Christmas Season

 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Dalton home... 

We have our very first Christmas tree! Our pure joy couldn't even be marred by 

the fact we had no better transportation ideas than to tie it to

the hood of the car and drive very, very slow...

Which worked perfectly!  

This bad boy smells implausibly delicious.  I made the flocked, cinnamon-scented pinecone decorations, which add to the yummy-ness smell factor by about a million.  

Then I made pumpkin cake. 

If Christmas has a smell, come on over and take a whiff :)

We don't have a chimney, so our stockings are from the decorative table with care!

Exhausted, pine-scented, and glittery.... but happy to have our Christmas decorations all up!

My volleyball team participated in the Elite 8 National tournament in Pensacola, Florida last week!  What an amazing, humbling adventure.  We ended up losing to Indiana in the first round (although we put up a very good fight!), but the experience was well worth the heartache.  Tony came and watched, and, since we lost, we came back and he got to stay in Florida an extra day by himself.  Sounds like fun, but we were both pretty miserable.  Our apartment isn't a home without each other.  

We are all getting pumped up for Christmas in Virginia!  Tony and I are taking the train down... so we are going to wear our pajamas, drink hot cocoa, and pretend we are taking the Polar Express :)  It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Firsts

What's the opposite of a newly-wed?  An oldy-wed?  Regardless, I think Tony and I still fall under the newly -wed category due to our continuing "first" celebrations.  We have had several "firsts," and we cherish each and every one.  Our first Thanksgiving was exceptionally special because we got to celebrate it twice!  When my family visited, we had a large Thanksgiving dinner with friends, topped off by playing Life and sharing laughter til we couldn't breathe (although that may be in part due to our over-full stomachs...).  Later, actually on Thanksgiving, Tony and I shared our home with my volleyball team so we had another enormous feast.  I spent all day cooking the turkey, and I will give myself a small pat on the back because it turned out perfect, mashed potatoes, which Tony deserves a rather large pat on the back for, homemade noodles, jello pretzel salad (Tony's favorite part of dinner), pumpkin delight, and stuffing.  My teammates brought the life to the party, however, with macaroni and cheese, Hawaiian-style ham, banana bread, chili-con-queso, banana fritters, and a few other perfectly delicious additions. I had no idea my teammates were so talented in the culinary field!  Once again, so much food, such a full stomach, and a nutty amount of fun.

Tony and I are also elated to celebrate our very first Christmas!  Tony already put me on a decoration budget, which I came very close to maxing out on Black Friday.  I have a weakness for soft white Christmas lights and old-fashioned Christmas decor, what can I say?  In my defense, Tony suggested the sled, so I think it should be on his budget, not mine :)

We are coming up to the anniversary of us meeting... and therefore very close to our anniversary of when Tony proposed :)  No wonder this is the most wonderful time of the year!

Other miscellaneous firsts that didn't really make the list....

First finals week as a married couple... awwww....

First simultaneous sickness

First disagreement concerning NBA players

and.....

First time we finally finished a movie in one day!  Thank you Lord of the Rings!

Half a Year!!!

6 Months of Bliss

Happy 6 Month Anniversary to the love of my life :)   He surprised me when we got home with a stunning bouquet of white roses, each bearing a sweet note.  There are no words that express how much I love being his wife.  The last 6 months have been completely perfect.  I don't know why everyone always says the first year is the hardest.  But if it is, I am crazy excited for the future because everyday just gets better and better with my best friend!




My parents and sister also came to visit last week, so we definitely had a wild weekend with them!  Tony's birthday was on Saturday, so we all went to a local farmer's market and had adventures trying lamb, goat cheese, and savory cookies.  We then entered the mystical world of Harry Potter by touring Hogwarts.  Oh wait, never mind... that was just Yale University.  :)  In all seriousness, Yale was breathtaking and slightly creepy.  With my family visiting, we played endless amounts of card games, ate delicious food, and washed a powerful amount of dishes all couped up in our humble apartment.  So fun!

 Birthday-Boy enjoying his pumpkin cheesecake!

Since holidays are all about family, we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving on Sunday. Our friends, Stephen, Cheryl, Kalaela, and Courtney all joined us, so we had a full house.... and a blast!  After some crazy games of Catch Phrase, endless playing and noise-making with little Kalaela, and even more dishes, we were all exhausted, but purely happy.

