Better late than never

We have been super busy these past couple weeks which means our blog has been a little neglected. Now that it is Christmas vacation I have a little more time on my hands so I figured it was time to update. Greg and I are super excited for Christmas and have been loving the season. This is our first Christmas together as a married couple and could not love it anymore. We are enjoying decorating our home, shopping for family and each other and just being super cheery. We sure love all our friends and family and are so grateful for them. MERRY CHRISTMAS! WE LOVE YOU ALL!



These are just a few random pics from one Saturday when we went to Gardner Village with Jessa and her girls.









And a few from my dad's work Christmas party

Tagg I'm it!

I suppose it was only a matter of time before it was my turn to tell the whole blogging world some random facts about myself. So here goes.....
Here and six random facts/habits about me.

1. I hate walking barefoot in random places. What I mean by this is when I was still single and in college and moving from apartment to apartment every 4 months, I hated walking around my apartments in my bare feet. I always had to have shoes on, even if I was headed to or from the showers. I'm not quite sure of the root of the issue, it may have been the potential of getting hair (that wasn't mine) stuck in my toes. I could however walk barefoot in my own room. And all my roommates would think I was crazy because I was a dancer who danced in bare feet and had no problem with that. Weird, I know.

2. I totally have a routine when I shower. It's the same every time and I very rarely vary. First I shampoo my hair, wash my face, put conditioner on my hair, soap up (and sometimes shave) then rinse and that's it! It's the same every time.

3. I love getting the mail and getting things in the mail. Ever since I was little I have loved going out and getting the mail out of the mail box and still do. Maybe it's the anticipation of maybe getting a letter, card or present in the mail. Phone bills and coupons I don't love so much. Call me old fashioned but there is just something about coming home and seeing a box sitting there on your front step addressed to you.

4. I love inspiring quotes. Every so often I plan a motivation for my Dance Company at Provo High which requires an inspirational or inspiring quote. I love inspiring and motivating these girls. The cheesier the better. Any of you who have ever been on a team or a high school student or a girl know what I'm talking about.

5. I do not love birds or moths, especially moths. If you want more details feel free to ask me. I will tell and rein act stories for you explaining my true feelings of these two things.

6. And last but not least I love text messaging. Sounds kind of lame but it is totally true. I think whoever invented it is a super genius and I thank them!

I tag Druey, any Stockhoff family member and Greg

Such a good book!

Since I have finished the Twilight series I have been looking for another good book to read. I've been asking some of my student's for any suggestions and this was one that kept coming up. The Secret Journal of Brett Colton by Kay Lynn Mangum. This past weekend while Greg and I were down in Vegas at his parent's house I asked his little sisters if they had ever heard of that book. They freaked out and said they totally had and that they totally had it. I borrowed it and read it the whole ride home Saturday and finished it off Sunday. I would highly suggest it to anyone looking for a book. Happy reading!

A Very Brady Thanksgiving

Last night we had an early Thanksgiving dinner with my dad's side of the family, the Brady's. We had dinner in the gym at a church in South Jordan. I brought two brownie pies and they were a hit. We ate so much food. It was like a rehearsal dinner for the real thing. This was a monumental event for my family because it was the first time that my entire immediate family was together. We had my mom and dad, Ben, Jessa and Jared and their girls, me and Greg, Mac home from his mission, Tucker home from military training and Eli. As a result, we took family pics in the hallway. Good times. We had such a great time and it was a great reminder of what we are thankful for this time of year.


Brother's-in-law


Uncle Eli, Lola and her bink










Getting real creative while waiting for mom


The whole family

Random

These are just a few random pics of Greg and me over the past couple weeks. The first one is us in Salt Lake right after we saw Thriller with my mom. It was just on the way back to our car but it was such a great fall landscape we just couldn't resist. The others are from a few weekends ago when we went up to Rexburg to visit Nat and dine at a fine restaurant known as Morinitas. It is authentic Mexican food and very tasty and very filling.






The Super Burrito


La Morinitas

Also, we took a picture with our Super Burritos that was almost identical to a picture we took with giant pancakes when we first met. I think it was our love of food and taking pictures with food that brought us together.




Courtesy O the Ranch Hand in Montpelier Idaho

Ok so.....

As you all know Greg and I have no kids but we do have nieces who we absolutely love to pieces. I know these pics are a little late but I figured better late than never. Jessa brought the girls by to visit me at PHS on Halloween and they looked so cute. My Dance 2 girls thought they were amazing and Lola kept asking me if I was a witch, and I wasn't, because Jessa told her that that is what I was going to dress up as. Thanks Jess, real awesome.


