A Tale of Sushi

While we were in Coeur D'Alene (which I'll blog about later...) we went to the restaurant Bonsai Bistro. Kyle got some delicious sweet and spicy chicken, and I was spoiled and got a Vegas Roll and a California Roll. SUSHI! We haven't had sushi since we were dating, so I was SO EXCITED. As you can tell by my typing in ALL CAPS. VEGAS ROLL!!!!!!!

Anyway.

Our waiter was the nicest, and we joked that he was the next Lloyd Newell, because he had the "voice of an angel" according to Kyle. Also, we were seated by little pond with lilypads and fish and turtles, which was awesome.

Sorry it's so dark - camera phone plus low lighting doesn't make for the best pictures.

But here's the funny and exciting part.

After we had ordered, we were unrolling our silverware and chopsticks from napkins, and Kyle's all of a sudden went PLOP! right into the pond. I couldn't help, it was so funny, I probably laughed for like the next 5 minutes. It was priceless. And then the fish tried to eat the chopstick.
Right after that little gem of a moment happened, one of the boys at the table behind Kyle (we were facing each other) started choking, and his dad started doing the Heimlich and the mom was standing up and then everything was fine. And Kyle totally missed it.

Oh man. What a night.

I'm sure glad we went out and got sushi to experience such a thing.

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday I went down to Preston with some co-workers. We have an office in Preston, and I had to do some interviews for a part time receptionist down there. The 1.5 hour trip there and back was great - I love my co-workers. I also thoroughly enjoyed our lunch trip to New York Deli. I had a delicious turkey bacon avocado salad. Dr. T got a "special" grilled cheese (two grilled cheese sandwiches with pork brisket in the middle of them) that I think I will definitely have to try the next time. (Heart attack on a plate... Why not?)

Yesterday Kyle had a full day of interviewing for the Counselor Ed program at ISU. I'm sure he did awesome.

Yesterday we went out to dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. We tried the Parmesan Garlic sauce and it was delicious.

Yesterday we watched Total Recall. It wasn't terrible, but wasn't the greatest either. I liked it for what it was. (But I like weird-o movies like that.)

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Today I slept in. (No dance class today.)

Today I skyped with my bestie.

Today I am listening to Kelly Clarkson (and the new season of Glee - and btw, I really like all the new characters).

Today I watched the performances from the finale of The Voice. I am so glad Cassadee won. Also, I will really miss CeeLo and Christina next season.

Today we will get new tires put on our Sonata.

Today I will hopefully convince Kyle to rent Pitch Perfect.

Today we will probably vacuum.


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(In other news, I got my new laptop at work this week, and it is beautiful.)
(And also we are going to Couer D'Alene on Thursday, which means it's a 3 day work week, and a 4 day weekend, woohoo!)

Les Miserables

Let's talk about Les Mis.

My very first memory of anything Les Mis related is from when I was probably 3 or 4. My mom had a CD of various songs, and one of them was Bring Him Home. I remember really liking it.

Fast forward a few years, and I was probably 7 or 8.

Les Mis in Concert was on on PBS and my mom and I watched it. My mom covered my ears during Lovely Ladies, but she didn't realize I was reading along the lyrics from the little lyric pamphlet that came in our CDs of Les Mis. Once she realized that I was doing that she uncovered my ears, ha.

Around that same time I got the way abridged book version for kids.

And since then, I've been in love.

Every time Les Mis in Concert is on PBS, my mom and I watched it.

We sang the songs together.

I got older and read the unabridged version (multiple times). 

I started taking French and that went right along with my love of all things French and Les Mis.

The Les Miserables: Dream Cast in Concert, 10th Anniversary (filmed in 1995) is the cast I grew up with and the one I love the most.

Michael Ball, Lea Salonga, Philip Quast, Judy Kuhn, Jenny Galloway and Alun Armstrong. All amazing.

And Colm Wilkinson will always be Jean Valjean to me.

(I have an old man crush on him... Seriously. Love him.)

ANYWAY.

When I heard they were making a movie, I was so excited.

Then the casting came out and thought I wasn't elated at some of the choices, I thought it would be ok.

And then the trailers came and I cried.

And then it finally came out.

And I saw it twice in one day and I loved it.

The Good:

Colm Wilkinson as the Bishop. So much goodness.

Hugh Jackman killed me as Valjean. I thought he did amazing. His acting, his singing, all of it.

Anne Hathaway surprised me and I actually really enjoyed her.

