Jon and Kel Plus Twelve's Winter Season Finale:

Important Lessons Learned

- Even though I use "English Major" threateningly in a game of Bananagrams, it always seems to ring empty to this smarty pants husband.

- Italian Sodas are a must.

- We celebrate our birthdays in completely different ways. Mine involves chocolate and lots of plans. His involves Sushi and no plans.

- We are good at finding yummy places to eat/obsess over in Provo.

- Easter is honestly my Favorite Holiday. (And my husband does listen to me when I talk and talk about childhood Easter baskets full of Sees Candy and a new Swim Suit. He even surprises me with one.)

- Rexburg Trips to see Good Friends are always worth it.

- Having a set Date Night makes us both Happier.

- Jon doesn't do well with sad movies. This was manifested at the end of Life is Beautiful. I tried repeating the title thoughtfully, "Life is Beautiful Jon...Life is Beautiful" but it didn't help.

Look at that distraught face.

- We can actually bring ourselves to buy furniture for our Condo without Buyer's Remorse.

- Jon is deathly afraid of heights and due to my long list of irrational fears we thought I would be no different. No siree. I'm a heights champion and I totally impressed the husband.

Little do you know I had to do some serious coaxing to get him to stand up for this picture. He was convinced we were going to fall off the side the minute we stood up.

-We can not only survive our least favorite season of the year, but we can even enjoy it. Together.

A College Student Now

I'm officially registered for Classes at UVU starting in the Fall.

I'm nervously excited and somehow happily scared.

I had an appointment with a school counselor today and with no knowledge of the campus I begged Jon to come with me. He obliged. When the meeting was over we walked through the halls together with Jon examining/sizing up the place.

He then concluded, "Well it seems like a pretty nice campus, the people do seem a little interesting. But I guess we are in the Liberal Arts Building... English people are weird." He gave me a sideways glance and squeezed my hand hoping get a good rise.

I just smiled and contentedly sighed, "yeah... we are weird"as I watched the girl in a Harry Potter shirt with unwashed hair light up as she discovered what was probably the perfect sentence to end her paper.

I then joined Jon in eating a mediocre pepperoni pizza while chugging awful caffeinated pop. Because I am after all a College Student Now.

Woot Woot.

Springtime?

Spring.
I seem to fall for you every year.
You appear, breath, and dye my heart different pastel colors.
And then, teasingly you stick your tongue out, pull down a cover of snow, and hide.
My red Toms that have been previously established as cheery, now are wet and angry. They keep asking me why I fall for your tricks.
I begin to defend myself and then I remember...
The single pair of socks shared between two sisters cold and unprepared feet for a week. It was April.
The morning I came upstairs to find my roommates lounging instead of class attending, when asked why they opened up the blinds. Snow blinded me. It was June.
You're right, I should have known better Red Toms.
As to you Spring, let's make a deal. You appear and stay for a while, and I'll promise to use you in all the proper ways. I'll picnic in light cardigans, smell the blooming flowers, and drive with the window rolled down.
Deal?

To be honest

Done with Glee's Agenda. Peace out.

daily reminder: I'm going to Mexico in FEBRUARY not tommorrow-bummer

Feels good to hear what kind of missionary my husband was.

Easter is blackened hotdogs and molly's devilled eggs

Don't know what to do with those nice things you said

recycled songs

missing my bright orange watch and pouch

measuring out my Hollandaise Sauce felt like death

"Want to watch an episode of Lie to Me?" or maybe 5?

Dear To Kill a Mockingbird,

I've held you before

breathed on your insides

and bent your corners.

But you were assigned and I was too young;

busy caring less.

My hands were fumbly and you were too delicate,

your words crumbled at my fingertips.

I'm sorry, it should have been grand.

Should have been.

And yet, you gave me a second chance

and this time it was different.

As I turned your pages, I felt steady and you stayed solid.

I cared more.

When your back met your cover in my hands I squeezed

and I felt you squeeze back.

I've been filled.

Filled with characters you made my friends,

the tug of Youth,

the love of innocence,

and the beauty of Life.

Now, I can place you deservingly on the top shelf of my mental bookcase

and say simply this,

Thank you for the second chance, it was Grand.

