The reason for the season

My parents have always been so good at making family traditions, we did one this past week that is on the top of the favorite list. We come together for family home evening and we sit in a circle with a nativity in the middle.  We light a candle and we each choose a character from the nativity that we can relate with that year.  It is one of my favorite traditions!  I love that my parents' Christmas traditions really teach us WHO we are celebrating!

Rewind back about a month. I am ashamed to admit, that I had a weak moment thinking about what to get my sweet new hubby for Christmas this year.  Money is tight.  We are students and newly weds.  It is okay that money is tight.  We are not going without anything we need, but there is not lots of money to spend on fancy Christmas gifts.  It is embarrassing that I thought- Christmas is going to be bad this year!  There's nothing that I can afford that is really going to excite him. I know.  So selfish.  So vain.  Immediately, the Spirit slapped me across the face.  I was overcome with emotion and thoughts.  We do not celebrate Christmas in order to give and receive fancy gifts.  It is about so much more than that.  It has changed my entire outlook- thank heavens! I needed a good slap in the face!

So back to the awesome family tradition.  This year, I did something different.  Normally I would choose a Shepherd or a Wiseman.  But this year I chose the barn.  Christ was born in a barn.  A dirty, smelly barn.  With animals and bugs and all things unsanitary- a nightmare for my OCD.  But, this is so symbolic.  His beginning was so humble.  He breathed his first divine breaths in that dirty, smelly barn.  And made his first showing to the world one of jaw dropping humility.

The lyrics to Silent Night have been heavy on my mind this month-
Silent night, holy night.  All is clam and bright. Holy infant- tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Glories stream from heaven afar.  Heavenly hosts sing alleluia.  Chirst, the Savior is born!
Son of God, love's pure light.  Radiant beams from thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

I am so grateful for his truly humble beginning.  And for the greatest gift of all that he has given us.  I hope to always remember the lesson I have learned this Christmas.

lots of love,
brookeydee

Happiest Place On Earth

Mike and I had the opportunity to take a weekend trip to Disneyland.  Let me tell you, it was much needed and so so fun!  We are so grateful for my grandparents for letting us crash at their beautiful home!  We planned this trip a few months ago with some good friends.  In an effort to minimize costs and missing out on school and work we decided to leave Thursday night after work and classes at 7 pm and drive through the night to California and hit Disneyland Friday and Saturday and then drive home on Sunday.  Yes, we are crazy young kids!  It honestly ended up working out great!  and It was such a fun trip!!

We set a rule that at least two people had to be awake at all times.  The boys were kind enough to allow us girls to drive the first half of the trip and then sleep.  So Alex and I got to drive to Mesquite while the boys slept for a few hours and then we switched and the boys drove while we slept.  While the boys were driving, we almost ran out of gas in the middle of NOWHERE. It was a little alarming but we said a prayer and miraculously made it to the next town 7 miles away to get gas.  Seriously, it was a miracle!  But other than that, the trip went smoothly and was SO FUN!

It was my first time riding Radiator Springs in Cars Land and I LOVED it!  Disney always does such an amazing job.

My favorite rides are Hyperspace Mountain, Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones, and Its a Small World- Holiday edition.  I loved being there with my handsome hubby we had the best time!

awful picture quality because we snapped it off of the screen.. but its just too funny. 

poor Mike was SOAKED all night after we rode this... and it got cold that night. he was such a trooper!  And I was grateful for the excuse to snuggle!!

It was my first time seeing world of color and I loved it!  But the new parade was breath taking.  I felt like a little girl again.  I was so impressed with what they were able to accomplish with the parade! 

Disney's Christmas Decorations and spirit are always so cheerful!  It really got me excited for the holiday season! 

I love disneyland!  And I am so grateful my Mikey does as well! It was a weekend very well spent! 

lots of love, 

brookeydee

fall decorating

I mentioned in my last post that we have been trying to accumulate some fall decorations in our little home.  Here is what we have been up to.

I really could buy an entire pumpkin patch.  We have pumpkins all around our little home right now!  They are so fun and work for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

I also mentioned chalk boards in that post- best idea ever because they are a decoration that can change for every holiday and season and we get to make them exactly how we want them and they can be constantly changed.  I am a big fan!  I also do the chalkboard at my parents home- its big and glorious and I think it is so much fun!  I also added some pinterest finds that I will use on Sunday when Halloween is over!

