jib jab

I'm so sneaky

Let me start off by saying I am the worst secret keeper ever, and usually it is written all over my face if I know something good and juicy and I have to keep it a secret. Well this time the secret was about me. My father-in-law is the choir director at Weber State University's Institute. There are two choirs, one is the Chorolaires an audition only choir (this is the one he teaches) and then there are the Chorale this class takes anyone who signs up and generally sound like something you would here in a coral. Well since I'm the daughter-in-law of an institute teacher I get to park in their employee only parking, but the catch is I have to take an institute class. My husband works Wednesday nights so thats the night I decided to take one. As I looked through the registration paper to see what classes were being offered I noticed Chorale and got the giggles at how funny that would be. Then I did it I signed up :)  The first night I was there was horrible, my father-in-law saw me right away, so we had a little chat and decided to keep it a secret (I think he has a hard time holding onto the juicy secrets too). Well as the semester went on I continued to keep my secret and this weekend was the spring show. 

Thursday night was the dress rehearsal and as soon as I got out of my car to walk up to the Browning Center (where we perform) I ran into Tesse my sister-in-laws friend, well she is actually an adopted Simon because we all like her so much, anyway she asked me "what are you doing here" "I'm singing I said" "No, what are you really doing here" "I'm in the Chorale" followed by fits of giggles. The night continued on like that. I ran into Becca my sister-in-law and she asked the same questions followed by giggles. 

We were required to wear black nylons (they kept calling them "hose" yuck yuck yuck, oh and I had to go out and buy some because I did not own "hose") anyway my mother-in-law comes to the dress rehearsals and all three performances. One of her jobs is to be the clothing Nazi. She came up on stage when I was up there and told us all how nice we looked in our black "hose". I was smiling and sticking my leg out to show her my black "hose", but she didn't even notice me. We practiced our songs and then I sat down in the auditorium and looked at my phone. I had a missed call from my mother-in-law and she had left me a voicemail. I listened to it and it went something like this.... "Elicia your supposed to be up on stage singing right now, there practicing, OOOh my you are up on stage" click. I guess Becca had told her that I was here and I was singing. Oh and did I mention she then came up on stage with a camera and started getting actual evidence that I was there and participating. At the end of the practice I asked her if she would be even more surprised if I had come out as a folk dancer, ha ha ha could you only imagine. (Kalee thats what you should do, I would be very impressed :)

The rest of the performances went on like that, people being surprised left and right by my excellent secret skills. Although I would never admit this out loud I actually had a lot of fun being part of the Chorale. In the devotional before our last show my father-in-law asked who's first choir show is this? I raised my hand about as high as my elbow lying flat against my side. The next question he asked "who's last show is this? My hand flew up so high I didn't think I was ever going to get it down. So yeah I had fun doing the show, but in the end I think I like being an audience member better :)

Zesty Minestrone Soup

Isn't it great when your a kid and you came home at night and your mom made dinner? Well in my case it was usually my step-dad, and I think I have consumed more steak and potatoes than a person should. Well the crock pot is the closest thing that I have found, that can take the spot of coming home and having a home cooked meal ready. One of my favorites to make is Minestrone soup. I found my Minestrone recipe off of a PETA website. For those of you who don't know what PETA stands for ...... People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.....I'm not a vegetarian or anything I just happened to read a book awhile ago called, Skinny Bi*c* (you get the picture) horrible name, but it had some interesting stuff, and it said to go to the website to find recipes. I was all for it because I love to eat meat, but oh man I sure hate to cook it!!!!!!! Anyway less about me and more about the recipe. 

Zesty Minestrone Soup

• 1/4 cup italian salad dressing
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (about one stalk)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (19 oz) canneli beans or butter beans (I use both)
• 2 cans vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp. italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 cup small shell macaroni
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Heat dressing in a  large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Cook 2 minutes, or until crisp tender stirring occasionally. Spoon into slow cooker. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, water, and italian seasonings. Stir and cover with lid.
2. Cook on low for about 6 hours or high for 3 hours
3. Stir in macaroni. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving. Then eat and enjoy!

