date night

Last night we went on a triple date to the Provo Beach Resort. It was awesome. Its basically your one stop for entertainment as it boasts an arcade, bowling, karaoke, golf simulator, an indoor flowrider and lots of other things. We went with two of Tristan's buddies from school, Kent and Eric, and their wives. The boys have played on the same flag football team for the last few seasons so I have become friends with Megan and Amber and we all get along really well. Last night we got a hardcore game of mini croquet going.

 The rules were quite different from the croquet I'm used to playing. My favorite rule was having to swing your club between your legs. 

I'm showing off my perfect form...

Tristan won first place. Way to go hun!

 

 Amber, due in 7 days with twins, swung her club like it was nothing.

 After croquet we hit up the ice cream parlor for some dessert. It's always fun to make new friends and try new activities. Love date night.

tide pools

While Tristan went surfing I took a walk down the beach to check out the tide pools. The tide was very, very low exposing grass beds home to lots of different sea animals.

It was a beautiful November day that almost felt like summer. The sun was shinning bright.

A sea anemone, closed, disguised by sea shells. These guys were everywhere in the sand, I had to watch every step I took.

Sea anemone, opened.

Starfish.

Simple beauty.

Jake likes the tide pools too.

Mom and Dad

Jake and me

Another perfect day.

thanksgiving

Thanksgiving day was great, as usual. Tristan and I ate our 2 Thanksgiving dinners, as usual, and I thought I was going to die. In the morning we woke up bright and early and took Thanksgiving dessert to the LDS Marines and Marine recruits at Camp Pendleton. It's nice to mingle and hear their gruesome training stories. It makes me thankful other people are willing to go through that for me so I don't have to. 

After Camp Pendleton we went to the Perdue's where we hung out with family and took it easy until dinner at 3. Usually the Perdue's house is jammed packed but this year there were only 10 of us and were able to eat sitting around the table. We went around the table and all said three things we were thankful for...Tristan's was 1. Brittany 2. Pie 3. Slurpee's. So glad I slipped in there before the food. 

Sunset from the Perdue's

After dinner at the Perdue's we headed over to the Tucker's for dinner at 6. It's always the same crowd at our dinner table. Our family plus my Uncle Mike, Aunt Mari, and cousin Sabrina making our party 11. I love my mother's cooking. So yummy I had to take an hour nap right after dinner. It's a lot of work eating twice. 

Brady, the potato masher

After dinner we had a couple hours to digest before hitting the Carlsbad Outlets at 9 for some black Friday shopping. We packed 8 people in a 5 person car and were off to battle the crowds.

 Target opened at midnight and we arrived shortly before to find a line wrapping all. the. way. around the building. Yea right, we left.

Thanksgiving dinner and black Friday shopping were all a success this year.

booties

My bestie, Becca, opened up her own Etsy shop, Beck-a-Boo, and makes the most adorable baby booties. The second I saw them I knew they would be perfect for a special little girl, Ella Lynn. She is Kristi's little one, born in August. When Tristan and I came down for the Perdue wedding Kristi and I had a hang out day. We took Trey to the park and ate some good Mexican food. 

 Ella tried on her new booties and loved them. So warm, comfy, and totally adorable.

Check out the Beck-a-Boo website and pick yourself up a pair of the cutest booties. They are the perfect Christmas present for a little one you know.

the new perdue's

Shawn and Christin did the dang thing, finally! They were married on 11/11/11. It was a great day and everything went smoothly. We arrived at the Redlands temple were we found Shawn on his cell phone. 

 First thing he says to us is, "She's not here yet." Oh dear, a missing bride is never good. Luckily she came through and arrived a few seconds later and both said, "Yes" at the altar. What a happy moment.

 Happy Mama and Papa Perdue

 

Outside the temple...

 My adorable hubby who won't smile normally on que so I must sneak candid pictures of him while he's not watching.

 First dance as husband and wife

 At the end of the night they drove away in Shawn's dolled up Mustang to the Bahamas for a week.

I love weddings. I am so thankful for temples and eternal families.

nursery

On Sunday Tristan and I finally received callings in the ward we have been in for 5 months. We are Cherry Hill 1st wards newest nursery leaders! Yay and eww! Nursery kids are so adorable but they are also very smelly and just covered in germs from head to toe. I might have to wear some latex gloves the 2 hours I'm in there. If you do recall, this is the second time I have been a nursery leader in the last 4 years. (In our very first ward I was in the nursery for a year.) I swear I am being sent a message. I am most excited for snack time, not wearing shoes during church and hanging out with Tristan. I love it when we have the same calling (we were co-Sunday school teachers in our last ward). We will keep you updated on the nursery haps.

wedding time

We packed. We flew. We've arrived! Tristan and I are now in Carlsbad and the wedding is only 2 days away. YAY! We flew in this afternoon along with Tristan's brothers, Jeremy and Corey and Kelly picked us up from the airport. The Perdue's know their way to my heart and drove us straight to El Torrito, mine and Tristan's favorite sit-down Mexican restaurant, for dinner. We just love being home. 

Tomorrow not much wedding stuff is going on so Tristan and I will be hanging around Carlsbad. Then off to Hesperia on Friday for the sealing and reception. 

Just sayin'...I'll take 70 something degree weather over the 30 something Provo weather any day of the week. 

busy body

I had a perfect Saturday. Worth documenting, in my mind. Tristan was gone all day, at school, working on a project with his MISM buddies. I groggily said, "See ya hun. Have a good day!" as he walked out the door at 7:45am. Next thing I knew I was waking up at 10:30. I looked at the clock and smiled. I love uninterrupted sleep. My plan was to clean the house, all day. I did just that. I completed 6 loads of laundry washing basically everything in the house. I cleaned the fridge and rid it of unwanted items. I loaded the dishwasher, ran it, and unloaded it so every dish in the house was clean.  I dusted every surface. I wiped every blind. I even spot cleaned the walls, ceilings, and baseboards. I vacuumed the couch and the carpet. I disinfected the kitchen counters and moped the floor. Finally, I tackled the bane of my existence, cleaning the bathroom, ceiling to floor. 

Saturday's cleaning extravaganza was therapeutic and very rewarding. With Tris out of the way I was able to get everything done and it felt great to have the energy to want to clean all day.

In the middle if the day I took a break to hit the BYU Creamery with Kelsey. I loooooove the creamery. Kristi and I frequented it at least once a week our freshman year and it had a place in my heart. Kels and I ordered 2 ice creams and a cheeseburger. The cheeseburger was for me... yum. After the short distraction it was back to cleaning until Tris arrived home at 5. Shortly after the Jackson clan came over for homemade pizza, which I have been dying to make. We made one BBQ chicken pizza and one double pepperoni, pineapple, and green peppers pizza. 

It is always so fun and comfortable hanging out with the Jacksons. We have a lot in common, especially our love of food. Poor Olivia is so afraid of Tristan when he wears his glasses. In her eyes he must look a little something like this...

I would be afraid of that too Livy.

Tristan was nice enough to put his contacts in for this particular play date with Olivia.