Welcome back, Kotter...ahem...Kimm

First, I must say thanks Drew, for welcoming me back into the blogging world.  I'll be copying (somewhat) your latest blog post.  


I guess you could call this my Christmas letter... or maybe just an update of my life in the past year, since it's been about that long since I blogged.  

☼☼My Top 10 of 2010☼☼

1.  I went to Hawaii in November with my sister Ginni, and my parents.  

We started in Kaua'i and then went to Maui.  I spent 2 1/2 weeks there and it was paradise.  Literally.  I don't know if anyone else feels this way after going there, but I feel like I left a piece of my heart there.  Whenever I go back, it feels like I am home.  I love the people there - they are so friendly, kind, and loving.  The food is wonderful - it's amazing to have tropical fruit for EVERY MEAL!  We frequented the local farmer's markets and got some great produce, which we took back to our condo and cooked.  We had delicious meals every night.  Oh!  The saimin was amazing!!!  Saimin, which is originally Japanese, I think, is a brothy soup with ramen-type noodles (but better), chunks of chicken, beef, or pork, egg slices, sometimes cabbage, and little wonton dumplings.  I seriously salivate every time I think of it.  There are too many pictures to post here of my trip.  So if you want to see pics, check out this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2201569&id=193304870&l=1fdcc8ccc9

2.  I moved into my own apartment in September.  

It's mine, all mine!  Ok, not really, but I live by myself, which I LOVE.  It is in Cottonwood Heights, which is a little bit northeast of Sandy.  It takes a bit longer to get to work which I HATE, but oh well.  

Bedroom

Dining area

Tiny kitchen

Dining/living room

3. I went to Disneyland for the very first time.

Oh. my. gosh.  I finally understand what all those people were talking about with the "magic of Disney".  I probably sound super cheesy, but it was such a magical place for me.  I felt like a little kid, experiencing for the first time.  I went with two friends: Rebekah and Dawn, and we had a WONDERFUL time!

4. I learned to love rock climbing.

One of my church leaders had been pestering me to go rock climbing for several years, and this summer I finally went and I love it!  It's a rush to climb up a wall face and not know where you are going to put your hands and feet.  My super-grippy 5 fingers shoes helped me get up that rock in no time at all!

Climbing at Dogwood

5.  I spent time with all the members of my immediate family for the first time in a long time.

With a brother (+kids) in Boston area, parents in Washington, and other busy siblings (+kids), we don't get together as a whole family very often.  This summer my parents sprung for a cabin at Bear River (somewhere in Utah).  The cabin was wonderful and fit us all.  We had a surprise party for my parents, took a family picture, went ATVing, swam, fished, watched movies, and ate a killer dutch oven meal.  It was wonderful to be together again.

6. I've had fun decorating my apartment - I've learned that I can be somewhat crafty if I put my mind to it. 

Moving to a new place that is all my own has been a fun adventure.  I've never considered myself a decorator by any means, (and I still don't) but I wanted to make my new place something I enjoy coming home to and in which I feel comfortable having people over.  I've come up with some decorating ideas, especially for the holidays, that have been really cool.

A holiday message.

An old typewriter that really works.  I change out the paper every so often for something holiday themed.

Lights and snowflakes hang from my ceiling. 

The wreath I made with ornaments and snowflakes.

My table centerpiece.

7. I cut my hair really short.

This may not seem like anything noteworthy, and I'll tell the truth, I'm having a hard time coming up with enough things to make 10, but this is something I had been wanting to do for a long time.  It's been cool having a fun hairstyle that I can do a lot with.  It looks different every day!  (I'm thinking about putting some little pink chunks in it next.  ☻ )

8. I went through the temple in January.

For those of you, who are LDS, you know what this means.  I had been waiting a long time to receive my endowments and it was a wonderful day.  My sister was my escort, my parents came down from Washington, and my sister-in-law and grandpa were able to attend as well.  I've enjoyed going back again and again this past year. If you are not LDS (a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), then here's some background information.  Mormon temples are sacred places of worship.  When an individual is deemed worthy (by an ecclesiastical leader), they are able to participate in sacred ceremonies including Baptism for the Dead, Endowments, Sealings, and Eternal Marriages.  There's a lot more information about it here at Mormon.org.

Jordan River Temple (Utah)

9. I swam with sea turtles and dolphins!

While in Hawaii, we did a lot of snorkeling.  We went to a place on the north shore of Kaua'i called Tunnels, which is known for having a lot of interesting fish and TURTLES!  We weren't disappointed.  I swam right along with several turtles.  Then, on Maui, we read about La Perouse Bay, which is on the southernmost tip.  It is known for its clarity, fish life, and DOLPHINS!  The guidebook said that spinner dolphins sometimes come there around 7 am and circle around in the bay.  So we got up super early one morning, drove to the spot and waited for the dolphins to come.  They didn't disappoint and were jumping out of the water!  We grabbed our stuff and swam out to get a closer look.  We had been warned to stay about 10 feet away and to swim in the same direction, on the side of them.  Several were rather curious and one came up right next to me - I could have reached out and touched it.  Interestingly enough, we went back there another day to watch for dolphins, and they never showed up.  How lucky I got to see them the first time!

