I Am a Utah Man, Am I!

This holiday season has brought snow, cold weather, and a suprise! Yep, that's right a surprise! Parley and I are moving back to Utah right after the new year. We will report to Salt Lake City sometime on January 9th or 10th. Parley has accepted a new job offer with a company called Career Step based out of Provo. He is excited and anxious to start his new adventure and is looking forward to working with talented businessmen. With this new company, Parley will have to travel quite often, but after lengthy discussions we both feel and agreed that if he ever were to travel, it would be best for us to be in Utah for right now. Thus, we are making the journey back. We are excited to reunite with our family and friends for the time being.

Minnesota has been wonderful to us. We have met so many wonderful people and friends that will last forever. The members of the Maple Grove ward are amazing people and we are sad to leave them. We know we will always stay in touch with them. They have taken us in and have loved us and helped us become the people we are today. We will always be grateful for this time in our life together as a married couple, because of the impact our "new family" has had on our lives. Thank you to you all! You will be truly missed. Parley has been assigned the Midwest as his area of coverage, so we know we will visit often.

We are excited for the Christmas season and for all of the many blessings the New Year will bring. Merry Christmas to you all and Happy New Year!

Everything is Possible - Great video!

I found this awesome video on a friend's gmail status, of all places. The things these people can do are amazing! It must have taken them a TON of PRACTICE and NO FEAR. It's inspiring because it makes me think of what I can accomplish if I try hard enough and am resiliant. Watch the video, it's really cool! You'll have to pause the blog music at the bottom of the screen so that you can hear the soundtrack to the video.

They'll break your heart

Last night we went to the Jazz vs. Timberwolves game with our friends Ryan and Kylie Merrill. Parley and Ryan are BIG Jazz fans! When Parley and I were dating, we had to watch every game! We bought the cheapest seats we could but then just went down to sit in the lower bowl behind the Jazz bench. It was pretty fun when we were dominating, but after halftime it was rediculous to see them let the lowly T-Wolves back into the game and eventually win. Seriously, how do we lose to the 2nd worst team in the NBA? The Jazz need to play better on the road, but that's nothing new. It's frustrating, but I don't really let it ruin my night like it does for Parley. After the game we went back to Ryan and Kylie's new house and watched the end of a football game. They are fun to hang out with. We're thankful to be friends with them.

Here's our team. What's up with Deron William's new huge jaquar tattoo? That thing is ugly...I liked the "No Guts" and "No Glory" on his triceps much better. haha. These guys in the NBA are crazy with all their tats. There are a couple good new rookies on the team, but for some reason the main group hasn't been playing very consistent. Well, it's a long season and we're on pace to make the playoffs, but we need to get on it if we want to make a post season run. Go Jazz!

Catching up!

Wow... I think I am the worst blogger! Ha! I haven't blogged for a couple of months and so many fun things have happened. So... it is time to catch up, if y'all know what I'm saying. Here is a recap. The Fall season, which is now coming to an end since the last time I wrote, has been a short one. Actually, for a while there I thought we were going to skip Fall, (my favorite season of all time), and go directly to winter. Some days in October were a bit sketchy and freezing. It has even snowed a couple of times. Parley says, "you just have to compartimentalize the winter, which makes it easier to bear," I guess! What a character! I don't think any sort of mechanism is going to help this winter be more bearable... YUCK! I probably should start having a better attitude, because the winter might even be longer if I don't.

Let's see... October was full of all sorts of Halloween festivities. I even was able to throw Haloween party, with the help of our friends Patrick and Maria Tedjamulia. It was The First Annual Halloween Spooktacular! Thanks again guys! It was off the hook. So many people came. We had so much fun with all the decorations, games, and food. We even made a couple of Youtube videos, one of which stars the Maple Grove Single (Married) Ladies. You should check it out!

Parley went out of town the last week of October. Okay can you say, NO SLEEP! Yeah I didn't sleep one bit the entire week. It was my first time ever being alone in a new city. I was a little terrified. I made Parley stay on the phone with me the entire night one of those nights. He fell asleep of course and all I could hear was him snoring and breathing... which was not helping me one bit. Let's just say we didn't try that again! I think that was the longest week of my life! Our dear friends the Ayllons took me in and fed me a couple of nights. They are the best family. We have enjoyed so much meeting new friends, and a few in particular have become really close with us, which helps with all of the homesickness I seem to be having still.

Parley and I ventured out to see an apple farm again this year. Although, I think we had more fun last year. The weather which we thought was going to be good, ended up being really cold and overcast. We didn't stay long, it was just enough time to share a huge gingersnap and check out the craft boutique. I totally want to have my own boutique some day! How fun would that be! Halloween night was a blast! We went over to the Ayllon's home againg and watch the Utah vs. Wyoming game with our other friends Cameron, Wendy, and Miley Clark. Cameron and Wendy both went to Wyoming for their undergrad and Cameron actually played football there. We thought it would be so fun to get together and watch the game. Sorry, Cameron Wyoming is no match for the Utah Utes! We killed'um~!


