Christmas 2010

Truthfully, I have way too many adorable pictures to put on here. I want to. Really. But due to the fact that I would be on here for hours waiting for my images to load since every 5 pictures seems to take about 5 minutes to load (Does everyone's take that long?!). So I'm doing something I am primarily against-- making a post without pictures. Here is the fastest Christmas recap ever recorded.

Mike and I left on Dec. 17th to go hang out with my parents a few days before Christmas. Here we celebrated Jonny's b-day and played lots of games (mostly Settlers of Catan).

On the 21st we head to Vernal for an incredibly relaxing and fun week. Every day was a nice sleep in till 9:00 (okay, some days it was 9:30!), followed by movies, lunches, chatting, games and hanging out. Some things to note: I learned how to make Mike's mom's famous poppyseed bread with almond glaze and also got our scrapbook page done for the calendar (with help, of course). Woohoo!

Christmas Eve we had a big dinner with all of Mike's family. We opened up our P.J.'s and watched a christmas movie. Christmas morning we woke up and Mike and I did our stockings for one another. Santa brought us some great stuff. Including our own raclette grill! Afterwards, we got ready and went and visited all of Mike's family members to see what they got for Christmas. It really made me want to have kids seeing all the excitement of the nieces and nephews. Mel was sweet enough to invite us over for breakfast where we had yummy cinnamon rolls and breakfast casserole. Later that day, Mike and I opened our gifts for one another. We mostly gave each other some much-needed clothes. That evening the whole family came over and opened gifts together. That was my favorite! I loved watching everyone, adults and children, open the huge variety of gifts. Mike's parents gave us clothes, another amazing Santa Claus village piece and a movie. From the Rusts and Mansfields we both got games-- practically our favorite gift ever!! :)

On the 27th we left Vernal and drove to Oakley! My parents had rented a cabin that was pretty much a lodge. They got a great deal as the owners was just trying to figure out how to rent. Oh my goodness-- it was beautiful. (I really should post pictures). The night we got up there we sat in front of an amazing fireplace and did our own mini-Christmas. Mike and I both got some great clothes from Marisa and Joe. My wonderful parents also gave us a new game and a good start towards our food storage (which we were totally stoked about)! While we were at the cabin we played games, cooked for one another, snow-shoed, watched movies and went sledding (absolutely hilarious with ages 1-50+ all on sleds). Again, this is picture-worthy. If I get ambitious later, I will post some. It was so much fun and our attempt at a Dan In Real Life experience. I love the memories we make every year doing these adventures my parents plan!

After some wonderful family-time, we finally arrived home in Logan on the 30th. We celebrated a quiet New Years together and I got ready for the big week of competency exams I'd been dreading for the last 2 and half years!

December Happenings

So I know I'm a little late but here's some pics of our annual celebration of Same Klaus Tag. It happens to be one of my favorite and most exciting traditions and I love that Mike has indulged me to celebrate it every year. It was also nice since for Christmas we mostly asked for clothes, for Same Klaus Tag we got some toys (AKA toys, books, etc). We also started a new sub-tradition for Same Klaus Tag this year. I asked Mike to start giving me a children's Christmas book every year so we can start building our own collection. One of my favorite things to do at Christmas was to sit in front of the fire and read the same Christmas books (with amazing illustrations) every year. I want that tradition for our children as well so Mike started this year with copies of "Berenstein Bears Christmas Tree" and a new version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas". Loved them!

Funny note about Same Klaus Tag. This year it fell on a Sunday. That day in Relief Society the lesson was on how we need to focus less on Santa Claus. Ya, I thought that was kind of funny. Mike and I waiting to go home and celebrate "Santa Claus Day" or Same Klaus Tag!

Another fun happening in December was making gingerbread houses. I love making them every year (although it's a serious waste of candy). I didn't think I was going to be able to convince Mike to make one this year and then I was saved by Sammy! Sammy is a girl in our ward who invited us and another family over to their house to make gingerbread houses (Thank you so much guys!!). It was so much fun! I left absolutely ill from snacking during the long process of making our house but it was a riot watching everyone figure out how to make those again. Ours had some issues staying up (twice) but after one night left outside... it was holding strong all the way till the second week in January before it died a strong but definite death in the dumpster.

