2007 is over already?!?

How can this be? It seems like this year just flew by. So now that the year is over, I feel that I must reflect upon the past 12 months and remember all that has happened. Here are a few highlights from 2007:

Cake decorating class! A superfun 4 week course where we learned how to- what else?- decorate cakes! This definitely appealed to my Martha Stewart side.

Princess Day 2007! My good friend Kate flew out to Utah and me and my freshman year girls were able to honor a the tradition of taking a whole day to forget responsibility and have a fun-filled girl day.

Graduation from BYU! I was so proud to get my MFHD degree in 4 years. It was very bittersweet to me; I was excited to enter the working world, but sad to leave my college days behind.

Our Caribbean cruise in May was amazing! A week of fun and relaxation could not have been any better. Unfortunately I still didn't get a tan.

The Klein-nett Grand Cayon adventure vacation in July was so much fun. Chock full of adventure, this vaycay is one I'll never forget.

In August I started my first grown-up job! I work for the Division of Child and Family Services as a caseworker, and there is never a dull moment.


Ben and I went to Indiana for Thanksgiving, and I had the best time. I really miss my family, and it was so nice to spend a holiday with all my favorite people. I just wish I lived closer!

This Christmas we went to Denver to be with Ben's family. It was a great time despite me being sick nearly the whole time. Everyone gets new pajamas on Christmas Eve, and this year the boys got some truly interesting pj's.

After a year and a half of looking...

In May of 2006, Ben and I took the big leap and purchased our living room set. The in-store display of my set had used these super-cute throw pillows rather than the ones that were part of the set. Face it, the pillows that come with the set are pretty much fugly. Anyway, I wanted the cute pillows. I asked the store employee if I could buy the pillows they had shown. The lady said no, so I asked where they were purchased. Lady said TJ Maxx. So for 4 weeks straight, as well as periodically over the next year and a half, I visited TJ Maxx, looking for the cute pillows. No luck. As time went by, I had given up hope of finding the perfect pillows. I'd gone to Target and Bed Bath to see if I could find anything as cute. Nope. Imagine my excitement when Ben and I decided to visit Kohls for a little shopping and I saw THE PILLOWS. At Kohls. On sale. In two different shapes (square and rectangle). Ben remembered the pillows too. I was so excited and begged Ben to let me buy them. He was reluctant (why? Long story. Basically he feels that our home is decorated like an all-girl apartment. Boo.), but he gave in. Currently I only have one perfect pillow, but I plan on going back and buying one more square, one rectangle. Hooray, I am a happy girl! ps- the furniture store lady sucks. It was Kohls, not TJ Maxx.

Tide + Kelly Ripa = my favorite product

I want to devote this blog entry to one of my favorite inventions of the 21st century: The Tide To-Go Pen. Ever since I saw the first commercial for this product (you know the one, with Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos out to dinner at some fancy shmancy restaurant and Kelly sees a spot on Mark’s collar. She starts singing, “Na na na naa, na na na naa, HEY HEY HEY, goodbye” while getting rid of the spot on his collar with her Tide pen) I knew it was a keeper. Soon thereafter, I got myself a Tide pen and even sooner after that I managed to drop food on my shirt. I used my trusty pen, and voila, the spot was gone! My Tide pen (I’ve already gone through 3 pens- am I just overzealous in my spot cleaning or am I just a slob?) is always in my purse, and has managed to help me as well as some friends get rid of unwanted stains. Thank you Tide for creating such a great product- I love it!

Christmas survey

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I’m very much a hot chocolate enthusiast. I bought this huge multi-pack of 10 different hot chocolate flavors from Costco (oh how I love that place) and for about a month straight, I would drink hot chocolate every night. I’ve never tried egg nog, nor do I want to. Just the name of the drink sounds disgusting. Egg nog? Anything Nog… disgusting.
2. Does Santa wrap the presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrapped, set aside from family presents.
3. Colored or white lights? white
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No
5. When do you put your decorations up? As soon as Ben will let me. I get waaay more excited about decorating than Ben does. I think we put our stuff up a few days after Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I looove Christmas cookies, does that count as a dish?
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Christmas morning, duh. When the fam all came downstairs for presents. This was after waiting 20 minutes for Sarah to do her hair and makeup, since she refused to look all morningy in the pictures my parents would take.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Not sure… I had my suspicions when I was 7 or 8… I think it was just a gradual understanding.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Not when I was little, but when I was 12 or so we started to do a gift on Christmas Eve.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Some of my ornaments from when I was little, some that we were given from others, lots bought at Target. Last year I tried to do a color-coordinated tree, but this year is just a hodge-podge of colors and styles.
11. Snow: Love it or hate it? I like to look at it, but I hate driving in it or trudging through it.
12. Can you ice skate? Yeah- I took lessons when I was 11. I can go forwards AND backwards.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I loooved the white coat Ben gave me last year.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with loved ones, remembering the birth of Christ.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Christmas cookies, as long as they don’t have pecans. I hate pecans.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Listening to Christmas music, especially The Carpenter’s and Kenny G. Seriously, I love their Christmas albums.
17. Which do you like best giving or receiving? Definitely giving.
18. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” Love it!
19. Do you like candy canes? Don’t love the peppermint ones, but the candy flavored ones are great.
20. Favorite holiday movie? The Holiday. Elf is a close second.

Tag, I'm it!

Seven Interesting Things About Me

1. I only like cheese when it is hot- or “cooked” as I say. Pizza cheese, Mac & cheese, cheese tortellini… love it! The only uncooked cheese I can tolerate is cheesecake.

2. I only shave my legs in halves. One day I will shave from the knee down, the next day I will shave from the knee up. Shaving both legs as a whole seems like a very daunting, time consuming task. Only on rare occasions do I shave both of my legs from top to bottom.

3. I loved high school and would do it all over again. I had a great time with my friends, and although it was a time of insecurity and drama, it was wonderful.

4. I only bite my nails when they are unpolished. When they have nail polish on them, I do not bite them at all. Strange that I can turn a habit on and off… does that mean it’s not a habit?

5. I love love love to bake. Cakes, brownies, cookies, whatever. I could bake something every few days and be as happy as a clam. However, I do not enjoy cooking. Poor Ben only gets 1-2 homemade dinners a week, because I do not enjoy cooking meals.

6. I am such a creature of habit. I love consistency in my life, especially with food. I could eat the same breakfast, lunch, and dinner for weeks, even months and still be happy. I have eaten the same breakfast of Special K vanilla almond for 3 years now and I love it.

7. My driving record is not the best. I’ve been pulled over 8 times, received 4 speeding tickets, and have gone to traffic school 3 times. However, I have never been in an accident.

Ok, now I tag Lindsay A., Kendall W., and Lindsey N.

It's that time of year again...

The Christmas season is here! Out of all the holidays, I love Christmas the best. I love setting up the tree, decorating the house, and going Christmas shopping. For the first time since being married, I have a fireplace and mantle, so I've been very excited to hang my stocking by the chimney with care. Here are some pix!

Here is our first full-sized Christmas tree. Last year we had a 3 ft. tree, and the year before that we were too poor to buy anything- I just put ornaments on our decorative tree. Moo loves our new Christmas tree- he's always lounging underneath the tree on the tree skirt. He's in the picture, which his scary glow eyes.

Here's our fireplace/mantle. I'm quite excited to have a place to put my stocking. The white one is mine, the grey one is Ben's.