Bigger or Better

The other day I asked Nate to drop off some things at the Goodwill. He agreed. When he returned home he showed me this receipt that can be used for tax purposes. Then he proceeds to tell me that he found something amazing and couldn't pass it up. I couldn't imagine what it may be. He said it didn't have a price on it, so he asked and the woman told him it was only $3. He told me going to the Goodwill was like playing "Bigger or Better"--a game often played at BYU-Idaho for FHE where students rummage around exchanging random things for bigger and better items. Well, Nate exchanged 5 dress shoes, 1 pair of rain boots, 1 pair of tennis shoes, 3 tops and 3 bottoms for . . .
A bobblehead. Not just any bobblehead--a Babe Ruth bobblehead. This my friends, is precisely why I do not like to shop at thrift stores, more specifically, why I don't like for my husband to shop at thrift shops. "What are we going to do with this," I asked him? Nate's reply, "Put him next to the TV." So there you have it, Babe Ruth who is missing his bat and was purchased for only $3 is sitting next to our TV because there is nowhere else for it to go, and I feel bad packing up all of Nate's sports memorabilia. Be advised. Don't send sports fanatics to a thrift shop, or this is what you may get. It's a good thing I like Baby Ruth's and the movie the Sandlot or I would have to send him back to the window on Second Avenue where he came from. I love you Nathan, and your little bobblehead obsession too!

When Worlds Meet

Speaking of 90s shows . . .

For Nate's Birthday I gave him the first three seasons of Boy Meets World with a card that read, "I'm so glad that you're my Boy and that our Worlds met!"

My Boy...

Happy 27 Nathan DEAR!

Happy Saint Nathan Patrick's Day!

Nate's parents gave him a funny card that reflected his chilhood. Their little boy is all grown up!





The weekend before Nate's Birthday we took a fun-filled trip to Rhode Island with Nate's parents. His mom brought us St. Patty's day garb. We were feeling lucky alright! It was a nice getaway from the city after a busy, busy season...Nate had a nice break there for two weeks. It's back to the grind again!

Rainbow quotes courtesy of Simple As That

"L" is for the way you LOOK at me!

Love Day came and went. I adore Valentine's Day and always have. I love seeing people blush. People carrying over sized teddy bears. Outrageous balloons. Incessant pink and purple hearts. Rich chocolate. The loads and loads of roses on every street corner in NYC. Though, I prefer not to be the recipient of the over sized animals and obnoxiously nauseating balloons. I simply enjoy watching people!

Nate and I kept it simple this year. In years past he has been in charge of covering three holidays all on his own during the month of February: our half anniversary (yes, we celebrate our half anniversary. I like to take advantage of every holiday!), my birthday (yet to blog about), and Valentine's Day. We decided that from now on I should be in charge of planning Valentine's Day and he can worry about the other two days. That doesn't mean he is exempt from spoiling me to pieces . . . it just means he doesn't have to do the planning!

I bought him this book, I LIKE YOU. I always tell Nate, "I like you," to which he replies, "I love you too!" There you have it. "I guess I just like you . . . because I like you!"

Nate likes to tell me stories about his days working at Jack in the Crack. There was a woman who worked there named Rosetta who had a twin sister named Mosetta. Rosetta would always say, "Have a blessed day LOVE!" Valentine's Day was a blessed day indeed.

Busy Season

When Nate and I met there was an over usage of the word CRAZY. You can imagine. Last weekend we went and got his hair cut and then ran to the grocery store on our way home. The stylist at the salon thought Nate was a hoot. She couldn't stop laughing. She was glad to have him as her final client of the day. Then, the woman checking us out at the grocery store got a real kick out of Nate. She said, "Do you have fun with him?" As in, "Is he always this goofy, happy?!" The answer, "YES." Especially during busy season when his mind is literally going crazy, so on the weekends (when he isn't working) he can unwind and be a kid.

The craziness sometimes has an adverse affect on me, but other times I can't help but feel like this during busy season:

"i miss you like CRAZY, my mind is all HAZY, without you i'm LAZY, i didn't think you leaving would FAZE ME, i could write poems for you all DAYZEE, i'm running out of things that rhyme with CRAZY, but i love you and you never cease to AMAZE ME!" (by the creative powers of Bre Rutledge)

It doesn't help that the weather is like this . . .