Postherpetic Neuralgia

So just because I can't break my arm or get stitches like any other normal person... this week I got diagnosed with shingles on my arm. Yes, shingles. Now before you all start wondering if I've touched you, talked to you, coughed within 30 feet of you within the last week... calm yourselves. Although shingles is the varicella (chicken pox) virus in your body acting up when your immune system is low or you're under stress... it is only contagious with direct affected skin to skin contact and only when the vesicles burst (yummy, huh?). I've had it covered, hence no one has ever touched it and being a compulsive hand washer... all is well.

Luckily, it's been more of an annoyance than painful. Looking shingles up online is enough to scare you silly. (Mike and I have concluded they only post the most severe and disgusting of cases). I also learned as an audiology student in my medical aspects course that shingles (which I learned as Herpes Zoster) is the cause of Ramsay-Hunt syndrome-- which can cause hearing loss, dizziness and Bell's palsy. Talk about a career killer... (ha ha). Of course, mine isn't anywhere near that and not affecting the nerves near my head/face. Interesting nonetheless tho, huh?

Anyway, I know there are some serious cases where people have it all over their body, get really sick and are dealing with a lot of pain. Don't let your imagination go wild. I'm really not a diseased, pustulated woman whose been writhing in pain... no need to shun me. I've actually been very blessed. No spreading, no real pain, no being sick. Yay!

The only problem now is that as the shingles have cleared, I've started having weird pain in my arm. Looking into this more, I've found out this may be called "postherpetic neuralgia". Since shingles attacks the spinal nerves, specifically the dermatomes (C8 in my case), even after the shingles are gone the nerve is affected. It can't send the signals correctly after being attacked and sometimes it sends mixed messages that register as pain. This can last for months in some cases years after the shingles leave.

Well, anyway, I found it all to be quite fascinating. Of course, that might be because I've been reading a medical dictionary lately for fun and watching Dr. Quinn episodes. Anyway, that's the new medical case study happening with me. Never a dull moment in the Mansfield home. I knew you'd all enjoy that anatomy lesson. Class dismissed! =)

The Friends That Go Beyond Friendship

I have been thinking about this for over a month. In October, Mike and I went to a missionary homecoming for a family we are friends with. I was excited to see all the family together again and looked forward to hear the missionary's talk. The talk was great, the food divine, the conversations wonderful. However, after we left we were not 10 minutes from their home when Mike commented, "Isn't it amazing that after leaving them you somehow feel better about yourself?" It struck me. I always knew this family was unique and they've never not put a smile on my face. But Mike hit it on the nose... this family had the ability to do something extraordinary. Every single one of them, has a special way of making you want to stay with them. They make you feel special and in turn, you want to be better.

Mike and I drove home with smiles on our faces, warmth in our hearts and really... wishing we could go back. The love, the charity, the kindness, the fun, the laughter... it's tangible in their home and in each interaction. It doesn't matter how long it's been or how horrible a friend I've been in return. I truly don't know if I have ever met a family that has touched my heart the same way. I hope you know how special you are to me. You may not ever read this but someone out there should know how amazing you are. You have affected Mike and I in a way no one ever has and we appreciate your friendship and support more than you'll ever know. Time or distance... we pray for you. No one deserves happiness more than all of you.

You truly are the friends that go beyond friendship.

We love you Satterthwaites!

Halloween

No this is not a mistake. I took the bright, fall pictures two days before it snowed. And boy, did it snow! Quite the juxtaposition. Luckily, it melted!

Carving pumpkins at the Obergs! Our end result pumpkins.

We also carved pumpkins with our friends Don and Heather. As far as I'm concerned, you can't carve too many pumpkins! This is my Frankenstein and Mike's scared pumpkins adorning our pumpkin-filled doorstep.

Annual Halloween Party

The kids on Halloween night.

Pumpkin-Time!

