Imagination Station

I just finished reading Anne of Green Gables last week. I've been trying to read more lately because I feel I may have become too dependent on tv. When I read, I think more, I use my imagination. In the book, Marilla asks Anne why she doesn't talk as much as she used to. Anne explained that she still had her imagination, but just kept it in her own thoughts and to herself. Here's my question, do we lose our imagination as we get older?

I was just talking to my friends about this, but I had an imaginary friend for a large part of my childhood. Her name was Whitney and she was my twin sister and I used to spend hours talking to her in the mirror. Along with Whitney were many other imaginary friends, but she was the constant one that I would talk to as I rode my bike or threw the ball up on the roof. I agree, it does sound crazy, but I believe it was healthy and I'm proud that I had such an imagination! Now I am old and well, boring. Books are not as fantasy filled as they used to be because I don't really take in the descriptions and take time to picture what is being described. I have a goal to read more and along with that goal, I will get my imagination back. Maybe not so far as to bring dear Whitney back, but enough to not be a boring adult.

Penelope

Juan and I went and saw this movie and I wasn't expecting the best movie ever, and so I left really liking it. It was entertaining and I never got bored. I have a hard time going to movies lately mostly because I've made myself so used to tv having the episodes be over in an hour tops. Plus I like the comfort of my own home and being able to eat whatever I want when I want. Ha ha, so Juan has trouble dragging me to movies. We'll decide on a movie, then the time will come for us to actually leave the house and I'll change my mind and decide to stay home! I'm possibly a hermit. This movie is whimsical and it could be better, but it was good enough. I should never be a movie reviewer because I'm so vague, but that's what I thought. PS I am really loving the name Penelope right now, not because of this movie, but because I really love the nickname Penny for it!

Nothing

Okay so I really have nothing to say but it is 4:14 pm and I am just watching the clock, waiting for it to hit 5 so that I can go home for the weekend! I very much look forward to my weekends. Juan works on Saturdays and so I spend the whole day alone cleaning or sometimes just sitting around all day and this week the sitting around part is much needed. Tonight we are going to the restaurant Goodwood and we've never been before, so I hope it's as good as people say. We're also hanging out with our good friends the Hayes and the Marshalls. They are both leaving in April and it is down to 2 months away so I am getting sad. They have lived in our apartment complex the whole 2 1/2ish years we've been married and we always hang out at least once a week, so there will be a hole in our lives once they leave. Well I hope everyone else has plans for a great weekend and I'll try to take pictures so I have something to post next week!

Such a funny show

This is definitely my favorite show right now. I am a drama girl and I watch mostly Grey's and Desperate Housewives, stuff like that. When it comes to 30 minute "sitcoms" I watch The Office and this show. If you have never seen How I Met Your Mother, you need to! They start new episodes again on March 17 so put it on your tivoes and get seasons 1 and 2 from netflix. Ha ha, Juan and I saw a rerun last night that we had already seen, and we were just dying laughing. If you loved Friends, you'll love this. Just thought I'd share.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I do love Valentine's Day! Juan and I have been together since Valentine's Day 2003, well we've been together since June 2002, but that was our first V-day. Then we go even further back because I have received a valentine's gift from Juan since 2001. I was 15 (3 days from 16) and he got me one of those over-sized stuffed bears, and I believe I said right to his face, I don't like stuffed animals. I was not a nice girl back then, no no no, not at all. But Juan suffered through my mean girl phase and now I appreciate everything he does for me and am obsessed with him, I'm so in love with him. For Valentine's Day the first year we were dating, he bought me the Newsies soundtrack. And he hates musicals, so it was a sacrifice on his part. And then he made me this memory game and I had to match up experiences we had together with the dates they happened. It was very hard because we had known each other for 3 years at that point, and my memory only goes back 6 weeks. But he drew pictures and it was very thoughtful and I could tell he put a lot of work into it. We went and saw How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. For this Valentine's Day, we are taking it easy. Just home-made cards and dinner out. I love simple celebrations like that though.

Our Day Off

I really was sick in the morning, and no it was not morning sickness, but then by the afternoon I was feeling pretty good, so Juan and I decided to make a day of it. The weather was so nice, I was just wearing a sweatshirt jacket and was plenty warm. The sun was shining and I'm so glad we weren't stuck inside working on a day as beautiful as this in the middle of February in Utah.

The view of downtown from the capitol.

I know it looks like we pasted ourselves into this picture, but really if that were the case, would we use this picture of Juan? I think not.

I had never been to the capitol (in my adult life at least) and the building was so beautiful.

Another view of the mountains from the capitol.

The stairs, it was just so beautiful, I kept taking pictures.

This was the reason we went to the capitol in the first place. Juan really wanted to sit in on a senate session. It was really interesting listening to the representatives and some of them looked like they were chilling on their computers the whole time! I feel like I have expanded my horizons.

After we were done downtown, we went and ate at the Cheesecake Factory by Fashion Place Mall. I just have to say that was the best restaurant experience I've had in a long time. The atmosphere was so nice and then the portions on our meals were huge! I eat a lot and they brought out my Chicken Madeira and there was double the mashed potatoes and double the chicken of any other big portion restaurant. I took more than half of it home! Then we even got cheesecake wrapped up to go, and I got the banana cream cheesecake and we ate it later that night. It was heavenly. I highly recommend this restaurant. Each entree is around $15 if you don't get steak or ribs, and the cheesecake is $8 per piece. So I meant it's slightly expensive, but so worth it.

After that we went to Ikea. We hadn't been ever since they opened the store in Draper last year. It was fun to see all the set ups and get ideas for decorating one day when I have a home. We spent $5.10. We got 2 cutting boards and a broom. I decided to be nice to Juan and not go on a spending binge, and just get the things I needed. Afterall, he had just spoiled me with an amazing dinner. I guess this is the start of my birthday celebration. I know my birthday is not until Sunday, but maybe I'll do a birthday week like the Shaws did in Wisconsin!

The Cruise

Juan and I on the ship, waiting for our drinks. We kept it fancy and ordered non-alcoholic special drinks. Love the pina colada.

Escargot!!! That means snail. I ordered it because I could and I wanted to be able to say we tried it. It was seasoned with garlic and butter and the texture wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There were 6 snails, and I definitely shared with the rest of the table.

This was formal night. We got all dressed up and went to dinner. We sat at a table each night with 3 other people. A way nice couple who are college students in California, and a woman who was supposed to be with her daughter, but her daughter met someone on the ship and ditched her!

Far away shot, my eyes are possibly closed.

Ensenada, Mexico. It is a huge tourist city, so everyone spoke english and we didn't have to exchange our money for pesos. It was beautiful. Look at all those houses in the hills.

Juan chillin in our bite-sized room. It was so tiny. The bathroom was like an airplane bathroom. The tv was tiny up in the corner. Ha ha, good times.

Juan and his hat in Mexico. We'd walk into each shop, and they'd be so excited that Juan might speak spanish, and then he doesn't so he would let them down. He needs to honor his heritage! We will both become fluent in spanish one day, that is my goal.

Me in Mexico. It looks like I was so cold. It was around 65 degrees, so not very cold at all! I guess I am just used to being bundled up because of the never-ending snow in Utah.

The menu each night was very fancy with high end food and dishes. This particular item, Juan thought he was ordering a green salad with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Instead he got this. Needless to say, he wasn't happy, but we had a good laugh.

The trip was overall so much fun and Juan and I didn't even get sick of each other. It happens sometimes. Ha ha, so now we're back to reality and back to the snow! We drove home on Monday and hit 2 snow storms on the way, how depressing.