STAR TREK

Okay, so here is my review on Star Trek. Just for a little background, I really can't stand science fiction. I know that's really closed-minded of me, but it's just one of those things. Like Drew can't stand Amy Adams after a couple hours of watching her act, ya know? Some things just rub ya the wrong way.

I definitely get rubbed the wrong way with sci-fi. (Which is kind of funny, because at BYU, I volunteered and helped with the science fiction journal there...hmmm.) ANYWAY, you get my point. Drew likes Star Trek. And Magic cards. Sooo, I was a little hesitant to watch the new Star Trek because 1. The whole sci-fi problem, 2. I don't know a LICK about Star Trek, 3. I don't want to feed Drew's nerdiness.

It was an okay movie. I didn't mind watching Chris Pine for 2 hours (although he kinda has a large forehead). And I like Zoe Saldana; she's a good actress. But aliens and stuff...too much like Star Wars--which I really don't enjoy. But the story line was pretty easy for me to follow as a non-Trekkie and there was action and romance, so it held my attention. I think what helped, too, was that we watched an hour and then a couple hours later we finished it up. We had to watch the debate for the Texas governors race.

I give it a B+. No, maybe an A-. Yeah, an A-.

Thursday's Craft

I got this clipboard at Elizabeth Barboza's AMAZING scrapbook sale:

and made it look like this for Luke's room:

Just Stuff

Just some stuff that has happened recently:

I won Sallie's Big Blog Giveaway!! I'm so excited for my cute hair flowers!!

We went to Round Rock (by Austin) for the past couple of days and while I was there the Wendy's employee gave me free fries! He said "Would you like some fries with that shake?" HA! Just kidding. But I for realies got the free fries.

Luke threw up on me TWICE today. Hopefully he starts feeling better, because I only have so many shirts.

Drew and I are trying to do something very grown-up, but we're having some trouble. More on this later.

My brother had a baby! Anthony Francisco Salas III is here!! And my brother Nick and his wife are due next month. That'll be three new babies in three months. Shuh-woo!

Drew's a hottie. But that's not really new.

My mom is coming next month for Luke's birthday! Woohoo!!!

Okay, that's about it. Oh, and I'm thinking about doing the Special K diet to see if it really works. I'll let you know about that.

Schmulie & Schmulia

So, the other day I thought I could be a good husband and make a BIG sacrifice. Instead of Redboxing a movie that would be middle ground, such as The Invention of Lying or Up, which is our common practice, I chose Julie & Julia because Kathryn had wanted to see it for awhile. Since we are too poor to pay $20 to see a new movie when it comes out, we wait and Redbox it for $1 and save a little money.

So, needless to say, Kathryn wanted to see it, so I got it. Big mistake.

Not only did I not like it, but I'm in the middle of Kathryn's favorite TV shows, American Idol and The Bachelor. And we have no cable, which means no ESPN.

The bigger problem is this movie debacle is smack dab in the middle of Gwyneth Paltrow's Emma, which was last weekend, and the new Emma from PBS starting tonight at 8 p.m. Not only can I not get away from Jane Austen (not to mention that all her book movies are exactly the same: some British people, some are rich, some are poor, some secretly fall in love with others and then have random outbursts of declared loved, and then some are ignored, and then we all feel bad, and then the lady decides she truly does love him, but maybe she is betrothed to someone or maybe shes not but she loves someone outside her socioeconomic status, but then something happens to where they can be together, and it all happens in like the 1800s - or at least every Emma, Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice or movie like that), but I wasted my time watching Schmulie & Schmulia.

Now, am I the only one that is starting to think Amy Adams is more like an annoying rash that just won't go away? Don't get me wrong, Enchanted was a great movie and Adams did very well. But since then, I have seen Doubt, Night at the Museum 2, and Julie & Julia and she is starting to bug me. Overexposure? Underacting? Overacting? I can't put my finger on it, but it's not enjoyable. On the flip side, Meryl Streep did really well.

