Fun Times

Well, I'd like to report that I survived block (test) week last week. Oh, and Ryan did too. ;) Seriously though, Ryan did really well on his tests and had a good attitude about the crappy schedule, even though I DID NOT. I forget how bad it can get by about wednesday/thursday of test week. But by Friday afternoon, Ryan came out of his last test in an incredibly good mood! We were able to jump in the car and head off to St. George where my parents were waiting for us to come play. 

Here is a photo I took on the road which I shall call "Desert Drive"...
When we got to the condo in St. George, my little brother was there too! He had flown down earlier that day so he could surprise us and spend the weekend as well. We had a really great time catching up, hanging out, playing games, eating, swimming and fighting over dark chocolate candy...

This week we have had a lot of fun with our friends. We celebrated our friend's birthday by eating cake and playing Rock Band. I have some pictures from it but they aren't uploading for some reason. Last night a bunch of the students went to a Medical Malpractice Mock Trial held at Planet Hollywood. They had to get all dressed up and wear their white coats, which Ryan absolutely loves to do (no joke) and apparently it was a neat experience for them. They had a real judge and attorneys, etc. So while the men were all on the strip together, I had some of my girlfriends over (and their kids) for dinner. I tried a new recipe which turned out really great! (recipe below)

Here is a picture of me with my friend's baby, Reagan. Love her!

Recipe from lastnight:

Creamy Spinach Ricotta Pasta

1 pound rigatoni pasta

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, onions, and garlic, undrained

1 cup frozen chopped onions

1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach

2 1/2 cups Alfredo sauce

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (i used skim)

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 T extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly spray 9x13 pan. In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta. Drain and return to pot. Add undrained tomatoes and onions and toss to combine. Set aside. Cook spinach in microwave according to package. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess moisture. Transfer to medium bowl, add alfredo, ricotta, garlic salt, and pepper; stir to combine. Transfer to pot with pasta; toss to combine. Transfer to baking dish. Mix together bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and oil. Sprinkle over pasta. Bake in oven for 20-25 mins.

** I added about 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken (yes, I'm obsessed) to the pasta mix and baked it all together. Mmm It was good and I still have half a pan left!

The Sound of Music

On monday, Ryan and I celebrated President's Day by buying a used piano! (via our tax refund) 

What? Don't you guys celebrate Pres. Day?...

The piano was finally delivered this morning and I'm loving it! However I realize once again how bad I am... I wish I hadn't quit taking lessons all those years ago. I never got very far, but I can play some hymns and a few of the same songs I've played since I was 10. If anyone has any good (easy-ish) books or songs, let me know! I'd love to borrow them. 

We set up the piano against our wall by the front door but haven't fixed up the rest of the room quite yet. It sort of threw off the flow of our furniture, but we'll figure it out! Also the music stand isn't the prettiest thing in the world, but it will be covered by music anyway. ;) I'm just so glad to have it. I really want to get better at it, and I hope that my future children will love music too. (I'm just hoping our bishopric doesn't find out I can sort of play... haha. I'm definitely not confident or good enough to have a calling involving playing the piano. So, ward buddies: don't tell!)

The Turners Come to Play

We just LOVE long weekends! The holiday weekend brought Ryan's parents and younger siblings down to stay with us and we had such a good time. We played lots of games (including Scum, Groups and Runs and learning "Poop Head"). Ryan even found time to spend with the family in the midst of studying for block week this week, and today he's right back to the books. I'm sure he'll do great this week. :)

Here are some photos of our activities...

The Princess and the Pea. During the day we piled the 2 air mattresses on the extra bed.
Enjoying the sunny weather at the park on saturday! Me, Tori, Ryan, Kyle.

Going to the buffet at Fiesta Henderson. Boy, did we smell after being in the casino. But it was yummy! THANK YOU Bob & Stacy for taking us to dinner!

We had such a great time and were sad to see them leave this morning! Luckily we'll be back in Salt Lake in April, and we can hardly wait that long to see everybody again. Thanks again for coming down to see us!!

This weekend we will be in St. George with my parents for a couple days and are very excited for that as well! I can already taste Ernesto's mexican food (a great mexican restaurant you MUST go to next time you're in St. George). 

Learning Lessons in the Kitchen

1. Make sure to watch your mixer at EVERY moment when it is kneading bread dough on high. Otherwise it will scoot itself completely off the counter top, and it will put noticeable dents in your linoleum floor! (apparently my mixer is invincible! not a scratch on it. I can't say the same for my floor...)

2. Garlic can sprout! Don't keep it too long before using it all up or it will send green chutes out of each clove. (FYI you can still use the garlic if you don't want to buy more right away. I looked it up...)

3. Making heart-shaped rolls is a really sweet idea! However, it's really hard to get it to stay looking like a normal heart while baking. Maybe practice makes perfect. (they were still yummy, and it was the thought that counted, right?)

Standing on Holy Ground

I remember very clearly one saturday when I was 12, my dad and I visited my Grandma Helen just before she passed away from cancer. She was in bed in her home, seeing visitors as they quietly came and went. While we were there, President Monson and his wife came to see her. They were good friends of her family, and I am grateful I was able to meet him that day. In fact he gave me a hug! I was able to sit in my grandma's room as he gave her a priesthood blessing. It was a wonderful experience and I am so grateful that I went with my dad on a last minute visit to her house that saturday morning. That was the last time I saw her before she died and I was able to hold her hand and visit with her for awhile. I truly miss her and think about her often.
As my dad and I left her home that day he taught me that we had just been on holy ground because a Prophet of God was there and had bore his Testimony there. Even though that home was the home of my grandma's father, President Harold B. Lee, and was already holy ground, it stuck with me. I have felt the power of being in places just like that morning and knowing that it was blessed by the presence and spirit of God's anointed.
Tonight we were able to go to a local stake house and hear Elder L. Tom Perry speak. It was held for the ward missionaries in the 10 or 12 surrounding stakes, and I decided to go with Ryan to hear Elder Perry. He truly is a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and I felt the power of his Testimony as he spoke about "binding the Lord" by doing what He says and bringing people to the Gospel. It is our responsibility and has been since the day we were baptized. In Salt Lake, it wasn't too out-of-place to have an apostle visit a meeting. It was somewhat typical for a ward or stake to have one show up for a family member's talk/farewell, or for stake conference, etc. But to have Elder Perry come to the Las Vegas valley meant a very large turn out to all the meetings he held today and it was a neat experience. I noticed a few people who seemed to have never seen an Apostle in person until tonight. I feel blessed to have grown up in Salt Lake and experienced the blessings of having so many leaders of the Church in a concentrated area. I felt blessed to have sat at the feet of a Prophet tonight and hear of his amazing Testimony and strength (not to mention his humor!).

I also wanted to mention how home-sick I was feeling today as I knew my family was together for a Super Bowl party/Birthday party for my dad, and yesterday was our nephew's birthday party as well. I miss you guys!! So much. Dad, HAPPY BIRTHDAY a few days ago (can't wait to see you in a few weeks).

Drewzy, HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY!

...and Lindsey and Dan, HAPPY 7th ANNIVERSARY! :) Thanks for being great examples in your marriage and your daily lives.
We LOVE you all and miss you!