Six Months

Saturday was my and Will's six-month anniversary. The last six months have been some of the hardest, best, saddest, and happiest of the last few years and I am so glad that I've lived them as Mrs. Will Doutré. I truly believe that my Father in Heaven is watching over me and made sure that I had Will in my life right now. I'm still amazed at how content I am to just "be" with Will. Just "be"ing and not "do"ing something all the time is still quite new to me, but I like it. I love playing games on Sundays, sleeping in on weekends, and everything else we do together.

So, Saturday, to celebrate, we went to the temple and did a session. It was nice to be there and to reflect on the past six months. We had some spare time before our dinner reservation, so we went to visit the newest Washington monument, the Air Force Memorial. It was fun to see it at night, it's a beautiful monument and from it, there is a fabulous view of the city. Then, we ate at one of our favorite spots, the Melting Pot. We first ate there last Valentine's day. We thoroughly enjoyed the Carribean-themed special - who knew that cheese with pineapple juice was so tasty? We finished up the night with an amazing bananas foster chocolate fondue. I was a little nervous because I'm not a huge white chocolate fan. But, add some bananas, cinnamon, and dulce de leche and it quickly became my new favorite. If I had a little faster metabolism and unlimited funds, I would definitely visit the Melting Pot more often. Maybe I need a fondue pot to try the deliciousness at home. :)

Enjoy some pictures of the temple and the Air Force Memorial.

Tagged or something

So, my wife "tagged" me in a post, and i guess according to the pyramid nature of tagging that means I must post. Since I haven't posted in a while, I'll indulge her...

Where were you born? Earth.

How old will you be this year? 22147. / 700ths at some point this year.

Nicknames: Tex, Wilbur, and all of my wife's names for me...

Are you taller than your mother or father? Yes, both.

Do you cry often during movies? Nope

What is your biggest pet peeve? Pyramid & pass-along schemes, particularly emails that tell me to forward stuff on to my address book or blog posts that tell me to do something. I have enough things in my life requiring my attention without my relaxation media calling me to tasks of dubious worth.

Favorite color: Blue, no...

Favorite foods: Steak, burgers, Monte Cristo sandwiches from C.B. Potts

Favorite restaurants: Hard Times Cafe, C.B. Potts, Beau Jo's

Favorite beverage: Crystal Light Classic Orange

Favorite cold cereal: Little Chocolate Donuts - The Breakfast of Champions

Favorite smells: Coca Cola, fresh-baked bread

Favorite time of day: Sleepy time.

What brand of shampoo/conditioner do you use? Pert Plus, Shampoo + Conditioner in One!!

Favorite make-up products? Flowers and apologies, do those count as products?

How many pillows do you sleep with? 1

Do you play an instrument? Nope

Have you ever been skinny dipping? No, but then I've never really been skinny.

Did you do any sports in High School? Football, Wrestling.

What was the last movie you saw in the theater? Jumper

What is your favorite article of clothing? Some woman obviously came up with this question... I like long shorts with cargo pockets because of their utility, but don't play favorites with my wardrobe.

What is your dream vacation? Anywhere scenic without time commitments.

What was your first impression of your spouse? Hmm... she doesn't seem too concerned that I look like I was in a brawl earlier today. Unflappable, I like that...

If you were an animal what would you be? I already am an animal, a party animal... is what I would say if I were outgoing....

What is your favorite "me- time" activity? I guess computer games, but I'm not sure if they're an activity.

Favorite TV shows: I can't remember anymore because the writer's strike killed them all.

What is your dream car? I believe that if you dream about cars then you don't understand the whole point of cars in the first place...

What is one of your weaknesses? Providing simple answers.

What do you fix for dinner when there's nothing to fix? Is this like that, "If a tree falls in the forrest and there's nobody around to hear it..." question?

If you could live in a different decade/era which one would it be? Paleolithic, because it's fun to say, Pay-le-yo-lith-ic.

What is the emotion you feel the most? Peace

Do you consider yourself outgoing? No

What is something you are constantly working on? Not being outgoing.

Any hidden talents? If I told you, I'd be outgoing.

