Allie's Salmon Cakes

Okay, so I made up this awesome recipe today, and I
had a few friends ask for it, so I decided to put it up on the blog so that everyone who wants it, can enjoy it.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Allie's Salmon Cakes

14 ounces fresh salmon (about 2 normal sized fillets)
1 T olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp paprika (divided)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1/2 cup small-diced bell pepper, any color
1/4 cup canned or frozen corn
2 tsp dried flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
10 Ritz Crackers (or saltines, or 3/4 cup bread crumbs)
1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Grill salmon fillet, season with salt, pepper, paprika.

Once grilled, flake up all the salmon with a fork. Allow to cool.

While salmon is cooling, dice veggies. Sautee with capers, corn, parsley and more salt and pepper and paprika.

Sautee for about 15 minutes on medium low.

While veggies are sauteeing, put your rits crackers in the food processor, and grind into fine crumbs.

Combine the flaked salmon, sauteed veggies, ritz crumbs, and mayo.

Allow to chill for about 15 minutes.

Once chilled, shape mixture into 1/3 cup sized patties.

Heat T of Olive oil in a large sautee pan over medium high heat. Add the salmon cakes, and fry on each side for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

ENJOY!

Life after workouts

SO working out is great. I always feel so awesome afterwards. But man, give it about 10 hours, and suddenly, seemingly simple actions become increasingly difficult. I have made a list of just a few things that I have had major issues doing since finishing 3 Insanity Workouts.

-Driving Manual. I have an adorable, orange Chevey Aveo. I love it so much, and one of the things that I love most about it is that it is stick shift. But Holy Canoli, have you tried to shift after Shaun T has ripped your quads to shreds? Well let me tell you, it isn't that enjoyable.

-Doing My Hair. I've done more push ups in the last 3 days than in the last 3 years and my arms are feeling it. Lifting my arms to brush and style my hair is a painful process I didn't foresee when I started my workout plan.

-Climbing The Stairs. My poor husband. I didn't think he knew he would become my official runner once my workouts started. But honestly, I can only handle going up and down the stairs once a day. So a big thank you to my sweet husband for always running up and down for me!

-Laughing. Oh my abs. Sore tummy muscles make many many things hard, but laughing is such a funny one. I'll be laughing, then it will just kinda turn into a whimper because it hurts, but then I feel pathetic so I start laughing more. Haha, it's so hilarious.

-More Workouts. I seriously have the hardest time getting myself to work out while i'm already so sore, but I just push through it, and then the next day I am even MORE sore! HA! But I figure that in a few weeks i will start to become accustom to the pain, and I will be getting stronger and stronger!

I already find myself craving the workouts. I love the sense of accomplishment I feel when I am finished with a work out and I am lying on the floor feeling like i might die. it's super awesome. I am changing myself. Me and me alone. I can't rely on someone else to do the work for me. If i want to see changes, I have to do the work. I am becoming more confident and more aware of myself and I can't wait to see where everything goes from here.

Here's to many more workouts and even more sore muscles!

Insanity Week 1

Well, I think I have completely lost my mind. In other words, I've gone insane.

Let me explain. So for the last few months, as many of you already know, I have been following the Weight Watchers program. It is amazing, and I will always always recommend it. It has helped me become more aware of portions, and the nutritional value of things. This reform to my everyday eating habits has been nothing but beneficial. I don't hesitate at restaurants or the grocery store when I am picking something out to eat, and I believe that that is a prime indicator of whether you are on a diet, or if you have changed your lifestyle. Before, when I would be on "diets", I would only get a salad, because I wouldn't trust myself to order a chicken sandwich and substitute the fries out for veggies. But now, I know what my body needs, and i understand that I am not confined to only having rabbit food with the dressing on the side.

In the first 2 months of being on Weight Watchers I have lost 17 pounds. And it has been the most amazing feeling. Here is a little before and after action for ya.

October 2012

November 2012

April 2013

May 2013

 Alrighty, So I don't know if you can see it, But I see in INCREDIBLE difference. I'm appalled that I ever let myself get as heavy as I was, but I am proud of myself, and all the hard work that I have put in to get to where I am today.  And as happy as I am, I would love to still lose another 30 ish pounds. I know that seems extreme. And by no means do I base my success off of a number on the scale or the number on the tag of my jeans. I believe that being happy and healthy and a kind human being is the most important thing. But I would like to see myself push myself farther than I have ever gone before.

For this reason I have decided to start the Insanity program. * nervous gulp*
If you have no idea what insanity is (or even if you do, but want a refreshing look as what kinds of hell i plan to put myself through) watch this.
I just finished my first Fit Test... and it was miserable. BUT! I did finish, and I believe that I can keep it and improve immensely.
They suggest to keep a public log of your progress so as to stay motivated (and humiliated)

So... Here is my starting picture. (no judging)

Insanity Day 1 [May 18,2013]

And here are my week 1 Fit Test Numbers

Switch Kicks-56
Power Jack-35
Power Knee-53
Power Jump-11
Globe Jump-6
Suicides-8
Push Up Jack-4
Low Plank Oblique-21

So there you have it. I'm insane, and I want to see more results based on honest to goodness hard work. I'm excited to keep tracking my progress, and I will definitely be checking in next week :)

Diary of a Primary Chorister

A few months ago I was called into the Bishop's office and was asked if I would be willing to accept the calling of Primary Chorister. My heart started beating really fast, and I wanted to say no. But I took a deep breath and instead replied that I would be happy to. I held back the tears until I got out to the car with Alex, and then I let out all the fear, and frustration and anxiety. I cried and told my sweet husband that I didn't believe I was cut out for something like this. Sure, I am musical. Sure, I like kids. But combine the two? It wasn't quite the calling I was hoping for.

