The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Vance and I went dashing through the snow, in one horse power 4 wheeler, up Ephraim canyon, where we found the perfect Christmas tree. And yes, we were laughing all the way!
We went with my sis and bro-in-law, Kirstin and Joe, and his family. It was fun to be back in Ephraim for a little bit, where I went to college so many years ago. I showed Vance a few of my old stomping grounds, before we stomped the grounds in the mountains to get a tree. We all had a great time!
Ready to find a tree!
:) :) :)
This is the one!
Ah....so peaceful and pretty :)
Vance doing his weird victory thing he does...
Timber!
Our poor nephew was freezing! Look at his sad little paws :(
Next time, I think I'll remember to wear my snow pants :)
What a stud
I will admit, I do feel constant remorse for cutting down one of Mother Nature's beautiful creations (and don't know if my conscience will allow me to chop another one down in the future), but it looks so beautiful all lit up and decorated in our cozy little home. And you gotta love that fresh pine needle smell!
I'll post a better picture soon, but in the meantime, here's a pic I taken from my lousy phone
Thanksgiving is just around the corner! I have seen a lot of posts on Facebook going around lately, with statements of what certain individual's are grateful for. I try to live each day with gratitude in my heart, and a dose of optimism, and thought it would be a good idea to follow in my friends footsteps to state some daily things I am grateful for.
November 1st- I express much gratitude to a gorgeous fall. I love nothing more than the color change and crunching of leaves. The cool, crisp air and the slight smell of decay remind me that my favorite season is in full bloom. Not to mention, the fashion (light sweaters, scarves, boots, hats, etc) and cuisine (soups, chilis, breads, harvest vegetables from the garden, etc.) are so much fun.
November 2nd- PUMPKINS! True, they lie under the "fall" category above, but they are just so awesome they deserve their own recognition. Everything about these awesome gourds twitterpate me: color, shapes, sizes, smell, texture, and the tasty treats they can make. Each year as grocery stores display them right outside their doors and local farmers advertise their pumpkin patches, I squeal with delight.
November 3rd- Nighttime television. Vance and I were so excited for all of our new shows to start back up, and thoroughly enjoy our veg time on the couch watching them. How I Met Your Mother, The X Factor, The Big Bang Theory, The Office, The Walking Dead, Tough Love, Pawn Stars, American Pickers, Auction Hunters, King of Queens (okay so K of Q is not new, but I'd never watched it until I met Vance), and of course, Conan are some of our favorites to keep up with lately.
Best nerds on the planet :)
November 4th- Cooking. I am not much of a cook, but it is a lot more fun to do when it's not 100 degrees in your kitchen (like it is in the summer, ack!). I like the way the warm stove can heat up the kitchen and fill the air with warmth and delicious smells. Plus, I enjoy the gratification of knowing I made a meal and fed my husband.
November 5th- I am grateful that the online recipe for (non-dairy) pumpkin bread I tried turned out to be a huge success! My husband loves it, and I cannot eat enough of it myself.
Actual footage of the bread I made- not stolen from the internet like all of the above images :)
November 6th- The Provo YSA 80th Ward. Vance and I love our church callings so much. We have come to know so many incredible people that we would have never had the privilege of meeting otherwise. I love our ward and everyone in it. Each individual is so unique and has something to teach me, and I only pray that I can return the favor to even at least one person in the ward.
November 7th- A clean house. As much as I do not like cleaning (just ask my old roommates, and parents who lived with me for so long), I have found I enjoy it so much more now that I'm married. I take so much pride in keeping our place clean and making our tiny little house into a home. It's great to come home to a place that is cozy, tidy and smells good. Plus, I LOVE decorating for the holidays. Here is my latest craft I made for Thanksgiving :)
November 8th- Family. The Mr. and I are both so obsessed with our families, and I love it! I would not have it any other way. Our favorite thing to do in the world is spend time with family, and the people in our lives that have become family.
November 9th- Babies and baby animals. Can I just say how much these creatures (both human and animal) bring a smile to my face? Vance and I giggle every time we cross paths with a smiley, chubby baby or a cute little puppy. They just have such a light and innocence about them that you just can't help but be happy when they are around.
We're obsessed with this little guy
November 10th- Hands, and an imagination to create things . I don't work on my art nearly enough, but whenever I do, I feel like I am on the top of the world. Art is one of my largest outlets in life, and without it, I would not be me. I am so grateful for my hands, and the huge instrument they play in making my dreams become a reality.
Hands of God and Adam- Michelangelo 1509 (a personal fave)
November 11th- Inspiration. Because without it, art would not exist. Inspiration from music, family, friends, nature, life, and of course, my Father in Heaven. Emotions that come from inspiration, and inspiration that comes from emotion. Every time inspiration hits, I try and write it down in my journal. Sure, I now have pages and pages of ideas that still need to come to life, and I get discouraged that I cannot always make them happen "right now", but the fact that inspiration is given to me makes me feel so incredibly lucky. I have so much hope, and know that someday I'll get in all out on canvas.