I suppose this estrogen fest will end soon because the Winter Olympics are coming, but all this Lifetime-type of programming on top of Conan being kicked off is a little too much for me. If anyone wants a movie review of Julie & Julia, here it is: Two Poops down!

11 MONTHS!

My baby is 11 months old today! That means that next month...he'll be ONE. Holy cow.

I tried to let him feed himself today for his month-iversary. It turned out to messy, sticky, and just nasty. But he was having a blast.



































And then he needed this...
















11 MONTHS!!! Woohoo!

My Best Friend's Wedding

My friend Stephanie is getting married. We became best friends in high school when we were on the golf team and we had some CRAZY times. She is seriously one of the sweetest people I know. It was such a blessing to have her as a friend because she had a lot of the same standards I had, even though she's not Mormon. There were a lot of kids in high school that called themselves "Christian" but then went and drank on the weekends and got high and did all sorts of things that didn't seem very "Christian" to me or Stephanie. We actually called Merced High "Sodom and Gomorrah". Stephanie is a true Christian...she loves Christ and shows it through the way she lives. Too bad some of the people at Merced High didn't take a page out of her book.

ANYWAY...

I'm a bridesmaid for her wedding! This will be the first time I'll be a bridesmaid in a non-Mormon wedding...I'm kind of excited! Non-Mormon weddings are way more intricate and crazy and I think it's going to be loads of fun. It may cost me an arm and a leg, but Steph is worth it. This is the dress I'll be wearing (I'll have a little jacket that goes with it):



















It's from Alfred Angelo. Congrats, Steph!

Homemade Boots

Want to recycle an old sweater and some shoes you don't wear anymore? Do what I did and make a pair of BOOTS out of them!

I turned these:















into these:



















































Just go HERE. Have fun!

Snuggies and Ziplocs

Drew had to organize his work stuff the other day so we got out some Ziplocs and continued working, not thinking much about the mongo box of Ziplocs we put on the floor. Well, then this happened:















Yup, he pulled them ALL out.

Also, Luke is a baby. I know, shocker, right? Well, babies don't really know to keep blankets on themselves at night and Drew and I were getting worried about Luke because we don't want him to get super cold at night. One day I said, "I should invent a baby Snuggie." Well, Drew took that idea and never forgot it, because he came home one day with some fleece blankets and asked, "Can you make Luke a Snuggie out of these?"

Oh yeah, sure.

Well, lookie at what I did. I made a baby Snuggie. Pretty awesome, huh? However, when Luke woke up this morning, he was sans blankets. Blast.

Tunnel Vision

Luke and I played tunnel/fort today.

Not only did I burn a few calories but I'm pretty sure I also potentially ruined my jeans.

And my big butt made the blanket come down. Oh well, he was done with it by then anyway.

Luke's a celebrity!!

Well, not really. But he is on YouTube. Does that make him a semi-celebrity?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xujBSDwQQ08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt7kiwezfvQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSxVPqgQXmM



Yeah, our kid is cute.

Snow Buddies and other random things

(Corresponding photos below)

1. I got my wisdom teeth out. I tried to stay awake and tell the doctor that I really shouldn't have an IV because when I had Luke the nurses had to try, like, 5 times to get it right and by the time they were done I was traumatized. Yeah, I didn't stay awake long enough. I saw the doctor for maybe 2 seconds. I need that laughing gas stuff for nighttime. Anyway, I'm fine now; there was no bruising or swelling.

2. Christmas! This was Luke's first Christmas and even though he didn't really understand what was going on, I think he had a blast. We were at the Peppers for this Christmas and Luke got lots of great toys from his grandparents and great-grandparents.

3. Drew and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary on the 29th. Craziness. We went and saw Avatar and ate at Cici's Pizza (that was Drew's idea--feel free to mock him to your heart's content) on Monday and then on Tuesday we tried to go to the temple but Drew forgot his recommend so we ended up going and seeing New Moon and eating at the food court. Not the fanciest anniversary we've done, but I GUESS that's not the point.

