past two months include a trip to the motherland to throw my mom a 60th birthday party...

a weekend in SLC with my sister...

three days in Calgary for my cousin's wedding...
(How did I come away from that weekend without a single picture...?)

and Washington DC with Ben for spring break...

This weekend is GRADUATION!!! Let the festivities begin!

Next weekend we head to Toronto for one last trip home before moving west, the following two weekends I have our end of year recitals....and then the BIG MOVE!

Where has the time gone?!

We're moving to PHOENIX!

2010-03-18T21:51:00.005-07:00

Today was the long awaited Match Day...and we were thrilled to find out we will be moving to PHOENIX in June so Ben can complete his Medicine Intern Year!

Thank goodness we get a break from the frozen tundra before we head to Buffalo for three years of FREEZING COLD SNOW!

I hardly know how to put into words the excitement of the last 24 hours!

Below are pictures from the Match Dinner the night before....talk about A LOT of nervous energy!

We have shared so many great times with our friends here in Vermont. It will be sad to say goodbye to so many. But we are grateful for the time we have had here, and look forward to our next chapter!

(Thanks for the great photos Vanessa!)

And in honor of Ben matching in Ophthalmology...I felt it necessary we take a moment to remember the eyeball cake of 2009!

I think it needs to become a tradition!

True Story

2010-02-23T08:08:00.004-07:00

Ben and I went to Buffalo a couple of weeks ago to check out the area and get a feel for where we might want to live. In an attempt to be somewhat frugal...we decided to Priceline our hotel for the weekend. I was feeling pretty enthusiastic about the steal of a deal I got on our room (2 nights in prime Buffalo location for $38 a night) until I started reading reviews of the place on Trip Advisor. 41 REVIEWS OF BEDBUGS! And Priceline had the audacity of listing the hotel as THREE STAR. I can't believe we were actually contemplating staying there!

I decided to take the advice of my brother and call Priceline to try and work things out....maybe threaten to call my credit card, and hope they would refund us our money. I mean, who in their right mind would stay at such a dump after reading what I had read?

Priceline was completely unhelpful and basically told me there was nothing they could do. I then filed a claim with American Express, and they assured me they were almost positive they would be able to get us a refund. A week later I received a letter in the mail that said there was nothing they could do for us, that Priceline has a very strict "no refund" policy listed all over their website and there was no way around it.

So not only did we incur the expense of the hotel we DIDN'T stay at, we also had to find a new place to stay! Moral of the story...Priceline isn't always the best way to go!

Also, best news of the week...

First sighting of mini-eggs this season. I have a serious addiction to these. I think I need therapy!

The wait is finally OVER!!

2010-01-14T18:57:00.004-07:00

We found out today that BEN MATCHED!! He will begin his Ophthalmology residency in BUFFALO, NEW YORK, starting July 2011. We couldn't be happier!

We feel so grateful and so blessed that Ben was able to match in such a competitive field. It is such a relief knowing he will actually be able to do what he loves.

It may not be much of an improvement in weather....but we'll only be an hour and a half from my parents, in Toronto! Definitely something to look forward to!

We find out in March where we will be going next year for intern year...but at this point, that's the least of our concerns! HOORAY FOR MATCH DAY!

What was I thinking??

2010-01-11T07:09:00.002-07:00

I bought a sewing machine this weekend....and I am so excited about it. The funny thing is, I have no clue why! I know nothing about sewing, am seriously lacking any sort of crafty/creative abilities, and I have limited patience.

But for some crazy reason I've been dying to learn how to sew!

We'll see if I'm this eager after my first attempt at a project...

Now the real question is...what am I going to sew??

2009-12-22T19:32:00.005-07:00

There are so many things I will miss when we leave Vermont. I'm mostly trying to not even think about it. It's better to live in denial. Or at least live in the present.

I really am doing my best to not be prematurely sad...but when we had our Christmas benefit at the studio this past weekend, and I realized this was my last Christmas with my students...and that the inevitable end of year really isn't that far off, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. I'm sure there will be new great students wherever we end up, but there is something about this group of students that makes it particularly sentimental for me. Probably the fact they were my first. And so many of them have been with me from the beginning. And have made so much progress. And probably because people in Vermont are just great. It will be hard to top this group of kids!

One thing I will not miss however...is teaching 40+ lessons a week. I think 20/week sounds much better! It's not that it's time intensive...but there is a limit to how many wrong notes I can take in any given week. And I hit my max by Wednesday!

Starting the end of March I will be taking on 10 more students to help a coworker who is having a baby. Maybe Teaching 50+ lessons a week for the last few months will help me to not feel that sad about leaving!

In other news...
Ben is finally done with interviewing. He had his last interview in Phoenix today. It has been a very long few months (much harder on him than me, although I always hate it when he's gone) with tons of flights and many many hours spent in the car. It will be so nice to get back into a normal routine again. Let the count down to Match Day begin!!

Just our Luck!

2009-12-10T20:35:00.003-07:00

So it's no real secret that I hate winter! I've always hated the cold...for as long as I can remember. People always seem so shocked to hear this. I mean how can a Canadian hate the cold?

But it's really quite simple. I just don't like it.

With this being our last winter in Vermont, we really wanted to make the most of it. Every true Vermonter tells you that in order to survive living here, you have to find something you enjoy doing during the long winter months.

And so we decided to give in and buy ski passes this year. Having skied out west, I think we were a little reluctant to do so, knowing the conditions wouldn't be great...but with Ben having more free time his 4th year, and me not working Fridays, it just seemed to work.

So is it any surprise that the year we decided to buy passes...we DON'T HAVE ANY SNOW!

I'm normally cursing the snow by this time of year...but instead, I'm praying for it! Opening day at Smuggs was on Tuesday, 9 days behind schedule. Only one of the three mountains was open, and the majority of the snow was man-made.

But it worked. And we had a blast.

I'm just hoping the temperatures will stay low ( I can't believe I'm saying this) and that the snow will start falling so I can have some power to break my falls. Tuesday was my first time snowboarding...and my knees are feeling it!

Why do I do this to myself?

2009-11-21T19:58:00.010-07:00

Let us discuss the phenomenon of "the handout." Why is it that we/I often, if not usually, feel the need to provide a handout for my church lessons? Does anyone ever look at them? And wouldn't my time be better spent actually preparing my lesson? And how about the fact that I'm not even remotely crafty, nor do I have any desire to be...so I don't even spend my handout prep time developing or creating something of my own, instead I spend hours searching the internet for other people's genius ideas and creativity, and then simply print those out on nice paper. Doesn't really make much sense, I know. (check this out if you want a good laugh. Someone is selling VT handouts on Etsy!)

But yet, week after week, I fall into the same trap of wasting hours on the computer prepping for my lessons. I must secretly like it, otherwise why would I keep subjecting myself to this silliness?

Today was no exception. Except for the fact that not only did I feel the need to do a handout, I decided a Thanksgiving treat was also going to be necessary. My lesson prep began at 5pm. (Did I mention I had already spent 6 hours earlier in the day at a YW conference?). After finding the "perfect" Thanksgiving treat (thanks to the creativity of this blogger) to coordinate with my "perfect" quote on gratitude, I set out to complete the task.

In an attempt to save time and hassle, I decided to call the grocery store to make sure they had candy corn for my Thanksgiving project. To my dismay...they WERE ALL OUT. And thus began the tireless search for CANDY CORN. Ten phone calls later....I was in luck. Thank you iParty, I'm only sorry I didn't call you first!

So it's what, probably 7pm by now? I bundle up, and head to the store. It's not like I live in a big city or anything, but iParty isn't necessarily close to my house and I was beginning to feel like this whole thing was a little ridiculous. I decided to hit up the grocery store right next to iParty first, to pick up all the remaining ingredients, and then finish off with the candy corn run (and of all things to be picking up, I hate candy corn).

You can imagine my surprise when I walked down the candy aisle in search of the "red hots" only to find CANDY CORN and NO RED HOTS! I'm cursing myself at this point!

Disaster averted, I found a substitute for red hots on the baking aisle.

As if I hadn't spent enough time on things that didn't actually matter, I decided that since I only ended up making one stop instead of two, I might as well drive all the way to Michaels to get cream colored paper for my handout instead of white. Because that makes sense...

I promise I'm getting to the punch line of the story...

I get to Michaels, they only have one piece of cream colored paper, which is dirty and crumpled...oh, and MY CAR BREAKS DOWN! The lug nuts snapped off again and the tire was about to fall off! (I have definitely made good use of my AAA membership this year)

Thanks to a really nice truck driver, and a reliable friend who bailed me out, I was able to get my car towed to the dealership and make it home at a reasonable hour. But note: the cookies still weren't made, oh, and my lesson wasn't actually prepared either.

