Dream a Little Dream of Me

This may be a bit of a sappy post, but I met Jon for the first time 3 years ago today, and I feel that today deserves a special post about LOVE.

I love Jon with my whole heart, and I am very grateful and I thank my lucky stars that I have him in my life. Jon possesses so many good qualities that I always wanted in a husband.
 He is a hard worker and does his very best to make me happy. He is always willing to go with me to the store, the library, or to run random errands. If I need copies for Primary he takes me to the church in the middle of the week so I can use the library. He readily obliges me whenever I want to go for drive and explore new places, even on a whim.
One of my favorite qualities of his is that he is always excited to see me. It doesn't matter if we have been apart only a few hours or a week, he greets me with a big kiss and a hug. Whenever I walk in the door after being out, he will stop whatever he is doing and 'run' over to me and give me a kiss. Every morning when we wake up he leans over and gives me a big hug and says good morning. He is the most complimentary person I know.  I don't have the highest self esteem, but he makes sure to constantly tell me how beautiful I am every day, and usually multiple times. He compliments everyone around him, too. I love that so much about him.
He helps me out in the kitchen, and doesn't mind doing the dishes at all. He is eager to please me and and to make me happy. Jon is so easy to talk to, and he listens to me when I am happy or sad, angry or complaining, or if I am just rambling along about nothing important. He supports me and all of my off-the-wall ideas. He will let me watch/finish a show on HGTV, even when there is a sports game on that I know he would much rather watch. And he does all of this without complaining.
I am pretty sure Jon hates spiders just as much as I do, but he still kills all of them for me. That is definitely true love...
I am grateful Jon is not stingy with money. We are on a budget, but I am so grateful that he doesn't mind going out and doing activities like mini golf or getting ice cream cones and going to a matinee. We have a lot of fun together, whatever we do, whether staying home and playing board games and having popcorn, or going to a museum and just walking around downtown.
Jon makes me laugh, and can usually always succeed in making me smile, even when I am feeling down.
Jon reads his scriptures/Ensign every morning, and writes in his journal at least a couple of times a week. He is a good example to me, and makes me want to be a better journal writer.
He is outgoing and is good at sports. I think we balance each other well - his love of sports and being outdoors, and I love the arts and am more of an introvert.
I know Jon will be a wonderful dad by the way he treats all of his nieces and nephews. He loves playing with the kids and misses them all so much. He is a great uncle and I know they all love him, too. I can't wait to have our own family someday.
Jon doesn't lie ever. He CAN'T lie. I think it is impossible for him, even if it's a little white lie. I love that about him. Sometimes I tease him about it, but it is a perfect quality to have. Sometimes he will try to lie to me about something small, and he can't help but smile a little bit and then he just loses it and starts laughing!
Jon tries his hardest at everything he does - especially with work and church. Although I know his job and his church calling can be tough a lot of times, he still fulfills all of his duties to the best of his ability. He can be too hard on himself and think he's not doing enough, but I know he does the best he can and he does a great job.

I am so grateful that I was working at Provo College that day when Jon walked in. I am grateful he took a chance on me and came back the next day and asked me out. (Our first date was 3 years ago tomorrow - to Jamba Juice! We may need to recreate that tomorrow...)

We have known each other for three years now; only eternity to go! I can't wait to spend it with my best friend.

Hungry for Change

Jon and I cancelled our monthly Netflix account a few weeks ago, so we're trying to watch as many movies/shows that interest us we can before the end of the month. Last week, I watched the following:

Vegucated

Forks Over Knives

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

Hungry for Change

 

Food Matters

 Obviously, there is a theme here. After watching these five documentaries, I feel like I really need/needed a change in my eating and the way I look at food. I should probably back up a little. A few weeks ago, I created a Word document that has 5 columns per page. Each column reads: Day 1: Day 2: Day 3:, etc, all the way up to Day 365:. I have been tracking my weight every morning now for the past 17 days, and I have 2 clear glasses on the shelf above the scale - one empty glass, and one overflowing with 100 marbles. With each pound I lose, I add a marble to the empty glass. So far I have been able to move 5 marbles over to the that glass. I hope to lose 100 pounds in one year, but I would be happy to stay on track and lose 10 pounds per month. (I would be happy to lose ANY amount of pounds...) Five pounds doesn't mean much to me, because I have been 'up and down' within those same five pounds for the past two years...So I am not getting too excited about the five marbles, yet.