I prayed for guidance, patience, and an ability to teach those precious souls in the best way possible. I prepared my first lesson, and walked into that primary room Sunday Morning with sweaty palms and a racing heart. The kids were wonderful, and eager to learn and I left that day feeling a bit better about this whole situation.

From then on, things only got better. I remembered more kids names, I understood the schedule a bit better, and I didn't feel like I was going to throw up, so that was a plus.

And then last week happened.

I planned a fun coin toss game. Basic premise: Choose a child to come and toss the coin. Heads we sing a song, Tails we did an activity to get the wiggles out. Easy enough.

The first hour, junior primary, things went great. It was a pretty normal day and I really felt the kids were learning the songs extremely well. Senior Primary filed in an hour later, and I was ready to do the same activities as I did with the little kids. All was fine and dandy, until we did an activity that got a little to rowdy. Asking forty 8-11 year olds to do 10 jumping jacks is a little insane. I laughed it off and they calmed back down so that we could sing another song. When it came time to do another activity (singing Jesus Wants me For A Sunbeam) I was wary about the reverence level, but let them sing the song anyway. That's when I see one teacher sitting the front row rolling her eyes and mouthing the words, "Oh My GOSH." I was a little taken aback, but didn't think much of it until another teacher sitting straight up says, "I can't believe you are letting them do this. It's SO irreverent."

...

Immediately I revert back to feeling insecure and lousy. I don't feel like I can do this calling. I stand up in front of all of these children and I try to hold back the tears. We manage to finish the lesson without having to do any more wiggle activities, and I quickly gather my things and bolt outside where the tear promptly begin to fall. I'm hyperventilating and freaking out, and that's when the primary president runs out after me to ask what is wrong. I'm still in tears and i try to explain with the most tact possible, how this sister in primary had extremely hurt my feelings and made me feel like I shouldn't be up these teaching the children. I told her how I felt like everyone was still treating me like a Young Woman instead of an equal. I told her how I easily let my feelings get hurt, and how terrible I am at hiding it. I told her how now it will be hard to hold me head high while that sister is in Primary. I explained how now I am at a loss for how to teach these children in a way that will please everyone, especially the Lord.

Luckily, our Primary president is an angel, and she reassured me that I am indeed capable, and that i can't let someone else criticize me and belittle me when I am, in fact, doing a good job.

I'm still a little hurt and apprehensive for next week when I will have to face this sister again in primary. But I am determined to learn from this experience and use it improve my understanding of other people's opinions. I am constantly trying to take less offense from the things that people around me say, and this is just another place I can practice this.

I believe that the Lord called me to Primary for a reason, and I do know that I will have an impact on those children's lives. I love being able to teach those children the simple principles of the gospel through music, and being able to bare my testimony to them every week.

I'm grateful for the power of prayer and the ability I have to cry out to my Heavenly Father and ask for his help in this learning process. I'm thankful for a loving husband who encourages me, believes in me and reassures me that I am enough.

Source

Source

Source

Aniversario

I figured since the fabulous Hope Douglass had already blogged about her anniversary, i might as well jump on the bandwagon, and crank out our little anniversary tale.

Two years goes by quick y'all. I mean like super speedy, blink and you'll miss it, hyperspeed. I can't believe that i've been married for 2 years... and at the same time, it's like I have only ever known Alex, and our life together. It's pretty great. Alex is great, and i'm so thankful that he puts up with me, and all my emotional weirdness.

I look forward to special celebrations all the time. I love birthdays, and holidays, and i love that I get to put anniversary on the list of things to go out and eat cake for. I love getting pampered, and not caring (too much) about our usually strict budgets, and just going out, to be with one another, celebrate the fact that you didn't kill each other over the past year, and make more super fun memories and traditions.

Our anniversary is March 4, and that was on a monday this year, so instead of taking off from work, we just decided to celebrate over the weekend. It was a marvelous idea, and we didn't waste one minute.

Saturday morning, we woke up after sleeping in (a foreign concept) and left for our all time favorite restaurant--Joe's Farmgrill. okay guys, if you haven't been here, you need to stop reading this post, and get in your car and drive out to Higley and Ray and order something delicious. srsly.

We enjoyed some marvelous green eggs and ham (personal fave) and some delicious huevos rancheros. We also splurged and got the apple fritters. I mean, calories don't count on special occasions. amiright?
One thing i love most about Joe's in the atmosphere. The people are friendly, the gardens are beautiful, and you can sit outside on a wooden picnic table and enjoy life, while staring at the huge citrus trees. It's simple and (in my opinion) super romantic and fun! We always love our time at Joe's, and i think that it will become an anniversary tradition to have breakfast there.

After our tasty meal, we headed out to Scottsdale. Another anniversary tradition that we have is shopping in Keirland Commons on our anniversary. We spend our wedding night at the Weston Keirland. So it only feels right to go back there every year and shop and enjoy the weather. a HUGE perk to being married in the beginning of march is that you are able to do so many things outside and actually enjoy yourself. I love all the fancy shops at KC, and always have fun imagining what i would buy if money was no object. We did buy a few things in Crate & Barrel. but thats just because Alex and I are both suckers for cool kitchen gadgets, and beautiful ceramic berry bowls ;) Some of our other favorite places to look in are Sur La Table, Z Gallerie, Anthropologie and Michael Kors. We always just feel so fancy and grown up when we shop down town scottsdale, and its something that we don't do very often to I always look forward to it.

