Jo & Jo

Our Lives Summarized

2012-01-28T15:17:00.002-05:00

January has almost come and gone. I can't believe how fast time is flying. Johnny has been super busy with work, and I think it will only get busier from here on out. The poor boy has barely had a chance to play his new PS3. I have been extremely busy with work lately as well. Both of us are working nonstop it seems.

Lately Johnny has been making me laugh a lot with some of the things he says. For instance:

"Jo, you cleaned the fridge! It's so clean!" "No, Johnny, we just don't have any food right now."

He's also come to me with his musings on girls and their obsession with lotion and makeup. He has strong opinions on both apparently. I really enjoy living with a boy. We are so different, which means constant entertainment.

We've had one day of snow up here in Boston, but for the most part it's been very mild. Johnny gave me the idea earlier this week to go running along the water. All I wore were capris and a short sleeve shirt---in January. It was so great.

Both of us have been sick for the past week or so. Johnny got sick first and then gave it to me. It's just the inevitable winter cold that seems to come once a year. We recently got asked to serve in nursery at our church. I felt bad for laughing when they asked us, but it's kind of a joke now how long Johnny and I have been nursery workers. What can I say? I guess we need plenty of practice for parenthood.

Well, I hope to better document our lives in February. But so far 2012 has been good to us. Despite the loads of work hanging over us, we're very happy. It makes each moment we spend together all the better.

Year in Review: 2011

2012-01-01T20:25:00.000-05:00

I love the new year. It's nice to be able to stow away the events from the year before and look forward to the year ahead. I love looking back and compartmentalizing how life has changed and progressed in the last 12 months. As 2011 was happening, it didn't seem that crazy, and it flew by. But when I looked back on our year, I realized it was a rather eventful one!

I started off the year falling in love with the JKO Reservoir in Central Park. It became my favorite place to run, and Johnny and I wandered up there together as much as possible.

In February I headed to Utah for a business trip, and in March Johnny and I took a trip to Vegas and Utah for the third year in a row with our brothers Rick and Will. The term "The Jimmer" was born.

March also brought our first visitors of the year—my sister Sarah and her friend Angelle. We also watched every single BYU basketball game, oftentimes with our best buds, the Hardings.

When the weather started warming up in April and May, I started going up to the Great Lawn and enjoying NYC life again. Johnny started his work's softball league, and Angie and I started hanging out as much as possible.

In June Johnny turned 26 and I turned 24, and my bestest friends Lindsay and Angie made my birthday special with a night of Sprinkles cupcakes and girl talk.

July brought the best fireworks show of our lives, a trip to Florida (and Harry Potter World!), and a visit from our friends Travis and Kira.

Caitlin and Bobby came and visited us in August, reminding us how much we miss our families. Johnny and Klane's Tropicana campaign was up in Grand Central Station for the whole month, and I couldn't have been more proud of my boy.

In September Johnny and I visited the WTC Memorial, and even still there are no words adequate to describe it, but if you ever get the chance, go. My brother Rick came to see us, and we took a trip up to Boston with him.

In October Johnny and I bid farewell to NYC much earlier than we had anticipated and made the move to Boston so we could begin an exciting new chapter of our lives. My dad came up for a brief business trip, and we got a visit from my sister Sarah and her husband Greg as well. We explored Boston with them and fell in love with our new home.

November and December brought a Thanksgiving and Christmas for two, and we settled nicely into our new lives as Bostonians. I also took a short trip to Alabama to see my family and my sister Jill before she left on a mission for our church.

Now, on January 1 2012, Johnny and I sit happily in our little home, looking forward to a new year. We have no idea what 2012 holds for us, but based on Johnny's current line of work, there's bound to be some excitement this year—a new president, in the very least.

We hope 2011 treated you well and may 2012 be a fresh start for us all.

My Favorite Things

2011-12-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

Now that I'm an adult, the gifts I ask for and get excited about are drastically different from when I was a kid. This year five of my favorite gifts are items I will use daily. I think these are some of the best kinds of gifts because they add a little extra excitement and quality to everyday life.

From left to right:

gold initial necklace: tiny and inconspicuous—perfect for daily wear
55-250mm telephoto lens: I didn't even know I needed this lens until I got it. I am loving it.
Crabtree&Evelyn honey and coriander body lotion: I fell in love with this lotion while Johnny and I were on vacation this past summer, and now I can't live without it.
Moleskine daily planner: I am so excited about this gift. It's kind of absurd. I'm such a visual person, and I love to make to-do lists. This planner is my way of being able to grasp the year ahead of me and make the most of 2012.
coral iPhone case: My phone is now complete. I love this case. It fits me (and my phone) perfectly.

Not to say I don't get excited about less practical gifts as well. My sister might have given me a Harry Potter wand and broomstick, and I might have been casting spells on Johnny and Persie on Christmas Day. That being said, what were some of your favorite gifts this year?

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T17:23:00.001-05:00

Johnny and I had a wonderful Christmas! We hope all our friends and family did as well. We wish it had lasted a little bit longer. Johnny could not take time off work for Christmas because of the campaign, which we knew when he took the job. Hopefully, we'll be able to take some vacation time in the next few months!

Here's what we did during our break:

played board games

chatted with family

opened presents

ate Christmas goodies

had sweet rolls on Christmas morning

and just enjoyed each other's company.

We also had a Christmas Eve roast with friends, but I forgot to document it.

Mostly, we just relaxed, something Johnny doesn't get to do much these days. I got Johnny to watch a couple Christmasy chick-flicks with me. He would mostly be on his computer and look up every now and then to comment that he couldn't believe what he was watching. I would offer to turn it off, but then he'd say, "Well, we've been watching it long enough now that I might as well see how it ends up." Haha, poor husbands.

It was a Christmas at home for us, but we had a great time together. I love spending time with my Johnny boy.

5 Days and Counting

2011-12-20T15:06:00.000-05:00

Last night I got to the post office 10 minutes before closing time and sent off the last gift on our list! I felt such a huge relief knowing I was all done with Christmas shipping and shopping. This time last week was a different story. Yesterday we also received our final grocery order before Christmas! I have all kinds of plans for yummy food leading up to Christmas day.

This week I plan on making sugar cookies, pretzel turtles, and the cookies with the little Hershey Hugs on top.

For Christmas Eve, a couple from Johnny's work is coming over, and I'm going to cook a roast. Then we're planning on playing some board games.

Our house is all decked out for the holidays now, too! I love this time of year, and it's nice to think that we'll just be able to relax over the holidays for once. A few weeks ago when I flew home to my parents' house in Alabama, I threw up on both planes, so flying isn't exactly my favorite means of travel. That being said, we're still going to miss our families TONS. Since we're spending Christmas at home, I've been trying to make things as festive as possible.

Here's what it's looking like around our house these days:

A North End Christmas

2011-12-19T19:08:00.000-05:00

I've posted about some of the different Boston neighborhoods, but I've yet to post about our neighborhood, the North End! The North End is an old Italian neighborhood—which means delicious pizza, pasta, and gelato. The first time we came to Boston, I was in love with the North End within seconds. It has a very small town feel. It is just so quaint! During Halloween, all the store fronts were open to trick or treaters. Now that it's Christmastime, almost every single store and restaurant is decked out in holiday decorations. I can't wait to see what our neighborhood looks like with a blanket of snow covering it.

We would prefer to be with our family for Christmas, but since we can't be, I'm so happy we live in a neighborhood that gets all decked out for the holidays!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving was quite an exciting affair in the Galbraith household. Johnny and I had never celebrated Thanksgiving on our own, and I don't think we knew what we were getting ourselves into. I had the following items on the menu:

turkey
corn pudding
rolls
stuffing
sweet potatoes
side salad
sparkling cider
pie

On Thanksgiving day Johnny pointed out that we didn't have mashed potatoes and gravy on the menu, which I never had growing up, but apparently that is a staple for most families on Thanksgiving. Who knew?

In my head everything was going to work out just magically, but cooking that much stuff is kind of intense! I prepped the turkey at around noon and stuck it in the oven. The prepping process almost turned me vegetarian. For some reason I was freaking out about handling a dead bird, and Johnny was right over my shoulder telling me to calm down. Pulling the neck out was especially traumatizing. Handling the turkey was my least favorite part. We both concluded that if we had to kill our own food, we would live off nuts and berries.

When the turkey had about an hour left, I started making everything else. The dough for the rolls was rising in the bread machine, Johnny mixed up the stuffing and chopped up the sweet potatoes, and I made the corn pudding. The temperature inside our tiny apartment with everything cooking had to have been close to 80. It was SO hot. We were sweating and running around like crazy.

Johnny was in charge of carving the turkey, of course. I was done with that thing. We cooked it in a large disposable aluminum roasting pan, and as soon as Johnny began carving, the knife went through the bottom of the aluminum. Suddenly turkey juice was spilling all over the counter and floor. It was absolute chaos in our apartment for a few moments there.

By the time dinner rolled around, we were so exhausted and we had so much food. At one point, Johnny said, "Jo, this is enough food to feed my entire family." Our dinner was super yummy, and then we both crashed afterward for about an hour. When we woke up, we enjoyed pie and ice cream.

It was a wonderful day, and it gave me so much appreciation for all the moms who cook dinner for their families each year. I was so thankful that Johnny helped me the whole time. I couldn't have done it without him! Next year if we're alone again, we may simplify things a bit :)

Catching Up

2011-12-08T12:06:00.001-05:00

Ever since moving in October, I feel like I've never quite caught up on life. I feel like there's so much to do and not enough time to do it! When life gets crazy, the first thing I neglect is our blog. When we have kids, it'll probably be obsolete. And Google Reader shouldn't be a source of stress, but it really stresses me out knowing I have hundreds of unread items right now! But, deep breath... all is well.

Right after Thanksgiving, I was able to go visit my family in Alabama. My parents were in the process of moving about an hour away to a home they've renovated on 26-acres, so I got to help with the moving process. I also got to see my sister Jill one last time before she left on her mission. It was a quick trip, but it was such a fun trip!

We were working most the time, so I barely got my camera out, but here are a few pictures I took one morning I was there:

Mom running to greet Jill and me :)

Jill and Mom

Jilly and Mommy

It might not snow in Alabama, but the frost sure is beautiful in the mornings.

Next I will be documenting Johnny and me celebrating our first Thanksgiving in Boston!

Hermana Jill Fleming

2011-12-07T15:51:00.001-05:00

Today my 21-year-old sister, Jill, went into the missionary training center (MTC) in Provo, Utah.

She'll be there for three weeks, and then she heads to Lima, Peru, where she will spend all her time sharing the gospel for the next year and a half.

I recently went down to Alabama for a few days to see Jill and the rest of my family. Jill and I got our hair done while I was down there, and we had an opportunity to talk about Jill's mission with our hairdresser and some of the other ladies in the salon. They couldn't believe Jill was going to be in Peru for a year and a half! They had all kinds of questions for Jill, from how she would pay for her mission to where she would live and whether she would know anyone in Lima.

Growing up in Alabama, I always shied away from talking about the church I went to because I knew that many kids at my school had heard negative information about Mormons from their pastors. Now that I've gotten older and lived outside the southeastern United States for several years, I've come to realize that people's religious intolerance shouldn't make me uncomfortable to talk about my religion. So it was with enthusiasm that Jill and I discussed her mission with the ladies in the hair salon in my parents' small town in Alabama. The women seemed so excited for her. It made me so proud of my sister. There aren't many people who would be willing to drop everything for a year and a half to serve their church!

I'm really going to miss Jill!!! But I am really proud of her and so excited for all she is going to experience in the next 18 months!

If you want updates on Jill, I'll be keeping up her blog here.

Boston Traditions

2011-11-22T12:45:00.001-05:00

One fun part of moving to a new place is making new traditions. In New York City, Johnny and I loved taking late-night walks to Central Park or the East River. Out here Johnny's work is very close to our home, so one of our new traditions is meeting for lunch every day. This means our refrigerator is always well stocked with sandwich essentials. We also have a new Saturday tradition. Every single Saturday we head over to the Boston Hay Market for our weekly produce. The hay market is just steps from our apartment, and its produce prices are unbelievable. It's fun to come home each week and see our bounty from only spending $6 or $7!

