Where's Brandon?

A)
B)
C)D)

A) Behind the bed
B) In the hot tub, that was was too easy.
C) He's not in this one. That was a trick.
D) By the TV cabinet

P.S Dad, these are pics from the timeshare condo (picture a is the 2nd bedroom and pictures b and c are of the master bedroom). If you can't tell, it was pretty nice! Thanks for sharing...see you on Wednesday!

P.P.S Brandon and I think these pictures are hilarious.

P.P.S.S We went to Orlando a few weeks ago and had soooo much fun. When we get around to it, we'll post pictures of our trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom (which was seriously so awesome).

The Magic of the Season

Just because it's cold outside (and it has been very cold in Denver), doesn't mean that we can't all feel love. This is a picture that I found in an email sent to me. It completely reflects the beauty and warmth that this season brings out in people. Long live the Arctic Sorceress.

Happy Holidays!!

Below is the Christmas E-Letter we sent out to some of our family and friends. Sorry if you have already seen this! Unfortunately, this version doesn't have the ultra cliche Christmas tree border around the text. I couldn't figure out how to import files made in Publisher.

December 14, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

We always love getting Christmas cards and letters but haven’t known how to contribute to the annual parade of friend and family updates in a way that wouldn’t bore everyone to tears since we don’t have kids to show off. So after being inspired by a slew of e-Holiday Letters that made this process seem both low key and affordable, here’s our 1st an-nual holiday letter, complete with a cheesy Christmas tree border (and we’re not yet sure if either the border or this letter is for better or for worse)!

2008 started off when the Jeopardy! folks called Brandon with an invi-tation to be on the show. Brandon was so excited that Alison almost gave him a paper bag to hyperventilate in. We flew out to California for a taping where he ended up doing a fantastic job by coming in sec-ond to a brilliant nerd that was essentially bred to be on the show. The whole experience was exciting not only because it was an opportu-nity to win money and be on TV, but because it was a celebration that Brandon was chosen to be on a show he has always enjoyed. So, if you keep your eye out, you might see him on a Jeopardy rerun!

Spring was characterized by an inordinate amount of school work for both of us as we each finished our semesters for our respective gradu-ate school programs. In June, however, Alison received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Denver. While she hasn’t yet been forgiven for making the family sit through the long procession, she was thrilled to graduate and continues to ‘gently’ remind Brandon that she is the Master of the house, not him.

Since the onset of summer, the months have flown by…mainly because Brandon started the rotations that comprise his final year of pharmacy school (he’ll be graduating in May!) and works part-time as a pharmacy intern. Alison also started her first real job with her hard earned Mas-ters as an in-home family therapist. So in the midst of everything, we find ourselves busy but fortunate to be immersed in activities we both enjoy and have had our hearts set on doing.
We have topped the year off with the decision for Brandon to do a pharmacy residency. While we are unsure where this will take us, we are confident that this will be a great and fulfilling career move for Brandon.

We have fortunately managed to travel beyond the streets of Denver by taking some short trips to Rocky Point, Mexico; Moab, Utah; San Clemente, California; Rocky Mountain N ational Park, Colorado; and Orlando, Florida. We keep trying to remind ourselves that we work-to-live and not the other way around.

Hopefully this letter wasn’t too obnoxious; mostly we wanted to say hello to those we love and let you know that you all are frequently in our thoughts, memories, and even prayers.
May the holiday season and New Year bring you comfort and joy.

Love,

Brandon and Alison

Our Year in Pictures...





Clockwise from Above: Arches, UT; Disney’s Magic Kingdom; Fall leaves in the Rocky Mtns; top of Mt. Evans (14. 000 ft!).

Make it a Double

Rachel Ray eat your heart out. Welcome to your first peek at the culinary revolution that I started. To my knowledge, I'm the first person ever to make a double hot dog. Why no one has extended the concept of double hamburgers to hot dogs is unclear to me, but it was obviously long overdue.

Undefeated

Thank you Max Hall.

Stuff I'm Sure You Really Want to Know

Last year, around this time, we bought a queen-sized down comforter because we had been sharing a twin-sized one and it just wasn't working out. We had only been married for a few months and hadn't fully settled in. And you'll have to remember that I pretty much get used to inconvenience at a lightening quick speed (remember this and this?). I suppose we got serious about getting a bigger comforter when we could no longer deny that a.) twin-sized bedding is only meant for one person and b.) I am a cocoon sleeper and wrap myself up real tight in my blankets while I sleep. I guess I just like to be as snug as a bug in a rug. Unfortunately, that always left Brandon shivering in the night and kind of irritated in the morning.

Well, here we are, more than a year later and I have made even more progress. I finally bought a duvet cover for the comforter!! Note the double exclamation point? It is a big deal--I finally moved from the thinking-about-it to the doing-something-about-it stage! Given my major procrastination issues, sometimes I am amazed that I have a masters and real job.