I love how this turned out!  And its so practical for candle storage!  

also... bath and body candles are like the best thing about holiday season.

lots of love,
brookeydee

sleepovers

I have mentioned on here a few times that Mikey is the oldest of EIGHT kids. yes. 8.  I adore his huge family!!

We have frequent sleepovers with part of the crew.  This last weekend was fall break for all of us so we took on our biggest sleepover yet with 4 of the kiddos.  Only leaving 2 at home (cause James is doing his missionary gospel sharing thang in Australia RN.)  Our little home was LOUD and full and it was so fun!  We love when they come to visit!

We picked them up and zipped down to eat some YUMMY waffles that Mikey whipped up! (I LOVE, LOVE when he cooks and I don't have to!) Then we went to the canyon and checked out Bridal Veil falls and enjoyed some fall lovin. I LOVE FALL. Its a thing.

Mike and I decided it was time for a Harry Potter revival after a short clip in our spanish class so the kids were forced (happily) to watch #2 and #3 with us. We just finished #4 last night (we are taking our time with this marathon)  Anyways, I just love this family of mine!  Also please note bella's outift.  I wish everyone could have seen her this day up close.  She cracks me up and has so much personality.  I love that she often wears clothes that reflect exactly who she is!  Like this combo of a plaid hat, donut sweater, boy shorts, hot pink fuzzy socks, and blue toms. I cant handle it!

We were sad to miss out on my family's fall break trip :( seriously sad. But, we had a best friend getting hitched and HAD to stay.  Their wedding was gorgeous and we loved dancing the night away with our dear friends! I wish every week was fall break.  and I wish fall would stay this perfect- temperatures and leaves and yumminess.

lots of love,
brookeydee

also... fun pic for the day- bc I asked mike to go to the store to pick up milk, reeses mini cups and pretzels to make some cute witch broom things I found on pinterest for a halloween party this weekend.  He returned with milk, reeses minis, GF pretzels flavored honey mustard and onion.... (WHY?!?), cheetos (long story but those are forbidden in our home), and loads of other unnecessary tempting treats.  He is no longer allowed to enter a store unsupervised.  Seriously when people told me wifing was like mothering I. did. not. listen.  Its a good thing I adore this sweet man of mine.

f a l l

I love fall!  I love the way it smells.  I love how the air starts to change after a long dry summer.  I love the beautiful trees in the mountains and the leaves that crunch beneath my feet.  I love caramel apples and decorating!  I love that its the beginning of holiday season.  When I get to spend time with those who matter the most and enjoy traditions.

This week I have been decorating our little home for fall.  We have no decorations so I am trying to gather things slowly.  These first few years we probably wont have much but its fun to get a start!  Chalk boards are literally the best decoration idea ever.  You can use them for every season.  And you get to be creative and make them personal.  I am a big fan.  We have a chalkboard in nearly every room in our home. I'll be sure to post our chalkboard and decorations soon.

We found the cutest pumpkin patch in North Orem.  Their pumpkins were a steal! Plus they have the cutest shop with decorations and they started to pull out Christmas stuff- I have a feeling I will be back here too frequently.  It is called Sun River Gardens.  I highly recommend a visit if you need pumpkins or want any cute decoration for your home.

lots of love, 

brookeydee

everyday enchiladas

I'm on a recipe kick this week apparently.

These chicken enchiladas are a major go-to these days.  Because they are so easy and quick!  Get a load of this easy and cheap dinner.  Thanks to my mommy for inspiring most of this recipe!  She made similar enchiladas all the time growing up and I loved them!

This recipe I change up.  Sometimes I add in sour cream, or corn, or onions, or peppers.  Also, if you're a red salsa lover- use that instead of green.  You can make it however you want.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl put one can of cooked chicken shredded with a fork.  Then add one can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, 1/4 of a diced yellow onion, 12-16 oz. green salsa, 1/4 cup of sour cream, and one can of canned diced green chiles .  If I feel like doing sweet enchiladas I pass on the chiles and do 1 can of corn instead.  Always know that I guesstimate on the serving sizes.  I eyeball everything.