Sunday Service Day

Mormon Helping Hands

Sunday, Tony and I had a wonderfully heartwarming experiencing helping those affected by the hurricane.  Literally 10 minutes away from our apartment, the ocean pounded 9 feet of water into the homes of countless people.  The water gutted everything from these homes: couches, cabinets, floors, walls, refrigerators, stoves, washers/dryers, beds... the list is endless.  To add insult to injury, the water left behind mounds of sand in it's wake. The people had to pile up all their ruined possessions on the street and begin knocking out their drywall and stripping out sopping wet insulation.  After church, we went with our fellow church members and helped the devastated people remove debris, sand, and walls out of their homes and clean up the wreckage of the fierce winds.  Glass littered the entire area from shattered windows.  Houses shifted, and in some cases ripped away, from their foundations.   The people here were nothing short of amazing... still faithful and optimistic despite all the destruction.  

The water level.... half way up the kitchen window. 

 These vests were so helpful to have!  As soon as we drove up, a policeman directed us where to go.  Then, people instantly approached us with work needing to get done.  We would troll the streets and people knew exactly what we were there for, and were so grateful for the help.  

Debris piled up almost as tall as the house. 

Some people got a little creative with their ruined belongings

We were just grateful to have a chance to serve the people who needed it most.  It truly made us count our blessings... and give thanks for our safety.  

Hurricane Sandy

Here I am.... Rock You like a Hurricane....

I can't even begin to say how thankful I am for the safety of Tony and I, Lance, Jen, and their family, and my other friends and family affected by this terrible event.  Periodically, Tony and I scan through the horrific images of the destruction frighteningly close to us, and tears of gratitude literally fill my eyes.  A little recap of our weekend:

SATURDAY:  Tony and I got serious about preparations for the hurricane.  After volleyball, we went to several stores searching for supplies.  People rampaged Wal Mart before we got there, probably worse than the hurricane did, so we moved on to several different stores, each providing less luck than the ones before.  Our lack of water increased our determination (and desperation!), so we decided to broaden our horizons, which led us to Home Depot.  Thank you Home Depot! Not only did they have duct tape, flashlights, and batteries, but they also had bottled water!

getting ready....

SUNDAY: Before church, my sweet husband woke up very, very early to get all our laundry done before the rush of people occupied the machines. During church, we received word that we were put on evacuation notice.  We quickly returned home to pack our bags and prepare the house.  We spent the afternoon duct taping cardboard on all our windows (we used the whole darn roll, too), removing our dishes from the cupboard, dismounting our pictures, packing our bags with essentials (toothbrushes, floss, and toothpaste, what else do you need?) and swaddling every breakable item we have in towels and blankets.  After several hours of nervous anticipation, Tony just called the West Haven Emergency System and asked if we had to evacuate.  They told us that we could stay if we wished, so we decided to remain at home.

taking everything down

MONDAY: Hurricane Sandy.  Luckily, it didn't really hit until the early afternoon, so Tony and I went on a run in the morning. It was windy and spitting rain, but we wanted to get one last stretch of our legs in before prolonged hunkering in our apartment.  The winds worsened all day, and cold settled into the apartment.  We pretty much snuggled all day and studied, and I never felt more safe than when I was cradled in my husbands strong arms.  When we still had power Monday evening, we had our "last hot meal" (which turned out to be completely untrue.  We never lost power, so had hot meals every day).  How didn't we lose power?  I will never know, because several large trees went down in our neighborhood and we had 65 mph wind gusts.

This was super close to our apartment!

Tony mourned over the "last hot meal"

Luckily, it wasn't!

Needless to say, we were a little 

stir-crazy after

staying inside so long!

TUESDAY: Similar to Monday, only in reverse.  Bad winds in the morning, but by the evening, conditions definitely improved.  Tony and I went on another run to the beach to assess the damage.  A block away from our apartment, splintered trees littered yards, rooftops, and cars.  Two blocks from our apartment, water gushed out of people's basements.  I still can't believe nothing happened to us.

By Wednesday, life pretty much returned to normal: practice, weightlifting, studying, busy, busy, busy.  Thank you all, for your thoughts and prayers.  

Please keep it up for all those still struggling in those highly affected areas.  