4. It snowed here on our anniversary! It snowed and it stuck! And then the next day it was about 60 degrees. Texas weather is the craziest thing of my life.

5. Drew has been home for the past week and a half! It has been AMAZING! We've been hanging out and doing basically nothing. We've also been having a slumber party out in the living room, just because it's more fun. I wish he could work from home. Now that would be bombdiggety.

1. Me with my wisdom teeth bandages in my mouth. I was trying to see if my cheeks looked as big as Luke's. I lost.

2. Santa came (AKA Dad Pepper) but I don't think Luke realized who it was. He had a worried look on his face the whole time.

3. I don't have a picture of us celebrating our anniversary so this one will have to do.


4. Snow Buddies! Isn't his face priceless? It's still pretty new and it makes Drew and I crack up every time.


5. This is just to show that our bed is in fact in the living room. Drew loves throwing Luke on the bed and then he wriggles around trying to get out (Luke, not Drew).

Advent Loveliness

I made this advent calendar with the help of my friend, Melissa. I switched it up a little bit, but I'm pretty pleased with the results! It's actually super easy, so if you want to do it, you CAN!

Materials needed:

1 mini cupcake pan (must have 24 slots)
Magnetic sheets - I found them at Wal-Mart in the craft section. I needed two of their packages (super cheap)
Fun Christmas scrapbook paper
Glue
Numeral stickers or you can just write the numbers on it yourself

Directions:

Melissa and I used a magnet as the tracing object for the squares. Cut squares out of the magnetic sheets and then out of the paper. The magnetic paper I found was sticky on one side, so I was able to just attach the paper right to it. Cut out circles and glue them onto your squares and then number each square! And the more creative the better!

Christmas is just around the corner

I love Christmas time. I was feeling a little sad because in Utah you know it's Christmas time when the snow comes, but to my surprise, we got snow here in Texas! Not a lot, but enough to actually see! Now I know Christmas is officially almost here. I'm so excited for Luke's first Christmas! He's going to be so fun.















Can you see the snow falling? Oh yeah, that's our tree! It's fake, which makes me sad because it doesn't smell as nice, but it is convenient (no needles and no throwing the whole tree away later).

















At the Nativity our stake does every year. We love to dress up for the pictures! We're Mary, Joseph, and a little shepherd.

Spotlight: Fred Grazzini

While I was attending BYU, I was blessed with the AMAZING opportunity to work at Cougar Creations. Cougar Creations is the main copy center at BYU and is located at the social hub: The Wilk. I made some friends that I will never forget (quick shout out: Renae, Kyle, Kristin, Kara, Nathan, Glenn, and more). However, I could never forget our awesome supervisor/boss: Fred Grazzini. He has been the best person to work with ever. That's saying something; I've had a lot of jobs. Anyway, he is nice and funny and super sarcastic, so of course we got along great. Come to find out, Fred's a songbird! Like, a legit singer/songwriter! Who knew? We sure didn't! So, he shared with the Facebook community that he made his first CD ever and it's a Christmas CD, so it's just in time for the holidays. If you're looking for a great present that everyone can enjoy, shoot on over to this website and grab yourself a CD! And don't forget to read the bio and reviews!!

The Bachelor!

I just learned that Jake from the last Bachelorette will be the Bachelor next season. And that season starts Jan 4!! He claimed he was the "nice guy that always finished last." We'll see if he can score himself a good girl like himself...or maybe he's not as good as he proclaims.

Luke's First Thanksgiving

Crawling to Grandma and Grandpa Pepper.


A relative at Thanksgiving dinner. He was very interested in Luke.


Being handsome.


Luke's Thanksgiving outfit courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Salas


Happy Birthday, Dad Pepper!


The turkeys after they played Turkey Bowl. I told them to act like they just won.


This isn't Thanksgiving but I love this picture. Me and my sweet boy.