I loved Les Amis de l'ABC - Enjolras and Grantaire were great.

Loved young Cosette. I was glad they showed young Eponine as well.

Gavroche! So good! I'm glad he got so much face time. I cried when he died. I cried when Javert put his medal on Gavroche's dead body.

I loved the details that remained true to the book (how Eponine dies, how Gavroche lives in the elephant, Valjean scaling the wall with Cosette and ending up in the convent, etc).

The ending scenes were perfection - from the start of the convent scene to the last note. I cried and cried and cried some more.

I enjoyed Marius's character - and his Empty Chairs at Empty Tables really moved me.

The Thenardiers were so well done, love those characters.

Samantha Barks as Eponine. MY FAVORITE.

The filming live and talk-singing. I liked that a lot.

The OK:

Amanda Seyried as Cosette. I don't love the character of Cosette and I don't love Amanda Seyfried, so all in all it was fine.

The new song Suddenly. I liked it, but didn't love it.

Russell Crowe as Javert. While I wasn't blown away with his voice, I still really enjoyed his performance and can't think of anyone better to have played Javert on the big screen. 

The Bad:

Javert's very large audible crack of death.

I'm sure there's more that I want to say but I can't remember it all right now. 

All in all, I really enjoyed it.

(Pictures from our date to go see Les Mis - we also went to eat at Texas Roadhouse after, yum!!!)

Chopped!

This happened last night.

Yes, I chopped my hair off, and it feels so good.

The timeline of my thoughts goes like this:

Saturday I saw a trailer for Safe Haven. I thought to myself, I like Julianne Hough's hair.

Wednesday I decided I would probably cut it.
Friday I went right after work before I could chicken out and cut it all off!

Sometimes I can't believe how impulsive I can be!
So far I am liking it - and kind of in shock of how short it is. I think it is about how short it was when I cut it my sophomore year of college, but I have shorter layers than I did then.
I'm excited it will take a lot less time to blow dry :)

New Look (and Goals)

I've had the same blog background and layout for a long time now! I'm kind of proud of the fact that I've kept it for so long, when I used to change it around all the time! I think I've settled on one for now.
But for some reason it made the layout of my previous blog post (the 2012 recap one) kind of funky. I can't get it to change.... So we're stuck with it for now, I guess.

In other news....

We had the missionaries over for dinner last night, and it was a lot of fun. I've never had the Elder's over before (in my life!) and I hope we can continue doing it.

Also, K and I talked about our new years resolutions last night.
We're going to read D&C together this year, along side the Gospel Doctrine class.
We're going to read the Book of Mormon this year, separately, but talking about what we've read that past week each FHE.
We're going to go to the Temple at least once a month.

Also, I made a goal to cook dinner 3 times a week. (That is kind of a big deal.)

I'm also going to try to focus on helping and serving others, putting others (but mostly Kyle) first, and really bettering myself this year. I think this is a goal I make every year - but this one is going to stick.

Here's to 2013, and some new goals!

2012 Recap

2012 was a pretty stable year for us - probably the most stable one since we've been married. We didn't move, Kyle was in school the whole time, and I had the same job (well, with some changes) the whole year. And it's been nice. But that's not to say it wasn't busy! Here's a quick recap, which may or may not include some pictures.

January: 
I started at Seasons of Hope.
I also started my calling as the YW secretary.

February: 
Celebrated our 4th Valentine's Day together

March: 
Kyle turned 26!
Spent a weekend with all the Hanson's for Claire's blessing

April: 
Threw BFF Dani a bridal shower
YW Taco Bar
BFF Dani got married

May: 
Celebrated our 2 year anniversary
Britt got her first car a cute Suzuki hatchback

June: 
Baby sister turned 9!

July: 
Girl's Camp
Yellowstone

August: 
I turned 23!
Kyle did a triathlon!
Spent a week in California with the Hanson family

September: 
Spent a weekend in Hailey, ID

I ran a 5k!

October: 
BFF Lexi got married

Dad came to town

November: 
Thanksgiving

December: 
BFF Sarah got married

Celebrated our 4th Christmas together

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Yes, 2012 was a good year, but hello 2013! This is going to be our year! It will be a year of change for us, and we are so excited! Here are somethings we are looking forward to in 2013.
-Kyle graduating with his Masters Degree
-Kyle interviewing and (hopefully) getting accepted into a PhD program
-Possibly moving (?)

Like I said! We're looking forward to some changes this year!