Spinner dolphins

10. I dressed up in a lot of interesting costumes this year.

Ok, this last one is grasping at straws, but for anyone who knows me knows I love to dress up in crazy costumes. Here are a few from this year.

New winter pj's!

New sock monkey pj's!

Dressing up as Waldo for character day at school.

Halloween 2010 - Rubix cube

Dressing up for Witches' Night Out

Here's hoping 2011 is as great as 2010!!!

Just a fun picture to leave you with - from "Water Kickball" activity this year.

Yum Yum Yum!

So I found this Green Chile Tabasco Sauce and it's amazing (thanks Ginni)! Not too hot (not nearly as hot as regular Tabasco) and so I wanted to make Mexican food so I'd have an excuse to use it! I made some tasty "fresh" tacos. I didn't use an exact recipe - I'm more of a "dump and taste" kind of girl.

Taco base: 1 lb. ground turkey, 1 onion, chopped, 1 cup of brown rice, and one can of chili beans. I cooked the turkey and onion together and then added the rest. I added chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, a little oregano, and cumin. I like adding rice and beans to my meat so that it goes further and it sticks to your ribs a little more.

Toppings: queso fresco (white Mexican crumbly cheese - you can buy it at walmart), cilantro, tomatoes, avocados, lowfat sour cream, spinach (instead of lettuce - it was all I had), salsa, and my favorite - green pepper tabasco.

I put all of this in some pan fried (without any oil) corn tortillas. Oh my gosh was it tasty!!! Very fresh tasting and I love the queso fresco because it gives it a different flavor than normal. Try it! It' awesome!

I forgot...

I kind of forgot I had a blog...right....so I need to be better about blogging. Sometimes Facebook is just easier. But I'll try to make an effort. So here's a few thoughts from the last few weeks - perhaps a little randomesque, but who cares?

Fall is here and it's wonderful. I love seeing the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of the trees. It makes me sad to see the piles of leaves on the grass and streets. It's like saying goodbye to old friends...and grumpily greeting winter's bare trees.

I got the swine flu. It wasn't fun (but when is the flu ever fun?)... I had a fever for 2 days, but 0% energy for 2 weeks. I'm barely starting to come out of it. Blech. Darn kids, breathing on me all the time!

I'm going to see Imogen Heap tomorrow in concert. Should be pretty good...I hope. I spent the last concert being pushed around and standing behind some really tall people. Why can't they all stand in the back? I need some Spice Girl platform shoes.

Summer

Summer makes me so happy! I've been super busy so far with the winding down of school and trying to prepare for the next new year. I love teaching year-round, except during the months of June and July -- all the other teachers are off and living it up, but I still have school. I've got a week and a half of school left, and it's a whirlwind of testing, report cards, checkouts and moving classrooms. I'll be in a portable next year (blech) but there are a few advantages -- more privacy than my middle room, ability to come in when I want/stay as late as I need to ...and that is about all. Anyway, so last day of school is July 2. I have two blissful weeks and then meetings start and school begins the 27th of July.

Here are some things that I'm excited for about summer:

-freedom! (at least for two weeks)
-swimming (I bought a pool pass to all of the SL county pools, so if you wanna go, let me know!)
-Lagoon (season pass!!!)
-gardening
-getting tan
-two rafting trips in Moab
-Harry Potter 6 movie!
-sleeping in...at least until 8
-riding my bike

Makin' Cupcakes

Tonight for Enrichment we made cupcakes a la Bakerella (see her whole site here and look here for directions for this project). There were a ton of people who came and it was really fun. I saw lots of cute cupcakes.
So first, you bake a red velvet cake and then crumble it up. Mix frosting with the cake and make a ton of balls. Dip the balls in chocolate candy cups (melted chocolate poured in a mold) and freeze to harden. Dip into colored melted candy and then decorate!
After I finished that, I had to make some samples for school tomorrow. We are making Valentine's bags so I wanted them to see what they could do. I like how they turned out!

I love Valentine's day! It's one of my favorite holidays - not for the romantic aspects (I've never actually had a boyfriend during the holiday) but for the ability to express my love to my friends. So if you're reading this, you're probably my friend. Therefore, I LOVE YOU!!!

I love pink and red too! I always do something for my roommates - in the past I've made cinnamon rolls with pink frosting, but this year it's waffles with pink coconut syrup. Yummo!!!

