So... I have a new blog, a cooking blog, hence why I have completely forgotten to write about our lives here! Oops.. Anyways, you should look at it journeyintoscratch.wordpress.com. Now, I will update you on our awesome lives.
Zach is done working for the census - aka, he is now home well before 1:00am and only has 2 jobs instead of 3! What a trooper. He is gearing up for school to start in a couple of weeks.
We sent in my Green card papers a month ago. Now we begin the long wait. So, to occupy the long hours that I find myself with, I cook and bake and sew and write and read. I made my first skirt a few weeks ago. Last week, I finished a dress too! I'm working on writing a YA novel. I'm about half way done and happy to witness the development of the story and characters in my head. I have re-read the Harry Potter books (third time's a charm right?), read the Hunger Games (and am anxious awaiting #3...) The Giver, Holes, The Book Thief (which made me cry for 50 pages...), The Memory Keeper's Daughter and other ones that don't come to mind right now. That's that!

In Between Canada Day and the Fourth of July

The Outside of my Cake... and The Inside of my Cake

This cake is a tribute to both the Fourth of July and Canada Day (July 1st). Zach liked the fact that when I cut it, the Canadian flag was ruined but the American flag was still intact... I was just surprised that it actually worked!

We moved! We love our new place. It feels like home. Plus, we have enough space that could actually play a reasonable game of hide-and-seek (which is something we were never able to do in Provo) if we wanted to. We also got to use the BBQ we got for our wedding for the first time! We've spent some good time with our nieces lately, and I even went to a Rodeo. (It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be either... though I have to admit that my favourite part was listening to my father-in-law's comments and seeing how excited he got when someone "had a good ride!" Like anyone except him, the riders, and the judges even knows what qualifies a good ride! Speaking of which, who knew there were judges at rodeos??)

Progress and... Missionaries!

We are moving in a week! We found a cute apartment in Orem that we are very excited about. Our apartment currently doesn't look nearly as cute. I finally got to pack though! I also have a great group of missionaries right now who are waiting to go to Mexico. That is our news.

Karma

So, a couple of days ago, I accidentally thought a thought that I wish I hadn't though.  Are you following me?  Call me superstitious, but I believe that you get to a point in your life when thoughts like "life's easy right now" or "gosh, we haven't had a hard time in a couple of months, how nice" etch across your mind.  And it usually means that things are going to get really hard really fast.  Those are the fateful words I thought a few days ago.   Don't get me wrong, I know that life is not supposed to be easy.  I know that I grow the most when I'm in the "depths of despair" (Anne of Green Gables is my hero by the way).
   
Anyways, as soon as I thought that everything was going smoothly, our lives are turned upside down.  I have realized that even though our lives don't go the way we think they should, they go the right ways.  I am trying to be open to God's plan for us, especially when it is directly opposite to our own plan.

I guess it's okay.  I really do like packing after all.

Anniversary!

So, it's official. We've been married for a whole entire year. It has been a great year, a year filled with lots of ups and downs. My favourite part of this year though is the fact that I got do it hand-in-hand with the man that I love. Here are some highlights:
1. May 9th 2009 - we got married :)
2. Our long vacation in Canada
3. Seeing a bear in the wild
4. Surviving a wild tubbing adventure
5. Buying our first furniture
6. Putting up our first Christmas Tree
7. Family Home Evenings and Date Nights
8. Seeing the Penguins
9. Doing home things together (grocery shopping and laundry is so much more fun with Zach!)
10. The lessons we've learnt and the ways in which we've grown in faith and together.

To celebrate our Anniversary, we went to the the Living Science Aquarium and to dinner. The penguins were so funny to watch. Plus, I just love penguins. They are so funny! Zach liked the sharks, but I think they are less funny than penguins.

Zachy - I love you very much! Happy Anniversary sweetheart. How does another million sound? :)

Oh, the dreams of summertime!

