top five friday.

i know this is coming in a little late, but it's been a really busy day and we just barely got internet, so don't hold it against me! here are my top 5 favorite things from the week. i want to hear yours in return, so link up below!

#1 - real breakfasts. we've been living on cereal for the last month or so. i never thought i'd say this, but cereal gets old - quicker than i thought. luckily, i have the greatest husband in the world that was kind enough to make me a real breakfast: corned beef hash and eggs.

it was actually really good. i'm so glad i married a man that can cook! now, to work on the styrofoam plates and plasticware...

2 - going on walks. we went on a nice stroll last monday and where did we end up? the cemetery. weird, i know. we stayed there for a good hour, just taking in the moment while talking about everything from how funny antelope are to what we are going to name our first child. you would never guess that a cemetery would be the perfect place to relax and enjoy some time together. but then again, it was rather gorgeous. i think we found our new favorite spot.

3 - mini golf. oh, and popsicles. and when you put the two together, it turns out to be fantastic.

sadly, i lost. i hate losing. but on a brighter note, bonnie was a champion and got a hole in one...twice! it was freaking incredible.

4 - tea parties. a friend stopped by with her girls yesterday and amidst the chatting, i got an invitation to attend their tea party that they were throwing. i wouldn't be able to truly call myself a girl if i were to pass up a tea party! not to mention, my hosts were adorable.

on the menu was rainbow bread, star-shaped cheese, banana caterpillars, chocolate chip muffins, colored eggs, and chocolate-dipped oreos. oh, and you can't forget this fabulous drink:

isn't that so cool?? i can't get over the fact that it actually worked. i want to make drinks like this for every holiday! and i'm also pretty sure that i need to have tea parties more often.

5 - finally, the air force. they had a change in command for the 20th air force today {basically, that's a really big deal} and i went to watch the whole shebang.

it was all official with a military band and generals walking around everywhere and the mr. was even able to be in the march! i was kicking myself the entire time for forgetting my camera, but my phone worked just fine. can you see him? he's in the second row from the back, second person in. 

anyway, i've been kind of overwhelmed lately about how grateful i am for the air force or rather our country's military in general. i saw a picture last night that said "wouldn't it be nice if schools were fully funded and the military had to have bake sales to buy bombs?" stuff like this makes me sick. i'm not trying to downplay the importance of education, but if only people knew how much our military, the people that are literally defending our lives, are under-funded and under-manned, they'd think twice about posting things like that. so, next time you hear someone bad-mouthing our military, do the men and women in uniform a favor and stick up for them! they need it and would greatly appreciate it.

have a great weekend my friends!

-the mrs.

grab my button and link up with me here!

<center><a href="http://zacharyandsarahaverett.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsI7jlN22_puobAA3lSKlHkCQqLBwkECFfmL2bNqhT4byl3mS-VUThlmE48o-AFUu5aQgJzU4IoTLYsvVsSPzLIoHIPpls1X4Ldw09bLMOUAh14pRdJwYr7W5G2XEuD62Bhgyy21QenU8j/s1600/button+final.png" /></a></center>

top five friday.

1 - "taste of fort collins". don't know what that is? imagine every single restaurant and shop in town, setting up a booth and lining the streets, just to give away free samples of food. on top of that, throw in a free concert and a pizza eating contest and you've got yourself the perfect way to spend your saturday. here's the gang eating lunch: 

and a creepy, yet entertaining picture of the mr. and i:

to sum it up, it was a freaking blast.

2 - trains. i'm not sure what it is about trains that i love so much. maybe it's the fact that as a child they're these huge, magnificent things and then as an adult, they are still these huge, magnificent things. i'm fascinated by them every time i see them. so when one of them came right down main street in fort collins last week, i couldn't help but stop and stare.

i love that there are trains all over this place!

3 - buffalo wing pretzels.

don't knock it until you've tried it people, because these things are like a piece of heaven in your mouth. they have become my new favorite addiction.

4 - morning time cuddles with the mr.

seriously, how cute is this guy? i just want to kiss the crap out of that face. mmm, baby!

5 - it's moving day!!! goodbye to a month and a half of living out of a suit case. good bye to sleeping on an air mattress. and sadly, goodbye to our roomie, morgan. {sniff sniff} but, hello to our wonderful house!!

i've been looking forward to this day for months and i'm so happy to say that it's finally here! don't mind me if i'm mia for the next few days. between the unpacking, the decorating, and the soaking in every minute, i'll kind of have my hands full.

happy friday my friends!

