a married new years eve.

it is new years eve. we have no exciting plans. i really haven't cared to think about it (maybe it is being sick that makes me not care.)

i don't think anything big will go down tonight. BUT, i am hoping we will get together with friends.. play some games.. talk about life. talk about new years resolutions we will not be able to keep, and maybe some that we will.

the only thing i know is that (i won't have to waste anytime trying to find someone to kiss) i will be kissing justylips at midnight!

this old house.

somewhere in the middle of nowhere we found an old house.

i couldn't resist snapping a few photos. it is crazy to think that used to be someone's home. i loved the rust, the rotting wood and ripped up mattress. they had quite the view... with nothing around to block their desert-scape.

merry christmas.

i will spend the morning talking to this guy. can't wait! i love him.

angel food fiasco.

i guess a box of angel food cake is harder to make than i thought.

i wish.

it would be nice to wake up in this room, in this bed....

can a room in a house be on a christmas list? if so, it is on mine.

a sign.

justin and i kind of want a dog (for like thirty seconds) then i think about potty training.. and really just the pain the whole deal would be. but then i think of cute puppies and want one again. so justin decided that if we should get a dog one will find us (yea.. whatever.) apparently his dog found them who found their cat. so he thinks this kind of stuff happens. (i would not be okay with a stray.. because the whole point of getting a dog is to have a cute puppy!) ANYWAY, i think i have gotten my sign. i have almost run over two dogs in a week. it seems like the only puppies finding me might find themselves stuck to my tires.

i wish christmas this year was a big deal to me (i am sure i will be sad when it is over.) but seriously EVERYONE has asked what my big plans are for our FIRST christmas together... embarrassed, i have to say 'nothing.' i finally had my mom find a two-foot tree that we finally bought lights for tonight. as in a week before christmas. i once had visions of a decorated house, but the time and effort involved haulted the fruition!
i have a holiday candle. it has yet to be lit. the lights on my dinky tree have not been turned on. i have baby-size ornaments sitting next to the tree. gifts unwrapped in the basement. it may as well be July in my house.
i promise next year i will be better. i am going to buy decorations once they go on sale. maybe if i have all the stuff i will actually put it up!
by next year i hope i will have called the chimney cleaner so we can have a fire. stockings up, a real christmas tree (okay maybe not real because i don't want to clean up the mess) but a DECENT size tree. ornaments, lights, holiday cookies and hot cocoa.
on the decorating front i have ruined our first christmas... at least there is always next year!

and one year is plenty of time to up ideas.

254 pounds later.

the toffee orders have been made, boxed and delivered. i know have my life back!

i want to see it again.

kate turns two.

mom - kaf- kath- mimi-bugs

happy birthday mom!

i am glad we were able to spend a cold, rainy day in palm springs together! i wish i could beat you at dominos and scrabble. i wish that when i bought pants i had the problem of them being too short rather than a foot too long. i wish that our toffee was on martha stewart and not toffee that tastes ng (no good)! i wish you a happy, happy birthday.

i love you. i am glad you are my motha!

xoxo tar

thanksgiving.

this year thanksgiving didn't quite feel like thanksgiving. maybe it was because i didn't have to wake up to the smell of turkey roasting in the oven (very thankful for that.) or because it was warm in las vegas. or because we had a small crowd to feed, justypie, my parents and me. or because the jw marriot was booked out for dinner, and every other restaurant was serving a 'special' thanksgiving menu. when your first choice is dark or white meat... mcdonalds starts to sound pretty tasty. had mcdonalds been open i think i would have gotten a filet-o-fish. but, it wasn't. we found a papa johns and a panda express ( i don't think you can add turkey to chinese or pizza... something i was thankful for this year.)

i didn't know this but apparently my mom doesn't think panda is that bad and was ready to eat there... but justin piped up and said he would rather eat a mayo sandwich than panda. so papa johns it was. delicious. nothing like eating pizza in a hotel room and watching lock up.

water on the moon.

i will preface this story with the fact that i have always hated space. i think it stems from second grade. Alphabetically i was between two scotts. they loved space. they wore stained shirts with galaxies and planets in orbit. they also always wore sweatpants. pudgy kids should not wear sweatpants. i thought they were weird. so naturally i thought space was weird.

this all brings me to last night. justin and i were driving to fashion place and i brought up the fact that water was found on the moon. so, i asked justin if people actually want to live on the moon. he told me yes in a round about way... i even learned that people are willing to die to go to mars.. they are willing to die because apparently any trip to mars is a suicide mission because there is no way home. i was in utter disbelief. some people are nuts! but, back to the moon. i explained to justin that there may be water on the moon... but there are no trees! how would people build things?... i am serious.. who would want a house that looks like a rocket. how would they even stick to the moon? and doesn't the whole moon look the same. so you just pick the prettiest crater and that is your 'view.'

obviously the moon is some peoples cup of tea. it will never be mine. i am thankFUL for the earth. and i like gravity.

the guac queen and other weekend meals.

