a fortune cookie come true.

On our way to dinner tonight I asked Austin what the best Christmas present he ever received was. His answer: A Go-Cart. Every Christmas Eve I think about the year my family went out to dinner the night before Christmas to the only open restaurant we could find -- Chinese. At the end of our meal I received a fortune cookie that read, "You will soon receive something you have always wanted." Is there any better fortune to get on Christmas Eve?! I think not. Sure enough, the next morning I woke up and Santa did not dissapoint. My fortune came true! I was so excited to open the big present waiting for me...a cash register! Yes, a real cash register. An eight-year-old girl's most desired gift. It was on my wish list for years. I dreamed of being a cashier at a grocery store. Yes, I set my goals high. So I can honestly say, the best Christmas gift I ever got was a "real, live cash register" as I used to call it.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and hope you will soon receive something you have always wanted.

Love,
the Little's

newport

We took a trip to Newport last week to visit these two along with Austin's parents. Here is our little plaid family outside the Crab Cooker (A Little family favorite, and my first experience...)

Newport Pier

While we were there I discovered my dream job. A little corner flower shop. Every time we passed it I tried to get a picture. At night it is even better. Bunches and bunches of flowers crammed and lit up in that tiny little hut. A great eye-catcher! Maybe one day...

We also made a stop at Roger's Gardens, where I was again, in heaven. I could easily work there, too.

We took advantage of the great weather and went to Crystal Cove for an afternoon. Jen decided to feed a squirrel some of her sweet roll, which resulted in a new little friend hovering too close for comfort the rest of the time we were there. I wish I had the video to post. The more you watch it, the funnier it gets.

And what trip to California isn't complete without a visit to the Happiest Place On Earth? (We were too busy cramming in a full day that I failed to take a single picture).

yes, please.

one of these would be fabulous right about now.

mmmm!!

Sorry, Austin. I know you aren't the biggest fan of "food" posts, but this recipe was too good not to share. I have been on a roll cooking this week, but this recipe was by far the best. Definitely a new favorite.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! (I just had two more helpings for lunch...Just as good the second day!)

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

p.s. I substituted zucchini instead of eggplant.

just for kicks.

napoleon and deb
2007

a piece of advice...

after our delicious anniversary dinner at fleming's we received some mouth-watering truffles along with a little note that read:

"wine is a little like love -- when the right one comes along, you know it."

we'll take their word for it.

welcome home!

It was so fun to have the Little family all together again...for a week, anyway. It felt like we were living in Utah again! The trip started by welcoming home Elder Little from Brasil. (See Austin's T-shirt). It was a fun-filled week! We...

• Ate at most of the restaurants we have been missing
• Saw Inception
• Played with the kids
• Went boating
• Went to the temple as a whole family
• Enjoyed the cooler weather
• Saw a lady cry over not getting to AT&T on time before the iphone 4 sold out
• Walked around Silver Lake
• Caught up with friends at Rio...twice
• Celebrated our 3 year anniversary
• Saw Salt
• and enjoyed every minute of relaxing with the family.

We had a great trip and have struggled adjusting back to reality! Come visit us soon!

3 years...

i cannot believe 3 years have come and gone. sometimes (more often than not) i wish i could rewind and live that day all over again. and eat a little more tequila lime chicken. it seems like time has flown by, but then i think about everything that has happened, everything we have been through, changes that have come our way, and it doesn't seem so short after all.

it's a good thing i never get sick of this man, because we've got a long way to go.

b.y.o.b.

funny moment of the week:

austin learned the true meaning of b.y.o.b...not the edited Utah version.

boy, would that have started up a conversation if we had gone to the party and brought our own beef.

2 years ago...

...we brought home this little bundle of joy.
I called my dad and said, "Are you ready to be grandparents?? We got a dog!"
I think he is still upset about that.

At the time we were house sitting for our friends, and I remember being terrified that our new puppy wouldn't get along with their dog. I could not have been more wrong.

