The Beard

Clearly we haven't had that much going on in the past two weeks if this post is labeled in honor of the manly beard Scott has been growing for "beard month." One of his classmates named October beard month, so I've had a very hairy husband for the past few weeks.  He was very proud of his accomplishment.  The only way I got him to shave was by telling him Prince Charming doesn't have a beard (his Halloween costume).  He almost had me convinced that he actually does, but I thwarted his scheme.

Our other news is that we got a kitchen table!  One of the guys Scott home teaches had it sitting in his garage.  We use my parents' old folding chairs with it and put a nice tablecloth on top.  We feel like a real family eating dinner at the table now.  We celebrated by making a whole chicken in our crock pot (OK...Scott mostly made it).  It was delicious!

Well, there's nothing else exciting to report.  My Master's portfolio is due November 1 and Scott is entering a crazy test month before Thanksgiving, so we're pretty swamped!

Oak Glen

On Saturday we went to Oak Glen.  It's a little canyon loop with lots of apple orchards, gift shops, and restaurants.  My family used to go there when I was little, so it was fun to visit again.  We taste-tested some apples and apple cider, bought an apple-shaped Christmas ornament (we collect them on every vacation), and walked around in the nice fall air.  Before that we went to the temple, and after we went to one of the only Cafe Rios in California.  It was a fun day :)

HUGE apple pies!  They inspired me to make apple crisp today.

My family used to get breakfast here when I was little.  I immediately recognized it when we drove by.  I probably have a picture exactly like this of Mark and me when I was five.

A sign for one of the orchards

They have corn here!  I want them to make a corn maze out of it really really bad.

And on an unrelated note, Scott and I invested in some fall decorations.  I love fall, and the weather here actually felt a little fall-ish this past week (although it's supposed to be in the 80s and 90s again this week).

Happy fall!

P.S. I made chili last weekend and it turned out great this time! The only problem is I made way too much for two people. My whole freezer is full of chili!

Birthday

Last Sunday was Scott's birthday, so we celebrated!  I woke up at 5:30 in the morning to put together a scavenger hunt and decorate.  Scott didn't hear a thing.

Scott with his presents.  He got some cologne, sports sandals, a BYU athletic bag, Camelback water bottle, popcorn, and some money.  Thanks everyone!

This cute flower pillow came in the mail with Scott's present.  I think he really likes it.  Thanks Mom!

Scott's cake

We had some friends over for cake.  Look how many people we fit into our living room!

The only toys we had for the little kids to play with were balloons.  As you can see, they got creative...and of course, Scott played along.

Happy Birthday Scotty!

First Paycheck

You know what this is? Our first paycheck. Clearly we're very proud of ourselves. It's the first money our marriage has produced...unless you count the $25 we got from recycling soda cans from Lake Powell.

BYU vs. USU

Last Friday was the BYU vs. USU football game, which is a big rivalry in our house.  Scott got off school a little early, and I came home to this:

He had built a giant fort in our living room, complete with his big studying TV hooked up to the internet with the game and game food including jalapenos poppers, fresh salsa, pizza, Crystal Light, and grapes.  It was quite the set up.

This is the inside of the fort.

And...this is us after the game.  I was only half-way sad, though, because BYU's second-string quarterback went to my high school and he played really well.

But still...Go Aggies!

Rite of Passage

Today I attempted to achieve a rite of passage...and failed.  You see, my great-grandma Nena made this amazing Chili.  She passed it down to my parents, who then gave it to me.  I've never made it by myself before, and there's not really an exact recipe, so this was kind-of a big deal.  Last night, I put the beans in the pan to soak.  (Please excuse blogger--it's insisting this picture is supposed to be vertical even though I upload it horizontal.)

This morning I got up early to turn the stove on to cook the beans (which are supposed to take a couple hours).  About an hour later, we woke up to an awful burning smell.  Apparently beans need A LOT of water when they cook because they absorb it all.  Needless to say, I'm not ready to pass this rite of passage.  Hopefully my next try will go better--the ward chili cook-off is only weeks away and I don't think this recipe has ever met defeat!

On another note, this week is rivalry week in our house.

Friday is the USU vs. BYU game.  I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little scared for the Aggies.  But...I'll still cheer for them.  Scott and I have a date night planned--I can't wait!  Go Aggies!

My Big Girl Job

I officially become a grown-up and started working full-time on Thursday.  In my whole 16 hours of work experience, I have learned that working is pretty much just like school, except not as fun (sorry to burst anyone's bubble who is excited to graduate).  You still have to be on time, do assignments, you could still "get in trouble," and you still have to eat lunch really fast because your lunch break is so short.  But, yes, there is one big difference.  Instead of paying to do work, you actually get paid!  That's right.  Everyday, I will drive a half hour to a building and actually get paid for what I do!  And who can complain about that?

So far, these are my favorite things about my job:

1- I have a very official looking badge with my name and picture.  I wear it everyday and it makes me feel very important when I walk around with it on.  It even has a little string that pulls out and then sucks back in when I'm done scanning it.  It's legit.

2- When people email me with an event, I can "accept" or "decline" it and it automatically goes on my calendar.  It's like magic!  I thoroughly enjoy looking through my calendar and feeling special that so many people want me at their meetings.

3- Someone left a space heater in my office.  I spend my days blasting it at my feet.  Then I get in my car and blast the AC.  Apparently I just like extreme temperatures of air blowing on me.

4- I get to wear high heels everyday.

I know, my job sounds pretty glamorous. I'll include some pictures of my office as soon as I get it decorated.  Right now it's pretty white and boring.  For now, you'll just have to enjoy my "first day of work" picture Scott insisted on taking.