Bunker Hill Monument

2011-11-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Sarah and I decided to trek over to the Bunker Hill Monument together during her visit. In order to get there we had to cross a bridge from our neighborhood (North End) to Charlestown, where the monument was located. I'd never been to that part of Boston, and it was so quaint! I immediately fell in love.

This is what all of Charlestown looks like. Ridiculous, right?

The monument

We walked to the top of the monument via a winding stone staircase with 290-something steps. Sarah and I were both sore the next day.

Just a typical charming Charlestown street:

Afterward, we stopped at Paul Revere Park, which gave us a nice view of the Bunker Hill Monument Bridge.

My pretty sister Sarah

Johnny and I are so happy Sarah and Greg came and visited! We loved spending time with them, and they gave us an excuse to get out and see Boston!

Beacon Hill

2011-11-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

One of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Boston is Beacon Hill. The first time I saw it, I was shocked at its beauty. I still feel like I'm part of some fairytale when I walk its streets. Of course, we had to walk through there with Sarah and Greg during their visit.

I'm in love with this door and its ivy.

I love all the narrow alleys in Boston.

My sister Sarah with her cute pregnant belly.

Next up: Charlestown and the Bunker Hill Monument

Sarah + Greg + Boston

2011-11-11T17:05:00.001-05:00

Lucky for us, my brother-in-law Greg had a business trip in Boston last week. The result was that we got to have Sarah and Greg stay with us for a few days! We had such a fun time getting to know Boston with them.

Boston is full of so much history. The picture below is of the Old State House, which was built in 1713. Right outside of it is where the Boston Massacre took place.

Sarah and Greg in the Old State House

Boston also has a lot of old graveyards. I love old graveyards for some reason. It was incredible. For all my editing friends who took Early Modern English at BYU, it was especially fun to look at the spelling variations on gravestones made during that time period.

One of my favorite places in Boston already is the Public Garden. It is so beautiful.

Enough pictures for one post. More to come later... :)

Thoughts and Persie

2011-11-09T15:36:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it's November! Time has been flying. I absolutely love this time of year---I know, super original. Seriously, though, I get so excited when this time of year rolls around. Before I get to the meat of this post, here are some pictures I never got to share of Persie. As we packed up our NYC apartment, it was as if we were creating all the chaos just for her---an obstacle course of sorts. I would find her in all kinds of places:

Johnny and I are really loving Boston. I can tell Johnny loves his job. He is still doing copywriting, but of a different kind than he did at DDB. He is working for a major political campaign based here in Boston. It is fast paced and high stress at times, but he really enjoys it.

Being out here feels so natural and right. I can't get over what a beautiful city Boston is. As I've finally begun exploring, I have been shocked by how unique and charming each neighborhood is. So many areas are so picturesque.

Because of Johnny's new job, we won't be taking any vacation days for the next several months, so for the first time ever Johnny and I will be spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with just each other! I know this may seem weird, but I'm really excited! Of course, we'd rather be with family, but I think it will be fun to make our own little traditions. I just ordered groceries, and our stuffing, rolls, and pie will not be homemade on Thanksgiving :) That still leaves me with the turkey and a few other side dishes that I'm sure will be plenty overwhelming!

Stay tuned! My sister and her husband recently visited, and I'll be posting more soon!

Our Boston Apartment

2011-11-02T22:26:00.000-04:00

My sister and her husband are coming to Boston tomorrow, and in preparation for their arrival, I've finally got our apartment in order. Allow me to give you a tour:

Wa-la! Now that we are completely settled in, we can get to know the city of Boston!

Last Sunday in NYC

2011-10-25T21:56:00.000-04:00

On our last Sunday as NYC residents, we had an impromptu gathering with a few friends in Central Park. The weather was perfect and the surroundings were beautiful. We couldn't have spent our last Sunday any better.

a few leaves beginning to change

just a cute little couple

my hot friend Lindsay, who can strike a pose on command

ah, I miss our friends...

Bostonians

2011-10-22T13:50:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess we're Bostonians now! It's so weird. It all happened so fast. The last couple weeks were probably the most stressful of our entire marriage. From the time Johnny accepted this new job in Boston to the point we moved, it was literally two weeks. There was SO much to get done in that amount of time. Hence, the lack of blogging.

Our friends in New York were so gracious and wonderful the last couple weeks we were there. They made us feel very loved. When we arrived in Boston, there were several people from the church out here who were ready to help us move in. Johnny and I were SO grateful for their help.

We are pretty much moved in for the most part. I am in love with our new apartment. Let me list a few reasons why:

a super functional layout
a shower that stays hot
laundry in the basement of the building
heat we can control!
a quiet street

And the fact that we live in a super charming and historical area of Boston is another plus. I was having a tough time earlier this week because I just have a hard time with big changes. I was missing my friends, and I was listening to a song by Azure Ray that talks about going to New York City and living on the East side, and I just started crying. However, that was earlier in the week. I have adjusted now, and I'm very excited to get to know Boston. I will have more updates later, and perhaps some pics of our new place!!

To Boston We Go

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

Things have been rather quiet on this blog as of late, but our lives have been far from still. The last few weeks have been crazy, to say the least. A couple weeks ago Johnny got offered a job in Boston. It's an amazing opportunity, one that we never could have seen coming. After thinking it over for a very, very long time, Johnny accepted the position last Tuesday. He put in his two weeks' at his current job last Wednesday, and we're moving NEXT WEEK.

It's all happening so fast that we haven't even had a moment to take a breath! But we do know that this is the right direction for us. One thing after the other has fallen in to place, like magic almost. Otherwise, I don't know if we would have even considered this move. I never could have guessed even a month ago that we'd be leaving NYC so soon.

I have moments of major excitement, but I also have moments when I feel sad to be leaving. I know Johnny feels the same way. We just finally got settled in this big city, and we've made some friends that are like family to us out here. At the same time, we feel so blessed and lucky for the opportunity that lays ahead of us.

We have gone to Boston the past two weekends, once for Johnny to check out his new work, and once to find an apartment. We had never been to Boston, and we immediately fell in love with the city. It is beautiful, historic, and charming. However, none of this would mean anything if Johnny and I didn't have each other. I'm so happy we are a constant in each other's life. It makes each new adventure that much more fun because we'll be facing it together.

We have an endless to-do list, and things are stressful at times, but we are mostly just excited!! There's so much left to do in the next week, but we are very excited to start this new chapter of our lives!

9/11 Memorial

2011-09-22T00:32:00.000-04:00

Tonight Johnny and I went to the 9/11 Memorial. It is not yet open to the public because of all the construction work still going on, and Johnny had to reserve our tickets back in July.

When we arrived, we were directed from checkpoint to checkpoint. There were several. The second to last check point was a metal detector and bag check. Security was tight.

Then we finally made it to the memorial. It had been raining, but after a few minutes, the rain stopped. The memorial was breathtaking, touching, and sad. I snapped a few pictures, but they don't even begin to capture the magnificence of the waterfalls. I really don't think there could be a better way to memorialize the victims of 9/11. We loved it.

Johnny on the right

original beams from the towers

Johnny's Recent Work

2011-09-13T08:15:00.000-04:00

Recently, Johnny worked on a station domination campaign for Tropicana that ran in Grand Central and Penn Stations. I haven't had a chance to properly document it until now. Johnny worked as the copywriter on the campaign, and it was really fun to read all his headlines! When I finally saw the ads in Grand Central, it was almost surreal, seeing these advertisements all around us and knowing that millions of people were seeing Johnny's work! It was so neat that our friends Travis and Kira and Johnny's sister Caitlin and her husband Bobby got to see the ads when they visited us in August.

Pictured below are some photos of the ads. I'm so proud of my talented husband! I sure do love my boy.

from Travis and Kira's blog

Bobby and Caitlin

The shuttle between Grand Central and Times Square was also wrapped in the Tropicana ads!

all photos were taken by a professional photographer

Ramblings

2011-09-12T17:43:00.000-04:00

Aside from BYU barely losing to Texas, this weekend was pretty great. Is there such thing as a bad weekend? I don't think so.

I continued working on my crocheting project, and Johnny got his yearly fill of 9/11 specials on TV. We were both relieved that the weekend came and went without incident. Late last night Johnny and I walked up to the Great Lawn in Central Park to see if we could see the 9/11 memorial lights in the sky. It was a super cloudy night, but we could still make them out from 5 miles away. I think the memorial site is beautiful. I love the fountains, and I can't wait to go see them next week with Johnny.

Tonight is another GOP debate. Johnny and I love debates of any sort. I'm sure that aspect of our personalities attributed to our very argumentative first year of marriage. And it's partially why we get along so well now!

Speaking of being argumentative, Johnny and I have an ongoing battle with Scrabble. It's one of the only games that I actually beat Johnny at sometimes. Last game, I beat him, and that score has been up on our cork board for a few months now. This morning Johnny walked past it and said, "Hmm. This Scrabble score is still up." Seemingly harmless comment, right? No. I feel a rematch coming on this week, maybe even tonight. I'll let you know who wins...

p.s. Poor Persie... she can only resist yarn for so long...

Life Lately

2011-09-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

Our weekend came and went. It was a luxuriously long weekend. Now, it's Wednesday and I'm not sure where the time has gone.

Johnny has been working long hours lately, and the long weekend was well-deserved for him. Johnny spent almost every waking moment on Saturday watching college football. BYU won its first football game, and no one was more thrilled than my husband---trust me.

We were able to watch the game with the Hardings and the Youngbergs. The Youngbergs were perfect hosts, and I am proud to say that we were all wearing Cougar blue! Half the excitement of football season is having BYU fans to watch the games with!

With the late hours Johnny's been working / the cancelling of our Netflix instant play / the start of college football, I decided I needed to start a new craft project. After much deliberation, I settled on crocheting a blanket, and the picture at the top of this post is my first finished square! I'm quite proud of myself. Now we'll just have to see if I can stick with it...

Also, the fall weather has started to hit NYC, and I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm loving it, because I am. I am a summer girl through and through, but fall comes in close second for me. I couldn't contain my excitement and ended up purchasing two fall cardigans on Monday. Johnny is not much of a fan of fall, and I tried to have him pretend that "fall" stands for "football" without the "ootb," but he didn't buy it. His loss. I'm sure the ensuing months will feature many posts on both fall and football.

Persie + Yarn

2011-08-27T09:25:00.003-04:00

Persie loves yarn. It's hard for me to crochet or knit because she can't help attacking the ball of yarn. A few days ago, we decided to let her play to her heart's content, and this was the result:

Settlers of Catan

2011-08-26T11:00:00.001-04:00

Since moving from Utah, Johnny and I have really missed playing games at Johnny's parents' house every Sunday night.

While Bobby and Caitlin were here, we played Settlers of Catan four times! I know, that sounds a bit excessive. The problem was that Johnny kept winning every time, and we had to keep playing in hopes of beating him. It never happened.

At first, we weren't sure where we'd have room to play in our tiny apartment, but then we decided to sit on blankets and play on the kitchen floor. It worked out perfectly!

I loved playing a game every night, and it makes me want to play more games! Do any of my NYC buddies enjoy board games?

The Morning Paper

2011-08-25T13:04:00.001-04:00

It's so fun to see some of Johnny's work in the morning papers out here! The ads were featured yesterday and today.

I'm proud of my boy.

A Sunday in Central Park

2011-08-25T12:43:00.001-04:00

On Sunday Johnny, Bobby, Caitlin, and I headed up to Central Park. Central Park is my favorite place in the City, and I love taking visitors there. First, we took them up to the reservoir, my favorite running spot.

Next, we went to the Great Lawn and watched a softball game for a few minutes. During this time, Caitlin and I decided to see how much time Johnny and Bobby would spend talking about sports during our walk. It was at least 50% of the time.