I am gluten intolerant (I often refer to myself as a "glutard" thanks to a term used by a dear friend) So I use corn tortillas but you can use flour or whatever other tortilla you prefer.  I take each tortilla and fill it about 1/3 full of the enchilada guts, roll it up, and lay it in a glass 9x13 pan.  When all of the guts are gone- this will fill an entire casserole 9x13 pan, I spread sour cream, green salsa, and shredded cheese over the top of the enchiladas.  This makes this recipe! Sometimes if I am feeling extra lazy I do a casserole and don't even roll them up into separate enchiladas- I just layer the tortillas with the enchilada guts.

Then you put them in the oven for 35-40 minutes (until ends of the tortillas start to turn golden brown and cheese is cooked.)

My Mikey loves these enchiladas.  Anytime I text him a list of dinner options he always chooses these enchiladas and he loves when I do corn.  I hope you love them like we do!

RECIPE

corn (16-20) or flour (10) tortillas
1 cup of shredded cheese - separated
1 can of cooked chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
jar / bottle of green salsa
1/4 of yellow onion
about 1/2 cup of sour cream separated
optional- 1 can of corn
optional- 1 can of diced green chiles

Preheat the oven to 375.  Dump chicken into a mixing bowl shred with a fork.  Mix in all other ingredients. Fill about 1/3 of tortilla with enchilada insides and roll.  Cover with sour cream, salsa, and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.  Serves 4 to 6 people.

sweet potato fries

I have a recipe that literally made my week.  So I thought I would share!

With school and work keeping me out of my home most days from 8 am to 9 pm I do not cook like I used to.  But, I do love cooking when I have the time to do it.  I don't know about you, but I am a major sucker for some sweet potato fries accompanied by BBQ fry sauce.  This week, I thought I would take a shot at making them- and I am oh so glad I did.

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then, I peeled the sweet potatoes- I did two medium sized sweet potatoes which was plenty for just Mike and I.  Then I chopped them up into the best fry sized shapes I could make.

Next, I put them all in a bowl with just a little bit of olive oil.. maybe a teaspoon or two?  (I don't measure my food often.)  And I threw in some garlic salt, regular salt, and pepper.  Mixed it all up and dumped them onto the pan- covered in tin foil to ease the dishes. I spread them out so they were evenly placed: this allows them to get crispy!

I put it in the oven for 17 minutes- keep an eye on them- it depends on how you cut them up and how your oven cooks. Probably anywhere from 15-20 minutes. I pulled them out flipped most of them over (I wasn't too picky about getting every single one cause I don't believe in high maintenance cooking) and put them back in the oven for 5-10 minutes.  You have some options here depending on how crisp or soft you want the fries. If you're feeling like extra crisp switch to broil and cook for just 2-3 minutes.

I pulled them out when the edges were browning.

While the fries are in the oven for the first time- make your preferred dip.  Ours is half part Mayonnaise (made from olive oil) and half part Ketchup.  Mix well til it is an orange color, then I add in just a little bit of BBQ sauce for the smokey taste.

Mike and I were in Sweet Potato Heaven!  Its a real thing, I promise.  It makes me so happy to find a recipe that he loves just as much as I do!

Medium sized sweet potatoes (2-4 depending on amount desired)
2 teaspoons of olive oil
Garlic salt (or other preferred seasoning)
salt
pepper

preheat oven to 400.  Cut sweet potatoes into fry shape sizes. In mixing bowl mix potatoes with oil and spices.  Prepare a baking sheet with tin foil or spray.  Spread potatoes on pan evenly.  Cook 15-20 minutes.  Flip each fry to other side cook another 5-10 minutes until desired crispiness is achieved.

Dipping sauce
half part mayo
half part ketchup
quarter or less part BBQ sauce

unconditional love- oh how wonderful.

I have been thinking about unconditional love lately... its something I seek for. I want to love unconditionally.  And that is hard for me for some reason.

My Mike and I have been married for a whopping 3 months. I love him unconditionally.  Even when he leaves his dirty socks out, or says something he doesn't mean, or leaves me to do all the dishes after I cooked him dinner- I just love the man.  And he loves me even when I complain, or say something that I don't mean, or get demanding about our home.