Once our window shopping was over, we headed out to Salt River Fields to see a Spring Training Game. It is no secret that alex and I are obsessed with baseball, and so it was an easy choice to celebrate our anniversary with the Diamondbacks. We went to a spring training game for our first anniversary, so needless to say, it has become a tradition to go every year.

We are cheap, newly weds, and we hate to buy food inside the park since it is super overpriced. But you cant take in outside food. So i had the brilliant idea to sneak the snacks in under my shirt. and lucky for me these snacks just made me look pregnant, so we were able to have a pretend baby for about 5 minutes before i was able to go into the bathrooms and 'give birth' to these tasty snacks and keep them in my purse. Alex was horrified that i actually snuck snacks in under my shirt, but he forgave me when he realized how expensive the same bag of sunflower seeds are on the inside of the park. It was definitely a funny memory.

Something else that was really cool was that we were at the park early enough that we were able to go down to the field and meet a few of the players. We were able to get our diamondbacks hat signed by Ian kennedy and Dan Hudson tow of Arizonas best pitchers! Alex was loving it!

The game was great as usual, but we were kinda anxious to leave the park, because we had a reservation at The Melting Pot for dinner! We got changed out of our baseball garb, and got a little fancier. Something I love about eh melting pot, is how romantic it is. we requested a privacy booth, and so our little intimate table was behind our own little curtain, and we were free to be as lovey as we wanted without disgusting the others around us. Perfect for an anniversary dinner. ;)

We had a lovely time eating all the amazing things The Melting Pot has to offer, and reminiscing about the past year together. We had agreed to not exchange presents this year, but i lied, and i still got alex a present, and it was so fun to surprise him. I had bought him tickets to Opening Day (toldya we love baseball) Our seats were right behind Home base, and it was so fun to actually surprise Alex with something that he (and I) will really really enjoy.

Our anniversary celebration was a huge success, and I always love getting to spend one on one, romantic and fun times with my sweet husband. /rasies glass Here is to another fabulous year!! I love you Alex. Thank you for another year of amazing memories, growing opportunities, learning experiences, and countless reasons to love you more and more.

The Wedding

Guys, i'm sorry about the delay in the story. I was out living life, and things got hectic. But I won't leave you hanging, i'll finish the love story. :)

After our engagement, things got crazy. We had to chose a wedding day, wedding colors, pick a wedding dress, and get it all done within a budget. It was stressful, but at the same time, i was super laid back about the whole thing. I didn't really care too much about huge details, because in my opinion, the only part of the wedding that really mattered was the groom. and i had him, and i knew he was the right one. So it didn't matter to me what flavor cake we had, or what flowers were added to the bouquet. I was just so excited to me marrying Alex.

I loved all the parties that were thrown in our honor. Bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and open houses galore! We even went up to utah and had parties up there! It was a blast. I felt so loved and supported throughout the whole process. Its such a blessing to come from a family who cares so much about each other.

I have never really been a fan of receptions, and I knew that when i got married, i just wanted to have a small intimate dinner on the day of the actual wedding. But i didn't want anyone to feel excluded from the festivities, so we had an open house. We did it the wednesday before the wedding, and it was just perfect. I wore my dress, and we had a receiving line, and it was life a mini reception, but just a lot more low key.

My reasoning for not wanting a reception is simple. I believe that the day of your sealing in the temple, that should be your main focus. and that should be what you are looking forward to. I didn't want to feel like, "oh yeah, the sealing was nice... but lets get to the real fun-the reception". So our actual wedding day was very relaxed and intimate.

our sealing was at 3:45, so we had all morning to sleep in (which i actually did... no pre wedding sleepless night for me!), and take our time getting ready. I had a hair appointment at 11, and then alex came and picked me up at 1 to go and take our bridals at the temple.

One of my favorite memories from that morning was as we were driving to the temple, i commented on how thirsty i was. and so we decided to stop at circle k and grab some Thirst busters! Everyone at the gas station was in awe that we were in our wedding garb, and we even got our drinks for free.

The sealing was intimate and perfect. I remember feeling so much love from my Heavenly Father, and I knew he was so proud of me and Alex and our decision to be married for time and all eternity in His holy temple.

After the sealing we took more photos with friends and family who were waiting for us outside, and then we headed to dinner at Tia Rosas.

Tia rosas was the most perfect setting for our little family dinner. They have a beautiful back garden, and twinkle lights everywhere, and it was just magical. Our friends had gone by earlier to set things up, and add a few personal touches to the garden, and i couldn't have been more pleased.

The food was delicious, and we ate, and drank and we were oh so merry :) After everyone had had their fill, we played a slideshow of some baby pictures of Alex and I, which is always cute, and always embarrassing... i should find some of those old pictures of alex... haha. and then we did the traditional things, like cutting the cake, having our first dance and tossing the bouquet.

It was so simple, and lovely, and the best part is that we were of on our honeymoon by 8:30 that evening.

I couldn't have asked for a better day, and i was so happy to be starting my new life with Alex.
And what better way to start your lives together than with a super extravagant trip!!

Check in later for our honeymoon recap ;)

Ring Shopping and a Proposal

After Alex told me he loved me, it took me a while to say it back. I had been hurt before by saying "I Love You" too quickly, and i didn't want to make the same mistake again. Alex knew that I loved him back (i kinda made it super obvious) and so he made an effort to let me know that he didn't need to hear it back right away. He wanted me to be 100% comfortable when i finally told him. I really appreciated his patience too, and I have come to learn that patience is one of his most admirable qualities.

