Budgeting Lessons

I am currently taking a money management class, and one of our semester long assignments is to keep track of all our transactions. This has led me to discover that food is our main expense. Thus, using our information from the last semester we set a budget. The first little bit of the semester it was hard to keep. We had to find a system that realistically would meet both of our eating habits, and healthily [if at all possible] while still not being to extravagant. We started with lists, but every time we would go to the ridiculously expensive grocery stores here, we would remember things we forgot to put on the list and didn't anticipate how much those would cost and if they would be in our budget. So then we started planning meals, so we knew exactly what we need and how much they cost. But doing weekly trips here still wasn't cutting it-it was close but not close enough. So finally, we came up with this. Every two weeks, we plan specific dinners out, with general things for breakfasts, lunches and snacks. We then make a list of what we need to make those, and then bi weekly we go to the awesome, amazing WINCO [cheaper then Costco, has more options in any size you want, employee owned, and open 24/7] and get it all [since we already know how much it costs], using our budget for two weeks. And guess what..IT WORKS!! Every week, we eat better, are more organized, and save a little bit more at a time. And since we aren't getting a car until next semester, this way we don't have to get rides off other people as often! I am very proud of us. It is a lot of work, but hopefully, we will keep learning and improving. Just for your viewing pleasure, I have included our dinner meal plans for this last little section so you can see what a good wifey I am so far [all from scratch-sauces, breads, you know it!]:

MONDAY: Asian chicken pizza

TUESDAY: Crispy Coconut Chicken, Salad and Potato Salad

WEDNESDAY: Chimi Churri-Marinated Chicken, Lime Cilantro Rice

THURSDAY: Bacon-Alfredo Pasta, Salad

FRIDAY: Fajitas with homemade tortillas, Rice

SATURDAY: White Chicken Chili, Rice

SUNDAY: Meatball Subs

MONDAY: Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos, Rice

TUESDAY: Chicken Caccitori

WEDNESDAY: Potato Soup and Homemade Bread

THURSDAY: Breakfast for dinner, Crepes, Bacon and Eggs

FRIDAY: Chicken Pot Pie

SATURDAY: Chicken Mango Skewers, Rice

SUNDAY: Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Rice

PS: In other news, Lester is head of his BB team and me and the other wives have been enjoying rooting them on. Also, Hillary and my friend Remmy are coming tomorrow morning and I can't wait!

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for ICE CREAM!!

Among the many wonderful things that Lester and I got this Christmas break was a kitchen-aide ice cream maker attachment to my mixer/pride & joy. My parents joked us saying, "What do you need an ice cream maker for? Isn't it cold enough there for ya in Rexburg?" Well. Even though it is still to cold for sanity here, we have been using it quite often. So far we have tried a caramelized banana ice cream, chocolate cinnamon [soft serve style], raspberry sorbet kinda thing [which we may or may not have finished in one extremely lazy Saturday watching Lost for hours], cake batter ice cream, and of course your basic vanilla. Now, with the vanilla it took a couple of tries for us to get one we both loved. When ever I liked it, Lester thought it was to thick, and whenever Lester liked it, I thought it was waaay to creamy, and not sweet enough. We finally found one we love, and have been enjoying it ever since.

Now we are on a quest to find our perfect chocolate one-dark and rich enough for me, but not to deep or bitter for him. Just a simple, basic, easy chocolate ice cream recipe. If you have any, that do not require random ingredients [like rum which lester says apparently doesn't cook out in ice cream, go figure haha] or ridiculously expensive stuff, please please PLEASE holla at us with that. B/c lets face it, vanilla is good, but for me it is settling; I like my ice cream like I like my man-brown I tell you!

Let us know!

Dental Drama

I am indebted to my grandparents for many things. For their help and encouragement in my schooling, for their love, for their teaching me about the wonderful world of reading, and for a wonderful roof over my head that holds most of my dear memories. But if there is one thing that I am not grateful for from that side of the family, it is our inherited dental conditions! Over the years, this has racked up so many dental bills for my parents and I that I cringe to think about it.

But in reality, the hardest thing about this isn’t so much dealing with teeth issues themselves, but rather the dentists/orthodontists. Growing up, I thought that it was a rule that in order to go into these professions, you had to have disdain for those with imperfect teeth, or those without millions of dollars to go into it to make them perfect. We have switched dentist so many times I can’t even remember them all, and for the most part, they have all been pretty awful. The current ones we have at home are the worst-when I got engaged they proceeded to tell me how crazy I was, how I was going to regret it, and when I surprisingly didn’t listen to them, they decided they must now harass Mariah every time she comes in and warn her not to turn out like her older sister and get married young.So this last Christmas break, when I went in I was praying that it would be a quick visit, in and out and I would be fine [especially since I had just seen them less then six months prior and they told be I had no cavities and was doing excellently.]

