Smoothie King

Ever since the day we registered for our wedding, Taylor has been asking for a blender. Maybe because I had been without a blender all throughout college, but I had forgotten about all the perks of having one and it wasn't on the top of the list for my new kitchen. Well in December we received one for Christmas and I was reminded of all the fun things you can do with a blender. 

We decided to make smoothie packets for breakfast. We found some really good recipes and Taylor was extremely creative in making fruit/vegetable combinations. Our favorite add-in was spinach; it doesn't have any flavor and you feel that much healthier by drinking spinach for breakfast.  

Needless to say, I feel in love with having a blender and it had a permanent spot on our kitchen counter because it was used to frequently. 

February

During the month of February we found ourselves working a lot, exploring more of Ogden, and going on some fun spontaneous adventures. 

We were bored one night and headed out to the Ogden City Fairgrounds. A team roping competition was going on and Taylor got his country on. I almost convinced him that we need to have a few horses in the future! 

Valentine's Day was spent in Salt Lake with Anne. We went to a small Italian restaurant in down town Salt Lake. This was actually the place where we had our first meal as a married couple on our honeymoon - so kind of perfect for a Valentine's celebration.  

Taylor and I were called to serve in the Primary. We made sugar cookies in order to take around to the kids in our class. Normally I am not tempted by sugar cookies at all but for whatever reason, these were so good! 

It was long past due for a roommate reunion so in honor of Keri's birthday, we all got together at Abby's for a potluck dinner. Every time I get together with these incredible people, I am reminded of how truly lucky I am to have such great friends. They are constantly trying inspiring me to improve and better myself. Such great people!

The BEST part of this month was that Hannah came home from her mission!!! All of the siblings surprised her by flying to Denver and being there when she got off the plane. How fun is that?! Carter was actually in Salt Lake for a dental conference so he flew with Taylor and I into Denver late Friday night. Saturday morning we all welcomed Hannah back. Denver got hit by a huge snowstorm so it was a good thing that we really wanted to spend time together as we were stuck in the apartment most of the weekend. Church was actually cancelled due to the snow so we held a private sacrament meeting and had Hannah give her talk. She was an incredible missionary and has learned so much.  

All of the original five Christensen's back together for the first time in years. And in her honor we all did the Hannah face! 

To finish off the month, we went up to Logan with Grandpa Boyd to attend the Utah State Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony. Grandpa was in his element and introduced us to so many people including the president of the university. We sat at the same table that currently holds the position that Grandpa had while he was at the university, so that was really fun for them to talk. I was astounded to hear all of the success stories from Utah State. It was one of many moments that I was proud to be an Aggie. 

January

It's funny how some months are just jam packed with things going on but others are kind of slow. The month of January was pretty slow in the Lind household. 

I started my internship at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Sandy. It's about an hour drive each way. I am now an avid listener to traffic reports, NPR and new radio. I also have discovered books on tape. They are so neat! In just a about two weeks I was able to finish The Book Thief. I almost feel productive while I drive. I have loved my internship though. So this is a place where people come after they get out of the hospital in order to recover. My supervisor and I work with a team of physical and occupational therapists to help each patient recover. I was not expecting to enjoy this placement as much as I have. An added bonus is that they provide free lunch every day. At first I was nervous because you never hear good things about food at a hospital but I was pleasantly surprised. Here's Hawaian Haystacks and peas one day...  

We also moved into our place this month. We are living in a basement apartment in Ogden, close to Weber State University. We made our first furniture purchase from the DI for $20! It was a steal! Getting it down the steps and through our door was another issue but Taylor was resourceful and removed the legs and door in order to get the sofa inside. This is a picture of Taylor putting the feet back on... 

We're trying to discover the fun things to do in Ogden. So far we haven't found too much. One highlight was the Nicklecade. True to Ogden form, it was a little rundown but we had a lot of fun. 

Everyone I have spoken with so far has said that they hated Ogden to begin when they first moved here but now they love it. I don't hate it but let's just say that I'm anxiously awaiting the "love it" stage. 

December

The last month of the year. We made it through finals. I took my very last official final of my life. I have more tests to come but that was my last final for a class. You have to celebrate the little things. The day after finals, we moved all of our things to Ogden. With help from good neighbors, we were able to pack up our apartment in one day. The best part was that it all fit into our two cars. It's awesome not having a lot of stuff. I'm going to miss these days. 

To celebrate the end of the year we drove down and spent a few days in St. George. Taylor got to experience the Pink Palace first hand. My grandparents purchased a home in St. George a lot time ago and my grandma, being the hip and stylish woman she was, decided to decorate the entire home pink. We are talking carpet, wallpaper, stucco, everything. It's pretty epic! I have such great memories of visiting the Pink Palace for Thanksgiving. It was fun to be able to share them with Taylor. 

Since we had time, we drove over to Zion National Park and spent a few days exploring. I'm not sure if I have ever been there before but I was so amazed at how beautiful everything was. 

We did Angel's Landing trail. There were parts where we had to hold on to a chain in order not to fall. 

After St. George, we met up with the Christensen family in Salt Lake. My parents found a house to rent and all 20 of us were under one roof. It was a blast! The first day, a few of us went skiing. The weather was pretty hairy but it was totally worth it. Especially when I got to see Taylor ski for the second time in his life. He did a great job and was a good sport. He only fell twice! 

The rest of the break was filled a variety of Christmas traditions and celebrations. I was excited for Taylor to experience a Christmas with little kids. The magic of Christmas, presents, the nativity, lights, etc. all become more real with a child. Christmas with 10 kids is absolutely amazing! 

Singing Christmas carols with the Calvert's 

Christmas cookies with Grandpa Peter 

Our traditional Bethlehem dinner to commemorate how Christ would have dressed and eaten  

Opening presents Christmas morning  

This was one of my favorite parts - attending the temple with all of my siblings while Grandma and Grandpa watched the kiddos. (We really missed Hannah!) 

Temple Square Lights 

Getting to know Baby Peter! He's an absolute doll 

After all the Christmas festivities, we headed back east to kick off the New Year with the Lind's. The first day we were there we went to Amish country. I remember going with my dad when I was younger and eating Shoo Fly pie and watching the buggies pass by. It was fun to go back and see everything again. We went to an Amish Smorgasbord. I have never been in a room with so much food and so many people eating. 

We got to seek away one day and go back to Washington D.C. Oh how I love that city! Just driving through it again made me want to move. It has captured my heart and I don't know if it will ever let go. 

It was a great way to start the New Year and we couldn't be more excited for 2015!!