Love It, Hate It, 2008 It.

Happy New Year's Eve, folks! On this, the last day of 2008, I'd like to share with you some highlights and...anti-highlights (does that make sense?) from this year. I'll veer from the obvious as much as possible, but some were too monumental (or controversial) to exclude from the list. Heeeeeeeeere we go!

HATE IT!
10. Tyra Banks.
I cannot believe anyone can be so self-absorbed and not recognize it. Or can she?
9. Flakiness.
"We should get together sometime!" "Let's get together soon!" "We really need to catch up!" "I'll give you a call!" I can only do so much. Call me when you're serious.
8. Dairy Products
Okay, with the exception of milk, I LOVE most dairy products. But after discovering my stomach pain is directly correlated to dairy consumption, I've discovered I'm lactose intolerant. This has MAJORLY cramped my style at the Starbucks counter, but I suppose it's better than a cramped tummy!
7. The Happening.
This is the stupidest movie of all time. Yep, I said all time. It's The Crappening, and I'm thinking about calling M. Night Shamamama for my money back.
6. Things brushing against my fingernails.
Difficult to explain, but interesting nonetheless. It's the feeling of a sheet (or something) squeaking across the nail. This has NEVER bothered me before this year- why does that happen?!
5. Substitute Teaching
I wouldn't say I HATE it, but it has much more negative pressing against it at this point in time. I miss having colleagues, routine, and a place to put my stuff down.
4. Dogs
I'll say little about this, other than "I'm TRYING!!!"
3. MTV
I'll qualify that by saying I'm disappointed with the depravedness of television in general. MTV just happens to SCREAM disgustingness all the time. How did we let this happen?? I shudder to think of how much farther they'll let it go...
2. Cold Weather
Suiting up, freezing nostrils, numb appendages, watery eyes, icy roads....overrated.
1. Being away from friends and family.
You know who you are.

LOVE IT!
10. Guacamole
2008 was the YEAR of guacamole for me. I was making it and eating it like it was my job. But I soon moved on to other dipping delicacies...Parmesian Artichoke, Garlic Aioli, Nacho Cheese, Peanut Butter Carmel...what can I say? I'm a dipper.
9. Fleece
That's right- I'm throwing fashion to the wind. It's like wearing a blanket, and I'm okay with that.
8. Marley & Me
Adorable movie! Chris and I BOTH enjoyed it- and that's pretty rare. SEE...I TOLD you I'm trying!!!
7. Lincoln Aviator
We're both having a bit of a love affair with the new car, but Chris gets REALLY excited when the Navigation "lady" talks to him. I'm beginning to feel threatened.
6. The People's Court
Ah, back in my unemployed days, Judge Milian kept me good company.
5. Hillsong United
We love blasting anthems like "The Stand,""Mighty to Save," and "Inside Out" on our premium sound system. Did I mention we got a new car? ;)
4. Facebook
SO much better than hours on the phone. Love it or hate it, it's still a convenient way to keep in touch. AND, I've converted almost all my friends! Only one more hanging on to myspace, but she's losing her grip...
3. Vineyard Church, Duluth
After months of church hunting, we finally landed on one that feels like home. Chris and I are really excited about getting involved and meeting new people as 2009 rolls in.
2. Family
I speak of new and old. It's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I miss hugs from mommy and daddy very much. I'm extra thankful for the Stavengers, who continue to make me feel like part of the family. There's lots of love everywhere, and I'm grateful!
1. Marriage
It's absolutely the biggest blessing in my life. I can't even imagine my life without Chris. Fortunately, I don't have to! 2009 will be another exciting adventure.

Happy New Year to you, and thank you for your faithful readership!

Anatomy of the Double Date

For a while now, we've been hoping to meet some young couples that are fun to hang out with. Since moving here, I've felt like my current friends are more like CHRIS' friends with whom I tag along. It would be really nice to find some neutral friends that can get to know us as a couple. Our church's associate pastor and wife were very kind to invite us over for a yummy steak dinner, and we're excited to meet more people at their New Year's get-together. We've been playing in sports leagues with Chris' colleague, Josh, and I got talking with his wife at his Christmas party- so we planned a double date! We had an awesome time bowling and dining this week.

