Thankful...

Thanksgiving 2013

Ma and Pa Jensen and the spread.

A tradition we started a few years back- We have a white table runner that each family member writes a blessing on each Thanksgiving.  It is so fun reading the notes from previous years. This is a tradition I definitely plan to carry one!

Oh my, these pies were delicious! I could have eaten a whole apple crumble pie by myself. (Don't worry, I did share!)

Patrick and his famous sweet potatoes.  I love a man who isn't afraid of the kitchen!

My biggest blessing!

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures ." -Thornton Wilder

Hoping you all had a happy and safe holiday! xoxo

A Solid Week

I was looking over my planner from the past week.  It was a good week. We worked hard but found time to play, too.  Those type of weeks are my favorites.  I definitely know I couldn't live a life where all I did was work constantly, but I also know I wouldn't be happy if life were all play.  There truly needs to be a balance! Yep, it was a solid week.  Here are some of the highlights...

-S'mores!  I loved watching Patrick's enthusiasm as he roasted marshmallows over the stove top.

-It was Pajama Week at Kindermusik!  I wish I could wear comfy jammies to work everyday!

-I went to see "Brigadoon" at the Hale Centre Theatre with Mom, Kayla, and Heidi. (Montana Roadtrip Reunion!) My dear friend/former roommate, Adrianne, was absolutely beautiful as Jean.

-I am still fighting this never-ending cold so I tried to get some extra rest. Patrick kept me entertained by playing board games with me.  I recently bought Monopoly for our game collection.  I am not sure why though... I always lose at it.  And if you know me, I am a little on the competitive side and I don't like playing games I'm bad at!

-Got a haircut, which always make me feel like a million bucks.

-I met up with one of my most favorite people, Amy, at one of my favorite restaurants, Tea Rose Diner, for some delicious Thai food and a much needed catch-up session.  Good luck in Spain, Lulu!

-Patrick and I went to the Utah Children's Theatre to see "Tinkerbell and the Pirates." The show was fantastic!  Perfect for both boys and girls.  You have only more week to see it!

Marky

Here are two random stories for you to explain what the sock monkey is all about...

Story #1 "What Inspired the Monkey"
Patrick definitely has his own style, which I love.  When we started dating, it was brought to my attention that he favored brightly colored socks.  Whenever we'd meet up for a date, I'd try to see what the color of the day was.  Recently, Patrick decided he needed/wanted a more grown-up look (which meant no more bright, bright socks).  He asked if I wanted his colored socks since he knew how I liked them and we basically have the same size feet.  I kept the socks even though the didn't fit my feet right and I didn't really have plans to wear them because I was being all sentimental.  Silly, I know. I needed a way to preserve the fun memory of Boyfriend Patrick's style, so I thought- what better way than to make a sock monkey?  Ridiculous, but the monkey sure makes us laugh and it seems better than just holding onto some pairs of folded up socks.

Story #2 The Naming of the Monkey
Baby names are always a popular subject when a new baby is on its way to the Jensen Family. With Andrew and Nicole recently welcoming a new daughter to their family and Jay and Aubrey expecting their second baby early next year, Patrick and I (who are very much not pregnant but still think it's fun to think about) have been thinking up baby names of our own that we like.  I've shared some of our favorites with my mom, who isn't always crazy about the same names as us.  Patrick and I came up with a  name to tease my mom with, and she decided she actually liked it. Mark Marks.  I couldn't ever do that to a child. But, we did decided the name wasn't so bad for a stuffed monkey.  We wanted him to have a middle name as well so we settled on Marky Mark Marks.  *I just googles Marky Marks, Mark Marks, and Marky Mark Marks and there are actually lots of people by those names.  Maybe it isn't such a bad name after all?

Zion National Park: Day 2

Our second day in Zion National Park was much cooler (you'll notice my hands in my pockets in every single photo) and slightly overcast but that did not prevent us from exploring any less.  The first day, we took the shuttle through the park and made all the stops hoping to see as much as possible.  On day two, we drove through the park on our own stopping as we pleased.  We loved all the paths, tunnels, and amazing views we discovered.

