Beautiful ovens and busy husbands

For the past 2 years Kenneth and I have been suffering the effects of a crappy oven. It never has more than 1 or 2 burners working at a time. And those burners rotate - so when its time to cook something it's like the lottery trying to guess which ones will work for that night. And, it seems not to matter how much time I spend cleaning it - it will catch on fire with even the slightest crumb or drip. It has been pretty exciting. 

Well, 2 nights ago we had a new phenomenon. The broiler at the top of the oven caught on fire. I really thought our apartment was going down. Luckily we were able to get things under control. But for me that was the last straw. It doesn't matter how  much baking soda I keep next to the oven - I can't smother a fire on the inside top. So, I called our management company to demand they fix the problem [translation: I called and quietly requested that they send a repairman].  

This is the cause for our celebration. The repairman came and was totally shocked at the state of our oven. He only had to look at in briefly before deciding that we needed a whole new unit! Which he ordered and had delivered the very next day. Hooray!!! 

I just can't stop looking at it. It is the most beautiful oven ever made :) Well, ok, it is a very regular looking white oven. But all the burners work and it cooks food at the correct temperature. Here are some pictures:

Unfortunately this week has not been as exciting for Kenneth. He is not only preparing to deliver a paper in New York for a symposium at the Institute of Fine Arts next Friday. But he is also completing requirements for his Masters degree as well as preparing 2 class presentations and 2 25 page papers. He is so STRESSED! 

Ever since we met I have been able to tell when Kenneth was getting stressed by how messy his hair is. I think everyone has something they do when they get anxious - biting fingernails, tapping their leg, etc.. Kenneth runs his hands through and pulls up his hair. It might be the cutest thing I have ever seen. I always feel bad, because I know when he does it he is getting to the end of his rope.. But I can't help but smile. :)

So, here is a tribute to my very cute and very busy husband:

 

I know, he really is the cutest boy ever :) Good luck sweetie!!! I know you'll do great!

Let my love open the door...

This is my new favorite movie clip. It is from Dan in Real Life. Which, for those of you who haven't seen it, is about an advice columnist with 3 daughters after his wife dies. He is really lonely at the beginning of the movie - and when he finally meets someone new it turns out that she is dating his brother.

Easter EGGstravaganza!

Easter has always been a very special holiday for me. It is such a great time to think about and focus on the Savior. But it is also a holiday that I used to share with my grandma, who I was really really close to. Every Easter I would spend the whole week with her. We would dye Easter eggs and make Easter sugar cookies. We would decorate her house and make dinner for our family Easter party. Then we would organize an Easter egg hunt for my brothers and cousins. I looked forward to it all year long.

This was our first Easter on our own, so Kenneth and I decided to have a traditional Easter celebration with our friends. First we colored Easter eggs with Chris and Robyn. Then we made my grandma's traditional Easter dinner - complete with homemade cream puffs- and had fun sharing it with our friends. It was so much fun! And, as much as we love being with family during holidays, it was so much fun to spend time together here with our Boston family!

Baby it's cold outside...

When Kenneth and I left the house this morning I thought I might actually freeze to the sidewalk on our walk to the car. I know -10 degrees is nothing compared to the -50 degree freeze they were feeling in Chicago - but it was still too cold for me. I realize this is my second or third ode to the cold weather of Boston - so I thought this time I would take the opportunity to make a list of all of the things I am grateful for to take my mind off of the freezing cold weather.

#1 - I am grateful for Kenneth. It may sound cheesy, but I really love my cute husband and I feel grateful every day that I have him. Who would have thought that 10 years ago when I walked into Mormon Handicraft looking for a job that it would lead to my greatest blessing. (for those of you that don't know Kenneth's mom was my supervisor at MH and it was while working with her I met and fell in love with Kenneth).



#2 - I am grateful for our friends here in Boston. We have said it before and we will probably say it again and again...we would not be happy here without the great people we have met and that we play and laugh with every day practically.





So - I don't have pictures of all of our friends on my computer - so these 2 pictures will have to represent all of our friends here :)


#3 - I am grateful for our actual family. Kenneth and I are so lucky to have the greatest parents, the funnest siblings and the cutest nieces and nephews. Being so far away from them is the hardest part of living on the east coast..

This is Kenneth's cute sister Katie and her baby Bentley:




Happy Hartvigsen Halloween Celebration:


Here Kenneth and I are with my awesome brothers and my new sister in law:



Of course, these are all things that I am grateful for all the time. Today I am also grateful for even more than that... I am grateful for my cute Penny and Amelia - because although they challenge me almost every day I really do love being their nanny. And I am grateful for Milky Way Hot Chocolate, our new band Post, winter days that are not in the negatives - hooray for 30 degrees!, Spring - which I am sure is just around the corner, the Childrens Museum, Penny and my jewish Music Together class, the movie Juno, the glorious and very retro Belinda Carlisle CD that Kenneth got for me, Arrested Development, the end of the writers strike and possible beginning of new episodes of the Office, Conversation Hearts, Propel, crab enchiladas, the book 'The Birth House', FRIENDS (both the TV series and our actual friends), flowers, crayons, water colors, construction paper valentines... and much much more!

