Christmas Traditions Will Have To Wait Another Year

Wow, Christmas completely crept up on me.  I meant to sew together a banner I made two years ago, but then my sewing machine's needle broke on Halloween and I haven't yet learned how to put in a new one.  We meant to put up lights outside Thanksgiving weekend, but then the snow came and now it's too late.  I meant to clear the two huge bags of Christmas decorations we didn't put up, instead it's just currently staring me in the eye from the corner of the room.  I meant to scour Pinterest for some inspiration for Christmas morning breakfast, but now I'm trying to figure out what I can make without having to buy too much additional stuff tomorrow.  We meant to do an advent calendar scripture and activity or gift every night... but then we sort of stopped around the 8th day of December.  We have a DIY gift still not finished (though we've been working on it for what feels like every night....).  We have gifts still unwrapped.  And we have gifts still left to buy.

We do have a Christmas tree up!  We do have some gifts wrapped!  We have been talking about Jesus and his birthday celebration.  We have been watching Disney Junior shows about Christmas (and Santa too though bahhh).  We have put up our Nativity scenes.

So we do have some stuff done!

Well...better luck next year Christmas.  Those traditions I'm trying so hard to put together once Jordan is old enough to recognize it... will have to wait another year.  So far the one consistent tradition we do have down is not really completing anything.. ha!

Reflections On Snow

As cold as it's been in Salt Lake, there is a certain amount of beauty that truly comes from it being a Winter Wonderland.  I find myself staring at the sparkle in the white snow that sits on top of our lawn.  I am lost looking at all the frosted branches outlined in freshly dropped snow or the snow capped mountains, with all its wonderful textures illuminated against the sunset.  Or the illumination of the white Christmas lights against the icicles underneath the fluffy snow on the rooftops.  And the other day, someone told my son to stare at the snowflakes he caught from the falling snow, and it was me who was enthralled by the wonder of design caught in these little specks they call snow.  Sometimes, I can be seen staring at the snowflakes caught in between my dual paned windows frozen in all its beauty and glory.  It's truly been quite captivating thus far.

But then I have all these questions.  Like how do people have funerals in the snow?  Or fix their roofs in the snow?  Or do construction in the snow?  Or what happens to the fish in ponds in people's backyards?  Or can an icicle kill you?  Or how many calories am I burning when I shovel the ordinance mandated sidewalks (thank goodness for our heated driveway)?  Or how does a snow blower work and when can I get one and how much will it cost me?  Sometimes I'm afraid to ask these questions outloud to the other Native Utahans (?) for the fear of how silly I'll sound.  How naive and unacquainted with the snow I have been thus far in my adult life, eh?

I like the snow here better than in Spokane, because here (so far), the sun comes out a long and it doesn't feel as gloomy.  The roads are also cleared a lot faster, even for us up in the mountains.  Here, the snow is plentiful and sparkles instead of laying dormant and blackened on the road (I'm sure it will be like that eventually).  Spokane was nice in the sense that there never was much snow, but I'm told that's just the overall weather this year - cold everywhere, even Sunny southern California where my brother shivered as he told me it was 40 degrees (how quickly he reverts to his California skin even after years in New York's bitter cold).

The Best Kept Secret of Salt Lake City

We've discovered the best kept secret of Salt Lake City (though the Yelp and Urban Spoon reviews would claim otherwise because everyone is already raving about it).... Bombay House who?  This place was good AND affordable... and they have an all you can eat buffet Monday through Saturday for less than $10.  Score!  Only drawback is that it's a bit far.. in the Valley of Salt Lake.  But the owner also has an Indian grocery store linked to it, so you know their ingredients are super duper fresh!  

What is this wonder I speak of?  Zabiha Grill!  This was one of the places on our Wasatch Savings cards (you know those fundraisers they have the kids sell) and boy was it a find and I am so glad we found it now and will have four more years to dine there!

We're not Indian, nor do we know much about Indian food and its authenticity but this place was beyond delicious based on our limited Indian food tasting experiences.  Everything was so deliciously flavored, fresh, and the service was exceptional.  The chef himself even came out to talk to us - it's a whole in the wall kind of place, so it feels very warm and personable.