Congrats you guys! We love you! And we're excited to have Wymount neighbors!!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Congratulations Meghan and Cole!
Our friends Meghan Holmberg and Cole Ballard were married on Saturday, January 31st in the Manti temple! Trevor and I had the opportunity to drive down and take part in the sealing ceremony and the pictures. I pulled out my camera to grab a couple pictures while the professional was doing her work, and realized I could only get a couple because my camera was dying! :( Sad! But here are the few I got!
Congrats you guys! We love you! And we're excited to have Wymount neighbors!!
Congrats you guys! We love you! And we're excited to have Wymount neighbors!!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
My Soulful Release...
... is yoga.
It's absolutely fantastic, and it's my new-found love. I've been doing it on and off for a while now, doing classes at Gold's Gym when I find time. But this year, I've made it a goal to really work my body into shape.
However, I'm one of those people who has a really hard time making myself lift weights or run on a treadmill... I find these things somewhat boring and painful in a not-so-good way. Therefore, I've created my own regimen for exercise that is probably what some would deem a little "unconventional". This semester, I'm taking THREE ballroom dance classes and a flexibility class at BYU. Believe it or not, the dance classes provide quite a bit of aerobic activity to replace the old, banal treadmill exercise. And the best part? I love to ballroom dance.
Then, to make sure I'm toning and strengthening my muscles, I have a goal to attend an hour-long yoga class at least twice a week. If you've never done yoga, you're probably in for quite the surprise. It's much more than balance and flexibility. In fact, yoga is practiced by many women in order to strengthen muscles all over the body. I can't believe how sore I am each time I go. It's a complete, full-body workout. Legs? Yes. Arms? For sure. Abs? Definitely! I was blown away.
But for me, the most important part about yoga is not the wonderful pain I feel the next day from being sore. It's the complete, immediate uplift I receive each time I practice. Each time I go, I leave feeling 100% better not only physically, but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Whenever I have a headache, neck pain, or just stress, I attend yoga. And, without fail, I always feel better after going.
I found a site on the internet that describes a little about the practice of yoga and where it started:
"Yoga is a way of life; it is a system of education for the body, mind, and soul. The art of Yoga was created and practiced in ancient India, thousands of years ago, and due to its universal truths, it is a timeless value. Yoga may be practiced by anyone disregarding race religion, sex, age, culture…it is for the wellbeing of all humans!
It's absolutely fantastic, and it's my new-found love. I've been doing it on and off for a while now, doing classes at Gold's Gym when I find time. But this year, I've made it a goal to really work my body into shape.
However, I'm one of those people who has a really hard time making myself lift weights or run on a treadmill... I find these things somewhat boring and painful in a not-so-good way. Therefore, I've created my own regimen for exercise that is probably what some would deem a little "unconventional". This semester, I'm taking THREE ballroom dance classes and a flexibility class at BYU. Believe it or not, the dance classes provide quite a bit of aerobic activity to replace the old, banal treadmill exercise. And the best part? I love to ballroom dance.
Then, to make sure I'm toning and strengthening my muscles, I have a goal to attend an hour-long yoga class at least twice a week. If you've never done yoga, you're probably in for quite the surprise. It's much more than balance and flexibility. In fact, yoga is practiced by many women in order to strengthen muscles all over the body. I can't believe how sore I am each time I go. It's a complete, full-body workout. Legs? Yes. Arms? For sure. Abs? Definitely! I was blown away.
But for me, the most important part about yoga is not the wonderful pain I feel the next day from being sore. It's the complete, immediate uplift I receive each time I practice. Each time I go, I leave feeling 100% better not only physically, but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Whenever I have a headache, neck pain, or just stress, I attend yoga. And, without fail, I always feel better after going.
I found a site on the internet that describes a little about the practice of yoga and where it started:
"Yoga is a way of life; it is a system of education for the body, mind, and soul. The art of Yoga was created and practiced in ancient India, thousands of years ago, and due to its universal truths, it is a timeless value. Yoga may be practiced by anyone disregarding race religion, sex, age, culture…it is for the wellbeing of all humans!
Yoga philosophy states that the physical body is just a vehicle for the soul. To practice the thousands of techniques means to break through the layers of the physical, astral, and causal body limitations. When one achieves such a state, the cosmic energy and the soul mingle and become one, also known as enlightenment. The path of yoga is a life long journey that will bring everyone who uses its powers, joy and happiness in all aspects of their lives!"