During our walk, Johnny and I took lots of pictures of Caitlin and Bobby. They are perfect little models.

Please ignore the frizzy hair. It can't be helped.

We ended our stroll by watching this talented little street artist. He is one of the best I've seen out here! Caitlin and I couldn't resist giving him money.

Afterward, we went back to the apartment and relaxed, just in time for an afternoon thunderstorm.

Caitlin and Bobby's Visit

2011-08-24T14:39:00.000-04:00

Johnny's sister Caitlin and her husband Bobby stayed with us this past week. We had such a great time with them, and when they left, our apartment felt empty. Johnny and I were working most days, but on Saturday we were able to go out and explore the city with them.

We went to Grand Central and saw Johnny's Tropicana work!

Then we went to Greenwich Village and SoHo and walked around.

We saw a coco helado cart and had to get some!

And of course Caitlin and I had to stop in Madewell.

Next, we explored Chinatown. For some reason I decided I wanted to try fresh coconut juice. It sounded really good, but it didn't taste good at all! Johnny and Bobby liked it, though.

We ended the day at Doughnut Plant. I'd never been, but I'd heard good things. I got a peach doughnut, and it was delicious!

Bon Iver

2011-08-12T14:33:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday night Johnny and I headed to Brooklyn for a Bon Iver concert. We were both excited to see Justin Vernon live. Johnny had a softball playoff game the same night, and Band of Horses was playing in NYC the same night, but we chose Bon Iver!

It was an outdoor concert located in Prospect Park, which is basically Brooklyn's version of Central Park. The weather was perfect, and we laid out our blanket and waited for the show to start.

The opener was a band called Rosebud.

Before Bon Iver came out, we were able to meet up with the Youngbergs and the Egans, who were also there! The show was so good, and I enjoyed every single song so much. Bon Iver is definitely worth seeing live. We had a great time!

As of Late

2011-08-08T17:21:00.000-04:00

East River

Last week flew by for us.

Our good friends Travis and Kira stayed with us, and it was great to get to spend time with them and their daughter Kenzie. We loved it! They are wonderful people!

Johnny got a last-minute root canal! Fun! He had intense tooth pain on Tuesday night, and at 1:00am we went to Rite Aid and got him some gel that was supposed to relieve the pain, but it did nothing. Advil did nothing. The pain was so intense that he couldn't sleep the whole night. The next day we got him a last minute appointment and Vicodin.

Last week a campaign Johnny has been working on began running in Grand Central, Times Square, and Penn Stations. The campaign is for Tropicana, and it has been so fun to see the pictures from it. I will be posting more on this later!

Friday night Johnny and I took a walk in the park along the East River. Johnny and I are always amazed at how the pigeons sleep and cluster together over there at night.

Also, we see so many beautiful dogs out here. I have seen more beautiful dogs in the one year we've lived here than I have in my whole life, but this is one of my favorites yet. Amazing!

Lastly, Johnny agreed to let me order the 50mm lens, and it arrived today! I'm so happy! Of course, the first shot had to be taken of Persie.

Anyway, that's all for us! Hope all is well for our friends and family near and far!

Weekend in Stamford

2011-08-02T14:08:00.000-04:00

Right now our friends Travis and Kira and their daughter Kenzie are visiting from Salt Lake. Travis and Johnny served a mission together in NYC, and this weekend we went up to Stamford, CT, one of the areas in which they served.

On Saturday we visited with Janet, and she and her husband served us a delicious meal.

Their little girl was adorable.

Kenzie is pretty adorable, too.

On Saturday night, Luis stopped by our hotel room and brought us a pizza.

On Sunday, we were able to go to the Spanish ward, and Johnny and Travis got to see people they hadn't seen in a very long time. After church we went and visited with the Vera family.

On Sunday night, we got to visit with Cesar and Elida. They also fixed us a delicious meal.

It was a great weekend filled with wonderful people. For two days straight, we were all immersed in the Spanish language. Johnny and Travis seemed very happy to visit with some of the families they taught on their missions.

Practicing

2011-07-25T15:04:00.000-04:00

Summer weekends are great.

Johnny got off early on Friday, and we finally went and saw Harry Potter. I thought it was perfect. I enjoyed every second of it.

Saturday Johnny and I ran errands around the city and relaxed that night. Lately, we've been obsessed with this show called Dual Survival. We love it.

While Johnny was playing basketball on Saturday morning, I went up to Central Park to practice taking pictures with our camera. I am trying to learn to shoot on manual, and it is hard and frustrating! Over and over, I have to look at these kinds of charts to wrap my mind around the logistics:

Hopefully, I can look back in a year and see that I've gotten better at using our camera!

1 Year

2011-07-21T14:55:00.000-04:00

It's official. We have now been residents of NYC for a year. I can't believe how quickly the first year passed. For me, it went a little like this:

Months 1-2: excited and overwhelmed
Months 3-5: loving the excitement
Months 6-7: scheming an escape plan
Months 8-12: feeling at home

We are really loving living out here. When we got back from our vacation, getting off at our subway stop actually felt like home for the first time. When we first moved out here, I think Johnny and I were mentally setting up a time frame for how long we would be out here. I would say, "Two years max," when people would ask. Now, we've both forgotten all about time frames, and we're just enjoying our daily life as New Yorkers.

So Long, Florida

2011-07-21T14:52:00.000-04:00

Every good thing must come to an end. We had a great time on vacation, and there are a few details I don't want to forget:

Leaving our apartment at 5:00am, but not arriving at the airport until 7:00 for a 7:30 flight. The line for checking luggage was backed up, as was the line for security. After waiting 15 minutes to check our luggage, we were still 10 people from the front of the line. We finally asked to cut in line. Then there was security. A JetBlue lady got us to the front of security but let us know that we were probably going to miss our flight. Thanks. With 5 minutes to spare, we ran through JFK airport. At 7:25, we arrived at our terminal and made it onto our flight.
Getting peach shakes from Chick-fil-a. Mmmm. Peach shake + sunset + walking on the beach = perfection.
Playing catch with Johnny. Johnny would coach me and give me scenarios to beat. I'd have to throw three strikes, or my team would lose. By the end of the week, I finally did it, and my arm was very sore!
Spending every waking minute with Johnny. We had so much fun together! I will never forget this vacation.

how Johnny felt about my picture-taking by the end of our trip:

Goodbye, Florida! You were very good to us!

Harry Potter World

2011-07-19T10:08:00.000-04:00

This is going to be a long post because I couldn't narrow down the pictures. While Johnny and I were in Florida, we went to Harry Potter World at Universal Studios!

I was really excited.

I couldn't believe how detailed everything was. We really felt like we were in another world. There were so many different shops and familiar products from the books.

We ate lunch at the Three Broomsticks, of course. It was impossible to get a picture without someone in the picture doing something weird, such as the white-tee guy.

We got to try butterbeer, and it was perfect, just as you would imagine it tasting. It was kind of like cream soda, except thicker and with a butterscotch flavor to it. And it had a thick, frothy cream on top. Mmmmm.

regular and frozen

eating our turkey leg in the Three Broomsticks... normal

the butterbeer cart

We also went into Olivander's wand shop, which was super cool on the inside.

A little boy got to go up and have himself fitted for the right wand.

Here are some of the other shops we saw:


mandrake plant on the right

That train conductor was an interesting fella.

There were also performances periodically that were pretty cool as well.

Hagrid's cottage

Finally, here are some pictures of the castle itself. In order to get to one of the rides, you had to walk through the castle, and it was super cool. I wasn't able to bring my camera, but they had Dumbledore's office, the Gryffindor common room, talking pictures, ... I could go on and on. The talking pictures actually looked legit. It was nuts.

I like Johnny's edited version of Hogwarts:

We had a great time. The next time you're in Florida, be sure to go!

Florida: Part II

2011-07-18T10:00:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite parts of our vacation was walking on the beach each night. A nice lady offered to take the above picture of us. It was really nice to be around courteous, gracious people again! I'd forgotten that's how it is in other areas of the country.

It was also nice to eat out, and pay less than $20 for a meal without even trying! Crazy! Of course we had to have barbecue and Cracker Barrel and Chick-fil-A.

Johnny and I are simple folk. All we need is comfort food and the beach, and we're in heaven.

Florida: Part I

2011-07-16T10:40:00.003-04:00

Johnny and I just got back from a week-long vacation in Florida. I don't think we realized how much we needed a vacation until we were there, on the beach with nothing to worry about. In short, it was great.

Our hotel was right on the water, and our days were spent on the beach---reading, swimming, sleeping, or playing catch.

Once we were sufficiently scorched, we'd head in and plan our night!

See ya!

2011-07-08T10:00:00.009-04:00

For our anniversary, Johnny surprised me with a new camera! I was/am SO excited. It's my first DSLR camera, and I can't wait to learn how to use it.

Once this posts, Johnny and I will be in Florida enjoying a much needed vacation. We'll be soaking up the sun, swimming, relaxing, and hopefully taking lots of pictures!

Signing off until next week!

4th of July: Night

2011-07-06T11:20:00.007-04:00

This was our first 4th of July spent in NYC, and we ended up seeing the best fireworks show we've ever seen.

Our friends Pat and Lindsay invited us to go watch the fireworks at Pat's work, which overlooks the Hudson River.

We got to his office building right as the sun was starting to set, and we sat and watched for the fireworks to begin.

We weren't supposed to go to the roof to watch the fireworks, but the next thing I knew, we were sneaking up the stairwell and onto the rooftop. The view was amazing.

There were crowds of people below us trying to get a view of the fireworks.

I swear we had one of the best views of all.

The fireworks were synchronized from six barges on the Hudson. Lindsay took these great pictures of the fireworks:

It was so cool to have such an incredible view of the biggest fireworks show in the country. Thanks to the Koellings, we'll always remember our first 4th of July in NYC!

4th of July: Day

2011-07-05T16:02:00.000-04:00

Long weekends are the best.

Johnny and I spent our Saturday on the beach, and I really wish I'd brought a camera. We went to a different beach than usual, and it was quiet, clean, and secluded. It will be our beach of choice from now on.

On Monday, we started off the day by watching the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. It is so hard for me to watch, but Johnny insists that there's nothing more American.

Next, we took a walk through Central Park.

We ended up on the West Side, and Johnny took me to his favorite street meat cart.

It was Indian food from the Biryani cart. Johnny ordered us kati rolls, and they were so good. This is definitely my new favorite street meat.

By this point we had walked a few miles, and we were both very tired, so we took the subway back to our apartment.

We wanted to cool off and rest up before we headed back out to watch the fireworks!

Persie's New Trick

2011-06-29T14:24:00.001-04:00

Persie loves cheese.

Recently, I decided to try to use cheese as a motivator to get Persie to stand on her hind legs. It only took a few times before Persie knew just what to do to get herself some cheese.

This sight is now a daily occurrence in the Galbraith household.

4 Years

2011-06-27T00:20:00.003-04:00

June is a big month for us. Johnny turned 26, I turned 24, and today we've been married 4 years.

So much has happened since June 27, 2007. Johnny had just turned the ripe old age of 22, and I'd just turned 20.

year 1 (on our honeymoon)

Our first year of marriage we honeymooned on the Gulf, worked at Los Hermanos together as servers during the summer, started our junior year at BYU, and watched the first five seasons of 24.

year 2 (Snuggie craze)

Our second year of marriage we went on a Fleming family vacation in Florida, worked at BYU full time during the summer, started our senior year, obsessed over BYU football and basketball, started going to Vegas for the MWC basketball tournament, and briefly lived in NYC for an internship.

year 3 (graduation)

Our third year Johnny interned in LA and we lived with his grandparents for two months, we graduated from college, bought our first car, started working full time, moved into a townhouse, and Johnny got a job in NYC.

year 4 (NYC life)

Our fourth year we moved to New York City, got a cat, and both adjusted to the New York way of life.