As a matter of fact, it's currently 11pm, and my lesson still isn't prepared. Why am I blogging right now?

The cookies are, however, made. And I think they're cute.

(don't I look so proud!)

Worth the effort? Definitely not. Will the YW like them? Probably not. Let's face it, the combination of gingersnaps, chocolate frosting, candy corn and red hots doesn't exactly sound appetizing. Did I learn my lesson? Who knows. I'd like to think this is the beginning of a new chapter. A handout-less chapter. I think that might be my New Years resolution!

Any recommendations??

2009-10-18T14:50:00.003-07:00

Anyone have a favorite book, or something they're read lately that caught their attention??

I've recently started reading a lot more in my free time (it's the only thing keeping me sane during this crazy 4th year) and I'm struggling to know what to read. I hate to admit it, but I've never been a big reader, so I feel like I've missed out on so many great books I hardly know where to start.

I think my problem has always been finding the right type of book to read. I've always viewed reading as something strictly educational, and as a result, I have sitting in my bookshelf a ton of half read history books that I could never really get that into.

Just recently I've started reading fiction, and have found a new love!! I can't believe I've been missing out for so long!

So...I'm taking suggestions. What are those books that you just love? You know, the one you can't put down, or the one that you've reread over and over.

I'm currently working on "The Glass Castle" (not actually fiction, but incredibly interesting), and up next is a recommendation from a friend to read "The Secret Life of Bees", but I'm moving fast....so bring on your recommendations!

You know you've failed when...

2009-10-08T07:40:00.005-07:00

In a piano lesson a few days ago I asked one of my students to identify the following symbol:

I was hopeful I would received the correct answer: "a sharp", or maybe even something close, like "a flat" or "a natural."

But instead I received this answer: "a tick-tac-toe board?"

Obviously I'm not getting through to these kids!!

(Take into account, she is only 5, BUT STILL!)

Unexpectedly awesome!

2009-10-07T06:30:00.010-07:00

This past weekend Ben and I had planned to meet our friends Chris and Katie in the Thousand Islands for a relaxing weekend of conference and hanging out. We were so excited to meet up and spend the weekend together. Katie had found a great condo for us to rent, with plenty of room to accommodate adults and kids...and with INTERNET, so we could watch conference.

But unfortunately, we were the victims of FALSE advertising! Our poor friends drove all the way from Ithaca to the Thousand Islands, only to find out there was no internet at the condo. They contacted the owner, who gave them the total run-around, wouldn't return their phone calls and didn't seem the least bit interesting in dealing with the situation.

Our car was completely packed with all our gear and food for the weekend when we got the call from Chris. We were kind of at a loss for what to do. We couldn't very well justify going anyway, and just not watching conference, but the idea of just not getting together seemed like such a bummer. We'd been planning on spending conference weekend together for weeks now, and we couldn't wait to hang out (not to mention they have two of the cutest kids ever and we were really looking forward to playing with them all weekend!).

The other options were for us to drive to Ithaca, which would have taken at least 6 hours, or for them to come to Burlington...after they had already driven several hours to get to the Thousand Islands.

Luckily for us, our friends are such good sports and they decided to drive all the way to Burlington so we could spend the weekend together. You guys are the best!

We had such a great time together watching conference, eating out, going to Shelburne Farms, walking along Lake Champlain, and just being together. There's nothing quite like best friends! We love you guys. Come back soon!

Family

2009-09-21T05:52:00.005-07:00

Here's to wishing weekends with family didn't have to come and go so quickly!
We loved our time in Boston this past weekend and were so glad to be a part of Clara's blessing. We just love her so much!

A Hood-to-Coaster for Life

2009-08-31T15:23:00.009-07:00

197 Miles

12,000 Runners
3,500 Volunteers
28th Annual Year
Largest Relay in the World

Our entire Team
"Inlaws and Outlaws"

I'm obsessed! This past weekend Ben and I, along with a team of ten other people ran the Hood to Coast relay in Portland, aka "The Mother of all Relays" (no really, that's what it's called).
I'm convinced I will run this race many, many more times in the future. I'm also convinced we will live in Portland some day. I love everything about that city!

Our team started the race at 10:30am on Friday morning and finished at 4:00pm on Saturday. There was someone running from our team during that entire time. We each ran three legs, spaced anywhere between 8-12 hours apart, and covering anywhere between 15-20 miles total. We ran in the sun, in the rain, during the day, at night, in the cold, in the hot, through trees, down mountains, and finally ended at the beach. It was an unforgettable weekend.

We were lucky enough to run on our friend Chris' family team. His dad has run the Hood to Coast 20 consecutive years. He says this year was his last...but we'll see! I wouldn't put it past Romney to run again next year!

I love this video because it captures so much of the spirit of the race.

Thanks Burke family for letting us be a part of such an awesome event. And Katie...watch out...you are SO running with us next year!

What a week!

2009-08-03T19:46:00.004-07:00

I may hate camping. A lot. But I sure do love these girls! It's a huge relief to have Girls Camp over with, but the reality that I won't be going to camp with them next summer is actually a little sad. Okay, maybe it's not the fact I won't be CAMPING with the YW, but the fact I won't BE with these crazy kids! They are just too fun. (In case you're wondering, I'm the one on the right who looks the exact same age as the 14 year olds!)

Let me clarify my dislike of camping. I have no problem with bugs or dirt of things of that nature. And I quite like a good camp fire now and again. It's the fact that I see no real reason to sleep in a tent and forgo a warm shower if I have a perfectly functioning shower and bed at home. Hence the reason I slept in the cabin while they YW slept in tents. Or why I only stayed one night out of four. I lucked out this year, big time!

Also, it was our anniversary in the middle of the week and camp just didn't seem like the best way to celebrate! Ben surprised me with a trip to Lake George, and let me tell you....it was such a beautiful place. I highly recommend it to anyone. We biked and tennised and beached and ate and lounged and loved just hanging out! Unfortunately we didn't document much...

(The ever predictable self portrait!)

Finally, I almost forgot...the COLDPLAY CONCERT! Words can't do it justice. You just have to go to one of their concerts. They are incredible live. What a great night.

We also got introduced to the band "Elbow" that night. Yes, they may have the weirdest name ever, but they actually played some pretty great stuff.

The concert was at the Saratoga Springs Performing Arts center which turned out to be a great venue. We had awesome lawn seats and were able to bring in all our own snacks, chairs and blankets. The weather was beautiful and the show was incredible. I would see them again in a heartbeat!

Congrats!

2009-07-25T05:25:00.002-07:00

Congratulations to Ben who finished a grueling 8 hour Step 2 Board Exam yesterday. It was a long month of intense studying and we're so happy it's over. Thanks to so many who remembered Ben during the big day!

Now it's time to play! Ben is officially on vacation until sometime in September, and I finish summer lessons this week....so we've go at month to just have fun! We're kicking off vacay with Harry Potter today...and a Coldplay Concert in Saratoga Springs on Monday....followed by a week of Girls Camp and our anniversary!

Celebratory dinner after Step 2!

Oh Canada!

2009-07-13T07:39:00.004-07:00

Question:

What's the best way to celebrate Canada Day, if you can't actually BE in Canada??

Answer:
Movie night with the YW and a Canada Day Cake!

Question:
What the best way to spend the 4th of July, if you can't be with family at Bear Lake??

Answer:
Fireworks in the rain, a cute small town parade, and a 4th of July cake!

I feel so lucky to love not one, but two wonderful countries!

All good things must come to an end!

2009-06-28T22:40:00.006-07:00

The second week in Tucson was equally as fun as the first! Between Ben's busy work schedule, and my busy pool schedule, we did manage to fit in quite a few fun, local activities and events.

Enjoying Tucson's famous Eegee's Slushes

Reid Park Zoo- it was surprisingly big and beautiful

Lots of sun/pool time

Our favorite little breakfast diner- breakfast cooked by Bobo himself! What's not to love about a greasy chocolate chip pancake the size of a large dinner plate!

Riding the Old Pueblo Trolley downtown and browsing through all sorts of cute little shops

Visiting with our friends from Vermont who just moved to Tucson for residency. Hopefully we'll join you guys someday soon!!

So obviously I loved Tucson. The weather was gorgeous the entire time we were there. I'm a little biased though, I love 100+ degree weather! It was great to be together and we had a fun time exploring a new city.

Ben is finally done with traveling for a while...nothing big until interviews! He's studying the month of July for the boards, and then he has the entire month of August off for vacation! We're already making plans!

As for me...it's back to work. I'm teaching five weeks of summer lessons, and looking for another job. It was nice to have a few months off from working a second job, but I'm ready to be busy again. It's more fun that way!

Tucson...

2009-06-18T09:02:00.010-07:00

Here's what we've been up to the past week or so...
(In no particular order!)

