We still had fun--go American Idol!

I know, it's a little pathetic that I'm averaging every other post being about American Idol, but I had to post a few pics of our awesome Idol parties!

First night


Kelsi and I picking up our cool shirts before the party. :) We were afraid the lady making them would think we were a weirdo (well, she still probably did), but she ended up being a huge Idol fan too and we ended up having like a 20-minute conversation about Idol and how much we love it. :)


Aren't we so cool? :)


The whole gang!


Our American Idol ice cream we drove all over town to find!


Gettin' a little crazy...


Nervous for the show!


He did amazing!


Time to vote! And vote we did--about 1,500 votes combined!

Second night


So nervous for the results! It's all we talked about at work all day. :)


We all had something going on when the finale actually aired, so Kelsi Tivo'd it and we watched it a few hours later. In order to avoid texts and calls giving away the results, we all turned off and abandoned our phones!


The final results being announced--very depressing and wrong. :)

Even though we were sad at the results, we had so much fun!

Easy, yummy peanut butter cookie recipe

I always love new recipes, so hopefully you guys do too! This is one of my favorite cookie recipes. First, because they're really yummy and second, because they're really easy.

Easy PB Cookies Recipe:
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg

Mix together and place on a cookie sheet as usual. Bake for about 8 minutes at 350F. For extra yumminess, after the cookies have cooled for about a minute, place a mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the center--rich and delectable. :)

YUM! You guys seriously have to try this recipe. It's so easy, but still so good!


(I found this pic online--pretty close to what they'll look like, but I'd like to think mine are cuter! :) I try to get the Reese's as much smushed into the cookie as possible, not so much on top of it.)

One of the reasons why I love David Archuleta (not as much as Adam, though!)

Ok, I know American Idol is over, and I'm not going to argue about who should have won. But I just have to say that one of the reasons I absolutely love and admire David Archuleta is because he is such a good person.

My friend shared this video with me yesterday. It is of David this past week when he sang at a fireside for troubled youth (there are more details on the YouTube video description). Even though he is famous around the world, he still cares about people and making a difference. What a good role model for the world!

Yellowstone!

Beautiful day!

I haven't blogged in forever! But here are a few pics from our trip to Yellowstone this past weekend through a trip with BYU-Idaho Outdoor Activities. The ride up there and back, a hike, dinner, Playmill show and ice cream afterwards, all for $20--awesome deal! Some of the highlights: we saw a couple of moose and got to see Oklahoma at the Playmill!


Our first moose spotting--by me, thank you very much. :) I have eyes like a hawk! (You'll probably have to click to enlarge the pic in order to see the moose!)


A Shooting Star flower--very pretty.


Us!


Moose spotting #2!


Travis and Katie Williams


Oklahoma at the Playmill! It gave both Adam and Travis massive headaches, but other than that, it was totally fun. :)

We love Yellowstone!

Archuleta should have won

I am so angry at America right now! Although David Cook is awesome, David Archuleta overall totally deserved to win. This is just wrong.

Did Simon praise David A. too much on Tuesday, and his voters got overconfident?

Was Simon so harsh on David C. on Tuesday that his fans freaked and voted like there was no tomorrow?

I don't know. But I do know that America got this one wrong.

All this being said, I know everything really does happen for a reason and that David Archuleta is amazing and will be successful no matter what.

To add at least a small bit of optimism to this negative post, I will say that we had some totally fun American Idol parties the last two nights, pictures of which I will post when I'm not so bitter.

If you would like to oppose me via a comment, do so at your own risk! I'm very passionate about this topic. :)

I love you all, thanks for letting me vent!

I confess--I love American Idol! Are you with me?!

I confess--I love American Idol! My first experiences with Idol began when I was an R.A. in the dorms. There were no T.V.'s in our dorms, so Idol followers gathered in the lounge to watch their beloved show. Whenever I was on duty, I would catch a minute or two of the show, but overall thought these girls were cute but pathetic and were wasting their time.

Wow, how things have changed! This is the third season now that I've been a faithful follower of Idol! Here are a few of the sadly pathetic signs that I'm an Idol junkie:

-I almost never miss an episode, and if I have to, I am sure to record it
-I have skipped out on other, more important activities to watch it
-I successfully talked my cousin into skipping her night class pretty much every single week so we could watch Idol together
-I have an account with www.americanidol.com and, yes, I have actually posted on the forums
-And probably the most pathetic thing up to this point, which I just fulfilled tonight: I voted for David Archuleta 280 times!