Life Must be Lived as Play

On Saturday, Tony and I went on a run and found ourselves soaking up autumn's beauty in the coarsely gritty sand hugging the ocean.  Coincidence?  Definitely not :)

We adore living so close to the beach, and although we previously assumed beach time primarily occurred in the summer, the assuming grandeur of the ocean proved our theories wrong.  The ocean is breathtaking... 100% of the time.  

taking long walks on the beach... so romantic :)

Monday was Kalaela's first birthday!  Cheryl and Stephen threw a little party for her and invited us, so Tony and I spent the evening spoiling Miss Laela.   I must say, Cheryl's cake turned out sooo cute... and so creative!

Oh that puppy... certainly the way to this little gal's heart!  I literally have NEVER seen a child get so excited about a gift, but Kalaela ADORES her new puppy.  I would honestly be surprised if she ever lets it out of her sight.  Pure bliss.  She wouldn't even let it go long enough to eat her cake!  

7 Things

7 BEST things about being married that I never expected :)

1. Waking up in the morning with a smile on my face

2. Holding the entire world in my arms each time he pulls me into a hug

3. Praying together... for each other

4. You know what?  He wakes up early every morning to make sure I have a lunch packed.  He gives me the best apples.  He carries my backpack.  He tells me I am beautiful every single day.  He inspires me to do the right thing, but doesn't judge me if I don't. 

5. When he says I love you, he doesn't just say it with his words.  It penetrates deep inside me... so every corner fills with knowledge that it's true.  I feel it!  It's literally warm.  

6. When I feel discouraged, I can look at him and know that I can overcome ANYTHING with him by my side. 

7.  Every day is a better day than yesterday. Which seems crazy, because every day with my best friend is perfect. 

Apple Festival

Fall seems like the most impossible season... when leaves dream up the most beautiful things to whisper in your ears before drifting off to sleep.  Trees throw the party of the year, dressing up their wiry limbs with explosions of color.  And my absolute favorite part... harvest time :)  Tony and I went to the West Haven Apple Festival this weekend and enjoyed bags full of tangy, juicy apples, hot kettle corn, and all-around fabulous caramel apples dipped in peanuts!  (shout out to Mekell.... yours are still waaaaay better... love you!)  I loved getting the chance to walk around the park with my handsome man, holding hands, laughing, and creating memories.

mmmm :)

Tony and I went to a little get-together for all the people in Tony's major.  We had a lot of fun bowling, and Tony scored a personal best.  This picture is pretty fuzzy... but he got a 186!!! Go Tony!

My husband showing me how it's done...

aww :D

Where there is Love, there is Life

Conference weekend!

We had such a wonderful weekend! Saturday was spent playing a little volleyball (we won!) and enjoying conference.  Tony is now referred to as the "team hubby"  because he comes to all the games and is definitely our biggest fan!  That being said, the girls refer to me as "team mom".... hmmmm..... hopefully that's an endearing term :) Sunday, we got to watch the morning conference with the Staus family and they made an AMAZING breakfast.... bacon, cinnamon twist bread, blueberry pancakes and more.  Add in an amazing conference session, card games, and playing with little Kalaela, and anybody would agree we just had a fantastic day!  

Conference in PJ's... love it!

I love her face in the picture.... "not sure what to think here!!!!"

She kept chewing on Tony's feet during conference.. so cute :)

 I spent Monday running around West Haven like a crazy person.  I was so behind on "home" stuff and "wife" stuff so it felt wonderful to get a few projects done. We love the new additions! 

Odds n' Ends

And the rain came a tumblin down....

Holy smokes!  That song takes on a whole new meaning when you find yourself wading through a foot and a half of water to get to your drowning car.  I had been cleaning away in our apartment before I left to catch the team bus to our out-of-town game, so imagine my surprise when I walked out the door with my little pillow and blanket nestled in my arms and I see this.  OH NO!  The picture doesn't show it well, but when I waded through the water, it reached my knee. I called my dad and asked, "how much water is safe to drive in?"  He laughed and said, "maximum of 6 inches."  So, despite the foot and a half of water, I told him, "Okay, Dad, no problem!"  and drove away :)

Oh, and of course Tony and I watched the presidential debate.  I think I enjoyed it more than Tony (this is him doing statistics homework and laughing about all the Big Bird comments!"

Studying in the library.  I have never studied this much in a library before.  Tony must be a good influence on me! 

