Christmas Day

This is the Christmas Tree at our home in Manti.

We spent Christmas with my parents this year. It was really great because we just hung out in our P.J's all day watching movies, eating, and playing games. The hit of the day was Boggle, which was fun but when your mom beats you every time you play it's pretty tough to take! Bryce and Brenden made sure that we were up early to open presents. After we were done with presents we had a rockin' game of around the world on the ping pong table. It was so much fun even though I'm not very great at ping pong and lost early on in the game. My mom decided that we weren't going to go over board with the cooking so we only had two meals and snacks for the rest of the day. For breakfast she made the best omlets with everything on them: mushrooms, onions, green peppers, cheese, bacon, etc.

Zach is Brett and Brittneys little "Santa Baby" :)

Brittney and I did something kind of fun this year. On Christmas Eve we were in Salt Lake and had to drive home to Mt. Pleasant. When we got to Spanish Fork we decided to check on my Grandma and Grandpa. While we were there we convinced them to come to my parents home for Christmas. This is the first year that we ever spent Christmas with them and I was glad that they came down. My mom bought them new shirts and we all got pictures with them.

They are the best Grandparents, I Love them so much.

Purple Umpa Lumpa’s

Brittney and Brett are moving to Salt Lake this week, which is great because I will move in with them starting in January. When I move in with them I will be only about ten miles away from school which is great! They are awesome for letting me stay with them. To help Brittney out I went over to their home to help them finish cleaning and packing up their belongings. While we were there she had a hair appointment with her friend Christina. I got to help out at that time by holding her infant Zachary. I was a really tough job holding him while she worked ;) Christina really wanted her hair dyed dark and to have a hue of purple in her hair, so Brittney bought some new product that she hadn’t used before and they decided that they would try it out. I came in the salon room a few times to just see how things were going. The purple goo Brittney was painting in her hair was really dark and thick. Once the hair dye had stayed in for 20 minutes Brittney proceeded to wash out the dye. In the process Brit didn’t put plastic gloves back on her hands (because with her other hair dyes the product just washes off with water). To her dismay as she was washing out the purple dye it didn’t come off of her skin. As Brittney continued washing the dye out her hands looked just like a purple Umpa Lumpa. It was so funny! So if that wasn’t bad enough, as she continued washing we discovered that the places the purple dye had touched Christina’s head were also stained the bright purple color (her neck line, above her forehead hairline, and even a little bit got on her ear). The good thing was the fact that her hair was defiantly PURPLE in the end! They both were pretty good sports about it, but I still think it was hilarious to see!

Missionary Training Center

Today my family took Brigham to the MTC. It was really difficult to see him off but the more I thought about it I am so excited for him to serve a mission. What a neat opportunity for him to completely dedicate himself to the service of God for two straight years. It’s incredible; he will be learning Mandarin Chinese to serve the people of Taichung, Taiwan. Although he will be halfway across the world he will be teaching the same message of Jesus Christ that I get be part of every day. He will be teaching people who very well may have never even heard of Jesus. I just feel so grateful to have a brother that loves God so much that he is willing to give of himself for that long to do service and help build the kingdom of God on the earth. I know that he will be successful because he will do his very best. I have had a new desire to help out with missionary work. I can do so much here and now through the service that I give to others. I am grateful for the examples of goodness others are to me for what is really important in life and that is family!

Surprise Deliveries

Today was a reward for hard work and lots of studying all weekend. I passed my last test for the semester and other that a presentation for Thursday I am done for Christmas Break! We got done with class at about noon and I had nothing to do the rest of the day and Desiree asked me if I wanted to go to her apartment to help make some fudge for our friends in school. I thought that sounded pretty fun so off we went. We also decided to make some sugar cookies to go along with the fudge. I knew that making sugar cookies takes a long time but it had been a while since I had done it. We spent probably three hours in the kitchen making a few different combinations of fudge with peanut butter, nuts, coconut, and nuts & coconut and mixing, cutting, baking, and decorating sugar cookies. We packaged them up and left her apartment at about five o’clock to make deliveries. We first stopped by Jessica Alba’s home. She is my super cool clogging buddy at school. We then surprised Stacy at Smith’s pharmacy where she was working. Next we then went to Becky’s house; while we were there she offered to make us dinner. Honestly how can you pass that up! So we stayed with her and her husband Trent for dinner, it was so delicious. She whipped that dinner out so fast I was really impressed. The next stop was Cameron’s house. Desiree and I decided that we would sing at this door step, we really should have practiced but that’s okay it was fun! Although Cameron was gone to work we got to visit with his wife BreAnn and their cute kids. Our last stop was to Nathan‘s condo. We decided that maybe we wouldn’t sing for them. Nathan couldn’t stay and chat for very long but we stayed and visited with his wife Randi. By the time we finished it was about ten thirty at night. We had a great time surprising and visiting our friends even though it took all afternoon and evening it was defiantly worth the time spent.

Rock Band

Today in class we were given an hour and 20 minute break for lunch. My friend Stacy only lives ten minutes from the school so we all went over to her house to play Rock Band. I was so fun! If we could do that every day we would without a doubt! I don’t think that I have every come to class from lunch so attentive all semester, it was great!