I finally did tell him, about 3 weeks after he had first told me. one night sitting in front of me parents house, in the car, staring at my feet, totally nervous. super romantic, i know. don't be jealous. luckily, Alex didn't mind my super lame declaration on love, and instead just kissed me and told me how happy he was to hear me say that.

A few more months go by, and we are just in love, and courting, and basically planning our lives together. However there has been to official talk of marriage, or rings or wedding dates. We were comfortable in the relationship we had, and saw no sense in rushing anything.

The day before alex's first day of college, we headed up to Payson for a little day trip. We packed a picnic lunch, played frisbee in the park, went antique shopping and just enjoyed the cooler weather. We had an absolute blast, and everything just seemed to click. We were planning staying up in Payson for a few more hours, but I remember Alex just looked at me, and said, "I've made a really big decision..." but wouldn't say anything more about the subject. But he just suggested that we head back to Mesa to catch some dinner and maybe go to a movie. That sounded like a great plan to me, so we loaded up the car and drove out to Superstition Mall.

Alex was acting kinda strange, and i knew why once we reached the mall and walking inside and he said we should to into Kay Jewelers "just for fun". I was freaking out, and couldn't believe that we were about to look at really shiny diamonds for the first time together. It was an awesome experience and I remember that the very first ring i tried on, was so special. Other rings were lovely, but there was something about this ring in particular that just felt to right. Obviously, we didn't buy anything that day, but it was so fun to look, and to feel like we were moving in the direction of marriage.

Now, just to give you a little bit of a time frame for this whole thing. We looked at the first ring in August. like august 9th or something ridiculous. So i mean clearly i'm expecting a proposal, because at this point we are constantly talking about 'the wedding' and 'our life together' and 'where we want to live' and 'wedding colors' and 'honeymoons' and lots of other things that would suggest that we would be getting engaged.

Well, august comes and goes. no ring.

September comes, and there are a few dates that i thought could be the proposal day. They weren't.

October is here, and we still have no ring and my gash darn finger. and at this point i am dropping hints like crazy and i am basically on the verge of yelling "PROPOSE ALREADY GOSH DANG IT".

i didn't. but it was close.

Then finally, it's november. and we were coming up on our 6 month anniversary. And alex honestly isn't really the planning type. but when we called me and told me not to worry about planning anything because he had it under control, i began to become suspicious and totally excited beyond belief.

{side story} So, we were engaged on november 2. and I went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with my mom and my moms best friends. We were right by the ring store where i had seen the Ring of my Dreams. and so i suggested that we go and see it. So we go into the store, and i tell the salesman what ring i'm looking for, and he says, "Oh, a nice young man actually just came in a bought that from us a few days ago. We wont have another one in for a few days." And me, being the naive person that I am, I didn't even consider that alex would be the one who bought the ring. Hahahaha... little did i know...

okay, back to the story. So November 2nd rolls around, and Alex comes and picks me up for our date. He says that we are going to Fountain Hills for a picnic and a movie. This was so special because Fountain Hills is where Alex first told me he loved me (while i was awake :) I was so excited. We drove to out to the park and set up a lovely picnic area. We ate our chipotle and drank dr. pepper and reminisced about the last 6 months. It was so great. But, it was also freezing. November, in the park, by a lake, in the mountains... awesome. So i was freezing and kindly asked if instead of watching the movie he had brought if we could just go home and watch instead. He seemed kinda annoyed that I would ask, but obliged. We drove home and he was super quiet the whole ride. We were just about to my house, when he bursts out, "nope, i have something i need to do."

So we turned the corner and went to the little park in my family's neighborhood and he jumps out and takes me to the gazebo, and turns on our song (Para Ti by Camila) and he asks me to dance. We are dancing under the stars, while he is singing to me in spanish. I was melting. It was so romantic and perfect. Then after the song was over he looks at me and says, "Allora, will you do me a favor?"

I just look at him with tears in my eyes, as he gets down on one knee and says, "will you be my wife?"

I barely got the words out, but i just kept repeating "yes, yes, yes! Of course! Oh my gosh!"

He stood up and gave me the biggest kiss ever, and we were both crying, just so happy. And in all the commotion, i didn't even look at the ring! HA! So after a second, alex says, "Do you want this?" holing up a little velvet box with the most perfect ring inside. it was MY ring. the first one we had looked at way back in august! And Alex was in fact the nice young man who the jeweler was talking about. He had bought the ring just the day before I went and tried to show my mom! So funny!

I was so excited to be engaged, and we quickly ran to our families houses to share the exciting news.

I was engaged to the best man, he proposed in the best way, and I couldn't wait to start planning for the best day of our lives.

Our Wedding Day.

First Dates and "I Love You"s

It wasn't long after the first kiss that Alex took me on our first official date. My dear friend Lauren had asked us both to go to Taco Tuesday with her out at a restaurant called Loco Patron. Now, I don't know about you, but anything that involves tacos is alright in my book. I was thrilled to be going out to dinner with Alex and we had some of the best company i could have wished for.

I remember driving out to Ahwatukee that night, and feeling so unbelievably comfortable. Alex told me that I could change all the presets in his car to my favorite radio stations. And i did. Plus Ke$ha's song "your love in my drug" was super popular at the time, and I may or may not have rolled down all the windows and let my hair fly wildly around me while I belted the song at the top of my lungs. I would have never been that at ease with anyone else so early in the relationship. But with Alex, things just felt safe. he made me feel whole, and alive, and excited, and sure, and taken care of.