So very true for me :)
November 12th- Reading. And good books too. Reading is a luxury that I swear I don't get to enjoy enough, but when I do find the chances, I LOVE it.
November 13th- Earring and necklaces. I love to accessorize, and I LOVE all of my necklaces and earrings! I have so many of each now, that I think I could possibly be considered a collector :) My earrings are my little babies, and if I ever lose one, I fall into a state of mourning. I constantly do inventory checks on my precious little jewels to make sure they are all safe and sound and placed back where they belong. I've lost too many small items that I love, that I have become extra cautious.
"I've got a whole shoebox full of 'em. Dangly ones!"
November 14th- My five senses- Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. This is truly the greatest gift God could have ever given me. I know not everyone is blessed to have all 5 senses, so the fact that I was given all of them is remarkable. If I had to, I could never choose which one to give up, as they are all so prominent and intertwined in my life. I love music WAY too much to ever give up sound. I could write an entire blog, full of entries on just music alone. Also, how could I ever give up the sound of laughter, the sizzling of cooking, or a can or bottle of soda being opened for the first time? I need my sight to create art, to enjoy sunsets, and to see my loved ones, I love the taste and smell of food way too much, (along with the smell of nature, old books, babies, paints, scotch tape, and Vance to name a few), and love nothing more than the feeling of being hugged by someone I care about. If I could never feel cold, I'd never appreciate the feeling of being warm, and if I'd never been hot, how would I know the joy of jumping into a pool to cool down? I simply could not willingly give up any of these senses, and pray I never have to.
November 15th- Work. In a time where jobs are somewhat scarce, Vance and I have both been blessed with stable jobs that allow us to live under a warm roof, and eat hot meals. We earn just enough to provide for all of our basic means and still enjoy a little bit of entertainment, in whatever form it may come in.
November 16th- Marcel the Snail. This little guy is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen! I'd like to thank the creative team who brought him to life :)
November 17th- The gospel of Jesus Christ and the miracle of forgiveness. It's a beautiful thing.
November 18th- Nieces and nephews. November 18th brings our grand total to five now! Sweet little baby Coraline Marie Bryner was born, and now we have 3 nephews and 2 nieces. Damon, Halle, Cael, Bronson, and Coraline :) I love them all so much. Each little kid has such a unique, spunky personality, and they can all get me cracking up so hard. I am so glad they are part of my family, and I always get excited to see them. We love you kiddos!
Damon is always pulling faces!
Look at those eyes :)
Don't let this frown fool you, Cael is usually all smiles
Bronson loves to pose for the camera!
Sweet baby Cora
November 19th- Coca Cola. Because it's delicious and great and makes me happy.
The sound of this opening is music to my ears. And the first sip is always pure bliss :)
November 20th- Free Furniture! Vance and I have somehow managed to be a lucky newlywed couple that has paid next to nothing on furniture for our apartment. We spent $100 on our couches, $25 on our dining room table, $80 on a dual ottoman, and the rest of it has landed into our laps for free! Free California kingsize mattress (and bedding), 2 hand-me-down dressers and an armoire, an antique vanity and bench, 2 night stands, 4 chairs for the dining room table, and a swamp cooler! My friend gave me one of her nightstands since she was trying to get rid of clutter, I found another stand lying on the edge of the street waiting for me to come take it off it's owners hands, and Vance's parents have either given us their old furniture, or know of people giving furniture away, and come and bring it to us. I'm excited to turn a lot of these wooden pieces into fun painting projects, as I intend to give most of them an Annika make-over someday. I feel so lucky with our furniture situation!
November 21st- Vance. He is the sweetest, most loving husband. He does so much for me, and works hard in school and at his job. He spent his entire lunch break re-arranging furniture in our spare room and bedroom so that when I came home from work, our new (used) dresser was set up in our bedroom and the bed was made. It looks so nice and I know it took him a lot of work. He's constantly doing sweet little things like that. Gotta love him!
Hiding from the camera :)
November 22nd- Being married for exactly one year and one month. Go us!
November 23rd- Last day of work. I love it when Friday's fall on a Wednesday and I get paid to eat turkey and hang out with my family!
I have so much to be grateful for, and know that as soon as I post this, I will think of something else I should have added, but this will do for now. I hope we can all remember what is important in life, and remember to enjoy the little things. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, I know I will. Please be safe in all of your travels, wherever you may be heading!
Last year during Halloween, Vance and I had only been married for a little over a week, and had just returned from our honeymoon. I was still in recovery mode from months of planning a wedding, Vance was catching up on several missed days of homework, and we'd just settled in and unpacked all of our new gifts into our first apartment together. Needless to say, we were exhausted and had not had time, let alone the energy to plan coordinating Halloween costumes. I will admit that I was a little bit disappointed as Halloween came and went and not a costume was to be worn in our home (and probably my first year never dressing up!), but we still had a spooky end of the October month, filled with haunted houses, haunted boat rides, and lots of scary movies.
