The Horse Part 2

So a few months ago we had a poll to name our friendly neighborhood horse. We aren't really sure if it is a girl or a boy horse- seriously no matter how hard we look we can't figure it out. Even Leigh the horse expert didn't really have a solid conclusion.

The horse has survived us living next door, unlike the horse that died DAYS AFTER WE MOVED IN. Welcome back from Cancun, bam the horse is dead.

Bummer.


I wanted to name the lovely horse Nelly, as you might remember, and there was a TIE in the poll. After a long and difficult fight, I gave in and started calling the horse Nancy. Well, lately I have been a bit worried about Nancy surviving the snow storms and the 6 degree weather. I kind of thought we might come outside to another dead horse.


BUT NO.


Horses are very resilient. Wikipedia told me that horses can survive in negative degree weather as long as they have some kind of shield from the wind. And guess what else??

Nancy is FANCY! She is totally trendy. Who told him/her that purple is totally in this season? Is that a tail cover??

And where do you think I can get a human jacket like that? She/he is totally rocking it.

Photo(s) of the Week

Happy Birthday to my favorite brothers!

Sean and Scott were born January 28, 1982 and are celebrating their 27th birthday today.

Boy, could I tell some stories.

Boys are silly.

Conversation with Jazz on our way home from Church on Sunday:


Me: "Man, I am so excited to get home. I'm totally going to eat my leftovers and take a nap"

Jazz: "Yeah, and you probably want to get out of those sausage panties."

Me: "Um....excuse me?"

Jazz: "You know, those tight little sock things you have to wear to church."

Me: "Do you mean nylons?"

Jazz: "Yeah, those. Sausage panties. Exactly."

Jazz's Baptism

Jazz's baptism was such a wonderful experience. Thank you to everyone who traveled to be in attendance for this special occasion- we really feel blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.

After my dad baptized Jazz, he came up from the water all clean and new and shiny. The look on his face was just priceless- so happy and pure. He gave my dad a big bear hug and it really was a special moment. Its hard to express in a blog post the joy that I felt last night- it really is indescribable.

As we were going to bed last night, we talked and giggled about the day. I am so happy and excited to have the priesthood in our home- and so grateful to Jazz for being patient and willing to learn. One again, I feel so blessed to have him in my life.

Come One, Come All

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your support and kind words.

I should have just done this initially, but here is the address for Jazz's baptism on Friday:

Sandy Granite View Stake Center
9880 South 3100 East
Sandy, UT 84092

Time of the Event: Friday Night!! 6pm!!!!

Seriously- all friends, family, friends of family, co-workers, missionaries, strangers-- everyone is welcome to attend this exciting occasion.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Photo of the Week

Visit to Temple Square: 12/31/2008

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Saturday will definitely go down in 2009's Hall of Fame.

Jazz and I had the opportunity to help clean the new Draper Temple after hours. There is an open house going on right now and for the next couple of months any one can receive a tour. Once it is dedicated in March, it will only be open to LDS members with current temple recommends.

Since our stake is included in the 25 stakes that are within the boundaries of the temple, we were given assignments to have volunteers available to usher, conduct tours, provide refreshments, and clean the temple every day.

I received the assignment sheet a few weeks go, noted that we would be volunteering from 10 pm to midnight, and put it aside. Not going to lie, anything after 9 p.m. is considered past my bedtime. I wasn't thrilled about the whole situation.

We started by cleaning the stake centers that serve as parking lots and information rooms for the tours. Standard stuff- cleaning toilets, emptying garbage, sweeping, and vacuuming. Not too exciting. There were only a few of us and it seemed to take forever.

After that, we were directed to the lobby of the temple to sign in and wait for instructions. We were all separated into groups to facilitate faster cleaning. Some were dusting, others vacuuming, others on bathroom duty. Jazz and I volunteered for a special assignment- we were told to head to the second floor and detail vacuum the corners, crevices- anywhere the big vacuums couldn't get.

