Walt Disney World

This year, to celebrate our one year anniversary, Lance & I decided to venture East to visit Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. Neither one of us had ever been there before so we thought it would be fun to experience it for the first time together.

We spent the first day at Epcot. This park focuses on the world of tomorrow. It also features a world showcase which has pavilions from several countries around the world. Our favorite country was France. We enjoyed some delicious hand scooped ice cream as well as a tasty lunch in the French style. We even got our picture with Chip!

While at Epcot we also got to enjoy the flower and garden festival. All over the park there were topiary sculptures of various Disney characters. I quite enjoyed seeing this one of Kermit & Miss Piggy.

Day two was spent at Disney's Magic Kingdom. We were both excited for this park as we heard it was most like Disneyland. Before the park opened we were treated to a show featuring several Disney characters. They sang the song "Good Mornin'" from Singing in the Rain which is one of my personal favorites. It was a magical way to start the day. 

Our first ride in Magic Kingdom was a fast pass to Space Mountain. I LOVE that roller coaster! It's so exciting being in the dark while you fly down a winding track. 

The fast passes were awesome. With the new magic bands at Disney World you can preselect all your fast passes 60 days before your trip. It virtually eliminated waiting in line. 

Some of the photos from the rides are as candid as they come. Such is the case with this beauty.

Splash Mountain is always a favorite. We rode that ride more than any other. 

We definitely enjoyed our day at Magic Kingdom.

Day three took us to Hollywood Studios. This park is full of shows more than rides. We saw more shows than I can remember. 

This was also the park where we took advantage of some character meetings. We got to meet Stitch and Wreck it Ralph!

Sadly we didn't make it on the Tower of Terror but at least we got a picture with it.

The best ride in this park was the Rockin' Roller Coaster. We rode it first and last.

Day four we visited the last and final park, Disney's Animal Kingdom. This park is like an over the top fancy zoo. I really enjoyed it, especially because of all the shady spots to sit. We were pretty worn out from all the walking and the heat. Temperatures averaged around 90 degrees while we were there.

They were so nice at this park! They even let me hold baby Simba!

This roller coaster is SO awesome! You go up to the top of a dangling track then go backwards! It's called Expedition Everest.

An anniversary kiss with "Mount Everest" in the background.

This ride took us back in time to the age of the dinosaurs. The ride itself is much like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, but in my opinion, MUCH better!

We managed to snap a picture with Tinkerbell before we headed home for the day.

Our fifth and final day we decided to go back to Magic Kingdom. We went straight to Splash Mountain and rode it twice in a row. We would have been in the front row both times, but I asked if we could please sit row two on our second run as I got completely soaked the first time.

We let this cute family from London sit in front of us on the second run and sure enough, she got just as wet as I did the first time.

The trip was so much fun though totally exhausting. It was definitely the adventure of a lifetime!

Midway Kitchen

Ever since I started dating Lance we've talked about how we'd remodel the kitchen. First we'd paint the cabinets, then add hardware and add a backsplash. We've made a ton of progress since we began. Though we are still not done, I thought it would be fun for you to see some pictures of the work thus far.

First off, here is a picture of what the kitchen used to look like...

Here is what it looked like after we painted the cabinets

Commence tile installation

There's still more that needs to be done, like wrap the tile around to the next wall, grout, etc. But we're so close! I love sitting in the living room and looking into the kitchen. There's a great deal of satisfaction that comes from working on home projects with your own two hands.

Bread, the Ultimate Comfort Food

I've always loved baking and trying new recipes. Recently I have been blessed with more time and energy to do it. Today I finally made cinnamon raisin bread. I've had it on my to-do list for at least two weeks. 

I think it turned out beautifully. I just hope it tastes as yummy as it looks! 

If you'd like the recipe, send me an email and I will get it to you. 

The process was relatively painless. The only downside is time, but that's the case with any yeast rising bread. In the end, good things come to those who wait.

Four Month Summary of Odds & Ends

It's been officially four months since the blessed day of our wedding. It has been such a wonderful summer full of traveling, home improvements, date nights, and yummy meals.

School started last week ending my blissful summer of freedom. Though it's been challenging, it feels good to be stretching myself and getting an education.

