JB Dating Photobook

Yet another in the Hotprints photobook splurge. I just can't help myself; they're too much fun! This one was actually the first one, the tester, if you will. But we never received it! Stupid Mexican post. I will be getting another one soon :)

Our Life Right Now: Draper-Mormon-House

John and I moved to Draper, Utah on January 10th & 11th. John's Dad Nate has several houses that he rents out while he lives with his current wife. Recent tenants moved out of this one, so we're helping him clean it up while he gives us free rent 15 minutes from John's job!

It's a load of work. Not only did the tenants neglect the house nearing to the point of abusing it, Nate uses this place as one of many storage places for his pack-rat collection of garage sale junk. In moving from Emigration Canyon to Draper, we traded a gorgeous home, generous "landlords," big screen TV, hot tub, unwilling cheaper utilities, and a 45 minute commute for much more but unwell-kept space, differently generous landlord, pool table, our own kitchen & laundry room, being closer to everything, having to pay a whole house worth of utilities, a 15 minute commute, and helping out a man who has helped John immeasurably. It was a tough decision but it's worth it.  

John started his job at the technical department of the LDS church on January 4th. He is currently working on the mormon.org project. He loves it there: the environment, the people, the flexibility, the learning, the work, and mostly the sense of purpose. He is not only helping our family meet ends and have a wonderful life, he is helping to further the work of the Lord. This is something bigger than just us. 

After thinking about our options and talking with John's Dad the real estate agent (among other things he does), we have decided to buy a house. We are actually extremely blessed because we almost couldn't be more fit to buy a house right now. We don't have any debts, we're both out of school, we both have great credit (John's is excellent), and John has an amazing job. Then add in the fact that the market right now is prime for buyers, we are golden. We're looking at short sales mostly because we can get even more amazing deals that way, and we are in no rush so we can wait as long as the banks need. 

Life is beautiful.

Cupcakes

I love cupcakes. Who doesn't?

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Lately I've been REALLY wanting some. So what do I do?
I tell the facebook world.
Thanks for the excuses everyone!! The one I took was my own: FHE treat!

John said, "How do you do it? You take an off-brand cake MIX and turn it into the most amazing cupcake I have ever partaken of."

He was just in a good mood...and that one he ate was just the right tiny touch of not-yet-done and fresh from the oven that, I will admit, made it amazing.

John wanted me to leave some unfrosted. ("So I can gobble up half of them!") Hahaha...

I laugh because of this. Some of you may look at that pitiful amount of frosting -- chocolate frosting, no less -- and think it is nowhere near enough. Ah, my dears, you don't realize that the only reason I frost it at all is:

B-E-A-Utiful sprinkles! I LOVE sprinkles!! (And I don't much care for chocolate, but that's a topic for another day.)

Perfection. Sorry, Shilah, it is definitely not fit for "the next food network cupcake challenge," but it IS perfection for me!

YUM! If you want me to share, you better hurry your bums on over!




If I'm going to salivate over goodness, let's overdo it, eh?

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Have you ever tried ice cream and sprinkles? Do it now.

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Meh, by this point the frosting is making me want to puke. TOO much sugar. But the sprinkles are still heaven-sent!

T&M Wedding Photobook

In my Hotprints splurge (bottom of this post), I made a photobook for my sister Teresa and her husband Mike of their wedding. We had them for Christmas and I knew they had very little evidence of their wedding (they threw it together in 2 weeks...no wonder) so I grabbed all the pictures of the event I could gather and made one for them. They got all soppy and sweet when they opened it, so I guess it was worth it, eh? :P

Productivity?

Today I was supposed to clean the house. We've been in limbo since we got back from Mexico and it's been driving me crazy. We can't find anything because I can't organize anything because I'm not willing to take anything out of boxes because we're moving really soon. We're also almost never home because we're busy doing this and that and whatever else.
So I was supposed to clean today. But instead I spent the whole day on the computer, applying for jobs.
Technically that was more productive...
I need a job so we can qualify for more on a better loan so we can get the dream houses we just made offers on. (!!!) And to do that I need 30 days of work on a pay stub and since these offers will go through in mid February (if everything goes super fast and well...which never happens in the housing game, but what if)....I need a job by the end of this week.
So today I applied for jobs. Instead of cleaning the house.
Looking around...I'm not 100% positive I picked the right thing. :P