I'm so excited!!

After waiting until the last minute last year and paying for it in more ways than one, I decided to get my plane tickets home for Christmas earlier than usual and I'm glad I did! I got nonstop flights there and back without having to spend a small fortune. I'm so excited now! It's still two months away but I can't wait!

(And on a side note after my flight home was cancelled after spending almost all of Christmas Eve standing in line at O'Hare, I called Delta and complained...a LOT. As a result I got a $350 credit towards a ticket. So remember folks, sometimes it pays to complain!)

I'm boring...

That's why I have not updated my blog in like a month. (In case the 4 of you who read it were wondering.)


Regardless, can I tell you how much I love my little puppy?! She is so smart...She knows "sit," and "wait," and she walks on her leash pretty well already. It's seriously like having a child in the house, or how I imagine that would be, because she puts everything in her mouth, cries and barks for attention, is more interested in garbage and cast off shoes than the toys I buy her...you know. But she is so sweet! She has helped me through a rough month and I love how excited she is to see me every time I walk in the house or get her up in the morning! She is my little shadow

These are some recent pictures. She just went to the groomer for the first time, which explains the darling bows :-)

Introducing...

MY PUPPY! Isn't she cute?! She is a maltese and I just love her already. I got her tonight...kind of unexpected but I have been wanting one and waiting for the perfect one to come along and here she is :-) She's very sweet and cuddly. I don't have a name for her yet so if you have any suggestions, let me know!

So she now has a name and it's Zoey. I don't know why, but it suits her :-)

The fair!

On Saturday I went to the Utah State Fair with some of my close friends. Oh how I love the fair! I love the greasy food, "rides" that basically just spin you around in a fast circle, and freak shows. I forgot my camera but I did take this lovely picture of the ferris wheel with my phone.

Anyway, we had a blast! We saw Boyz II Men (yes, they're still around and as awesome as ever!!!), ate fair food, visited all the exhibits, and saw some craaaazy stuff. For example, did you know you can pay a dollar to see a 20-inch woman from the West Indies sitting on a shelf? (She will even talk to you!) Or fifty cents to see the world's smallest horse? ("Come see Tiny Tim, the world's smallest horse...a handful of straw and a glass of water is a mighty big meal for Tiny Tim." Still stuck in my head) Fascinating. Then we saw a cop on a segway in hot pursuit of some guy running away from him. It was so funny, like some futuristic cop show.

I love the fair!

Spa Day!

A few years ago a very good friend gave me a gift certificate for a full spa day at an upscale spa in Indianapolis. I ended up moving shortly thereafter and never got to use it. Well, because I'm home visiting and because I could use a little pampering now more than ever (my "fun" summer turned into the worst one ever, hands down), I decided to cash it in! It was WONDERFUL and so relaxing and rejuvenating! These are pics of where I was and some of the services I got (that is not me in the picture though ;-) I got a Full Body Exfoliation, Tranquility HydroTub Bath, Mud Wrap, Vichy Shower Rinse, One Hour D-Age Massage, Facial, mani/pedi with paraffin, and lunch. It lasted all day. I was in heaven and needed every single second of it!!!

A Day at the Beach....

Spent a beautiful day on Lake Michigan with my family (minus just a few) this weekend. The weather was nice, the water wasn't too cold, and the company was great! Just what I needed after a couple of crazy, stressful weeks!

Got my hair did...

I recently decided it's high time for a change. My hair grows at an unbelivably slow pace, and as a result of being sick for awhile it broke off really easily so I was just getting extensions while it grew. Well I'm over them. I had it layered a little bit and went a little blonder. This picture is pretty bad, it's from my phone, but you get the idea :-) I am getting used to it and I love not having extensions in! (Or the price tag that goes with them...eesh)

Domesticated Jill

So...I lost my job last week (don't be sad for me, really! It's a blessing in disguise!) and I don't know if it's all the time I have on my hands or what, but lately I've become very domesticated! I made strawberry freezer jam because strawberries were only 99 cents at wal mart (VERY easy, VERY sugary, and VERY good!) and the most amazing lemon cookies I've ever eaten! I want to share the lemony goodness with all the people I love most in the world, so here is the recipe...really, try it!

Lemon Cookies with Icing
1 box lemon supreme cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1-2 tsp lemon juice

Mix all of that stuff together and refrigerate for at least a few hours (dough will be easier to handle) Preheat oven to 375. Roll cookie dough into a small ball, then flatten a tiny bit. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Don't overbake!

Icing (I didn't measure so these are my best estimates):
1-2 T butter
1-2 c powdered sugar
Enough lemon juice to make it a glazey consistency
Lemon zest (don't skip this! It makes the cookies!)