A lot to be thankful for!

Dan and I had one of the most relaxed Thanksgivings yet! We didn't end up going home this year since Dan only had Thanksgiving and the Friday after off from doctor duty. He's in his psych rotation right now, which he really hasn't enjoyed too much, but he's learning and that's the point, right!

Anyhow, this year was the first year we didn't travel to see family for Thanksgiving. We both agree that we love our families to pieces, but we're glad we vacationed from vacationing. It's just too much driving in 4 days.

For Thanksgiving this year, we really got pampered. We ended up being invited to two Thanksgiving dinners, which were both very delicious. Conversations were great and we really felt at home away from home.

I have to admit, we had some pretty good turkey this year. One of our friends smoked a turkey, which was very yummy and quite possibly the best flavored turkey next to my mom's fried turkeys. YUM! At our second dinner, we had the most moist turkey we have tasted in a very long time. It was perfect with homemade cranberry sauce! Our taste buds were in heaven!

Since we knew we'd be eating a ton between the two feasts, we started the day off by sleeping in nice and late and then going for a turkey trot around our neighborhood. Dan has become quite the runner! This week he ran 3 miles on the treadmill, with his last mile a 6 minute split! Great job, babe!

--It was 60 degrees on Thanksgiving! We had to pull out the sunglasses it was so bright!--

We kicked off the holiday season by going out for sushi with some of Dan's classmates the Saturday before Thanksgiving! Slowly but surely, I think Dan is beginning to stand watching me eat sushi. He even tried a few California rolls! This was one happy girl!

Dan gave me this super cute hat "just because." So sweet!

So full after dinner.

Remember "no shave November?" Well, Dan's gone and done it again and this time he managed to grow out a beard! He couldn't believe I let him do it! He had to shave it for a interview he had with some Oncology researchers a few weeks ago or else he'd still being growing it out!

Oh, the smell of fall!!!

Dan and I love fall in Omaha. It is absolutely perfect. The trees turn all shades of red, orange, and yellow. The cool weather is probably our favorite part. Although Omaha has all 4 seasons, the summers and winters seem to be harsh. BUT the transitional seasons, fall and spring, are perfect!

Since Dan and I first started dating in the fall, this time of year is super special to us. When Dan and I were dating I was the FHE mom for my ward. Since my mom had given me a bunch of popcorn when I went of to college, popcorn was often the defaulted treat most Monday nights. To spice things up a bit, one FHE fall night, Dan helped me make microwave caramel corn in a brown paper bag, which was a total hit. Since then, we've found a much better recipe and look forward to making caramel corn each fall!!!!

The first year we moved to Omaha, we started a new traditions of making caramel apples!!!! YUM!!!

On our first date, Dan and I carved pumpkins together with another couple. This year instead of fighting with the mess, we decided to pick out our pumpkins and display them on our step. We hope this way they'll last longer than a few days...and they have!
And what's fall without the perfect homemade wreath?!?!
Can't wait for Thanksgiving!!!!!

"You've Had A Birthday Shout HURRAY!"

Last year on my birthday, I had to work, so this year I asked for the day off. BUT Dan had OB/GYN clinic until 5pm, so I was solo until then.

I woke up around 8, when my dad called to wish me a happy birthday. It was great to wake up to a call like that. For one, it was my dad & for two he was the first to wish me a happy birthday! We chatted for about 15 minutes until he had to get back to the real world and then I looked out the window & noticed it was raining. Bummer. Now what to do until 5pm?

Naturally, I called my mom, we chatted for about an hour or so and then I decided to go for a run. I got all dressed up in capri running pants and a dark black running shirt.

About 15minutes into my 8 miler, the sun popped out and it was HOT. I was zapped with a mile or 2 left to go. There is one saying about Omaha weather that I now know to be true: "If you don't like the weather, wait a second and it'll change"

So I got sun burned on my birthday. Bummer. (Now that I'm in nursing school, I avoid the sun like the plague. We're practically taught that: skin+sun=cancer)

The rest of the day I read, ran some errands, & baked my birthday cake.

At about 6pm, Dan got home. (Being a med student's wife, I've learned that: If Dan says he'll be home at 5, that really means he'll be home at 7--Dan got off at 6 because he told his Dr. it was my birthday :)

I think it was Father's Day when I first discovered that Dan's family & my family have the exact same tradition for giving birthday gifts: Heavy, heavy hangover! I about passed out when they started singing the song. That pretty much sealed the deal, jk!

Dan's mom gave me some table cloths and hot pads in all different holiday prints!
Thanks, Julie!

She also gave me a cute wall hanging.

My mom gave me this cute skirt, which I wear at least once a week!

Here's the adorable lacy top to match!

And my ultimate favorite, the pencil skirt that also goes great with the matching top!!!
Thanks, mom & dad!

And Dan had Steph send me 2 white wonder tees, aka my clothing staple!
Thanks Steph & Dan!

And here's the birthday outfit!

A couple days before my birthday, we discovered a website filled with free things you can get for your birthday. So we signed up for them. On birthday I got a free Krispy Kream Donut & split it with Dan!

As for dinner, we went to Famous Dave's BBQ, aka the best BBQ ever! My meal was also free!

They let us try all their sauces on homemade potato chips, yum!
Dan's favorite sauce was Dave's original, but I liked them all!

Here's our meal!!! We also got some extra ribs because they were having a special (1/2 off!)

Did I mention my meal was free & so was my surprise dessert, which had a massive firework on it?!?!?!?

We didn't have enough room for the cake I made, but we still invited our friends over and had a great time scarfing down lemon cake anyways!

I guess turning 23 really wasn't as bad as I thought!