Hanging out in Phoenix with my sister

Lots of gelato consumption

An attempt to attend the Mesa temple that ended up being a walk around the grounds

Seeing "Up" in 3D

Hiking the Catalina Mountains

Touring the local botanical gardens/zoo/natural history museum

And finally (possibly most importantly) being reminded how much we love In-N-Out!

It's official...

2009-06-12T19:36:00.003-07:00

My second year of teaching is OVER! I I had my last official day today. It's hard to believe another year has come and gone. I loved this year even more than last year. My students made such great progress, I became much closer friends with so many families, and I really felt like I developed some of my own approaches and ideas. I can hardly wait for next year! As far as I know, all but two of my students will be returning, and I've added a couple of new younger sibling to my schedule. Today was also (hopefully) my last Friday of teaching...ever (or last for the next year!) I'm hoping to cram all 35-40 lessons into four days next year....it's all about the perma-three day weekend! I figure with Ben being around a little more it would be nice to have one day a week off...so here's to hoping I can fit all my lesson in Monday-Thursday!

The last recitals went great as well. I seriously felt like a proud mom as I watched all my students perform!

(This is my cute student Griffin who no joke, is quite literally obsessed with playing the piano. He will play anywhere between 3-5 hours a day. His parents finally had to buy an electric keyboard in addition to their regular piano so that he didn't keep his little sister up at night!)

I leave for Tucson early tomorrow morning...and let me just state for the record...I am so glad these past four month have come and gone, and that Ben and I will finally get back to normal life. It's been a great spring full of travel and fun, but I am very happy to get back to a normal routine.

Ben has been enjoying life in Tucson...I think the highlight for him was taking the bus to the movies last Friday night!

Whirlwind!

2009-05-31T17:06:00.008-07:00

Thankfully, one of the two most stressful days of the year has come and gone, quite successfully I might add. Yesterday we held two of the four end-of-year piano recitals for our students at Fox Music Studio! Between the three teachers we have about 120 students, hence the need for four recitals. I end up sleeping terrible the week before recitals...I can't get the kid's recital songs out of my head, and I have endless nightmares about all the things that could potentially go wrong on recital day! Luckily, it was a fairly tear-free day (there were several lessons that ended in tears earlier in the week, so I was feeling particularly anxious!) My kids played awesome, and the parents were of course very pleased with their performances.

Poor Ben didn't have much of a relaxing weekend. He finished his research rotation at Wills on Friday, drove home from Philadelphia late Friday night, just in time to console the stressed out piano teacher, was the official videographer/photographer/moral supporter at the marathon recitals all day Saturday, and then got up this morning at 4:45am and headed to Tucson to start his final away rotation tomorrow morning. He's such a good sport! I'm counting down the days till I join him...only 13 days to go. I can't wait for the AZ heat and time to be together!

We did manage to get in a little pre-birthday celebration since we'll be apart for Ben's birthday next Sunday. Bad year for birthdays this year, we were/will be apart for both. I tried to make up for it by making Ben a ridiculously ugly eyeball cake. It was definitely no Kunz classic "apple sauce ducky cake" but we just might have created a new BH Kunz tradition! It's amazing what kind of silly ideas you can come up with talking to a sister and searching the internet WAY too late at night!

The Candy Man

2009-05-28T18:49:00.006-07:00

The best part is...they weren't intending this to be funny...it's presented merely as fact. Like it's somehow normal that Odom is "the Candy Man." I honestly hope someone finds this as funny as I did!

(Sorry there are two videos...I can't seem to get rid of the second one that actually doesn't even work anymore!)

You get what you pay for...

2009-05-13T17:57:00.002-07:00

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about the idea of getting what you pay for, and how most often in the long run it's worth investing a little more in something because it ends up lasting longer and usually being more reliable. I believe this to be true in most cases. Unfortunately, I sometimes I forget that I believe this. And then when I remember I believe this, it's usually too late...and something really unfortunate or annoying has already happened.

Take for example my near death experience on Monday. I had been in Boston for the weekend for my sister's baby shower and to visit my family. The plan was to take my sister to the airport on Sunday evening and then head back to Vermont. After pulling two consecutive 3:00am nights, my brother wisely encouraged me to stay the night and head home in the morning.

I am so glad I did.

About 5 minutes from my house, but while still on the highway my car started to make the craziest thumping sound. Unfortunately it was a familiar thumping sound, one we had heard a year ago when we found out our tires had been put on incorrectly. Assuming I had a little time to deal with the problem, I started planning in my head when I would have a free morning to take it in and get it looked at. But before I could complete the thought in my head, I started to lose control of the car. I was swerving in and out of the lane and my car basically felt like it was going to tip over. So incredibly scary. I managed to pull over and inspect the damage. I was shocked to find out as I checked the tires that four of the five lug nuts on my right rear tire had completely broken off, and my tire was basically about to fall off. All I could think about was how grateful I was that it hadn't actually fallen off, and how lucky I was that I hadn't been the cause of a terrible accident. There are so many scenarios in which the ending could have been so much worse than it was....like had I left Boston as planned on Sunday and had this happen in rural Vermont late at night, or had it happened while I was going 80 on a packed Boston highway, or had I not been in a position to pull over in time.

Now comes the connection of getting what you pay for. We got new tires put on the Explorer last spring. I like to compare prices before I make large purchases. It makes me feel better about spending money if I know I'm spending the least amount of money necessary to get what I need. We had checked several places and decided that Sears was by far the most economical place. After getting the tires put on, we were out of town in small town Bennington on a Saturday and heard the loud thumping noise. Concerned that the car was unsafe to drive, we found the only local mechanic open and had him take a look. Sure enough, they had not tightened the lug nuts enough and they were all coming loose. He said that had we not come in when we did, they would have eventually snapped completely off. Oh wait, isn't that what just happened to me on Monday? After it happened the first time, I was pretty unimpressed, but Sears was very apologetic and I figured they deserved a second chance. I got my tires rotated a couple of week ago there...and they obviously did it AGAIN, only this time I drove far enough with them loose that we almost lost a tire.

So there I was, stranded, (in my pajamas none-the-less), on the side of the highway, wishing Ben was in town, feeling lucky to be alive, and cursing myself for being frugal!

The way I see it, cutting corners when it comes to automobiles isn't really the greatest idea. Probably not a big deal when it comes to no-name brand breakfast cereal, or econo-brand paper towels, but when we're talking about safety, it's probably worth it the pay a little more.

Beware

2009-05-03T14:45:00.008-07:00

Last month Ben surprised me with a new pair of running shoes for my birthday.
When I opened up the box from Under Armor, this is what I found...

Size 12 mens lime green running shoes. Not exactly what I was expecting.

No big deal right, I thought I'd mail them back the next day and have my shoes in plenty of time to break them in for the half marathon on the 18th.

As it turns our, Under Armor isn't super proficient at processing on-line returns. It took them an entire MONTH to finally deliver the right pair....

BUT, after several complaints and persistent phone calls with UA sales people, we did manage to score the shoes for FREE. And a $20 gift card.

Moral of the story....don't order running shoes from Under Armor if you need them to arrive in any sort of timely fashion!

Back to Reality

2009-04-27T05:44:00.009-07:00

After being away for 10 days I find myself back in Vermont....counting the days till summer vacation. What is that all about? I love my job, my students are awesome, and Vermont is great, but being on vacation is so much better! The month of April flew by. I'll spare you all the details...basically I was fortunate enough to see almost all of my family members and a lot of great friends from my mission and college, which is rare being that we live in such a rural place.

Conference weekend was great. I flew to Toronto and spent the weekend hanging out with my parents and my little brother. I love going home. There is something so comfortable about being there....even after not living there for years, it still feels like home.

The next weekend I spent Easter with my sister and her husband in Boston. We had all sorts of fun shopping for baby cuteness for her little girl. It was the first time I had seen her in person pregnant...and she is such a cute pregnant person!! She's so tiny! I can wait for both of the new babies to arrive in our family. Two little girls...we're so spoiled!

The following Friday, I canceled lessons again, and flew to Salt Lake to participate in the SLC marathon with my family. That whole weekend deserves a post of its own. The short of it is that it was an incredibly memorable weekend where as family and friends we were able to celebrate the life of my cousin. It was so neat to run with so many family members. And I even felt great after running the half marathon! I say bring on the full next year.

My brother Warren and I at the start of the race

I stayed in Utah for almost a week and was able to visit with mission friends, college friends and Ben's family. It was so fun to get caught up with friends I haven't seen in years. It made me realize what great friends I do have...and the fact that there are no excuses for being lousy at keeping in touch with people. Maybe that can be a new goal.

Friends from back in the day at Liberty Square, Jenny and Angell.

Burk, one of the sisters I trained on the mish.