Speaking of Utah Utes. They are 8 and 2! Not as good as last years record, but they are still a great team and we love watching the running Utes play ball. November has been filled with Utah football, which is the way we like it. The game against TCU, well I really have no comment on that one, other than Las Vegas Bowl, maybe? We got creamed! TCU is amazing this year, but it didn't help that one of our great Utah players is injured and that the game was played on TCU's home field either. All I can say is off to the Cougar Stadium to cream BYU. Look out Cougs, we're comin at ya! Parley I don't think has ever missed a BYU vs Utah game...ever! So guess what? We are making the trek back to Utah this weekend to spend the Holidays back home. Yep, we are driving. Well we really don't have another choice in the matter. My car's lease is up and it has to be turned back into the bank in December. We thought it would be better to drive out now rather than wait and drive in December when the weather is a lot worse. Road Trip!! Parley is dreading it, but I said we would have fun. I am going to read New Moon to him, which is the second book of the Twilight Saga! He and I watched the first one together a couple of weeks ago. In the need to be matcho, Parley just won't come out and say he really liked it. He says, "it was okay," with a huge grin on his face, and We All know and love that grin. Ha! I can't wait to see the New Moon movie with my sister. She is actually going to the mid night showing tonight, but she said she will definitely see it again with me when I get into town. Jacob is a Hunk-A-Hunk of Burning Love in this one!

What else... Oh I don't think I mentioned that I was deathly sick a couple of weeks ago too! I mean it was awful. I have never been that sick in my entire life. Well, maybe not my entire life, but as far as I can remember. I thought I had the big "SWINE FLU"... ha! But come to find out after waiting an hour and a half at the Urgent Care, I had what is called Viral Pharyngitis... yeah don't ask me what that is. I guess it is kind of like Strepp Throat, but not as severe. I wouldn't bring it up to Par, because it's sort of a sore subject... :)! Anyways, I had a fever of 102.4 for two days, my throat was swollen shut, my body ached like you wouldn't believe, and I couldn't get out of bed. After being sick for almost 5 days straight, I decided that I needed to go to Urgent Care. The doctor, bless his heart, said go home, drink lots of fluids, and get lots of rest. Duh... I could have told myself that! Really! Well I can't wait to see the bill! This will be classic!

Happy days are here again.. I am all better. We are excited to see our families and friends, to watch the big game, and eat lots of Gobble, Gobble! We haven't been back to Utah for four months. I think that is my limit. I can only go so long, ya know! I can't wait to see my nieces and sisters and brother, Mom and Dad, John, Diane, and Sam, and all our friends. I can't wait to get my hair and nails done too. It's going to be a great week. I think this about covers the recap. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Go Utes!

Another Season Has Begun!

Live with Dancing with the Stars! Fall isn't just for football fans, it is also for avid ABC watchers! All of my favorite shows are starting back up, one of which is Dancing with the Stars! From tonights episode, it looks like it is going to be another great competition. I am looking forward to the fun dances, stand up comedy, the bloopers, and seeing how the stars improve each week. I am a huge fan of Cheryl Burke. She could make anyone look like a pro. I also am looking forward to seeing more from Donnie Osmond and the pro dancer Ashley and her new snowboarding partner. There were some pretty neat dances tonight and some of the star dancers weren't too shabby. I always like to predict who is going to win from the very first episode, but I can't decide between two couples. It is going to be a close competition. Parley will have his Monday night football fix and I can have my dancing fix. Ha! FHE, Football, and Dancing with the Stars, what more can you ask for on a Monday night.

Awe The Weekend...

TGIF (Thank Goodness Its Friday)! I am so glad the weekend is here. Now that I am working at the Primrose West Plymouth school, I look forward to Friday nights, Saturdays, and Sundays. I love working with all the little pre-schoolers and the afterschool kids, but by the end of the week, I am exhausted. I really enjoy my job though and it is helping me to prepare to become a mom. This week has been a crazy week. Primrose is short handed so I have worked extra hours to help them out, which by looking at my apartment, it shows that I am a bit behind. Good thing I will have most of today and Saturday to clean it up. What a mess! Tuesday night I went out for a GNO (Girls Night Out) with some ladies in my ward. Boy, was I in need of one of those. Ha! We ate at Mongos Grill... so, so good! We laughed, talked, and enjoyed getting to know each other better. Thanks girls for a really great time! Parley has been studying every night for an hour or two. He is doing a great job. Keep up the hard work honey! Tomorrow is another exciting Utah game. Go Utes! They are playing Oregon. They are 2 and 0 right now and we are hoping they continue their winning streak. We love the "U" games. After the Utah game, Parley and I are going to be heading up to the Albertville Outlets. I've been wanting to go shopping there and check it out for sometime now. We have passed it a couple of times driving to various places and it looks to have really great stores. I love outlet stores because you can find awesome stuff for great prices.... Not only am I excited for shopping, but I get to spend quality time with my cute husband. Date night will have to be on Saturday. We'll eat at a nice restaurant and do a little shopping while we are out. We have quite the weekend ahead of us!