A few minutes into our assignment, Jazz and I found ourselves standing in the Celestial Room together. We started vacuuming and I realized the profound importance of what we were doing. Not only because we were in the House of the Lord, in the most beautiful and peaceful room, doing service--- but also because just hours before that, Jazz made the decision to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As Jazz worked his way through the ordinance rooms, I worked in the other direction to the sealing rooms. I was in the largest sealing room, vacuuming the edges of the white carpet. It was late. It was dim. It was quiet. I felt compelled to stop and kneel, by myself, in that sealing room and thank my Father in Heaven for the plan that he has for me. I wept in gratitude for bringing this man into my life so that he could receive the gospel, so that I could have companionship and love, and so our families can be together forever.

Jazz came in a few minutes later to find me. He looked around at the beautiful room, and promised to bring me back to the same sealing room in a years time so that we could be sealed for eternity. When we finished vacuuming at 1 a.m., we sat side-by-side on a love seat in the Celestial Room, just the two of us.

It was a perfect moment.




Jazz will be baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 6 p.m. this Friday, January 23, 2009 at our Stake Center. All are welcome, email me for directions.

1/16/2009

Dear Today,

I regret to inform you that we are not getting along. I wish you could turn around and head in the total opposite direction. Its only 10 AM, what's with the early evilness? So far today:

1. I forgot my chapstick at home. I might as well be dead.
2. I woke up late. My hair is flat and staticky. That isn't a word, but go with me here.
3. This outfit is lame.
4. I ate three cookies for breakfast.
5. I have a hangnail.
6. I am done blog stalking/reading news/checking sites and I still have to be here at work for seven more hours.
7. The idea of going to the gym tonight makes me want to barf.

But guess what Today-- YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ME. I will force you to be better.

1. We have a paid lunch at Rodezio's today.
2. It's Friday and that means I don't have to work for two full amazing luscious days.
3. I have my trusty grey handbag at my side. Together, we can do no wrong.
4. Harmon's across the street has chapstick.
5. Going to the gym means sauna time. Delicious.
6. Stephanie Nielson, who was in that awful plane crash back in August, is back to blogging. Read her sparkly new post here.
7. Tonight I have a date with a very handsome bearded man.

So Today? suck it.

Love,

Micci

Photo of the Week

Exciting news! New feature added to the blog!

Introducing: Photo of the Week

Every Wednesday I will post a new picture from our collection.

Without further adieu:

This photo requires a little back story to be fully appreciated. Jazz and I like to play this game in the evenings, perhaps some of you are familiar with it. Its called "Mess With Your Spouse in Any Way Possible." Usually it starts with Jazz leaving his coat on the back of the chair. I retaliate with an episode of "Jon and Kate Plus 8." He then goes straight for dirty laundry evenly distributed throughout the hallway. It culminates at bed time- while one of us is brushing their teeth/removing contacts/washing face, the other one will throw all of other person's pillows on the ground. This particular night Jazz started early. Pillows, ground, done. I knew Jazz would immediately repeat throwing my pillows on the ground if I put them back on the bed, so I took them with me to wash my face/brush my teeth. When it was his turn to brush and wash, of course I threw his pillows across the room and then undid his side of the fitted sheet. I can be pretty savage when I want to be.

Anyway, long story short (or not so short) Jazz documented his retaliation.

Just to clarify-

that is me.
under the covers.
sleeping soundly.

And Jazz has expertly toilet papered my side of the bed.

Touché.

Migraine Update

Remember this post on my life-altering and monumental decision?

No, not the one where I got engaged or married or decided to move to SLC.

Not the one about getting the Wii fit or discovering Peppermint ice cream (I miss you already)

It's the one about the end of my love affair with Caffeine and the power that I took -nay, stole- back from my evil nemesis in an effort to ward off my crippling migraines.

I gave up chocolate, Excedrin, diet orange soda, crystal light, and the ultimate of all sacrifices: Diet Pepsi. I missed that little blue can in my hand, comforting me, saying nice carbonated things about me, giving me a tiny mid-afternoon pick up.

At first it was hard. Like really, really, really, really hard. I used to be that kid that grabbed a 24-ounce DP out of the fridge in the morning to go with my Cheerios. I often had one stashed in my purse in case wherever I was going DIDN'T have DP. Who doesn't have DP??

And after that first initial stage it got harder. We had a WHOLE case in the pantry, just sitting there waiting to be cracked open and enjoyed. It was like medieval torture chamber, only legal and modern and totally happening to me.

