Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I am sitting next to the husband feeling overwhelmed with gratitude. I had to blog about this morning before I forget, because I don't really keep a journal and I know I should. To make a long story short we were all spoiled rotten this year. Jordan got an Iphone 5 and a laptop. I got new pans and pots, new boots and chocolate covered strawberries. Jordan's little brother got so much great stuff, but was really hoping for his own Itouch. After all the presents were opened he got a little sad that he didn't. He's just young and really wasn't trying to be ungrateful. After a series of events he ended up in his room crying. Jordan and I went up there to talk to him about gratitude and how much we all wanted him to have a good Christmas. After we were done talking a thought came to my mind about prayer and how it can help us when we are feeling a way we don't want to. I told Jayce that it might be a good idea to pray for gratitude for all of our blessings. We asked him if he would like to pray after we left or with us there. He asked me to say a prayer. The second I began I started crying because of the overwhelming feeling I had of gratitude for the birth of our Savior. I know I said an inadequate thanks, but truly felt the most incredible feeling of love, peace and the significance of our Savior's birth.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!







Friday, December 21, 2012

Happy Holidays!

We didn't send out Christmas cards because I'm lame and finals got in the way. But here it is in all its glory:) We are both doing wonderful, loving our jobs, or classes and of course each other. We are so very thankful for the family and friends we have. You are all truly great blessings to us!


Monday, December 17, 2012

Massaman Chicken

This is what is for dinner & Mr. Cotterell needs to get his bum home so I can eat it. It is a YUMMY Thai dish called Massaman Chicken. (I may have eaten tasted some already). One day at work I was talking about cooking with my coworkers, Air and Jimmi. We decided to cook each other dinners once in a while. Today Air, who is from Thailand , made this for us:) Jimmi is from Korea and will cook something Korean. What American food am I going to make? The only American foods I can think of are hamburgers and hot dogs. All the rest that come to mind are rip offs of other countries. Pasta, Lasagna, Pizza- Italy. Tacos, Enchiladas- Mexican. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated:) I'm sure they don't want me to make them hot dogs.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

My husband, the bottomless pit

This will be gone in ten minutes flat. Jordan can really eat. And let's be honest, the cinnamon sticks are for me:) The bread sticks are the same recepie, just different at the very end, so I always make them together. Oh how I love not having school. I read an entire book today and am now starting a second one.
http://www.simply-gourmet.com/2011/10/82-homemade-breadsticks.html
http://www.crunchyrock.com/2012/01/cinnamon-roll-bread-sticks.html


Wednesday, December 12, 2012

How many teeth do you have?

My finals are finally over. I am beyond happy about it and I'm not even sure that I have passed anatomy. The curve should help me out, but I won't know until after Christmas. Silly, right? I celebrated with some chocolate, Christmas shopping and this really great book. My in-laws have a collection of books that I have always wanted to read. I think they are a "100 best books" collection, but they are all printed and bound in a collectors set. They look so lonely on the shelf and make me feel guilty for not reading more. If I read two each year I will finish by the time I am 72. I'd say that I'm set!
Ready for another funny conversation between the husband and I? Of course you are! It went as follows via text message:

Me: What size your feet again boy?
Mr: 12
Me: Thanks :)
Mr: How many teeth do you have?
Me: 24
Mr: Thanks :)

It's pretty obvious that I am getting him shoes for Christmas, but what is he giving me? Head gear?

Monday, December 10, 2012

Temple Square

We got to go to temple square to listen to Jordan's sister sing yesterday. It was a much needed break from studying for finals. It was pretty cold, but I just had Jordan carry me around so we could conserve body heat. I thought it worked great:) Temple square is so beautiful this time of year! I just loved being there.