The last four years have been my very favorite. Each year brings a new adventure, and I'm so happy that I get to experience it all with Johnny.

I love him!

24 for 24 on the 24th

2011-06-26T22:44:00.000-04:00

Friday was my 24th birthday. It was a great day.

The night before, my friends Lindsay and Angie surprised me with a early birthday celebration, which you can read about here. I feel very lucky to have such good friends.

That night Lindsay gave me a print I'd been wanting for a long time (shown below), and then the next day Angie brought me a lemon-blueberry cupcake and a beautiful necklace during her lunch break! It was such a fun addition to my day!

During the day I got phone calls and texts from family and friends, birthday mail, and birthday emails. I now have a lot of shopping to do on Amazon!

Also, Johnny got home early from work and made me a birthday cake! I KNOW. Crazy. As far as I know, Johnny had never made a cake before, so I was very interested to see how his cake would turn out. He ended up doing a perfect job, as you can see:

Johnny and I went to Hill Country Barbecue for dinner, and I got to eat barbecue, corn pudding, and coleslaw, which is just my kind of meal.

However, my favorite part of my birthday were the messages Johnny sent me. Starting at midnight on the 24th, I got a message in my inbox every hour for all 24 hours of my birthday. It made me feel so special and look forward to each new hour of the day! I listed some of them below.

Reasons I'm Glad You Were Born

I think I'd probably starve to death. Or just eat ramen and hot dogs.

You taught our cat how to stand up like a human.

I have a best friend to go on walks with at night.

I learned how to loosen up a little bit and be a little bit more spontaneous and fun loving.

I was able to go to the Birmingham Alabama Temple. And also get married in it.

I wouldn't have anything to put my arm around in bed.

I wouldn't have been able to get pulled over by a cop and accused of holding a young girl against her will.

Because I don't know anyone that would ever think to pretend like they are frozen on their webcam. And that's messed.

I would never realize that it's possible for girls to still look beautiful when they wake up in the morning. Breath is a different story.

I wouldn't get random emails throughout the day of a webcam picture of a pretty girl showing me her new hair, or new clothes, or new cat trick, or just to say she misses me.

My yells and hollers during BYU sports events would fall on deaf ears. Actually no ears, which is worse than deaf ears.

I wouldn't have completed my astronomy project counting shooting stars.

Without you, I wouldn't have a better half.

I wouldn't have the most amazing, beautiful, messed, sweet, kind, fun wife in the entire world. I hope you had a wonderful day and that you're not sick from the cake I tried baking. You're my best friend and I'm so glad to spend the next 2 years... I mean the rest of our lives together. I'm really really lucky to have you. I love you! You're the best.

Dispatch

2011-06-22T15:59:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday Johnny and I trekked over to New Jersey for a Dispatch concert. Johnny has liked Dispatch since high school, so it was fun for him to finally see them play.

We took the 4/5 down to Fulton St., and then we took the Path to the Red Bull Arena, where the concert was located. The trip took about an hour at most.

Dispatch was great, and it was fun to just sit and people-watch with Johnny. It was a nice, warm night full of good music and good times with my boy.

Johnny's 26th

2011-06-15T16:36:00.001-04:00

Johnny's pitiful cake

Johnny turned 26 last Saturday!

Johnny enjoys a low-key birthday, which is actually very hard for me to do for him. I feel like I'm not doing enough, but really, it's what he likes.

Saturday was rainy, so Johnny spent most the day relaxing while I tried to make his birthday cake. Basically, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. The cake stuck to the pan horribly. Then, as I was making the icing on the gas stove, the saucepan got too hot too fast, and the icing turned into a thick mess. So Johnny got a very hideous cake. Somehow, it still tasted good.

Johnny of course had to joke that "This is what I get now that we've been married 4 years."

For his birthday dinner, we went to Libertador, an Argentinian restaurant in our neighborhood. Johnny was very happy to be able to cover his steak in chimichurri sauce.

Afterward, we watched a movie together. Maybe next year Johnny will get a better cake!

This doesn't happen very often...

2011-06-06T13:02:00.002-04:00

so I had to document it. Johnny cooked something!

We had breakfast for dinner last night. I was in charge of the bacon and scrambled eggs, and Johnny was in charge of the chocolate chip pancakes. The situation reminded me of the following:

Johnny should definitely cook more often. The pancakes were delicious.
I'm slightly controlling. It took all my willpower to allow him to cook those himself.

Our weekend was much too short. Johnny has already informed me that he'll be working late this week. Thank goodness for upcoming birthdays, an anniversary, and a vacation!

Death Cab for Cutie Concert

2011-06-05T14:05:00.003-04:00

Last Wednesday Johnny and I saw Death Cab for Cutie at The Bowery Ballroom. It's a pretty small venue located on the Lower East Side. It was Johnny's third time seeing DCFC and my first time.

waiting for the doors to open

Don't mind the picture. I always choose inopportune days to not do my hair or makeup.

Once we actually got inside, the opener didn't even start playing for another hour and a half, which we didn't realize. However, it ensured we were at the very front, and it gave me time to snoop around and take pictures.

The opening band was called The Lonely Forest. Johnny thought the drummer looked like Hurley from Lost. I agreed.

Then came DCFC. They played 26 songs. 26! It was so great. I love being able to just sit back and be absorbed by music and not think about anything else. Poor Ben Gibbard, though. By the end he was literally drenched in sweat from head to toe.

The show ended at around midnight, and we headed outside and just sat on the concrete for a while, resting after standing for a solid 5 hours.

We still hadn't eaten dinner yet so we ended the night with street meat. It was a perfect night out with my boy.

Monday at the Beach

2011-06-03T18:33:00.004-04:00

I can't believe we're approaching another weekend already! Last weekend was great. Johnny and I decided to just kick it around the city. On Monday we made the trek to the beach to relax and try to rid ourselves of that sickly-pale look we picked up during the winter.

We weren't the only beach-goers, that's for sure. The beach was packed. We both agreed it was the most crowded beach we'd ever been to. Somehow we still managed to find a spot with not too many people.

We actually managed to get sun without getting burned! I loved just spending the day with Johnny and not having a care in the world. It's been a long time since we've had a day like that.

We decided to head home at around 5:00. The subway cars at the beach were all packed. The driver said there was another train right behind hers so we got off. But she was lying. evil. So we had to wait another 20+ minutes for another train.

Johnny waiting with our beach gear

We spent the subway ride home playing Quordy against each other until I got sick of Johnny beating me. It was a Memorial Day well spent.

Long Weekend Coming Right Up

2011-05-26T15:18:00.002-04:00

been eating this all week

Johnny gets Friday and Monday off. Today is his Friday. Based on the exceptionally weird Gmail chats he's been sending me today, I think he's pretty excited. (update: He just got back from lunch and said to me, "back, fool")

As of yesterday, it's pretty much summertime here. I met Johnny for lunch, and it was the first time in months I've had direct sunlight on me.... and the first time I've worn shorts. Yikes. As Johnny was walking with me back to the subway (he always swipes me on with his unlimited card), Martha Stewart walked out of a building and right next to us on the sidewalk! I must say she looks very good for her age.

So a Sprinkles cupcake shop finally opened in NYC, and some of my fellow NYC bloggers have been posting about it. Johnny and I went down there Saturday night, and I was blown away. I tried salty caramel, chocolate marshmallow, and vanilla, and they were gooood. Then, I couldn't stop thinking about cupcakes after that, so on Monday I made the Sprinkles strawberry cupcake recipe, which Johnny and I have been consuming all week long....

Which leads to a story about running. (I had to go running this week if I was to be consuming cupcakes each day.) I've been having a little problem with my runs around the reservoir. I start nearing another runner on the trail, and I can either run closely behind them, which is awkward, or I can pass them. I always choose to pass them, but then I have to increase my pace a little to ensure they don't catch back up to me, which would result in an awkward game of cat and mouse. I come upon more runners in increments throughout the trail, and by the end my pace is way too fast for me to sustain. (I'm normally a very slow runner, and this forces me to be just a slow runner.) Anyway, I'm sick of it. I just want to be able to run at my comfortable slow pace! What's to be done?

Also, in our cupboard we have a box full of granola bars from Costco. One day, I ripped open a granola bar, and seeing it was a flavor I didn't want, I stuck it back in the box. Yesterday Johnny reached in the box and pulled out that opened granola bar and looked at me and said, "What is this? Do I live with a five-year-old?" My response was to laugh uncontrollably, so maybe he does live with a five-year-old. I meant to throw it away and hide the evidence, but then I forgot to do it. Poor Johnny.

Anyway, I, too, am super excited for the long weekend. If the weather prevails, I think we may head to the beach on Monday :)

Johnny's Softball League

2011-05-23T11:07:00.002-04:00

On Thursday after work, Angie and I headed down to the Lower East Side to watch our boys play in their work softball league. The fields are about as far east as possible, right up against the East River. I thought for sure the game was gonna be canceled from rain, but the weather prevailed.

Angie and I sat on the bleachers with our cameras like proud parents. To others it probably seemed strange...

But not as strange as this picture. Who knew our husbands would be so willing to pose?

And this is how excited we were the whole game:

Afterward, we got cheap Chinese dumplings in China Town, which I had never tried before.

I am really glad I don't have to participate in Johnny's softball league this year.... it's much less nerve-racking being the picture-taking wife.

*some pictures courtesy of Angie

What's wrong with our cat?

2011-05-22T18:02:00.000-04:00

Well, Johnny has a new toothbrush since Persie took a sudden interest in his last night. It was already too late by the time this video was recorded, so we decided to let her have fun with her new toothbrush.

finally friday, friends

2011-05-20T17:11:00.002-04:00

It's been raining in New York for over a week now. I just went outside for like five minutes, and now my hair is a frizzy mess. There is something I love about humidity, though. It just makes me feel more alive because I can literally feel it around me.

Here's an update of what's up with us lately:

Our average bedtime right now is after two. Most nights this week that it was closer to three. Johnny's work schedule has thrown us both off big time. And, let's be honest, I love an excuse to stay up late. Even on the weekends when he's not working, we're both wide awake until the wee hours of the morning.
To add to our lack of sleep, the woman living above us has a hacking cough, to the point of heaving until she's gagging. You may be disgusted at my description, but it's much worse hearing it at 4:00 in the morning. She coughs for an hour straight sometimes. One night we didn't hear her, and Johnny said, "Maybe she died." And in that moment be both realized that was an actual possibility. Not to worry, though. She was right back at it the next night. She needs to see a doctor pronto.
I do some part-time editing on the side for a company that does SEO articles. Lately, most of the articles I've been editing have been for online poker sites and cash loan companies. What a depressing combination.
So, I'm not a blond anymore. It only lasted a DAY. I hated the highlights so much that I dyed my hair dark again with a box color. And that's the last you will hear of my hair for a long time. I promise.
Now that summer's almost here, we have concerts to look forward to. In the next month, we have Death Cab for Cutie and Dispatch, and then in August we have Bon Iver. Can't wait!

The picture at the top is from Johnny and Klane's softball game (they're the yellow and white team). Angie and I headed down to the Lower East Side last night to offer support :)

Foreign Experiences

2011-05-11T01:24:00.000-04:00

Johnny and I have been keeping ourselves very busy lately. Sadly, I keep forgetting my camera everywhere I go! It is so nice to be able to spend time outside now that the weather's nice. It has seriously changed my life. My friend Angie and I have started running on Monday mornings together. It's so fun to have someone to talk to as I run, and running 4+ miles with her goes by so quickly! I love it.

Also, last Friday night Johnny and I went to our first baseball game of the season. It was Dodgers vs Mets, and we had a great time watching it with our friends the Egans. Unfortunately, the boys (both proudly wearing identical Dodgers hats) insisted on staying all 9 innings! That was a first for me.