And then it got a little better. When Sabrina would come over, she would bring her 2-year emergency supply (just in case) and graciously let me insert my nose into the bottle and sniff up all the cola deliciousness. A few times I was really close to cooing "my precious", while slipping the ring on my finger Gollum-style so no one could see me breakdown and drink the whole bottle in one gulp.

Today it has been 9 weeks since divorcing caffeine. I can honestly say it has been a good thing in the long run. My migraines are almost gone, I fall asleep a lot easier, and I never have to "try" to get my 8 glasses of water in every day. We have also saved about a billion dollars since I now order free water at restaurants when we dine out.

And the chocolate? Let's be realistic here. As wee babes, the Sumsion children were nurtured by chocolate breast milk. It's in our blood. I gave up all chocolate for awhile, now I have some here and there in moderation and I am fine.

But sometimes... I can't help but think it might be worth the agony of a migraine just to once again enjoy that cold crispness of a fountain Diet Pepsi over crushed ice. Is that so wrong?

Check. This. Out.

Earlier today, Jazz and I were just sitting down to eat our delicious lunch, when THIS was advertised on a commercial. I froze, on my couch, mouth hanging open, and made Jazz rewind it at least twice so I could watch it again.

Introducing: Bumpits! Hair Volumizing Inserts, From Flat to Fabulous!

Let me break it down for you. These are crescent shaped pieces of PLASTIC that you stick in your hair for more volume and height. Tease and hairspray a nice big chunk of hair, place one of these little babies underneath and voila. You have authentic Utah Hair with little or no effort! The commercial showed tons of styles that can be enhanced by the Bumpit! product:

Why didn't I think of this! They are selling them for like $20 bucks plus shipping and handling. Five pieces of plastic, manufactured somewhere foreign... they are making a ginormous profit from the mark up. Think of how many desperate moms, mate-seeking college students, and cheer squads across the state are totally going to buy this product right up.

Not going to lie, I kind of want a set.

So far so good.

Today we are 1/52.14 of a way through 2009! Decimals in a fraction- already breaking rules right and left!

So I mentioned previously that Jazz got me the Wilton Cake Decorating set for Christmas that I was lusting after so lustily. This little blue box contains a bunch of neat tools to frost/decorate/fondant cakes, cookies and all kinds of baking masterpieces. Also, I LOVE IT.

This will keep me entertained for hours during the long and dark season of Nascar that begins again this February. (Tangent. Is there any time of year that all the sports teams close down and pay homage to wives? The answer is nay. Never a break, always some game going on somewhere.) I unpacked it all on New Year's Eve to make a fancy holiday treat for our first countdown together. You should know that I have no idea what I am doing and I made the most ginormous mess in the kitchen. Powdered sugar everywhere. Sticky floor. Frosting on the oven handle. It was awesome.

This was the outcome of my strenuous efforts:

Individual cakes! I made one cake in a 9 x 13 (obvious choice: funfetti) and then I used a cookie cutter to cut out six little circles. Master Pastry Chef Mo let me have her secret cream cheese filling and butter cream frosting recipes and after a million phone calls to her (Is butter supposed to be salted? How do I fill these weird triangle baggies with frosting? How can this much powdered sugar possibly fit in my mixer?) I filled, frosted, and stacked my circles.

I'm not going to lie. They were delicious. I should also be honest and tell you that only the front side of each cake was decorated with puffs because I didn't double the frosting like I was instructed to do. Overall, I was very proud of what I had created, even if one of them did resemble the Tower of Pisa just a little bit.

It was really fun to use my new gift- and even more fun to pour a glass of cold milk, grab a fork, and dig in. I think we have started a new New Year's tradition for the Sorensen Family.

In other, totally unrelated news- I schooled Jazz is Wii Bowling. Sucka!

I DARE you to beat that!


2009? So far so good.

My Non-Resolutions

I know most people are making New Year's Resolutions- setting weight loss goals, writing out a list of stuff to do this year. Usually I get sucked in by this tradition, but this year I refuse to feel guilty for subjecting myself to a list of failed to-dos. NO. NOT THIS YEAR.

Here are some of my magnificent resolutions from January 7, 2002 when I was a senior in high school.