I have also been so grateful lately for the many simple blessings in my life that come from the gospel. I realized in church on Sunday, while listening to two of my favorite people (Mike and Chelsea Strayer) commenting on how God's love has blessed their lives, that one of the greatest things about our church is that you can have fun with people and also connect and share with them on a spiritual level. And although I don't often feel like blogging is really the place to bear testimony - I am so grateful to know that God lives and that He loves us. And that He hears us and answers when we pray. It is so comforting to know that we are not alone and that we never will be.

So, hooray for today - even though it is -10 degrees outside. And here's hoping for something a little warmer tomorrow.

Tagged again... And a cute pic of penny :)

Well.. once again I have been tagged.. I don't think this is the same tag I had a few months ago - but if it is I guess you can all enjoy it again... (the picture of penny is just because I think she is cute - don't you love her new haircut? - I suppose you can't really see its cuteness in this picture - but just imagine if you could....)

1. 5 Things on my To Do List:
Go to Europe
Finish childbirth education certification
Read Laurel's book
Countless quilting projects
Play my violin


2. 5 Jobs I've Held:
Wife :) - I keep trying to convince kenneth that he should let me be a stay at home wife.. but he isn't convinced.
Doula
Nanny
Administrative Assistant
Assistant Kindergarten teacher


3. 5 Places I've Lived:
Boston, MA
Sugar House, UT
Valencia, Venezuela
Nashville, TN
Murray, UT


4. 5 of my Favorite Snacks
Microwave popcorn
Chips and fresh salsa from Harmons in Sugar House
Pistachios
Ice Cream
Dried fruit (made in our semi-stollen food dehydrator)


5. 5 Things I would do if I were a billionaire
Quit my job
Buy a house
Pay off student loans
Travel
Buy a new ipod (I know it seems like a small expense.. but for some reason every time we have the money it seems like an ipod is the least of our concerns...)

Nothin / It's so cold...

noth·ing [nuhth-ing]
–noun
1.no thing; not anything; naught: to say nothing.
2.no part, share, or trace (usually fol. by of): The house showed nothing of its former magnificence.
3.something that is nonexistent.
4.nonexistence; nothingness: The sound faded to nothing.

That's right - NOTHING is new with us. We can however officially declare that it is so very cold in Boston! Tonight when walking home from dinner with friends, Kenneth nearly lost his ears to frostbite.



So, here are some things we look forward to doing when the ice finally melts:

Going outside
Wearing only one layer of clothing
Seeing the sun

We don't ask for much... But the truth is, we love Boston. Even if it feels a little bit like some cruel meteorological trick for a third of the year.

What a great December!

Christmas time is really my favorite time of year. I love the holiday lights and parties and spirit. I love spending extra time focusing on the Savior's birth as well as spending more time with friends and family. It is actually an extra special time for Kenneth and I because it is our anniversary on December 17th - so we get to celebrate that as well.

For some reason this December has seemed even more eventful than most. It was the debut of Kenneth's new band Post: (of which I am actually a member, but I think it sounds a little weird to say "our new band." It sounds a little like Dr fünke's 100% natural good time family band solution. ) Post is actually pretty sweet - which you can hear for yourself if you check our myspace music page. We only have one song posted - but there should be more coming soon!

Kenneth and I also saw the best movie we have seen in a long time. We actually went back and saw it again 2 days later - which is something that we NEVER do. The movie is Juno and it is an independent film with Ellen Page and Michael Cera - who may be one of the greatest actors ever..




Kenneth and I performed "Anyone But You" at our BFF Christmas party - which actually isn't helping with my claim that we are not a new age family band. So, I guess you'll just have to take my word for it.

December also means winter in New England for us - which this year means SNOW! It has actually been so bad that I have been sent home early from work twice and church was cancelled this week. I have to say, even though I don't really love the snow - there is something really great about snuggling up in a blanket and drinking hot chocolate while the world turns into a wintery wonderland outside. Of course our car is now burried in snow.. At least it doesn't look like this:





Look how cute Kenneth is in his winter gear :)



And finally, this month Kenneth and I celebrated our 4th anniversary! We are officially an old married couple. Any time now we will receive our old married couple starter pack with houseplants we call our children, doilies, and plastic coverings for our furniture. Nonetheless I am reminded that I am still the luckiest girl in the world to have such a super fantastic husband. Kenneth: I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!

But lets be honest - who wouldn't love this cute boy?




Now it's time to pack up our things and head home for Christmas - hooray for fun times and family!

And in case anyone was wondering - my Christmas crafts are officially finished - my sewing machine has been stored. I thought I was done a few weeks ago - but then of course I started one more project (a christmas quilt for my employers with pictures of their cute kids on it). But it was really the last one. I am officially ready for Christmas to come!!!!





Merry Christmas! I hope your December is as great as ours :)