Monday, I got my first pedicure ever in my life. Hard to believe? I know. . . . My friend Lindsay knew I'd never gotten a pedicure before, and she gave me a gift certificate for one for Christmas. It was such a funny experience for me. I could not relax the whole time because having someone touching my feet was just such a foreign concept to me. I felt bad for her! And then, she had me sit in front of the dryer, and I assumed my toes were done when they weren't, and I ruined three of the toes, which she then squatted down on the floor and repainted. So awkward. And then, I put socks and shoes on afterward (which apparently you're not supposed to do), but luckily my toes were all right when I got home. I can never just have normal experiences, I swear.

which leads to another story. . .

Today, I went and got my hair done at a salon near our apartment (I'm blond again!). It was the weirdest thing ever. First of all, the salon was run by a 40-something Turkish man and woman who spoke to each other in Turkish the whole time. The man did my hair, and it wasn't until there were at least five foils in my hair that I began wondering how legit the salon even was. I really think it's a possibility that I got my hair done by a self-taught hairstylist today. The whole time they were trying to sell me more things (i.e., "You need full highlights....They would look much better." "You have beautiful eyebrows, but one is different shape than other. I wax them?") By the end I was just thinking, Get me out of here! In the end, he seriously styled my hair like a mid-90s Jennifer Aniston. I really disliked him in that moment. As soon as I got out of there, I stuck it up in a bun. The highlights didn't turn out how I wanted, and I was really upset right after, but I'm fine with it now. And I went through all that so I could spend $110 on my hair rather than $250. Oh, New York, you are cruel sometimes. Never again.

How do I get myself in these situations? No idea. Hopefully the rest of the week will be a little less eventful...

day-to-day-to-day

2011-05-02T19:57:00.000-04:00

Today was laundry day.

This is my laundromat:

And this is what I carry a block and a half each week:

Anyway, had to document so I feel really impressed with myself when I look back on this someday.

Johnny has been working late A LOT! He is one busy boy. I feel bad for him, and he feels bad for leaving me alone all the time. I have been very grateful that I have my kitteh to keep me company. I'm becoming a cat lady. Also, Johnny's partner Klane usually works late when Johnny does, so I have his wife (and my friend) Angie to keep me from becoming a cat lady!

Here are my thoughts as of late:

Johnny's a snoozer. I am not. I hate snoozing. In my mind, the most logical option is to not snooze because then your amount of uninterrupted sleep is maximized. However, every morning, Johnny snoozes for an hour. I try to explain my logic to him, but he just doesn't get it. He claims he could never not be a snoozer.

I fear I am becoming an actual New Yorker. I no longer feel bothered by the inconveniences of city life. In fact, they don't even feel like inconveniences anymore. I feel like we could live here indefinitely, and I'd be perfectly happy. Johnny and I warned each other of this happening, and now it is, and I just can't help it!

One good thing has come from Johnny working late: I've gotten to watch so many great movies with British accents! (Johnny will cringe when he reads this.) Have you seen Downton Abbey? No? Well, it's on Netflix instant play ;)

80 degrees

2011-04-26T17:58:00.000-04:00

I just changed my work hours to start at 7:00 each morning instead of 9:00, which leaves time for little excursions such as the one shown above. Is reading a book on the Great Lawn in Central Park just a typical afternoon for me now???! I feel very lucky.

p.s. Kindles are dangerous things. I may never buy a real book again...

update

2011-04-25T17:11:00.000-04:00

I don't know how or why, but I've gotten out of my groove of posting. Life is quite great right now. I really have no complaints. This morning I realized that it's getting warm enough that I may have to start wearing shorts running, which means exposing my white legs!

As summer is quickly approaching, I've been ordering myself some summer clothes here and there . . . and then sending pictures to Johnny of said clothes while also talking on the phone to sister about said clothes. Exhibit A:

Johnny worked late some last week. I need him around. I have a large family, and while I do enjoy alone time, I don't enjoy lonely time.

But that's what the weekends are for. I did desert him some this weekend while watching North & South on my laptop, but he was sure to get my attention every now and then with his commentary: "That movie seriously sounds so depressing." "Just hearing it is making me angry because of how depressing it sounds." "That sounds like the worst movie ever."

What a boy. (Also, I missed his softball game last week, but he hit a home run and was game MVP!)

We had a wonderful Easter weekend of eating lots of jelly beans and being together. For Easter dinner, we had enchiladas. . . . I guess the spiral ham will come once we have children?

What's my age again?

2011-04-19T18:13:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I forget that I'm only 23. That's so young!! I feel like so many people my age already talk like they're in their mid-40s or something... "Back when I was a teenager..." I guess I've just felt bogged down by responsibility lately, and that's making me feel old. Booo.

SO, Johnny and I have been staying busy as of late. He has begun his work softball league! I have not been to a game, but I will go eventually, and I will bring a camera like the over-excited proud wife that I am.

Anyway, enough writing. Spring has sprung, and I brought my camera on my jog today:

Ice Cream Weekend

2011-04-05T12:55:00.000-04:00

Oh, the weekend is a wonderful thing. I think this weekend exceeded all expectations of laziness. In a good way. We watched General Conference, Johnny got a haircut, I got ice cream with a lady friend while Johnny watched more General Conference, and then Johnny got ice cream with some men friends. And that was our Saturday. Sunday, we lazed about in bed for a good part of the day.

I tell you what. Summer cannot come soon enough. Johnny starts his work softball league next week, we have multiple concerts planned, and summer clothing is calling my name. And I cannot wait to start meeting Johnny for lunch a few days a week again.

On Friday night, we had to grab a few groceries, and while at the store, we both got a hankering for ice cream. So, naturally, we meandered over to the ice cream aisle:

Those were the prices staring us in the face. Luckily, we found some Edy's (aka Dreyer's) ice cream on sale for $5.00, so our ice cream cravings were able to be satiated. But still . . . not okay.

today's musings

2011-03-31T17:56:00.001-04:00

The weather in New York is not nice. Johnny and I have been discussing how everyone out here seems as if they're about to explode. Oh, don't mind that rain and snow due for April 1st. I contemplated going for a jog during my lunch break today and then realized it was 39 with a real feel of 27. Not worth it.

Johnny and I feud over Netflix sometimes. It's something we don't discuss and then become indignant about when we see what the other has added. Johnny even tweeted about it earlier this week.

How rude.

In an attempt to make amends, I sent him the following chat today:

Very rude again.

Also, I thought I would share a yummy meal. I miss southern barbecue. You know, moist, delicious pulled pork. Well, get 2lbs of pork shoulder, four cups of water, and a few tablespoons of liquid smoke. Cook that in your crock pot for 6-7 hours, and you've got yourself some delicious, moist pulled pork. I've made it twice now, and I never expect it to taste good because it's so easy, but it is so, so good.

our visitors for the week

2011-03-28T12:24:00.001-04:00

My sister Sarah and her friend Angelle arrived Wednesday night, and they just left this morning. They were the most gracious guests. I felt like they were showering me with gifts left and right. I received candy, a gift card, and they treated us to dinner. Oh, AND they washed all my dishes while they were here!! I would come into the kitchen, and all my dirty dishes had disappeared. It was so great!

They were pretty self-directed during their stay, and it was fun to hear about their adventures each night. I love hearing tourists' take on NYC because it reminds me of how great this city is.

While my sister was here, Persie slept in our room. She and her toys, food, and litter box are normally confined to the living room at night, so this was a real treat for her (not us). Little does she realize that tonight that treat will come to an end :)

I know. I'm awful for doing a smiley face. Poor kitteh. She's just too hyper at night.

Persie on her throne in our bedroom

We ventured across the Brooklyn Bridge with Sarah and Angelle on Saturday night, and we strolled through Central Park on Sunday afternoon.

Despite the cold weather, we enjoyed every second. Thanks, Sarah, for coming to NYC!

What it looks like...

2011-03-19T14:54:00.000-04:00

We watched the first game at the Harding's apartment. There's another game tonight! Go BYU!

the madness of march madness

2011-03-17T16:03:00.004-04:00

The title of this post should really come as no surprise. College sports are kind of a big deal in our household as I'm sure you know by now. Johnny did bring our BYU flag to work today, and he is wearing a BYU hat and a BYU blue shirt despite it being St. Patrick's Day.

Although, he did just inform me that he read that the original color for St. Patrick's Day was blue and not green. How did he of all people stumble upon this piece of information?

I did happen to take a little stroll up to the St. Patrick's Day Parade during my lunch break.

St. Patrick's Day doesn't excite me too much. I was much more excited about the weather outside (63 degrees and sunny!!).

That little boy up there was just watching the parade from his window. . . what a life.

In other news, Johnny and I took a Zipcar to New Jersey last night to go to Walmart. It was the most stressful thing of my life. We only had the car for three hours, so we were in a rush the whole time. Plus, driving in Manhattan is the most stressful thing ever. And then at the store, I was so stressed out about making sure we did not forget a single item because going to Walmart is such a rare experience. Hahaha. Finally on our way home, once we realized it was all almost over, we both just laughed at how stressed we both were. There was minimal talking until that moment. But now our apartment is stocked full of goodness!

Also, since we've been back from Vegas, Persie has not let us out of her sight. I've done most of my work with the keyboard in my lap and the mouse on the window sill because the following has been happening every day this week:

i can haz sleep here?

Las Vegas to Utah to Home

2011-03-15T22:14:00.011-04:00

Johnny's asleep on the bed right now. Our flight arrived at 6:00am this morning, and we got home at around 8:00am. And then we got up at 9:30am for work. We're pretty exhausted at this moment.

BUT, we had a great trip! We arrived in Las Vegas late Wednesday night, and then we met up with Rick and Will Thursday morning and went to the first two games.

Then we headed to the hotel, dropped off our stuff, got some dinner, and went and watched more basketball! (I brought my kindle to those games.)

this year's hotel was Excalibur

the boys in the hotel room being weird

BYU at the beginning of the first game

in a huddle before the second game

Jimmer surrounded by media after scoring 52 points

us before the championship game

We got to the championship game about an hour early and went up to our seats in the upper bowl. Then, a nice man came and gave us four tickets in the lower bowl!

our seats before the nice man came

our seats after!

We were sad to lose the third game, but it was all such a fun time. Johnny and Rick were both hoarse by the end of it all. After the game, we drove straight back to Utah. Sunday and Monday we were able to see three of my older siblings and Johnny's family.

Thankfully, Johnny's sister Sarah thought to take pictures.

Violet and Johnny

Caitlin, Violet, Bella, me

the goal was to keep Bella's attention by making funny faces... :)

It was such a fun trip! We still haven't even unpacked!

Is this real life?

2011-03-06T22:00:00.003-05:00

Johnny and I are finishing up a weekend of laziness, pure and simple.

Johnny has been sick, sick, sick. He's either on DayQuil or NyQuil at all times, and he hasn't gotten out of bed much at all. I told him that tomorrow he has to go back to real life, so he better be well enough to do so.

A few good things have come from this weekend. We watched such a good documentary. It's called Which Way Home. And, it's on Netflix instant play right now.

We also watched a documentary about North Korean refugees and then one about a Mexican mariachi singer. I felt sad by the end of our documentary marathon, and I don't think I can ever again complain about my life.

I finally finished reading Atlas Shrugged. I've been reading this book off and on for almost a year. I would recommend this book to everyone. I loved it. It's very interesting, and it makes you think. I hear The Fountainhead is pretty good as well, so I think I will be reading that one next!

BYU won their basketball game, which was good, considering the craziness with the team this week. If you didn't hear about it, suffice it to say that Brandon Davies was a trending topic on Twitter. Poor guy.

Well, I best get off to play online battleship with Johnny. We are adults.

In three days we leave for Las Vegas! This trip can't come soon enough.

BYU vs SDSU and Scrabble

2011-02-28T13:15:00.003-05:00

So this weekend was great.

I wish it weren't over. On Saturday Johnny woke up bright and early in anticipation of the BYU vs SDSU game. He said he felt as excited as Christmas morning. Oh boy. We watched the game with our friends the Hardings and the Laidlaws, and Angie fixed us delicious barbecue sandwiches and mac and cheese for lunch. We were so nervous/excited about the game. And then we won!!! All of us were very happy people (especially the husbands).