WRONG. Apparently, in that short 6 months I had gained the need for a route canal as soon as possible in order to save the tooth-I asked them why they didn’t notice it last time, and apparently it didn’t show up on their x rays since one of the fillings I had that THEY had put in cracked, and the decay started there, thus hiding it those few months ago. They even openly admitted that there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. And yet still, I was the one who was going to have to get the route canal and pay the money for their mistake. Frustrating, but what are you going to do?

The problem was I was leaving in a few days to head back to school, so the plan became get the route canal right away, and get the crown and seating done in Idaho. This is what we did. The route canal was long and painful, but ultimately fine.

So when we got back to Rexburg and found a dentist, I was SO worried I could feel my abs contracting the whole way there. But when I arrived, they were SO nice and friendly; they greeted me by name, put me in a seat in the waiting room right in front of a fireplace and plasma tv. I was pleasantly surprised, but still waiting for the bad news dentist always bring. Then I got in there, and they said that the dentist, after talking to me, had said this was a FREE consultation. They put me in their MASSAGING dental chair, tilted me back handed me a remote and headphones, so I could watch the flatscreen plasma tv on their CEILING, any channel I chose. While they were working on me, they even consistently kept putting chap stick on my lips so it wouldn't hurt! How thoughtful is that!

When they were finished, they sat me up and I waited for the bad news, bc so far, this was all to good to be true. Then the dentist tells me that the because 1, he knows how it is to be a young struggling married college student and now has a daughter my age, and 2 the previous dentist hadn’t done the best work, that he would do the buildup for free at my next appointment [normally 200] and then give me another 5% discount off the price of the crown itself. Is that amazing or what? I was ecstatic-I came home and said a prayer of thanks that Heavenly Father had helped us with this seemingly impossible thing. My last appointment was earlier this week, and get this-even though he had to lazer off some of gums, and my face had been a little bit swelled and I have been in quite a bit of pain [thank goodness for drugs] this has still been the best overall dental experience I have ever had!

So thanks Grandma & Grandpa Chandler-between the other things I learned from you guys, and the dentist in Idaho, even the bad things I may have gotten from you really are not that bad at all!

[I never understood why ppl would where this until now!]

I Can See Clearly Now, the Rain is Gone!

Well, this weekend worked out after all despite my pity party and whining! It was SO wonderful spending time with my family and friends-Hillary, Andrew, Lacey and Mariah especially made it a blast! Over the course of the weekend we played different uno games, took several fun walks to temple square and what not, made alot of delicious cookies, watched a ton of Boy Meets World, went out to eat with Brittany and Alex Dobbins for Thai food, watched Inception, Despicable Me, The Sandlot, went to Tucano's for lunch, danced, sang, reminisced, laughed a ton, had a bunch of girl talks and yes-FOUND HILLARY A WEDDING DRESS! How fun is that! This may sound silly, and I know that my sweet husband doesn't understand yet the way my dad does from experience, but even though there are times where we get frustrated with each other or hormonal or just crazy, girls need their girl time. It is important. It is necessary. And at least for me, it helps keep me both sane and happy. I miss my sisters, and I miss my friends SO much. By the time we were leaving, we didn't want to go back. I hope I will see them again soon. Lacey and Mariah both have skype and have convinced me to download it as well, so hopefully we will be talking again very very soon. After Lacey dropped us off at the conference center and headed back to Provo, we headed back at around 5 on Monday with our good friends Lindy and Beau. It was so fun to spend some time with them as well! Again, I can't say how much we needed this. What a good weekend.

PS: Apart from wedding dress pictures [which you all will have to wait for the big day to see!], we only got a few before we left slc. hopefully next time we will remember to take more!

Mariah, Hill and I waiting at the Conference center for our ride [two second later it started hailing!]

Conference Center

The love birds as Samantha would say

Me probably whining to my husband about something

us at temple square

this is an old picture, but I didn't have any of me and Lacey from this weekend..but I think this one defines our relationship pretty well!

Pity Party

I JUST FEEL LIKE SNOW SHOULD BE BANNED AS SOON AS CHRISTMAS IS OVER! I typed that in all caps so you would know how serious I am about this. Now listen-I'm not denying that it is pretty, bc lets face it-sometimes it is! BUT YA KNOW WHAT? Living in it greatly lessens the enjoyment. It is dirty, icy or slushy, painful [whether you fall or are just walking in it and its hitting your face], freezing, and it ruins my plans. Driving takes about a MILLION years longer, cuz you have to go about 2 miles an hour just to be safe and not dangerous, and on top of that your slipping, sliding and almost dying everytime!