With Love,

Kelsey

Rooster Talk

When I was younger I spent a lot of time at a good friend's house. Summer was our season and we spent hours swimming in the canal, salting freshly picked cucumbers, and catching the lead singers of their backyard frog Choir. One of my favorite features of this home away from home was the "country" feel. This family had pigs and chickens to feed, apples to pick, sprinklers to move, and wild kittens to tame. I was convinced my dear friend had the life and true to kid nature, she did not agree. So at every opportunity I begged to be the one who got to feed the chickens and gather the eggs. She of course conceded easily and happily, and yet I felt like I had won something precious. I was so fascinated with those funny little chickens with their awkward neck movements and constant babbling. On one particular day I was gathering the eggs while quietly trying to persuade the chickens not to peck at me. My friend and her brother were outside of the coop, watching me through the holes in the wire. I suddenly noticed the backs of some of the chickens. They were missing their feathers and looked like they had been scratched. I was disturbed by the sight and remember urgently coming out of the coop and asking what happened to them. My friend and her brother looked at eachother and laughed. They then proceeded to tell me the Rooster did that to them. I was confused and asked why the Rooster was so mean to them. They laughed some more and then gave me a little talk about the Birds and the Bees- animal style. I was disgusted. I remember clapping my hands over my ears and trying to hum the disturbing away. But the lesson was inevitable and now the chickens weren't that cute and the task of gathering eggs had lost its innocence and charm. I gladly handed the chicken duties back to my friend and spent more time salting and eating cucumbers with hands at the ready if Rooster talk began.

Lately I've learned a lot about the people in my world mostly without any inquiry. Whether it's discovering too much information about ward members, becoming a confidant for the troubled, or having overtalkative coworkers the point is the same. There seems to be a constant stream of reality that's shattering the charm of well, everything. As much as I claim to be a realist, I still appreciate the warm and the fuzzy that keep the hard topics hidden. So in an effort to maintain a love for the human race and in the name of chickens, I will now be slamming my hands over my ears and humming my heart out.

I'm sorry...hummm.... I just can't hear you....hummm
please work.

To be honest

Someone please tell T Swift she doesn't deserve a second chance-Girl, it's March.

My Red Toms are plain Cheery.

Lots of babies.

Chopped hair is lib-er-ating.

I gladly call my husband "Ninja"....when he's playing Volleyball. Seriously. Ninja.

Starburst Jellybeans

Jon challenges us to a house cleaning race = me as Monica Geller. Smart Man.

I wish it was normal to talk to you.

007- License to Kill

For Christmas my wonderful sister in law bought us a Wii. We were shocked and excited and so so grateful.
As Jon gripped the newly opened Wii, I saw the reflection of highschool "gaming" nights form in his eyes. I unfortunately know what those nights look like, it's not pretty. I'm a firsthand witness to the phenomenon of sweat panted boys, mentally locked in a basement with screen glued eyes. Words were rarely spoken, the mouth was used to chug mountain dew rather than talk. It was blaspheme for a girl to even be there, I could break their concentration they said. I remember saying goodbye to Jon there at night, only to return the next morning to find the "gaming" boys unmoved and eerily awake.
I quickly rippled his highschool reflection and stated my "stance" on video games which is:
"I'm all for video games (minus the horribly violent ones) if you allow it to be something we can do together rather than an isolating activity." Jon has always doubted this philosophy of mine, believing it to be a nicer way of saying "You will never be allowed to play video games, because I'm never going to play with you." The boy obviously was not acquainted with my "gaming" history.
Although my history is oldschool and ends around the time N64 was replaced with well...um...whatever it was replaced with, I played my fair share of games. Part of it can be attributed to having a brother that could litterally convince/force me to do anything (see: me jumping off the roof onto the trampoline) So many games of Blitz, Donkey Kong, and Super Mario Brothers were played gainst or with my will. But the other part can be explained by a simple love for Mario Kart, 007, and Donkey Kong 3. The thrill of getting a lightening bolt, sneaking up on an opponent, or collecting enough bannanas for an extra life, kept my fingers moving and my self enjoying.
So a few saturdays ago, Jon found himself seated on the couch, controller in hand next to his wife also with controller in hand. We had purchased 007 for the Wii and I was beyond excited. We began to play, both a little timid as we tried to guage the others seriousness. Jon kept looking at me as if expecting me to abruptly call off the game and dramtically declare our home a nintendo free space. Around the 5th time he was killed by my player, Jon realized I was serious. We sat there and played for over an hour; laughing, yelling frustrations, and even trash talking some. I turned to him while playing and asked,
" So how does it feel to play nintendo with your Wife?" he thought for a second as his fingers pressed and manuevered. He replied with, "Ya know, Strangely Competitive."
I smiled and we continued playing.
I didn't win. In fact I lost badly and no, I won't share the score. However I will share how it felt to play with Jon and hear his words "strangely competitive."
It felt...
Strangely Fulfilling.

"Primary Answers"

In Primary the other day, I was teaching four inattentive children about our Savior. I was trying to explain to them that Jesus Christ volunteered to be our Savior which shows the great love He has for us. In hopes of gauging their understanding I asked them "how do you know your parents and family love you?" Different answers were thrown around, making me feel like they not only understood but believed, despite the constant bouncing in their seats. I was feeling good. Then one little girl said matter a factedly, "Well it's like, they'd catch a grenade for you."(for those of you that don't know, this is a line from a popular song on the radio by Bruno Mars ) I stifled a surprised laugh, less informed kids looked confused, and she smiled at her own witty pop song reference.

It seems as if those fallback "Primary Answers" we all reference have changed some.

