One Year!!!!!

Well everybody, Derek and I have been married one year today and somehow we still love each other.  In fact, I think we may love each other more.....weird how that works.  (PS this is totally besides the point but I think the word weird is spelled weird, it just looks weird.  how fitting)

Anyway, we have had quite the first year of marriage and would like to give a brief little update of what it is our lives have done as we've woven them into one.

Well, one year from today...we were doing this, and the sky was so happy it let down confetti ALL DAY!

It may have been FREEZING but we didn't mind, i think we were euphoric or something......

We honeymooned in Sun Valley, Iderho

Our first week of marriage Derek almost burned down the house....aka.....the oven started on fire

We went on a cross county skiing/snowshoeing trip to Bryce Canyon National Park with Lisa and Matt in January of MLK Day

In Feb. we escaped for Valentine/Pres Day Weekend and went to Zion National Park.  It got cold, and Derek got sick....it was fun, but possibly not the smartest idea

Capitol Reef National Park with friends at Jesse's Cabin in April

We said goodbye to this little place in late April because.....

I did this and we left Provo FOREVER....except Derek's commute Summer Semester......

And to celebrate we went to Hawaii.  (I threw up four times this day....I threw up just after this picture was taken but it was a sweet as hike) and I was ok from the day after onward.

The Summer was full of hikes, bike rides, and boating adventures (And lots of camping for Katie with West Ridge)

6 Month Anniversary = Picnic up Little Cottonwood Canyon after work

Hooray for Ta Tas!  Raft for the Cure (July)

In August, Derek graduated and dressed up for fun...

August, Sept, Oct = 3 Epic Lake Powell trips

Labor Day Weekend = Hava Supai with Paxtons, Storrs, + mas familia and friends

We ran the St. George Marathon....Well, I limped and it sure looks like I was a champion although I was not.

Halloween = Star Wars finest

For Derek's Bday we got him Preview Showing tickets for Harry Potter 7 Part 1

Our First Christmas and Christmas Tree.  Aint it cute???

This year has been great and full of adventure.  We both graduated from school.  Lived in the Blue House (adventure on its own).  Live with my parents...(jokes they're great), have been on campouts and adventures galore, rafted, climbed, Derek almost burned the house down, got stitches, I nearly needed stitches last week, Derek's dad got re-married, the list goes on and on and on.  I ruined my hips and knee for awhile, we both have jobs (i have a career, weird) and life is wonderful.  We can't wait to see what next year brings us.  Until then, we'll keep you updated

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!

Just thought we'd wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

May you're day be merry and bright and full of love and laughter and I'm dreaming of a white one....hopefully it comes....

Butter

So Derek and I were talking today on the subject of desserts and vegans and how vegetarians can eat them because they eat dairy products, like butter, which is in virtually all cookies, cakes, and other wonderful delights.

Then I said, "It's ok.  They can eat mine.  I never use butter."  Then I came to this realization.  I have been married a year next week and have never bought butter.  That is all.

O Christmas Tree!

Decorating the tree

Fully decorated.  None of this fancy-shamncy stuff.  Everything on that tree means something

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

6 DAYS!

6 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!!!  My shopping is done.  And has been for quite some time.  BOO YAH!  And I am LOVING the busy Christmas season because it is full or fun and wonderful Christmas things to do.

So we got our tree monday.  It is awesome!  It is as tall as be and rockingly decorated with all of my ornaments i have collected over the years plus a token few Derek was able to gleam from his childhood.   Unfortunately our camera was dead so we used mom's and the computer won't recognize her memory card so i PROMISE there WILL be pictures of our tree.  It is beautiful.

Anyway so the Angel has continued to visit daily.
Dec. 13: Christmas Tree (Completed by being personally picked out by Santa by him putting candy canes on it.  That is how my family has ALWAYS found our Christmas Tree)
Dec. 14: New ornament for Derek and I.  It is a wedding one.  And actually not tacky.  Did I mention it was $3.00?
Dec. 15: Was obviously not very exciting because I can't remember it
Dec. 16: Was a Christmas treat of Christmas Peanut M&M's for Derek
Dec. 17: Was seeing A Christmas Carol at Hale Center Theater with the Fam
Dec. 18: Was a ROCKIN' Ugly Sweater get together with some friends.  Twas grand.
and today......
Dec. 19:  We'll just say my hands are dyed red and green from kneading food coloring into bread for our Christmas Dinner tonight.  (Everything is either green or red.  Lasagne (which is red) and the cheese is like snow.  Salad with only green and red ingredients and green and red bread  and red wassail.  Yes i even dyed the wassail.)