Anyway, I told Jon all about the shows I watched, what I want to change in my/our diet (since I do the cooking). He seems on board, but only time will really tell how we both do. I have messed up and 'started over' so many times that I don't want to psych myself out or get overexcited.

I think some of the biggest 'wake-up' calls I had watching the shows were these:
- those poor animals. Watching 'Vegucated' really woke me up and it showed how a lot of animals - chickens, cows, and pigs mostly - are raised and treated before slaughter. I am now totally turned off towards meat and dairy products. I haven't had any milk or eggs or meat for a week now. Although for some reason, I don't feel too bad eating a little cheese. My thinking is flawed, I know.
- I only know what two ingredients are on a diet soda's nutrition label, and I don't recognize a lot of ingredients on MANY labels
- I don't eat nearly enough vegetables or fruits or grains
- Sugar is pretty much in everything, and A LOT more than I thought
- You can reverse a lot of your bodily ailments/diseases when you adopt a healthy diet

So Jon and I went to the grocery store and loaded up on healthy foods - zucchini, squash, tomatoes, black beans, chickpeas, lentils, apples, salad greens, peaches, grapes, peppers, blueberries, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, onions, oats, etc. A lot of GOOD stuff.

I've grown up eating animals, and I like chicken and beef and steak and eggs and pork and bacon and ham and yogurt, etc. But I feel so willing to give the whole idea of grains/veggies/fruits a try! I feel like I just had an awakening or something.

I am so grateful for Pinterest, where I can find HUNDREDS of excellent recipes and ideas. I still 'pin' desserts, though. They just look so darn good! I don't think I will/can limit sweets, but I will be more aware of what I am eating and how much.

I found a website called budgetbytes.com that has a lot of good, inexpensive recipes I can use. I made this Honey Sunflower Bread yesterday from that website:

Instead of making grilled cheese, I have been making grilled

peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

 

 Overnight steel cut outs with blueberries

 

 This is my new favorite vegetable dish. It was so good!

I got it from the same website as the bread.

 

 Salad with pecans, blueberries, peaches, feta, and some craisins.

I am doing my best to also recognize when I am hungry/full. That is one of my biggest challenges. I just like to eat! And when Jon eats, even if I am not hungry, I will still eat more with him. So I need to be careful with that...

 Hippocrates said "Let thy food be they medicine and they medicine be thy food." It is amazing how many people were able to stop taking a lot of their medicine and pills after changing their diets. I know that not everyone can quit taking pills, but a lot of health problems can be reversed. It's just amazing to me!

Anyway, wish me luck!

Isn't It About Time?

 

When Jon and I first landed at the airport, mom pretended not be excited.

 

But she really was happy to see us! Haha!

Pennsylvania was full of fun and relaxation and good food and hanging out with family.
I am so happy we were able to see all of the kids. The Siebach boys and Shauna and Courtney (who is pretty much family) were only able to stay for a couple of days, but I am grateful  I was able to see all of those cute boys! I miss them so much. They are growing up way too fast!
Jon was able to stay for only a week, but I stayed for an extra week. I missed Jon, but I loved being able to spend more time with my side of the family!

Here are some mixed pictures of what we did for those two weeks, in no particular order: (Jon took a lot more photos on his phone, which I don't have right now. I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of the twins!! I know for sure Jon has some, at least...)

 

 

Dad with Olivia 

The girls were pretending to be 'mermaids'

out on the rock in the middle of the creek. 

 

 

 JB enjoying a snack (I can't believe there are no

soft letters surrounding him!) That boy

loves anything to do with letters!

 

Chris, Abbie, Carter, and Hamilton on the old railroad bridge.