I have a life and am not a total loser, I promise! Please comment and let me know that I'm not alone in my obsession! :)

*phew* It feels good to get that off my chest. I hope I still have friends after this post. :)

Go David, I love you! (Don't worry, Adam is aware.)

I'm still alive, and I've been tagged!

I can't believe it's been like three weeks since I last posted--such a slacker! I'll post some more this weekend hopefully (maybe even our proposal story, Jana!), but here is at least a little tag for now!

A - ADVOCATE FOR: Kindness, humor, independence, family, music, hard work, animals
B - BEST FEATURE: Adam says my smile
C - CAR OF MY DREAMS: A brand-new Camry or Accord--nothing too fancy, but really nice and cute!
D - DREAMS & DESIRES: To live a happy and rewarding life, which includes raising a good family, experiencing life and hopefully making a difference along the way
E - ESSENTIAL ITEMS: Adam, scriptures, contacts, chapstick, clothing, food, music
F - FAMILY: Dad and Mom (Carl and Vicki); one brother, Tim, and his wife Aimee and their cute son Jared; and one sister, Elizabeth, and her husband Alex--love them!
G - GREAT PLACES TO EAT: Bajio, Pita Pit, Fazoli's, Craigo's, Dairy Queen, The Backyard, Bellagio Buffet, Panda Express, Merritt's
H - HAVE NEVER: Smoked, drank or seen any Star Wars or Lord of the Rings movies (not that I think they're as bad as smoking or drinking or anything!)
I - IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS, I WOULD: Pay off school loans, pay off my family's debts, donate to the Church and to other worthy charities, and of course do a little something for ourselves as well, like buy a nice house and another car :)
J - JUNKIE FOR: Puppies and card games!
K - KINDRED SPIRIT: Definitely my sister, and Elise! And some of my cousins!
L - LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS: Hmmm... I proposed to Adam; I minored and music and was the principal clarinetist in the BYU-Idaho Symphony Orchestra; Adam and I are both kind of obssessive compulsive about cleaning and organizing :); I type 120 wpm; I spoke at my graduation; Adam and I love watching college football
M - MEMORABLE MOMENT: Getting engaged, and married!
N - NEVER AGAIN WILL I: Play Settlers of Catan ;)
O - OCCASIONAL INDULGENCE: DQ Peanut Buster Parfait, or anything from Cold Stone
P - PROFESSION: Account Adminstration Team Leader at Yellowstone Hotel Systems
Q - QUOTE: "Things turn out best for those who make the best out of the way things turn out"
R - REASONS TO SMILE: Family, friends, the gospel, puppies, country music!
S - SOME OF MY PAST JOBS: Cold Stone Creamery, supervisor and cake manager; R.A. at Perkins Hall (how I met Adam); EFY counselor; BYU-Idaho Comm Department student secretary; editor for Scroll
T - TAG SOME FRIENDS: Anybody who wants to, or can't think of anything else to put on their blog :)
U - UNINTERESTED IN: Art museums (sorry!), rap music, NASCAR (sorry, honey)
V - VERY SCARED OF: Losing a family member, the dark, spiders
W - WORST HABIT: I asked Adam and he refused to say anything (smart man!), but I would have to say it is hitting my snooze button like 10 times every morning :)
X - X MARKS MY IDEAL VACATION SPOT: Ometepe Island, Nicaragua--an amazing little island we got to visit when picking my brother up off of his mission--it's so peaceful and absolutely beautiful!
Y - YEAR I WAS BORN: 1985
Z - ZODIAC SIGN: Virgo, so these are supposedly my traits: analytical/critical, precise, orderly, practical, intelligent, responsible, perfectionist, witty, conservative, polite, hygienic, reserved/cool

Yay, so there's a little bit about me!

What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas--it goes on our blog!