My BF/roommate all through college Mary

(She bought these chairs at a garage sale for $5 and is going to use them in her studio. They were hilarious! Check out her work at www.photographybydmc.blogspot.com, she's incredible!)

After I left SLC I flew to Kansas to see Ben! It was so great to see him after being apart for the entire month of April. I got a great feel for Kansas City and had a ton of fun seeing where Ben grew up. We ate at some of his favorite spots, got to see the Royals kill the Tigers, and visited Liberty Jail. I fell in love with Kansas City immediately. It's the best of both worlds; a big enough city to have great culture, great food and great shopping, but a small enough city to not have massive amounts of traffic and congestion. And it was warm!
Ben loved his rotation and made some great contacts at KU. He loved being back home, and had a great time spending the month with the Beattys. We are so grateful to them for their hospitality and friendship. I loved getting to know them better and spending some time together!

Gates, the best BBQ around

Liberty Jail

May should be a little less hectic. Ben is back in Philadelphia and will make the drive home two of the four weekends. I only have 6 1/2 weeks left of teaching, and then we're off to Tucson for the month of June. I can't wait....bring on the heat!

1200 Miles Later...

2009-04-01T17:27:00.004-07:00

What a weekend! Ben and I had such a great time driving to Kansas. Who knew 20 hours in a car could be that great?!
Friday night I got in late and we did a quick drive through downtown Philadelphia so I could get a feel for the city. We grabbed a bite at Cosi (so yummy) and watched a depressing KU basketball game. We decided to spend the night at the dorm where Ben was staying mostly because it seemed unnecessary to get a hotel if there was already accommodation there....and all I can say is big mistake! I'm sure I'm just spoiled coming from BYU dorms, but man, that place was so disgusting. I'm committed to finding Ben some better lodging arrangements for May. No one should have to live in those kind of conditions!
Saturday we drove to Cleveland. It was a pretty quick drive, and we even got to drive through Lancaster County (Dutch Country). It was so crazy, it was seriously like going back in time. We were a little pressed for time so we had to choose....Amish breakfast, or Target. I chose Target. There's always a next time right?
We had a great time vising with Warren, Leanne and their kids in Cleveland. It was so fun to see their new home and to play with the kids. We're so excited for their newest addition to join the family soon. We're planning to see them again at the end of April on our way home...here's to hoping the baby comes early!! (not going to happen, I realize!)
The drive from Cleveland to Kansas City was great. We hit some rain, but were lucky to not run into snow. I didn't get to see much of the city....mostly just the "Plaza" that I've heard so much about!! It was pretty neat, I'm excited to go back at the end of the month and spend a little time exploring.
We are so fortunate that some close Kunz family friends have opened up their home to Ben and are allowing him to spend the month there. It was great to meet the Beatys on Sunday and it was easy to see why Ben loves their family so much. We are so grateful to them for their kindness and hospitality!
The rotation in Kansas is going great. Ben is working with a great attending and resident. He's really enjoying his time and getting some great exposure to their program.
Hard to believe we're one week into his time in Kansas. I'm in Toronto this weekend to visit my parents and as always am looking forward to quality time with family!

The beginning of a very busy month...

2009-03-26T21:39:00.004-07:00

Tomorrow marks the beginning of what will undoubtedly be a fairly hectic month! It's hard to believe, but Ben actually finishes his month long course in Philadelphia tomorrow. I have to be honest...it did go much faster than expected. It's all about getting into a routine. It was so great we were able to ease into things slowly, and luckily were able to spend every weekend together, thanks to Ben's willingness to drive 14 hours round trip every week!
Kansas will be a bit of a different story...we won't see each other for about three and a half weeks, but the time will fly, I'm sure. It's always comforting to hear how much Ben is enjoying his rotations and how much he feels he is learning and benefiting from being there. It makes the distance somehow seem worth it.
I catch a flight to Philadelphia tomorrow night right after I finish teaching...and we will leave for Kansas in the morning. The drive is about 18 hours. Unfortunately...I'm a bit of a poor planner, and really wanted to see my brother and his family in Cleveland so we will be making a third of the drive on Saturday....and the rest of the drive on Sunday. Should make for a long day, but it's totally worth it. They have the cutest kids!
We'll get in to Kansas late Sunday and I leave at 6:00am Monday to come back to Burlington.
The next weekend I'm in Toronto to see my family...
The following weekend is Easter...I'm still trying to decide what I'm going to do. Maybe I'll head to Boston....
The following weekend I fly to SLC to run a half marathon with family and friends (most of whom are way more hard core than me and are actually running the full marathon)
I'll spend 6 days in Utah catching up with friends and family, and then fly to Kansas to FINALLY see Ben again, and drive home to Burlington with him at the end of his rotation.
I'm so looking forward to spending a few days in Kansas. Ben loves it there so much...I can't wait to finally see some of the places he talks about and get to know the city better.

And then the month is over!
I'm not sure how I intend to hold down jobs and callings between all the traveling, but somehow it will get done.

Side note...Montreal was great! I especially liked taking a taxi into the city from the temple, and having the old front desk temple guy dressed in his white suit and slippers walk my luggage to the taxi. The cab driver was so confused!

I did it...

2009-03-19T19:30:00.008-07:00

I gave Banana Republic my two weeks notice today. It was so liberating!
I've worked there for 18 months now...and it was definitely my time to quite. I make what feels like 12 cents a shift, work with really immature college students with terrible mouths and sell over priced clothing to middle aged women. Like I said, it was my time!
I'm starting to realize the implications of not having my discount anymore though...so I'm hurrying to buy cute baby clothes for my pregnant sisters at Baby Gap for 50% off before I have to give it up. I think a trip to the BR outlet in Cleveland is also planned for next weekend. I feel like this job has ruined me...the thought of buying full price clothes is awful! I'm considering just giving up shopping.

I also did something this week that I have never done before....I canceled ALL of my lessons on Friday! I am so excited. My parents are going to be in Montreal for the weekend, and I was already heading to the temple Friday morning with a friend, so I decided to ditch out on work and stay in the city for the weekend. What's even better is that Ben is driving up from Philadelphia to meet us! Week three...and being apart is starting to get REAL OLD. I just get sick of talking on the phone...we never have anything that great to talk about, and it's just a reminder to me that we're not together.
Anyway, I'm thrilled we'll be together this weekend, stoked we're going to be in Canada, and excited to hang out with my family!

One Week Down...Only 15 More to Go

2009-03-08T13:40:00.007-07:00

We made it! One week out of the way. Ben had a great week in Philadelphia. He is loving the course he's taking. The Wills Eye Hospital sounds like an incredible facility with so many qualified bright people working there. It's one of the largest educational centers in the country for Ophthalmology so it's really neat Ben has this opportunity to learn from such amazing physicians.
The week seemed to go pretty slow, and the weekend of course flew by, but that was to be expected. It was great to have him home for a day and a half...and I'm already looking forward to next weekend.

I hit a mini milestone in my running yesterday. I ran 10 miles for the first time...ever! It was such a great run. The weather was a shocking 44 degrees out so I was able to run outside. I haven't run outside yet this year, so I was thrilled. Beats the treadmill any day. I did completely trash my WHITE running shoes though! The first 30 minutes of the run I was pretty careful to avoid mud and puddles, but after about an hour it just wasn't worth it. The picture hardly does them justice. They are SO dirty!

The best part of the run was having Lance Armstrong come on my NikePlus at the end and congratulate me for my longest run yet. So motivational!
I've been fighting with management at my gym the last few weeks to make an exception to the 45 minute treadmill rule....but have had no success, so hopefully the weather will stay warm and I'll be able to continue running outside!

The Time has Come

2009-03-01T16:12:00.007-07:00

It's hard to believe it's March 1st today. Where does the time go? For months Ben and I have been preparing for March 1st. It's always been so far in the future that it never actually seemed real. And now it's here. And it's real. And it kind of stinks!
Ben left for Philadelphia a couple of hours ago to embark on his 4 month away rotation journey! Sounds more exotic than it actually is. He's in Philadelphia in March working with an ocular pathologist, Kansas in April doing a rotation through their ophthalmology department, back to Philadelphia in May to do eye cancer research (that's the technical term for it!) and then finally he's off to Tucson in June to do another rotation through the ophthalmology department there. We're hopeful the rotations will be beneficial...though there's no guarantee. Who knows with this whole medical school/residency system they have in place. Sometimes it feels totally random and unpredictable! In the end you just have to believe that whatever happens, happens for a reason and that it's going to be alright. Vermont seemed pretty random when we found out about that, and now I can't imagine not being here and having the experiences we're having.

The plan is for Ben to drive home the weekends he's in Philadelphia. We'll see...it will be easier to tell whether that is really an option once he's made the full drive. Our GPS said it should take about 7 hours, but I have no doubt Ben will make it less time than that...especially without his human speedometer sidekick sitting in the passenger seat!