In a typical Alison fashion, buying a duvet cover has been one of the biggest pains ever. So many rhetorical questions I can never fully answer! Is it too much? If I made one would it be less expensive? Does that material look cheap? Is it too girly? Will I like it in 6 months let alone 5 years? Will it be too heavy and make us hot? You see how difficult those questions are? I guess that is why I left them unanswered for an entire year.

I decided that things must change when I noticed I was grimacing when I climbed into bed, annoyed that our giant dry-clean-only comforter was now a dull white with some unsightly stains (why oh why don't I take off mascara before I go to bed?). Not a good way to beckon sleep.

So where did I find the perfect one? On overstock.com. I've never seen it in person, haven't felt the fabric, don't think it is a trusted brand, and saw an image of it for the first time tonight. Does that mean it is just that awesome? No, not really. It just means I got so sick of not having one that I became impulsive and enticed by the $2.95 flat shipping.

But it looks promising, right?
I ordered the mocha colored one. Neutral but not too boring. Actually, they didn't have any of the other colors in stock. See, I told you I acted impulsively.

In other news, I did not buy these plates at TJ Maxx tonight.
I really really wanted to though. They made me nostalgic for Christmas at home since both my Grandma and my mom have these plates. However, since I already have a Christmas china pattern and have about three other non-Christmas plate sets, I took the higher road and left them on the shelf. Sigh. Plus, there was only three and everyone knows you need enough to seat at least four. If there had been four, I don't know if I could have passed them up. $6.99 at TJ Maxx is way better than $32.95 retail, right? Here I am, several hours later and still kind of sad that I don't have them. Apparently I have a thing for pretty housewares.

The final thing I wanted to tell you about, dear Internet, is that Brandon and I are artists! A few weeks ago we made Inspiration Boards via a challenge posted on my friend Melanie's super cute blog. Since I had been feeling a little blah, I took the challenge. Brandon couldn't resist the fun and got in on it, too. Here is what we did...look closely at Brandon's. He's very proud of it and is a little bitter he didn't win (although I know he would have been sorely disappointed by the prize). I just thought it was fun and got a kick of seeing a picture of something I made on someone else's blog.

OK...was that long enough for you? Apparently I am chatty Cathy tonight. xoxo...

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

So here we are...half way through November! October ended with a very anticlimactic Halloween. This time, we were the big fat party poopers and didn't do anything. That is pretty much sacrilegious in my family, but when you don't have kids, missed the church Halloween party the weekend before, live in a secured condominium building, and had a really stressful week at work, a non-eventful holiday is just what happens (and is just the ticket).

A few days before Halloween though, we did make some sugar cookies. Given Brandon's current affinity for all things Batman, he pretty much only made bat-shaped cookies and incessantly spoke his (in)famous Batman voice. If you look really closely at the picture below, you'll notice that Brandon spelled "Batman" in Nerds. You'll also notice his hideous mustache (that is no longer a part of our lives).

I know you are thinking that Gingerbread shaped cookies aren't Halloween appropriate--I had visions of making Frankenstein-esque figures, but when it came down to it, I didn't have the dedication (or interest) to get all technical with special frosting techniques and equipment so we just made demented Gingerbread peeps instead.

The cookies were soft and incredibly delish--so thank you Wantanabe fam for the recipe. They probably will never see this blog but you know, you gotta give credit where credit is due.

What else? The past few weeks have been filled with lots and lots of work, lots and lots of church stuff, and lots and lots of thinking about stuff that sometimes make you want to go crazy. In addition to all of that gunk, Brandon has been putting together stuff to make himself a savvy applicant for a pharmacy residency and I have begun an exciting new project called Working Out. It is very new to me and I'm not quite sure how to do it, but apparently I have to go to a place called The Gym, move my body, and maybe even sweat. I hear that it can do wonders, but they also said that about Clear Pepsi.

On a totally unrelated note, I was browsing the world wide web today and saw that my cousins have also begun an exciting new project--They totally made shirts for the Twilight movie. Check them out here. I haven't read the last book yet and actually don't feel a strong urge to, BUT, I will be seeing the movie*. Twilight is just one of those very guilty pleasures. It is cheap story-telling that is mushy, almost embarrassing, and a tad over the top, but I've always had a thing for vampires. Remember? (BTW, I NEVER got that video. Lame!). Plus that whole forbidden love thing is kind of catchy. I'm Team Jacob though, so I'm not sure I can totally commit to a shirt.

That's about all I have to share...we are going to Orlando at the beginning of December to explore the many pharmacy residency options. So if anyone has ever been to Orlando, tell us whether or not it is worth going to Disney World or any of the other over-priced theme parks in the area. Any other suggestions of what to do while we are there are also welcome.

*PS, all Denver friends that want to see the above mentioned movie, let's make plans!!