Frandtastic!: 2009

Monday, December 21, 2009

stockings.

Our little home is looking very Christmas..ee.

I made these stockings at Momma Donna's (Paul's mom) this weekend.

They are made of wool felt (Val, I hope you are proud).

I designed them myself, but based them off these stockings.. which Mindy's mantle is adorned with.

This pic is a little dark, but I did a tree for my nature-loving husband. He also insisted on a star.

I did a snowman, and took forever deciding on a background color.

As I was making it, I realized that my stocking that I've had for the last 22 years is red with a white snowman... funny!
The cuff was the trickiest part... and a pattern would have been helpful, but it worked out in the end.

Yay for stockings.

Yay for Christmas!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

real excited.

Real excited for this tradition... Christmas Eve with the Shoells

Real excited for more time with this guy

Real excited for the Colts to go 14-0 after their win tonight.

(go Collie!)

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

College... Check.

As of 6:45 tonight, I am done with college.

I took my last test and it was over.

What now? Well, try to find a PR job in Provo, a seemingly impossible task, but I'll do what I can.

Then what? When Paul graduates in April (we're walking together), we will be heading off to graduate schools. We could end up anywhere from California to New Jersey.

When I started college, 4 years felt like an eternity. Luckily it only took me 3 1/2 due to AP Credits and short Major curriculum.

So even though I won't get my diploma until April when we walk at graduation it's about official as it can get.... I graduated from college!!!

Friday, December 11, 2009

what a day.

1) Our shower wouldn't turn on this morning- due to frozen pipes. On top of this, our sink has been leaking and flooding our bathroom.

2) Paul couldn't find his snowboarding gloves. We searched the house for an hour.

3) When Paul got to Sundance, our car was acting weird.

4) After getting the oil changed, an engine flush and various other remedies, we found out we probably have to get the clutch replaced... on the car we bought last summer.

5) Paul's computer has 64 viruses on it and crashed. (Finals start Monday, and all his notes for all his classes are on them). He now has to get his computer wiped clean, and hope for the best.

6) At the end of my shift today at Olive Garden, I was missing some cash (either stolen, wrong change, etc)... so I made $13.00 in 4 and a half hours. (And I was working my bum off the whole time.)

We were thinking life couldn't get much worse.

Then we went to our Ward Christmas party (something we would normally dread), and had a great time.

And I realized... when we were making up songs to the beat that the copy machine at our church was making as we made copies for the party... that it is really cool to be married, and have a best friend who understands what you are going through- since they are going through it too.

And life is good, even when everything around you seems to be broken or lost.

Even though I haven't showered since Wednesday night.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Have a Murray Christmas!

I remember one time my dad took me down to his golf course. He took me a lot on Sunday afternoons when he had to check the sprinker system. But this time there was snow on the ground.

This time we walked up the hill on the East side of the course.

That's where it was...

Since our city's name (Murray) sounds a lot like Merry (kind of), there was a big sign that says "Have A Murray Christmas" that sat up on that hill and for I-215 drivers to see.

And that year I got to plug it in.

Unfortunately, they don't put it up anymore. It's sitting in my dad's shop. But you can have a Murray Christmas anyway.

Since I don't have a picture of that sign, here is a cool picture Paul found on National Geographic's website.
And yes, it ate it. And no, it didn't die.

This also reminds me how one Christmas my family thought (because I kind of was) obsessed with frogs. I got frog pajamas complete with scrunchie, frog slippers and a frog giga pet. Actually, I think I bought the frog giga pet at Albertson's (RIP) and that's why they thought I loved frog's so much.
But I would let the thing die when it got to be a big frog because I thought the tadpole and baby frog were much cuter.
And yes... It's past 11 and I really want to go to sleep but Paul is writing a paper, and I just got done working on my campaign book, and even though I'm tired I really just hate going to bed alone, okay?

Monday, November 30, 2009

BYU/UT

If you know me... you know I love to say I'm a Utah fan.