I forgot to take a picture of the Laidlaws.

Johnny and I wore the shirts he made!!

Sunday was another fun, relaxing day. On Sunday night Johnny and I decided to play a friendly game of Scrabble, and Persie insisted on being a part of the fun.

Hahaha. I really don't think she knows she's a cat.

Stuff I Think About

2011-02-25T16:28:00.004-05:00

It's always nice having something to look forward to. We have a little less than two weeks before we head out to Las Vegas for the tournament. Admittedly, Las Vegas is not one of my favorite cities, but a break from life + BYU basketball + road tripping + seeing family + warm weather should make for a fun getaway.

Last weekend, one of my brother's friends stopped in Vegas on his way to California and picked up our tickets. Hooray!

my brother showing me the loot

Also, tomorrow is a huge BYU basketball game. My stomach squirms just thinking about it.

In other news, Johnny and I are now proud owners of a 72-hour backpack. We've recently been discussing what we would do in an emergency, and we realized we should probably have one. That and a few extra gallons of water are about all we can do in the way of having food storage out here. The night we ordered it, I fell asleep imagining myself putting the backpack on, putting Persie in her carrier, and putting on running shoes and booking it off the island. I have dramatic thoughts, haha. But I guess it's best to be prepared!

Along that line, we've also been sticking to a rather strict budget. I guess these are just natural changes on our path to responsible adulthood? What has happened to us? And yet, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's pretty fun!

Pinkberry in February

2011-02-18T18:14:00.001-05:00

Oh yes, yes I did. It was wonderful. Lucky for you, I take pictures of myself throughout the day to send to Johnny. Today's weather has been perfect-o. I wish I could tell you that I went and had a picnic in Central Park and then rode a bike around New York City with Persie in the front basket. That would be perfection. Unfortunately, I was working all day (and still am, really), but I did venture out a few times to do laundry and go to pinkberry. Notice the t-shirt that I sport in the above picture. Short sleeves!!

Some things of note:

For some reason I had never read any Shannon Hale books. Since getting The Goose Girl and Austenland from my friend Lindsay, I have read not only those, but Princess Academy and Book of a Thousand Days. They're just lighthearted, wonderful reads. I loved The Goose Girl and LOVED Book of a Thousand Days.

Also, did you all know that Johnny + Jimmer = Love? It does. Almost a month ago, Johnny created this website called jimmerpoy.com, and it's basically all things Jimmer: stats, facts, and info on why Jimmer should be player of the year. I love that Johnny's such a big BYU fan and that he shows his devotion in such creative ways. I love my boy (I'm referring to Johnny, duh.).

The long weekend is here, and I couldn't be happier!

A Taste of Spring?

2011-02-16T14:34:00.003-05:00

Just when I think I can't take the cold anymore, I see a forecast like this:

Yessssss. Tomorrow and Friday I will be running around the streets of New York with a look of pure joy on my face. In fact, I was doing that on Valentine's Day because a) it was Valentine's Day, and b) it was 54 degrees out. Weather does affect my quality of life. It's a fact.

I sent the following pictures to Johnny this week:

In the first one, she was like that for several minutes, just gazing at the happenings in the street below. What a funny little girl. The second one, I don't even know. I'm just glad I had my camera right there.

Valentine's Day was lovely. Everything about it made for a perfect evening with Johnny. He's pretty great.

I'm Baaack!

2011-02-14T10:03:00.007-05:00

Well, I'm finally back in NYC after a week in Utah. The whole time I was there, all I could think was, "It feels like I never left!" In fact, I think I might have said that to everyone that I talked to for more than 5 seconds. I was kept quite busy with work meetings, waking up at 6:00 every morning and heading into downtown SLC with one of my favorite friends and coworkers Heather. We carpooled together just like old times. We sat through the meetings together and kept each other thoroughly entertained.

I also got to see a lot of my family, which was a huge bonus to the trip. I saw my brother, Rick, my sister Melyssa and her kids, my sister Sarah and her family, my in-laws, my brother-in-law Will, and my sister-in-law Sarah and her kids. Yay! The following are the only pictures I got from the trip, one of which I stole from my sister-in-law's blog:

Left: my nieces Bella and Violet; Right: my nieces Eva and Attie

I also made sure to fill up on Rubio's, In-N-Out, and Cafe Rio. Mmmm. And I saw True Grit with my sister Melyssa while I was there, which I have to take Johnny to see now. I also watched a BYU basketball game at Johnny's parents' house, just like old times. It was wonderful!

Time flew by, and now I am back at home with my boy Johnny. It was so great to see him for the first time after a long time. It felt like it'd been forever. It was a fun and busy week and I already miss my family in Utah, but I'm happy to be back with Johnny!

p.s. Happy Valentine's Day!!

To Utah I Go

2011-02-07T12:31:00.001-05:00

photo by Johnny's mom, Jan

You ever have those days when you have so much stuff to get done that you don't even know where to begin? Yeah, that's my day today. I'm leaving for Utah tomorrow for work meetings, which hasn't even fully sunk in, and my list of to-dos today is out of control.

I only have the ability to focus on one thing at a time. Anyone else like this? I've talked to my friend Angie about this because, like most wonderwomen, she is able to multitask like a fiend. She's making cookies, telling a story, and texting all at the same time and making it look effortless. When we first started baking together, I had to warn her that I would need to take a break from talking so I could focus on the recipe in front of me. NO JOKE.

SO, back to the matter at hand. I have a billion things to get done before I leave tomorrow, and my mind is spinning, so naturally I decided to take a few minutes to write a post. My priorities are in line, obviously.

In anticipation of my departure, Johnny rented a free 10-day trial of GameFly, which is basically a Netflix for video games, so I think he'll be fine while I'm gone. My only concern is that he won't eat anything. I have never left Johnny to go somewhere. I have always been the one to get left, which is way worse because you're left with a gaping hole in your life. The other person, on the other hand gets to go have an adventure for a few days. This time, that's ME!! {insert evil laugh}. But, just watch. I'll probably be the one crying when we part ways tomorrow morning.

Well, time to make a detailed list and try to focus on just one thing at a time... wish me luck!

How We Met

2011-02-04T14:55:00.005-05:00

It just occurred to me that I have never written down the story of how Johnny and I met, and since it's the month for love, I thought, yeahhh, of course everyone wants to hear this:

I was starting my sophomore year at BYU, and technically I first met Johnny when I went to check into my apartment complex. He worked for the apartment complex, and there he was, sitting at the desk wearing a yellow pocket tee. But Johnny does not even remember this encounter, and I didn't think much about him at the time, other than that he seemed like an interesting and funny person. He told me not to lick the walls because they might have remnants of lead paint on them and to not put paint chips in my cereal (which I found out later he said to everyone).

He worked at the grill by the pool in the afternoons.

School started and I saw him around our complex a few times. I remember thinking that he seemed old, and I assumed that he was probably out of college already. But then I realized he was in my ward at church. Still, I did not think of him much other than that, and he says that he saw me at church but that I seemed very unapproachable.

Then Johnny's roommate Jeff just happened to be in one of my classes, and he and I recognized each other from church, and we became fast friends. Jeff invited me to go to a movie with him and some of his buddies (one of which was Johnny, but I didn't know that). I was super into clothes back then, and I remember seeing Johnny at the theater and thinking how much I loved his style. Hahaha. I know, but that is what I thought. Instead, I said, "You guys seem really old to me." So I think he thought I hated him.

And then we got into the movie, and Johnny was sitting on one side of me, and his cologne smelled soooo good. I was thinking I could fall in love with this guy just because of his cologne! Still, he wasn't the kind of guy I was normally interested in, so I didn't think much other than that. The movie we went to see ended up being super lame, and Johnny got up and left to make a phone call during it and didn't come back. When the movie got out, Johnny was waiting for us in the hall. All of us rode home together, and Johnny struck up a conversation with me. I was so surprised at how easily we talked to each other because I didn't think we would be alike at all. That night I got home and told my roommate, "I think I could like him." In reality, I knew I already liked him.

The next day was a Sunday and I was determined to make sure I didn't let this guy pass me by. During ward prayer (If you didn't go to BYU, this is where all the students in your ward at church get together to say a prayer and eat treats on Sunday nights.), I saw that there weren't enough treats for everyone, and I invited Johnny and his roommate to come to my apartment for pumpkin ice cream and a game. I had a one track mind at this point and it was Johnny. A couple other guys came, too, and my roommates and I and the boys ate ice cream and played truth-or-dare Jenga. Hahaha. Afterward, I had a friendly conversation with Johnny in the hall, and then he and his roommate left. As he walked away, I told him to call me if he ever wanted to hang out, and then, just as I planned, he asked for my number : )

The rest is history from there. We saw each other every day after that, whether it was getting slurpies at 7-11, me meeting him by the grill at our apartment complex where he made hamburgers for the residents, or getting shakes at the Malt Shoppe. That Saturday we went on our first official date together, which was stargazing up at Sundance for one of his astronomy classes. We didn't kiss. That didn't come for a couple more weeks. But I do remember listening to Death Cab and Kalai and talking a lot. And I remember his sister Caitlin calling and asking him if we were cuddling, hahaha.

visiting Alabama to meet my parents---taken just a couple days before he proposed

It was a perfect beginning. And when he proposed, we were laying under the stars again.

Awake

2011-02-02T07:28:00.002-05:00

I'm awake, but I'd like to still be asleep. Believe it or not, Johnny and I don't usually get up until after 8:00 each day. We're just on a different system out here. In Utah it was 6:00. My friend Persie is sitting next to me. She's the culprit WHO WOKE ME UP (and just stepped on the caps lock) by walking on my stomach and boobs until I got up and fed her.

Normally, she sleeps in the living room, but we decided to let her sleep in our room last night because she had a hard day. Our neighbors were smoking pot again. It seeps up into our apartment from the one corner of our bedroom, and our apartment fills with the smell. And there Persie was, sleeping in that corner all day. I didn't know it could affect her, but the poor little thing was high as a kite, and when Johnny got home, she ran out the door, down our stairs and to the front door of the building in no time, and she didn't want to go back to the apartment. It was the strangest thing. And then she wouldn't let us touch her for a while.

So she had a rough night. We felt bad. I finally called the landlord and let him know what was up and that it needed to stop.

Anyway, that's my story for the day. Have a good day, everybody! I wonder if the groundhog will see his shadow...

Languages of Love

2011-01-31T14:05:00.003-05:00

photo by Johnny's mom, Jan

With Valentine's Day coming in two weeks, I thought I'd share a funny conversation Johnny and I had last night.

I'm sure most of you know about the five love languages. Well, I decided to ask Johnny what makes him feel the most loved. He actually thought about it, and said he likes when we are close to each other and when I tell him I love him. And then he pointed out that a lot of times he will go into the room I am in specifically to be near me, and I will just get up and go into the other room for one reason or another. We were both laughing because it is so true. I do not think about proximity at all. Hahaha. So then he asked me the question, and I told him that I feel loved when he gives me a thoughtful gift or does some sort of service for me, like cleaning the apartment. Once again we started laughing because in Johnny's mind the most logical thing is for me to tell him how I want him to help out around the house, and in my mind I am secretly hoping he will surprise me by doing the dishes or making the bed (which he does do occasionally). Anyway, I thought it was weird because we've never really talked about it, and I think we understand each other better now. It's funny the things you can learn even after 3 1/2 years.

p.s. I am very excited for January to be over! I think it is my least favorite month.

We Win!!

2011-01-27T16:57:00.003-05:00

Last night will be a night for remembering. Our BYU boys (#9) played SDSU (#4). I felt like the whole day was leading up to the game that night, which didn't start until 10:00 our time. This was the scene at our little apartment:

a little bit of this...

and a LOT of this

We won by 13 points and our boy Jimmer scored 43!!! It all turned out better than I ever could have imagined. The Hardings had family at the game, and Johnny and I had family at the game, and we were all jealous of the amazing atmosphere they were a part of. After we won, there was hugging, high-fiving, and some strange hand slaps between Johnny and Klane. Those two were high on Jimmer.