Merry Christmas!

This picture is from my amazing trip to the Mediterranean I took in November. This is me on a wall outside the Parthenon, overlooking Athens.

Some things I am grateful for this year:

• The opportunity to travel. Because I teach year-round school, I go off track for a 3 week vacation every 2 months. I have been able to visit my parents several times in Washington - May, July, August, and December. I love to come to the Pacific Northwest - it's so beautiful and peaceful here. I also went on a 12-day cruise that was so cool!

• My family. We were able to go camping all together (at least the Utah bunch) in June, and then we all went to Oregon for a week in August. We went to the beach, then to Silver Falls Park, where we stayed in cabins for a few days. My grandma Esther died during this time, so my sister and I stayed for her funeral and then drove home together.

• The Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love learning more and more about Jesus Christ by reading the scriptures. It is amazing to me that I can read the Book of Mormon and the Bible again and again and gain new insights and remember old ones. I am grateful for Christ's sacrifice for me and for the opportunity to repent and improve my life every day.

• My friends. In my single's ward, I've been able to meet some WONDERFUL people. They've enriched my life, and made it a lot more fun!

I'm looking forward to another great year!!!

Freakin' Tagged

The Rules:
Link the person(s) who tagged you.
Mention the rules on your blog.
Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them.
Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Quirk #1:
I watch Saturday Morning cartoons.
Ok, actually I don't watch the cartoons anymore, but I do really enjoy waking up early and catching an episode of Hannah Montana, That's So Raven, or the Suite Life of Zack and Cody. These shows are not educational, sophisticated, or even discussion-worthy. But they are funny and they make me laugh. What can I say? I enjoy them!

Quirk #2:
I want to learn hip hop dancing.
Sans some of the scandalous moves, I think hip hop is the coolest form of dance. I love the strong beat of the music and want to be able to move like that. But when it comes to dance, I am so white and super uncoordinated.

Quirk #3:
The Last Unicorn still gives me the heebie jeebies.
It was my favorite movie as a kid, but it scared me big time. That red bull...oooh, that was trippy. I watched it about a year ago...yeah, still scary.

Quirk #4:
I love processed cheese slices.
I consider myself a pretty good judge when it comes to food. I feel like I can tell the difference between crap and good quality. I know my stuff. However, I can't shake this addiction. Those cheese slices were a four letter word in my household growing up. I bought my first package when I went to college, and it was all downhill from there. I LOVE THEM!!!!! I try to only buy them now once in a great while...and they are usually gone in a matter of days.

Quirk #5:
I hate showering.
BEFORE YOU FREAK OUT, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I DO IT ANYWAY ON A REGULAR BASIS! I hate the time that it takes to get ready and do all the stuff I have to do before I can leave the house. Some people really enjoy showering; it wakes them up, refreshes them, blah blah blah. I hate it. If I never had to shower (and I could always be clean) again in my life, I'd totally do it. However, to make it more bearable, I put on music really loud and practice my hip hop moves. ;)

Quirk #6:
I want to skydive. Desperately.
I don't know what it is about willingly jumping out of a perfectly good plane and free falling to earth in a few minutes that sounds appealing to me, but I can't wait to do it. I'm just looking for someone to do it with me and savin' up my money. Wanna go?

I tag: Mindy and Ben

Moving

I'm moving...somewhere. I'm trying to find a place to live. I'd like to find someplace still in my ward, that isn't too pricey. I'm looking at living with 2-3 other girls. So, I thought I'd get started on my packing. I have a deep secret - I LOVE TO PACK! As my roommates know, I start packing for trips at least a week before departure. I get some odd pleasure from trying to fit a heap of items into a small suitcase. Trying to arrange things so that I can fit small items into crevices, filling every last inch of a suitcase makes me a little giddy. Ok, enough of that. So I started packing, thinking that I'd be moving within a week or so. I got all of my stuff out of the living room, packed all of my books, and half of my closet. Plans have changed (a potential roommate changed her mind) and so I can't move for a little while. All of the sudden, I need all these things that I've packed. Today I really wanted to wear scarf that I haven't worn in 6 months and so naturally it is at the bottom of a big black trash bag, along with other random stuff from my closet. Yesterday, I had a crazy desire to look at my high school yearbook (you know why Mindy) and guess what? It's packed. Who knows what I'll need tomorrow?

Tribute to the Title

Stuff I Love

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Photography - especially black and white, cooking, reading, watching movies, drawing, ceramics, typewriters, playing with my nieces and nephews, clean sheets, new crayons, ice water, quality artwork, reading in bed, shiny quarters, birds chirping, freshly mown grass, flowers poking out of the ground, holding a sleeping child, kids in their pajamas, COLORS, bright paint, and deep gut laughs. Oh yeah, and hippies. Gotta love 'em!