How could I help it? I grew up in Salt Lake, I went to the games, I did what my family did.

Then I went to BYU.

I still proclaimed myself a Ute fan (yes, I was on the BYU Lacrosse team)...

I'm talking about football here.

I cheered for the Utes at my house freshman year.

I wore red to the game in the student section my sophomore year.

I sat quietly when all Paul's friends came and watched the Utes win at our house last year.

And this year... Paul said I had to wear blue or else he was giving away my ticket.

I wore blue. (Actually grey- but it said BYU on it...)

BYU won.

I'm happy about it.

(I even rushed the field)... see Paul's blog.

I love football.

At least I don't have to have this inner turmoil when I watch the Colts play!!!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Gingerbread Extraordinaire

Paul and I traveled up to Idaho for our Thanksgiving break.

I was talking to Donna (Paul's mom) this morning about the cool Gingerbread houses my mom makes.

So now I am bragging to the whole blogging world about it!

Some details to notice...

Sucker windows

The lighting in the house and the fence

Candy cane porch pillars

And the amazing architecture

Go Mom! (Isn't she awesome?)

Sunday, November 22, 2009

hair

I used to be a change-my-hair-aholic.

If you haven't noticed, the only thing that has changed about my hair in the last 3 years is 1/2 an inch it grows each month, and the occasional trim.

I've been trying to figure out why this happened, and when. I stopped dying it my Freshman year at BYU because I was sick of the hassle and expense. But I still cut it a few times that year (including a drastic 8 inch chop).

Then I knew I wanted to grow my hair out so when I got married it would be long, so I stopped cutting it.

But now I've been married for 16 months.

I guess I have gotten used to the lack of change. Plus I know Paul likes it long and my natural color and it makes me want to keep it that way.

I have been thinking about chopping it off again though, but I've kind of decided that when I have kids someday I'll probably want it short- so I might as well enjoy the long while no chubby little fingers are yanking on it.

Since this topic has been on my mind- I looked up a bunch of pics of the different hair my head has gone through. I couldn't find the reddish stages, or the super short stages of hair- but I think I got the blonde, super dark, and shorter lengths covered.

While Paul is studying for his evolution test... I blog about the evolution of my hair :)

Enjoy.

P.S. Sorry for the narcissism, as Paul would say.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Flannel... Finally

(Paul sporting his flannel/teaching "Singing in the Rain" to Mongolians)

A few months ago, Paul and I were on a very rare shopping outing.

We stopped by Abercrombie and Fitch where I tried on a flannel shirt and fell in love with it.

Paul had just bought a flannel for Mongolia which I stole on occassion (photo evidence below) and decided I needed one of my own.

The problem?

The pricetag.

$80 bucks for a shirt?

College student budgets just can't handle that.

But for the past four months Paul and I have both been looking everywhere for a flannel to match this one's awesomeness. No success.

We've both been checking on abercrombie's Website for it to go on clearance. No success.

...Until this morning...

After waking up from my strange Lake Powell/Harry Potter dream (yes, I dream about Lake Powell about 3 times a week), I got up to see if Susan was on TV for her big Thanksgiving Event (I didn't see you Susan, but the event looks awesome.) I was browsing the internet (for a new skirt, actually) when I decided to check if that flannel was on sale.

Yep. It was. I bought it immediately.

Paul's flannel (which I am sporting on our trip to Midway)

My long awaited flannel....

Merry Christmas to me :)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Leaf Day

Sunday was Leaf Day.

What is Leaf Day you ask?

Every year this tree in our backyard dumps the majority of its leaves all in one day.

Our family celebrates it.

This tree was a good friend growing up. There is an easy-to-climb up spot with perfect hand and footholes. Easiest with bare feet, though you have to bear the ache of sharp bark if you choose that route.

There are lots of big branches for a few friends or siblings to sit on and play on.

There are tall branches if you are feeling brave.

Best of all, there is a huge swing... a little off-balance... but really fun. Especially when my dad would give me an underdog and I thought I was going to touch the electric wires.