Heading to class!

Oh Gingersnap!

"Gingersnap" is an unfair name for these.  When I hear "gingersnap", I think of fictitious running cookies, miniature holiday homes linked with frosting, and possibly a jar-full stolen by the Grinch.  Reader be warned.  These are not that type of cookie.  These soft cookies (I use the plural because it's physically impossible to eat only one) melt the instant they hit the tongue, and the spices blend together with a grace that brings you home.  I honestly can't make these and not think of the time my mother and I spent in the kitchen around Christmas-time, singing Celine Dion and Josh Groban Christmas music and baking up magic.

Molasses Cookies

3/4 C Butter-softened
1 C brown sugar
1/4 C molasses
1 egg
2 1/2 C flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
2 t ginger
1 t cloves
dash of nutmeg

Blend first 4 ingredients together.  In a different bowl, sift together remaining ingredients.  Add to wet ingredients.  Roll dough into balls and semi-flatten the top of the ball in sugar.  Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.  Once again, my dad and husband both enjoy these with vanilla ice cream!

awww... good memories :)

Lovin' You

I openly admit that Tony and I are flat out amazing at this school business.  Our absolute favorite part of school:  no homework nights :)  See?  Aren't we great students?! No homework nights are pretty self-explanatory... one night a week, we try not to do any homework so we can simply connect with each other.  We love playing games (no points for guessing who always wins!), watching movies, walking on the beach, or sometimes just cuddling on the couch.  Everyone always says that the challenging times define your marriage.  If that's the case, we want to make everything perfect, so we decided (more like stumbled upon) a theme song for this "challenging" adventure in college:

If I could make a living out of lovin' you,

I'd be a millionaire in a week or two

I'd be doing what I love and lovin' what I do,

If I could make a living out of lovin' you!

I could work all day and feel right at home

Lovin' that 8 to 5

And never have to leave you here alone

When I'm workin' overtime 

If I could make a livin' out of lovin' you

I'd be a millionaire in a week or two

I'd be doin' what I love and lovin' what I do

If I could make a livin' out of lovin' you

It has been 4 months and 6 days since my best friend became my husband.  I think it's safe to say I still have a major crush on him! 

off to school!

date night... I think we are both pretty excited about it :)

Sundays

5 Things I Love About Sundays

1.) Getting to hang out with my best friend-- I love the moments when Tony and I get to simply hang out and snuggle and get to know each other better.  Focus on us.  We discovered how much we need this time when I left for almost a week for a volleyball trip.  This time helps us reconnect and remember why we traverse through some difficult times.  He lifts me.  

2.) Church-- even singing the hymns on Sunday brought tears of gratitude to my eyes for the blessing of attending this church.  I love the peace and reassurance the gospel brings.  I'm grateful for slowing down and taking time to count my blessings to see how much the Lord loves both Tony and me.  

3.) Friends-- We got to spend some time with some pretty amazing people on Sunday.  I am so glad we have been able to make friends here!  We learned how to play a new game, play with their gorgeous little baby girl (seriously... she's adorable), and even got to eat delicious food!  It's so nice having people to share a bond of mutual affection.  Thank you, Staus family, for being there for us!

4.) Tony got a haircut!  Oh my goodness, I can't even tell you how excited I am about this one.  It finally got so long that i just cut it myself.  I know now how much he loves me because he endured 2 hours of complete torment of anticipation while I hacked away at his mane.  I don't think it was too bad for a first try, so I would be surprised if his hair ever gets that long again.  

Isn't he so handsome? :)

5. Pumpkin Delight-- need I say more?

I guess I better give the recipe, but baker be warned: you absolutely will NOT be able to stop eating it!

Filling:
1 29 oz. can pumpkin
1 8 oz. can evaporated milk
3 eggs
5 tsp. cinnamon
1.5 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cloves
1 C sugar
 Mix all ingredients together.  Mixture will be runny.  Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 in. pan.

Topping:
1/2 box of yellow cake mix
1/2 cube unsalted butter
pecans
dash of cinnamon

Sprinkle the cake mix (dry!) to cover the runny pumpkin mix.  Add chopped pecans to the top.  Melt butter completely and drizzle on top.  Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes and try not to enjoy it too much!  Can be served hot or cold.  My daddy likes it with ice cream :)