Go Vikings

If you can't tell already, we love sports. It's awesome to live in city with professional teams for all the major sports. Parley's friend has season tickets to the Vikings and gave them to us for their last pre-season game against the Cowboys. This was my first NFL game. I'm more of a college football fan, but this game was fun too. I have a pretty sweet picture of Tony Romo while he was standing on the sideline, but Parley said the only way I could post it is if I let him include one of Jessica Simpson...well, that's not going to happen so you'll just have to believe me that I saw him. The Vikings are off to a great start, winning their first game today. It's fun to have Brett Favre here in Minnesota since he is one of Parley's all-time favorite NFL players. Hopefully he'll help them have a good season. I dated Parley last fall, but since we were long-distance I didn't see how completely obsessed he is with the sport. I better work more on my hobbies because I think he'll be doing alot of football the next few months. If the pictures seem small, click on the collage to blow it up.

Baseball & Church History - we live great lives!

I'm doing the interview, but I think Angela's on-the-field reporting skills are getting pretty good! And she's even better looking than Erin Andrews! This is a great clip. It's so cute when she tries to describe these things and it's fun to teach her all about sports. This trip was awesome. We saw all the church sites down in Missouri; Independence, Far West, Liberty Jail and Adam-On-Diaman. The day we got down there we saw the Royals play the Angels. The Royals aren't very good, so there were no scalpers out selling tickets...we were in line to buy some and a couple in front of us turned around and gave us some for free. Now, that's clean livin'! ha. Our seats were in the upper level, but we sat instead about 15 rows up on the 3rd baseline and then moved down behind the dugout towards the end of the game. The Angels won in extras. I've been to alot of baseball stadiums but this one was one of the nicest. They've done some really cool renovations and have a huge screen center field that rivals the new Texas stadium's as the biggest in sports. Angela asked me if I had to give up watching either baseball or football games, what would it be...I couldn't answer because Utah football games would be impossible to give up, but I'm in heaven anytime I get to see a professional baseball game. It's one of my favorite things in the world. I've attached a few pictures from the game and the sights that we went to.

Angels/Royals game in Kansas City - beautiful park

This is in Jamesport, the small Amish community between Far West and Adam-on-Diahmen. This was a really cool place. We loved the drive through rural Missouri.
Far West, Missouri on the plot that was dedicated by Joseph Smith for a temple. Some day...
This is the view looking out over Adam-0n-Diahmen
Historic Liberty Jail

This is an exact replica of the jail, on the exact spot (the ground is the original cement). You can't see him very well from this angle, but the guy sitting on the floor is my 4th great grandpa, Caleb Baldwin. It was a very spiritual experience to be here and also really neat to learn more of my ancestor.

Looks confused, huh? This is the other church (besides the RLDS) that broke away when the Saints trekked west. It's on the original land that was bought in 1831 to build the Independence Temple, but then sold to these 2 splinter groups so could join the Saints in Utah. The LDS Church bought some of it back years later. The Community of Christ (RLDS), Church of Christ, and LDS church all have buildings next to each other on this block.

Dah Dah Dah Dah Daaaaah...GO UTES!

Another Utah football season is upon us. Parley and I love the fall because of the beautiful trees, the smell in the air, and most of all FOOTBALL...My favorite sport! The game vs. Utah State was a pretty good game and we are off to a great start. Hopefully the Utes will stay strong and finish again with a bang like last year. Victory! There is nothing better than dressing in your favorite Utah attire, gathering with friends, eating chips and salsa and watching a Utah game on t.v. Since we are not in Utah to go to any of the games, this is a very important tradition to uphold. We can't wait for another great game this coming weekend. We love our friends in the ward, but there are WAY too many BYU fans! :) That is never a good thing. We're lucky to have the Allyon's though, because they are die-hard Ute fans like us! BYU had an impressive win against Oklahoma, but it really doesn't matter because we will beat them again in November. We'll be in Utah for Thanksgiving weekend and Parley is going to that game. Go Utes!

Study Time!