I'm hopeful I can be semi-productive while Ben is gone. He did a month rotation in Bennington last year, and looking back, I completely wasted the month! (Way too many min-eggs and Top Chef reruns, and I don't even like that show) Between working two jobs, church service and spending time with Ben, I've kind of realized I don't have many hobbies. Sad huh. I run, and that's about it. So I'm on the look out for a productive hobby...we'll see what I come up with.

I had this past week off from teaching which was great! In Vermont the kids get a week off in February and a week off in April...my guess is to avoid seasonal depression! Everyone leaves town and heads south to one of two places...Mexico or Florida. We did neither this year (though I did relive our Mexico trip from last February over in my mind several times this week!). Did I mention it was 9 degrees here yesterday?
I went in to the studio on Friday to clean things up a little and to prep for my lessons this week and to my surprise, found I had been visited by a furry little rodent sometime that week. I'm pretty sure it was one of the grossest things I've seen in quite some time. This furry little friend had left me some special "surprises" we'll call them all over my piano! And to make matters worse, he had eaten through a granola bar box and through all of my granola bars! I was so grossed out I couldn't even deal with the mess, so that's what I have to look forward to tomorrow.

Ben and I found a new little breakfast place on Saturday that we'll for sure go back to. From the looks of it you wouldn't expect much (it looks like a total dive from the outside) but it was really pretty good. Finding new unknown restaurants is one of my favorite things to do. I love the little hole in the wall places that you would only go to because someone recommended it to you; the kind of place where they have their usual customers they know by name. Check it out if you live in Vermont....not a bad little spot!

We also stayed at the coolest Bed and Breakfasts a couple of weeks ago called the Inn at Grace Farm. It was the neatest place. I'm not a huge fan of B&B places usually because they're old, cold, and you have to share a bathroom, but this place was brand new. It was this big log cabin with totally modern decor, amazing vaulted ceilings, a beautiful view and the most comfortable king size bed! Breakfast was made by the owners and very gourmet. One of Ben's classmates boyfriend actually helped build the place and that's how we found out about it, otherwise I'm not sure we would have ever found it.
We spent the weekend in Stowe browsing through every little art gallery in town and eating a lot of really great food!

That's the no-so-short version of the last few weeks. If anyone is dying to come visit the North Pole in the next few months, let me know...I'll have plenty of time on my hands to play tour guide!

MINT

2009-02-21T06:47:00.009-07:00

I wanted to pass along a little tidbit of info that has significantly simplified my financial life these past few months. I've already shared this with most of my friends here....but it's definitely worth hearing again! I've always tried to stick to a monthly budget and to plan ahead and monitor our expenses, but it's really easy to get lazy and stop keeping track, or not really realize where you're spending money, or how much you're spending on particular things. Despite valiant efforts, I feel like I've never really come up with the perfect format for tracking our finances...until now. Ben and I recently started using this website called Mint.com and it is awesome. It allows you to upload all of your financial accounts, credit cards, savings, checking, loans, assets; basically anything that relates to your finances. It then allows you to track every transaction you put on any card or through any account in one centralized location. It breaks down your spending into various trends, has great visual graphs and charts that help you better understand where you money is going, it allows you to set budgets in specific spending categories and then it sends you updates as you get closer to meeting/exceeding your budget. You can easily compare your spending trends month to month, see how much you spend at a specific vendor and they often have individualized recommendations on how you can save.

The biggest issue for us was whether or not our financial information was safe on this website. I have read review after review that goes into detail on the safety of the website. They say the biggest/only real concern would be someone getting access to your password which is a concern on any website, and with that, they couldn't get access to account numbers, they could only see what you see which is basically your account balances and your spending.

Check it out if you haven't already. I was pretty skeptical at first, but I have found we have spent way less in the last few month, simply because we are so accountable. Every single transaction shows up on the sight, which makes you think twice about buying that pair of shoes you really don't need! Not only that, but I've been shocked by what we're really spending our money on! (Lets just say we don't go hungry!)

I failed to mention one of the nicest things about the website...it's free!
Check out some of these reviews to get a better explanation of Mint's features.

Review 1
Review 2
Review 3

Catch Up

2009-02-08T20:12:00.012-07:00

It would take way too long to actually get caught up on everything that has happened since Thanksgiving, so I'll just hit the high points!
December was a great/incredibly busy moth, as it usually is for most people. I spent the first weekend in NYC with all my sisters and my mom. We had such a great time together. I highly recommend a mother/sister weekend to anyone who hasn't tried it before! I have to say, we're all pretty different in terms of interests/likes/dislikes/tastes etc....so I wasn't exactly sure what the weekend would bring, but it was just such fun to be together. It didn't really matter what we were doing, it was just the fact we were doing it together. There was lots of shopping, lots of Starbucks, lots of yummy food, a little bit of theater and a little bit of sightseeing. We went to see the Lion King on Saturday night. I wasn't sure what to expect....but it really was fantastic. I was shocked how much I loved it.
My vote is for Hawaii next time we all get together!

The rest of December was filled with teaching, doctoring, preparing for Christmas, and Young Womens, (as always), mixed with some Christmas parties, cold weather and beautiful snow...that is now not so beautiful...and needing to melt. Unfortunately "mud" season doesn't hit till May or June, so we've got a few moths to go.

We traveled to Utah for the holidays and spent it with Ben's whole family. It was a great vacation, once we finally got there. What a headache! All I will say is there were lots of tears, and some yelling....additional tickets purchased, lost bags, and sheer exhaustion! I'm SO glad we made it....it was looking really bad there for a while! We're still fighting with airlines to try and get reimbursed for the new tickets, we'll see what happens, though I'm not holding my breath.
Christmas brought lots of Rock Band, Guitar Hero, scum, bowling, movies, yummy food and catching up with great friends and family! As much as we love Vermont, we are reminded every time we are with family how hard it is to be so far.

January brought NEW BEGINNINGS! That basically consumed my thoughts and time the entire month....and boy am I glad that's over! I also took on two new students, lost four students (the dang economy is killing my business), taught some flute lessons, Ben continued doctoring, we both got the stomach flu, attended the symphony, had a rock band party, moved our bedroom into the living room and got hooked on West Wing. Did I mention there are something like 7 seasons, and 22 episodes in a season. Talk about a commitment!

(I forgot to take a picture at New Beginngings, so an old camp one will have to do!)

(Our "Girls Only" band. We rocked!)

That's the highly abridged version of the last couple of month. For the most part, life is great. We're busy, and we love what we do.

February is Ben and I's last normal month together for a while. Looks like he will be traveling from March through June for school, doing away rotations and ophthalmology research, so we're trying to take advantage of our time together. The spring will be tough, but it's the price we have to pay, we simply look at it as a long term investment!

Goin' Private

2009-01-21T19:55:00.002-07:00

I've taken a short hiatus from blogging due to the crazy nature of the past month or so, and in so doing, I've decided to go private. I'm slightly weirded out by the fact that anyone can read about my life, so if you're interested in maintaining access to our blog, just leave your email address in the comments section, and I will send you an invite. If I can make it through January, I'll be sure to get back to blogging!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T22:14:00.012-07:00

Ben and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'm so grateful to live close to my parents. It's been years since I've been close to them. I know it won't last long, but I'm so thankful for it while it lasts.
The weeks leading up to thanksgiving had been full and difficult, so the break was much welcomed. I had originally made all sorts of plans for our trip, but in the end, we really didn't do too much. We slept in, hung out with my little brother (who is the coolest 16 year old ever), played games, went to an NHL game in Buffalo, saw the show Jersey Boys, went to lunch with my best friend from high school, and just relaxed. There were also at least three trips to Tim Hortons, lots of turkey dinner lefts overs, and plenty of Christmas cookie decorating.

While in Toronto I was reminded of my love of Canada. I love and appreciate America and the wonderful and free country it is, but when we cross the border into Canada, I honestly feel like I'm home. Feelings of patriotism and loyalty to a country are so personal, and for me at least, emotional as well. Going home brings back so many memories and emotions. I truly am so grateful for my heritage and the wonderful country of Canada.

At the Sabres hockey game

Eating our hideous cookie creations

At Jorgen's hockey game

With the recent tragic death of my 18 year old cousin I've spent a lot of time questioning and reflecting upon what matters to me in life; not what I say matters, but what really matters. I think it is so easy to get wrapped up in the busyness of our everyday schedules and miss so much of what is important. In the end, family is really all that matters. That's basically it. It's so obvious, it's hard to believe I kind of forget that at times.
As I have felt such pain and sadness these past few weeks I have found comfort in the relationships that lie within my family and have been reminded of the importance of strengthening and appreciating these relationships. Spending Thanksgiving at home was a small reminder of how lucky I am to have a great family and how important it is to stay close.