We got to the restaurant, and I tried to be all timid and girly about my order... "oh, i'll just have one chicken taco, and a water with a lemon please..." But luckily, in this small amount of time alex and i had spent with each other, he had learned two very two important things... i love tacos. and i need Dr. Pepper. So he then orders "5 tacos, 2 chicken and 3 beef. Also i want one dr pepper, and a mountain dew... i'm super thirsty"

I gave him the strangest look and he said, "Just in case you decide you want more..."

so cute.

And heavens knows i scarfed down those few extra tacos he ordered, and drank that DP like nobody's business. And we laughed and talked and made some awesome memories. It was a simple first date, but it was easy and nice and that's all you can really hope for in a first date... amiright?

So the days go by, and we go on more dates. We meet each others families. We meet each others friends. and we are just having a grand ole time being together lots and lots. One night in particular was extra special. We had gone out for dinner, and then went bak to my parents house to watch a movie. i honestly don't remember what movie we watched... too bad, so sad. But if you know me at all, you will know that I freaking fall asleep in every single stinking movie i try to watch. It doens't matter how funny, or how intense the movie is, you can pretty much bet on the fact that i will be zonked out by the time the credits roll. So, I had fallen asleep during this movie with alex, and i remember kinda waking up at the end. I was laying in alex's lap, and he was playing with my hair, and he was talking to me. Now this is one of the cutest things i have ever experienced  so i continued to "sleep". But really i was just listening to everything he was saying to me. I remember him telling me how glad he was that Heavenly Father had lead us to each other, and that he couldn't believe how incredible i was. and then I heard him say something that I honestly wasn't expecting.

"i love you."

he said it. even if he thought i was unconscious  he still said it, and he loves me. and it was really hard to still pretend to be sleeping. At this point i figured i better 'wake up'. So i attempted my best fake yawn-stretch-oh-my-gosh-did-i-really-fall-asleep face and just smiled up at him. He played it cool, and didn't allude to the fact that he had just said the L word. and i had to tell him it was time to go home so that I didn't end up spilling the beans that i had totally heard his secret confession.

I wasn't quite ready to say it back. But it didn't take long.

My Last First Kiss

If I thought alex was bold by holding my hand after one day of knowing me, i wasn't even close to being prepared for what was about to happen.

So as i mentioned in the last story, Alex was going to come over to my house to watch the baseball game. I was so excited i could barely handle it. I'm not one of those girls who just pretends to like sports to get some guys to be interested in her. I am the type of girl who yells at the tv, spills the popcorn, bites her nails and watches through her fingers while she watches sports. I absolutely love them! especially baseball!!

Well game time rolled around and alex came over and we plopped down on the couch to watch the game. I turned it to ESPN... no baseball game. Fox sports... no baseball game. CBS... no baseball game. I called my dad into the room and he quickly informed us that today of all days was a day that the game was blacked out. No TV airing. awesome. I figured the day was over, Alex would go home, and we would try again another day. But instead Alex suggested that we watch a movie. ;) that sly dog.

I was thrilled that he actually wanted to still hang out, even with no baseball game to entertain him. So i showed him to our dvd collection and he picked out Stardust.

{I MUST do a little backstory on this movie... i have gotten every single first kiss from every boyfriend during or after this movie. ha! My first boyfriend ross and I saw this in the theaters, and he kissed me afterwards on the steps on Caesars Palace (he lived in Vegas). My second boyfriend and I watched this at my house, and he kissed me on the bean bag during the credits.}

(yeah yeah, I've only ever had 2 boyfriends/kisses before alex. it's embarrassing. lets move on.)

SO... This being said, I was anxious to see how this viewing would go. We went upstairs to the loft, and we actually got through the whole movie ;) there was a lot of hand holding and beginner stage cuddling going on for sure, but we made it through the whole thing. And it was great! I honestly didn't assume there would be any kissing going on... like i said, alex had known each other for a grand total of 48 hours... But apparently this tiny amount of time didn't bother Alex. ;)

After the movie was over, it was pretty late, and I had school in the morning, so i offered to walk him out. We went outside and i was anticipating a hug, and maybe some talk of getting together again, but oh no...

I told Alex I had a great time, and before I could say anything else, he was kissing me.

and if it hadn't have been the most amazing kiss i have ever had in my whole life, i might have been more shocked. but instead i found myself being realizing that this is what i have been waiting for. this firework moment. the foot popping kiss. the kiss that takes your breath away and makes your knees go weak and all the other cliche things that happen. It was short and sweet and perfect. Alex pulled away from that kiss and just smilied and said, "I had a great time tonight." and got in his car and drove away.

I sat out on the sidewalk for a good 15 minutes after he left trying to wrap my head around the fact that I may have just had my last first kiss.

Hand holding and scat singing.

As I mentioned yesterday, Alex had been sneaky enough to get my number and had shown some interest in coming to my jazz concert at CGCC the next night. But I wasn't delusional enough to think that some random guy I had met at a YSA meeting would actually come out to chandler to watch a concert of a girl he had spent 2 hours with. But lucky for me, Alex wasn't just some random guy. ;)

I remember getting ready for the concert that night, and telling my girlfriends about the cute boy I had met, and how I got a different vibe from him. He was genuine and sweet and didn't seem like all the other guys I had been with.

I sat behind the curtain before the concert started and my heart was beating hard in my chest. I jumped every time the doors opened and more people came into the auditorium. I didn't know why I was so nervous for him to show up. I mean come on, I'd known him for less than 24 hours. I had to go get in position before I knew if Alex had actually came. And by this time I was convinced he wasn't coming.

I walked on stage, and guess who was sitting in the front row... You guessed it. Alex. I gave him a surprised look and he just shrugged and gave me the cutest, embarrassed smile.