-the mrs.

p.s. i want to hear your top five things that you loved this week! grab this button and link up with me below, so i can read all about it!

<center><a href="http://zacharyandsarahaverett.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsI7jlN22_puobAA3lSKlHkCQqLBwkECFfmL2bNqhT4byl3mS-VUThlmE48o-AFUu5aQgJzU4IoTLYsvVsSPzLIoHIPpls1X4Ldw09bLMOUAh14pRdJwYr7W5G2XEuD62Bhgyy21QenU8j/s1600/button+final.png" /></a></center>

nutella cookies

while the mr. was at work last week, i thought i'd put my housewife skills to the test and make these little beauties:

the words nutella and cookies have proven to be very dangerous when put in the same sentence. and the best part is? there are only four ingredients! the original receipe at tastykitchen.com calls for sugar in the actual cookies, but i left out the sugar and rolled the dough in it instead. if you like really rich cookies, go ahead and put it in, but i thought they turned out great without it.

ingredients:

• 1 cup nutella
• 1 cup flour
• 1 whole egg
• small bowl of sugar

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 f.
2. blend the first 3 ingredients together well.
3. form into 1" balls.
4. roll cookie balls in the bowl of sugar.
5. place on a cookie sheet.
6. press down firmly with a fork or spoon.
7. bake 7-8 minutes or until set {they won't seem set, but take them out anyway! i left mine in and they turned out kind of hard. boo.}
8. let cool and enjoy!

i loved that these were so easy and still created such a delicious end result. go ahead and try it and let me know how it goes!

-the mrs

linking up here:

and here:

is that normal?

i'm linking up for the very first time with allyce {uh-lease} today over at chalk in the rain for an 'is that normal?' post! i'm so excited to share my thoughts on some of these normal and not-so-normal topics. so here we go. *ah-ah-ahem*

1 - is it normal to pretend you didn't already know about someone/something via facebook when it comes up in "real life" conversation with that person?

that depends. do i talk to this person frequently? or does my in-depth knowledge of their personal life make me look like a creepy stalker? if you answered yes to question one, then no, you're a weirdo. if you answered yes to question two, then yes, it's completely normal.

2 - is it normal to "fart and walk away?"

my husband and friend came home from work yesterday with a story about this actually. let's be honest, we all do it. so yes, it's normal. but if there are 10+ of you in a small, enclosed room - take it upon yourself to just clench and bear it, my friends.

3 - is it normal to spy on your neighbors?

yes, most definitely. just don't get caught. that makes things awkward.

4 - is it normal to read your boyfriend's/husband's texts?

i have every right to read the mr's texts and vice versa, but i don't really have a need to. i usually end up reading about how he just got to level 9 on his new video game or how he just unlocked this cool, new weapon. then i just get bored. like i said: i have the right, but i have neither the need nor the desire. and unless you are worried about your man cheating on you, which gives you a whole other load of problems, then no. it is not normal.

5 - is it normal to compulsively check social media for notifications?

psssh...people do that? that is so not normal. pfft. *guiltily looks around* ok, fine. you caught me. i am the queen of doing this. i blame part of it on the fact that i have nothing else to do in the day and part of it on the idea that i just want to know what's going on in people's lives. give me some gossip people!

6 - is it normal for a 20-something woman to listen to rap/hip hop?

well...i'm a 20-something woman. and i like to listen to hip hop. and i'm pretty normal. {i think} so yes, it's perfectly normal.

7 - is it normal to take toiletries from a hotel?

you can bet your bottom dollar that it is! i don't know if i've ever left a hotel without at least taking the lotion and toothpaste. it's not like they're going to reuse it again anyway. it's like getting travel items for free! {except you just paid a hundred bucks for the room. boo.}

8 - is it normal for your dog to sleep in your bed?

i read a lot about dogs before we got our dog, jetta. and even though we were pansies and only had her for a week, i did learn a lot about how to train them. that was one of the first rules - never let your dog sleep in your bed with you. it keeps them from being able to see the line between owner and pet, pack leader and follower. so, logically speaking? no, it's not normal. but, when the mr. is pulling alerts and will be gone over night, leaving wimpy me to fend for myself - there is no way i'll be sleeping in that bed alone. so to you, my future doggy: you had better be a good cuddler because that will be your job whether you like it or not!

