What happens in Vegas - Stays in Vegas
(unless you have a blog and you don't feel guilty for anything you did and then you are happy to share)

Ok, so before I go any further I must make sure I clear something up, I was not surprised we were going to Vegas, we had planned it a few weeks before. (sorry if I misled) Jeff (yet still a superstar!) had a training meeting in Vegas for the weekend and extended the trip so we could have some time together.
So after arriving late in the afternoon we had a few hours before he had to go to a night meeting.

We went to Mario Batali's restaurant at the Venician. It was AMAZING, super expensive in my book, but amazing. I had these cheese ravioli's in a brown butter. I have no idea what brown butter means, almost burned? But I am going to figure it out, because they were yummy and had pistachio's in them.
Jeff felt bad he had to leave me all alone so we went to the lobby to what show was playing in our hotel. The Jersey Boys was there and starting in 30 minutes. I was pretty sure that we could not get tickets as I have waited 4 hours in line to get tickets in NY the day of a show.Luck was on my side. They had plenty of tickets (blame the economy). I am super cheap when it comes to buying tickets to a show. I like to get the cheapest ticket thinking that I am seeing the same thing as the person down front paying three times as much. (that is the Goodwill girl in me)
So Jeff bought me the $76.00 tickets in the back row. We said our goodbyes and I climbed the three flights of stairs to get to the nosebleeds to find my seat.
I walked in and there was a young kid seating everyone. I showed him my tickets and he said "Are you alone, just one ticket?" I said yes and his eyes said, "oh you poor lady!" He pulled me aside asked for my ticket and then wrote a new seat number on the back of my ticket. He said "I just gave you a new seat" I of course hugged his guts and told him it was my 40th Birthday and Thank you!

I then proceeded to my seat and discovered I was now sitting in those seats that were 3 times as much and on the 4th row center! I was in Broadway heaven.
I am the type of gal who like to go to the movies by herself so this was kind of dreamy. Everyone was all fancied up down there, glitter, sequences and tuxes. I was in my nose bleed attire, jeans yet I did have on my new scarf from Michelle so I was a little hip.
I had no idea who Frankie Valli was before I sat down. I knew this show had won a Tony for best Musical so I had high hopes. Oh my was I blown away. I fell in love with the music the history of their story and the fact I had no idea how it was going to turn out made it even better. Was Frankie Valli still alive? What happened to their group? I was hanging on every minute. My incredible seats made it even better. (yet I will still go for cheap seats)


I am adding the video of the montage of the Broadway show with the original cast in NY, just to give you a taste. If you ever have a chance to see it take the plunge you won't regret it.

After the show I hung out where I thought the actors may leave to go home. I saw the guy who played Franki Valli and then my favorite guy of the whole night came out. His name was Andrew Frace and guess what I did? you betcha - I attacked him. Well, in my way of attacking someone.
He was truly the star of the show and played Bob Gaudio. He was nice to indulge me and tell me his life story. I look forward to watching his career. He was amazing. (and yes I sent him an email to send to his Mom who is too afraid to fly and has not yet seen him in the show)


I am one who really never minds having some alone time so I enjoyed getting some Italian Gelato in my fake Italy and taking it up to my room to crash on the step down living room in our room and watch one of the three tv's.
This was a photo I took that night looking at my reflection out my room window which had a great view.

So far it was a great start to my weekend getaway!
Have you seen Jersey Boys? I would love to know your thoughts


**Rabbit photo on top was in one of the hotels as this year is the year of the Rabbit!

Jeff asked me what I wanted to do for my 40th Birthday and I said, "Go to Italy!" We had planned a trip a few years ago back, when the military paid for all our European flights, but ended up in Spain instead. I have dreamed of that trip to Italy ever since .

So this weekend Jeff drove me to the Denver Airport,
with the white Mountain peaks. I was excited.Everyone at the airlines was excited!

I had a incredible new scarf made by Michelle,
that made me feel hip and cool for our journey...And I couldn't believe it. It was just Jeff and I - alone. In a beautiful hotel

fabulous shops lined the canal where men in red and white shirts sang to you on a boat

We were both so happy and felt a million miles away

even if we were only at the Venetian in Las Vegas!


So far it has been a great weekend!

If you could go anywhere for your birthday where would you want to go?

Bean Class

This month for our women's organization at church someone taught a class on BEANS. Yep you heard right all about Beans.
With my calling in the Relief Society Presidency I am kind of obligated to go, which is great because I would never have chosen going to a Bean class.
It will go on the books as my favorite class of yet.
We had about 7 different dishes made with Beans
A new year's black eye peas multi grain dish
2 different tortilla soups
BBQ lentils made to mimic BBQ Beef - surprisingly good
and 3 different cakes made with beans.

Oh my! Oh so yummy. The chocolate cake was a regular cake mix and instead of oil it used black beans pureed to equal the amount of oil.
There was a pumpkin cake made with a White Bean - it makes the cakes super moist
Who knew.
I went to the store today and bought 10 cans of different beans that I am so excited to try.
My family HATES beans, so I am going to sneak them in anywhere I can

Have you ever tried Black Bean Chocolate Cake?

The Case of the Missing Blogger!

Wow just when I was thinking I was going to just forget this whole blogging thing, Jill goes and writes all that stuff about me, I get teary and have a interview with myself and realize that maybe that is what has been missing in my life.

So here is my story.

