1st Valentine's Day

Considering our meager savings, the fact that most of our time goes to studying, and our need to spend time together, our first Valentine's Day was more about doing and less about receiving. Consequently, we decided to split up the day where Britney ran activities from the morning to late afternoon, and Adam took over from late afternoon to evening. Since she has more studying time, as opposed to project time, Britney really wanted to make her time special. She woke up around 8 AM and started on her charade of plans. To decorate, she cut out small red and pink hearts, wrote all the things she loved about Adam on each one, and taped them around the house. Then, she took her quilt which she and Adam used to use for picnics in the summer and draped it over the couch. Why?:Remembrance, it was pink, and so nothing got on the furniture. To ensure the last point, she also took a pink sheet and lied it on the floor under the coffee table. Next, she took out all of our china ware from the wedding and set the coffee table. Food-wise, she made some of Adam's favorites: Pillsbury orange cinnamon rolls, eggs over-easy, bacon, strawberrys and bananas with whipped cream, rich, dark hot chocolate, and pomegranate lemonade. Also, when Adam woke up, he had a valentine waiting for him by his bed full of all kinds of treats. Needless to say, it was nice. 

To top it all off, Britney surprised Adam after the blessing of the food by turning on the TV to a season of Family Guy. It was such a fun, relaxed morning, especially since studying throughout the day wasn't allowed. 

After Family Guy and cleaning up, we made our way over to the Rex to see Confessions of a Shopaholic. One reason Britney loves Adam is because he's man enough to admit the fact that he enjoys chic-flicks. It was a super cute movie which added to our NYC-(home?)sickness. Immediately after the movie, it was Adam's time to surprise. We left and went straight to Idaho Falls. Adam wouldn't even let Britney look at his GPS on his phone because even though she hadn't been to the restaurant, he still thought her seeing its name would spoil the surprise. And he was probably right. We arrived at the Wasabi restaurant full of sushi, soy sauce, and authentic Japanese rooms, one of which we got to sit in. We ordered a roll of sushi as an appetizer and then ordered amazing main entrees. We had Stake Conference at 7, so we rushed back to Rexburg and headed over to our meetings. Since it ended around 9, Adam took Britney home and then ran out to get the materials for his last surprise. When he got home and called Britney out of our bedroom (since she wasn't allowed to see what he was doing), he surprised her with a cup-full of...Pinkberry? There he stood, with a mountain of fro-yo that said "Pinkberry" on the cup. So for a whole 5 secs, Britney actually thought that Adam had somehow located a Pinkberry in Rexburg, ID. Then it became very clear that he had printed off the label and taped it on. Full of blueberries and and all kinds of goodness, the tart strawberry frozen yogurt was a very yummy mock Pinkberry, which we enjoyed while watching Ghostown, a movie Adam rented off of itunes. Fun day, right? Here's some pics. Oh yeah, and we went to Olive Garden the night before, courtesy of our gift card from our awesome cousins Cassie and Brian.

             

 

SALE! Heart disease for only $2.99!

I'm starting a new research essay for my advanced technical writing class. Since the emphasis of the class is for elementary ed majors, my previous assignments were focused on education topics, ones which I couldn't care less about. But this one, our final essay, we are permitted to write about a topic specific to our majors. Excellent. But with the broad range of medical topics, I realized that zeroing in on one narrow subject, and one that I'm interested in, wasn't going to be easy. Yet through taking some time to research, I realized sooner than later what I wanted to talk about. And to I'm sure everyone's sincere interest, I am researching trans fats. A few weeks ago, my anatomy prof, Bro. Shaw, gave an FYI about the process of making trans fats (TFs) as we learned about the molecules of life. 

For you chemists:

Unsaturated fats (canola or olive oils) are made up a single chain of carbon atoms with more single, but one or more double covalent bonds. To make trans fats, companies take these cheap oils and add intense heats and pressures, along with a nickel catalyst to promote hydrogenation, to break those double bonds. This makes the lipid a solid at room temperature, which promotes freshness and texture to foods such as crackers, cookies, and dough. 