It's time to get right down to it.. studying for the GMAT test. Parley has buckled down and started preparing for the ever so nerve wracking buisness school entrance exam. He has planned to hit the books for 2-3 hours, three times a week. He said this morning. "It is like running the Ragnar, even though training was so hard, practice made perfect, and I got through it just fine. I hope the same applies to the GMAT..." Way to go honey, that's the spirit! I am really proud of Parley for taking the time to prepare. He really wants to come out with flying colors and I know he will.

Ragnar

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We did it and we didn't even die! That's a SHOCKER. The Ragnar Race was a complete blast. We ran 3 to 4 times during the day, night, and then day again! We are crazy! I think my favorite run was during the wee hours of the morning. Can you say 3:00 am? Parley rode a bike right along side of me...he was my inspiration. He's amazing. We loved the enthusiam of our team and the support they gave each and every runner. It was so fun to run to the end of our long, hard legs and see our team cheering us on and waiting for us at the transition points. We want to do it again next year for shizzle! Thanks to our great friends and teammates from "Run MG" for making that 29 hours so memorable. We love you all!

GU?

Our big race is this weekend and we felt that we would need something to pick us up, give us energy, while we are running ourselves into the ground. Ha J/K! No, but really, people who have ran long distances suggested we try these gel packs to give us an extra jolt. Parley and I ventured out last night to purchase some packs. To our surprise, we found that there were 30 different kinds of gel packs. Who knew? We were in gel pack heaven. We grabbed a whole bunch of different kinds. We are curious of how much they will work. I guess we will see!

It's the BIG WEEK!

This week there is a lot going on, which I am excited for. First, it is the week of birthdays. My Mom's birthday is on Thursday August 20th. It is the first time I won't be in Utah to celebrate with her! :( I got her a really cute gift though! I hope she likes it. Happy Birthday Mom! Parley's birthday is on Friday the 21st. He will be 27 and he is not so sure he wants to turn 27! Ha! We will be running the Ragnar race on his birthday too. We will be celebrating it either before or after. I think after we will be dead, so I don't know how much celebrating you can do. I am going to try to make it as special as possible, considering the situation.

We are so excited to run the race. We have been training for it since we have moved out here to Minnesota. I am hoping that we can get through it. We ran about 5 miles, 3 times last Thursday and Friday, in 21 hours to see how it would feel and help train our bodies to get used to it. It was a killer, but we got through it. We are excited to spend time with our new friends and hope we will get to know them better.

Operation Slim Down...

After Parley and I run the Ragnar race, I am going to start over with the P90x exercise program. I am way excited to get going again. I did it before I got married and saw awesome results. It's time to slim down again and get ripped! P90x here I come!!

10K & Bear Lake

Here we are in the great Beehive State, Utah. This is our trip home over the 24th of July. We had such a fun time running the 10k, rock'n out to Kenny Chesney, living the dream at Bear Lake, guzzling down amazing raspberry shakes, and hanging with our friends and families. We love Utah and miss it very much! Dorothy put it so eloquently, "There's no place like home!"

The Amazing Toll House Pie!

I was so excited to find this recipe on the internet... It's the Do Do Restaurant's actual recipe! I am going to make it for Sunday dessert. Yummy!

Toll House Pie
from the Dodo in SLC; this recipe makes 2 pies
2 deep dish pie crusts crusts: 2½ c flour 2 t salt 1¼ c crisco ¾ c water flute the edges and make the edges thick Filling: 6 eggs 1½ c sugar 1½ c brown sugar 1½ lb melted butter 2 c flour 2 c pecans or walnuts 2 c chocolate chips
Whip eggs and sugars until thick and pale, non-glossy. Add butter and flour, let cool. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Bake @ 350 for 45 minutes Top will get hard and glassy-looking. Let sit on counter for 8 hours or in fridge. Serve @ room temperature with real whip cream.

*This actually makes two pies, I'm going to make one of course! Ha!

Cute Picture!

This is one of our favorite pictures. We took this in Boston over the 4th of July! We had such a great time there! We saw the Red Sox play in Fenway and we saw the 4th of July fireworks show over the Charles River. Parley got to see his brother Sam for the first time in two years after serving an LDS mission in Madagascar. We made fun family memories to last forever.

Our Wedding Day!

Coming out of the Salt Lake Temple...Just Married!

With my cute twin nieces Olivia and Vanessa

The Baldwins

The Van Leeuwen Family

Parley is already wondering what he got himself into...lol

Cutting the cake. I didn't think he would do anything, but Parley slammed it into my face. I got him back pretty good though, smearing it all over his cheek and up his nose!

We are blogging!!

The Parley and Angela Baldwin family have finally joined the ranks of the blogging world. I do have to say, it feels really good. I have been told that once you start to blog, it's kind of addicting. Isn't that the truth! I am already having so much fun. We are excited to post our photos, comments, and adventures for all of our friends and family to read, see, and enjoy.