So, I want to move. I want to pack up all of our things and lug them to a brand new location. I want to endure the countless hours of unpacking and organizing. I can't help it. The good of renting is that you can move often and start again afresh, and this is what I am itching to do. We are planning to move towards Salt Lake in August. Does that mean that I shouldn't start packing now? Would that be a little bit eccentric? Maybe... Anyways, I don't know what it is about me, but I have a hard time staying still. I think I'll blame my mission where I was forced to move every 6 weeks or few months, or my years as a college student where I was never in the same place for more than 6 months or so. There, I have been trained. I can't stay still. I am going to pack.

Good Books

okI love reading. I love reading good books. I eat them up. But then they end. Don't you hate that?
I rush through good books, finish them, and then feel sad for the rest of the day that my good friends - the characters of good books - are gone forever. This hits me really hard especially with good books that are part of good series. I grew along with Harry Potter and the Traveling Pants girls, and then they die and it makes me so sad. Why, oh why didn't Rowling/ Brashares just keep writing??? Now I have to go and find a new good book with some new good friends to love...
Any suggestions?

Thai Chicken Soup

So, I am done school. Now I have nothing to do but cook and blog. I hope you're ready for lots of posts about food! Tonight, we had Thai Chicken Soup. It a spicy Asian delight!
Dice 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
Cook through in a saucepan on medium heat
Once the chicken is cooked, add 1 onion, chopped, and 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
Sweat the onions (cook them until they are transparent, but don't brown them)
Add 1-2 cans of coconut milk (depending on how much soup you want to make. For just Zach and me, I used 1)
Add a cube of chicken bouillon
Add green curry paste to taste
Add a teaspoon of lemon juice
Let soup simmer 15 minutes or so
Just before serving, add a couple hand fulls of spinach (I used chopped frozen spinach)
Place some bean sprouts in the bottom of your serving bowls and cover with the soup
Garnish with bean sprouts
And finally, ENJOY!

Faith

A few days ago, some sweet Sister Missionaries were practicing teaching me. One of them explained to me that faith is "a belief that moves you." Maybe it was because of her cute southern accent, or maybe because of the spirit, but those words really stuck with me.
I realized that having faith is different than having expectations. I probably knew that once, but I obviously forgot it. To have faith in God's promises is believing in Him, and trusting in Him, but it is also doing whatever you can to bring those promises about in your own life.
As Christ himself explains: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me (Moroni 7:33). He doesn't say that if we have faith in Him, He will do whatsoever thing with us, but that he will give US the power to do that thing.
As I learnt this lesson this past week, I felt a strong desire to recommit myself to Heavenly Father. I know that His perfect plan teaches us to become as He would have us be, and that our faith in Christ gives us the power to do so.

"Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" by Gene R Cook (lds.org)

What's for Dinner?

Today felt like summer. Spring at least. Okay, it wasn't snowing. Anyways, it was so nice to be warm I thought I'd make a summer treat for dinner tonight. Rice, blah. Chicken Kabob, blah. Mango Salsa, EXCELLENT! (and super easy too!)
1 Mango, peeled and cubed
1/2 a small red onion minced
1 green onion finely chopped
1 handful of cilantro finely chopped
2 tablespoon lime juice (or lemon juice is fine)
- combine all ingredients
- chill for an hour or so until all flavors mingle
- serve with chicken, steak, or tortilla chips
You won't regret it!

April 9 2010
I officially have one more day of classes. I just finished the last page of my last college paper ever. It feels great to be done (well, mostly done), but it's weird at the same time. For years - seven to be exact - I have defined myself as an English major (except that one year that I was a history major). Saying "I was an English major" doesn't seem to hold quite as much weight as saying "I am an English major" though. I guess what I'm really wondering is how long it's okay to define myself as "having been" something instead of "being" something.
What do I do now?
Yesterday, at work, a co-worker and I were discussing our impending graduation and she asked me (as everyone inevitably does) "and what are you going to do now?" I don't know. Maybe I should go to school to figure it out.
Being Canadian, and married to an American, I have to wait several months before I am allowed to work here once I'm no longer a student. I pretend like this is the worst thing ever because I'm dramatic like that. But secretly, I don't know what I'd do with myself if I could work. Maybe I should go to school and get a marketable degree. But then I'd be marketable, and who really wants that?
School is easy. It's always been easy (which of course is a judgment you can make only once you're finished). The real world seems so hard and mean and scary. And I have an English degree. Great. Maybe I should go to school and study something a little more vicious to prepare myself for entrance into this world. Maybe kicking? I feel like you could major in kicking at a reputable university today.
Maybe not. I'm sure by now you're tired of my musings. Hopefully my punctuation's correct. It would be terribly embarrassing if it wasn't. I am an English major after all.