My very favorite part of yoga is called savasana, and I would consider it a well-earned reward for a hard workout. Essentially, at the end of the hour, you get to just lay there on your back for about five minutes and breathe. And when you get really good at it, your mental state can completely change. You can become anything you want and escape everything you are. Sometimes, I become the sky and I wrap around the world. Sounds cheezy, but it's a completely refreshing release.
I would recommend yoga to anyone, no matter what your exercise goals or abilities. I believe it's for everyone and it's one of the most healthy things I have ever encountered and such a wonderful release!!
Seriously - Doubt it? I dare you to test me. :)
My very favorite part of yoga is called savasana, and I would consider it a well-earned reward for a hard workout. Essentially, at the end of the hour, you get to just lay there on your back for about five minutes and breathe. And when you get really good at it, your mental state can completely change. You can become anything you want and escape everything you are. Sometimes, I become the sky and I wrap around the world. Sounds cheezy, but it's a completely refreshing release.
I would recommend yoga to anyone, no matter what your exercise goals or abilities. I believe it's for everyone and it's one of the most healthy things I have ever encountered and such a wonderful release!!
Seriously - Doubt it? I dare you to test me. :)
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Christmas in NC
This year for Christmas, we were very fortunate to be able to take a week long vacation to North Carolina to visit my family! We arrived Christmas afternoon and ate some hearty soup and opened gifts with my parents and brother. The next day my mom and I went shopping in her new VW Beetle!! :) While we were gone, my mom's two sisters and their families arrived for more festivities! This is all of us eating our traditional christmas brunch the next morning. Mmm! Cheese grits, sausage and egg casserole, and fruit! I look forward to this all year!
This next picture we took right before opening gifts after brunch! We took it to send to my mom's brother and his family who are currenly living in Norway and couldn't make it to the U.S. for Christmas! :( We were being completely goofy and thought it would be funny to mix up the signs. This picture epitomizes my family--fun and crazy. Poor Trevor had to escape with a book a couple times to get a break from all the noise. :)
Just a picture of us waiting to open our gifts. Lovely that I'm still in PJs...
After my mom's side of the family left, we went to Albemarle, NC (about a 2 1/2 hour drive) to see my dad's side of the family. On the way we stopped and got hot dogs and fries at the BEST place in the entire world. It's called Chuck Wagon and it's only 80 cents per hot dog - fantastic! :) In response to seeing these fantastic prices, Trevor said "Why doesn't someone tell them about inflation?" Haha. So typical of my "financial nut". :)
This next picture is one of those fun three-generational pictures... Granddaddy, Dad, and Mike! Three generations of Hopkins in one room. How special! :)
When all the aunts, uncles, and cousins had arrived, we did our gift exchange (let's count -- my FOURTH one this Christmas!) and I received this lovely gift card from Victoria's Secret! Trev got a Banana Republic gift card so he could buy some new shirts for his new job!
Just a picture of us opening our joint gift from Nana... she gave us a small Fiestaware serving bowl and salt and pepper shakers. We LOVE our Fiestaware! They are so colorful and bright!
Needless to say, Christmas was a fantastic time full of gifts, good food, sweets, and lots of game-playing. I taught Trevor how to play Nertz and, well, I spanked him! :) But he did make some good improvements!
We flew back to Utah on New Year's Eve and landed in Salt Lake at literally 11:57 pm. So... it turned 2009 while we were in the plane! A couple of us gave a little cheer and Trevor and I shared a quick New Year's kiss :) Other than that, New Year's has been pretty uneventful. But it has been great the last couple of days as Trevor and I have had a lot of time to spend together and we completely cleaned and revamped our little apartment. Everything is organized and ready to go for a new year and new semester!
As a final thought, I just want to express how grateful I am for Jesus Christ - the true reason we have Christmas! I am so grateful for His Atonement that provides a way that I can repent of the sins I commit. I'm so grateful that He can overcome the natural tendencies that humans tend to have. He has blessed me with everything that I have- a wonderful home, family, and a fantastic husband. It truly was wonderful to take a break and remember those things that are most important. We really are very lucky.
This next picture we took right before opening gifts after brunch! We took it to send to my mom's brother and his family who are currenly living in Norway and couldn't make it to the U.S. for Christmas! :( We were being completely goofy and thought it would be funny to mix up the signs. This picture epitomizes my family--fun and crazy. Poor Trevor had to escape with a book a couple times to get a break from all the noise. :)
Just a picture of us waiting to open our gifts. Lovely that I'm still in PJs...