9 - is it normal to taste test grapes out of the bag at a grocery store?

two words: escherichia coli. you know...that little bacteria that causes diarrhea, the runs, backdoor trots, etc.? all from a tiny, little, unwashed grape...

just kidding, i eat unwashed grapes all the time. and while you're only eating like a penny's worth of grapes when you try one at the store, most places will actually let you sample any produce for free if you ask. that way you can try it and have a clear conscience.

10 - is it normal for men to shape their eyebrows?

men's eyebrows should be rugged and masculine, but there is no way i'm letting a unibrow onto my man's face either. all things should be in moderation.

there you have it. that's my two cents on the normality of some of life's questions. go ahead and answer them yourself and link up with me here!:

 

 

thanks for stopping by!

-the mrs.

smell the roses: indulgence.

this week at the lovely little things blog, jessica challenged us to treat ourselves. let's be honest, that was not hard for me at all. especially with a recent paycheck, a brand new shopping mall in salt lake, and a sister-in-law that i wanted to spend more time with. a couple hours and too much money spent later, i came up with these new outfits that are settling quite nicely into my wardrobe:

i don't think there's anything more satisfying than a little retail therapy. thank you jessica for giving me an excuse to get out and do it! i owe ya one.

-the mrs

link up with me here:

top five friday {link up now included!}

i just got back from utah and it was definitely the highlight of my week. along with these 5 things:

1 - having a girl's night with the sister-in-laws. there was only one of us missing. {wish you were there katie!}

{l to r: jodi, me, nikki, arika, michelle, autumn, katie}

{all four of us have a birthday within 2 weeks of each other, so our mother-in-law made us a cake to share!}

we ate dinner at zupa's, glitterfied our toes, and stayed up way too late making girl talk. i sure do miss these girls! i don't know if a day goes by that i don't wish i lived closer to them. i guess it makes times like these that much sweeter.

2 - i played in a soccer tournament while i was in utah and despite it being freakishly hot and exhausting, i had a blast. and to make things even better, we took first place! take that north sanpete.

and i couldn't leave without getting a cheesy picture with the bestie. gotta keep up the tradition!

{2010 - single and a lot more in shape}

{2012 - married and sucking for air every two minutes}

3 - bbq's and good company.

 

{can you see why i love this place so much?}

4 - winger's sticky fingers - homemade style. back when the mr. and i were dating, i met his sister-in-law for the first time and she made us the most divine crepes i've ever had. this girl is a cooking genius. i know her as nikki, but {literally} thousands of people know her as chef in training. pretty cool huh? i feel like a superstar being related to her. anyway, her blog is incredible and i refer back to it often, but i think the recipe that i've made the most and have never gotten tired of is her infamous winger's sticky fingers. seriously, if you want something easy and cheap, you've got to try this recipe.

{for the record, sticky messes do not mesh well with white pants.}

also, for the best homemade baked fries you've ever had, go here. you're welcome.

5 - thunderstorms. we got hit pretty hard here in cheyenne these last two days. we were on tornado watch and flash flood warning for the majority of the time, but luckily we didn't see any of that - just lots of rain and hail. at one point, morgan, zachary and i turned off all the lights in the house, stuck our noses to the door, and just watched. there's nothing like a thunderstorm that will set my nerves on fire, while at the same time leaving me in pure awe.

hope you have a wonderful friday folks!

-the mrs.

p.s. i've had a few people say they want to link up for reals, so grab this button {yay for new and improved buttons!} and fill out the form below, so everyone else can see your stuff! thanks y'all!