What is a word or phrase you overuse? Meh. Which is a word, a phrase, a sentence, and a state of being depending on the context.


What is the best thing that happened to you this past year? Getting Married

What is one thing you hope to accomplish this year? Due to possible readership of this post it's probably best that I not answer this question at this time.

The best piece of advice you learned this past year? "Meh!"

Who are the 7 people you are going to tag to do this survey? I hate pyramid schemes of all forms - see pet peeves.

At the end of the survey post a picture of you that was taken within the last week! Um... no.

Tagged.

Thanks Becca for tagging me. And, thanks Holly and Jacque for filling it out too, you inspired me.

Where were you born? Salt Lake City, LDS Hospital.
Middle name? Recently switched from Ann to Menlove. I'm missing Ann a little, but couldn't get rid of Menlove and four names seemed like too many.
How old will you be this year? 30 and I'm a little scared. It's not very rational, but there are so many new things in my life, I feel like I'm just starting out and I'm already 30.
Nicknames? Sara-bara, Sara-girl, Honey, Baby.
Are you taller than your mother or father? My mom.
Do you cry often during movies? This is slightly embarrassing, but I usually find something to cry about in every movie. The last three movies I've seen in the theater were I am Legend, 27 Dresses, and Juno have all been criers. I also cry during TV shows - Trick my Truck, anything on HG TV, especially Deserving Design, every episode of American Idol... Seriously, this might be a problem.
What is your biggest pet peeve? Slow drivers.
Favorite color? Pink and blue.
Favorite foods? My dad's macaroni and cheese, fresh fruits and veggies, and ice cream/frozen yogurt.
Favorite restaurants? Thai Noy (see my post on Mangoes and Sticky Rice), Metro 29 (awesome french toast), the Melting Pot, Lebanese Taverna, anything new and adventurous.
Favorite beverage? Ice water with lemon, hot chocolate, any fresh juice (even carrot - I don't like raw carrots, but I do like carrot juice).
Favorite cold cereal? Honey Graham Ohs, but I prefer hot cereal - rice cereal, cream of wheat, oatmeal, cracked wheat.
Favorite smells? A roast cooking in the oven, fresh rain, fresh-squeezed orange juice.
Favorite time of day? I really like early morning, but only if I get to bed at a decent time. If I don't go to bed at a decent time, I find 2:00-4:00 am to be my most productive hours of the day (but it does compromise my productivity the following day).
What brand of shampoo/conditioner do you use? Matrix Biolage, Herbal Essences, BedHead, or anything new that looks and smells fun that I decide to try.
Favorite make-up products? This cool blush brush that slides in and out of its case - I love keeping it in my makeup bag and clean. I also love really nice mascara (probably because it's the only make-up I wear consistently); my current mascara is Dior - Diorshow Blackout. I also love lip gloss. My current favorite is the Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush that Dave and Alecia gave me for my birthday.
How many pillows do you sleep with? Okay, this is a weird thing. I have always loved pillows, and "nesting" in them. Before we got married (and until we got our new bed) I slept with at least six pillows, all around me. Then, we bought this amazing tempurpedic memory foam bed. Now, I can't sleep with a pillow, or my neck is sore. So, no pillows! It's a little sad because it means that 7 of the 8 pillows on our bed when it's made go on to the floor when we get in bed.
Do you play an instrument? I play several. I haven't played french horn for a few years, but I think I still could. I did play my bass guitar in the pit of "Joseph" for a stake musical last year. I also play the organ, the piano, and can bust out Twinkle Twinkle on several other band and orchestra instruments.
Have you ever been skinny dipping? Yes. Funny story. One time, my friend Shannon and I decided to go skinny dipping in the middle of the night (3 am-ish) at Bear Lake. We hadn't even done our thing yet and her car got stuck in the sand. We had to walk to a friend's, get dug out, and then go skinny dipping. Another time, I took some younger cousins to the lake to swim in the dark. We swam, and then were driving along the beach and our headlights found a whole bunch of nekkid boys. They were running scared so fast we didn't see anything, but that is excitement!
Did you do any sports in High School? Does marching band count? One time I hyper-extended my knee at practice and had to go hang out with the trainers and all the football players. It was embarrassing.
What was the last movie you saw in the theater? I am Legend. I liked it. Just scary enough, and just tender enough. As mentioned previously, I cried.