And every year, it takes the stage by dumping and dumping those leaves.

So we celebrate it.

Monday, November 9, 2009

We're going to miss Utah I think.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Aunt Stine

I love being an aunt.

This is a pretty new thing for me, but when I married Paul I inherited ten nieces and nephews. In the past 16 months... 4 more. So awesome.

I got to watch Mykita yesterday. Nothing like having a little baby snuggle up and fall asleep in your arms.

Last weekend we went trick-or-treating with the twins, Ian and Isaac and their little brother Luke. It made me feel pretty cool when they wanted to hold my hands the whole time.

(Paul was a Mongolian, I was a pig- but wish I would've been the Swine Flu. Meghan was a witch and Justin a cowboy.)

This week I will get to see nine of them when we see our newest niece, Jovi, be blessed.

This handsome nephew, Reuben, just turned ONE. He's been battling cancer and is a trooper. The happiest baby, really. We wish we could fly out to Pennsylvania all the time to see him and his family- but at least we did get to go once this past summer.

So thanks Paul's siblings for having kids that we love a lot.

I love being "Aunt Stine" :)

(Ellee couldn't say Christine, so she just took the last half of my name.. and sometimes called me Paul-stine.) It's pretty much caught on with the rest of the family too.

Monday, October 26, 2009

evidence

See.

I really was on ESPN.

So was Paul but my big head is blocking him. Sorry babe.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Game Day

Being on ESPN College GameDay = totally awesome.

Losing to TCU by a landslide = totally lame.

Goodbye Top 25... nice being with you for 24 weeks straight.

At least the Utes pulled out a W.

Don't tell Paul I said that...

Actually do, because he thinks I'm a BYU fan now.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Lake Powell, Fall '09

Paul and I had a little getaway this weekend.

We got to go to Lake Powell with my family for a few days.

Scenic smooching pics of course

Eric having some Kayaking fun with awesome/crazy Coop.

Fun with cousins. Lots of hiking.

More freckles to add to my collection

Paul took lots of pictures.

I couldn't type anything after the pic of Paul, but this is of the same thing- A cool slot canyon hike.

Gizzards. That are really hard to catch, but we were determined to get one for little 6-year-old Katers. (Cool macro lens shot by Paul).

Creepalicious spiders that don't drown, they just walk on the water. (Another cool macro lens shot by Pauly. That thing really is standing on water, you can even see it's reflection.)

Grandpa's two favorite LP activities combined. Sleeping and Fishing.

Cutie Kate and Crazy Coop

The 24-7 glass water that we couldn't take advantage of on the ski/wakeboard (because of ski boat issues), but enjoyed looking at and kayaking on.

Sand. Sill0uettes.

I love my mom and dad.

My one ski ride. That might be Eric actually.

This one is me, I double checked.

The first pic I took of the trip. Sunrise on the morning after we arrived.

(Big thanks to Paul for allowing this trip to happen, because he could have easily said no with the amount of school work he has, but he knows how much this place means to me. Also a big thanks to my mom and dad, and grandma and grandpa for giving us the best vacations.)

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Have A Minute?

Please take this SURVEY!!!

for my capstone PR class.

And meanwhile... we'll be in LAKE POWELL :)

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Explanation...

So why did Paul go to Mongolia for a month?

....to catch bugs...

Here's a little explanation.

http://www.ansp.org/research/opportunities/reu_projects_2009.php#empidoidea

Plus he's totally a famous scientist now.

PS. I love that picture. Paul says those kids were using his pan traps as frisbees... and then they wouldn't leave him alone. Isn't that Mongolian mullet sweet?

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Late Summer Pictures

I've been meaning to take more pictures lately, ever since Paul got our new camera.
Last night we went to Mindy and Jason's to celebrate Drake's birthday. The outside fun (boys vs. girls football) was perfect for catching some shots of our adorable nieces and nephews... at least a few of them.

(I was confident in marrying Paul because after seeing all his nieces and nephews, I knew we had good chances of having very cute kids.)