My work is in charge of all the lost and found at UVU. We sell items that have been there for more than 96 days and we are allowed to take a few things, since we spend so much time organizing it! I found a North Face jacket just in Jordan's size. I washed it up and it is as good as new. The other item is still a debate for me. I have been in great need of a new bra, and I'm not a fan of inexpensive ones. I'm also not fond of spending money. See my dilemma?  I came across a really expensive one in my size in the Lost and found, but don't know if washing it is enough to get the thought of someone else wearing it out of my mind. It may go back to the pile haha.


On another random side note, I was taking a final today and as my teacher handed me my test he turns his head away in a quick reaction that made me think he was going to sneeze or possibly hurl. To my surprise he was just reacting to my wedding ring. Apparently it sparkled in his eye. It was pretty amusing to have a 60 year old man grab your hand and say "It's so sparkly " It kind of makes your day to get a comment like that after a year of marriage.

Happy holidays!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

      It's almost Christmas, and I don't know about you, but I am having serious problems getting things done! It is just too much fun to turn on Christmas music and eat ice cream on the couch:) We decorated as much as we could in our little home. Our tree is my favorite part. It's from the Festival of Trees and is covered in snowmen. The little guy with button legs is the best. 
     After about a week of no meal planning while I was with my amazing family, I had a really hard time planning dinner. Yesterday was frozen burritos:) Today I decided to go out on a limb. I am pretty picky when trying recipes. I usually stick with family recipes, America's Test Kitchen, The Pioneer Woman and once in a while Pinterest catches my attention, but let's face it, the closest any of our friends who pin these things have come to testing the recipe is a virtual smell. I have been following a friends blog from an old singles ward and decided to trust her Chicken Pot Pie. That is the thing inside that horribly dirty oven of mine, but it smells oh so yummy & it got me into my kitchen for an hour or so singing in a "I'm home alone" volume. I am excited for Mr. Zeus to come home and eat it with me:)

     I hope your holidays are going as great as mine! Only two more weeks of classes. I can stay focused for that long, right?



Sunday, October 21, 2012

Sunday lovin'

 Ducks bite! Hense why I'm apprehensive to feed them.

 They were really hungry.





 Baby duck! It was so cute. No worries, we only held it for a few seconds. Its mom was pretty mad at us.
 Favorite picture of the day! I love my hot husband.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Blessings

Sometimes I don't REALLY realize blessings until they are gone. I am realizing today that I had been missing a huge blessing and counting it as a trial. Right after I got engaged to my hunk he got a really great job offer. He was going to be a personal assistant and making $$$$$ for limited hours. Let's just say he never started that job. It was always "next week" and "next month." According to the owner, it is still happening. Jordan never felt good about taking another job, because as soon as this other one worked out, he would be quitting. He eventually applied to a lot of places and nothing ever worked out. During this 9 months I was working, and our financial needs were always met. It was sure a miracle and I always saw it as a blessing. I had faith that everything would work out, but I still thought it was a trial that Jordan wasn't working. Little did I know that it was the greatest blessing. We were able to spend so much time together. Our relationship is so strong because of that. We also were able to go to the temple all the time, usually once a week. We had date nights in the park and study sessions in the library. We ate dinner together every night. It was absolutely a wonderful 9 months. Yesterday he started a great job. He is only working 30 hours a week, 1-7 M-F, but that combined with my work and both of our full time classes, I feel like I will never see him. We both go to sleep around 9 and wake up at 6, so thats only about 1 hour at night when you take into account he doesn't get home until 7:30. Today I am whining but I know that this too will be a blessing. I now realize that I should choose to be grateful to my Heavenly Father for things I don't even yet realize as blessings. I should be better at counting my blessings, because they leave so quickly!

Friday, September 21, 2012

From 0 to 60 in seconds...

