Monday, December 29, 2008

Dominica, Ohio Christmas, Philly, and a Wonderful Wedding

These pictures are from our last night in Dominica. We ordered Chinese food to our very empty apartment and played cards with Andy and Courtney. We couldn't end the night and our time in Dominica without a photo shoot! We are a crazy bunch. We have had a very busy December. We moved away from our first home, we frantically shopped for last minute Christmas presents, winter clothes, and dress clothes for a wedding, played with little Rhaegan and Family. We had a wonderful Christmas in Ohio, even though there was no snow! Time flew by and before we knew it, we were on our way to Philadelphia. We made plans to meet up with Josh's Mom, Karen, in Philly for Friday evening and on Saturday morning before we went to a wedding. Jay, Josh's brother and his girlfriend were also able to join us. Karen booked us a room in a beautiful hotel in the city. A memorable part of the trip was waking up at 4am in the hotel to the fire alarm. Josh was in such a deep sleep that he woke up very disoriented and thought the hotel was being bombed! We joined the rest of the hotel guests in the lobby in our PJs for about an hour while the fire department determined that it was a false alarm. Aside from this fiasco, it was wonderful seeing Josh's mom. We wish we could spend more time with her. (hint hint!!) Next we headed towards Reading, PA for my college friend Kyle's wedding. I met Kyle my freshmen year at the University of Utah. He and his friend Jared decided to attend the U for a year and become ski bums! We lived in the same dorm and the first day we moved in, the three of us instantly became great friends. The wedding was held in their hometown, Fleetwood Pennsylvania. The church was still decorated for Christmas with Poinsettias and lights. It was a beautiful ceremony. The reception was held at a nearby ski resort. We had so much fun eating, dancing, and catching up with my dear friends. I really enjoyed finally meeting Kyle's and Jared's parents. Kyle and Lisa make such a cute couple. Apparently everyone knew that Kyle and Lisa were soul mates, except them. They have been friends since they were little kids. They adored each other when they were younger but always keep it at a friend level. I remember in Utah, Kyle asked me for advice as to whether or not he should ask Lisa out! He was afraid of ruining their friendship. I told him to quit being silly and to go for it. And here we are today!! (I don't take all the credit though :))




Me, Kyle and Lisa

Jared and Me

Now we are in Norwich visiting Josh's dad and friends from high school. It is really weird not driving to our old house. In fact, after I took a trip to Walmart I caught myself driving towards the house by habit. I ended up taking the long way to Josh's house so I could spy on the new owners.

Hope everyone has a very Happy New Years! Ours should be pretty low key here on the farm.

Monday, December 22, 2008

We are HOME!

16 months later... and we are finally home!
Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years.
We will be in touch :)

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Birthday

Happy Birthday Kendall! You are a great older sister and I love you. Have a wonderful birthday. Josh and I can't wait to see you in 4 days.

P.S. We need to take some more recent pictures this Christmas!!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Our last week in Dominica

It is hard to believe we have lived in Dominica for 16 months. I am planning on doing a "farewell" blog but I wanted to quickly share with you guys how EXCITED we are to finally close this chapter of our life (in 5 days!!). It was a great 16 months, especially as newly weds. We have made some wonderful friends and really enjoyed that this was our first home together. I think we will look back with fond memories of Dominica but also to remember that we will not choose to live here again!! Stay tune for my Dominica Recap...

Thursday, December 11, 2008

M is for Methods cleaning products

M is for Method
Method produces just about every household cleaning product needed in a home. The greatest thing about Method is their cleaning products are all biodegradable, non-toxic, and are not tested on animals. Method even carries baby and children safe shampoos, soaps, lotions and bubble bath. "Cleaning products without hurting a hair on you or your loved one's heads"

Here is what the founders of Method have to say about the environment and their products:

"If you want to clean up the environment, start with your own. Our cleaning formulas contain biodegradable ingredients derived from natural materials like soy, coconut and palm oils. Our packaging is made from the most readily recyclable materials. Our CO2 emissions from employee commute and travel are offset with carbon credits and the energy used in our manufacturing sites and our office is from renewable energy credits. And our products are never tested on animals. Because we believe guinea pigs should never be used." - Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry

Another thing I really like about Method are their uniquely designed bottles. Eric and Adam wanted to design a product that didn't need to be hid underneath the sink. I think they met their goal! Where you can purchase Method products is expanding. Target is one of the first stores to campaign for Method products. Check them out next time you visit the red bulls eye!

You can also check out their homepage to view all their available products and where in your area you can find them. METHOD

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Saturday, December 6, 2008

My first apple pie!

I thought I would share a few belated pictures from Thanksgiving. We had a great day with lots of delicious food and wonderful friends. I will say that dessert was probably my favorite part of the meal. We had apple pie, pumpkin pie, ice cream, fresh cream and hot fudge. Isn't it a beautiful pie? I am so proud of myself. YUMMY!

Josh had an "All-Star" football game last week. I captured this fun shot of him.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

L is for Ladybugs

Ladybugs

If you don't enjoy using pesticides in your garden or around your yard, consider buying bugs to get the same results. Just one ladybug can nix the need for pesticides by consuming 50 plant-eating aphids daily, or up to 5,000 in its lifetime.
You can purchase bugs from growquest.com. 1,500 ladybugs will cost roughly $7 dollars and is the perfect amount for a medium to large garden.

Monday, December 1, 2008

K is for Keep America Beautiful

Keep America Beautiful

Ever wonder where the term "litterbug" came from? Well, you can thank Keep America Beautiful (KAB) for coining this term. This organization was established in 1953 in direct response to the littering problem which developed along the Interstate Highway System. Maybe some of my "wiser" audience will remember this famous KAB ad created in 1971:


KAB has three main objectives: (1.) Litter Prevention, (2.) Waste Reduction & Recycling, and (3.) Beautifying communities across the nation. This organization is the largest community improvement organization in the United States and has assisted hundreds of thousands communities is this clean up effort.

So this blog is geared to give KAB some much deserved recognition and invite you to check out their website (kab.org). Their website can help you find recycling centers, volunteer programs, upcoming events in your area, and much much much more. Another thing I love about Keep America Beautiful, is their efforts to get kids involved in and excited about cleaning up and beautifying our country. If you have kids or take care of kids, Click Here to see a list of activities and tips for kids to think more environmentally friendly.