All I want to do is sip some Max Brenner hot chocolate and cuddle up and hibernate until Spring. Only 45 more days! Now that I've put off my homework for another 45 minutes, here I go!

Bling Bling...by Nate

"Bling Bling"

NBA Championship Title "Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy"

The trophy, made of 14.5 pounds of sterling silver and vermeil with a 24 karat gold overlay, stands two feet tall. It is designed to look like a basketball about to enter a net. The basketball itself is nine inches in diameter, about the same size as a NBA regulation ball. Valued at $13,500, the trophy is manufactured by the Tiffany & Co. Silver Shop every year. The winning team maintains permanent possession of the trophy.

I decided to create a replica NBA Championship trophy display in our Apartment. This basketball was autographed by New York Knicks legend John Starks. I needed to find somewhere to display it in our apartment. Not sure how long it will be up; probably will have to come down once Rachael realizes that I utilized her vase as the base. I will enjoy it while I can.

Friday Night Lights: An Awakening

You may ask what my title is insinuating? Let me tell you about a conversation Nathan and I just had. It is Friday night. Nate walked through the door about twenty minutes ago. He walked in and the door slammed because I had our windows open. Much to my horror, I screamed and looked up with my hands glued to my face, much like Kevin McCallister on Home Alone, to find that it was only Nathan. He stirred me away from my intense studies to tell me about an awakening he had. I still wasn't giving him my full attention as I was working on homework that is due in a few hours. By this time, he sat down at the table that is roughly placed in the middle of the apartment right now because the corner it belongs to is still slathered with crap/boxes from the move. I may not decorate until this semester ends. He pulled out his study material and then continued to tell me his life plans. This was our conversation:

Nate: I was made for the NBA.
Me: You were made for an MBA?
Nate: No, the NBA. No MBA here!
Me: Oh great!
Nate: I was born to entertain!

Indeed he was! I thought that for maybe two seconds he was letting me know that he wanted to go to business school. Nah! Not as of yet. Here's what else he informed me of during this conversation.

Me: Don't you need a degree in like broadcasting or journalism?
Nate:I can sell myself. You're talking to a kid who would wake up at 5 Am to watch Sports Center before school.
Me: Wow. Alright, go for it!

The missionaries love this kid, and so do I. We've had them over twice this month and each time has proven to be highly entertaining. We had fun celebrating two elders' birthdays with Costco cake for the first party and Two Little Red Hens cupcakes for the second. It was fun! Alright, enough. Back to business. Peace!

123 Party! : Takin' It To The Streets!

I totally saw these guys today at 58th and Lex! They were dancing up and down the streets in the middle of the road with their boombox.

1, 2, 3 Party is a renegade dance troupe. Lazer, formally known as Fury, began the group. He auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance this season, and clearly didn't make it, but the judges got a kick out of him. They made my day! Only in New York (and Boston I guess.)I watched another video on Youtube of auditions that were held to be a part of the troupe. Let's just say, Nate could have schooled those kids. Did anyone watch the Lauritzen boys' ALL STAR number?! haha Actually, I laughed really hard because I think Nate's dance skills are of the same caliber. (That was not a diss on my husband!) These guys are cool, and so is my husband because we have dance parties all the time! You would all find it to be highly entertaining if you saw Nate and I break out in dance in our apartment. It usually occurs after we watch a "dance" movie or anytime Pandora blasts Soulja Boy (that played over and over in the rental car on our honeymoon).

I know a kid from high school who would be a great asset to the troupe, but they would have to change it to 1, 2, 3, 4 Party More! Holla! Tallen Meek, if you are out there, this is for you my friend.

Tallen = boy on the right.

Peter Olinto talks about Puff Daddy

This is who Nate listens to when he studies for the CPA exam. He's hilarious! (If you have an accountant sense of humor!) Nate always has me listen to this guy when he says something funny. You may be wondering why I'm posting Peter Olinto on here? Because . . . Nate passed his 3rd test. Couldn't be more proud!! 3 down, 1 to go!! Way to go Nathan! Love you!

