52 books

This year I had a goal to read 52 books. So far it is going great. I am ahead of schedule and there are so many more things I want to read.

I just finished Big Little Lies and it was fantastic. It was on the NYT Bestseller list which I frequently check. It did not disappoint. 5 Stars

Excerpt taken from Amazon:

Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads:

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

B & D Burgers

David and I are on the hunt for the best burger and milkshake in town. Well actually we found the best milkshake, but it is in Heber (Dairy Keen, hands down) and too far of a drive sometimes. So, the search in this city continues.

It was obviously so good I only got a picture of the aftermath

B&D Burgers is up by the U and is quite delicious. I wouldn't say it is the best but it was pretty great. The patties are not too thick and flavorful and the fries are crisp and fantastic. Our recommendations: the classic cheeseburger and fries with a peanut butter oreo shake, bomb.com
We have quite the list of places to try and I am excited to continue the hunt.

valentimes

We celebrated valentines pretty low key because David had to work, but we did take time last week to go to the Cheesecake Factory and celebrate a little early. It was delish. 

On actual Valentine's we had this great plan to go hike the U but we couldn't get up to the neighborhood so we settled on our favorite activity- bugging Meghan. After we headed home and I made the valentinesy dinner I planned. Chocolate strawberries, stuffed mushrooms, cheesy tomatoe pasta, asparagus and chocolate lava cake for dessert. Oh how I love this boy of mine. 

Because I failed at taking pictures, I included the decor in our house instead. 

my valentine

I love him, and the best part is, he is mine forever.

We all have those friends who completely just impact our lives. There are three girls imparticular. When I first got off a mission I moved in with my sister, her friend Ashlyn who is like my little sister, and her other friend Rachelle who I had only heard stories of. 

The transition was difficult. I had a hard time finding a place with these girls and they were already so close but they accepted me in and loved me no matter what. I will forever be grateful for them. I have made countless friends since and love them all dearly but these three girls defined a period of my life. They were there, they were fun, they encouraged the best and I love that I was able to watch two of them get married. 

Meg and I were able to meet up with Rachelle this past week and it was great to sit and finally catch up. We reminisced on old times and realized how much fun we had all the time.  As I reflect back on the short year we all lived together, my heart is so full of love and I am overwhelmed with the joy and opportunities we have in this life. Those girls shaped me into the person I want to be and set the best example they could have. I have countless friends who I love dearly and they all deserve a shout out, but these moments were the ones I was reminded of this past week. 

Little Moments-January

PAnd the resolution to blog everyday has already failed... Ah such is life.

January was a good month. It usually tends to be one of those depressing months that drags for some but I love it. I have time to reflect, set new goals, make new plans and have new adventures.

January means gymnastics season is upon us and I sure do love the Red Rocks. We traveled down to BYU to watch Utah demolish BYU. It was a great time

More gymnastics. This meet was against UCLA. Meg and I are known for our light up signs at events and this particular one got a lot of attention.

I'm not really sure if I should be admitting this or not, but one night some of us played hide and seek in the Grand America hotel. It was one of the most fun things ever.

Don't let this picture fool you, I only made it around the rink once.

Debbie had a birthday and what better way to celebrate than having dinner with this gorgeous view. 

This isn't the best picture but we all went tubing at Soldier's Hollow and it was really quite fun. We all had a blast.

If you know me really well I am a huge Harry Potter fan. Diehard. It's an obsession. When I heard Tom Felton was comig to comic con, I was all over that.

January, you were a good one.