I sang my heart out in that performance, obviously wanting to show off just a little. I was blown away by the fact that he had actually showed up. After our set as over, we were allowed to go and sit in the audience to watch the rest of the concert. I went and sat by Alex, and told him how happy I was that he had come. And he told me that it was well worth it to see me again. /cheese.

The rest of the concert was a blur. All I remember is that I was freaking out. Why?? Well because Alex was super bold and decided to hold. my. hand. It was wonderful and scary all at the same time. I remember it being super awkward too because we are at a concert, so we are required to clap... And since this was the first hand holding experience, there is always that awkward moment of, do I just go straight back to holding hands after clapping, or do I wait for him to reach for it again, or should we just not clap at all... Hahaha so awkward. But somehow we made it through, and I was smiling like a goon over the whole thing.

He walked me to my car, and told me how he had a great night, and then no hug, no talk of seeing each other again, he bolted to his car. I was laughing so hard because he was brave enough to come to my concert and hold my hand, but not brave enough hug goodnight. I yelled "hey, where are you going..." He looked back at me super confused, and then slowly start walking back towards me. I told him that I'd like to see him again. And then asked him if he liked baseball. (Alex says that this questions sealed my fate. He knew that he had to marry me now that he knew about my insane love of baseball) he told me that he did in fact love baseball and would love to come over and watch the game with me.

And that's exactly what he did... Plus something extra.


Check back tomorrow for more of the story ;)

How We Met

Next monday is mine and my husbands 2nd anniversary! Wow how times flies! And to celebrate this next week, i thought i would post one story/ memory a day from our lives together.

I don't think I have told very much of 'our story' on the blog, so this way its kinda like a 2 for 1 special. Plus, i will get me back in to the habit of writing more frequently, which is a MUST.

okay, so without further ado:

Way back in april of 2010 I was asked to sing in a special musical number for a singles ward. I wasn't in the singles ward yet, and so i thought that i was kinda weird to go sing for a bunch of people i didn't know. I kindly declined the invitation to sing, and didn't think much of it.

A few days later, on sunday, I woke up with a strange prompting to go and sing in that musical number. I thought that was a pretty weird thing to think, and dismissed the idea. But after a few more intense promptings, and an enormous amount of butterflies in my stomach I called up my friend who was in charge of the singing. I quickly told her how sorry I was for turning her down earlier and I asked if there was still a need for one more alto. She didn't waste any time telling me how much they still needed me, and told me that they were getting ready to run the last rehearsal at the church building and for me to hurry my buns on over.

I remember walking into the chapel, and being told to go and stand by a handsome guy in an orange tie. i shyly said hi, and we went on practicing. after a few minutes learning the song and getting acquainted, practice was over as quickly as it began and we were told to go sit in order in the pews. There was still a few minutes before the meeting actually began, and I began talking to the handsome boy in the orange tie.

His name was Alex. He has recently returned from a 2 year mission to Mexico City. This peaked my interest because I had lived in Madrid Spain for 3 years, and i had always hoped to marry someone who spoke fluent spanish. We continued talking, and even once the meeting started we continued to write notes to each other on the back of the sunday program. We talked about college plans, and hobbies, and somehow got talking about the singing program at CGCC that i was in the next day. He seemed interested in the music program, and I coyly mentioned that he was welcome to come and check it out. And then we told me that if he was to come and check it out he would need my number... so suave. ;)

needless to say, he got my number. and we continued to talk for the rest of the day, and into the night. It was so refreshing to talk to guy who was to genuine and sweet. But i'll be honest. i didn't think that those late night texts would lead to anything serious... but boy was I wrong... and i have never been so glad to be wrong.

To Be Continued.

DisneyWorld Business Trip

Sometimes I hate my job. Who doesn't right? But sometimes I love it too.

For those who don't know, I am a full time nanny for two adorable girls. Their parents run a large construction/soil stabilization company, and are always super busy. So i am with the girls from the moment they wake up, until they are sitting down for dinner with their parents. I bathe them, get them dressed, play with them, discipline them, teach them, and love them.

It's an amazing job, with amazing perks.

such as: going to DisneyWorld for 9 days and getting paid the whole time.

not gonna lie... it's a pretty sweet gig.

granted, there are a ton of aspects that i don't love about going on vacation with my bosses, but honestly, there isn't much to complain about.

We spend our time playing at the parks, eating amazing (expensive) foods, and just hanging out.

Most days we would head to the parks around 8:30. And ride rides, and see the shows and meet the characters, then around 11 get some lunch, then head home fore naps and relaxing. Then around 5 we would get dressed up and go back to the parks for dinner and one of the night time shows.

wash. rinse. repeat.

everyday that was the plan.
And a fine plan it was. The girls had a blast, and I can honestly say, that it's nice to be able to go it the Disney Parks for work, since my husband isn't the biggest fan of Disney Parks, and therefore, its super hard to convince him to go and spend a ton of money at a place he doesn't enjoy. But since i go, and get paid to go, it's most definitely a win-win!

The biggest downside is seeing how sad the girls are that their parents don't want to spend time with them at the parks. We walk through the gates, and then they say "see ya!" and run to ride roller coasters, get coffees, and ride more roller coasters. and that almost always resulted in tears from the girls.

i can't imagine how sad that would be, to see your parents leave, and leave you with a babysitter at disneyland. :/

luckily, the girls love me, and we always have a good time, so they weren't too sad for too long.

Overall, I'd say it was a successful trip. We had a good time, and my bank account is certainly happy about my time in D-World!!

Our next trip is in April, and we are going to Hawaii for 10 days...

i really do love my job.