For you who aren't chemists:

Trans fats are also called hydrogenated oils. Although your packet of Ritz says it has 0grams of trans fat, that percent is per serving; and we all know NO one actually eats one serving of Ritz. Scroll down the list of ingredients and if you read something along the lines of "partially hydrogenated", or simply, "hydrogenated", you've got trans fat. The American Heart Association (AHA) warns that more than 2 grams of trans fat per day is unhealthy. That statement in and of itself basically shouts don't even touch it! 

For you who still aren't getting it:

Trans fats are basically rancid, bacteria riddled oil that has been steamed, but not anti-bacterialized, bleached white, stuffed with artificial flavorings and sold in super markets as margarine or shortening. What does it do? No seriously, what it literally DOES as a JOB?: It causes cardiovascular disease, increases bad cholesterol (LDL), and type 2 diabetes. Why: Because it is a man-made fat, your body has a tough time breaking it down and so it stays in your body for a long period of time. 

Why am I writing about this? Because it honestly disgusts me. European countries have banned the production of foods with trans fats, but our's hasn't because it would mean using more healthy, and therefore expensive fats, such as butter, to make every little pastry and crunch we so glutinously enjoy. 

Your country is corrupt enough to withhold educating citizens of the man-made heart cloggers they're selling on the market so companies can continue to take cheap oil, ship it out as poison, and sell it for way more than it's worth. How can I prove I'm right? The fact that food companies go out of their way to fool buyers into thinking there's no trans fat in their snacks by saying so per serving, and then using its formal, chemical name as hydrogenated oils in the list of ingredients to disguise its true identity verifies that they know it's dangerous, but will go to all extremes to cover it up. Why also won't the government educate us? Because a decrease in heart disease and diabetes=a decrease in sick patients=less money into the pockets of the medical world. 

To all my wonderful family and friends, if you have anything with trans fat or hydrogenated oils, throw it out. Check your pantries today, even right now. Most things that come in boxes or wrappers have hydrogenated oils to preserve its freshness and if your closet is full of boxed-up goodies, something tells me your family is consuming more than 2gs of TF every day. 

So, the next time you make cookies full of shortening, or slather a spoonful of margarine onto your child's toast, think about what you're doing--directly causing heart disease and diabetes. 

Really, America? Really?

 Try: Obese-Middle-Aged-Man-Causing Margarine

Point Proved

Here we go. I can't even BELIEVE there's a site so perfect to prove my point.

General Surgeons Warning: Gazing at this site too long may cause eye itching, redness, or uncontrollable burning.

If ever there was a site created to encourage spending abstinence, this is your ticket to kicking the habit.

WWW.BIGHAPPIEHAIR.COM

Special thanks to Katie Lish, the lovely fellow BYU-Idahoan who raised this site to my awareness. 

Love Love Love

As the first Valentine's Day of our life together draws near, I figured I'd write sooner so our all encompassing studies don't make this post later...

and what's more appropriate than a good ole' generic love list to organize all the things I adore in life?

--the following are in no particular order, except for #s 1 & 2--

1. Adam--my husband/best friend/hotty with a sweet body/eternal cuddler

2. NYC--my haven for good food, sites, and cheap sunglasses. 

3. Pinkberry--my love affair with frozen yogurt is just that desperate. 

4. Tailored jeans--although I still do not own a pair, I could definitely get used to jeans that squeeze my waist just as much as they snuggle my butt. 

5. Reduced-fat oreos and milk--enough said.

6. Scarves--they keep my neck warmth and reassurance of how cool I am at a reasonable level.

7. Family Guy--a show with the copyright to make fun of anyone or anything = free hours of (quality?) entertainment. 

8. Dogs--we need the company. It's either one of these or a baby, and my level of maturity makes this decision real easy. 