Once upon a time there was a girl living in Tennessee. She had 3 little kids and a husband who worked two full times jobs (by full time I mean 60 hours a week)
She was probably the most overwhelmed she has ever been in her life. Above is a common position with all three girls sleeping on top of her. Jeff must have come home from work once and found us like this. (you can see Caroline's feet popping out but she is covered by the blankets. How sad that Sally Jane is awake and was probably awake thinking "someone take care of me!"Her days were spent making piles of diapers all day long. She felt very lonely at times, but had an amazing support system of church friends and neighbors. She really missed seeing her husband.

Then one day her friend Jill taught her about blogging. She knew Jill was a great writer so she thought it was for only this with literary skills, but Jill convinced her that it was for everyone.
This was the post that gave her the itch to want to blog herself.which by the way she is a spitting image for the American Girl doll Julie, who represents the 1970's.
And so she began blogging. It was like she lost 10 pounds a day being able to share with anyone who would listen the ideas that would fill up her head day after day.

Personalized Valentine Post

And so this girl fell in love with blogging and would often post two times a day. She said a sad farewell to Tennessee and a big hello to our Nations Capital. All along blogging kept her mind moving and not so lonely. She explored Washington D.C. and the east coast and loved sharing her experiences, again with anyone who would care to read.
blogging was more than blogging for her. It was a listening ear, it was a motivator and gave her a avenue to try to new things.
She started running and running marathons. It was a serious miracle!
She did things she never believed she could do.

And then everything started to change. She and her family had to again say goodbye, to D.C., to free trips to Europe, to her church friends, her dreamy neighborhood, her beautiful Young Women at church, national monuments and friends that were no longer friends, they were now family.

Something started to just shrivel inside her. She slowed down on blogging, she completely stopped running, gained a ton of weight, missed serving in her church and wished she could skip Sunday's and was missing her old self.
She would love to say she moved into the home of her dreams, but even as big as this girl could dream, she had never dreamed that life could be this good or have a home so beautiful!
Every day life was wonderful. The friends gathered around her. The neighbors brought plates of goodies after plates of goodies. All was seriously perfect in so many ways.Kids came from every direction and wanted to swim, play, jump, eat and just flat out love us!


Life seemed perfect, but that blogger girl was the mourning the loss of her old life, old friends and her identity as being the girl who struggled to get by. Now life was smooth and she had no idea what to do with that. She could now shop at Nordstrom but felt much more comfortable at Goodwill.

And so now 6 months later she turns 40 and reads this post below from her friend Jill (the girl on the bike) and has no idea who she is writing about, it is as if it is a stranger. What that is not me?

she had planned her blog post thanking everyone all these years for being so amazing, welcoming and loving but that she would take her blog offline and begin the rest of her life, blog free.
These past few days this blog girl wonders why she ever thought to take what created the "real" her out of her life.

And so here is to the Second Half of my Life!

Taking the time to find the new me
cutting myself some slack
not being surprised when I get a compliment
taking the time to blog
welcome the easy times of life
embrace the tough times
letting others know my feelings still get hurt
taking care of me.

Here is to another 40!!!

This is the year that I (Jill) and many of my friends turn 40, and it's only fitting that Miss Everything Pink, Miss Kristi freakin Cutler is the first one of us to do so! So I give you a birthday tribute post full of things I know and love about Kristi.


She was born January 8, 1971 and quickly morphed into a very cute baby.


This is a picture of her with her favorite ever snowman cake on her 2nd birthday.

We became friends in 1989 in the dorms at BYU.

She is the most photogenic person I have ever known. I distinctly remember walking around her house looking at her wedding pictures and thinking "I really need to smile more". She transformed me!


She loves Vera Bradley fabrics and products and has many bags and accessories, and has given many to others (including a great wallet for me).


She has embraced her size 11.5 feet and often rewards bloggers with 11.5 yards of ribbon when they win one of her giveaways.


Speaking of ribbon...she is the queen! The 4 years they lived in Maryland put her close to a ribbon outlet where she visited regularly and was very good at sharing the wealth. She has kept me in ribbon for years!


She takes gorgeous photos (it was hard to pick just one) and took a lot of photos while taking walks on the beautiful trails in both Tennessee and Maryland.


She loves fabric and uses her brilliant creativity to sew clothing, purses and gifts.

She doesn't take herself too seriously.

She love the gospel and is always busy serving in her callings in the church. She is currently serving in the Relief Society Presidency, but has been the Young Women's President multiple times and served in the Primary Presidency as well. Needless to say, she's busy!


She loved their family's time living in Maryland and made sure they visited every museum and monument there! Most of the time this meant pushing a heavy double stroller with whiny kids in it.


She has logged thousands of miles with her double stroller!


She has a gift for finding fabulous things at Goodwill and garage sales!

She has run at least 3 marathons!

If you want to be inspired click on this link and watch the video from one of her marathons, it makes me cry every time.


She considers our Women's Conference Weekends her "new" year.


She's a super fun mom and is happy to host the entire neighborhood in her backyard, and supplies them with Popsicles too.


She is the monogramming queen and has serious skills with her embroidery machine.


Their family traveled all over Europe thanks to Jeff's free military flights and took their cute family to places most of us only get to dream of.


She is very generous and gives to other people all the time. This is a package she sent me for no reason back in 2008...it was awesome!


She started a blog with her friend Stacy where they could share their genius ideas with the rest of us.


She loves wearing white and owns many, many white skirts!



She is best friends with her look alike younger brother Ryan and is skiing with him today for her 40th birthday.


More than anything else she loves her family! She is a great wife and mother and does everything she can to make their lives comfortable, memorable and fun.

Happy 40th Birthday Kristi!!!!!!!!

**What do you love about Kristi?
How has she
influenced your life?**