<center><a href="http://zacharyandsarahaverett.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsI7jlN22_puobAA3lSKlHkCQqLBwkECFfmL2bNqhT4byl3mS-VUThlmE48o-AFUu5aQgJzU4IoTLYsvVsSPzLIoHIPpls1X4Ldw09bLMOUAh14pRdJwYr7W5G2XEuD62Bhgyy21QenU8j/s1600/button+final.png" /></a></center>

smell the roses.

it's monday and that means it's time for another smell the roses link up! this week's task is to show appreciation for your job. yeah...about that. i still don't have a job here in little cheyenne. and since i was busy with birthday festivities last monday and didn't have time to link up, i'm going to do a little substituting and fulfill last week's smell the roses task: make a bucket list. is that cheating? i hope not. i'd like to think of it as being resourceful. {don't be mad jesssica!}

anyway. *ahem* to the bucket list. on our trip to alabama last year, is when zachary and i started making our bucket list. it's our goal to to have 101 things to do eventually, but here's what we've come up with so far {in no particular order}:

1. go to europe.
2. hike a national park.  {8/27/2011}

{yep, that's us. way down there. bryce canyon, ut}

3. go fishing in alaska.
4. have kids.
5. watch the jazz play in a town other than slc.  {4/9/11}

{jazz vs spurs in san antonio}

6. go to a major league baseball game.
7. read the standard works.
8. go skinny dipping.
9. own a truck.
10. be in a christmas pageant.
11. save enough money in change to buy a ticket to disneyland. {3/3/12}

{$2 in gold dollars, $73.75 in quarters, $22.10 in dimes, $8.35 in nickels, and $5.55 in pennies}

12. visit all 50 states.
13. celebrate new year's eve in times square.
14. go to a professional football game.
15. ride in a taxi cab.
16. go panning for gold.
17. buy a puppy and train it. 
18. bury a time capsule.
19. go to a broadway production.
20. ride in a limo.
21. run a half marathon.
22. see the northern lights.
23. talk with an accent for an entire day.
24. go to a professional soccer game.
25. get married in the temple. {12/28/2010}

{manti, ut temple}

26. go camping  {10/8/2011}

{big bend national park-tx}

27. go on a cruise.
28. carve our names in a tree.
29. get professional massages.  {12/31/2010}
30. teach someone the gospel.
31. go to the hawaiian temple.
32. plant a tree.
33. build a house.
34. go to the circus.  {8/30/2011}

{del rio, tx}

35. plant a garden.
36. go on a mission.
37. ride a train.
38. milk a cow.
39. own a urinal.
40. fund a non-family missionary.
41. achieve our ideal weight.
42. chop down our own christmas tree.
43. go on a 4-wheeling extravaganza.  {7/4/2011}

{ephraim canyon-ut}

44. go to tahiti.
45. build a birdhouse.
46. send a message in a bottle.
47. fly first class.
48. go horseback riding.
49. visit the pike place fish market.
50. go to an ellen taping.
51. ride a gondola.
52. visit a volcano.
53. take a hop to somewhere we've never been.
54. go snorkeling.
55. attend an olympic event.
56. take a shower under a waterfall.
57. take a picture in front of the white house.

this was our list before our trip to hawaii. now, in the last month, we've crossed off 4 more things:

53. take a hop to somewhere we've never been.

31. go to the hawaiian temple.

54. go snorkeling.

6. go to a major league baseball game.

we're making some pretty good headway if i do say so myself! any suggestions on how to fulfill the other 44 slots?

-the mrs.

{link up with me here!}:

top five friday.

1 - my most favorite thing this week was definitely my birthday. is that self-centered at all? probably. but in my defense, it was so fantastic to me because it honestly felt like the first time in a long time that i was able to spend the entire day with the mr. and not have to worry about our finances, work, or whether or not we are wasting time. it just felt really good is all.

2 - sandals. i've been on the hunt for some cute sandals for literally months now. i have this problem called really-fat-feet-that-don't-fit-into-anything and for some reason all the sandals in the world are made for normal size feet. go figure. that was until i found these babies:

 the black ones were only 15 bucks at target too! let the summer begin.

3 - hiking. last weekend, zachary, morgan, and i packed up our things and went for a hike at turtle rock.

it was delightful to say the least. i'm loving the beautiful wyoming weather!

4 - budgeting. i think i'm kind of a freak in the fact that i really like to budget. nay, love to budget. i look forward to payday, not because we get money, but because i get to pay bills and tell our money where to go. we got paid for our move to cheyenne this week and let's just say that i'm on cloud nine about what that money is going to do for us.

5 - the new parachute cd. i'm obsessed with the parachute station on pandora, so when the mr. got the the actual cd for me i about died! i'm glad he knows me so well. just in time for the long drive to utah too!

wishing you a fabulous friday my friends!

-the mrs.