Cali the Princess and Lola the Chicken


Cali the Cowgirl and Lola the Witch


Greg the Nerd and the Girls--I don't think Lola recognized Greg


Cali the 5 yr. old


Jessa and Lo cheesin it up


Me and Lo


The Happy Couple

Yes they are as good as they look

So I bought a cookbook from a student in one of my Dance 1 classes. She was selling them as a fundraiser. Anyway, I was flipping through becuase I needed a dessert recipe to make to take to some friends house for dinner. I came upon this brownie recpie and I decided to try them. Now I don't know about you, but when I cook, I like my end result to look like the picutre in the cookbook. I was beyond thrilled when I made these brownies and they totally looked just like the picutre. They also taste as good a they look and they were real easy to make. Here is the recipe. Just serve with a glass of cold milk and you are good to go. Enjoy!!


Brownie Caramel Pecan Bars
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons water
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, divided
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
CARAMEL TOPPING(recipe follows)
1 cup pecan pieces
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 9-inch square baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan; grease and flour foil.

2. Combine sugar, butter and water in medium saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Remove from heat; immediately add 1 cup chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; stir into chocolate mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan.

3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Meanwhile, prepare CARAMEL TOPPING. Remove brownies from oven; immediately and carefully spread with caramel topping. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup chips and pecans over topping; lightly press into topping. Cool completely in pan on wire rack, being careful not to disturb chips while soft. Lift out of pan; cut into bars. About 16 bars.


CARAMEL TOPPING:

Remove wrappers from 25 caramel candies. Combine 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, caramels and 1 tablespoon milk in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 1 minute; stir. Microwave an additional 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Use immediately.

Here's to you friends

As you are reading this I am sitting here talking with two of my best friends on a three-way phone conversation. We used to be roommates before I got married and have been friends for years and will be friends for the years to come. There is just something amazing that happens when good friends get together. It's this intangible goodness that reaches to the very core and spreads through your entire body. I think you all know what I mean. Thanks to my friends for being who you are and for being some of the greatest out there. Love you guys.

Dance-tastic

So MTV has been showing a marathon of So You Think You Can Dance for the past couple days and Greg and I have been hooked!!! It brings so much joy and laughter into our house. It's like the child we don't have. Why do we love it so much? Maybe the dancing, maybe the sweet music or maybe Mary Murphy (the judge who yells all the time and tells people they are on the Hot Tamale Train)....we can't say for sure. What we can say for sure is that we are auditioning next year, kidding, I wish I could.

New York Photos

New York, New York

Last week I took 9 of my students from Provo High, my mom, aunts and Gramma to New York City. We had such a great time. We shopped around SoHo, rode the Staten Island Ferry, walked to the Brooklyn Bridge, bargained in Chinatown and so much more. I saw 4 shows: The Lion King (Amazing), Mary Poppins (So Good), STOMP (Super Fun) and Legally Blonde (Didn't love it so much). My students were able to take 3 different dance classes and of course I had to dance with them. Let's just say after the first class, which was Hip-Hop, I totally felt like I lost my groove. It was so much fun and the girls loved it. Our second class was a Jazz class and the teacher was an older gentleman who kept telling us to check out his Paula Abdul videos on his MySpace. Uhhhh, no thank you sir. Our last class was a Graham class at the Alvin Ailey studios. This was the biggest eye opener for the girls. I don't know if they are ready for the world of modern dance just yet. Overall the trip was a hit and everyone had a great time. And oh ya, and don't worry that one morning I was totally splashed by a passing taxi who was so kind to drive through a huge puddle. It was just like in the movies.

New hair and new hobbies

So last Wednesday Greg and I pretty much got makeovers. We went to the salon Greg and Allice and came out Greg with short hair and Allice with dark, dark hair and dark eyebrows, yup I colored my eyebrows and I love love them. We looked so different than when we entered. I seriously felt like I was on the show Extreme Makeover or What not to Wear (when they make over your hair). Greg cut off his long, curly locks and I died my hair dark. Greg's hair was super long; the last time he cut it was April, 5 months ago. It was the longest he has ever had it in his whole life and I could totally put the back in a small pony tail. I colored mine dark and for anyone who knows me knows how scared I am about changing my hair. I was real nervous but I am so glad I did it and I absolutely love it! I was kind of nervous to go to school the next day and have my students notice the extreme change (ok I was mostly nervous about the eyebrows.) I received rave reviews from both students and fellow teachers. Most people said, "You look so different I didn't even recognize you." or "You look so good, not that you didn't look good before...." Overall I am really pleased with my fabulous new look. All the credit and thanks to Hillary (our hairstylist). So I need to inform everyone of the newest hobby in our lives, ok moslty Greg's. It is a little thing called Guitar Hero and we love it. Mac brought down Tucker's Playstation 2 and it somehow ended up at our house. Go figure. Greg has become quite the guitarist and sometimes we tag-team it and totally rock out. We have only had it set up for one day and it has been in use for the last 4-5 hours. If you are wanting to listen some '80's butt-rock or attempt to play it on a plastic guitar with 5 colored buttons come on over!!


The Hot New Couple



Me and Elder Brady doing some Modern Dance



Me and Ben chillin at home



Greg being the Guitar Hero



Greg's Power Stance



Ok, I like it too!