Weekend Fun

We had a great weekend. My little brother, Braden, came to town on Friday night. He got here around 9:30 PM and by 9:45, he was already out with his friends. I guess he wasn't too excited to hang out with an old married couple. The only time we actually saw him was Saturday evening when he took us out to dinner. We all went to the last Cowboys football game of the season, but he sat with his friends down in the student section with all the "crazies", so we opted not to sit by him. The weather was amazing on Saturday for the game, and although the Cowboys lost the ol Bronze Boot (I think that's right?) to CSU it was still fun.

I convinced Steven to go to Twilight with me so we had planned to go Saturday night, but we both ended up not feeling well or like going by the time it rolled around. So instead, I watched a whole lot of HGTV and Food Network while Steven studied for his exam today. I was lucky enough to get a show of Steven's version of Michael Jackson's Thiller dance. Probably the funniest thing I've ever seen! I wish I would have got it on video...maybe I'll convince him to show me again.
I ended up not feeling well most of Sunday, so I missed out on church. Steven was pumped to go to nursery without me :)

Speaking of Twilight, we just got back from the movie. I'm glad I was able to get all of your reviews of the movie before seeing it so I knew what to expect. I think I'm in agreement with the majority of people who thought it was good, but not great. I jumped on the whole Twilight bandwagon a little late. I'm not as "die hard fan" as a lot of people, in fact it took me a long time to get through the first two books, but I was determined to finish them all before I saw the movie. I actually just finished Breaking Dawn this morning and have two things to say about it:
1) Renesmee? What an awful name. It drove me nuts throughout the entire book. I see how it makes sense, but I officially hate this name.
2) I thought it was a little on the racy side. I'm glad I don't have a pre-teen daughter, because I would never let her read it at that age.
But other than those two things, it was a good ending to the series. I'm glad I finally read them, even if I was a little late. I'm such a follower!

Steven had a huge exam today (as in 50% of his grade) and I am happy to say he passed with flying colors! He is dreading finals week, as am I :) We are so excited and ready to go home tomorrow for Thanksgiving break. Which reminds me, I have lots of packing to do! I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Nothing Too Exciting

I haven't posted for awhile, but honestly there hasn't been much to post about lately. We lead a pretty unexciting life around here. Steven has been super busy with school for the past few weeks, and I'm sure it will only get worse as it gets closer to the end of the semester. He's been really diligent about studying and his hard work has paid off with his exams. I'm proud of you, babe!

We went to the Denver temple last Friday. It was a great way to spend the afternoon and was definitely something we needed. I love being able to leave all my stress and worries at the door and feel the spirit and peace within the temple. This was only the second time I've been to this temple, and although I have a hard time considering it "my temple", it's really beautiful. After our session, we stopped at the Deseret Bookstore, and then ate at TGI Friday's. On our way home we stopped in Loveland at the outdoor mall. We got some great ideas for Christmas (which I'm getting SO excited for!).

Last night we went to a comedy show on campus with a couple of Steven's pharmacy friends. There were a few comics, but the headliner was Christian Finnegan. If you've ever watched Best Week Ever on VH1, you'd know who he is. The whole show was funny, but Christian was definitely the best of them all. It was fun to get out and do something during the week!

Between job hunting, housework, and my one online class I've actually been pretty busy myself the last couple weeks. I've found a new love of cooking and trying new recipes. For those of you who know me well, this might surprise you. Trust me, nobody was more surprised than me, with the exception of my mom. :) As much as she tried to teach me, I really had no desire to be in the kitchen as a teenager and even when I went to college. I guess when you have somebody to cook for and your own kitchen, things change. A few weeks ago when I was home I went to Relief Society in my parents' ward. They had just had Super Saturday and had recipes from the soup luncheon they had. I grabbed this one from my mom's neighbor, Sister Baird, and tried it the other day.

Tortilla Soup

-Cut 8 corn tortillas into narrow strips and fry in oil until crisp. Drain well on paper towel.

-Head 2-3 TBSP vegetable oil in saucepan and add one small onion (I used half an onion and it was plenty for me) and a little dry garlic. Gently fry for 2-3 minutes until soft. Do not brown.

-Peel and chop 1 cup fresh tomatoes. Add to onions and cook for 2 minutes.

-Add 1 cup frozen corn

-Stir in 6 cups chicken stock

-Add some cilantro, fresh or dried

-Add tortilla strips and simmer for a few minutes.

-Serve immediately with grated cheese on top.

This made a lot of soup for just the two of us. It was really good, especially on the cold day that we had it. Next time I'll probably add some chopped up chicken breasts. Try it out!

Well, that's what we've been up to lately. We're excited for Thanksgiving, both to spend time with our families as well as have a break from school.