I love how she was about the same size as Hank's head.
We love Bindy and can't imagine life without her. (Most days).

If it seems like all we do is talk about our dog, well, I apologize. She is all we have to talk about.

today's happenings

• i saw austin for a total of 90 minutes.
  
• decided to waste time and run a few errands. there was a sole purpose in my running errands, which i forgot to do so i have to go back tomorrow.
• decided to waste more time by roaming target. when i'm not with austin i can spend a good hour in there. with austin...15 minutes if i'm lucky. i was walking around and some teenage boy in the next isle burped so loud and so long i wanted to go tell him it was the most disgusting thing i have ever heard, and that i felt sorry for his mother.
• made a new discovery -- pretzel m&ms. my favorite combination, sweet and salty. not too shabby.
  
• tried teaching bindy how to catch a treat. let's just say her skill is not in eye/mouth coordination.

happy (almost) friday!

110 already?!

i don't know if i am ready to endure the consecutive 100+ degree weather yet. good thing we have this located conveniently (or dangerously) across the street from our house:

i crave this every single day.

gelato of choice: 1/2 pistachio 1/2 chocolate

and austin's : 1/2 coconut 1/2 pineapple

we have completely different taste when it comes to dessert.

yep, we're gleeks

and proud of it!

glee concert -- may, 2010

happy birthday b!

bindy's 1st boyfriend

we don't know what she loves more...swimming in the pool, or playing in the snow?

first haircut (and still the best to this day)...

happy birthday bindy! i wish you were still as small as the day we brought you home.

losing it...

Rewind to last week. I went to pull my lunch out of the fridge at work and to my surprise, along with my food in the bag was also my phone! Yep, it spent a good five hours in the fridge. Still works.

Fast-forward to today. Again, went to pull my lunch out of the fridge. I searched high and low and could not find my bag. I opened my locker at work, and there it was. Room temperature pizza and carrots. Sadly, I did not dare eat the squishy string cheese.

I am officially losing my mind. I am scared to see what happens at 30!

3 years ago...

Austin tricked me. We went to dinner with friends. I thought for sure we weren't getting engaged that night.

Then, supposedly there was a bonfire at another friend's house. Definitely was not going to happen tonight (or so i thought...) I still wonder what would have happened if I said I didn't want to go to the bonfire??

We pulled up to the house where the "bonfire" was (still oblivious) and thought, "How nice! His grandparents decorated for us all to come over!" (I had not yet seen the candles and flowers).

And then it hit me. And I made a really strange noise. Austin said it was weird. It all made sense now why he was acting so weird that night. Everyone was in on it (besides me). He had the ring in his pocket the whole time and I had no clue. I even asked him on the way over there when we were getting engaged. (Apparently I was getting a little impatient?) It was the best day of my life...besides the wedding, of course. I sometimes really miss the wedding planning. Is that weird?

p.s. is it just me or do we look much younger in these pictures??

my hopes and dreams...

I found my 4th grade project this morning -- Courtney's Autobiography -- and laughed pretty much the entire way through it. I am pretty sure my dad wrote most of it, but this part was definitely my doing:

"I hope I will get married and have at least two kids. I hope I can pass the driving test when I am 16 and my parents buy me a Honda del Sol."


Who wouldn't want a car where the roof can be taken off and stored in the trunk??

candy...or $100?

Bet: That I cannot go a month without candy.

Prize: $100

This all started last night when I told Austin i NEVER ate as much candy as I do now...thanks to him -- the candy king. Goes to the store for Advil...comes home with Advil, sweedish fish, and sour patch kids. I have turned into that. No Target trip is complete without a trip down the candy isle.

I am determined to win this bet. (Even though we didn't shake on it...I'm still holding Austin to his end of the deal). How convenient that this started the day after Easter with a basket full of candy for Austin to enjoy all by himself??

