Alyssa

Hi everyone! As usual it's been awhile since the last update! Basically, I'm going to update you on the going ons that have taken place since I last blogged.

In order of appearance:

1. Nauvoo, Illinois. Moroni and I went to Nauvoo with our singles ward, which basically encompassed getting on a big bus at midnight and driving all night (in which we were all supposed to be able to sleep and be able to be refreshed and ready to go), spending all of Friday in Nauvoo and then going to the Nauvoo temple on Saturday morning, Carthage jail, where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred, and finally home. It was a really good trip, all though I was really really tired on Friday! Also, on the bus they decided to show the movie Charly, which is basically a sobfest you cry the entire way through. Moroni played games on his iPhone so that he would not get emotionally involved and then break down in the middle of the bus, I on the other hand, sobbed through the entire ending. It was pretty awesome.

2. Black Hand Gorge. A few Saturdays later Moroni and I did some hiking near where he grew up.

3. The doctor. I went to the doctor to get a referral for another doctor and found that after 3 months of intense weightlifting, I had gained 10 pounds ( on top of the 10 pounds I had already gained, which is why I started weightlifting in the first place!) and almost starting crying on the spot. My doctor suggest I meet with a dietician, and I've been going for about a month and a half (only twice so far), but she gave me some really great suggestions and knew exactly what I needed to do, and I have lost 10.3 pounds so far (phew!) and have enjoyed eating at the same time.

4. Fourth of July. Moroni told his Dad we would bring dessert for the 4th and so I made this fresh strawberry pie (idea from my sister) and I thought it turned out really nice looking and it also tasted yummy.

5. My bread-mold project. One thing I love about Moroni is that fact that he lets me do all things weird and gross, and even seems to enjoy them himself. About three weeks ago I took out some rolls from the freezer and forgot about them. When I remembered, they had already begun to mold over. Instead of throwing them away, like most people, I suggested we see how long it takes for them to mold away, if you will and completely decompose. I'm proud to say, our project is coming along splendidly!

6. Trip to Utah.

I flew to Utah for about five days to see my sister and Kevin and the kids. During this trip my sister threw me a bridal shower/ pool party, which turned out really great because I was able to see friends that I had not seen in a long time. It was great to see Nisha and Andrea who were my roomates my freshman year of college (about 11 years ago!) at Ricks, Jenna, Stacy and Tiffany who I've been friends with since junior high and high school, Emily and Jake who I knew from my singles ward in Kent, WA and of-course! Wendy, who just happened to be in town. We broke bridal shower rules and allowed everyone to bring their husbands and their kids, who swam in the pool. I had a really great time and it was just really great to see people I hadn't seen in so long. Oh! Emily, I didn't actually look at your blog until after the shower so the apron was, in fact a suprise! During the Utah trip my grandparents came from both sides and my aunt Bev and it was really fun to spend time with everyone and the kids who have gotten so big. Susie and Tyler are so cute and I'm so glad they finally know who I am. Moroni and I are now saying phrases like, "that food was bery, bery dewicious, and I wuved it bery much! so bery much!" (thanks to susie and her new found words!) I'm excite we were able to take Grace and my grandpa Al to the Mt. Ochre temple open house so they could see what would be going on in the temple when I get married.

7. Roasted chicken in the crockpot. Okay! So, awhile ago I had a whole chicken and I thought "I bet this would be yummy in the crock-pot"...I was so wrong...it turned into a mess of bones and skin and meat, was a gross gray color and was so dry we choked it down. I got a chicken at the store for about $3 and decided it was time to conquer the crockpot. Our crockpot you see, is pretty awesome. You can use the pot part on the stove, place it in the cooker on the counter or use it in the oven because it is stonewear. I decided to utilize all these elements this time and the chicken turned out really great...I also utilized the silicone vegetable steamer I have in order to keep the chicken out of it's juices and drippings so that it would really be roasted and not a boiled yucky mess. I think it turned out really well. We also made a chocolate brownie berry torte for dessert. Yum.

8. Finally, Hank, my dog with a small head (not a fat body!) died while I was at my sister's home. My dad waited until I got home to break the news to me. I adopted Hank in the summer of 2005 and he was a loyal, sweet, happy dog. He has been living at my dad's since I moved to Ohio, in what I like to coin as "doggy paradise". I mean how could a dog not enjoy the last years of his existence when he could run around outside all day in the summer, spend time lounging by the river, lazying away the day by the wood stove and then on top of it getting to sleep in-doors? All I'm saying is, is that if I were a dog, that would be the life for me. Needless to say about two months after going to my dad's he completely forgot his former life with me. I'm okay with that because I know he died a happy, happy dog! We think he was between 11 and 12...pretty good if I do say so myself (that's about 79 in doggie years!)