Frustrations

alright kids, this is about to get really real.

i usually try to keep my posts light and fun and nice... but today i have a lot on my heart. and i need an outlet.

It's been a whole month of doing weight watchers, and I am actually very surprised I am seeing such amazing results. I have lost 11 pounds. It feels great. Plus I am going to the gym 4 times a week, and staying for at least 2 hours. Which feels awesome. But even with the successes, it's been frustrating. I hate that if I "reward myself" on a date night, (and by reward, i mean, i allow myself to eat half a roll and get some sugar free gelato) that it throws off my entire week. How can one meal ruin a whole week of being good?? I just don't understand that science behind that one. And how come, even after losing 11 pounds, my pants still feel tight, and I still haven't seen any changes? It makes me feel like there is something wrong with me. like i am not deserving of any changes.

I am completely aware that this process takes a long time, and that I must be patient. But sometimes I just feel like giving up. Granted, i know that this won't help anything be better, and i know that I owe it to myself to keep going. But how do i keep going, and eating salads, and refusing sweets, and killing myself at the gym, when it seems to be all for not.

I recently just pushed through my first plateau, and that felt awesome! but that wonderful feeling of accomplishment is so fleeting. I'm just used to telling myself that i'm not good enough and that this is just a fluke. My heart and my brain both totally believe that I am a "fat girl" and that no matter what the scale says, i will never get rid of that title. No matter what size pants i'm able to wear, i'm still undesirable, and gross.

ugh, what terrible feelings. why do i feel this way. it's not like i don't have people constantly telling me how much they love and admire me. cuz i do. my family is SO supportive, and my husband is incredible. but for some reason, no matter what they say, it doesn't penetrate deep enough for me to truly believe it. I wish so badly that i could change that about myself. I'm much less concerned about the number on the scale, as much as i am with the way i feel about myself.

Self acceptance is such a huge thing. I think it's important to love yourself. and I think it's important to feel proud of yourself. and i'm working on it. I think by being super open, and truthful, i can figure out the reasons why i feel so sad, and so discouraged all the time. I think that this is the first step in the process to becoming a self accepting person. and i really hope that i am able to overcome all of these yucky feelings, and move on to becoming a much happier version of myself.

I wish i could just see the end result. I wish i could see myself a year from now and know that things will continue to go well. /sigh. wouldn't that be nice in all aspects of life. to know what the future looks like. to know that you will have healthy children, and a stable job, and a long life with your spouse. But that's basically impossible. The best i can do is to have the faith to keep trying. To trust the process and keep doing the things that i know are right. weather that be in my spiritual goals, or weight loss goals. we just have to keep pushing forward.

i'm sorry i'm rambling. But i have just had so many pent up emotions, and i'm sure Alex gets sick of hearing about all of the same concerns and frustrations, cuz trust me, he hears about all of this on a regular basis.

anyway, I really hope that I can move forward with a lot of optimism, and that no matter what happens in regards to my weight, i can begin to heal myself emotionally. I will keep a better record of my journey on the blog, so that i am able to track my progress, and remember my struggles and my successes.

on a much lighter note, i get to spend the next 9 days in Disney World for 'work' :) it should be a great deal of fun!

i truly hope you have a happy day!

xoxo
Allie

Pesto Chicken with Stewed Tomatoes

Tonight I experimented with a chicken dish that surprisingly turned out to be pretty incredible! I posted a picture of the finished product, and a dear friend suggested that I write down the recipe so she could have it. I couldn't ignore the request, so here is the recipe.

Pesto Grilled Chicken with Stewed Tomatoes.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
4 tsp. Pesto (either homemade or pre made)
1-2 Roma Tomatoes
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Red Pepper Flakes to tast (i like about 1/2 tsp)
1-2 tsp Olive Oil
1 glove garlic

Directions.
1. salt and pepper both sides of your chicken breasts. rub 1 tsp pesto all over each chicken breast, and marinate in a baggie for 30 min.
2. Once the chicken is done marinating, put them on the grill. Grill both sides for about 4-5 minutes, or until the middle is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
3. while your chicken is one the grill, cut your tomates into 1/4 inch slices. salt and pepper the tomatoes.
4. heat olive oil in skillet. add red pepper flakes and garlic to the oil. once the oil is hot, add your tomatoes and the remaining 2 tsps of pesto.
5. heat the tomatoes for 5-7 minutes.
6. take chicken off the grill and top with the stewed tomatoes.
7. enjoy!!!

Serving suggestion: I served this over 2oz. of whole wheat spaghetti noodles and it was delicious. the pesto sauce from the tomatoes is a perfect light sauce. Could also be served over a salad!!!

This recipe is only 230 calories!! If served with the 2oz. of pasta it adds 180 calories. So basically it is super low in calories , and super high in tastiness!!!

ps. to make the green beans and zucchini, simply cut up your veggies and add them to a skillet with a little olive oil and garlic and sauté them for 6-8 minutes! so fast and so tasty!

 I hope you give this recipe a try!

Happy Eating!
xoxo

Hopeful

Happy New Years!

With the new year, there is always so much talk about resolutions, and commitments and craziness. And usually this stresses me out. I feel like when I make a goal in the middle of the year it is so much easier to accomplish because the expectation to succeed is lessened. There is no pressure to change. and if you do fail, its not the end of the world. But at the new year, everyone is expecting to see a change. Everyone is waiting to see the "new me" emerge. And that's stressful. Everyone is curious to know what things you don't like about yourself and want to change.

And while this does add a level of stress and pressure, this year I am less annoyed by it, and more excited by the challenge.

