Experimental Foods

So, whatever you have heard about me is not true. I do make foods every once in a while!  Spaghetti, tacos, burritos, ramen (so my favorite food), potatoes in any form (especially chip)!!  Before I got my new job, I had a few hours a day without Brian as he went off to school.  I did something I have never done before..I planned meals for a whole week, grocery shopped for those foods (only chose recipies where I had mainly all ingredients), and successfully made everything on my list!  One night we had stuffed peppers, which turned out REALLY good.  Thank you family cookbooks for awesome recipes!  I will have to make it again and take pictures...SO good.

About the third night, we had PIZZA!  for our wedding, a family gave us a pizza pan with a Quick pizza dough recipe.  Needless to say, we were eating that pizza within 45 minutes!  We have had this pizza a good four times within the last 3 weeks.  This was taken on the second make.  Must I say, twas delish. (half was a man's pizza, meat thrown on top)

 It sure looks good!  Im proud of myself.. :)

Onto one of the the next things I made.  I was able to make 100% whole wheat bread!  I have never made bread in my life, let alone GRINDED MY OWN WHEAT!  A few weeks ago, Brian and I went to his family's house.  Brian has been hinting to me that he would love it if I learned a couple of things from his mom.  Welp, first on the list was the homemade bread of course!  Brian used to take half a loaf to school for his lunches, he obviously likes it.  While at Brians house, his mom pulled out a huge bucket of wheat, a grinder, and a bread maker and said we were to make bread!  It was a lot of fun (and way messy) as we grinded the wheat and made the bread.  After making the delicious bread, Brian's mom handed me the bucket of wheat, the grinder, and the bread maker and said I could have it!  I am so grateful!

First attempt all by myself without her help.

How did I do!!?  Although it was a little burnt, Brian said it was pretty good!  Thanks hun!

Also, Brians family visited...and I wanted them to think we are healthy....

I think I may have gone overboard....

Well, It was fun to be home for two weeks and make a few plates of food.  I really am going to have to put the pizza dough recipe up soon.  It is SO good.  Thanks for reading!
-Michelle

Oklahoma City Zoo

Brian and I went to the Oklahoma City Zoo before we came back to Utah.  It was a ton of fun as we walked around in the heat that could kill a person.  All the lions were put inside because of the heat.  113 degrees is no laughing matter.  Disappointingly, We did not get the chance to see lions, but we saw a ton of other animals!

My favorite friend was this big Grey backed Gorilla.  I think I liked him the most because he slept right by the window for us to see.  One of the lady gorillas poked him in the bottom and he sat STRAIGHT up!  He was staring at me in the window..we were face to face.  ;)

 This is just a good looking pic of us in the Zoo.  I liked it

 Cant go to a zoo without seeing Zebra!  That was fun too

Although it was hot, and most of the animals acted dead, it was very fun to go and see one of the top Zoos in America with Brian.

You know when you have a Case of the MONDAYS

All you wanna do is lay in bed alll day!  but you have to go to work.  Work will be over in 2 weeks though, which is so nice.  We will be heading back to Provo in about 3 weeks and we plan to PARTY until Brian starts school again.  After working so hard this whole summer, Brian and I have decided within the next 5 weeks we are going to:

Go to Six Flags over Texas

Go to Nauvoo with my parents (maybe)

Move back to Utah

Hike Squaw peak

Hike the Y

Go to 7 Peaks

Go mini golfing to our hearts content

Go to Idaho for Brian's good friend, Nate's wedding

visit Brian's family

Ride horses 

Get another job

switch my name to Hayes finally

Make our apartment cute

One goal I have that will start in the next month or so is to be more social with people!  Make new friends and have home made Ice Cream parties every week!  Christensen cousins ice cream parties every month (with a little dibby dip)

These next five weeks will be so great!!  I am excited for a little time off from reality.  Brian and I definitely need it.  :)

I will definitely miss this girl, however....  

Family fun

Oklahoma has been pretty exciting

 We enjoyed swimming at the Christensen Reunion.

 Erica Carin Kim and I are just enjoying the sun in our cool sunglasses.  :)

 Me with my nieces Whitney and Shantelle.

 This picture is fun as my mom is taking a picture of Carter, there are 58 kids on the merry go round

Spinning them as fast as we can!