13.1 to Coney Island

I ran my first half marathon last weekend. The Brooklyn Half Marathon starts at Prospect Park in Brooklyn and finishes on Coney Island. All of us ran on our own, but it was fun to all be together to support and encourage one another and to party after. Cara Newman, Amber Dalzen, Sam and Genevieve Brown all ran too! Nate came with Ryan who was watching Xela. She is such a pumpkin! We hungout on the beach for a while and the boys jumped in the freezing ocean (Crazies!). It was an overcast day and the race began at 7 am. This meant we had to leave before 5am to get to Brooklyn. I didn't sleep the night before. Between homework and anticipation, my mind would simply not shut off. The first few miles of the race I kept thinking about how I didn't sleep, but I finally got in the groove after a bit of a chaotic start. Let's just say we had to sprint to the start and the finish! Right before I started I realized that my I-Pod didn't sync my playlist. I ran without music for the last half of the race. I learned a lot of things for the next one. To name a few: A) get rest, B) don't carry anything (jacket, phone, etc.), C) make sure music is ready to go ahead of time. Now I just need to keep running!! Dustin and Melissa have been my running buddies from the beginning. If it weren't for them I probably wouldn't have trained consistently. Thank you D & M!! I was thrilled when Melissa was game to train and run together back in November. They're moving really soon and running in the park won't be the same without them.

Where to Begin?

There is so much that we haven't blogged about. I didn't really blog about our summer, or any holidays, or any changes or events that have recently occurred. So here is a recap.

June- We went to TX for a week to see Nate's brother return home from his mission, but he ended up getting an extension and didn't come home until July. We made a trip to the beach and called it a summer vacation. I went to St. Louis to see my Hoefelmann family after that. My trip overlapped with my Dad and brother's trip so I got to see them and it was great. Nothing better than Ted Drewes with Dad and a nice summer BBQ with the family. My cousin Karri had recently had a new baby girl, so it was my first time meeting Launa. I was also able to be there when my cousin Elizabeth announced that she was pregnant! It was a tender moment and she is due any day now. Hoping I can make it out there again this summer to meet her little guy, Riley!
July/August- Nate and I spent the 4th of July in Washington DC. We were on TV with Aretha Franklin on PBS for the Capitol Concert. I don't remember if it was July or August, but we made a trip to Palmyra and Niagara Falls with The Gibson's. Great memories!! We went to the Palmyra pageant and it got rained out with two scenes left. What we saw of it was awesome! We'd love to go again this summer. In August we celebrated our 2 year anniversary and my cousins Kristen and Karley came to visit for a girl’s trip just a week after we moved into our new apartment. It was so much fun to have them here and experience NYC.

Palmyra Pageant

Frozen Custard in St. Louis

Me with Launa and Lily

Elizabeth just told her mom she is pregnant!

Me with 3 of my 4 brothers and Dad

Kristen and Karley in Time Square

Kristen and Nate love to be goofy!

Sept- We went to Utah for my niece’s baby blessing. It was a quick trip, but it was so wonderful to see my family! We also saw Nate's brother Brent for the first time sine he had been back from his mission to Milan, Italy. (He'll be getting married at the end of April so we'll get to go back to Utah for that!) We also spent a night in Rexburg. It was so much fun for Nate and I to spend time together. We loved the drive to Idaho and seeing friends from our Idaho days. Rexburg was beautiful as ever.

Sept/Oct- Honestly, everything is a blur. Nate started studying for the CPA exam. He would come home from work and study till bedtime...nothing has changed or will change until next Fall probably. Sometime around there our friends the Abels came to visit and stayed with us for a couple of days. There were lots of visitors that stopped in and stayed a night or two during the summer, but we were so glad to see the Abels! In October Miss Sadie turned one and we went to her first birthday party! My mom came out in October for her own birthday! We loved having her here and she was really happy to see our new apartment (elevator/dishwasher and all!) It is always fun to have her come and sad to see her go, but hopefully she'll get to come out for her 50th too!! Some time in Oct or Nov we went with some friends (including Sadie bear) apple picking and decided that should be an annual outing.

My niece Naveya! sweet girl

Friends from Idaho: Brett, Eric, Julie, and Julie's comp. from mission

The Pecks and Broden, The Ellis' (just had new baby!), & us!