Jazz on the Green

Omaha is an old railroad city, so a lot of it is VERY old and run down. Especially the old "down town" areas. Recently, the city of Omaha has come up with a project to "beautify" Omaha. The initiative is called "O! What a City!"

In an effort to beautify Omaha, mid-town crossing has been built up. In the middle of mid-town, is a beautiful park. During Christmas, the trees are lit up with Christmas light. What a sight! It's so beautiful! In the summer, every Thursday it's filled with beautiful Jazz music.

We decided to check out "Jazz on the Green" with some of our friends, so we packed up a picnic and headed out for a fun night!


It started to sprinkle a bit during our picnic, so we moved under a tree to provide some cover. With the tree, came lots of bugs!

Next time, we'll take a football to throw around.

More bugs!
(By the way, Dave, a med student in Dan's class, LOVES bugs, which is very entertaining)

A guy even played the xylophone. I was impressed!

Speaking of Jazz, one night I came home from work and Dan handed me a coupon for free dinner for two at Jazz, a Louisiana Kitchen!!!! I love Jazz!!

Since my family was stationed in Louisiana for 2 years or so, we all love Cajun food. In fact, my mom taught me how to make jambalaya. YUM! The first time I made jambalaya for Dan, I thought he was going to hate it, but he LOVED it!!!

Anyways, I was first introduced to Jazz in Kansas City at Legends, an outdoor shopping mall. Legends was a really fun place to shop and eat and my parents took Celina, Carson, and I there often since Leavenworth didn't have much to offer by way of shopping & restaurants. Anyways, one day we were shopping, we noticed Jazz tucked in a little corner of the mall. Of course, we had to eat there. The food was delicious! In fact, we ate there for my senior dinner after I graduated.

Little did I know, Omaha has a Jazz, too. Their bread & Cajun butter is the best!

For dinner, I ate Craw fish etouffee with jambalaya!

Dan ate Chicken a la Mar, which is by far the best meal the serve! It's heavenly. Just ask Dan!

All stuffed & Jazzed out. They have a live jazz band playing at night! (You'd think I was advertising Jazz or something?!)

After dinner, we walked around down town & we found these slides. They're a lot of fun especially for grown up kids.

Stuffed Peppers!

Dan LOVES Mexican food.

I attribute his taste bud cravings for Mexican to his 2 year mission spent in Southern California. Don't get me wrong, Dan loves a good slice of pizza just like everyone else, but if he had to eat tacos and burritos for the rest of his life, he'd be pretty happy! In fact, about a year after Dan and I were married, Dan's parents gave us a 50lb bag of dried pinto beans and a LARGE box of taco, fajita, & enchilada mixes because they knew, first hand, all about Dan's addiction. No joke!
Needless to say, I can make some mean refried beans from scratch. Yup, I've been domesticated!

Here's a taco salad that frequently gets eaten in our home. (When I say frequently, I mean like once or twice a week:)

I also know Dan's itching for some Mexican food when he brings half a dozen green peppers home from the grocery store. Yes. 6. green. peppers. So what's a girl to do with half a dozen green peppers...? Well for one, cut half of them up and freeze them for fajitas in the future. As for the others, I decided we'd better mix it up. But how? Immediately I thought back 2 summers ago when my favorite cousin Elsie Kay told my grandma to "google it" and see when she could come visit her next...lol!!!

So that's what I did. I googled it. And this is what I came up with:

Yummy Stuffed Bell Peppers!

In case you don't know, Dan and my dad have many things in common. In fact, they've got A LOT of things in common. I remember when I was younger, probably from about ages 4-7, I wanted to grow up and marry my dad. That dream pretty much came true in a lot of respects when I married Dan. Among some of the things they have in common is their favorite foods. For instance:

Dan loves ice cream, so does my dad.
Dan loves nuts, so does my dad.
Dan loves popcorn, so does my dad.
Dan loves steak & potatoes, so does my dad.
The list literally goes on, and on, and on.....
....But the one that applies to Dan's craving of Mexican food is:
Their love for chips & salsa.

I remember when my dad would come home from work, pull out a bag of chips, fill a bowl full of salsa, & top it off with some cheese. Dan's no different. He loves chips & salsa so much that we buy the HUGE "All I eat is salsa" bottle from Sam's Club. You know, the 80 something ouncer.

Well, one day we're eating breakfast burritos & Dan goes to get the salsa. He notices the cap on the salsa bottle is kinda bulging. So, of course, he taps on it and....BOOM!!! The kitchen was covered in salsa:





Update: We counted 6 tiny jalapenos on our plant tonight!!!!

What's been keeping me busy when Dan's on call...

Earlier this summer, Dan was looking on Craig's list and came upon a posting giving away free plants to anyone who would pick them up. With our flower box looking like this...

Dan decided he'd go and pick a few plants up in the morning. When I came home from work that day, I came home to this...

I was so happy! I loved my new little flower box even though all the flowers were nearly dead. It was finally filled with flowers and with the box now spray painted it looked a million times better!

But after a little TLC my pretty little flower box looked like this!!!

Still a little sparse, right??
This week my little pretty flowers burst into full bloom!!!!

These dark purple flowers just bloomed yesterday!
A little baby humming bird keeps kissing these little flowers! It's so cute to watch!

I love these white ones! They are SO beautiful!!

The best part about these flowers is the way they smell when you walk past them! They smell so sweet! These flowers are a highlight of my day. I love to weed them and water them everyday!

When Dan picked up the flowers for me, he also got some tomato, bell pepper, and jalapeno plants. They haven't done so well....

This little plant looks great, but it just hasn't grown anything. Major bummer.

Dan thinks I water them too much, so I've cut down on the watering. We'll see if that's what's killing them. Maybe I should move them into more direct sun light? But I don't want them to burn up...Either way, aren't they beautiful to look at?