One day down...30 to go.

today i...

• went on a morning walk (bindy and austin included)
• laid by the pool with austin...again with the snowbirds
• enjoyed a thirst buster
  
• went through a huge stack of papers/mail/bills
• filed/threw away the huge stack of papers/mail/bills
• shopped online for a desk
  
• washed (and folded!) 4 loads of laundry
  
• made the bed (usually only gets done on my day off)
• thought about getting a pedicure, but gave myself one instead
  

..and it's only 5 o'clock! i love productive days!

my two favorite things about easter:

although i have already had my fair share this season, i am pretty sure the easter bunny will supply a bit more.

daily messages

i just looked at the clock and realized i have spent the last half hour watching "mormon messages." either i'm in a particularly cheesy mood today, or these are really cool. hope this makes your day a little better. it did mine.

(i really like the guy doing the peace sign in his unbuttoned denim shirt).

this all started by checking the daily post by nienie. check hers out too.

tuesday..

with our weird schedules austin and i try to get at least one day off together...yesterday we took full advantage of it.

• morning walk with bindy
• sunbathed with senior citizens
• enjoyed the amazing weather
• shopped
• made black bean, cheese and rice burritos...enchilada style of course
• relaxed

i look forward to that one day a week every week!

our little house

for the 3 people that read this and have been requesting photos...here you go! who is going to come visit first??

e.t. phone home

this is what happens when you leave a pile of laundry on the ground...it reminds me of e.t. hidden between stuffed animals in the closet!

grocery list

I asked Austin to make a grocery list of things he wanted from the store. I feel like I always get the same stuff and I have a hard time coming up with different things to make for dinner. This is what I came home to:

• o.j.
  
• bagels
• vanilla ice cream
• snacks
• something for lunch
• some good dinners

I'm off to the store to fulfill the requests...

valentine's day recaps...

2006 - On the couch with Taryn watching Pretty Woman while eating cheese pull-aparts.

2007 - Our first Valentine's Day together...Which ended in a fight because Austin left to go finish a homework assignment that was due at midnight. I held a grudge about that one for a while.

2008 - First Valentine's day as a married couple. Austin in charge. We went to Canella's not knowing about the 'Special Valentine's Menu' which left us with $100 less than what we had walking into the restaurant.

2009 - Second Valentine's day as a married couple. I was in charge. Didn't make a reservation anywhere which led us to a nearly 2-hour wait outside Trio sharing an outdoor heater with 4 other couples.

2010 will be spent eating dinner at my parent's house. And I can't wait.

What I have learned over the years...Valentine's Day is not all it's cracked up to be. Austin has gotten me on his side. It's a stupid holiday...just an excuse to mark up prices and boost sales. We don't need a special day to celebrate love. It should be every day. Which means, Aust, you can bring me flowers any day of the year!

Happy Valentine's Day!

love,
The Little's

to-do list

• paint
• get everything out of storage
• move into new place!!
• unpack
• get organized
• decorate

yes, the time has come. we are moving into our own place! i can't wait to unpack and get organized. it will be like opening wedding presents all over again! i have sort of forgotten what we have since it has been in storage for 6 months. come visit anytime!...just give us a bit to make it 'visitor friendly.'

cancun highlights...

cancun 2010

explored the town by bus (quite an adventure...)

drank smoothies

and more smoothies...

enjoyed this view...

found some cool shells.

took daily walks on the beach

and just relaxed...

other highlights:

• didn't get sick!
• tried having conversations without pronouncing the letter "r"
• struggled with pesos
• played lots of games
• austin picked up a little spanish (along with the accent)
• got fried on day 2 (not a highlight) clouds are deceiving
  
• got introduced to the show "16 and pregnant"
• watched high school musical from start to finish

i loved every minute of this trip. can't wait to start saving up for our next one!

adios!

swim suits...check
sunglasses...check
maui babe...check

okay, i think we're ready.