9. Henri Bendels--I want the hot pink watch. Period. 

10. Boston, MA--symbolizes our academic success and emancipation from the (ice)"burg."

11. My families--from crazy Brynne to retro Nick, it's a zoo. 

12. Our comfy-awesome bed--all I need is cereal and an in-bed hot tub and I could live in it.

13. Ankle boots--they're the comfiest heals can get without looking like trash.

14. The fact that I still have straight A's--knock on wood. 

15. My phone--it deceives people into thinking I'm expensive.

16. Adam's car-- now that I can drive her, we get along just fine.

17. Field hockey--my long lost love I'm determined to reunite with.

18. The temple--it's the only place I can forget about school and think about the big picture. 

19. Clean clothes and house--it makes the world feel complete, right? 

20. HOT showers--there's nothing more therapeutic after a long day of reading and starvation. 

21. Tie-waist sweaters--the comfy-chic article that only requires throwing on.

22. High-waist skirts--they hide my belly after a week of tortilla chips and salsa. 

23. Raybans--one day I'll own real ones, one day.

24. The subway--just realizing I'll never see those people again is liberating. 

25. Waffles and strawberries with whipped cream--it's the only dessert I can eat as a meal without feeling guilty. 

26. Adam's surprises--minus knowing they're coming. 

27. Down pillows--soon my loves, soon.

28. The idea of having a spacious apartment in Boston looking over the harbor--relaxation never looked so posh. 

29. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ--the two people who know our plan in mortality and love us no matter how far we deviate. 

30. A tan--less shaving and less makeup. Not hard to love.  

31. Banana Republic--my transition from American Eagle couldn't have been easier. 

Wow there's more but I know it's exhaustive. I think this was more of a reminder for me than anyone else. So, this Valentine's Day, flounce around in your most provocative outfits, tease your tongues with savory snacks, light your room with cookie smelling candles, and reminisce about what gave you butterflies and rosy cheeks in the first place. 

Why not make it one for the ages? Have an Extra Sexy Valentine's Day Loves!

Raise Your Boots, Not Your Hair

Ok, so due to just finishing my NCLB tech writing essay (WHO CARES???), lack of money and therefore spare-spending-cash, and complete disgust with the Utah/Idaho fashion No-No's, I'm compelled to write something that has nothing to do with AdamandBritney.  

First, I'll reveal the evil nasties of the Mountain West Trends (gouge my eyes out) so we can finish with the casual/chic pieces I've been craving to put on, and maybe even buy (shhh).

Feux-pas 1. I'll start with the one that everyone is aware of, but refuses to protest (seriously, we need signs and posters) --it's the poof. Honestly...is your hair pregnant? Is this a modern spin on the 80's mullet and 60's beehive? Has this EVER deserved a headline in a fashion magazine other than Beautifully Modest? Is there something inside of that thing holding up the mass of hairspray and matted, tacky-highlighted hair? Try this, take a poll around campus and ask a variety of guys what they think...seriously.

Feux-pas 2. AE furry-hooded sweater or vest + pastel striped henley + massive belt-buckle+ medium-wide leg faded jeans+4 inch soled cork shoes = are any of those things cute? Last I checked, adding 5 negatives makes an even more negative-nasty outfit.

Feux-pas 3. Bright, flower-printed maternity tank with matching T. Add the huge fake flower plopped in your 9x10in bun and you're good enough to be white trash. Don't even get me started on matching eye makeup...

Ok that's enough. I'm done envisioning the fashion crime of the century plaguing today's BYUI babes. This trend is seriously murdering the cuteness of many potential beauties. What would I prescribe? Banana Republic and lots of Kenneth Cole. 

Now to the goods. To purge my eyes of the images of such, to say least-judgmentally, depressing "ensembles", a quick glance at the upcoming spring collections and winter sales is my garment Zoloft. 