Yay for vacations! Las Vegas was awesome, and we're so glad and grateful we were able to go. We went with my parents and then met my sister and brother-in-law in Salt Lake on the way back, so even more than seeing all the sites, it was fun to be with family. I decided the best way to share our Vegas experience was through pictures/captions, and a few highlights and lowlights. :)

Top 7 (we couldn't decide on just five!):
1. Cirque du Soleil's "O" show
2. Bellagio Buffet
3. Hoover Dam/Lake Mead
4. 75-80 degree weather
5. Beautiful red rock and mountains
6. The Strip
7. The Rat Pack performance

Bottom 5:
1. Blisters on my feet (four hours of walking on the strip!)
2. Scantily clothed women everywhere
3. Sleeping on a hide-a-bed
4. Traffic
5. Paradise Buffet (gross--we learned our lesson and went to the Bellagio Buffet!)

We're back!

We're back home in Rexburg! Our trip to Las Vegas was awesome--don't worry, I'll blog all about it here in the next few days. :) Just wanted to drop a little note to let everyone know we haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Hope everyone is doing great!

Go Ririe!

Adam and I are lucky at this time in our lives, to be living just a few minutes away from a town that's the namesake of our relative--Ririe, Idaho! I get really excited about this for a few reasons. 1. It's just really cool. 2. People around here actually say our name right (Rye-ree=good, Rear-ee=bad!). 3. We're a little part of Idaho history. 4. We just got a really cool Ririe High School sweatshirt, which is what inspired this post. :) Go Ririe!

What a reason to rejoice--happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

"With you, we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
this Easter season. We invite you to view "The Bread of Life"
(approximately 7 minutes), which can be found at the following Web
address:

http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/multimedia

-LDS Gems- "

You're gonna miss this

Tonight my good friend Elise was over and we were just playin' and chatting. Then we started talking about how so many people are moving in a month or so, and then how many more are leaving in July (almost our entire building). Adam and I aren't planning on moving, but eventually we want to go to Boise, so we don't know how much longer we'll be here in Rexburg.
I always think and talk about how I want to end up in Boise, but when we were chatting tonight it hit me that in order to go to Boise, I will have to leave Rexburg. And that thought made me want to cry (and now that I'm writing this, I actually am!). It's funny because I can't even count the amount of times I've complained about Rexburg--about its snow, wind, hills, pedestrians, potholes, etc., etc. And I will still probably complain about them tomorrow. :) But the things that make this place so special are the people and the spirit that are here. I don't know when we will go to Boise, but whenever we do, I know it won't be without a few tears. There's this country song that I absolutely love that really helps me be grateful for this time in my life. Most of the time we think of these years as the ones to "get through" until we become rich and settled, but whenever Adam and I do move on, I really am going to miss all this, and all of you! Here are the lyrics...

"You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins

She was staring out the window of that SUV
Complaning, saying, "I can't wait to turn 18"
She said, "I'll make my own money, and I'll make my own rules"
Mamma put the car in park out there in front of the school
Then she kissed her head and said, "I was just like you"

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Before she knows it she's a brand new bride
In a one-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by
He tells her, "It's a nice place"
She says, "It'll do for now"
Starts talking about babies and buying a house
Daddy shakes his head and says, "Baby, just slow down"

Cause you're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Five years later there's a plumber workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin'
One kid's cryin', one kid's screamin'
She keeps apologizin'
He says "They don't bother me.
I've got 2 babies of my own.
One's 36, one's 23.
Huh, it's hard to believe, but ...

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"

Click this link to view a video of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGeFblfQI1o

Home sweet home

Wow, I haven't posted anything for almost two weeks! I'm not sure if anyone has noticed besides me, though. :) Well, I have always been a picture taker, usually of events or "pretty things," but lately I've been trying to capture more of everyday life--that's the most important anyway, right? So here are some everyday pics of our cute little apartment. Nothing too spectacular, but we enjoy it!

Cheapest music ever!

I recently found out about a website that has changed my life! Ok, that's maybe a little dramatic, but it's so amazing! You can buy songs for $.10 and albums for $.99--yeah, no joke. Don't worry, I couldn't believe it at first either. But it's true! Ok, so the website is www.mp3fiesta.com. You have to make a "deposit" up front of $20 or more, and then it just subtracts from that balance with each purchase you make, if that makes sense. It also doesn't automatically load onto your computer--you have to go into your Downloads section on the site and save your music to your computer. I have bought so much music, and I still have $10 left of my $20 I originally deposited! It's amazing, and I just had to share it. I have been hesitant to share in this joy, in fear that it's an illegal site and the more I share it, the quicker it will be taken away. :( I couldn't hold in the secret any longer--go check out mp3fiesta.com!

p.s. The site doesn't look sketchy or ghetto, so I don't think it's actually illegal--yet. :) So don't feel guilty checking it out!