~Serve with crusty bread and a garden salad~

Baja California Mexico Cruise

Anthony and I just returned from our cruise. It was a ton of fun and it was nice to take a break from everyday life. We left Monday March 9th early in the morning just as it was starting to snow here in Utah :)  It was fabulous. Our room was on the butt of the boat, but we had a big window that we could see out of. 

Okay so we left Utah and headed to Los Angeles where we caught our ride that took us to the Long Beach port. We boarded the boat and started our first day of non-stop eating. For those of you who have never been on a cruise just know that you can eat and eat and eat and then eat some more because everything is sooo scrumptious and free. I'm pretty sure Anthony and I each gained 5 lbs. or more. 

Our first stop was Catalina Island. It was so pretty. We signed up to whale watch. Right now they are mating and migrating. We took a small raft that held 13 people, sadly we drove around for 2 hours looking for whales, but the only thing we saw was dolphins. They weren't the normal kind of dolphins, they are big like an orca whale and there not friendly like the bottle nosed dolphins. We also saw a seal.

The next day we arrived in Ensenada, Mexico. We didn't sign up for any excursions we just figured we would walk around and go shopping. Ensenada is below Tijuana so I kind of expected that same type of city. There were shuttles that you could take to the city when you got off the boat for $3. We took the shuttle and on the way the shuttle driver talked us into taking another shuttle that would take us to the city of La Bufadora to see the blow hole. There was also shopping up there. I hate that kind of shopping all the people there are trying to get you to come in their shop and its constant bartering. I hate it. 

Thursday was sea day. There was so many people from ASU on spring break, which means a bunch of slutty dressed girls that are so drunk they barely know their own name, but they provided a lot of entertainment. Besides that we saw a lot of shows, ate some more (24 hour ice cream), I gambled a bit... okay okay I'm an addict. Anthony ended up cutting me off. On Friday we had to go home :(   but of course we had one last meal there and shoved our faces full of food from the breakfast buffet. We ended up getting to the airport at 10 a.m. This is bad planning on my part. Anthony and I both have been on cruises before and the last ones we have been on it took forever to go through customs and get off the boat. Unfortunately I booked the plane tickets for 7:25 p.m. that night. So we sat at the airport the whole time. Anthony wasn't feeling very good. I kept getting after him when we were on the boat for touching every hand rail. They weren't stair hand rails, but the ones that are lining the hall, in the elevator, and so on. So of course he got a cold the last day. Since Anthony didn't feel good that meant we sat in the airport from 10 am to 7:25 pm. We could have paid $100 extra and changed our flight, but Anthony's favorite farm animal is a chick. They sound a lot a like cheap cheap cheap. Ha ha just kidding I like that he is like that, it would be bad news if we were both spenders. 

The trip was so much fun and I can't wait to go on another cruise. Its a great way to see a lot of places and not have to pack re-pack and you always know where your going to eat and sleep. One day I would like to do a cruise the Mediterranean cruise or a Europe one. I have all our pictures posted online you can click here if you want to see all of them.

Catalina Island-- they park the boat off shore and you take a smaller boat to the island

this is Anthony and I on the shuttle boat

Safety drill

Catalina Island was really pretty. Fact: it is owned by Wrigley, you know Wrigley gum

Were half awake. This is Anthony and I at the airport in Utah waiting to leave. We were so excited that we laid in bed the night before just talking and giggling. We were like two kids going to Disneyland

Here is the dolphins we saw

www.kevinandamanda.com

My new Favorite!

 

As I was sitting in the airport Friday allllll daaay, I read over a friend’s blog. She talked about a cute website that has free fonts.

So my new favorite is http://www.kevinandamanda.com/ These fonts are so cute and the best part is their Free.