After my mom's side of the family left, we went to Albemarle, NC (about a 2 1/2 hour drive) to see my dad's side of the family. On the way we stopped and got hot dogs and fries at the BEST place in the entire world. It's called Chuck Wagon and it's only 80 cents per hot dog - fantastic! :) In response to seeing these fantastic prices, Trevor said "Why doesn't someone tell them about inflation?" Haha. So typical of my "financial nut". :)
This next picture is one of those fun three-generational pictures... Granddaddy, Dad, and Mike! Three generations of Hopkins in one room. How special! :)
When all the aunts, uncles, and cousins had arrived, we did our gift exchange (let's count -- my FOURTH one this Christmas!) and I received this lovely gift card from Victoria's Secret! Trev got a Banana Republic gift card so he could buy some new shirts for his new job!
Just a picture of us opening our joint gift from Nana... she gave us a small Fiestaware serving bowl and salt and pepper shakers. We LOVE our Fiestaware! They are so colorful and bright!
Needless to say, Christmas was a fantastic time full of gifts, good food, sweets, and lots of game-playing. I taught Trevor how to play Nertz and, well, I spanked him! :) But he did make some good improvements!We flew back to Utah on New Year's Eve and landed in Salt Lake at literally 11:57 pm. So... it turned 2009 while we were in the plane! A couple of us gave a little cheer and Trevor and I shared a quick New Year's kiss :) Other than that, New Year's has been pretty uneventful. But it has been great the last couple of days as Trevor and I have had a lot of time to spend together and we completely cleaned and revamped our little apartment. Everything is organized and ready to go for a new year and new semester!
As a final thought, I just want to express how grateful I am for Jesus Christ - the true reason we have Christmas! I am so grateful for His Atonement that provides a way that I can repent of the sins I commit. I'm so grateful that He can overcome the natural tendencies that humans tend to have. He has blessed me with everything that I have- a wonderful home, family, and a fantastic husband. It truly was wonderful to take a break and remember those things that are most important. We really are very lucky.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Christmas Eve!
On Christmas Eve, after I got off work, Trevor and I went over to his parents' house to open gifts. Scarlett and Kanyon (Meghan's kids) had a grand time tearing the paper off all of their gifts.
They got to open the "traditional" Christmas Eve gift of pajamas! How cute! Scarlett got pink Minnie Mouse pjs and Kanyon got BATMAN! Here he is posing for me in typical "Batman style" :)
Later that night when Trevor and I got back to our place, we opened our gifts to each other because we had to be on a plane the next morning at 7 am. AND we still hadn't packed at 10:00 the night before... whoops. Here's a picture of the mini fiber-optic tree that I've had for the last few years at college. My parents sent it to me freshman year so I could have some decorations.
This tree is a new addition to our Christmas cheer. I found it at Robert's for 17 bucks! :) It's about 4 1/2 feet tall and it's perfect for our little apartment. The stocking to the left is Trevor's and was made by my Nana for our wedding! I'm bringing mine back from NC this year so I can have it to hang next to his! :)
Here are all the presents we wrapped -- either for each other or for the people we would see in NC. I loved my wrapping paper from Hallmark this year! Underneath all those gifts you can kind of glance one of the gifts Trevor and I gave to ourselves this year - a new rug for our living room! We needed something to spruce up the room and cover the old, stained carpet!
Here's another gift Trevor and I gave to ourselves this year. Red Fiestaware to match the five other colors we got for our wedding. It is seriously a party in our pantry :)
A couple of my gifts included this cute green coat I found at Buckle and the Gardener's Hand Healer lotion that I have to use after doing the dishes. It's the only thing that keeps my hands from drying out and cracking. Behind me is my stocking which was filled with all sorts of dark chocolate, lip balms, socks, and earrings. What a sweetheart Trevor is! He did all that behind my back! :)
Here's Trevor with one of his gifts - new jeans from Buckle. All of his light jeans have been forming holes in... well... interesting places. So, I got him some new ones! Other gifts for him included a planner and dress pants.
It has been a fantastic Christmas so far. We're still in North Carolina and have received many wonderful gifts from relatives. And we've eaten tons of good food! I haven't eaten like this in AGES.