Sometimes I wish my stress levels weren't either 0 or out of control. I try not to stress out and don't let things get to me. I fell for the most part I don't worry during the day. I just have faith that things will work out if I am doing all I can. THEN it seems like I have moments where my stress gets out of control and my poor husband has to listen to my irrational ramblings through a lot of tears. Does anyone else do that? I'm sure you don't. I am quite a weird one.Well today I am focusing on my blessings so another freak out doesn't happen haha. Here is a recent list:

I went to the doctor again because it seems like it's been a year of me feeling crappy ALL the time. I was sick of trying to convince them not to prescribe me medicine for dizziness but to find out WHY I am so light headed and exhausted all the time. Finally my doctor took blood work and it showed that even with me taking iron, I have low iron. It also showed that my B12 levels are lower than low. These are both forms of Anemia and it makes it really hard for my body to get oxygen. Hopefully with my new supplements I will feel normal again.

I wasn't charged a dime at my doctor's appointment.

I wasn't charged a dime at my eye appointment either!

I got 110% on a test in my first aid class.

Now today and tomorrow I have to study for and take two tests, for anatomy I will be thrilled if I pass.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Dinner that made me say Mmmmmm

I will admit that I am not really a good cook. I pretend to be, but lately have been doing a bad job at it. I also know that one day I will be good at it. I have a hard time deciding what to cook, mainly. I like carrots and Jordan likes red meat and middle ground is sometimes hard to find. Well today my friends I found a very happy medium. It was all thanks to Apple Bee's and my good friend Julie who gave me the recipe to imitate their oriental chicken salad/wrap. Jordan moaned and groaned and ate four wraps. They were big, but if you know my husband, you know he could eat a horse. Anyway, here it is, if you want a happy husband like me. We also ate way too fast to snap a picture, so here is one from the world wide web.

Oriental Dressing:
3 T Honey
1 1/2 T White Vinegar
3 T mayo
1 t Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
1/8 t sesame oil

Mix with a hand mixer or rigorously with a fork and chill in the fridge while you cook.

Chicken: (I guess you could grill it, but come on, frying is yummier and consumed once in a while it won't hurt)
2 chicken breasts, sliced into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1/2 c flour
1/2 c cornflakes crushed
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 c canola oil

Heat oil to about 350* or over med-high in a skillet. Combine the egg and milk. Combine the dry ingredients. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then flour mixture. Fry for about 5 min or until a nice brown crust appears.

Salad:
3 c romaine lettuce
1 c red cabbage
1 c napa cabbage
1/2 large carrot
1 green onion
1 T sliced or chopped almonds
1/3 c chow mein noodles

Chop everything nice and small and combine. Top with chicken and a little dressing, or wrap in a yummy tortilla like we did. I tell you you will love it!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Labor day weekend

Since another weekend is coming up, I should probably blog about the wonderful Labor Day weekend I had. We were able to stay with my sister Jennifer in Grand Junction. She just had a sweet baby named Eleanor Anne. Her family was also moving so we were able to help. Their new house is so awesome. It has more bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces. We unpacked and shopped for new things all weekend. It was really fun for me to watch Jordan use all his rippling muscles. He helped Jackson put all the food storage below the house in the crawl space. There is no way my misquote bump biceps could have done the job. He is such a great man. We LOVED spending so much time with family. We saw everybody for at least a day. I can't wait until the next time that happens. I am lame and only came away with these two pictures. I will take more next time.



Monday, August 27, 2012

Husband

Text convo:
Jordan: I just saw a guy wearing the same shirt as me.
Jamie: That's embarrassing.
Jordan: I know! If I have a class with him, I am dropping it.

I love my husband. He turned 22 on Saturday & we had so much fun celebrating! We went wake boarding with his dad and some friends and we also had a bbq put together by his mom. Here are a few recent pictures. One of my sunburn from wake boarding that doesn't look that bad, but I have been so itchy! I lotion all up but still wake up in the middle of the night frantically scratching.




Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Grumpy Jamie

     I have been grumpy lately. I still feel like I'm nice and fun to be around, even though i admit to being a grump. Isn't that silly? Jordan probably does not think so. I have been feeling sick and stressful things have been happening with my work and with Jordan's work and even with my calling. I'm terrible at cooking dinner consistently when I'm in a bad mood. My poor husband is so good to me and some days he says, "I'm trying to act weird to make you happy." It really does make me happy when my hunky guy does the dishes or does a silly dance on the way to the grocery store. Marriage is wonderful like that & I guess I stop being in a bad mood now:)

Monday, July 30, 2012

The Queen Mix Up

Last night I was woken up by Mr. Jordan standing over me. He seemed very concerned about something. I tried REALLY hard to figure out what he was saying, but it was around 2 am and everyone knows that is not my hour. He kept saying something about a queen being in his way. I remember thinking to myself, is my Queen album in our bed? After asking him to repeat himself many times I decided to get up, use the bathroom, get a drink and hopefully make since of it all. When I came back he was sleeping on his side of the bed. I was too tired to try to wake him up...............The next morning during or snuggles I asked the boy what he had tried to tell me. Apparently he was having a dream that we were King and Queen, and Queens ALWAYS sleep on the left side of the bed & I was on the right. Why didn't I realize I had mixed up the royal order? lol

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Groesbeck Family Reunion

My Groesbeck fam reunion is something everyone involved looks forward to. My grandparents have 9 children, so you can imagine it is a great time. This year was Jordan's first time invited & he loved it! We stayed at a big cabin near Manti. There were so many people we stayed it a tent. I really had a great time seeing everyone! We really missed my sister Jennifer and her family, though:(


Here are the few things I captured on my camera...

The snake Mr. Jordan caught. He just grabbed it by the tail and spun around in circles until he could grab the head to avoid being bitten. The snake constricted around his hand and was strong enough to cut off circulation. We calmed it down and played with it for quite a long time.



Pretty Kaci holding the snake.


We thought we would scare my mom, but she actually loved it. Kara, on the other hand, would freak out every time we took it close to her.

We borrowed a blow up water slide from Jordan's dad. It was SO much fun. The kids there loved it so much.

Cooper manned this water gun like a champ. He had little interest in the slide or being in the water.


This toy gun was his favorite. He played with it any chance he could. He even learned how to pump it and squirt innocent bystanders. He is a fun little nephew:)


It was such a fun reunion! I am so grateful for all of my family and the things they do to bring us together.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

A moment to vent...

I know my life is a rose, and possibly only has one thorn, but I will vent anyway. I'm sick of being so dizzy all the time. That is all. If any of you have experiences with low blood pressure/dizziness and can tell me how to fix it, I will love you forever. <3

Friday, July 6, 2012

Barnes & Noble

For our date activities, Jordan & I love to go to Barnes and Noble. It really is pretty awesome that I married a guy who shares my love of reading. You may think it's weird to go here to sit and read, but go to the Orem library and you will understand. They have NO books. If you want a specific book, chances are there is a 50 person waiting list and inquiring at the counter for assistance results in laughter from the employees. Hence, we go here until someone shapes up that dumb library or we move somewhere else. Today I finished Brandon Mull's second book in the Beyonder's series, Seeds of Rebelion. Then I started his book, The Candy Shop War's. Both are fabulous, fun reads. My reading partner is pretty handsome!


Friday, June 29, 2012

6 month celebration!

               For our 6 month celebration Jordan and I tried a friend recommended restaurant, Mama Chus. We love us some Mexican food, so we decided to take a chance. 
            When we pulled up, we almost doubted our decision, but decided not to turn around. We were pretty hungry.

       While we waited we ate the really spicy salsa. We tried to take a picture with a jalapeno chunk and I had my tongue out in a "this is spicy" manner, and the little punk named Jordan tried to put a massive jalapeno inside my mouth:( I may look amused, but I was not.

     Jordan was VERY happy that he could get two smothered burritos for about $8.


      Our frozen cake was basically a disaster. Jordan's dad was so good and tried really hard to preserve it for us. It just got very soggy and yucky. Our reactions tell a great story.





     Like I posted earlier, our marriage is a blessing & I enjoy every second of it. I am so lucky to have Mr. Zeus in my life. He is pretty amazing!