Meanwhile, it was looking like this outside:

The poor Hardings had to go home at 1:00 in the morning a snowstorm! I have NO IDEA how they made it home, but I've heard from Angie today, so at least I know they're alive and well. I'm so glad they were willing to trudge over to our place for such a great night!!

Brrr!

2011-01-24T18:38:00.001-05:00

How is it already nighttime?? This day has flown by, and I still have so many things to get done. I gotta make this quick because I promised myself I'd have the apartment clean before Johnny gets home from work.

The above picture is a still-shot of the birthday video we did for our niece Violet who turned one last week. Persie's a really good sport.
It's been suuupper cold here. I hate cold weather. Yes, hate is a strong word, and I'm still using it. Not sure why, but I still haven't gotten around to buying tights ever since I purged my wardrobe of them after working for the LDS church one summer. Therefore, on the way to church yesterday, I suffered immensely.
Because of said cold weather, I've been watching more shows. For a while now I've been in love with Parenthood. And then last week they played two Azure Ray songs in one episode, and I became even more obsessed.
As soon as Johnny gets home, I get the TV turned to Jeopardy!, and last week I was pretty impressed with our skills (except for the category on spiders...stupid).
I really, really appreciate good friends. My favorite night last week was when I went to Angie's and she fixed us an amazing dinner and, as our husbands whittled away the hours at the office, we watched the fourth HP movie together. Perfect, nerdy, relaxing night.
This Wednesday is the BYU/SDSU game. I'm freaking out. I can't wait. I'm scared/excited/nervous and whatnot. Weeee!

That's all. Have a happy week!

thoughts for the day

2011-01-20T14:26:00.003-05:00

I've recently been taking the pictures from our external hard-drive and organizing them on our big computer, as I call it, which is where the above gem comes from. That picture is from January '07. Johnny and I were dating, he had mono, and apparently I used to choke him back then. Ah, good times.

This has been a weird week. We've gone to sleep at like 3 every night. This morning I was in charge of waking us up, but when my alarm went off, I just kept thinking, "Joanna, you should let Johnny sleep in. He's had a long week." Even my subconscious knows to pretend that I'm being thoughtful of my husband and not just lazy.

The neighbors below us are so strange. I can't even begin to imagine what kind of people they are. Right now songs such as "Dynamite" are blasting and a girl is singing at the top of her lungs to it. And last night as we walked past their door, it once again reeked of pot. This is a weekly occurrence.

At the end of last week, I was going to drop off Netflix, and I saw a car drive by with a Christmas tree stuck beneath it, being dragged along. (Despite it being mid-January, there are still countless thrown-out Christmas trees on the side of the street.) I was secretly glad that I didn't have to be responsible for telling the driver. THEN, I saw the car at a red light, the Christmas tree still there, so I approached the car window and knocked on it. Of course the driver had to be one of those born-and-raised-in-NYC kind of men of whom I am terrified, but I matter-of-factly told him the dealio. He laughed quite hard, and I then continued on my quest to the mailbox.

Anyway, those are all my exciting stories. I must write them down for remembering. Also, I recently began writing on 750words.com all the thoughts that I wouldn't want to look back on and read in a journal. It's good if you tend to brood like I do.

Third Time's the Charm

2011-01-18T15:55:00.001-05:00

Well, it's official: we're headed back to Vegas for the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament in March this year. It'll be our third year to go, and I have a good feeling about it. Johnny's brother Will and my brother, Rick, will join us just like old times. Can't wait!

Pictures and a Drawing

2011-01-12T17:44:00.005-05:00

This morning we woke to a fresh blanket of snow covering everything. I think we only got about six inches, so Johnny didn't get a snow day (boo!). I had all these expectations of spending the day with him. Alas, one can hope. When I went jogging around the reservoir today, I brought my camera.

In other news, Johnny had a funny/neat thing happen on his subway ride home last night. As he was riding, he saw a man sketching a woman across from him. Johnny was enraptured with the guy's ability and speed. Within a matter of minutes he had finished the picture and handed it to the woman as she left the subway car. Johnny saw the man looking around for a new subject to draw and to Johnny's surprise, the man started drawing him! Haha. Half the subway car was watching this man sketch Johnny! Anyway, below is the picture. Isn't it great?

Winter

2011-01-11T13:46:00.005-05:00

Last Friday we had a few inches of snow, which promptly melted, but my view out the window did look like the above picture for a few hours. We are supposed to be getting a rather hefty load of snow tonight. I'm excited---anything to mix up the dullness that is January. Although, so far we have managed to keep things somewhat interesting around here.

We got a Costco card from Johnny's Grandparents for Christmas, and, feeling extremely ambitious, we decided to take a duffel bag and backpack and make the trek to Costco via bus last week. The thought of the walk and bus ride home left our minds as soon as we entered that magnificent store, and we bought whatever we felt like. Somehow we stuffed almost everything into the backpack and duffel bag, both of which weighed like 50 pounds (not exaggerating), and Johnny carried both. I carried canned cat food, chips, and bread (which was harder than it sounds, people!). We walked the 4 blocks to the bus stop. Waited half an hour for the bus. Rode the bus. Walked the 4 blocks home. It was mind over matter, and Johnny's whisperings of, "Okay, 3 more blocks . . . 2 more blocks . . ." were all that kept me going. I'm sure we were a sight to see. I have never been so happy to arrive home.
I managed to catch one of our kitchen towels on fire, and Johnny walked into the kitchen to find me precariously transporting a towel all aflame to the sink.
I'm rereading the Harry Potter books. When I am too engrossed, Johnny gets my attention by reading aloud over my shoulder in a British accent.
We've been religiously watching/listening to all the BYU basketball games. This is the best I've ever seen our team (ranked 10 in Coach's Poll right now!), and Jimmer is so fun to watch. It gives us something fun to look forward to a couple nights a week.

That's about it. As I write this, I can hear my landlord talking loudly in his office, which shares a wall with our apartment. A couple days ago, I heard him saying, "fuhgeddaboudit, fuhgeddaboudit" and all I could think was, "Huh, people really do say it like that."

Lastly, I will leave you with a picture of Persie, the balancing cat.

Out with the Old

2011-01-05T16:42:00.006-05:00

During that short span of time after college when Johnny and I lived in a townhouse, we had very little clutter or disorganization. Frankly, several cabinets were completely bare. That's not quite the case in our apartment we live in now. I avoid the following areas: the cupboard under the bathroom sink, the kitchen closet, and my sock drawer---just to name a few. Well, those areas need be avoided no more! I have organized them and thrown out what doesn't belong. And my bedroom closet will be next!

When I visited my friend Lindsay last night, she was doing the same. One cannot hoard anything out here, not even books. I am saying goodbye to 15 books that lined my shelves just yesterday.

This decluttering is not one of my resolutions per se, but Johnny and I made a few of those as well. As part of one of my new year's goals, I went running yesterday around the above green blob. Don't worry, it's only 1.58 miles long. It was beautiful and muddy from all the melted snow. January may be one of the more depressing months, but at least it gives us all a fresh start.

Back to Life

2011-01-03T12:54:00.000-05:00

Johnny and I arrived back to our apartment last night. We were supposed to get back on Saturday, but our flight was canceled, so we ended up spending another day with my family. I video-chatted with them last night, and I already miss them.

I can't begin to tell you how great it felt to get back home. Even if our apartment is small, it is home. Johnny said it felt like we'd never left.

Our cat, Persie, stayed with our friends Pat and Lindsay, and it was fun to see her after so long. Today she has been rather clingy, and she hasn't allowed me out of her sight. Haha. It is really cute. Lindsay sent me some great pics of Persie while we were gone.

I went back to my natural color while in Alabama. The first few inches of my hair weren't even dyed, so I think the color is spot on. It might not be as stunning as being blonde, but for right now I am just relieved to not have to worry about roots!

I am excited to plan out some resolutions for the new year as soon as I get my life back in order. Johnny and I are back to work, our refrigerator is empty, and I have about a million thank-you notes to write, but it feels great to be back home!

A Look Back at 2010

2011-01-02T23:22:00.005-05:00

This past year was a big year for us.

In January we lived with Johnny's parents, and I began working full time. We also got a new niece named Violet!

In February we moved into a townhouse in Pleasant Grove, UT, and we bought our first car.

March brought the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament in Vegas, and Johnny's sister Caitlin got married!

Johnny and I joined his work's softball team in April.

In May Johnny's grandpa passed away, and we returned to California for his funeral.

We celebrated my 23rd birthday and Johnny's 25th in June, and Johnny got a job in NYC! The hunt for apartments began.

We drove across the country in July and moved into a 450-square-foot apartment. We also got our kitty, Persie and went sailing for the first time. We also got a new niece named Finley!

In August we went to see the Yankees and the Mets and went to the beach!

September meant the start of BYU's football season and the discovery of the best chocolate chip cookies EVER.

We had visitors in October, and we loved every second of it.

We spent Thanksgiving in the City in November, and we attended concerts and figured out how NYC radiators work.

In December, we both got new winter coats to brave the NYC winters, and we drove up to Glens Falls, NY, for a BYU basketball game. We also got to visit my family in AL and celebrate Christmas there!

I never could have predicted what 2010 would bring, but it was wonderful. Johnny and I are so thankful for our great life. I can't wait to experience 2011!

More Fleming Fun

2011-01-01T00:41:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow Johnny and I fly back to NYC, but before we go, here's a look at our good times with my family in Alabama.

We fished.

my youngest sister, Lia

Johnny

my sister Hannah, multitasking :)

my sister Jill

my brother Rick with a fish

Johnny and his fish

We played Risk.

We arm-wrestled :)

We played Frisbee golf.

And my Mom somehow coerced us into making a pyramid.

We are really gonna miss my family, but we're so happy we got to spend time with them!

Christmas 2010 in Alabama

2010-12-29T21:26:00.001-05:00

We are having a great time at my parents' house in Alabama right now. The following are some pictures from our trip so far:

my parents' dog, Bear

Christmas decor

the tree

my boy and me

the family on Christmas Eve

Christmas morning

snow---in Alabama!

It snowed all day Christmas day. We had a white Christmas! Because of the two inches of snow, church was canceled the next day :)

taking pictures in the snow

My Two Besties

2010-12-17T19:43:00.002-05:00

As I'm fixing dinner, my two favorites are zonked out on the bed.

p.s. Christmas in 8 days!

The New York Life

2010-12-15T18:31:00.003-05:00

I love our life out here. On this blog, it may seem like life in the Big Apple is exciting and picturesque. At times it is, and I feel very lucky in those moments. But there are sacrifices and not so idyllic facts about life out here. Just so non-New Yorkers realize, let me enlighten you:

We don't have a dishwasher or a disposal.

Our heat comes from a metal pole that pushes hot water into the radiator, which then heats up our apartment by emitting steam. Oh, and we have no control over it.

Our groceries are quite pricey, and we get them delivered because our closest grocer is more expensive than delivery. Stores like Walmart and Target are far, far away.

We walk a block and a half to the laundromat each week. Each load costs $3.00 and the dryers cost $0.25 per 5 minutes.

So there ya go! I could even add more to that list if I wanted but I won't. We love being out here. Sometimes I can't imagine leaving! But the next time you think the New York life looks more picturesque than your own, just go and turn on your disposal and listen to its beautiful sound.

Well, Hello!

2010-12-13T11:52:00.004-05:00

The above video is me documenting one of Persie's favorite playtime activities. We love our funny little girl.

I have been all about the Christmas movies lately. It's been cold outside, and it's about this time every year that I realize how much I despise the cold! (I may possibly hate it more here than anywhere else.) Despite living in Utah for the past 5 years, Johnny and I had to purchase new winter coats in order to brave the cold out here. That is how awful it is. That being said, I have been... let's say... less than motivated to go outside. So Christmas movies have consumed most of our nights as of late. It's amazing how much can be gotten done with a Christmas movie on: knitting, cleaning, wrapping gifts, organizing closets, and eating lots of chocolaty goodness.