Anyway, it's great to report that we're happy and loving life and especially loving having a vacation from work. Too bad it's flying by WAY too fast :(
And I haven't taken a lot of pictures since being here (SHAME ON ME)... but maybe I'll snap a few before we're gone. Merry Christmas everyone!
They got to open the "traditional" Christmas Eve gift of pajamas! How cute! Scarlett got pink Minnie Mouse pjs and Kanyon got BATMAN! Here he is posing for me in typical "Batman style" :)
Later that night when Trevor and I got back to our place, we opened our gifts to each other because we had to be on a plane the next morning at 7 am. AND we still hadn't packed at 10:00 the night before... whoops. Here's a picture of the mini fiber-optic tree that I've had for the last few years at college. My parents sent it to me freshman year so I could have some decorations.
This tree is a new addition to our Christmas cheer. I found it at Robert's for 17 bucks! :) It's about 4 1/2 feet tall and it's perfect for our little apartment. The stocking to the left is Trevor's and was made by my Nana for our wedding! I'm bringing mine back from NC this year so I can have it to hang next to his! :)
Here are all the presents we wrapped -- either for each other or for the people we would see in NC. I loved my wrapping paper from Hallmark this year! Underneath all those gifts you can kind of glance one of the gifts Trevor and I gave to ourselves this year - a new rug for our living room! We needed something to spruce up the room and cover the old, stained carpet!
Here's another gift Trevor and I gave to ourselves this year. Red Fiestaware to match the five other colors we got for our wedding. It is seriously a party in our pantry :)
A couple of my gifts included this cute green coat I found at Buckle and the Gardener's Hand Healer lotion that I have to use after doing the dishes. It's the only thing that keeps my hands from drying out and cracking. Behind me is my stocking which was filled with all sorts of dark chocolate, lip balms, socks, and earrings. What a sweetheart Trevor is! He did all that behind my back! :)
Here's Trevor with one of his gifts - new jeans from Buckle. All of his light jeans have been forming holes in... well... interesting places. So, I got him some new ones! Other gifts for him included a planner and dress pants.
It has been a fantastic Christmas so far. We're still in North Carolina and have received many wonderful gifts from relatives. And we've eaten tons of good food! I haven't eaten like this in AGES.Anyway, it's great to report that we're happy and loving life and especially loving having a vacation from work. Too bad it's flying by WAY too fast :(
And I haven't taken a lot of pictures since being here (SHAME ON ME)... but maybe I'll snap a few before we're gone. Merry Christmas everyone!
Dumpcake is Delicious!
As promised (a long time ago) - here is the recipe for my wonderfully famous and delicious dumpcake. It's Trevor's new request in place of a traditional cake for his birthday! There are no exact measurements but it doesn't matter because most of the stuff comes in one-size cans.
Blueberry Dumpcake:
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can blueberry pie filling (can use cherry if you prefer)
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter
Dump the can of pineapple and blueberries in the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan and spread it around to make a nice mixture:
Dump the box of yellow cake mix (dry) evenly across the top of the fruit mixture. Melt the stick of butter and spoon or pour it over the dry cake mix like this:
Bake according to the directions on the cake box. That's it! Easy and VERY good!! Now you can see why it's called a dumpcake - you just dump everything in and bake it. How could you not love this? And it impresses guests of all ages :)
This is the one I baked for Trev's birthday. I put the candles on it just for fun but the cake was so hot they started melting and falling over so I had to take them out pretty quickly. He wasn't to interested in blowing out candles anyway -- just eating the cake! :)
Hope you enjoy my dumpcake when you try it!!
Blueberry Dumpcake:
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can blueberry pie filling (can use cherry if you prefer)
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter
Dump the can of pineapple and blueberries in the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan and spread it around to make a nice mixture:
Dump the box of yellow cake mix (dry) evenly across the top of the fruit mixture. Melt the stick of butter and spoon or pour it over the dry cake mix like this:
Bake according to the directions on the cake box. That's it! Easy and VERY good!! Now you can see why it's called a dumpcake - you just dump everything in and bake it. How could you not love this? And it impresses guests of all ages :)
This is the one I baked for Trev's birthday. I put the candles on it just for fun but the cake was so hot they started melting and falling over so I had to take them out pretty quickly. He wasn't to interested in blowing out candles anyway -- just eating the cake! :)
Hope you enjoy my dumpcake when you try it!!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
The Apple Didn't Fall Far... :)
Hello world! Sorry I haven't been posting lately! I have some fun pictures to add and things to talk about... but I've been getting pretty lazy.