What is your favorite article of clothing? Yoga pants. I look forward to coming home and putting them on in the evenings (to relax, of course - don't start thinking I work out every night.)
What is your dream vacation? To take the Trans-Siberian railroad from Moscow to Beijing, with a little side-trip to Mongolia.
What was your first impression of your spouse? That he was nice, but a weak hugger. (Can I say side-hug with patting?)
If you were an animal what would you be? Would anyone believe me if I said anything except hippo? The one thing I don't think I could get into is the projectile pooping. If you've never heard of it, you might want to watch this video on YouTube. It's one of the strangest defense/territory marking strategies I've seen.
What is your favorite "me- time" activity? Either vegging on the couch watching TV or getting a pedicure.
Favorite TV shows? I admit, I'm a reality TV junkie. I like American Idol. I love The Biggest Loser (I've even considered trying to gain a few more pounds so I could try to get on it). I also watch Medium, House, Grey's Anatomy and a lot of HG TV. If we didn't have Tivo, I wouldn't watch nearly as much, but having it means that shows take a lot less time and I can watch them while I'm doing other things a little easier (like when I'm working at home).
What is your dream car? I really love my car. It's sporty, fun, and has heat seaters. But, someday I know I'll have to grow up. So, for then, I actually like wagons. As in an Audi A6 wagon (not all wagons). I also wouldn't mind a Suburban, depends on where we live when it's time to upgrade.
What is one of your weaknesses? I have a really hard time saying no. I also hate working out, even though I know it makes me happier and gives me energy.
What do you fix for dinner when there's nothing to fix? Wendy's. It's about 500 yards from our apartment.
What is the emotion you feel the most? The past few months, overwhelmed. I've been overwhelmed with the miracle of finding the man that I want to spend the rest of my life with and it actually working out. I've been overwhelmed with the blessing of being married in the temple. I've been overwhelmed with the newness and responsibility of being a wife. I've been overwhelmed with the loss of a dear friend. But, things are calming down. I'm feeling more peace and content, and I like it.
Do you consider yourself outgoing? I consider myself much less outgoing than I used to be. I feel like I become less outgoing every year and I'm okay with that.
What is something you are constantly working on? Living a healthy lifestyle. As busy as we are, it's really tempting to eat out a lot and really hard to find time to be active. I am trying to focus my diet on fresh fruits and vegetables
Any hidden talents? They're hidden for a reason. :)
What is a word or phrase you overuse? Mine.
What was the hardest thing that happened to you this past year? Helping Lois live the last year of her life with cancer as fully as possible, and die at peace. Losing her has been devastating, but so much less devastating than watching her suffer.
What is the best thing that happened to you this past year? Marrying Will, absolutely.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish this year? I want to do the 3-day, 60-mile Breast Cancer walk in October.
The best piece of advice you learned this past year? "Let go and let God." - Unknown
Who are the 7 people you are going to tag to do this survey? Um. Will? Mom? I'm pretty sure everyone else who knows about this blog was tagged by Becca.
At the end of the survey post a picture of you that was taken within the last week! I don't have a picture of me taken within the last week. I will take a picture of us when we go to dinner tonight and post it this weekend.

The Cringetastic 5

Sara's first blog was about a few of her favorite things, and I'll forgive her for not mentioning me, assuming that the oversight was due to me being a person and not a thing. As nice as her list is, I'm forced to make my post a little more pessimistic, just to keep this blog from being too cheerful, so instead I'm going to list a few of my least favorite things, here goes:

1. This lady, her name is Veronica, and she cut me off earlier today while she was cutting across 5 lanes of traffic to make her exit onto VA-28 off of I-66 today. I followed her to write down her license plate and take this picture, another mile down the road she started veering off onto the shoulder because she was text messaging her friend, probably something terribly urgent and illegible such as "omg do u c z hot guy ovr der"

Okay, I don't actually know this lady, I just stole the picture, but I'm so sick of cell phone users driving slow, veering off the road, and generally just driving like a moron. And that's before they start texting their friends. It makes me want to put a cell signal jammer in my car to produce a pocket of safe-driving around my precious cargo - me.