During our reunion, I realized that our family has 54 people in it!  I have 34 nieces and nephews, 8 siblings plus their 8 spouses!  That is insane!  Its also fun to look at the order of arrival into the Christensen family.  I am number 11 (counting my parents as numbers 1 and 2).  Brian however is number 52!!  Thats pretty crazy!!  Our family will only continue to get bigger!  Hopefully we will always have as much fun as we did this year for our reunions. 

One year!

Brian is my best friend and I am happy to say that we have made it a full year together!  I love how so many people say the first year is the hardest, but I just don't see it!   There are so many reasons why I love that guy. 
He always puts a smile on my face, even when I dont wanna smile.
He makes me want to be better physically mentally and spiritually.
He helps me budget when all I wanna do is spend
He loves me so much and always says goodnight princess.
He will put his book down he is reading when I ask him for attention.  This is big because no Hayes can put down a book, even if the house was on fire.
He never misses the opportunity to open a car door for me
He loves kids SO much.  He is definitely even more irrisistibly attractive when he plays with my nieces and nephews.  They always run up to him and say UNCO BINUN!!!!
He will seriously do whatever it takes to make me happy.

What a great husband he is.  The list goes on and on.  I didnt even get to his good looks!  :)  one year ago I made the best decision of my life. I love Brian and cant wait for years to come.  Life wont be perfect, but with him, surely it will be close.

Playing Mom

Well, I am on one of my last days of babysitting for Bryan and Donna's eight kids.  I really have enjoyed the time I have been here.  There have been up sides, and downsides.  I feel like I have learned how to wake up to kids in the night and not be upset about the beauty sleep I could be missing on.  I have learned to be careful when yelling..kids get scared!  Aunts should never yell at their nieces or nephews.  Oh my, and keeping a kitchen clean is pretty much impossible! Another thing I have learned, by the point a family reaches eight kids, the first three kids are way helpful with cleaning.  it is amazing what six extra hands can do.  2 hours of work can easily turn into 30 minutes. 
I have a new respect for mothers.  They sacrifice their time, energy and sleep on their kids.  Donna is so patient with her kids.  Hopefully I havent scarred them too much since I have been with them.  They definitely know what I dont like.  Just the other day when I got home, one of the kids hands were in the chips. He hid them behind his back and started walking backward. They give me this look like..uh oh!  Aunt Michelle is here.  Dang I am mean.  I just dont want them to spoil their dinner is all!  :)
Carter-the youngest boy who is 3 has definitely grown on me since I have been here.  When he asks me for a cookie and I say yes, the sweetest smile comes to his face as he jumps up and down and yells "YAY!"  There are those times...like just now..when he asks and I say that he can after dinner.  He proceeds to cry. Dang, I am mean.  On the upside, he forgets quickly!  :)
Gretchen-Okay the reason I am talking about the 14 year old is because she has been a lot of help with the two youngest kids. For instance, on Saturday morning at 5:30, after staying up until three with the oldest, Shantelle (yes i am that responsible) I heard a cry outside of my door.  It was Carter.  I just knew it!  I crawled out of bed with only 2 hours of sleep and gretchen was sitting by Carter.  Gretchen looked at me and said I got it Aunt Michelle, go back to bed.  The only thing I did was say Okay.  I was back in bed asleep 30 seconds later.  Wow, gretchen is more responsible than I am!  Sadly last night the same thing happened but this time poor carter didnt want Gretchen.  Gretchen came into my room so I could help Carter. Brian tried, but to no avail.  I was in there within 2 minutes.  Gretchen also helped so much with putting the 3 little boys to bed.  She slept with carter in her bed one night.  :) what a nice sister.
All in all, this has been very educational and there have been many fun times while here.  I loved playing mom for a week.  Now I know what I have to look forward to..

Watch for the Women on Saturday Night!

Women are crazy.  I will tell you why.  When men go to Priesthood session in Utah, all the women gather to Deseret Book.  Let me just say, it is madness!  Why you ask, did I get caught up in this madness?  One: 20% off everything, Two: Lottery for prizes, Three: Grand prizes were three $400 pictures.  Four: my good Friend Staci was working there. Bonus: Door Prize for the first 200 people, hence the line..

 I am glad I got my friend Mandy to come with me!

 I thought about taking pictures with one more grand prize to go..  It is beautiful and in the bottom left corner of the next picture..

 I was sad I didn't win the grand prize, so I bought a new temple bag and some good books!  I did however win a CD which made my day.  :)  I dont know the lady, but she was there and I had her sign it.  :)  sweet!

THE END. 
(Next Post, GRADUATING SENIOR)