Perfect example: this weekend Lester and I are supposed to visit Hillary and Andrew and go dress shopping [while the boys play bb] and enjoy family. I have been looking forward to this for a while now, b/c we will be in school for the summer, which means that we will not be able to be there for all the excitement leading up to the big day-we will probably only be there for the weekend of their pending nuptials [whenever their date is]. And even that will be rough bc we are a poor married couple! So when this weekend was beginning to work out, I was SO excited-it in no way makes up for it, but it is still something to look foward to. Well, here in iceburg-oh i mean rexburg-it has been snowing consistently, and the roads are bad. so our first ride had to cancel, but we found another one and were leaving tonight. BUT NO. now this ride says that the roads are supposed to be awful, and we have to leave tomorrow morning.

and you know what. shes right. id rather live and go late or not at all, but still. i am just disappointed. im homesick, im tired and im having a pity party. dont get me wrong- i dont blame anyone. JUST THE STINKIN SNOW. i really am just having a pity party, but i cant help but feel a little jealous that hillary and mariah and some of my best friends [and hillary's future sister and brother in law who i have this ridiculous fear will replace me] get to spend this time together, while me and lester are here, snowed in and forgotten. RIDICULOUS i know. but its how i feel.

oh well. i suppose lester will just have to reassure, comfort and cuddle me and my outrageous hormones when he gets home. i will probably tell him we need to start having babies, so i can have more family here to keep me company. and when he says we have to wait a little, and makes me hot chocolate and puts on avonlea on for me perhaps i will feel better. but sufficed to say, i hate the snow.

Kindred Spirits

As stated in previous blog posts, change and I have had our run-ins. I like my life, and I like the way things are, and while I realize that change always has its place and often brings many good things, every time that it comes, I have a hard time thinking all that will never be the same. I remember watching Anne all these years, and all the scenes being forever cemented in my memory. One in particular keeps replaying in my mind, of Anne and Dianna clinging to each other for the last time before Dianna gets married and addressing the fact that things will never be the same again. Even though she is happy that her friends has found love and happiness, she says later says in all sincerity “I don't want any of it to change. I wish I could just hold on to those days forever. I have a feeling things will never be the same again, will they? ”

I have said the exact same thing to myself over and over again in life. When my parents told me they were having my brother Luke [and I was 13] I thought of that quote. When Chio was introduced to me for the first time I thought of that quote. When Lester left on his mission I thought of that quote. When I came to college I thought of that quote. When I transferred colleges I thought of that quote. And even when I got married I thought about that quote, despite the fact that all my dreams were coming true.

Now, as you all know my sister is getting married. And I will be honest; at first, this quote came to mind yet again. I cant help but feel that I am losing one my best friends, a kindred spirit. One who was always been there to put my feelings of excitement and love, or heartbreak and devastation first. One who I’d spent countless hours falling asleep talking to about anything and everything. One who I’ve spent some of my happiest hours and my hardest ones with. Now, Andrew will be the one to do this. Ironically, years and years ago, when I first introduced the two of them I had secretly [or not so secretly haha] picked him out to be future brother in law and to marry hillary. He is a good man who is full of a simple and strong love for his family and friends, and for the gospel. He is Hillary’s perfect match. But when it finally seemed that all my scheming were working out, rather then thinking about how it was all finally coming together I finally started to realize that change would soon be entering in and that suddenly I wasn't ready for that. I imagine I am finally getting a glimpse into how my brother Luke felt when I got married. The more I realized this, and the more it seemed Hillary was on the phone with Andrew instead of me, the more worried I got that I was losing my sister.

But do you know what? I was wrong. When all these things had finally reached a head, and I was ready to give in to my selfish feelings, I heard something. Diary of a Mad Black Women was on the TV in the background, and the girls mother said, “You need to stop thinking about what you THINK you lost, and think about all that you have to gain.” In every instance of change, I haven’t lost much, but I have gained a ton. I gained my perfect brother Luke all those years ago, a friend, sister and confidant in Chio, an even MORE qualified tailor made RM for me, life and academic lessons through the fun roller coaster that is college, and a brother and son for my family in marrying Lester. Now that Hillary and Andrew have found each other, I am not losing my sister. I am gaining a brother who loves my sister almost as much as I do haha. And even better, Hillary is happier then she ever has been, and it will be my turn to dote on her and be her go to, always there person. And you know what? I cant wait! What a good change. So thank you Anne, Madea, and family for helping me see all that there is to gain.

oh. and of course. CONGRATULATIONS to hillary and andrew. you are both so loved by all of us and we look forward to your special day.

Until Next Year

Christmas [and our vacation time] has come and gone and we are back in Rexburg. We miss our life there more then we can say-but while this last year has brought blessings beyond our wildest dreams, we are very excited for the things this new year will bring. It included all the things a holiday season should-lots of incredible food and desserts, singing, dancing, wii-ing, card games, parties, family, friends both old and new, visits to the beach and our beautiful SF, shopping, laughing, loving, crying, movie and show watching, good talks, cuddling and all other things good. I may blog in more detail later, but for now there are so many pictures [and not even enough to show all the ppl we got to visit with and things we got to enjoy!] so I'm going to let them do most of the talking. [PS: there not in any kind of order]