A few weeks ago, I was approached at church by someone who writes a food article for a local newspaper. She asked if Lance & I would be willing to be interviewed for her article. It was fun to answer the questions and share some recipes. If you're curious about the end result, click here.

One of our more recent food conquests entailed homemade lasagna. We're talking everything, including the noodles, from scratch. In my mind it didn't seem terribly complicated. In the end we decided that despite it tasting absolutely delicious, it is very time consuming, and we'd be perfectly content with store bought noodles in the future.

Our last bit of travel involved an impromptu camping trip with Lance's brother. We drove to Iron Mine campground in the Ashley National Forest for an overnighter. It was fun to be outside around the campfire indulging in one of my all time favorite summer treats, s'mores.

We've made some changes in our kitchen. Our upper cabinets have been sanded, painted and hardwared. (Technically not a word, but fits) The lower cabinets are en-route to a similar fate. With school in full swing, it has been tough to stay motivated, but we are determined to conquer.

This past date night we decided to take a ride on the Heber Creeper. It was a perfect night for a train ride. The temperature was ideal, the sky blue and the company unbeatable. The 90-min rail ride took us around the side of Deer Creek Reservoir and back. We highly recommend it for anyone who's never been on a train ride before. Totally worth the drive and cost of a ticket!

And so that sums up what we've been up to of late. Life continues on, and what a great adventure it is!

Paint

For the last several weeks we've had paint swatches on our wall. Every time I looked at them I was reminded of the task at hand that is painting. I'd begun the project but stopped short due to lack of energy and gumption to finish. Well, that stint of laziness has ended. Behold the finished product of my Wednesday grunt work.

Living Room Before

Living Room In Process

 Finished!

I'm in love with the color, it's called Coastal Jetty. It gives the room more depth and interest. The pictures don't really do it justice. It's a mild shade of gray-blue. Now to give it some appropriate artwork. I love the way our home is evolving.

What's in a Name?

All my life I wondered what name I would take on when I got married. I secretly hoped it would be an easy name to spell and pronounce. If Lance had a last name that wasn't easy to spell or say, I still would have married him, but I must say I lucked out.

Anyone who has gone through the marriage process knows the challenges that come with changing your name. I think this process is even harder the older you get because you have more stuff in your name.

Despite it's challenges, I've come off conquerer. Slowly but surely I've been able to check places off my list. Each day it seems I become more and more attached to my name. I wouldn't have it any other way.

The Wedding

May 3, 2013

After months and weeks of an agonizing wait, the day arrived that sealed the deal for Lance & I. At 9:30AM, we arrived at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. My hair was curled, my makeup was done. When I saw my betrothed in the temple, butterflies came to life in my stomach. We finally made it to the day of our wedding. I could hardly believe it was real.

The sealing ceremony was beautiful. Seeing all our family gathered in the temple was one of the most overwhelmingly wonderful moments of my life. I couldn't stop smiling.

Upon exiting the temple we had a brief moment of..."well now what? How does this work exactly?" Thankfully, there were plenty of helpful people who ushered us for photos and helped us get in some good visual shots of the moment.

Hugs were shared, laughs, smiles and happiness. It is a day never to be forgotten.

My wonderful mother-in-law arranged a delicious luncheon of food from Joe Morley's BBQ. It tasted divine.

My mother was the brains behind our reception. Since I was working full-time and in school part-time all during the wedding planning days, I selected colors and an overall theme of what I wanted for the reception and turned the rest over to my mom. She did amazing work. When we walked into the cultural hall of the church for the reception, I was speechless. It looked amazing.

To cap off the final touch of the reception, my husband assembled the wedding cake, which he painstakingly created from scratch. It was perfect.

I loved greeting family and friends. The night went by so quickly. My family string quartet serenaded us with music, my nephews gathered gifts and other family members helped with the food. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening. I even managed to snag a piece of cheesecake.

Pictures make it all the more memorable, so here are a few selected shots taken by our fabulous photographer, Carrie. If you're interested in having her amazing services for YOUR event, you can get her info here.

I am so blessed to be married to Lance. He has made so many lifelong dreams a reality. Here's to an upcoming lifetime of great adventures!