Our Rexburg Idaho Temple is Here!

This is a frontal view of our new Rexburg Idaho Temple that was dedicated by President Monson on Feb.10, 2008! All Latter-day Saint (Mormon) Temples built since the Salt Lake Temple feature a golden angel Moroni sounding his trumpet atop the large spire. The angel Moroni represents a messenger of the restoration of the gospel and also of the Second Coming - "for the Son of Man shall come, and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds".


This is the baptismal room in the temple. It is where baptisms for our deceased ancestors can be performed so that they may receive the gospel if they did not have that opportunity while living. In the center of the room is the baptismal font being supported on the backs of twelve oxen. These twelve oxen which uphold the font represent the twelve tribes of Israel. They are placed facing outward toward the north, south, east and west - in every direction of the compass. The beautiful oxen are difficult to see in this picture because they actually stand below the floor level from which the picture was taken.


This is the Bride's Room in the Temple. This is where a woman preparing to wed in the temple dresses for the blessed occasion with the help of sweet temple workers as well as a few family and/or friends she may have chosen for the occasion.


This is the Sealing Room in the Temple (although the actual altar is not pictured). This room is where couples and even, in some cases, entire families, are sealed to one another for time and all eternity. We believe that families can be together forever through the special ceremony performed in this room. If you are married in the temple, your children born thereafter are automatically born under that covenant and will forever be sealed to their parents from birth. For those who adopt their children, or for those who have children but weren't originally married in the temple, a very special sealing ceremony that includes the children is held to unite their family for all eternity.


This is the Ordinance Room. It is a room where the ceremony known as endowment is administered. The Idaho Falls Temple is considered a moving Temple where those participating move from room to room, each room representing a progression of mankind. There may be (depending on the temple) a Creation room, representing the events of Genesis; a Garden room representing the Garden of Eden (where Adam & Eve lived prior to the "fall of man"); a World room representing where Adam and Eve lived after the fall; and the Terrestrial and Celestial rooms representing two of the three kingdoms of God. The Celestial Kingdom is the highest degree of glory (what others may describe as "Heaven") and also considered the glory of the sun. The Terrestrial Kingdom, the glory of the moon, is the second kingdom and The Telestial Kingdom, the glory of the stars, is the lowest kingdom.


This is the Celestial Room and is usually where most temple ceremonies and/or ordinances end (aside from baptisms). This room represents the Celestial Kingdom, which, as stated above, is the highest degree of glory, the glory of the sun. Learn more about the three degrees of Glory, Joseph Smith and more HERE.


I have a testimony of temples and know the Lord's work takes place within them and that because of these special and sacred ordinances, we can return to Him someday and be with Him and our families forever! Here is a picture of my family, some immediate and extended, when we went to the openhouse of the Rexburg Temple.

Visit HERE for more information about temples. Visit HERE or HERE to know more about the Church & gospel.

Thanks so much to my friend, Stephanie Fantasia, who put a lot of work into writing the above information about the Rexburg temple, and for her letting me post it on my blog.

Rexburg Idaho Temple Celebration!

This post is a little late, but I couldn't not mention it! On Feb. 9, the night before the Rexburg Idaho Temple dedication, a Cultural Celebration was held in the Hart Auditorium. It was amazing! And I was lucky enough to be a part of it. There was a lot of singing (I was in the choir), dancing, cheering, acting and fun! There was also a lot of historic video and stories ranging from those who settled the valley to those who endured the flood and many other historic events--overall, it told the story of the Upper Snake River Valley. Elder Bednar, Elder Nelson and Elder Costa were there, which added so much. President Monson and President Eyring were both supposed to be there, but as most of you know, President Eyring broke a bone in his ankle, and President Monson's plans had changed and he wasn't able to come until Sunday. So that was kind of disappointing, but the show still went on! It was amazing to see the beginnings of this valley that they almost gave up on, abundant with wind, cold, dirt, lava rock. A few of those unwanted traits still exist :), but this valley has divinely transformed and now welcomes a temple on the hill. The whole night was exactly what it was intended to be--a celebration. If you weren't able to attend, you can search it on YouTube--it's not nearly as amazing, but you'll be able to get a glimpse. :) The spirit was so strong, I totally lost it at the very end when we were singing The Spirit of God and all the little kids in white were "coming toward the temple." I was so blessed to be a part of this. It is definitely something I will never forget!