To all the girls that can afford to spend, dedicate your next spree to me with these gems:

Jackets

Banana Republic

Dresses and Skirts

                                Gray, belted skirt from BR, Floral-print skirt from Forever 21.

Rest from Dillards.     

Sweaters and Blouses

White tie sweater from BR, Plaid tunic from Forever 21.

Rest from Dillards.

Accessories and Bags

watch, clutch and necklace from Bendel's

 Scarves from Forever 21

Bendel's

All Settled In

A week ago this past Wednesday, Dad, Adam, and Britney packed up their Budget Truck full (literally) of possessions and made their way out to the infamous frozen tundra we so humbly call Rexburg, ID. The forecast for the next few days wasn't looking so good in the Blues so we left early to avoid heavy winds and snow. So Adam and Britney hopped into Adam's cute little VW Golf, popped in the first season of Lost, while following Dad from behind. The conditions couldn't have been better traffic and weather-wise and about seven hours later we pulled into Matt, Kim, and Talmadge's house in Meridian, ID. We couldn't move into our place until Friday because of the holidays so the other Stevens...es... so graciously let stay over until our Friday morning departure. And of course it was way fun. The first night we arrived they took us out to an awesome Japanese restaurant nearby and a super good Italian place the next afternoon. Thursday morning Adam, Britney, and Kim went to a house nearby to pick up a TV Adam and Britney had found off Craigs List. The thing is super massive and heavy but has great picture and sound so of course we're satisfied. That night, Britney and Kim went out to Target to find throw pillows and a rug for their apartment and Kim found super cute clothes for Talmadge. We had a great time spending time together during the day and watching movies and eating peanut butter cookies at night. As always, we had a great time at their house and can't wait to spend time with them again and see how big Talmadge has gotten. 

Friday afternoon, we pulled into our apartment complex, took about an hour to go through our lease rules/conditions/who cares with one of our apt. managers. Adam had tried to find guys he knew who could help us move in since we have a bunch of heavy and bulky things and live on the third floor, but he found no luck. Fortunately, we ran into our friends Aaron and Ailinh Harris on their way to the laundry room. Adam asked Aaron if he'd be willing to help us out and he said of course and we were moved in in no time. That night's agenda consisted of Britney opening up all the boxes for our appliances and other things and Adam and Dad assembling the furniture. The kitchen/dining room area reached the point where Britney was swimming in a sea of empty boxes, plastic bags, and styrofoam. A couple hours and bloody hands later, we had the essential pieces put together (our bed) and called it quits until the next day. Saturday morning, we all headed out for a seemingly endless array of errands. First, we stopped at Walmart to get all the essentials, i.e. cleaning supplies, missing utensils, etc. After dropping everything off at home, we went over to the school so Adam could hand in some of his financial information for the Pell Grant and such. We then went over to Broulim's for all our groceries, stopping at Sonic on our way home. Once everything was put away, we continued with our assembling and organizing. Although still having many things to buy and assemble, that night we were decently pleased with the general appearance of our place and took pride in our home. Sunday morning, Adam took Dad to Rigby to catch his ride home with the Wisniewski's. We can't thank Dad enough for his bounteous generosity. There's no way we could of done all of this without him. WE LOVE YOU, DAD <3

Sunday night was our first dinner together alone in our new place as a married couple. We planned on trying to follow a menu throughout the week in hopes to limit our spending, instead of just buying a bunch of random stuff. But, we soon realized that not only would it be wicked expensive to buy every little thing for every planned meal during the week, but most of the time we didn't even feel like what was supposed to be on the menu for that night anyway. So, our first meal was left over pizza, brown and wild rice, and cheese quesadillas dipped in tomato sauce. Hey, it was fast and worked just fine for us. Monday and Tuesday were spent getting all

 the things we saw missing, such as curtains, a TV stand, and bookshelf. It felt so good to get everything we needed and to be done with it. But we're happy to say that we love our little home. All the gifts fit perfectly everywhere and the Scensy from the Hadley's makes the whole apartment smell like Vanilla Cookie Land. Thanks so much to everyone for your gifts and input. We truly feel like we're home now. Here's a couple pics of the end results. Now, don't judge the size. The place is actually a lot roomier than the pictures depict.