Mike is the oldest of 8 kids. Yes, its crazy.  I love this big family that I now get to call mine! This week we were talking to his parents on the phone and the two youngest continued to ask if they could talk to Mike on the phone until his parents finally said yes.  They both separately jumped on the phone and said "Hey Mike!! (very lovingly)  Can I talk to Brooke?!"  Not going to lie I had to boast about that one for a minute.  Those sweet kiddos make me feel like a celebrity at times.  Every Sunday we eat dinner with his parents and family or mine. We switch off every week.  Well last night was his family's week.  Again I was immediately showered with hugs and loves from each of his siblings and especially the little two.  All night they begged to sit with me or cuddle with me.

sweet little sister was so fun on the wedding day asking if she could hold my dress- I loved it!

As we drove back home last night I mentioned to Mike how grateful I am for his family's ability to unconditionally love.  Its not just his youngest two siblings, it is every single member of his family.  They are just pure and loving people.  It has been and continues to be a great blessing and an example to me of what I want to be.

Like I said- unconditional! Only my amazing father in law would take this moment to express his love. I love this family of mine!

Another person who loves unconditionally is my sweet mother. She is super woman.  As I listened to LDS General Conference a few days back I was overwhelmed by Elder Holland's talk about the pure Christ-like love of a mother. Mother's carry, bear, listen, deliver, lift, etc.  My mother does those things!  I am so very grateful for that.  When I was little she would take time out of her days to play store with me- it was my favorite. As I grew into a teenager she would sit on my bed and listen, console and talk with me.  Further, as I served a mission she prayed with all of her might, she wrote, she wept, she missed, she sent packages, etc.  Then as I came home she continued to bear the burdens of life with me.  As I got engaged and married she spent hours and hours planning every detail to perfection, creating, cleaning, unpacking. Her love is perfectly unconditional.

Our greatest example of unconditional love is the Savior.  Every act and thought was unconditional love.  And oh how wonderful it truly is to be a recipient of that unconditional love.

lots of love,
brookeydee

a trip with dad

Miracles happen peeps.

Our office had a loan closing out in NY a couple weeks back.  My dad didn't want to go to NYC alone... because who would?  Mom couldn't go, Brylee couldn't go... so I GOT TO GO. besides the fact that it is my FAVORITE city ever and my home away from home, I had done a lot of the work for this project so it was just fitting that I got to go.

It was such a fun few days with dad.  It was our first and last trip that we got to take with just the two of us because he felt bad for taking me away from my sweet hubby.  Who I missed miserably THE WHOLE TIME.

On Friday we hit the ground running. we went to the NYC temple that I have so many fond memories in... so that was pure joy.  And we went to the Yankees and Mets game... SO FUN!

the game was at Citi field: Mets home stadium but we had to do a pass by Yankee stadium for me! 

Saturday we went to the Metropolitan museum- which is Museum heaven for me!  Central Park, Times Square, and Phantom on Broadway.  I got the chills in every song and I even cried. It was honestly breath taking.  I could see it over and over again. It was pure magic.

The metropolitan <3

PHANTOM!!!! <3 <3 <3

Sunday was really special for me.  I got to visit some dear friends that are more like family to me from the mission days.  Then dad and I hit the town again for another night at times square and on broadway- we saw Matilda and it was so good!

 Francisco is a faithful member who felt like a dad to me.  We spent Christmas with he and his wife.  His wife is not a member and we got to teach her and watch her grow in faith and understanding.  His wife had to work this weekend so we did not get to see her. But sent lots of love! 

 Joel is a convert that I got to teach and watch progress to baptism.  He is a dear friend. 

Monday was our closing so we spent the day up in NY state taking care of business.  After the meeting we hit China town and Little Italy.  We had the yummiest Italian food (gluten-free for me which was so dreamy!)  We did some sight seeing and hit up our favorite pizza shop one last time.

It was the perfect amount of time and I had an absolute blast having some quality daddy time!

I also take pride in teaching daddy the true NYC ways.

Pizza everyday X
minimum of 9 miles of walking everyday X
subway system mastery X
Coco Helado X
Bodega Sandwich X

I love my NYC.
lots of big apple lovin,
Brookeydee