Christmas is Coming

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat,
Please put a penny in the Old Man's hat.

That is all I know of that song.

Anyway - Christmas is getting closer and closer and the 'Angel' countdown to Christmas is bringing great Christmas Cheer into our home each day.  Since the last post the Angel has:

Dec. 6: Christmas camp out.  AKA setting up the tent in front of the T.V. and watching 'Merry Christmas Charlie Brown' (My favorite Christmas movie)
Dec. 7: Candy Canes!!!!
Dec. 8: Holiday Eclectic.  AKA we get together for dinner 1x a week with some good friends and there were gifts this time around....
Dec. 9: We saw Savior of the World.  It is at the Conference Center and SO GOOD!  Really powerful.  I suggest all to see it
Dec. 10: The 'Angel' gave us The Muppet Christmas Carol (Derek's family tradition)
Dec. 11: Annual Holiday Soup Party (my cousin's hubby, John, can make some wicked good soup)
Dec. 12: We went to Temple Square.

Cool view of the Temple

Nativity on the Reflecting Pong with little floating candles.  Really pretty.

The best lit up trees around

It is crazy to think that almost a year ago we got married in that beautiful building right behind us.

This was my favorite nativity.  It is Japanese  I just like the shapes of the characters because they look like those punching toys you hit and they bounce back up.  Aren't they wonderful??

And today.....Dec. 13: Drumroll please.................WE ARE GETTING OUR CHRISTMAS TREE!!!!

That's right everybody, this Storrs family does Christmas right.  None of this fake Christmas Tree junk.  We (mostly I) are SO EXCITED!!!  I'll let you know how it goes and what one Santa chooses for us.

MERRY CHRISTMAS IN 12 DAYS!!!!!!!!!

Pictures of Helper Light Parade

I know you are all DYING to see the awesomeness that is the Helper, UT Christmas Electric Light Parade so here it is!

Display #1

There were a bunch of sweet old cars all lit up, but this one was the favorite

Miss Carbon County wishes you a "Merry Christmas!"

Rocky Mnt. Power.  You can't tell, but that is Bigfoot with his pants around his ankles on the toilet and his wife in the bathtub.  Hilarious.

SANTA CLAUS CAME!!!!!  His float was rad!  This is only 1/4 of it.  It was HUGE!  With a Goat, and a Ram, and some other animals of southern UT and lots of kids and singing and music and it was so magical.

And this is why the Annual Helper Christmas Light Parade is a new Storrs' Family Christmas Tradition.

It's Beginning To Look A LOT Like Christmas!!!

Not only because it snowed a TON, I've been listening to Christmas music every day since Black Friday, the house has been totally decked since Black Friday and the inversion has set in, but for a few other reasons.

My family has a tradition of 'The Angel'.  It is a countdown to Christmas.  A big angel made with felt with 24 pockets for the 24 Days of Advent Leading to Christmas.  Thus far 'The Angel' has brought Derek a chocolate advent calendar countdown, a Christmas Paddle Ball (derek is almost as good as me now), a trip to the Festival of Trees, a trip to Helper, UT for the Electric Light Christmas Parade, and the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.  'The Angel' is AWESOME!

The Festival of Trees was fun.  We went w Tegan (Derek's sister) and Seth (her friend).  We had a scavenger hunt.  Not only did we find the coolest tree, tallest tree, a white wreath, pecan rolls, and the coolest gingerbread house.  But we found mullets, twins, couples kissing, people let us take pictures with their babies, I got on stage and did a dance, played in the kid area, etc. etc. etc.  It was fun.

Isn't this GingerBread Creation Rad?

