Fruit Bowl

Summer is coming, can you feel it?! I spent 90% of this glorious day inside working. The few moments I spent walking to my car this evening got me excited for summer, the sunsets, the heat, boating, family trips, being outside and fresh fruits and veggies. This is what our fruit bowl looks like right now after a trip to Costco and Smith's. Our fridge also holds strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples. Now, how do just two people eat all this before it goes bad? Some of the fruit will be for Conference Sunday breakfast, but the rest we will enjoy. Here's to hoping Summer comes a little faster, I'll be thinking about it with every bite!

Visit to NYC

Dear Mom and Dad, It was great to be able to visit you in NYC. Shawn and I had so much fun traveling around and exploring the city with you. I'm glad we were the first to come which meant we got to experience some things you hadn't seen yet. Some of the highlights were NY tourists spots including the Statute of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, shopping on 5th Avenue, the Museum of Modern Art, China Town & Little Italy, Top of Rockafeller Center, the Empire State Building, the Museum of Natural History, Central Park and ground zero. We also loved exploring the upper west side where you live, seeing the temple and your office, and going to your ward in Harlem. Of course we found amazing food in NY including some great finds featured on the Food Network, Grimaldi's: best pizza ever, Brooklyn Icecream Factory, Levain's: great cookies the size of your fist, the Shake Shack, and great Italian in Little Italy. Getting to see Wicked for the first time was also incredible! Thanks again for letting us come see and stay with you! Love, one appreciative daughter + one appreciative son-in-law

President's Day

Shawn & Elliot Pretty sure Shawn was trying to turn the camera off... This is a little late, but for President's Day we went up to Brighton. We spent the day with my sister, 2 brothers-in-law & 2 nephews. It was fun and exhausting. I'm not a great skier, but somehow ended up trying to find my way through powder. I tried following Shawn and my sister but usually ended up on my back, at one point I took a nice rest with my skies straight up in the air :)

Spicy Chili

Made this last night. It was spicy and delicious! Didn't taste like normal old chili, plus Shawn made homemade corn bread. We were quite the cooks, and our house smelled amazing all night. An old friend of mine went to culinary school and is now doing an internship at the LA Times. He did this recipe for something for that. The link for the recipe is below.

Christmas Traditons: Postcard to NYC

One of my family's Christmas traditions are these: Swedish Tea Rings. Every year I would help my mom make these and deliver them to our neighbors and friends. But the best one was always saved for Christmas morning. After opening presents we would enjoy this once a year treat. Well, Nancy and Joe are in NYC for this Christmas and next so I took up the honor, stress and enjoyment of making them. Although my mom did find a way to make them for my dad this year! Dear Nana and Grandpa, Since you are away this year I decided to carry on the tradition and make THESE Your other children were very surprised and happy when I showed up on Christmas Eve with these in hand. Especially since I didn't do my math very well and each tea ring was twice the size it should have been! :) Christmas morning was great for all to have a little piece of Christmas past and mom in each home. Tea ring and coke after presents, what more could you need? Hope NYC tea ring is as good tea ring at home.

Austin Cade Lee

I have had a couple practice photo shoots lately. This is our newest nephew Austin and his older brother Payton! Thanks again to my sister-in-law Kelli for letting me use her boys as my models, so cute. Coming soon: my niece Libby and the Real Salt Lake game!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN BIRTHDAY!

Shawn asked me weeks ago to change our blog background bc he was "bored with it" so here's a quick change for Halloween/his birthday. That's right today is Shawn's birthday, Happy Birthday love! Being a Halloween baby Shawn loves Halloween. When I got out our decorations this year I realized our collection was quite dismal. It may have worked in our apartment, but our house looked pathetic. So I started celebrating a little early and got going on more decorations. It's not much but its a start, and I'm sure it will keep growing over the years. Shawn got his very own first ever grill for his birthday, and a fire pit will follow (hopefully the awesome Utah Utes one from Costco!) Last night we had some friends over for dinner, cake and the Utah game, go Utes! This morning I got up and cleaned up from last night and made Shawn a special Halloween/birthday breakfast, then we started our Harry Potter marathon in preparation for HP7 in a few weeks! I'll be making Shawn a delicious steak dinner tonight, decorating our Halloween ginger bread house and his parents are taking us out tomorrow. I hope I've made your birthday a fun month Shawn! I told Shawn we were old today and he said "we're not old till we have kids" I guess we won't be old for a while :) Love you Shawn! PS: Also a Happy Birthday to my brother JD today, and my dad aka Elder Lyon yesterday!

Halloween

We had our friends Heather & Brad over tonight to carve pumpkins! It was fun to catch up, and we enjoyed doughnuts and hot chocolate after. More Halloween posts to come, it is Shawn's birthday after all :) Maybe I'll even finally post pics of our house decorated and everything!