For some reason, I am appreciating Fall more than ever this year. On Saturday we decorated our porch/door for Halloween (I'll post a pic soon). I was so happy!! I can't get enough of Halloween, Fall, soup, hot chocolate... mmm. I love it! I know it'll be gone soon since Logan's Fall lasts approximately 2.3 weeks before the snow comes... but I'll take what I can get.

As part of my "loving Fall" mood, I really wanted to use pumpkin in a dessert to go with the soup I was making for a woman in my ward. Since I'm not a fan of pumpkin cookies (much to Mike's dismay), I went to my endless recipe book... the internet. I found a recipe for pumpkin cheesecake on Kraft foods (gotta love it!). Although I probably shouldn't experiment with food I'm taking to other people.... it was fantastic! I know some of you have had my 4-layer pumpkin cake, and although the cheesecake's presentation does not stand nearly as impressive as that, I'm giving it the boot this Thanksgiving for this yummy (and much easier) cheesecake! Yum!! I highly recommend it.

Recipe:

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened **Healthy Tip: next time

I'm going to try this with 1 pkg of Neufchatel and 1 pkg of regular cream

cheese to cut down on the fat**

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Dash of ground clove **I didn't have clove so I used a dash

of pumpkin spice instead because I had it in my cupboard**

Dash of ground nutmeg

1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust (6 oz.)

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1 cup of the batter; stir in pumpkin and spices.

POUR remaining plain batter into crust. Top with pumpkin batter.

BAKE 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. **We baked this about 10 min. longer than it suggested so it would set as described. Also, we refrigerated it for about 5 hours. It had wonderful texture but I'll be interested to see if it's different depending on the length of refrigeration.**

Birthdays by the Bundle

The birthdays began with Sadie's! Hers was the only one with a Disney character in attendance. Of course, she was a vital part of the Little Mermaid party. We had amazing food (the best taco salad I've ever had), an Ariel pinata and Little Mermaid cake. Mel did a wonderful job and it was fun to see all the excitement from the little girls by seeing a "real" princess. I love the last picture of Sadie wearing the Ariel dress that Mike and I bought her. So adorable!

On my birthday my parents got my whole family tickets to The Scarlet Pimpernel at Hale Center Theater. It was awesome! My mom bought them a year ago so we had the best seats in the house! I love musicals and we hardly ever get to go to them anymore. Thanks Mom and Dad!! Before the play we went to Pei Wei (cause Chinese is Mike's fav) and after we had cake, (look below to see my mom's cute cake! I loved it!) ice cream and presents. I also loved the picture that Christian drew me in their card so I had to post it. =)

The next weekend we celebrated Mike's b-day. On Friday, we went to Macaroni Grill with some of Mike's sisters who were in town for the Scrapbook Expo. The next day, Mike wanted corned beef and hash at the Blue Plate Diner in SLC for his b-day so Jonny, Kaylee and I went that morning to breakfast and enjoyed the wonderful outdoor eating at the little dive. Mike then went and played tennis with my dad while I went to my BF's baby shower. Later that night, we stayed in, ordered pizza and played games. It was fun, relaxing and one of Mike and my favorite things to do (Game Recommendation: Smallworld by Days of Wonder). Below is Mike opening his presents and holding the cake I made, which is always fun. Ha! I insist on doing it every year despite the fact that I always mess something up. Mike would probably prefer a plain cake over my stress but in a strange and sadistic way, I like to do it for him. This is actually the second version because I had some serious frosting problems the first time around. With help, it worked out. Mike was surprised and liked it, which was most important. It was also appropriate for the news we got the day before... Deloitte was ranked the #1 business to launch your career by Business Week magazine. Woohoo!

This weekend we got to go home to Vernal and celebrate Mike's dad and Derek's (his nephew) birthdays. As a nice surprise, we also got both our birthdays in there as well. Thank you all for the amazing and fun gifts (we already went to Chili's for FHE)! Notice the pictures of the cake. Mike's sister is this amazingly ridiculous cake-maker. She made a cake for both Dad and Derek. The fancy side is for Dad. Set a front-loader to the other side and you find Legos inside (made of fondant of course). It was so cute. Derek loves Legos (he got a bunch for his b-day) and he loved his cake! Mel, you're incredible!