Someone took some trees, made them blue, bent them over to look like a wave and did this to it.  (Santa is on a surf board ps)  This was far and away the Coolest Tree.

But Helper.  Helper was awesome.  Lisa and James came.  1st of all, we got out of the yucky inversion smog we breathe all winter.  2nd literally they had old cars and floats decked out in christmas lights driving down the road to Christmas music and Santa was even there!  It was AWESOME!  New Storrs' family tradition baby.  First weekend in December, The Helper Electric Light Christmas Parade.  You are all invited next year.  (Pictures to come)

Magic

Last night Mum, Dad, Lisa, Derek, and I went to an EARLY showing of Harry Potter 7 Part 1.  Yes, early.  9:30 instead of midnight!  It was AWESOME!  I can't wait until July.  Anyway, what made it even better is we all dressed up, yes.  Even Bob dressed up.

Professor Trelawny.  The best part, all of these are my clothes...

George Weasley.  Got his ear cursed off if you don't recall.

Harry Potter and Prof Trelawny

The gang: Dumbledore, Trelawny, Potter, Weasley, and McGonnagal.

Good times.

1/4 a Century Later

Derek John Storrs was born on Novemeber 10, 1985.

He was 10 days late.  Yes, his due date was Halloween.  Poor Jan.  What a trooper.  Luckily for us, (and especially me) he decided to come out of the womb after an extra 10 days of cooking.

So, last week we celebrated the birth of Mr. Derek John Storrs.  And seeing that he is now officially old, 25 years.  gross.  I threw him a surprise party and it worked out better than I could have ever dreamed.  Perfect people, perfect (and I mean PERFECT) amount of food, and PERFECT surprise.

We actually didn't even yell surprise.  First of all, I had everyone park in the church parking lot adjacent to our neighborhood as to not tip him off with many many cars.

In about 4 minutes we threw together 'Step in Time' yes, 'Step in Time' from Mary Poppins.

I wish I had video footage.  But I'll try to sum it up.
He walks in the door and Adam McBride walks into the hall slowly (meanwhile Derek stops dead in his tracks very confused) Adam yells STEP IN TIIIIME!  and james marshall pops out and yells STEP IN TIME? and more and more people pop out and we sing and dance lift him up and carry him around and derek jump hugged corey bennet and nearly peed in his pants.  perfect evening to celebrate the perfect man.  Mr. Derek John Storrs.

If you can't tell, he was REALLY excited

And this is the cake I made him.  Yes, it is an oreo ice cream cake.

Veteran's Day

I just want to know the world that I am grateful for veterans everywhere.  They are awesome.  They fight so I and everybody in this country can enjoy the freedoms we fought hard for in the beginning.

Thank you.

Storrs Spooktacular

Halloween is a highly anticipated holiday in the Storrs home.  I'll let the pictures explain themselves...

First of all...Han Solo and Princess Leia came to our party.

Ok, you're right.  That's Derek and me.  Do you like my buns??

But there was apple bobbing

And Freddie Mercury and David Bowie were both there. 

(We even played pin the crystal ball on David Bowie...but that was a paper David, not this real one.)

We played Bigger or Better and Han and Boba Fett were able to settle their differences. 

And we can't forget the spider fan...

Halloween was great!  CAN'T WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR!

The Decisions Has Been Made

Well, we have made our decision.

We are going South.

We shall spend a weekish in Peru exploring cool archaeological sites around Cuzco as we acclimate to hike the Inca Trail.  And the best part is...dad, mom, and maybe Lisa are going to come with us for this part!

After we're done in Peru we're off to Buenos Aires and from there shall travel up to Iguazu Falls and back.

After Iguazu we're off to the Patagonia...where we will experience the following + Derek's mission.  

Then it is back to Buenos Aires for futbol games, tango, and culture.  Then home.  We'll be gone for roughly 7 weeks.

So Derek has begun to instruct me in the ways of Espanol.  But not just anything Espanol.  Argentine Espanol.  Tis different the 'll' and 'y' are pronounced as a "sha" and they speak very bluntly and passionately, like an Italian.  We are excited.  Our only worry is this....I'm going to have to eat beef....