Sorry, my placement of pictures on this thing still sucks.

You and I

Well it happened. The Stevens clans made it to NY, Britney went through the temple, the dress was put on, and everything else is a blur. 

December 4th: Britney, her mom, and little sister Brynne drove into the city in the morning, hit some inconsequential traffic, greeted Adam and his family for a few brief minutes and ran into the temple for Britney's session. It was an amazing experience. Going through together made the decision we are making real. The Spirit was sweet and piercing and our testimonies and love for each other were strengthened. We can't even tell you how special this experience was. Soon after, Britney bought all her garments and we changed and made our way down to dinner. Yet as we made our way to our east side location, we were stopped by A Diamond is Forever jewelers right around Madison Ave where they were currently stationed, offering couples the opportunity to have their picture taken under the mistletoe for free. Considering our empty bellies and the frigid city, we weren't too excited about standing in line for an hour while our family had nothing to do. We told this to a rep, casually mentioning we were getting married the next day, and he bumped us up to the front of the line. So sweet. So we got our picture taken. Oh, and did I mention they used about 100 different cameras swirled around us? Consequently, we now have a "picture" of us under the mistletoe on Madison Ave that spins around us like a frozen video. SO COOL. (does anyone else have this, No) They even interviewed our story afterwards, check out the small clip they used here (click on "Responses"): http://whenforeverbegan.adiamondisforever.com/#/?behind_the_scenes. Soon after, Adam's family, Britney's mom and sisters Brynne and Briana, and we made our way over to Big Daddy's diner off of 20th and Park.

 

It's an awesome restaurant that serves upscale diner food (imagine that). Everything was super good. From the milkshakes, main courses, and jumbo-awesome cupcakes, we were stuffed to the brim with good, fairly priced NYC food. Mom and Dad Stevens presented the bride's maids and grooms men with gloves and lip glosses for the girls and sweet ties for the guys and dads. We then presented Jenn, our super awesome gorgeous fabulous talented ambitious photographer, with a tote bag with her initials and also the promise of a painting by Adam done of her and her husband (gifts which cannot even begin to repay her generosity).

Afterwards, we said goodbye to Britney's family and headed over to Broadway to get ready to see Wicked. Since we were a little early, we walked over to Times Square and visited the M&M store. Fun fun. 

Wicked was incredible! This was Britney's first Broadway play and way more than she expected it to be. Adam was challenged to resist the urge to belt out the songs while the witches left us breathless from their awesome talent. Afterward, we decided to head over to the Carnegie Cafe with everyone and the Dalley's, some of Adam's family's close friends who came for the wedding. Everyone ordered desserts and were pleased (or horrified) to find that they were huge. Maybe it's just me, but a slice of cheesecake the size of a small infant at 12am just doesn't sit. But still, they were delicious. We just ordered some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. So good. We then decided to go over to Rockefellar center to see the tree all lit up, but they had turned it off half an hour earlier (LAME). Well, we all departed, left the city, dropped Britney off on 68th and Lex, and headed to our sleeping quarters, only to wake up 6 hours later (if we even slept)

The BIG Day: Britney slept over her sister's in Manhattan. She woke up around 7am and headed over to her and Briana's friend Karrie's house to have her hair and makeup done. Karrie curled her hair, while their friend and professional Christian Dior cosmetologist, Judy, painted her up. It was so fun and rushed and Britney was SO grateful for the extreme kindness of her friends. Judy did an incredible job, and Britney became even more grateful (and a tad embarrassed) after she figured out Judy does makeup for about $1000 a customer. How ignorant can Britney get? Once everything was done and packed, Britney headed over to the temple with her mom and brother. Once we saw each other and how nervous we were (Adam was the worst) the reality of getting married started to set in. Britney felt like a goddess in the bridal room getting ready and all the matrons were so accommodating. It was such a beautiful experience. Sitting in the celestial room together before the sealing was almost unbearable (at least for Britney) as we awaited the ceremony. It was a great day in the temple to say the least. It was amazing to be all together as one big family. 