They loved throwing rocks into the creek below.

 

Jon and some of the older nieces and nephews going for a walk down the trail.

(It used to be a railroad, but PA did a 'Rails to Trails' program.) So we were able

to enjoy going for a few walks along the trails and the old railroad bridges.

 

Olivia was a doll pretty much the whole time!

 

The oldest cousin, Chris, holdest the youngest, Olivia

 

We had a blast playing Mexican Train (and eating lots of snack and

drinking lots of soda! I paid for that later that night...I was so sick! But it's vacation, right?)

Unfortunately, I never won a game... Next time I

won't be sitting next to dad, haha!

 

Ellie enjoying her ice cream at Frosty Freeze!

 

Carter and Marian playing on the see-saw 

 

It may seem odd, but I LOVE these buttered, poppyseed rolls dipped/soaked

in hot chocolate for breakfast. We only do it in Pennsylvania with

my grandma and grandpa, but it's a delicious tradition!

Dad built up a couple of fires while we were there. We roasted hot dogs and

marshmallows a few nights. It was nice to sit around with the adults and talk late

into the night after the kids went to bed.

The stars and moon out there looked amazing. The fields were also glowing

with all of the fireflies. I didn't quite enjoy all of the bats flying

above us, though. At least they didn't come too close...

But next year I am bringing some personal spider spray

for those nasty, pesky daddy long-legs! I get shivers just thinking about them

crawling up my leg!

A bald eagle family lives on the property. This one is just a baby,

but it sure still looked big! It just sat there for a long time,

'talking' to it's parents, who we heard but couldn't see.



 

Last but definitely not least, mom made some homemade bread

which we topped with her homemade rhubarb jam.

I think this bread and jam combo is part of my top five favorite foods list.

She made it on our second to last day there, so just in time!

We also enjoyed going to a small 'zoo' with deer, black bears, goats, chickens, turtles, a zebra, some wolves, and some other odd animals. Emma, Hannah, Mom and I sung in church on the second Sunday we were there. We had a fireworks show in the backyard - I am grateful Jon was there to be in charge of lighting them up. Shauna was keeping an eye on him to make sure he ran away from them fast enough! We mostly stayed at the farm, but that's the way I like it - there isn't any cell phone service out there, so it was kind of nice to be 'away' from texts and phone calls and other responsibilities... :)
I hopefully will get some more pictures off of Jon's phone soon - I know he has more from our trips to Utah and to Pennsylvania.
I am grateful we were able to visit both of our families. Jon and I have both been blessed with wonderful families and friends and we miss everyone so much!




I Remember You

It's official, I am the worst blogger - ever. I think I have titled some past posts: "It's (insert month) Already?!" Or "I'm Baaaack" at least a couple of times now. But thanks to a gentle push/plea from my mother-in-law, I am going to do my best to update more often. I always think about writing something, but then times come and go and by the time I think about it again, the 'story' is old.
Today's blog is a hodge-podge of pictures and things we have been up to since February. (It's been that long!)

First, food. I love to cook. I love that Jon loves to eat what I cook. I have been trying out some new recipes, and have found some new favorites!

 

 Crispy Chicken Burritos

I just made these for the first time yesterday. So easy, soooo good!

Thank you to Pinterest for a winning recipe.

 \

 

Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake
So moist, delicious, and really good for summer.
I will definitely be making it again sometime.


 

 

Spinach Pasta Salad

One day, Jon brought home some leftover salad from a catered lunch at work.

I tried to recreate it. It wasn't quite as good, but I'm working on it still!

I'm trying to find the best dressing for it...I think that's what really

makes it or breaks it. It was still really tasty, though.

My favorite/the best grilled veggie sandwich.

Oh my goodness, so good. So flavorful.

My sister Hannah sent me the link to it over a year ago.

I've made it at least 3 times since then, but I really should make it more. 

 

For Jon's birthday, I turned to Pinterest again - this time for a special breakfast recipe.

This was rich, and it's definitely for a 'special occasion'.

Stacked french toast, with strawberries, marscapone, and nutella.

Whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon added on top, of course!

 

Bbq Tortilla Pizza

Also delicious - I just made the chicken in the crockpot, shredded it,

and put it on top of a tortilla, bbq sauce, red onion, and mozzarella cheese.

I just stuck them in the oven for a few minutes, and viola - yum!

 

Grilled Naan

I loved this Indian flatbread. I have made it with chicken curry,

or just to eat plain. I've opened it up like a pita and put taco stuff inside.

It's kind of sweet, and I keep thinking I should make

a cinnamon and sugar dessert with it...mmmm! Some time I will try it out.



 

Of course there have been more delicious meals since February, but I suppose I can't take pictures of EVERYTHING I make...And no one gets too excited to see pictures of mac' and cheese, ramen, hot dogs, or frozen pizzas. Those seem to make it into our menu sometimes, too. :)

In May, we took a trip to Utah to surprise Jon's mom for Mother's Day! I am so grateful that the Knights are very good at keeping surprises secret! Personally, I sometimes have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when I am excited. Jon almost gave it away a couple of times!

We had a wonderful time in Utah visiting family - as always, time flies by way too fast. I always say "If only we had just a couple more days" or even "If only we had one more day..."But I am sure we would be saying that every day, no matter the length of a trip.

Here are some pictures of our Utah trip - I wish I would have taken more of our family! Next time...

 

 

 Jon and I went to Carrabbas with Megan and James. (My old roommate and our friend/now her boyfriend - which I approve of and love...). :)

I really love their Pomegranate Mint Lemonade, and was very happy

to have it again. It's not on the menu, but they will serve it if you ask.

 

 

We stopped by the Provo Temple to take some pictures. We were going to walk around the grounds,

but we were in a bit of a hurry. Plus, it was so hot that day! I did not plan and pack for so many hot days! I think I was wearing a cardigan that day (surprise, surprise).

 

Landing in Utah!! I miss it so much!

We enjoyed watching Dad's dvd of pictures of his life in Alaska when he was younger.

We had a good laugh at this picture of Jon's dad :) I didn't recognize him at all!



We went for a drive and picnic up the canyon with mom and dad Knight.

I miss the snow, and I couldn't believe how much was still up there! Mom and I

only got out of the car for a quick picture. I am used to this Texas heat, I guess. The

men braved the cold and walked around a while and ate outside, though. 

 

 After lunch up the canyon, we walked around temple square and went to the

church history museum. I have been there a few times, but it never gets old.

 

 

 We definitely stayed busy on this trip. Another day, we headed down south for a few hours

and checked out Wes and Kara's new 'cabin'. I put 'cabin' in quotations, because this was

definitely not what I was expecting. I think I really only had spiders on my mind. We

were going down to move in some furniture and clean up the place a bit. I assumed 'cleaning up'

meant dusting for cobwebs and squishing spiders. Thankfully, it was the opposite!

It is a huge cabin, with lots of windows and a beautiful kitchen/great room, etc. Their

master bathroom is from a dream - who doesn't want a nice claw-foot, soaking tub?!

 

Here is the Provo Tabernacle, soon to be temple. I can't believe how much

work they have done! It's amazing. It boggles my mind how they can

dig under/put up stilts/balance/fix/build it. I love it. I am grateful I was

able to attend the tabernacle a few times before it burned - for stake conferences,

graduations, and singing in a choir there, too. I am especially grateful

I was able to play the organ up on the balcony, also. What an experience!

We visited our friends the Alderks who lived down the street from us in Provo.

We stopped at the old place for a minute and I snapped a picture. I miss it a lot

more than I thought I would. There are six years of memories in that house! We've only

been gone a little over a year, but it seems like a small lifetime. I am almost tempted

 to move back, and even live in that house again!

 

Beautiful mountains. I miss going up the canyons on beautiful spring/summer/fall days.

I can't believe we didn't take pictures with any family. Next time!! But we really did have a wonderful time with family and I enjoyed our visit so much.


Next post, our trip to Pennsylvania!