It's interesting doing date night with another couple. It's kinda like going on a date with them. Will it click? Will it be awkward? Would we want to repeat the experience? And at the end of the night, you find yourselves saying "we had a great time...let's do it again soon! We'll call ya." Having no history with anyone here is a little weird, but we're making it work. The potential is exciting!

I looked up some other fun double date ideas:

*Go on a digital photography spree downtown (especially fun when holiday decor is up). Each person can take artsy pictures, and you can sit down at a cafe with some hot chocolate to view the others' pictures.

*Take a drive out of town. Find a place to hike or picnic.

*Try a restaurant with a very different cuisine. Order family style.

*Dinner and a movie with a twist: make dinner or appetizers that relate to the movie. If it's a french film, make french food. If food is part of a scene in a movie, replicate it.

Are you a double dater? If so, share your ideas!

What To Do, What To Do....

The days are cold.
The schools are out, which means no work for me.
The laundry is done.
The cleaning is done.
This is a time for....

NETFLIX!

Stephen and Stephanie hooked us up with this thoughtful gift for Christmas, and our first movie arrived today! I'm really excited about having this service- now I don't have to the jenky tanning salon/video store! And, though there is a RedBox location at our grocery store, the stupid machine has screwed us in the past by being "too full" to return our movie. Anyway, Netflix was a welcomed surprise.

First up on the list...The Illusionist.
Thank you, Stephen and Steph! We will enjoy our "breaks from all the lovin' during these crazy cold months!"

Mission Accomplished.

I caved. We opened gifts on Christmas Eve. It was weird. Thankfully, Santa visited during the night, so this morning we had plenty to open and enjoy. Last night, though, was what I had been waiting for...I got Chris a Wii system that I KNEW he would LOVE. We also had many gifts to unwrap from California- lots of snuggly treats! THANK YOU!

It won't be in the box for long...guaranteed!

I LOVE my new robe and Seatbelt Bag!

Chris quickly wrapped up in his new robe and pajamas.

Apparently, it's exhausting opening gifts. This one was so tuckered out, he fell asleep on the couch.

When Traditions Collide.

Merry Christmas! I hope that you've had a wonderful day, celebrating the birth of the Savior with those you love. We are so grateful for all He has provided for us and the way that He is governing our lives. Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Since we weren't able to travel this Christmas, we're enjoying the day together. It's our first Christmas MARRIED, and our first Christmas TOGETHER...ever! And, we've been reminded that we may never be able to enjoy Christmas ALONE again, so we're savoring the holiday.

With that being said, we discovered that our families have very different Christmas traditions. Now comes the joy of figuring out which will work best for our family. Here are the options:

Stavenger Christmas:
*Attend Christmas Eve candlelight service
*Read Christmas story from Scriptures
*Open all gifts in the evening
*Open "Santa" gifts Christmas morning
*Enjoy Christmas day family feast

Petersen Christmas:
*Christmas Eve caroling
*Christmas Eve party at friends' house
*Attend 11 p.m. "midnight" service at Church
*Gift exchange with friends
*Open ALL gifts Christmas morning, including Santa's
*Enjoy Christmas day family feast

So the major question seems to be...when should we open presents? When it's DARK out or when it's LIGHT out?

Out with the Old, In with the NEW!

We recently sold Chris' car, which enabled us to purchase a 4-wheel drive vehicle that we desperately needed! So, after months of perusing auto malls and listings, we found ONE that we both REALLY loved- a Lincoln Aviator. This one was a pre-owned 2005 model with less than 30,000 miles on it...and it was TRICKED OUT! With the navigation system appealing to Chris, and the heated seats appealing to ME, we kept our fingers crossed that it would still be on the lot when we traveled to Minneapolis last weekend. It was a terrible day to car hunt, and we could barely recognize it under a thick layer of snow, but it was there waiting for us! Now, we're having LOTS of fun playing with our new "toy"!