Always have to have a shoe photo and selfie to make a blog post complete!

Zion National Park: Day 1

We couldn't have picked a more perfect weekend to visit Zion National Park.  It was Fall weather in its glory!  In my dream world, it would be Fall year round.  And my backyard would look something like this...

It is amazing how you can drive only 5 hours away from home and feel like you are in a completely different world.  I love looking at the license plates on the cars of the park's visitors.  People come from all over the world!  How lucky are we to live so close?!

We took so, so many photos.  It was just too beautiful to resist!  We saw an artist with her easel set up off in a secluded grove painting.  If I were an artist, this is one place I would definitely want to capture on canvas.

The colors were stunning.  The yellow leaves were such a nice compliment to Zion's red rocks.

We picnicked and had a bite of our wedding cake.  Happy to report it survived the past year in the freezer!

So grateful I have Patrick to share all these fun adventures with!

Day 2 coming soon!

Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort

Patrick and I headed down to Zion National Park last weekend to celebrate our wedding anniversary.  I found a KSL Deal for a two night stay at the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort.  We loved every single minute of our trip.  I am breaking our trip into a couple of posts and this one will feature the Resort.

We stayed in a "Cowboy Cabin."  It had only the essentials; a couch, queen-size bunk beds, a dresser, and towels.  The bathrooms, showers, swimming pool, and hot tub were just a short walk away.

The cabin was so cozy!

It had been quite awhile since I had slept on a bunk bed.  I was more than a little excited!

We had dinner Saturday night at the Resort's restaurant, The Blue Belly Grill.  The burgers were delicious and so big!  I am glad that Patrick is always around to finish off what I can't eat.  

Included in our stay were vouchers to participate in different activities at the Resort.  Many things weren't operating since our visit was during the off-season.  We were content to rid the zip line and play mini-golf.

My turn on the zip line...

And Patrick's.

We played mini-golf in the evening after spending the day at Zion National Park.

Patrick easily won because I quit after hole 12 because my hands were cold and I couldn't hit a ball into a hole to save my life.  We will have a rematch at Hollywood connection soon!

We absolutely loved our stay at the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort and would recommend it to anyone who is headed down to visit Zion's.  If you do go, let us know because we could very easily be convinced to go again!

Newlyweds No More!

Last Sunday, Patrick and I celebrated our first anniversary!  I've never had a year go by so quickly.  I guess time really does flies when you're having fun!

We were curious to find out when you are no longer considered a newlywed.  After consulting Google, we concluded the title drops after your first year of marriage.  Truth be told, I am kind of sad to not be considered a newlywed anymore.  People get so excited to hear you were recently married and I love, love to talk about Patrick and my life with him.  Hopefully our adventures as a not new, but not old married couple will be just as interesting!

Patrick's anniversary gift to me was a video he put together with the help of his cousin, Jordan.  Click here to watch!

Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!  Here's what we got up to...

We carved pumpkins on Sunday.  I should have taken photos right away.  Our pumpkins started to go bad very quickly. It's an owl.  Yes, I still am into the whole owl thing.

Patrick's pumpkin.  It looks really neat lit up with a candle but it was hard to see the details in a nighttime photo.  He carved the state of Montana (Yay!).  I love his details- a star marking St.Ignatius, the rising sun, the mountain range, and a M for Montana or Marks (or maybe, the Marks move to Montana? Maybe one day!).

I love Pippi Longstockings.  I was able to pull together this costume using stuff around our apartment.  I knew my old Ariel wig would come in handy one day!

A close-up so you can see my freckles.  I have plenty of my own, they just aren't as pronounced as they used to be.

I finished this tote bag earlier in the week and was excited to fill it with Halloween candy to pass out. (Did I mention I am still into the whole owl thing?)

My cute musical theatre students came to class dressed in their Halloween costumes.  After wards, they stood in the studio's store front frozen like mannequins.  Main Street was hosting trick or treaters and the kids had fun surprising the people passing by.  They are too fun!

Into the Woods Jr. Snapshots

Wednesday was closing night of "Into the Woods Jr."  Here are a couple of snapshots to remember this wonderful production by.