My weekend update...

1. Running and an exercise video with Emily. (We both almost died, the video was so hard.)

2. Thai Shirlington with our most favorite people...Miles, Emily and Kimball. Kimball loves Mitch, he cried when Mitch left.

3. Watching a lot of Prison Break with Mitch. Have you seen it? It's awesome.

4. Minimal errands. Thank goodness.

5. A delicious dinner with some friends.

6. Late church and dinner with Spencer, Sarah, Claire and Miss Mary Kate. I love them sooooo much.

7. The Newseum with the Rocks. It's really an incredible museum, it was my first time.

8. Last, but not least. An afternoon with Andi. Luckily for me, she is moving here and I went apartment hunting with her. Lots of good catch-up time and of course, Potbelly's.

Happy Weekend.

Is it Wednesday....

My week includes learning firsthand that DC drivers are truly terrible when snow hits the ground. It took me one hour and twenty minutes to get home yesterday. Let me remind all of you that my commute it about 5 miles. 5 miles! I even left work early. There was snow for basically the first time this year and the freeways fell apart, I think people forgot how to drive.

Mitch is home, thank goodness for that. I missed him terribly last week and I started to literally turn into a couch potato. If I told you all what show I have been watching, you would judge me. So, for now my TV addiction to a certain show is just for me to know.

My weekend was filled with TV (I write this proudly...), 3:00 pm Church (I might have to go inactive, this is totally a joke), running a lot, Potbellys by myself (don't worry I enjoyed myself to the fullest), an evening with the one and only Ali (lucky me), a modern dance class that almost destroyed me (I loved every second, but I have lost my use of the part of my brain that learns dances from others), an afternoon with Mary Kate and Claire, and a fabulous Sunday dinner with Erin and Lindsay.

Here I am today, thinking the entire day that today is Wednesday! What is the matter with me? Such disappointment with the realization that today is only Tuesday.

Well, happy working Tuesday to all of you. And let us all pray that snow no longer hits the ground right during rush hour. I think all our lives in DC would be a little less stressed.

A Christmas.

Can you believe that Christmas has come and gone? I can't. Time always seems to slip right before my eyes. I wasn't prepared for Christmas and some how it just came right up and vanished. Christmas was wonderful. I am always so happy to be home in Utah with people that I love and cherish.

Here are some of the highlights of our trip to Utah:

Feeding the homeless. This is something that we do every single year. This year was different. I can't explain it. We went to a different shelter and the need was more apparent than ever. It was truly eye opening. I have never experienced something like that in Utah.

We spent Christmas Eve Eve, as my Dad likes to call it, with my Dad, Rhonda and Chase. We ate the most delicious salmon dinner and watched a movie. A Crookston tradition that I look forward to every year.

Christmas Eve with the Henriods. Full of fabulous, delicious food, singing, dancing and lots of laughter.

Christmas morning, it was such a joy to watch all of our nieces/nephews experience Santa. The Joel Henriod family got a dog, there was much excitement.

After a few minutes with the Henriods we went to over to my Grandma Bev's house. This is one of my most favorite Christmas traditions. A small house full of a lot people. People are standing/sitting in every square inch. Waffles, quiche, oj and of course bacon and butter (lots of butter). And a lot of joy and happiness. I love this part of Christmas. I love being at home full of all my childhood memories.

We headed back over to the Henriods to spend our afternoon with Mitch's family. All the siblings were there. Once again, we ate delicious food and enjoyed ourselves.

Christmas night was spent with my Mom at my Grandma Mary's house. This is also a Christmas tradition with my family that I look forward to every year. There is always a little drama and a lot of love. My Grandma is legally blind and I love to sit by her as she opens presents and tell her who each present if from.

Christmas was a success. Our first year of marriage, we spent Christmas at 11 different places and it was terrible. I think that Mitch was doubting his decision to ever go home for the holidays again. This year, we and all our family, were able to enjoy all of Christmas.

The rest of the break was filled with my favorite food (Bombay House, the Dodo, Tony Caputos (twice), Jolley's candy, nachos (how can one go to Utah and not eat nachos?!!), Sawadee and Red butte), a day at Alta, Make-up Club (aka Food Club), high school friends brunch, lots of needed running with SJ K-Ville, hiking with Rach, time with my mom, breakfast with Lara (I feel so lucky that we actually were able to meet!) a day with Rich cousins at IKEA (I can't believe they talked me into going!), long nights (never went to bed before midnight), movies, games with the Soffe's, a New Year's Eve that wasn't terrible and all-in-all a great time.