The Mysteries of a Modern World

This picture was snapped on March 27 2010. As you can see, this balloon is from Valentine's Day (over a month ago). When I was young, a helium-filled balloon lasted a day or two. This balloon floating around our apartment is so weird!

Happy Birthday Gack!

Surprise! For your birthday, I got you a new house (or maybe just a book that talks about buying a house...)

March 29 2010
Yesterday was Zach's Birthday - and we had so much fun! We went to Church, had carne asada, and other Mexican treats, and then ate cake and played games with friends. I love him very much! Happy Birthday Honey!

The Break.

March 26 2010
I am waist-deep in term papers - long term papers. And, I'm struggling to stay awake (I guess that doesn't speak strongly as to the riveting nature of my papers...) so I decided to take a break. Imagine the summertime. Imagine reading for fun, without quizzes, papers, or exams. Sound nice? I think so. From this recent experience, here is some reading information I have gleaned.
Wright: "Native Son" - If you read this, you will hate Bigger, the protagonist, you will hate white people, and you'll probably start to hate yourself a little too. Good luck.
Willa: "My Antonia" - This is a very good book dealing with the problems of nineteenth century American immigration, but that theme is barely noticeable if you choose to ignore it.
Card: "Ender's Game" - This is a YA book that takes about 2 hours to read, but once you start, you won't want to stop! My one criticism is that Card (a Mormon) uses bad language for no apparent reason.
Cormier: "The Chocolate War" - This is "Native Son" for kids. You will hate Archie, and Leon, and everyone. Plus, you'll want chocolates.
Head: "Mr and Mrs Bo Jo Jones" - This is one of my new favourites. If you can handle teenage pregnancy, and can empathize with a new marriage, then I would recommend this YA read. It's short too, but don't worry, it ends the way you want it to :)
Maeve Binchy: She is an Irish author and I love everything she has ever written. Read her.
Okay... back to work.

Sopa de Verduras

Lately, I have been craving a Mexican Vegetable Soup (Sopa de Verduras) that I had on my mission so yesterday, I decided to try my hand at making it. It turned out quite well, but was hard to find a recipe so here is what I did:
Roast 2 tomatos, 1/2 an onion and 4 cloves of garlic in the oven.
When roasted, blend these things and some water in a blender.
Meanwhile, chop (large pieces) an onion, zucchini, celery, and carrots.
In a large saucepan, cook the onion until translucent.
Add the tomato blend, 1 can of chicken stock, and 2 cups of water (maybe more?)
Add a few springs of cilantro
Cook until the cilantro is limp.
Remove the cilantro.
Add a dash of lemon juice, a bouillon cube, and a dash of chili pepper
Add the vegetables and cook until they are tender crisp.
Serve with warmed corn tortillas and enjoy!

Ten Things....

.... and not that I hate about you either.... Our good friend Malorie tagged us in a post (I think...), so now we're supposed to post ten things about us, and then tag 4 other people to do the same. Got it? Here we go...
1. We're probably the biggest nerds in the whole world. Zach has an air compressed pogo stick and Sarah has a stamp collection.
2. We met serving missions in the California Carlsbad Mission... Zach was Sarah's first Zone Leader! Ha!
3. "We collect BO-OKS" (think Bill Nye the Science Guy minus the Rocks...) and in fact have more bookshelves then we have rooms in our apartment!
4. We have a million pieces of Canadian paraphernalia - thanks Mum!
5. We once almost died (not really) on a four hour long tubing trip down a river in Canada.
6. We got married on May 09 2009 so that in some countries, our anniversary would be 09-05-09. And because that's when the temple was available...
7. We have a little red car whose name is Rosie. She doesn't like it when Zach says mean things about her and she gets back at him by turning on her emergency light.
8. In our home we speak French, English, Spanish, and the all-important Spanglish.
9. We love to ice skate, take Sunday walks, and to play play play!
10. We think that you - the dear souls who care to read about our life - are GREAT!

alriiiiight.... now I tag: Kerry P, BriAnna J, Natalie M, and Alex G (though I do recognize this has nothing to do with dreams...)