The Latest.

Luke is nine months old! Craziness. Here a few pics of what's been going on recently.

New Website and a Trip to College Station

Well, I would like to announce that I started a new blog with some of my buddies:

booyahbeautifulbookreviews.blogspot.com

It's where we go and review books for each other. Mainly it's because that's all we do with our time these days, but I also realized it's kind of cool to see all the books I've read (recently). So, if you want a good book but you're unsure what direction you want to go, check out our blog. It may give you some inspiration.

Also, Drew, Luke, and I took a trip to College Station to check out Kevin and Martha's new pad! We loved it; it's so fun and original. It was built in the 60s or 70s, so it's definitely not a cookie-cutter type of house. And we went and explored Texas A&M, where Kevin is going for his Ph.D. And then we headed for Austin so Drew could work a couple of days! It was a fun little adventure.Luke loves hangin' at Kevin and Martha's crib!

He also loved their chair that converted into a baby bowl.

Hey, Uncle Kevin, what are you looking at?

Breakfast Debacle

Our little family is in Austin right now because Drew had to come down here and work a little bit. Yesterday I noticed there is an Einstein Bros. Bagel shop close to our hotel. I immediately made a mental reminder to go there later because I LOVE their bagels. So this morning we get up early and head over there before going to an area Drew has to work. Drew orders the two bagels (99 cents each) and then asks for cream cheese on them.

"Okay, the total will be $5.something at the first window."
"Okay, thanks," says Drew. Then he looks at me. What the heck did we just order?! We decided there must have been a mistake with our order. I mean, we could buy half a dozen bagels for that much!

We get up to the window and again he tells Drew the amount.

"Um, what did I order?" Drew asks.
"A plain bagel with cream cheese and a cinnamon sugar bagel with cream cheese," the employee responds.
"How much is the cream cheese?"
"A bagel with cream cheese is $2.something"
"The junk you spread on top is $2.something?" Drew asks incredulously.
At this point I tell Drew to skip the cream cheese. We'll eat them plain. We drive off laughing. Who can afford to spend nearly $6 on two bagels? Who would want to? Granted, their Schmear is delicious, but for goodness' sakes. Maybe tomorrow we'll just grab the complimentary breakfast from the hotel. Maybe we should have done that today.

To see their tasty menu, click here.

CRAZY weekend

Not only was this weekend Luke's first Halloween, but it was Drew's birthday! There was so much to do (and too much money spent!) ! So, Friday night was Trunk or Treat and we got there a little late so we didn't get to pass out any of our candy. We opted for promenading Luke around the string of cars instead. Then Saturday I made Drew cinnamon rolls (Pillsbury) for breakfast and then he tried to get the oil changed in the van but it was too long of a wait so we ended up wandering the mall for a little bit and then we went to TGI Friday's for lunch because Drew got a gift card there. I asked the waitress to sing him happy birthday and when they came over Drew told them he was turning 21. What a dork.

Sidnote: Why is Halloween the time for girls to dress like ho bags? Seriously! The waitresses at TGI Friday's were GROSS. Mean Girls was right: it's a time for girls to dress in lingerie and get away with it.

Anyway, then that night we went to Mansfield's Fall Festival and walked around there and then hit up Taco Bell and got a Black Jack taco for free. Then we went home and had ONE knock on the door for candy. That's it. That's what I get for living in an apartment complex with a gate. I was soooo sad! And now we're stuck with all that dang candy! Blast it all.

THEN, on Sunday it was Drew's birthday! 26!!! Although it was fast Sunday, so he didn't get breakfast. But for dinner I made bratwurtz and potato salad and smoothies and his parents came over and we played games and hung out and it was FUN. All things Drew likes. And he got a cookie cake and lots of presents. For all the awesome pictures, go to Facebook.















The Pepper baby and Mama.















A flying Pepper and an extremely handsome cowboy.















Happy Birthday, Drew! I love you soooooo much!!!