Our Only Christmas Decoration

The mistletoe still hanging from my ceiling fan has helped me rationalize blogging about our Christmas. I mean, I haven't "taken" down Christmas in my house yet, so why not sneak in a report? I will add, the misteltoe was our only Christmas decoration.

There are two factors that made this Christmas so wonderful. The first being, I had literally not been home in an entire year. An entire year. That's a long time for any normal human being that has even the tiniest love for home. But a year for a girl that wants to bottle the smell of the lake in the summer time, opted to stay at home over playing with friends in Highschool, and begged to not return to college, a year is a long time. In fact I think you must times the year by approximately 5 to get the correct absence equivalent. So back to my reasons. Reason #1: I had not been home for 5 years. Reason #2: Since starting my job, Jon and I have had no longer than 4 days "vacation" together. Christmas Break was our first time together without any responsibility only fun and rest. Our break consisted of 11 days and it was glorious.

The minute I walked in my back door I became a crying mess. Just feeling that peace and comfort that only resides in your home. All my neices and nephews had rushed to the back door to give hugs and say hello to their Aunt Kiki. But upon seeing my hysterics they all gave looks of "Aunt Kiki is crazy" and scampered off. I was finally home.

The Christmas festivities were as enjoyable as ever. We spent some time at the Edwards', it was so good to see them. They are always so welcoming and make you feel so loved and cared for. We had our traditional gathering at Grandma Earls with all the Earls that could make it. We of course ate wonderfully. Christmas Day was so great. Jon and I exchanged one gift. I made him a shadowbox of his mission which he loved and he gave me a lime green yoga mat and yoga pants. Perfect. We were showered with gifts from our parents and family which we are so thankful for. We headed over to the Edwards' in the early afternoon and began making the never ending feast. We really enjoyed just hanging out over there, helping, and visiting. Wonderful day.

The rest of our time home was spent: game playing, pajama chilling, eating delicious food, never leaving the house, laughing and laughing, loving the adorable kids, putting together puzzles, and watching movies. I love that our family is such low maintenance. We are pefectly content laying around the house and just spending time together. The only discontent comes when games are played and competition begins. Although I'm pleased to share that I've learned a new coping mechanism when losing a game: As long as I've beaten my husband, I'm happy. It may seem cruel, but boy is it rewarding to beat that kid in a game.

I'm so thankful to my parents for creating a home that we all long to visit. I'm so thankful to my parents for creating a family we all long to be a part of always.

We discovered a new past time, speed puzzling. I helped with this puzzle, the boys may think they didn't need my help, but they did.

Oh the love of food shared by all family members.

Mostly how we looked all Break

Cutest. Kids. Ever.

Jon bonding with Izzy Jae. He's come a long way from calling Izzy an "It."

As always, it was horrible to leave. We had such a beautiful time that has fueled me for the past few weeks. Due to my 5 year absence from home I ovbiously have some distrust in Jon when he assures me we will be back soon. Before I walked out the door I made him pinky promise that I would be back, and back soon. He pinky promised. (deep breaths he pinky promised. breath.)

Our Anniversary Celebration

Jon and I's anniversary was lovely.

We drove down to Salt Lake and stayed a night at the Kimball (thanks Linh and Issac) We both got all dressed up and had dinner at "The Roof" restuarant at the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. The setting is gorgeous with a view of Temple Square with the charming Christmas lights to behold. It's a gourmet buffet that costs forty dollars a person, not a typical price for our mostly empty wallets. We tried to blend in with the Ritzy diners, ya know pretend like this was an everyday occurrence. His shirt was tucked, I was wearing heels and we managed to keep our napkins in our lap. But our giveaway came when we began to eat. We commentated that food like starving reporters! "Oh honey, you've got to try this!" "This is the most tender piece of meat that I've ever eaten, "I wouldn't fill up on the appetizer salmon because this Tilapia is delicious," "This just in: they replenished the mashed potatoes." It soon became obvious to the surrounding tables that we were just dressed up poor newly weds, impostures really. But that suited us just fine. I believe commenting on food makes the taste about 10 times better, our "cover" wasn't worth giving that up. Our mouths are still watering over the Prime Rib, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Bleu Cheese Flank Steak. So delicious. The main event though, was the dessert selection spread across two tables. Oh my goodness there was individual Creme Brulee, Berry Mousse, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Canolis, and Peach filled Crepes. Jon and I were just short of drawing a map and attack plan on our fancy napkins just to be able to maximize our dessert experience. We settled for using a large dinner plate rather than the small designated one, and filled it with any sweet thing that appealed. And then we feasted.

Now I realize this may not look appetizing, but trust me it was.

This is me happy, yet miserably full. There's a thin line between the two, especially when creme brulee is involved. I'm contemplating ways to get Jon to carry me back to the hotel.

This is Jon still reliving the Berry Mousse. Although his smile looks sweet, this is not so. He had just rejected my plea to be carried home. What nerve he has.

It was truly enjoyable to spend a night together, splurge in food and calories, and celebrate our love.