my first free weekend in a long time was jam packed with dinner parties! cyndi came in town.. so we had a feast and game night at the quists. it seems like i haven't seen them in forever. they are still fun! cyndi seriously made the best guac and salsa i have ever had. it was so yummy... i wouldn't mind some right this second. and of course she made her famous cookies. i love hers more than mine.. even though i make her recipe. i guess food just tastes better when all you have to do is show up and eat. marilynn's fruit trays always deserve a shout-out... justin calls me a fruit bat... and if i really were a fruit bat i would request to reside with marilynn. her fruiting skills are incredible. and coleybug is cute, big and charming. he talks so much. my dad taught him to have dinosaurs bite my mom on the bum.. cute dad... let's hope he doesn't do that to the girls in his play group! mexican train dominos is a game all should play for a good time. thanks quists! you sure know how to throw a party.

saturday was moving day. well kind of. we have one couch {actually in our living room and dining room there are three extra couches... with no homes.. leaving us no space} that we are trying to move... and it will not fit through any door in our house.. so we figured off to grandmas it would go... turns out after an extremely valiant effort that it would not fit there either.. so back to our house it comes. so, i pretty much have couch claustrophobia. on a happier note justins brother nathan and his wife came and surprised his family. he recently moved back to the US from italy. they are living in vegas. i think justin is happy to have his brother close again. there was a bbq at dave and jess' last night.. it was fun to sit by the fire and chitty chat with the gang.

on sunday i decided i should have a birthday dinner for my dad.. since i didn't get him anything for his birthday. i came up with a yummy appetizer that all should try.. {bacon, blue, cheese and caramelized pear on french bread.. toast them till the cheese melts.} and a chocolate bundt cake, with bananas foster and coffee ice cream. delicious.. and filling... but then toffee time it was. we got six of the 180 pounds made. i think we will have more toffee days ahead. on a side note.. i think i have the best mom and dad... they are great friends to have. and i am glad i am an only daughter so i get them all to myself ( you know what i mean.. in the girly ways...)

hope everyones weekend was as tasty as mine.

bad hair cuts and laundry.

i am a week late but last saturday i came home to a clean house and my seemingly sweet husband in bed taking a nap. i wanted to wake him because i hadn't seen him all day. i look at his {usually} cute little face... and he was "sleeping" with a hat on.. how odd. turns out he wasn't asleep.

justin: "don't be mad."

taryn: "huh."

justin: "don't be mad. i did six loads of laundry.... it was a mistake."

taryn thinking: {he bleached all my clothes.... no remove the hat... Shock, HORROR, i left curlylocks and came home to baldy!} "you look like demi moore in GI jane!"

justin: "it was a mistake.. i am mad too"

you betch your buns it was a mistake. a mistake we will live with for the next six months. lucky us.

tuesday delight.

today was a good day.

i woke up about an hour before i usually do... leaving me plenty of time to sip hot chocolate and surf the web.

lunch @ rio with these cute ladies, plus linds, my mom

and dad. kiko is fun and funny. she likes black beans and is

more than happy to dip her way through a meal. grandma is always a pleasure. she makes me laugh and always has some good, witty advice. she will stick with the salad

at rio... the usual for her is better than the adventure of coconut shrimp tacos.

work went by fast. and i mean real fast. i guess an unlimited supply of candy helps. i didn't eat so much candy when i used to diet coke... but i guess you win some, you lose some. candy is more tasty.

indian for dinner. too spicy for me... i guess if i could eat rice i could have handled it... if your chutney went moldy like mine, apricot jam kinda works.

to top it all off coffee ice-cream for dessert.

i wish for more days like these...

happy birthday pops!

i hope you had a fabulous birthday. i am sorry you had to work all day and pick out cabinets... you should have gone golfing. i am also sorry that justin was the only one who actually knew your age. no matter how old you are, you still have great hair. (apparently that is one of dave's favorite things about you... who knew) it is not one of my favorite things... i mean i like your hair, but i love how you can make me laugh. and how you try to make me stop crying in front of homeless people at maccas.

i love you.

xo,

Bear

happy halloween.

i hope your holiday is filled with extra treats...

there is nothing like a cold snowy night in october

and homemade cinnamon rolls.

fall and winter collide.

the first snow fall left our leaves covered in white fluff and my toes-ies freezing.

halloween hasn't even come and gone and there is already peppermint ice-cream in stores! we bought our first of many cartons. it is beginning to feel like christmas.... in october.

kiko cuteness.

all dogs go to heaven.

joey was the best puppy i have ever had. i will miss the little guy. no other dog loves lettuce and carrots like he did. as my grandma once said, "he has lived a good life... he traveled a lot." unfortunately, i doubt dogs care about going on trips. but he did. he and i have a lot in common.. born in illinois, lived in new york, lived in australia, lived in utah... he was a world traveler. i will miss his little face. he made me happy for twelve years. he bounced like a rabbit and pranced like he was royalty.

i told justin we cannot get a dog. i don't like when they die. my children can have a hamster or a fish.

p.s. sorry i wasn't there when you died. i couldn't handle it.

the day i turned 24.

justin spoiled me... and so did my parents.