I cannot believe that Christmas is coming so quickly! Here's what I'm looking forward to:

snow. New York, SNOW already! Come on! There were flurries last week one day, and I about lost it with excitement, but now I am ready for the real thing.
going to visit my family in Alabama
getting more Christmas cards from family and friends (They make my day!)
getting my hair done in AL... my hair is a disgrace. You can all feel better about yourselves in knowing my hair has not been touched by a trained professional since April. APRIL.
presents!!! (both giving and getting!)

On a less secular note, I am also excited to read the Christmas story this year. I have literally always just read Luke: 2, but our church's Ensign this month gave the following list of other places in the scriptures where the Christmas story can be found, and I am excited to read them all with Johnny.

Old Testament	New Testament	Book of Mormon	Doctrine and Covenants	Pearl of Great Price
Isaiah 7:14; 9:6–7	Matthew 1–2	1 Nephi 10:4–6; 11:13–21	D&C 76:41	Moses 5:57
Micah 5:2	John 1:1–14	Alma 7:9–13	D&C 93:1–4
		Helaman 14:1–9
		3 Nephi 1

Our Trip to Glens Falls, NY

2010-12-09T19:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday afternoon Johnny and I hopped in a rental car and drove up to Glens Falls, NY, for the BYU basketball game. Glens Falls is the hometown of Jimmer Fredette, and he's one of the best players BYU has had in a long time. Johnny and I just couldn't resist going to see our boys play.

First off, let me say that it was weird to see wide open spaces again. I had kind of forgotten that not everywhere is like Manhattan.

The trip was about 3 1/2 hours, and it was so nice to just be in a car again. We drove by communities and I would say things like, "Look! A mall!" or "Look at all those houses!" It was just so fun. We listened to Christmas music and just enjoyed the drive. I have always loved road trips.

Glens Falls itself was literally in the middle of nowhere. I mean, seriously. It was very rural, with a very small-town feel to it.

It was freezing up in Glens Falls. I think NYC is cold, but up there it was SO COLD. The game started at 7:00, and we got there at 5:30, right when the doors opened.

Aside from the occasional Vermont fan, everyone there was rooting for BYU. It was so neat. Many people had bought BYU gear just for this game. The whole town showed up to watch Jimmer play! Johnny kept commenting on how weird it was to see people wearing BYU gear and holding a beer!

BYU shirt + Budweiser in lap

The game was great. Jimmer played great. All our BYU players played great. When they announced Jimmer at the beginning, everyone gave him a minute-long standing ovation. The same thing happened when he left the game at the end. It was a really fun atmosphere and we won big time!

Johnny and I got back to our apartment at 2:30 in the morning after we stopped at a super Walmart on the way home. I was freaking out at how cheap everything was. I almost loved that part of our trip as much as the game itself :)

Park Avenue Tree Lighting

2010-12-09T03:21:00.001-05:00

On Sunday night Johnny and I headed up a few blocks to the Park Avenue tree lighting. Many people around the city meet at a church on Park Avenue to sing hymns and watch the lighting of the trees.

I'm not gonna lie. It was freezing cold, but it was really neat to sing hymns and feel the Christmas spirit with our neighborhood.

We met up with the Hardings and Alexa, and we also saw some of our church friends at the event. Although our faces were frozen, at least they were smiling.

Afterwards, the Hardings and Alexa came to our house to watch our church's Christmas devotional and enjoy hot chocolate and Christmas sugar cookies!

It was a perfect Sunday night. Isn't Christmastime wonderful?

pictures thanks to Angie and Alexa :)

The most wonderful time of the year...

2010-12-04T17:21:00.001-05:00

Johnny and I have been a bit reclusive lately. He took two days off work this week, and we have been cozied up in our little apartment all week. Really, it has been wonderful. I've been needing a breather from constantly going and doing. Today, however, we ventured out to do some Christmas shopping around the city. I was not aware of this, but apparently Saturdays in December mean Christmas shopping in the city for everyone!

Here is what we did and saw along the way:

We stopped inside St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was full of people, some walking about, some just sitting and soaking it up. Others were offering silent prayers. Isn't it beautiful? I had never been inside. It was finished in 1878... Sometime I will take a picture and post it of the outside, which is just as amazing.

We walked past the Rockefeller tree! See all the people? Yeah, no more Saturday shopping this month. The tree is even more marvelous at night, although I failed to bring my camera when we did our nighttime stroll by it.

Lots of NYC policemen were directing traffic. Everyone had a shopping bag full of Christmas gifts (I'd like to think!). Johnny was like a man on a mission. He got us through these crowds in no time.

I LOVE the Christmas decorations throughout the city. This is just one of many we saw. Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!

I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but those are carolers in front of the library. I think they were school-aged children. I can't remember the song they were singing, but I loved it.

Anyway, the city is magical at Christmastime. We still haven't been to Macy's on 34th Street, but when we go, I will sit on Santa's lap and take lots of pictures.

I sent out our Christmas cards today! Look for them in the mail!

Thanksgiving Day 2010

2010-11-28T21:32:00.001-05:00

We spent Thanksgiving in the city this year with our friends the Koellings, Hardings, and Alexa.

Thursday morning Johnny and I headed to Central Park so he could participate in the church turkey bowl. While he played, I jogged around the reservoir in Central Park. We were both famished and exhausted by the time we made it home.

I went home a bit before Johnny so I could start making the rolls and corn pudding, which I tried to time perfectly so that they would be fresh out of the oven when we made our trek to the Koellings at 2:00pm.

All the girls split the cooking responsibilities, and it was so fun to converge with all our yummy food.

everyone else patiently waiting while the girls got the food ready

cranberry sauce and rolls

salad

turkey, gravy, yams, and stuffing

mashed potatoes and corn pudding

all the bakers!


sparkling cider!

Mmmm

pumpkin pie for dessert

After we ate, we all took a quiz to test our knowledge about Thanksgiving. I was kind of skeptical of doing such a thing (52 questions!), but it ended up being a lot of fun!

Thanksgiving quiz

After the quiz, we played Catch Phrase, which was super entertaining, and then we all just talked and had a good time together.

playing Catch Phrase

don't know what to say about us...

Overall, this Thanksgiving will probably end up being one of our most memorable!

Last Thankful Post + Macy's Parade Balloons

2010-11-25T00:51:00.004-05:00

It's 12:30am. I am so happy that tomorrow is Thanksgiving! The holiday spirit has already begun to creep into my bones this week.

Earlier tonight we went and did some Christmas shopping. The stores were playing Christmas music and a light display hanging from the ceiling of the mall was flashing different colored lights to the beat of the Christmas songs. People were out and about in the city with their loved ones.

On the way home, we went and looked at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, all blown up and ready for their debut tomorrow morning:

taken from my friend Lindsay's blog

As we walked, Christmas music was playing on outside speakers, and being bundled up against the brisk air felt so appropriate for the season. We almost didn't even stop by, but I am so glad we did.

I am so thankful for this time Johnny and I have off work to spend with each other. Our home is a happy home. Johnny is playing Call of Duty right now and I just stuck two pumpkin pies in the oven.

One more list of thankfuls in honor of Thanksgiving tomorrow:

I am thankful

that Johnny ran to the store to get me evaporated milk at 11:00pm;
for a warm apartment;
for a husband who helped me cook dinner tonight---It made me feel so happy;
for friends to celebrate Thanksgiving with tomorrow, who are my family out here;
for good books to read over the break;
for warm blankets and thick socks;
to have a job doing what I love;
that Johnny has a job doing what he loves;
that we are young and healthy;
for prayer, which I take for granted; and
for the upcoming holiday season in New York City.

The list could go on and on. I hope this post finds all of you well and happy. Tomorrow is a day to forget all of our worries and just love the ones we're with.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday Night Revisited

2010-11-22T15:51:00.003-05:00

Thanks to some scattered picture-taking throughout the night, I will forever remember the following:

Lindsay's funny faces anytime I took my camera out,

Lindsay's almost immediate decision to make herself at home in Alexa's bed,

Alexa's impeccable style and charm,

the cutest studio in Manhattan,

the birthday girl with the birthday cake maker,

Angie and Casey talking girl talk on the daybed,

the candles that threw sparks at anyone who dared go near them,

Amanda curled up in the overstuffed armchair,

and me at the table eating the delicious red velvet cake.

Just from looking at these, so many memories from Friday night came rushing back, along with a few laughs.

Moral of the story: take pictures even when you don't feel like it :)

fantastico

2010-11-22T00:17:00.003-05:00

This weekend was so great!

I love weekends like this. It has been busy but oh so much fun.

Friday night was a girls' night to celebrate Angie's birthday. Girls' nights are the best, especially when you are with girls like the ones in the picture below. I loved spending time with every single one of them!

Amanda, Casey, me, Lindsay, Angie, Alexa

Saturday morning we went and saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 with Angie and Klane. Harry Potter makes me happy. After seeing the movie, I was inspired to read all of the books again. I have forgotten so much!

Saturday afternoon my friend Lindsay took pictures of us for our Christmas card. The following is a little peek of where we went and how we looked:

Lindsay did a great job. I feel very lucky to have such a talented and willing friend! You can go to her blog to see more pictures from that day.

Saturday night we watched the BYU football game with a few friends. Afterward, the husbands played video games and the wives watched a movie. It was a super fun night! We've been very fortunate to make some great friends out here, and it's made our New York experience better than I ever could have expected!

********************

Giving Thanks: I am grateful for my husband! Johnny has so many great attributes that I admire. He is ambitious and loving and such a great listener. He makes people feel better about themselves when they speak to him. When I am upset, Johnny knows just what to say or do to calm me down and help me realize that everything will be all right.

Johnny's also one of the funniest people I know. He makes me laugh all the time, and I love seeing him make others laugh as well.

I am so thankful to have someone that knows me for me and sees me at my highest and my lowest and still loves me more than anything. I am super excited to spend the upcoming Thanksgiving in the City with my boy!

side note: Notice the 'stache? Johnny is participating in Movember at his work to raise money for testicular cancer. If you'd like to donate to Johnny's mustache, click here.

Jimmy Fallon

2010-11-19T13:14:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday night I went to Jimmy Fallon with Angie. We'd had this planned for a few weeks, and our husbands were supposed to come with us, but that didn't happen. They were busy with work and bailed on us at the last second, so Angie and I just went on our own.

When I arrived at the Rockefeller Center, this is what I beheld:

I remained calm, but in my head I was jumping for joy! The Rockefeller tree! It doesn't get lit up until the end of November, but there it is in all its scaffolding glory!

With the mixture of the ice skaters and the tree, I was feeling very festive!

Yes, there are men in the tree. See how tiny they look? They are like little elves! The men were putting lights in the tree and trimming it just right.

tree trimmings

After Angie and I had taken a sufficient amount of pictures outside, we went into the Rockefeller building for Jimmy Fallon.

This show was the most fun I have had at a live taping. While we were in line, members of Jimmy Fallon's staff went around asking if there were any die-hard Harry Potter fans. Despite being a bit wary of what we would be asked to do, Angie and I admitted our fanhood and were ushered over to a corner with about 10 other people. There we were interviewed separately and asked Harry Potter questions. (Angie and I got our questions right, of course!) I was asked the following:

Who is Crookshanks?
What are Nearly Headless Nick and Moaning Myrtle?
If you do the spell incendio, what are you making?

However, we were not picked for the show. Once we saw who they chose, we realized what they were really looking for . . .

. . . nerdy HP fans. How rude!

However, our seats were on the front row! We had a great view of the entire show. I watched the show that night, and the audience wasn't shown even once. There was a shot for a split second in which you can kind of see the back of our heads:

Proof! We were there!

It really was such a fun time. Our husbands really missed out : )