Pureology Hydrate Conditioner

Soft Spot Saturday

Pureology Hydrate Conditioner is my all time favorite conditioner!!!  I try lots of products, but this one stands out far above the rest. I love the scent of this conditioner it has a lively mint scent. It's tingly on the scalp and gives me an all over clean softening feel, which is great when you need a little pick up for those early mornings. The best part about Pureology is they guarantee that your hair color will not fade, and if your a hair color junkie like me that will mean a lot to you.

 

A bit of randomness

So I find myself writing blogs in my head all the time. Like today for instance. I was ironing a pair of pants for work tomorrow and my mind started wandering, but its not just going from thought to thought, well it was, but I was narrating my thoughts as if I was writing a blog. It's to bad that those thoughts couldn't instantly go into a blog for me. I was thinking some good stuff if I do say so myself, but now that I have time to sit down and type them up I can't recall what I was thinking. Sadly this happens a lot. I have grand ideas when I am in the shower, while doing my hair, while doing other bathroom things ( I know TMI... I couldn't resist though) while I'm in my math class, and so on. 

Today I have been packing for our vacation. I was excited before, but now I'm getting more excited, because Anthony is starting to show some enthusiasm. Don't get me wrong he wanted to go, but he was just a bit apprehensive in the beginning. Now that he is realized its going to snow next week and that he doesn't have to work he is more excited to go. Plus I have made all the arrangements so all he has to do is pack. (No Anthony I am not packing for you)

I don't understand that boy sometimes. Guys say girls are hard to figure out, but I think guys are just as hard. For example the other day I picked up a flyer at the gym to run a 5K. I took the flyer home and filled it out then stuck it on the fridge hoping Anthony would want to do it with me. When I asked him about it he said he didn't think he could do it. I told him it was only 3 miles then I handed him the flyer. The first thing he noticed was its $10 to participate. He told me I couldn't do it because we should save money. That was on Monday night now its Thursday and I came home with a new idea. I saw a sign for a Swim Clinic at the gym. I talked to the gal at the desk and she said that it helps improve swim technique. I have always wanted to be better at swimming, there is only so much doggy paddling a girl can do. So I came home and told Anthony about it. I was pretty sure he was going to nip the idea in the butt as soon as I spoke. Surprisingly, he was all for me taking this class. Oh did I mention this class is $30. Is this confusing to anyone else???? No to running a 5K for $10 but yes to a swim clinic for $30.  So long story short does anyone want to come to a swim clinic with me? Its on March 14th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.. at the Downtown Gold's Gym. You won't get a free t-shirt like the 5K, but your sure to get a work out and a chlorinated smelling body and hair. 

When I was done washing my face tonight I used a sample of a moisturizer that I got from work. It was absolutely delightful. It was so silky smooth that I just couldn't get enough of it. This gave me an idea (this happened in the bathroom, I tell you this is where all my great thoughts take place) I want to start blogging about the things I like. I will call it ..... Soft Spot Saturday or something like that. 

So this week I witnessed a murder that happened in my backyard. Its a sad story. Monday I went to school and then to the gym to come home and find a half shaved tree. The church that is my backyard neighbor decided that it didn't like where their old shed was located. So they tore down all the trees and are going to build the shed closer to my backyard. So here is a tribute to the ginormous pine tree that used to be in my backyard. It will forever be missed not only by me and Anthony for the privacy that it offered, but by the many squirrels that ran around and lived in it. 

Here is some random pictures that had the tree in the background. Look at it in its unruly glory.

Here is the sad pictures. The one on top I took through the back door that has a screen on it. If you look real close you will see a man in the tree. That's why I took it through the back door I wanted to be sneaky, and I for sure didn't want him to think I was taking pictures of him. 

I had one of the construction workers come over today and apologize for leaving pieces of the broken tree in my yard (the remains had been sitting there for 2 days).