2. California Pizza Kitchen - I used to like this place till Sara and I went there about 8 months ago and both ordered something other than the BBQ Chicken pizza. I don't remember what we ordered, I think Sara went with the "Food Items That Should Never Be On A Pizza" pizza and I had the "Partially Digested Taco Bell Bile" pizza. They were so bad we didn't finish either of them. The naturally bad selection of toppings might have tasted better if the restaurant hadn't smelled like an outhouse that night, but I doubt it. And if you're thinking that one bad outing shouldn't land the place on this list, well they deserve to be here just for making other companies think that things like eggplant are good pizza toppings.

3. Crowded gyms - I enjoy the feeling of having just worked out, but pretty much every second from the time I decide I'm going to the gym right up until I'm done working out is annoying to me these days. Almost all of that annoyance has to do with people being too close to me at the gym, having to wait for equipment, and/or just having to look at other fat people like me trying to work out. I think that gyms should be forced to let you cancel your contract if you feel that it's become too crowded. They'll never do it though, so instead I'm forced to try to find the gym that is about to go out of business but still has nice equipment or join a gym that just opened and tell everyone that takes a tour that the place is a waste of money.

4. And speaking of contracts, I hate cell phone companies, all of them. After Sara and I got married we decided to be on the same cell phone network to share minutes, since most of my minutes are used talking to her anyway. Problem was, she was in a two-year contract and I was month-to-month, so ipso-facto, I'm now in a 2-year commitment with a company that is so demanding that they disable your phone's multimedia sharing features so you have to buy everything from them. I don't remember committing any crimes, so why have I been sentenced to two years with a cell phone provider I have no experience and/or confidence in? I want the 1 year commitments back, or how about the ability to sign up for a normal plan on a month-to-month basis like every other utility?

5. Hummus - I realize that many of you probably like this stuff, but I'm not particularly fond of it. Supposedly this stuff is made from chickpeas and other ingredients, but whatever it's made out of it all it reminds me of is cat vomit. Now, I'm sure everyone is going to tell me to just try it, it's delicious, but listen, I have tried it, and it wasn't delicious, it wasn't as bad as I imagine cat vomit to be, but it wasn't something I'd seek out at a... well anywhere. The other reason I don't trust hummus is that I can't figure out where this hummus phenomenon came from, it's like one night I went to bed and nobody had heard of it, and the next day everybody is offering it to me. I'm sure that it's some kind of cult, somehow tied into carpet cleaning or as soap-selling pyramid scheme, maybe both. Sure, laugh laugh at me now, but 6 years from now, when you're a hummus addict and find that you can't stop shampooing your carpets with your over-priced mail-order hummus soaps, you'll wish you heeded my warning.

"Stand a little taller. Rise a little higher. Be a little better."

President Gordon B. Hinckley
June 23, 1910 - January 27, 2008

When my mom called on Sunday evening to let us know that President Hinckley had passed away, I must admit I was a little surprised. I have been preparing myself for this day for years now and will be the first one to admit that I have thought several General Conference talks over the past few years have been his farewell addresses. However, when I attended General Conference in October, I didn't feel that way. I was so energized by his spirit and humor, invigorated by his inspiration, and moved by the magnitude of his presence as a modern day prophet, that I came away with the feeling that the world was not yet ready for him to move on to the next life.

But, my sight was once again proven limited and he has been called to another calling. I rejoice for his beautiful wife, Marjorie Pay Hinckley, for whom I am sure this reunion has been joyous. I smile because I am sure President Hinckley has not skipped a beat and that his energy and passion for life have continued with him. While he has left his earthly post as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, his mission continues.