2008-11-14T07:21:00.009-07:00

So I usually just ignore people when they "tag" me...not sure why exactly! I just never quite get around to it, but this one was kind of fun...so here goes!

8 Favorite TV Shows

1) Arrested Development
2) 30 Rock
3) Friday Night Lights
4) House
5) Veronica Mars
6) Office
7) Seinfeld
8) News- any kind (I'm kind of obsessed-boring I know!)

8 Things I did Yesterday

1) Taught a lot of piano lessons
2) Thought about working out
3) Bought gas ($35 to fill up our Accord. AMAZING!)
4) Watched Ben's intramural basketball game
5) Watched Office and 30 Rock
6) Went to lunch with one of our YW
7) Read the BYU Magazine (its full of fascinating facts btw)
8) Cleaned our apartment

8 Things I look Forward to

1) Ben having a real job
2) Living somewhere WARM
3) Having kids
4) Going back to school
5) Owning our own home
6) Being med school debt free
7) The weekend
8) Being with our nieces and nephews

8 Favorite Restaurants

1) Penny Cluse
2) Kitchen Table
3) Skinny Pancake
4) Starry Night Cafe
5) Sneakers
6) Cafe Rio
7) Snake Creek Grill
8) PF Changs

8 Things on my Wish List

1) Black riding boots
2) Live closer to friends
3) 80 degree weather year round
4) Free trip to Mexico
5) Pink Uggs
6) New cell phone
7) Natural blonde hair
8) A Target in Vermont (although I'm not complaining about Plattsburgh)

8 Random things about Me (I adapted your tag April!)

1) I got hit by a car while walking home from the testing center one night in college, and I swear my memory has never been the same!
2) I almost always have a messy bedroom...but the rest of my house is usually really clean.
3) I'm a return-aholic. Love shopping, but make bad spur of the moment decisions.
4) I'm a little obsessed with NPR.
5) I've recently become converted to Macs.
5) I hate the phone...it's kind of stupid, but I would much rather email or text.
6) I speak terrible Spanish and it's all south Texas' fault.
7) I not so secretly think we should move to Canada someday!
8) I hate animals. A lot. I will compromise for my kids though. They can have fish...as many as they want.

Now tag... you're it!

And the winner is...

2008-10-27T09:39:00.005-07:00

Last Thursday Ben's intramural football team won the championship for the second year in a row. Their team, comprised of medical students and residents has basically dominated intramural football for the last three years (with the exception of losing the championship the first year). To be precise...their record over the last three years is 17 and 1. Not bad huh!
If you know Ben very well, you know that he LOVES intramural sports. I am sure that when we leave Vermont he will be very sad to see his intramural days come to a close!
It's been so fun watching all of the games this year with fellow medical friends. Last year all of the games were right in the middle of my teaching schedule, and I didn't make it to a single one. It was really sad! So I was thrill when I found out all of his games were at 8:00 this year...minus the fact that it has been freezing cold at 8:00 the last couple of weeks!

Luckily we don't have to be too sad that football is over since 3 on 3 basketball starts this week! These sporting events really do end up being one of the highlights of my week. I get to catch up with good friends, Ben gets to play sports, and we quite frequently find an excuse to go out for ice cream or something afterward! It's a win-win-win situation!

Here are some a couple of pictures of the football team, and the girls freezing to death on the sidelines. It couldn't have been more that 30 degrees that night!

We also went to Boston this past weekend for my nephew's 2nd birthday. As always, we loved being in Boston with family. Highlights of course included watching Wonder Pets and the Curious George movie, playing at the park, taking a walk around Fresh Pond, eating at Sound Bites, checking out my sister's new house, and just hanging out with the cutest little boy ever. We also managed to fit the temple into our busy play schedule. I just love the Boston temple. It is so beautiful!

Why I don't cook...and other random food facts

2008-10-17T05:57:00.003-07:00

Lately I've been trying to get at the root of why I don't cook. It's one of those things that you're just supposed to do. Everyone does it...it's like it's not really an option NOT to. Except for me. I usually choose NOT to.
My recent reflection on the topic has brought me to several conclusions:

1) It always tastes better when someone else makes it
2) If I didn't prepare it, I don't know how bad it is for me
3) Cooking takes time...something I don't have a lot of
4) When I make the time for it, I usually make a huge mess, and end up running to the store at least twice, usually three times because somehow I failed to bring my list with me AGAIN
5) Eating out is more fun

The problem for me is finding the right time to cook. Most normal people with normal jobs get home at 5 or 6, a logical time to prepare and eat dinner. I on the other hand get home at 8:00 or 8:30 most nights. The thought of preparing, cooking, eating and cleaning up a meal at that point is so unappealing.
I've tried the whole "prepare the meal before I leave and have Ben cook it while I'm on my way home" thing...and it works alright, but it's finding time BEFORE work that poses the challenge in this scenario. If I'm not working at BR, I'm mostly likely to be found cleaning the house, doing the laundry, working on YW stuff or running one of those million errands we all find we have to run.
The summer was great. I think I cooked everyday! That was back when I wasn't really working much.
Here's the bottom line...we make time for what's important to us. Cooking for me....at this point in my life....not that important. It's not that I don't like it, or I don't know how to do it, it's just not a priority.
That being said....I did cook two meals this week, and we've eaten leftovers the other two days, so I guess there is time, but I think that phase is over.
Maybe what I ought to do is find a happy medium between cooking everyday, and eating out everyday. Hmm...there's an idea.

Other food notes...

In case someone is worried that Ben has a neglectful wife who doesn't feed him...I do make him a lunch everyday!

My new favorite sandwich which Ive eaten almost everyday this week involves these five ingredients:
1)whole wheat bread
2)hummus
3) tomatoes
4) cucumber
5) turkey
You should try it....it is so yummy!

And finally, I've recently been reminded of my love for Jujyfruits. Thank goodness Mary introduced me to them at her Grandma's house way back when! Somehow I went my entire childhood without eating a single jujyfruit. They must not have them in Canada.

All this talk of food is making me hungry...

Leaf Peeping

2008-10-06T06:10:00.007-07:00

One of the MANY reasons why I love living in Vermont....

Unfortunately my pictures hardly do it justice.
I think the consensus is....I need a new camera!

Facing reality...

2008-09-26T05:31:00.011-07:00

So I have to say I've been going through some serious blonde hair withdrawal lately. Due to some significant laptop malfunctions we were forced to buy a new computer a couple of weeks ago, and since, have been transferring all of our pictures over. This process has cause some serious reflection regarding the ever important topic of hair color. I think the bottom line is this....blonde is better! Not cheaper that is....just better! It's been so nice only having to get my color done every three or four months since going dark, versus every 6-8 weeks with the blonde, and it's definitely been cheaper, and more efficient with my time (can anyone explain why my hair girl thinks she needs to take four hours on my hair each time I go in for an appointment....who has that kind of time for HAIR) but I just don't like being dark as much! So I'm embracing the inevitable....and going back to blonde. Unfortunately I made this decision the day AFTER getting my dark redone, so it won't happen for a couple of months....but somehow if I verbalize the decision, I feel like I'm closer to having it be a reality! If only I could have been a natural blonde. Answer me this....If Ben has red hair, and I have brown hair, what are the chances our kids will be blonde??? I'm crossing my fingers at least!

(Below is proof that blonde is better)

In other news...we went to the Shelburne Farms harvest festival on Saturday along with the entire town of Shelburne....and all of the Mormons in town. Seriously....everywhere I turned there were more Mormons! If people only knew, I think they might be worried we were going to take over the town. It was such a cute festival with tons of great activities for kids. So yeah.....we felt totally out of place!! Despite looking a little foolish attending the festivities without kids, we did score some awesome food...what can top Vermont grilled cheese sandwiches and caramel apples?? Who needs kids to enjoy good food!

Finally...probably the highlight of my week was making a kid cry at their piano lesson. Ok, not really, I actually felt pretty bad. But let me tell you, it was way better than the time a kid peed his pants in lesson. I mean honestly, how do you respond to that! I felt bad for weeks....since I told him he couldn't go to the bathroom because we only had two minutes left in the lesson. I learned my lesson the hard way.....ALWAYS let kids use the bathroom when they ask!
Anyway, I didn't actually do anything mean to this little girl on Tuesday who started bawling out of the blue. I simply asked her to put the song we had been practicing hands apart, hands together. Next thing I know, she's doing it perfectly, but there are tears streaming down her face and she's doing the little hyperventilating sob thing! I asked her what was wrong and she simply said "It's just TOO hard." Ok...cause that makes sense. She did it perfectly....the FIRST TIME...but "it's just too hard." Man.....these kids kill me. I really do love them, but on occasion, they're pretty ridiculous. It wouldn't have been a big deal and I would have been a little nicer if she didn't have a history of crying EVERY WEEK! I'm pretty sure crying is code for "I don't want to do this, and if I cry, maybe I won't have to." She seems pretty well trained in the art of crying, but I don't really buy it.