Giant Singing Mice and Cardboard Pizza.

Have you figured out what I'm talking about yet? That's right...I forgot to mention that we also paid a visit to Chuck E. Cheese- per Marcus' request. Ah, one can never get sick of feeding tickets into the ticket-counting machine (remember the days when we actually had to COUNT them?) and picking out a new piece of crap to cherish for about half an hour.

Can't you just feel the love?

Obviously, 4-year-olds aren't the ONLY ones having fun at "the Cheese"!

A Bit of Stavenger Christmas

We had a wonderful trip back to Moorhead last weekend to celebrate an "early" Christmas with Chris' family. While in town, we enjoyed a hockey game, dinner with friends, a big 'ol family feast, and a gift exchange. We didn't venture out of the house much because the weather was, well- for lack of a better term- FREEZING! But that was fine with us...time for some R&R and family fun. Here are a few glimpses into Christmas with the Stavengers, 2008:

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Mallory gets her first piano lesson, along with "pony," of course.

Quickly becoming a ritual, Marcus inquires about EVERY present.

The whole family together. Obviously, there is some funny business going on between my husband and Eric- would either of you like to comment on that?

It's Too Late to Appeal to Santa...

...but this ottoman coffee table is making me salivate. Pottery Barn clearance catalogs are VERY dangerous!

I'm Proud of All My Friends Today.

Hello, friends.

I bring you tidings of great joy. If you are an avid T.V. viewer, you might happen to stumble across some of my good friends gracing your tube in the coming days. I thought I'd give you a "heads-up" so you can feel connected to the entertainment world as well!

First, for you "The Hills" fans, my dear friend and songbird, Shannon Curtis, has a beautiful song featured during the "farewell Whitney" scene on this weeks episode. So, when you feel abnormally moved as Whitney is saying goodbye to Lauren as she moves to New York, it's probably because of the background music. (If you miss the original airing, don't worry. MTV will re-run it 24 hours a day for the next week.)

Secondly- on a more obscure program- my friend and drummer extraordinaire, Blake Paulson, will be playing with his band, Porcelain. It's a new reality show on TLC called "Get Your Face On/Napoleon Perdis," and it's about make-up artists competing to be Napoleon's protege. This episode airs Wed, December 17th- check your local listings for the time.

Finally, I have to give throw-back props to my friends Keith and Liana Dickson, who ROCKED on TLC's "Over Our Heads" a couple weeks ago. Liana looked "cute" and Keith was impressive as a carpenter/designer.

YOU...
Have your "15 minutes of fame" come and gone?
Do tell!

'Tis the Season for Good Movies

There are SO many movies opening Christmas day, but none that I want to see more than THIS one:

Yes, yes...if you've been following along, "Marley and Me" is another installment in the "change Jamie's affinity for dogs" saga. So far, I've been to visit puppies, read books, heard testimonials...and I'm still stuck on odor and licking. Anyway, before you start hating me again, I'll stop talking about it.

Other movies premiering on Christmas:
Valkyrie
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Bedtime Stories
Seven Pounds
The Spirit

I'd really like to see the first three.
How about you?

Jr. Highers are Stupid, #2

I took this note from a boy who had been working on it about half the period- obviously, he failed to complete his assignment. After class, he came up to me and said very casually, "I'm gonna need that note back." "Why?" I asked. "I need it for the bus." "Like, they won't let you on the bus without it?" "Yeah," he replied. "Tell you what," I said, "You give me the assignment you owe me, and I'll give you the note I owe you." He quickly realized I was business and threw in the towel. After school, I read it and realized why it was so "important"....

I know I have my flause and that I'm not perfect. But I hope that you can look past that and give me one chance to be your boyfriend.
Check one: Yes ____ No ______

Oh dear...I may have ruined his love life 4EVER!!!