This year, however, we could not have been more excited to get our costumes assembled and ready. We had decided last year that it would be funny if we brought to life the old cheesy word expressions that are used to describe something awesome. Hence, "The Bee's Knees" and "The Cat's Pajamas" were born!
Check out those sexy knee pads!
V the Bee and the (former) Anni D
I really wanted to wear some feet pajamas, but had a hard time finding any in my size. Plus, I decided that if I found some cute pajama pants that I liked, I'd actually wear them around the house when Halloween was over. I found a cute leopard print pair for cheap at Shopko, so I snatched them and some comfy slipper socks up for my costume. And lucky for us, my work had this bee costume laying around in their dark, cold warehouse, so we just borrowed it.
The only money we spent on V's costume was $1.00 on his knee pads from Deseret Industry, and $0.76 on the yellow paint. We got lucky this Halloween! I'm already planning next years costumes, since I LOVE dressing up so much. We're thinking either Barbie and Ken, or Brett Michaels and his groupie chick :)
And just for funsies, here's a picture of us during Halloween last year at this time. Nightmare on 13th haunted house in SLC with our old work buddy and his date.
Last weekend, Vance and I celebrated our one year anniversary! As I looked back, it almost seemed surreal how much we learned, discovered, and crammed into that first year of marriage. I will always look back on our newlywed year with a smile on my face. Although it was difficult at times, we had a LOT of fun, and I wouldn't trade my experiences with my husband for anything. I am so pleased that we made the decision to travel life's journeys together.
We both took Friday off from work, and spent the day at the Hogle Zoo. We could not have asked for more PERFECT weather! It was so sunny and warm (with just a hint of that cool, crisp fall air I love so much), and the colors of the leaves on the trees everywhere were to die for. Because the weather was so amazing, the animals were in especially good moods, and enjoyed playing and being outside as much as we did. Vance and I screamed and squealed with delight when the baby elephant performed little tricks, the orangutan surfed along its trees, the giraffes ate their lunches, and when the the billy goats revealed their long beards to us. I swear I have never had this much fun at the zoo in my whole life.
Next, we checked into our Bed and Breakfast at the Armstrong Mansion in SLC. If any of you are looking for a comfy/cozy romantic weekend getaway, this is the place! I really felt like I was living in a blissful little fairy tale. I've provided the link so you can check it out! http://armstrongmansion.com/index.html
We LOVED our stay. The service was warm and friendly, the themed bedrooms were so unique and fun to look at, and the food was amazing! I can honestly say that they served the best quiche I have ever eaten in my life. The cinnamon rolls tasted like they had burnt almond flavored right into them, and the cobbler and fresh fruit were equally delicious.
Vance and I went to Macaroni Grill for dinner on Friday night (yum!) and exchanged gifts. I made him a scrapbook album, filled with pictures and fun memories of our first year of marriage together, and he surprised me with a gorgeous diamond wedding band! I can honestly say I was just as excited when he pulled this ring out and lifted the box open, as I was when he proposed to me with my engagement ring. The two rings look beautiful together, and I could not be more tickled about it. I get twitterpated every time I look down at my finger. Vance is such a sweet husband, and he is constantly surprising me. I do not know what I did to deserve him, but I sure am not complaining :)
The next morning after breakfast (anniversary day!), we drove to Park City and went shopping and enjoyed some art galleries on mainstreet. Again, the weather was perfect, and autumn in Park City is basically heaven on earth. It was so breathtakingly beautiful. At the outlet mall, we each picked out a few items we liked, and decided to cough up the money and buy them. We normally don't go luxury shopping, but since it was a special occassion, we decided to splurge on a few new items. I got some cute, light sweaters, and Vance got a zip up jacket and a new Fossil watch face that was on sale, for his wrist band. Then we enjoyed strolling PC Main Street and admiring the artwork and overly priced clothing.
Before heading back to Orem, we stopped by my parents in Midway for a quick hello, and to pick up the frozen top layer of our wedding cake. After it thawed a few hours later, we fed each other a little bit of cake, and although it was slightly dry, it still tasted oober delicious. The cake was the perfect end to a perfect couple days. We thoroughly enjoyed our simple weekend getaway and I'm already looking forward to our next anniversary! I had no idea anniversaries would be so fun and feel so rewarding!
Below are a few pictures from our fun day(s). Enjoy!
Chillin' with the scarecrows at Hogle Zoo :)
The star of the show!
Monkeys text too!
We were obsessed with this tree!
Our new friend, Billy :)
So this is what it feels like to be a gopher :)
Help! I'm trapped!
The scenic route
Apparently we weren't worth impressing, 'cause he didn't peacock for us
ARGGG Matey!
Yo ho! Yo Ho!
Coming back from dinner
The new band!
Chillin' on the bed
Pretty paintings on the wall
The parlor where we dined in the morning
The happy couple :)
Staircase shot
The Armstrong Mansion
Sniffing the flowers
No hat this time
Park City :)
Me n' Little Miss Piggy
Vance has been wanting to see this Banksy, so I showed him where it was :)