• Go to college
• Play the harp in college
• Be smaller (smaller minded? smaller around the waist? I don't know.)
• Get a job
• Get a B in Calculus (Really? just a B? c'mon.)
• Go to Prom

You can tell from this list that I had VERY HIGH goals for 2002. Don't be too specific, 18-year old Micci, otherwise you might have to actually WORK to get something done.

Some might say I am a little bit "Type A" which possibly could be linked to the influence of my father. I said possibly. Since Jazz and I have adopted the theme of "Finding Joy in the Journey" in October, I have been trying to slow down a tad and enjoy the small things in everyday life instead of focusing on the big and dramatic events that suck the life from my soul.

That being said, this year I have made a non-resolution list of small changes I can make that will help me slow down- things that will assist me in gracefully relinquishing my title as Queen of the Tightly Wound and Obsessive Compulsive.

1. Stop making the bed on Sundays.
2. Let the laundry basket get more than half full.
3. Go the speed limit (which is five over the posted speed)
4. Call my friends more often, just because.
5. Bake delicious food for special occasions.
6. Stop deleting unflattering pictures of myself.
7. Begin and end the day with a kiss.
8. Be more patient with EVERYTHING.
9. Read more. Watch less reality television.
10. Have fewer freak outs about clutter. It's just stuff.
11. Let Jazz eat more peanut butter straight from the jar.

I'm leaving 12 open because this list is something I want to manipulate and change over the course of the year. "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass." 2009 will be my year for the small and simple.

What about your 2009?

Our Year in Reflection

Yesterday was the first day of 2009. Jazz and I both had the day off for the holiday- being adults and having normal jobs DOES pay off sometimes! We spent the day eating treats, playing the Wii, watching 30 Rock, and taking a nap. Do I feel guilty about being so lazy? Not even a little. We sat and reflected on our year together, we laughed and giggled about our engagement and our wedding day. We remembered funny stories from our travels together to Cancun, Disneyland, and California. It was a day of perfection. Here are our favorites from 2008.

February 10th: Jazz got down on one knee in front of most of my family and said "Miccolene Sumsion, from the day that we met, I have known you were perfect for me. I love you so much, I love you with all my heart, and I want to ask you to marry me." You might guess that I said yes. Watch the proposal here.

April 18-27: I spent about ten days in Europe with my family. After nearly missing my connecting plane in San Francisco (seriously, by maybe three minutes.), we traveled London, Paris, and Rome. We saw the most beautiful artwork, experienced Wicked from the front row, had dinner on the Eiffel Tower, and spent an hour inside the Sistine Chapel. It was the most amazing trip of my life, but it was torture being away from Jazz for so long- especially without the convenience of my cell phone. (Or mobile if you want to be British.)

May 7: Madilyn June Sumsion was born to Scott and JaNae. She was the most beautiful newborn and she is the happiest baby I have ever seen. She loves to smile, dress up, and play with her tongue. It has been so much fun to step into my role as Favorite Aunt.

June 14: The day Jazz and I were married. I can honestly say that the day was perfect. I know behind the scenes it was probably not as smooth as I perceive it to be, but that's okay. I felt so beautiful I think I was floating most of the day. I will never forget Jazz's face as I walked arm in arm with my dad down the aisle toward him. Heaven.

June 15-20: We spent six days on our honeymoon in Cancun. We ate great food, sat poolside, floated in the ocean, and saw the ruins at Chichen Izta. our first trip to Mexico was a huge success.

July 19: We got two brand new nieces this year! Adalie Elizabeth Stott was born to Mark and Britta. It was so fun to visit them in the hospital and see this tiny little baby only a few hours old.

October 30: Jazz and I flew to Anaheim to introduce Jazz to a little place called Disneyland. We stayed with my brother and his wife. It was awesome, I think Jazz was a little blown away at the awesomeness of the Happiest Place on Earth.


December: Leigh and Mex visited for the second time this year. They are the best of friends and we had a fantastic time braving the cold up at Snowbird, shopping, and singing at the ward party with Santa Jazz. We fled snowy Utah for a sunny Christmas spent with my family in Redding...see below for details.

This year was big for both of us- an engagement and wedding, birthdays and haircuts, migraines and moving towns, working full time jobs, blogging and photos, graduating college for me, zoo visits and church callings. We had so many "firsts" together in 2008 and I know there will be many more to come in 2009. I am excited for the opportunities that this year will bring to us and anticipate another great year together.