In DC, as we are preparing to have another President, of our country, leave his post, there has been much talk of what this President's legacy will be. The talk has not generally been positive, and, in the end, his legacy, and those that have held the office before him, cannot compare to the legacy that President Hinckley has left behind and will continue to inspire.

I believe that no legacy is more important to President Hinckley than the legacies inspired in individual's lives. For me, President Hinckley will always be the prophet who signed my mission call, the 90-something-year-old prophet with more energy than I could imagine having, and the prophet who encouraged us to: "Stand a little taller. Rise a little higher. Be a little better." He will also be an ambassador for the church to the world. His appearances on talk shows, at the White House, and across the world with various religious and political leaders have helped to shape a very important public view of our church. The temples he was inspired to have built are providing opportunities for millions of people to have the blessings not available elsewhere.

I know that President Hinckley was a prophet of God. I was blessed to be able to attend many sessions of General Conference where I was able to sense the seriousness of his calling, while enjoying his humor and kindness. My parents blessed me with a love for attending General Conference and I spent many nights on the sidewalk to wait in line to be in his presence. I was also blessed to be in Martin's Cove, Wyoming when he dedicated a sacred site where early pioneers in the LDS church suffered, including my great-great-great-great grandmother. I also was blessed to be able to help people in Russia gain a testimony of this man whose presence they could not stand in. Their faithful testimonies strengthened mine and were blessed when he visited Russia, the first President of the church to do so.

I hope that I can continue to live the life that he taught us to live. May we all strive to: "Stand a little taller. Rise a little higher. Be a little better."

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

Blog Stalking

I have been a blog stalker for quite some time now. Definitely for the last year, maybe longer. I love following links from one blog to another and looking at peoples' blogs whom I don't know (or barely know). I love finding great pictures and funny stories. As for me, I have had a couple of blogs (my trip to Poland, I started a blog for my family), but have never kept a regular personal blog. This is my attempt to change that.

When I returned from a month off of work for my wedding in November, I was shocked to find that, of all things, blogspot had been blocked from our computers because it is a "social networking" site. I was pretty disappointed and had resorted to having Will save and send me all the cute pictures of Sam that Becca was posting. Perhaps because he didn't like being my conduit, Will introduced me to Google Reader. It gives me all the updates (and comments) to the blogs I love to read on one page. And, I can read them at work. I like to say that it has cut down my daily time devotion to blog stalking, but really it's just freed up some of that time to find new blogs to stalk.

And, speaking of Google, I have to give a shout-out to what I like to call Google Texting. It has revolutionized my way of finding things. Send a text to Google (466453) and, almost instantly, it gives me what I'm asking for. I use "Google Texting" to find restaurants, stores, addresses, to look up flights, scores, and the weather. It's amazing. And free (if you have free text messaging). To find out how, follow the link above. Let's just say that I'm using many more of my 250 allotted text message per month now. And for anyone text-a-phobic, or who doesn't have text messages to spare, try out 1-800-Goog-411, a free alternative to 411. I discovered it while in San Francisco for work in September and haven't payed $1.25 to get a number since.

Heat Seaters

Some of you may refer to the as seat heaters, but to me they will always be heat seaters, and they will ALWAYS be. I can't imagine a car without them. Seriously, the other morning it was 23 degrees and I got into my car, turned on the heat seater, and started driving. I was almost to work when I realized that I was super toasty, and that I hadn't turned the heat on. Heat seaters are great in the winter, but they're also great year round when your backs a little sore, when it's just a little cool, or when it's cool but you want to feel the fresh air so you drive with the windows down. I'm very grateful for heat seaters. I'm also very grateful that Will's car has heat seaters. Their absence may have jeopardized our relationship. Love them.

And, last but not least, for today....

Mangoes and Sticky Rice

Hands down, my favorite dessert. Tonight, we decided to order pizza and ordered from the pizza place (Lost Dog Cafe - yummy) next to my favorite Thai place (Thai Noy - yummier) so that we (Will) could pick up mangoes and sticky rice for dessert. If you haven't tried it, you should. And, as far as desserts go, it's pretty healthy.

Wow. Two posts in one day. And, back to stalking I go.