After changing into our wedding attire, we headed out of the temple to greet our family and friends and headed over to Central Park for pictures before the reality of the cold set it. Mom and Grandma kept insisting Britney wear her white fuzzy blanket to keep warm, but it kept rubbing off on Adam's sharp black tux, so needless to say we were cold--but our hearts were warm. We had all our family pictures taken in the park nearest to the temple, and then Adam, Britney, Jenn, and Chad were off to the Bethesda Fountain right smack in the middle of the park to take more pictures. We were shocked at how perfect the area was for pictures in December. Along with the fountain, there were beautiful stairs, "balconies", and underpass/tunnel-like structures under the walkways. It was gorgeous and our pictures are fantastic. We then made our way over the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel where we had permission to take pictures. Unfortunately, Nascar was having a convention on most of the floors--including the one with the black and white 

checkered flooring--but a kind bellman offered to show us to various different floors and places of the huge luxury hotel to take pictures. 

Needless to say it was fabulous and we felt royal in our wedding outfits. After we were sick of pictures, Grandma and Grandpa Handley drove us back to PA for our reception. Encountering some traffic caused us to be about 45 minutes late to the family dinner, but the actual reception didn't start until 7:30, so we were safe. 

The night was incredible. The cultural hall sparkled in its glamour and glitz and we were more than grateful for the kindness and time of all those who helped with food and decorating. It was such a relaxed night and Adam got to meet all our guests.

 After we ate, danced, and spoke, we changed out of our clothes and ran through a line of sparklers lit by our guests and hopped into Britney's "decorated" car toward our hotel about 10 minutes away. Thank you so much to everyone, all our family and friends, for your support, presence, and love, which made this step of our lives possible and special. 

Honeymoon: We didn't leave for Puerto Vallarta until Sunday, so we took Saturday to open all our gifts, return the duplicates, and get the rest of Britney's things packed and ready for moving out. We drove over to our hotel in Newark, ordered Chinese, and called it a night. Sunday morning we left early and headed over to the airport. The flight was non-stop so we slept most of the way and got to Mexico a lot quicker than expected. Adam's spanish proved beneficial from the start as he conversed with many airport personnel. We got to our resort called Villa Del Palmar and were treated like royalty. It was GORGEOUS. We walked into our studio-styled room and nearly dropped to the floor. It was a great size, with a balcony and food basket from the Listons (the couple who offered us the week for time share) and our bed decorated with swan towels, rose petals, and a small cake. The week was phenomenal. We ate delicious Mexican, swam in the resort pool and beach, and soaked in the sun as we enjoyed the 80 degree weather. Summed up we shopped around at flee markets, went scuba diving and island hopping on a double-decker boat, went horseback riding through the Mexican mountains and river banks, and ate at great restaurants (not to mention late nights with Oreos, milk, and Family Guy). 

We got back Friday night and planned for our open house the next evening. Britney's parents and sister Briana made the trip and were staying in Portland so we ended up doing lunch together at Leonardo's in Portland with us and Cory Furin, one of Adam's close friends, Saturday afternoon. 

We then made our way over to the open house where we enjoyed wearing our wedding clothes for the last time and greeting Adam's family and friends. It was such a great night and we all became closer as a new family. 

Needless to say I am tired of writing this article. You're just going to have to imagine the wonderful things I had to leave out due to writers block and, honestly, boredom and restlessness. We love you all. Feel free to call anytime regarding the past few weeks with questions, concerns, or curiosity. Thanks again for your love and support and we are enjoying finally being together again and forever. It's a peace and joy like none other. 

Married Life Is Awesome!