Trevor and I are currently at my home in North Carolina for Christmas! :) It's a constant party and sometimes an overload of noise and craziness. What can I say... the apple didn't fall far from the tree!
Anyway, just wanted everyone to know we're still alive and there are posts to come!
Trevor and I are currently at my home in North Carolina for Christmas! :) It's a constant party and sometimes an overload of noise and craziness. What can I say... the apple didn't fall far from the tree!
Anyway, just wanted everyone to know we're still alive and there are posts to come!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Trevor's 24th Birthday!
My sweet husband turned a whole 24 years old on Wednesday, November 26th! We both worked that day, so we kept it pretty low-key. BUT- I did get him a few gifts that he could enjoy, and this post is about those gifts and his photographed reactions. It's very entertaining. :)
This first picture is just a little bragging right for myself... I wrapped his presents (with the help of my friend Christina) and they looked really nice! The stamped card came in the mail from Mical and family. :)
Here's the first gift he opened. If you can't tell what it is, it's an ice scraper and brush for his car. He asked for one, but didn't expect it as one of his birthday gifts, hence his silly "sad" face. :)
If you want to know why... don't ask. Just enjoy the Geico Gecko bobblehead toy.
Here he is with one of the two white shirts I got him--these were badly needed. By the look on his face, I'm going to guess he's somewhat happy about this gift.
Best reaction ever. Biggest bag of peanut M&Ms ever. Thing I'm most allergic to ... ever. I must love him. He's still eating them to this day.
This gift was for him, but I have to admit, it's also for me. They are VERY cute jeans from the Buckle and I must say they look VERY cute on him. So forgive me for dressing up my personal "eye candy". :)
And this picture is just a "summary" of all his gifts, including the Cold Stone gift card that came in Mical's card! Trevor says his birthday was wonderful!! Thanks to everyone!
Just one more thing, though. I bought everything to make him a blueberry dump cake (his FAVORITE) for his birthday, but by the time we both got home that night it was late and he wasn't too hungry for something so sugary. So it hasn't been made yet. But, next time I make that dump cake, you better believe I'm sticking the candles in it, taking pictures, and posting the recipe for everyone. Yep. Watch out!! :)
Oh - haha - one MORE thing. Thanksgiving was the next day (27th) and it was so fun to go to Trevor's parents' house and spend time with all his siblings and our nieces and nephews. The food was great! If you want to see pictures, look at Meghan's blog. And whatever you do... DON'T go to Mical's! She has blackmail on me for life :)
This first picture is just a little bragging right for myself... I wrapped his presents (with the help of my friend Christina) and they looked really nice! The stamped card came in the mail from Mical and family. :)
Here's the first gift he opened. If you can't tell what it is, it's an ice scraper and brush for his car. He asked for one, but didn't expect it as one of his birthday gifts, hence his silly "sad" face. :)
If you want to know why... don't ask. Just enjoy the Geico Gecko bobblehead toy.
Here he is with one of the two white shirts I got him--these were badly needed. By the look on his face, I'm going to guess he's somewhat happy about this gift.
Best reaction ever. Biggest bag of peanut M&Ms ever. Thing I'm most allergic to ... ever. I must love him. He's still eating them to this day.
This gift was for him, but I have to admit, it's also for me. They are VERY cute jeans from the Buckle and I must say they look VERY cute on him. So forgive me for dressing up my personal "eye candy". :)
And this picture is just a "summary" of all his gifts, including the Cold Stone gift card that came in Mical's card! Trevor says his birthday was wonderful!! Thanks to everyone!
Just one more thing, though. I bought everything to make him a blueberry dump cake (his FAVORITE) for his birthday, but by the time we both got home that night it was late and he wasn't too hungry for something so sugary. So it hasn't been made yet. But, next time I make that dump cake, you better believe I'm sticking the candles in it, taking pictures, and posting the recipe for everyone. Yep. Watch out!! :)Oh - haha - one MORE thing. Thanksgiving was the next day (27th) and it was so fun to go to Trevor's parents' house and spend time with all his siblings and our nieces and nephews. The food was great! If you want to see pictures, look at Meghan's blog. And whatever you do... DON'T go to Mical's! She has blackmail on me for life :)
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