i was a lucky girl on october 8th.

attempting.

i am trying to do some cute fall decorations. in hopes that trick-or-treaters might come to the door! i started with the outside... any suggestions for inside???

i'll take one in an 8X10.

dear justin, if you were planning on spending $898.00 for my birthday, please purchase this cute thing from anthropologie.

xo, wifey.

snow. hail. rain. what happened to fall?

this weekend was seriously freezing. fall was skipped all together. i hate that. i hope it warms up before winter strikes. it snowed in park city. yuck. not a lot... but any snow in october is too much for me.

luckily my spirit was warmed by hot chocolate and my dads delicious french toast.

i worked so much this weekend helping my parents pack up the house for the remodel. i had a lot more stuff up there then i thought. now the containers are patiently waiting in my kitchen to be put away. i think tonight is the night. i can't reach the microwave and hot chocolate maker.. two essentials in my morning breakfast routine.

on sunday we had a carmel apple making marathon. 37 apples in one afternoon. they always turn out so pretty with my moms special touches. we tried a new apple rolled in pretzels. quite delish. justin learned that making tasty delights is not very easy. his hands started to cramp... obviously he needs to work with his hands a little more!

(notice how jake is holding his new baby girl... i love it!)

sevens.

sometimes things come in pairs... other times they come in sevens.

on monday dave informed me that he will be home in seven months. that brought a little smile to my face.

october marks seven months of marriage... which has flown by. let's hope the next seven months comes and goes just as fast.

seven days till my birthday. yikes. 24.

my favorite 'seven deadly sins' is gluttony. i could seriously indulge in some sweet and satisfying treats right about now.

seven places i have never been and would love to go: greece, turkey, egypt, thailand, switzerland, croatia, and havasupai

the seventh day of the week is my favorite.

seven things on my mind... what to make for dinner?, picture frames, should i go back to school?, curtain fabric, snowcapped mountains... pretty, but really??, when will justin be home?, fruit salad

seven things i would rather be doing.. than sitting at work (it will be hard to narrow this down.. i could just go with anything!) in a warm bed reading a good book, catching up with a friend over hot chocolate, baking a masterpiece.. in the form of cupcakes, holding hands with justin on the beach in a land far, far away, watching a good movie at home on the couch with lots of blankets, visiting australia, finding a hidden treasure that i can't live without

seven foods i love: cherries, red peppers, sprinkles, apples, pasta, feta cheese, and coffee flavored anything

it's official.

finally, after how many months of marriage i changed my name. if i knew how easy it was i would have done it a long time ago!!

xoxo mrs. leBell

fall. falling. fallen.

eight reasons i love fall:

1. warm days and crisp nights

2. pretty orange, red and yellow leaves falling

3. boots and sweaters

4. soup

5. hot chocolate for breakfast and dinner

6. carmel apples

7. pumpkin seeds

8. cuddling to stay warm

once all the leaves have fallen... winter comes. there is only one thing i like about winter... it always ends.

when i have a garden.

i hope to have one of these beauties in it.

hungry eyes.

he may have had his last dance... but he will always be the best dirty dancer.

plates, plates and more plates.

i am now on the hunt for plates... i want them all. but, i think i would want to eat off them.. anyway thanks for the cute idea found here.

our weekend in a nutshell.

friday: hunted for the perfect granite with my mom then dinner with the mendenhalls, thorntons and fryers.. followed by dessert at the mendenhalls. ashley makes a delectable chocolate cake! p.s. dear baby mendenhall please come out so we can all see your cute face!

saturday: work out with jdog, pedicures and nordstroms with some fun girls.. ker, jo, kel, whit and baby charlie then up to park city to peel peaches. i also ATE a hotdog... well half of one. i seriously cannot remember the last time i did that... it wasn't bad.. but the thought of them makes me sick. my mom promised they were all beef with no fillers... but really what does that mean?? a hot dog is a hot dog.

sunday: i love sundays and sundaes.. my mom had a craving for marshmallow brownies.. they are delish.. we went and saw the yeah yeah yeahs what another perfect sunday treat. they were great.. only karen o could wear a onesie with tiger stockings.



summer is ending.. i can feel fall coming. on the drive to park city some of the leaves are starting to change.. bye bye summer... hello fall!

spontaneous.

on friday night justin walked through the door and said, 'we should go somewhere.' he threw out ideas like vancouver and san francisco.. we settled on vegas due to our time crunch. with a BIG help from the littles we got a room at the jw marriott in las vegas!

we had so much fun.. it was so nice to just get away on a whim!

we soaked up the sun

we atE at YUMMY places

shopped

... we also ...

did this...

lost a dollar on the slots

and saw this...

yes, that is a goat!

thanks justin for a fun weekend.. i thought we might get bored... twelve hours in the car just the two of us! didn't happen, and that's one of the many reasons why i love your sun-kissed face! xoxo

six months.

many people say that their wedding day was the happiest day of their life. i think i am the luckiest girl in the world because i have had six months worth of happy days. i can't believe how time flies and love grows... i guess that happens when you marry the sexiest man alive! i love you justypie!