7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 17)

— 1 —

I don’t think I blogged about it yet, but I got to spend a week in December working from Provo, Utah. My husband was there on a business trip and I got to tag along. It was so nice to be working a few doors away from him, to eat lunch together, and to see him for more than a few hours on the weekend. He’s been traveling for the last 6 months so we haven’t seen each other much, but he is all done now thankfully! We visited the Sundance (Film Festival location) resort, the Olympic facility in Park City, and the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City.

 

 

It felt a little bit like Utah was a foreign country. Because much of the population doesn’t consume caffeine, there were almost no stand alone coffee shops in or near Provo. I didn’t see a single Starbucks, Caribou, etc. This was shocking because there were so many colleges in the area. I can’t imagine making it through college without coffee.

The landscape was obviously much different than I’m used to with all of the gorgeous mountains, and all of the people I met were ridiculously nice. I’d definitely visit again!

— 2 —

We celebrated Christmas at my grandparent’s house for the last time this year. It was emotional for everyone, but I think we’re all excited about the next chapter in their lives. A few days after Christmas they moved into a pretty cool retirement community, and I’m sure they are going to enjoy the lack of home maintenance required and all the new friends they will make. Please pray it is an easy transition for both of them!

For Christmas, my siblings and I had a painting made of my grandparent’s house that they could take to their new home. I think they liked it. I was really pleased with it, and if anyone wants the name of the artist and his contact info, I’m happy to pass it along. He worked fast under a pretty tight timeline, and the final result was beautiful. It definitely felt more like artwork than just an exact copy of their home, which is what we were going for.

 

— 3 —

In typical Adrienne fashion, I got sick during my time off from work. As a result I spent a lot of time on the couch the last week I was off. I had a chance to read My Sisters The Saints by Colleen Carroll Campbell in one sitting. The author shares her heart and faith so openly, as well as how much we can learn from the lives of the saints. Highly recommend it!

— 4 —

My husband had my littlest sister, Madison, in the family grab bag this year. One of the gifts he gave her was earrings. She had her ears pierced back in October and is only recently able to swap out her earrings. While we were visiting over Christmas, my Mom asked her if she wanted to put some of her new earrings in. She was really into it, but then got very scared/upset/sassy about taking them out. We all left her room so she could cool off, and a few minutes later she came out with a note she wrote on her little whiteboard.

It said, “Thank you for trying to help me, but no. And I’m sorry.”

I was laughing so hard on the inside, but trying not to show it because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings after such a sweet gesture. She has so much personality! The “…but no” part gets me every time. This week my Mom sent me this picture via text. She finally changed them!

— 5 —

I have another Pinterest fail to report. I tried this pin that instructs the reader to fill a spray bottle with 2/3 vinegar and 1/3 water to de-ice car windows in the winter. Does it work on windows? I have no idea. Despite making the mixture and putting it in my car, I never got the chance to try it. We have plenty of frosty days near Chicago, so I had the opportunity, but much to my dismay the mixture froze in my car.

If that had been the worst of it, I’d only be mildly annoyed. But no. The water in the bottle froze and forced all of the vinegar out of the bottle onto the carpet of my car. It smells delightful now. Hoping it wears off quickly.

Maybe this was my fault for leaving it in the car, but I can’t imagine how I would get said mixture to my vehicle for use while out and about without leaving it in the car. I’m not carrying a bottle of it in my purse because that just sounds like a smelly disaster waiting to happen. Try this pin at your own risk!

— 6 —

We’ve been getting blasted with snow this week. I think we have almost 8 inches now, and they are predicting more on Saturday. Check out the little tree in our front yard. It looks so pathetic next to that gigantic pile of snow.

— 7 —

I’m turning the big 3-0 this weekend, and last weekend my parents, sister & bro-in-law, and Mark threw me a surprise birthday party with friends. The party was in Indianapolis since we were there celebrating Christmas with my family, but I was pleasantly surprised when several of my Chicago area friends and family made the long drive to celebrate with me. I didn’t get very many pictures because I was busy enjoying the event, but here are some that I did manage to snag.

The decorations were beautiful, the food was awesome, and the company was a group of my favorite people. The whole experience made me feel very loved. I’m so blessed!

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