Jr. Highers are Stupid, #1

Most of the sub jobs I've had recently have been as a Jr. High note confiscator. Unfortunately for them, they don't know that I come prepared with eight eyes and quick hands. Some are amusing, some are disturbing. Either way, they thought they could slip that little paper across the room, and they were OWNED by Mrs. Stavenger.

Since I'm currently having some "creative blockage", I decided I'd share some of the gems with you and let the blogs write themselves. I'll type them just as they're written, though I've omitted some of the names.

Student A: What's wrong with _______ looking like that? lol
Student B: I think ______ is an imo kid, but idk
Student A: imo kid? lol
Student B: maybe he got rejected by somone I know ____ likes ______.
Student A: hmm...maybe. Isn't ______ going out with ______though?
Student B: Ya...maybe he asked somone else out ______ look sad. :( NOT
Student A: Whaaa? lol who looked sad?
Student B: _________. Maybe he as a hangover, ha. Maybe _____ is haveing a crash after getting high...idk...lol.
Student A: maybe...meth and vodka can do that too ya.
Student B: Its for sure, its a hangover I agree! ...you would know wouldn't you!
Student A: Ya...I got drunk too but it was his first time doing it so I'am used to it, but he...he is really screwed the rest of the. day.
Student B: Yea. I read about that...ya gota eat some food to make the high go away. They yerrr gunna crash and sleep 4EVER!

Ughh.
Watch out parents...this is Jr. High today.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

You know, I still have pictures yet to blog from Thanksgiving, but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed...so I think I'm going to move on to the Christmas season (if you're on Facebook, you can check out the Stavenger Thanksgiving festivities there!). First, I got a great idea from my friend Christopher, and added a cool feature to my blog page. That inspired me to make a few more changes and, well, the result is very Christmas-y! (If you're reading on a blog reader, be sure to stop by the real blog and check it out!)

Our Christmas tree and lights are now up, and I LOVE it. Now, if only we had a fireplace to make it REALLY cozy!

Advent Conspiracy

I'm sure many of you have already seen this video, as it's been making the rounds in many churches. For those who haven't, here is your chance! It's a powerful commentary on Christmas consumerism...check it out:


Which part is most powerful to you?

This May Be the Stupidest Thing I've Ever Done.

Hi folks! It's not Thanksgiving anymore?? I didn't get the memo! (nervous blush) It's FULL-THROTTLE winter here now- Chris is out with the snow-blower as I type. It's beautiful, but I'm a VERY nervous driver in the snow and ice. Sometimes I feel like I'm riding "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" (you Disneyland frequent-ers will know what I'm talking about), the way my car jerks back and forth on the snow. And, of course, it takes me 20 minutes to "suit-up", just to go out and get my mail. Freaking cold.

As a former Californian, you can imagine that I don't carry the fondest affections for the chilly weather. That's why I'm wondering if signing up for a winter BROOMBALL league was a bad idea. Maybe I just want to prove that I'm not so sissy. I don't know. In retrospect, it probably wasn't my brightest idea. Our annual Crosswalk Broomball games didn't go so well for me. Not only did I NEVER score, but I walked away with some pretty hardcore bruises. (In the words of Ross Gellar, "I bruise like a peach!")

For those of you not familiar with the sport of broomball, I included a picture for you above. I made the following observations about this picture:
1) It shows off the fancy helmet/faceguard that will save me from permanent brain damage.
2) Like our league, it is outside. The difference is: we'LL be playing at night. EVEN &$%#* COLDER!!
3) The boys in the picture are wearing very expensive broomball shoes. Chris and I aren't THAT committed- I'll be sliding around on UGGS that I hope to get for Christmas (hint, hint...), which also means that
4) This is probably the position I'll be in for most of the game (that is, when I'm not hiding inside by the fireplace).

You think my griping about playing volleyball in the rain was bad?
Just wait.