The Birthday Post!

Yesterday was my birthday, so after 6 hours of school (and work for Zach - yay!), we celebrated. He got me a new camera for my birthday - which I am VERY happy with. We went to dinner and then ice skating, and then came home to eat a whole cake ourselves! The whole day was great - except when I dropped a plate on my big toe. I'm convinced it's broken.

A Season of Midterms!

I love February. I love it because my birthday's in February, because Valentine's Day is in February and because the snow (if only temporarily) begins to melt and the sun comes out! Today, I went to campus without gloves, a scarf, or even a coat, and it was glorious. However, along with all of the joy this month brings, it also tends to bring a lot of grinding-teeth, pulling-out-of-hair, exhaustion and other such things. It is, after all, a season of midterms and term papers.

This week includes two midterms and two term papers. I was sitting in my adolescent literature class today thinking about how all of this was possible when I checked the syllabus and found that I have yet another midterm on Tuesday that my professor forgot to mention. So... THREE midterms and TWO papers in the next week is my lot. Fortunately though... this is my LAST season of midterms so at least I feel joy in that.

Because of my desires for sunshine, here is the recipe of our new favorite drink (shared with us by Bri and Kristopher). It is like drinking summer... a frothy, lime-flavoured summer.

Brazilian Lemonade:
-In a Blender put:
3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons sweet and condensed milk
2 limes, washed, with the ends cut off and quatered
-Pulse five times (if you do it more, the lemonade will be bitter)
-Strain and serve over ice

Bon Appetite!

Idaho... and Harlee!

Zach and the flying chair...

Zach and Kelsee

Zach and I spent the weekend in Idaho with his sister Kelsee, her husband, Nate, and our funny little niece Harlee. We drove up early Saturday morning - through snowy mountains and black fog. We spent the day visiting with Kels and playing with Harlee. I think she grew to love her uncle Zach; or at least all the games he'd play with her! She loved the flying rocking chair, and strangely enough, playing with a potato! One year olds are so silly! Anyways, we went up for Rafe's (a longtime friend's) missionary farewell. It was fun to be able to take a spontaneous weekend trip and to spend some time with family.

Things work out...

The lesson I learnt today, I've learnt before. Over and over again, this particular life-lesson seems to repeat itself. And the lesson is: things work out, everything will be fine. After Christmas, Zach and I had our fair share of struggles and trials. But, we are now once again assured that everything will be okay. I am so grateful that a kind and loving Heavenly Father knows us. He knows us and he knows how to best help us grow and become the strong, faithful individuals we need to be. This week has been an answer to months of praying for us, and all of these experiences have once again helped me to see how much God cares. I'm just trying to learn to be grateful that He tends to allow the trials to persist until the very moment I can't handle them anymore! Anyways, I just wanted to share with all of you that I know that God has a plan for each of us, of my gratitude for this plan, His help, and for my wonderful husband who supports me when my hope and faith falter.

Holiday Wrap-up

Christmas came, and went. New Year's came and went. The decorations are put away. And, we are trying - trying ever so hard - to get up the energy and desire for life to start again. I go back to school tomorrow. The light at the end of the tunnel is visible though... I will graduate in April. I have four English classes left, and 32 books to read for those four classes! Work is changing too. Instead of classroom teaching at the MTC, I will be working in the TE, a center for missionaries to come and practice their teaching. I'm sad to leave the missionaries I am currently working with, and to not be in a position to teach Spanish as much. But, I am very excited to experience a change of scenery. Zach is still looking for a job. His classes don't start until Wednesday so technically, he still has two days of vacation left. I think he's bored of being at home without anything to do, so maybe he's not as anxious as me about going back.

Anyways, we survived our first holiday season together. It was great. Some of my favourites were: Christmas dinner at the Jenkins' (especially the Christmas crackers!), doing frustrating puzzles with Zach, cooking and baking up a storm, and the way our apartment looks all decorated for Christmas. Anyways... until next time!