Cherise, Barbara, and Amy Abel

Friends at Grimaldi's under Brooklyn Bridge

Apple picking!Sadie

Nov- We were very blessed to have a couple of Thanksgiving feasts! We were able to spend an early Thanksgiving with the Gibson's. Kris' family was in town and we had a blast getting to know them and then seeing the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade with them from Kris' office in Herald Square. It was an awesome view!! Thanks again Kristi-Lynn! Then, we spent Thanksgiving Day with the Monroe's and the Weirs. It was a beautiful Thanksgiving and we were really happy to spend it with great friends!

Macy's Day Parade

Thanksgiving at the Monroe's

Dec- Oh December! In December, Nate's brother Aaron and his wife Sam came to visit us! It was their very first time to NYC, but it wouldn't be their last trip. Sam stayed with us to see a doctor in NYC. Sam made herself well acquainted with the city while Nate and I continued working our regular shifts. We became fans of toasted marshmallow shakes from "STAND 4" thanks to Shannon! We all made it out of NYC and home to Texas within a day of each other right before the big snow storm. It was the Lauritzen's first Christmas with all of their boys home in 5 years due to all of their mission's over lapping. Nate's parents made it an extra special Christmas for all of us, and we all went a little overboard on the gifts. It was a nice break from our busy lives in the city. We hadn't even had time to think about Christmas until we got to Texas. Nate spent the entire trip studying for the second part of the CPA exam. On Christmas Eve, Nate received the good news that he had passed the first exam. Upon returning from Texas Nate took the second exam and we are still waiting for the results. So we have two down, and two to go! Go Nathan! In December I started training for a half marathon with Melissa Monroe and we are still going strong. Dustin is awesome and runs with us too...now if we could just get Nate out there with us. Nate doesn't handle the cold too well...and the rest of us have all invested in winter running gear so we are official. haha Our races are coming up in April and May.

Aaron, Nate, Papa Noel, & Brent in Christmas PJs

Jan- I came home a little sooner than Nate to finish working my last full week for the Gibson's. It was a bittersweet week. I truly love Sadie and am so grateful for the opportunity I had to share in her first year. I've missed seeing her daily and chatting with Kristi-Lynn about the ins and outs of our lives. It was a busy week for everyone! I started school online through BYU-Idaho that very week. I have midterms this week. Sam and Nate both came back to NYC the same day and shortly thereafter Aaron came. In all, Sam was with us for about 2 months and in that time we all got to know each other really well! haha That's what happens when you put two married couples in a studio in NYC...craziness. We're glad they were able to come and gain the experience they needed, though it didn't go as planned. We love them and are grateful for all of the time we spent together over the Holidays and in NYC. In January we celebrated Melissa's birthday! hurray. She had her party at our place and it was a hit. (She has been more diligent in her blogging so catch up on her page for details :) ) When Nate returned from Texas, busy season officially began with JPMorgan's earnings release...He has been getting home pretty late, but I've kept busy with school, running, and good friends who take care of me.

Sam & Aaron

Feb- We also hosted a super bowl party with the Monroe's this year. It was pretty sweet because Dustin hooked up his projector and created an 84 inch screen for everyone. (Again, check out the Monroe's blog for pics.) Parties in NYC are crowded and wonderful! This month we celebrated my 22nd birthday! woot woot (That was for Brent and Kate :) ) I was able to go to brunch with Kristi-Lynn and Sadie bear at Alice's Tea Cup! It was so much fun to catch up and to see how big Sadie has gotten. Thank you again Kristi-Lynn!! I got a priceless picture of Sadie sucking her thumb and sleeping on her mommy's back. Love it! My birthday was lots of fun between brunch, a movie, and pizza and games later on. Thanks to all who celebrated with me!!! Valentine's Day was sweet. We finally framed our picture of the St. George temple and made a goal to attend the temple more often. We are currently getting used to staying up much too late to watch the Olympics, working on our taxes...hmm, looking forward to Spring which won't come for a while, and loving our little apartment which is finally fully furnished! Nate says, "Hi guys!" Love, Rach....hopefully I don't wait another 6 months to update. We were just a little busy!

Sadie Bear sleeping after birthday brunch!