And now I am back to reality. Work is busy. It's somehow cold outside, I almost feel like I am back in Rochester, and I start school in three weeks. My heart skips a beat or two every time I think about it. I can't decide if I am nervous or excited or just a little of both.

I hope that all of your holidays were filled with a lot love, a lot joy and as little drama as possible.

My weekend update...

Running. Lots of running. Studying, so much studying. (Not me, but Mitch.) Teaching dance. Playing with Mary-Katie. Shopping with Mitch, this is a true Christmas miracle. Chipotle, of course. Church. So much more studying. And a little bit of TV.

Today is Mitch's last final. All I can say is hallelujah. I am so happy for him to finish. And so proud of him.

Can you believe it's Christmas week? I can't.

Loves,

Sj

New York, New York

New York was one of the best things that has happened to me this month. First, I got to take Ali along with me, which always ensures a most delightful, hilarious time. Second, I got to see Abby. I love her so much, we got to chit-chat like old friends all through the night on Friday. Third, Jason was there. He is my favorite shopping partner.

We were in New York for about 36 hours. It went by much too quickly. We started our trip off with some pizza. Jason knew the most perfect place in Penn Station. Did I mention we ate pizza at 11:00 pm?

(Don't mind my small photos, all from the iPhone.)

Friday we stayed up until 2:30 am. I have really got to stop doing this, it always gets the best of me. We started off Saturday with some delicious peppermint hot chocolate and bagels, while walking across Central Park to the East Side to see the Angel Tree in the Met. It was beautiful.

Next we just happened to come upon Dylan's Candy Bar. I haven't been there for years, I felt like I had landed right in heaven. Bins and bins and more bins of sour candy. My heart's desire. I love candy stores, I love buying candy that is too expensive and I love eating candy that is too expensive. I ate all of my candy within seven minutes of leaving the store. I was trying so hard to make it last through the day, what was I thinking? I would have need 1000 bags of candy to last me for an entire day.

Next we went to see "The Windows" at Bergdorf Goodman. And yes, they were beautiful and deserved to be called "The Windows." I loved every detail of each window. The clothing was absolutely stunning and the design was done so well.

Then we walked on over to Rockefeller Center to see the Tree. It was big and wonderful and there were about a billion people too many there. We only spent a few minutes admiring the magic of Christmas. I hope every time I walk past Rockefeller Center that Tina Fey is going to just walk right out the front door and say to me, "Sarah, will you be my best friend?" Maybe one day, maybe one day.

Then it was time to eat again, of course. Abby took us to Chinatown and we ate at the BEST Chinese restaurant ever. We indulged in dumplings, fried rice and vegetables. I could eat there again and again.

(Just in case you are wondering, this is a dumpling. The broth was so delicious.)

We then proceeded to go to MAC. I tried and failed to do my own make-up. My eyeshadow looked ridiculous, and yes everyone in the store was staring at me.

I dragged Abby to get her eyebrows waxed with me, Ali was spending all her time buying fabulous new glasses. Do you know what the lady told me at the eyebrow place? Here is our conversation:

Nice, over enthusiastic make-up lady: "You don't use under the eye cream, do you?"

Me: "Um, no."

Nice, over enthusiast make-up lady: "Well, you really should."

Awesome, I have aged and people are noticing. Not just me. Did I mention that I found another grey, shining, silver hair on my head last week?

After hours of shopping for glasses, we went to the most wonderful store in the whole entire world. Oh my. I could have spent hours and hours in there. Have you heard of Fishs Eddy? I want everything in the entire store. I could buy everything in there. It was fabulous.

By this time is was late and of course, it was time to eat again. I mean seriously, how could we not? We went to Eataly and yes, it was delicious and simple. I first had to treat myself to some delicious focaccia bread, the wait was an hour. And once we sat down, I ate delicious spaghetti. It was simple red sauce and tasted oh so good.

We ended the night by attempting to watch Elf. I was out in about 10 seconds.

Sleep came and then we left early in the morning.

New York was a dream. Until next time, I will most definitely miss you.

Just in case you are obsessed with Mary-Katie, like me, here is a picture of her. She is the best and I lover her so much.

New York in December.

Hello New York! I can't wait to see you tonight!

Current.

Currently eating carrots. Boring carrots. I am making myself eat my bag of carrots before I can have another Diet Coke. (I woke up at 4:34 am to work roll-out at J.Crew.)

I am practicing serious self control. I also forget the rest of my snacks and my lunch has been long gone for an hour.

Awesome.

Happy Monday.