I've been tagged!

My first blog tagging--how special. :) Thanks, Mel and Michelle! So here it goes...

LOVEY DOVEY (about your husband)

What is your husband’s name?
Adam Roger Ririe

How long have you been together?
Including dating, 3 1/2 years.

How long did you date?
For eight months (August 2004-April 2005)and then were engaged for four months (May-August 2005).

Who eats more?
Probably Adam.

Who said I love you first?
I did, actually--half jokingly, but Adam said it back and then it just stuck from there on out. :)

Who is taller?
Adam, by about four inches.

Who has more speeding tickets?
Neither of us has ever gotten a speeding ticket--cool, huh?

Who is smarter?
It depends. If you looked at our grades, it would be me hands down. Adam is smart, but doesn't enjoy school much. He is also really street smart.

Who is more sensitive?
Haha, funny. I'll let you guys take a wild guess on this one. But just a hint: I have never seen Adam cry, and he probably can't count how many times he's seen me cry--I'm not totally unstable, just sensitive!

Who does the laundry?
We both do, whoever has time.

Who does the dishes?
The dishwasher. :)

Who sleeps on the right?
Adam.

Who pays the bills?
I do. Even though Adam is the Econ graduate, I take care of almost all of the finances--go figure.

Who mows the lawn?
Right now, the Grounds crew at our complex. Some day when we have a lawn to mow, I'm sure Adam will. Then some day when we have old enough kids, we'll make them do it!

Who cooks dinner?
Adam, mostly. I cook when I can, but he's home more than I am--and he's a good cook.

Who drives when you are together?
When we are driving around town, we take turns. On longer trips, usually Adam.

Who is more stubborn?
You can't make me answer this question! Hehe, I'm so funny. :) But honestly, I'd like to think we're equally easy-going.

Who asked who out first?
Adam asked me.

Who proposed?
Me, actually--long, cute story!

Who has more siblings?
Me--I have two and Adam has one.

I’m tagging whoever would like to be tagged!

Sad day

Today is a sad day for the world. Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away tonight at his home. He was probably the best person I've ever known--I hope we can all become more like him. He sure will be missed.

Toilet trouble

Funny/sad story time. So, a few Saturdays ago Adam came up with the brilliant idea of "fixing" our toilet. It was "wobbly"--not enough that myself or anybody else could notice or care about-- but I guess it bothered Adam, so he and his brother Cody decided to be manly and fix it themselves. What was meant to be a "quick fix" turned into a mini disaster. I don't quite know all the proper plumbing/toilet terminology, but this is basically what happened: Cody and Adam shut the water off and took the toilet off of the ground. The wax ring wasn't good anymore, so Adam set off to Ace Hardware to get another one. While he was gone, Cody got a little too excited and took a crowbar to the flange (the plastic thingy that hooks into the ground) and completely destroyed it, which caused a huge mess. Anyway, four hours, three Ace Hardware trips and numerous swear words later (just kidding!), they finally finished. :) It was so funny and sad! Elizabeth (my sister-in-law) and I felt so bad, so we were good wives and made them cookies.

Let it snow!

Can you believe this snow?! Rexburg always has really snowy winters, but this winter has been especially crazy. I can't remember a winter this bad since my first year at college--and we just got like five more inches today! Can't wait until summer...

Christmas fun!

Merry Christmas! A little late, I know. :) I haven't posted anything for over a month, so here's the first of a few updates on what's been going on with us lately. First of all, Christmas was wonderful. We went to Boise on Friday night and didn't have to come back until Wednesday morning, so we had a lot of fun. We got to stay in my sister's hotel a few nights which was way nice. With work and Adam's last few weeks of school, life had been pretty stressful in December, so it was incredibly nice to just relax. And, of course, play. While in Boise, we relaxed, played cards, went swimming (and played Marco Polo which I haven't played in years--it was SO much fun), saw Enchanted (loved it!), ate at Panda Express, Red Robbin and Tavern at Bown's Crossing (none of which we have close by us in Rexburg), drove around and saw Christmas lights--and, of course, celebrated Christmas! It was so fun to be all together. Here are some pics of our fun adventures. :)