Enough with the rants...I'm so looking forward to the weekend! I'm hoping for great weather on Saturday so we can go for a fall bike ride, and check out a new breakfast place called "On the Rise." It's supposed to be pretty great!

Why haven't we done this sooner??

2008-09-19T05:10:00.012-07:00

Not sure why it took us over two years to finally get our act together and head to NYC for the weekend, but it did, and I'm regretting it big time! We decided to head out this past weekend and had such a great time. I felt like a little kid on Christmas eve the night before we left. I had never been to NY so I was pretty excited...I couldn't even sleep! It's surprisingly close when you finally just get in the car and make the drive. Ben picked me up from the studio after my last lesson at 7:00. We were on the road by 7:30, and parked in downtown NY by 1:30 or so. Somehow when we were searching google maps for directions, I'm pretty sure we clicked the "take us on every back road possible" button.....so minus the minor run-in with nausea that I had, it was a pretty easy drive, although I'm convinced there has to be a better way.

It was great to visit with Ben's sister Emily. She's a great tour guide, and knows the city so well! After the realization that NY just isn't that far from us, I'm sure we'll be out to visit her several more times before we move. There are already plans in the working for a trip in November, and I already have a ticket for December!

We did lots of the fun first time NY things.....Times Square, Central Park, Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, Yankee Stadium, China Town and SoHo. We also managed to fit in some shopping at one of the BR Flagship stores, and the NBA store. And of course, we ate at some fantastic restaurants, like Norma's and Cosi. We already have a long list of things we want to do, and more importantly, places we want to eat at when we return!

I was shocked by the weather. We had had a serious cold front pass through Vermont (unfortunately now I'm realizing it wasn't really a cold "front", and that winter is really on it's way) so I just assumed it would be cold in NY. I was definitely wrong. We were sweating the entire day! Thankfully it cooled down a little with some rain, and we ended up being quite comfortable as the afternoon went on.
It was awesome being at Yankee Stadium for one of their last games before they tear it down. The new stadium looks beautiful, but I think I would have felt cheated had we not had the chance to attend at least one game in the old stadium. Despite losing 8-0, we still managed to have a great time. Check out my sweet Yankee Stadium t-shirt and free Yankees mustard I picked up along the way!

On Sunday we were able to visit with one of my best friends who just moved to NY not long ago. It was so great to see her and catch up on life.

And just for the record...I came to the realization this weekend that I am incredibly lazy. I could never live in NYC simply because I don't like walking that much! I think I walked more in two days there than I have walked in a whole month in Vermont. It was great for a weekend away, but I don't think I could handle it on a day to day basis. I was so glad to get in my car on Sunday afternoon and drive home knowing I didn't have to walk anywhere on Monday!!

The Perfect Trip

2008-08-27T06:15:00.006-07:00

I just got back from spending 6 days in Phoenix and I'm pretty sure it was a perfect trip (minus the fact that Ben wasn't there). In my mind, the components of a perfect trip are as follows:

1) Good Food
2) Good Company
3) Great Shopping
4) Warm weather

We had all of the above....and more!
The reason for my trip was to attend my sisters graduation....though I shouldn't need a reason to go visit. The last time I had been to visit her was when Ben and I got engaged, so I was past due for a visit.
Attending Alie's graduation was awesome. I felt like a proud mom, all teary eyed, snapping all kinds of embarrassing photos wherever possible. She graduated from Thunderbird's International MBA program...and did I mention she was FIRST in her class. She's annoyingly modest, and didn't plan on bragging to anyone, so I've made it my personal business to make sure people know!
We had a great time together. It was fun to see my parents and my little brother as well....who were fresh off the plane from Hawaii.
We basically shopped the weekend away in Scottsdale, ate at some awesome restaurants, and relaxed by the pool in 107 degree weather.
I decided after this weekend that I NEED to live in Arizona. It's perfect for someone like me with with the cold disease! I finally felt warm for the first time in a while!

At our favorite gelato place the night I arrived

My little brother during the graduation ceremony....it really wasn't THAT boring!

Alie got to represent Canada in the Flag Ceremony....her speech rocked!

We were a little tired after graduation and a busy afternoon of shopping!

Relaxing after a long day!

Weekend Away

2008-08-13T06:26:00.005-07:00

I just realized that I never got a chance to post about our Anniversary weekend!
Since Ben's work and call schedule is pretty demanding these days, and I am fairly occupied with work and Young Womens, I didn't really expect we would do much for our anniversary. But, I should have known better. Ben is the best "surpriser" ever! (is that even a word). He's always planning and scheming cute things without me knowing. I love it! Right before Ben left for school on Friday morning, he told me to go buy a new dress and be packed and ready to go to Montreal for the weekend by the time he got home that day! It was really so cute the way he said it.
Needless to say, I was excited! I spent the day pampering myself, getting my nails done, shopping and getting ready for the weekend.
For those of you who haven't spent much time in Montreal, you're seriously missing out. It is such a neat city, with a great downtown area, and lots to do.

We ended up staying at a beautiful hotel, the Inter-Continental, and we had this gorgeous corner room that overlooked the city. We got dressed up and went to dinner on Friday night at the incredible french restaurant called Europea. It was unbelievable. I have never had a meal like this. First of all, it was three and a half hours long....seriously! I had the 5 course meal, Ben had the 9. It was such a neat experience. The highlights included a CO2 Caesar Salad, Lobster Cappuccino, and never ending dessert courses! Talk about chi-chi! Our waiter was pretty snobby...I think he thought we were in high school or something. Oh...and they wouldn't let it drop the fact we didn't order alcohol. They asked us several times what kind of wine we wanted with our meal, and finally when they brought out our special "anniversary" dessert, they also brought us champagne, compliments of the chef! It was pretty funny.

Saturday we got up and met our ward at the temple. I was able to help supervise the YW and YM who did baptisms. It's always a great experience to attend the temple with the youth. Several of our girls were there for the first time, so that was particularly special.

After the temple, and our stop at Tim Hortons, we headed to La Ronde, Montreal's rockin Amusement Park. As it turns out, it is actually one dang good amusement park. Ben and I both love roller coasters, and we were pleasantly surprised to find LOTS of great roller coasters there.
We spent the day in the rain riding the roller coasters, the log ride (always a hit with me!), made a few stop offs at the bumper cars (these were seriously the best bumper cars I have ever been on), and finished off the day with some spectacular fireworks. We then drove back to Vermont at about midnight Saturday night.

Ben and I were both pretty sleepy at Ward Council the next morning at 8:00!
What I loved about our weekend was the wide variety of activities! A chi-chi meal one night, and an amusement park the next. Ben did a great job of planning a really fun and special weekend away, especially taking into consideration our limiting schedules! I guess it's probably my turn to plan something fun next year!

Two Years

2008-07-29T12:42:00.010-07:00

Time flies when you're having fun!
I remember so distinctly what it was like moving to Burlington and having people ask how long we'd been married...and telling them a week. That response was always good for a laugh, and a "Oh, you're still in the honeymoon phase. Don't worry, that won't last!"
As it turns out, we still get the same response when we tell people how long we've been married.
Maybe after three years they'll stop saying it!

Ben and I have had such a great time being married the last two years, and plan on keeping it that way well into the future. Long live the honeymoon right!

What's crazy for me to think about is the fact that it was well over four years ago that we said goodbye to each other at the MTC before I left for my mission. Can I just say I am so glad that's over!

We've had so many fun and exciting things happen in the last few years....I really just feel so fortunate for the way things have played out in my life to this point. I never really imagined myself being this happy!

Happy 2 years to us!

Cape Cod and Youth Conference

2008-07-21T05:38:00.013-07:00

Ben and I thoroughly enjoyed our second week of vacation. We spent a couple of days visiting with my parents in Stowe at the resort where they were staying. We played a lot of games, and ate some of the best pizza in the world. Next time you're in Stowe, be sure to stop at "Pie in the Sky." It's awesome!

After Stowe and a full day of teaching for me, we headed to Cape Cod, with bikes, golf clubs and bathing suits in tow. Cape Cod really is a fun, family centered vacation spot. I was amazed by how many mini putt places and ice cream parlors there were. Honestly, they were on every block of main street!

Over the coarse of the week we enjoyed lots of golf (three days in a row to be precise), beach time every day, swimming, leasure bike rides, way too much ice cream, great food and scenic drives.

Golfing....probably the best part of the vaca

The best ice cream on Cape Cod

Cute boy on the beach!

More golf!