I want people to hold me accountable. I want people to know my goals and hold me to them. I want people to congratulate me when I eventually accomplish my goals and I want people to feel like they had a place in helping me achieve them.

It's not an original goal, but I'm so excited about it.

I'm losing weight. Tah dah! I know, it's so cliché for a New Years goal, but I feel like its something I need in my life. I need the be healthier. I need to be more aware of my body and its needs. I need to.

I joined Weight Watchers, and so far, I LOVE IT. I've never used a program like this. It's wonderful. It's more than just counting calories, and logging all you eat, although that is part of it.
The WW app really helps me set goals, form habits and love my body.
It also understands that I am human, and I have cravings and I have days I want to splurge. And WW gives me to tools to do this in the best ways possible. It's forgiving and encouraging and it's perfect for my personality.

I started last week, and I weighed in this morning and I have lost 5.2 pounds so far. And I couldn't be more ecstatic. One of the best parts of this New Years goal, is that Alex is doing it too, and we are totally competing to see who can lose the most. It's great to have the friendly competition going on. Plus we have a couple goal. When we lose a certain amount of weight together, we reward ourselves with something fun, like going to the movies, or getting tickets to a baseball game!

One of the parts of dieting that I really do love, is the cooking. I love the challenge of eating/cooking healthy, but delicious meals. So far I think I'm doing pretty good!! At least Alex is still smiling, so that's a good sign. I get lots of inspiration from magazines like Cooking Light and blogs like eatyourselfskinny. I'm also make a killer salad, so that makes healthy eating pretty easy when I'm out of creative ideas!

I'm excited to see what this next year brings!!

I will be giving WW updates every week or so to let y'all know how I'm doing.

Happy Healthy Eating!!

Top 12 from Twenty Twelve.

Is it just me, or does it seem like i was just writing up my 2011 highlights?

Guys, this year FLEW by! I can't even believe it.

I'm excited to do a Top 12. 

This was an excellent year all around!

Here we go.

12. My Best Friends Wedding -- it was so amazing to be in the temple with my best friend Hope and her husband Mark. That whole day was simply magical, and i was so glad i could be a part of it. definitely a huge highlight, was seeing them dance to "I See The Light" from Tangled. I could see Mark beaming, and he was singing along to the words, and if you know mark, you know how amazing of a sight this was! Their dance was one of the most honest, most emotional and most memorable wedding dances i think i will ever see. 

11. Our 1st anniversary -- There is something so special about celebrating ONE WHOLE YEAR of marriage. We were so happy that we made it a whole year without killing each other, and we couldn't believe how much more we could fall in love with each other. We spent an amazing weekend together, going to baseball games, eating tasty treats, and shopping til we dropped. I couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate!

 10. Nanny Trip to Hawaii -- Now this isn't necessarily a 'favorite' moment. but it is definitely memorable. This was my first vacation i had taken with the family i nanny for. There were lots of hidden tears, mental cursing and frustrated texts sent to my husband. But i learned a lot on that trip, and since then, i feel like i have been a better nanny, and a more patient person all around, so that's good i suppose.

9. Annual Memorial Day Lake Roosevelt Trip -- Every year my family goes to the lake for 3 whole days, and every year, it is one of my favorite trips of the whole year. We relax on the boat, go tubing, play cards, picnic, have dance parties, nap, and make amazing memories. 

8. 21st Birthday -- Birthdays have always been a really big deal in my family. I always look forward to my birthday week! forget counting calories and pass me that third piece of cake please. My family, friends and bosses spoiled me rotten this year! 

7. LA Trip -- If you read my blog regularly, you will know that Alex and i both have an insane love for baseball! We love it so much, and we both made have the goal to see a MLB game in every baseball park in the Nation. So for our summer trip this year, we went and saw the Arizona Diamondbacks play the LA Dodgers. It was such a fun experience!! The whole trip to LA was a blast. We also did a session in the LA temple, which was absolutely amazing. 

6. Buying our First HOME!!! -- This is by far my happiest moment from 2012! It was a long crazy road trying to find a house, and it took us almost a year, but man was it worth it. I feel so blessed to be in a home at such a young age. I love everything about our home! We closed on the house August 29th, and moved in on Sept 1. And none of this would have been possible without our amazing realtor, Paul Newcomb. Seriously, that man deserves an award. Love him!

5. Renovating our first home -- I loved being able to pick out my own carpet, paint colors, fridge, sink, furniture, and much more! It's a slow process, since we don't have the money to do it all at once, but every little addition makes me so happy!!

4. Thanksgiving in Utah -- It had been about 2 years since i had seen my cousins up in utah. so when the opportunity to go to Utah fro thanksgiving came up, i couldn't say yes fast enough. We stayed up in park city and just hung out with cousins and aunts and uncles, and it was all just so lovely. my only sadness was that it didn't snow. 

3. Decorating our home for Christmas -- There was something so surreal about decorating my own home for the holidays. I had done it before, but only in the old apartment. It was different knowing that this was the very first of many Christmas Seasons we would be sharing in this house. It was so lovely. 

2. Dying my Hair -- This one is kinda silly, but it really is something that I have loved about 2012. Back in october, i had a girls night with my in-laws, and on whim, i bought a box of dark hair dye. And since then, i have been  brunette and loving it!!! I don't know when i will go back to being my natural blonde self, but for now i'm enjoying the dark side ;)

1. All the small thing My Heavenly Father blesses me with every day -- A good, stable, well paying job. A loving husband. Families who love us. Friends who will always be there for us. And the Gospel, for the truthfulness that it brings into my life.

Here's to an amazing New Year. 

cheers y'all

xoxo