Trolley ride in Province Town

Weirdos in Province Town

Beautiful Sunset in Province Town

For the fourth of July we headed back to Boston to spend the holiday with my brother and sister and their families. It was fun to all be together on the Fourth. We headed down to the Charles River on the Subway to watch the fireworks show. It ended up being a great show and a fun way to end our vacation.

In the Subway Station...

On the Subway...

After the Show!

Last Update...

This past weekend I went to New Hampshire with our cute Young Women to chaperone their Youth Conference. The girls had such a fun weekend, and I ended up really enjoying the time away from a messy house, and Girls Camp preparations.

Myself and the two other chaperones from our ward

Kickin' it at the dance

One of our cute Young Women!

Late night gossip fest

(In case you're wondering....it was the one on the right!)

I accomplished several great things over the weekend....some of which include consuming more junk food in one weekend than I thought humanly possible, staying up way too late gossiping with my girls about their boy obsessions, not being allowed to leave the dance to use the restroom because the old men monitoring the doors were convinced I was a youth....and finally, getting asked to dance by a 14 year old boy. How can you beat that kind of a weekend!

Mission Accomplished

2008-07-10T19:06:00.011-07:00

Can I just say this pictures captures perfectly how I felt the morning of our triathlon.
I definitely didn't sleep much the night before, and that didn't exactly calm my nerves.
There is something about participating in an event like a triathlon for the first time that is so unnerving. I felt like I didn't really know what was going on, and like everyone was staring at me the whole time! The triathlon we participated in was really pretty small, and low key, but I still felt totally uptight and nervous. It was really fun to have my parents in town, and to have them there to support us...but at the same time I felt really uncomfortable and self conscious that they were there snapping all kinds of pictures as we were getting ready to begin!

Do I look nervous or what!

Gotta love the matching "Team Kunz" red shorts!

I went in to the race feeling really confident about my swimming. We only had to swim half a mile, and in my training I had gotten comfortable swimming a mile, so I thought it was going to be a piece of cake. Word of warning....Swimming in an open body of water like Lake Champlain is NOTHING like swimming in a pool. I won't go in to all the details....but the swimming killed me. It wasn't that it was super hard or anything, I just couldn't get into any sort of a rhythm cause the waves kept crashing over my head. I was convinced the rescue boat was going to come ask me if I needed to be rescued!

Unfortunately the swimming kind of shook me up, and I basically psyched myself out from that point on.

I felt as bad as I looked!

I finished the race, and I guess that was my only goal. I'm not sure I'll ever do another triathlon. I'm pretty good about working out on my own, without having a race to be training for. I found that I just felt a constant pressure to be training, and if I missed days, I just felt really guilty.

Surprisingly, I didn't feel that bad when it was all done. I just wanted to drink A LOT of water!

I do have to note...Ben was so supportive and sweet. He stuck by my side the entire time....even when most everyone passed me! I'm sure he could have done awesome, and completed the race with a great time, but he just stuck with me, and helped me fight through it! It really meant so much to me. I probably would have just thrown in the towel after the swim if he hadn't been there waiting by my bike cheering me on. So basically....he rocks!

(Note the difference in facial expressions between Ben and I!)

Here is Ben with his Doctor from his Family Med rotation. Dr. Hobbs is actually the organizer of the South Hero TRY-athlon!

I'm happy to say that when all was said and done, we had smiles on our faces, and two VERY BIG free t-shirts to take home!

Fun Times in Utah

2008-06-27T15:51:00.009-07:00

Ben and I just got home from our vacation in Utah. It's always so fun to visit with Ben's family. The weather was so beautiful. It made me kind of depressed to come back to our cloudy/rainy Vermont weather. I swear the sun doesn't shine here....ever!
Highlights from our trip are as follows....

Working on our Tans

Visiting with Family

Playing with Cute Kids

Going to Church

Road Trip to Bear Lake

Eating at Quick 'N' Tasty

Boating

Wake Boarding

(I'm afraid I look a little awkward!)

Tubing

Family Temple Trip to the Ogden Temple

Mini Putting

(In case you're wondering, they're adding up the score...and I won)

Visiting with Good Friends

Band Practice

And quite possibly the highlight....Four Wheeling in Mantua

We had such a fun trip. It's so nice that Ben has two weeks off from school. We haven't seen each other this much in a long time! We're looking forward to another fun week this week. We'll be spending it in Cape Cod with my family. Pictures to follow for sure!

Where does the time go?

2008-06-17T13:32:00.010-07:00

I feel like time is just flying these days. I can't believe I completed my first year of teaching on Friday. I can remember my first day in August so vividly...I felt like I didn't have a CLUE what I was doing. It's amazing how steep the learning curve is when you take on a new job. I can honestly say I loved every day of teaching this year! There were some definite challenges, but I love my students so much, they are just so cute, and each one is so unique. I'm happy to say that all but one of my students are coming back in the fall....plus some new siblings of my current students. I think that puts me at 45 students for fall. I'm not sure how I will find time for them all, but I'm very fortunate to have so many! We had our last recital on Saturday. My students performed so well. I felt like a proud mom, bobbing my head along to the beat of each kid's song!

This past weekend (and in the case of the NBA finals, the last month or two) was devoted mostly to watching Tiger win the US Open (which was kind of disappointing, I wanted the underdog to win), watching the Celtics get beat by the Lakers (I almost cried) and watching "Hotel Rwanda", probably the most heart breaking, but inspirational and moving movies I have ever seen. If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend watching it. The story is incredible, I feel like in some ways it has literally changed my life.

The summer will no doubt fly by as well. I'm teaching in total only 60 or 70 lessons, which compared to 45 a week, isn't too many. I'm still working at BR, but asked for a pretty light schedule for summer, since I will be pretty busy with YW, and we will be away quite a bit. Let me rephrase...I will be away quite a bit! Between Ben's time off which will be spent in Ogden and Cape Cod, and then Youth Conference in NH, Girls Camp in Sharon, and my sister's graduation in AZ, I can't imagine I will be in town much. Between all of the busy schedules of the summer, I'm also hoping to spend plenty of time by our pool relaxing, and enjoying the brief Vermont summer weather!

In the last two weeks....

2008-06-02T05:25:00.009-07:00

I dyed my hair purple...

Ben decided to attempt dying his hair blond, for some unknown reason...

Then he went to get it fixed, but didn't give Erica enough time to actally fix it...

He then went back the next day, to have her finish fixing it...

And he now has brown hair...

I had a proud moment as my piano students rocked the house at our end of year recitals...

(These are the two women I work with)

And even though I don't have a picture to prove it, we attended the YW dessert auction and purchased/ate enough dessert to feed a small country.

Fun times in New Hampshire

2008-05-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

Ben and I met my brother and his family in New Hampshire this past weekend and had a great time away from home. There is something so nice about leaving everything behind for the weekend and spending some good quality time with family. I hadn't seen my nephew since January....which is just way too long! He is growing and changing so much right now....I wish we could see him more often. We spent the weekend in Madison NH at a little lake house in the woods. We had great weather, but the bugs were so unbearable that we hardly took advantage of the sun. Ben and I bought a bike rack for our bikes so that we could take them on our trip. I'm so glad we did....it worked great, and now we can take our bikes anywhere we want. The weekend we full of eating, sleeping, playing with Elliot, and seeing some of the more beautiful parts of NH. We also managed to fit in a great work out in preparation for our triathlon!
It was a wonderfully relaxing weekend, and I'm kind of sad it's over already.
Sometimes I wish we didn't have to work so much, there are just so many fun places to visit in New England and so many trips we want to take! NYC is next on the list...we're hoping to make it there soon.

A Picture is worth a Thousand Words!

2008-05-08T04:42:00.000-07:00

All I can say is Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Can you say Brilliant!

2008-04-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Whoever thought this up was a sheer genius. For all you edge lovers out there...I've got the perfect solution. For my birthday Ben tracked down the ultimate gift....I think it will be basically impossible to top. He bought me the Baker's Edge "Edge Brownie Pan." Listen to these descriptions and testimonials:

"A baker’s dream: deliciously chewy edges for every piece!"

"If you love the crunchy, caramelized, toasty edges of a brownie, this pan is for you. No more gooey centers—every serving has two edges, thanks to the patented interior sidewalls on this pan."

"This pan’s unique design improves baking performance by allowing heat to circulate evenly—no more undercooked middles and burned edges. You’ll bake exceptional brownies, bar cookies and breads—even lasagna will be perfectly cooked. Made of heavy gauge cast aluminum with a nonstick finish. Includes a custom spatula for serving. Use with boxed mixes or recipes that call for a 9"x13" or 9"x9" pan."

I'm telling you...if you don't own one, go buy one from Amazon immediately!

Even though the brownie pan definitely won the award for best birthday present ever...the pink blue tooth definitely came in close second place. It matches my phone PERFECTLY!