Thanksgiving

This year John and I spent thanksgiving with his family. I was very excited to be with them because we all live so far away from each other. The only bummer was the fact that not everyone was able to come, Ashley was in Washington at school and Emily and her family were in Idaho with her husbands family. John and I hosted the event at our house. John's parents Joe and Dawn drove in from Nevada and his brother Kris & Ashley drove from California.

We had a very eventful Thursday morning because Kris (who was cutting some honeydew melon for breakfast) had to take a break and help his son in the other room. So I thought that I would be helpful and finish the job... but with my "better knife" with the sharper blade. Everyone thought that I was cutting the fruit like pro.....up until I let my thumb get in the way. I literally almost sliced right through the tip of my thumb, and if I didn't have long fingernails I would have probably scalped the tip right off. It really wasn't too serious - but very bloody. A word of advice "the next time you cut your finger and it begins to bleed......don't shake in violently back and forth..." I you can imagine I made a nice mess in the kitchen- which I didn't clean up...sorry guys! We went to Mariann Barton's home (she is like a mom to John and a she's a nurse) so that she could view the damages and determine if I needed stitches. The verdict was that I would probably be okay with some steri strips and super glue. So that's what we did. She told me that the only prescription I needed was that I shouldn't to do any cooking the rest of the day. I thought that I could follow those instructions with no problem, but I still did help with the cooking anyways.

That evening Kris and Ashley couldn't stay too long and had to leave Thursday night but I was glad for the time we did get to spend even though it short. John and his dad made some Swedish meatballs (which are a holiday pastime for the Kuchenmeister's). I adopted the tradition quiet well because they are so yummy....I LOVE THEM! I was just really bummed that I could help make them because of my thumb. One great thing about having thanksgiving at my house is that we got to keep the leftovers...there was no complaining about the leftover meatballs! If you want to taste a good comparison to Joe's meatballs, next time you are at IKEA shopping, taste their Swedish meatballs, they do a pretty decent job (but but they are just not quiet as good as JOE'S!!)

We had great meal together and I loved that fact that everyone pitched in to help with some part of it. One of my part of the holidays is that all you do is hang out with family, eat food, play games, eat food, take a nap, eat food, go shopping, eat food, etc. It's great!!!! We had so much fun together and I can hardly wait until we get together with everyone over New Years.

Dawn is an avid Black Friday shopper so John and I woke up at four o'clock in the morning to go to Walmart in Ephraim with her. The major item on our list was a 32 inch TV for Emily's family. When we got there the line to get in was enormous. There were about three to four hundred people in front of us, so we decided to wait it out in the car until the store opened at five. There was no real need to wait in the cold with that many people in front of us. When we got into the store it was a crazy place....I think partially due to the fact that there is no other place to shop in Sanpete at that time of morning....so the whole county was there! Every single shopping cart was being used which clogged up the isles and so you literally could not move. I was really glad that I went though because I got some great deals on a few movies, so that was worth it. When we got home I decided that I should sleep and so I went back to bed until about nine. It was a great weekend and I loved spending time with John's family they are the BEST!

It Runs in the Family

This weekend my family went the the Snow College play It Runs in the Family. The show was absolutly hilarious, all of the actors did a great job and had great timing with thier jokes. I had tons of fun because not only was my younger brother Brigham in the play but tons of his friends. It's always better to watch a show when you know the people in it. Brigham played the part of the policeman, Kenny Tuttle was Dr. Connely, Allison Daily was the nurse, Michelle Honey was on back stage crew and Hailee McFarland was the light and sound girl. I loved the performance and am so glad that I got to watch them.

All About John

Where did you meet? We met long before I was even dating material but he says that when he met my family and saw me he thought that I was going to grow up to be a good-looking girl and thought of who he could set me up with. He thought of his younger brother Kris and then decided that he was too old for me . Lets just say many years went by, and after I graduated from high school I went to the Snow College summer ward. He just happened to be in that ward too. We spent a lot of time together that summer and then during my freshmen year at snow college while I dated other guys we kept in touch with each other. At the start of my sophomore year at Snow I decided that I really liked him and we dated each other exclusively, got engaged that following January and married in May of 2006.
How long did you date before you were married? We dated off and on for about two years before we were married.
How long have you been married? 2 & 1/2 years
What is one thing that he does that surprises you? He actually does housework like laundry and dishes. I came from a family of boys that sometimes weren't all so savy when it came to that kind of work, so when we got married I wasn't expecting much from John. Now I don't know what I'd do without his help. He is really great!
What is your favorite feature about him? I love his gorgeous blue eyes.
What is your favorite quality about him? He is very observant of those around him. He especially pays close attention to detail and always seems to know what I need even though I don't say anything.
Does he have a nick name for you? Yes, he calls me wifee
What is his favorite color? Blue
What is his favorite food? He loves every kind of food and is a really great chef. He lives up to is last name Kuchenmeister which means "master chef, or cooking master" in German.
What is his favorite sport? Basketball and Volleyball are his favorite sports. When he attended school at SSU he studied coaching in those sports. This fall he is going to play on a volleyball city league.
Who said “I Love You” first? He said "I Love You" first and even though I wasn't ready for it at the time I was impressed by the way he did. We went for a drive just outside of town in Manti where he parked the car in an oh so convenient location that was facing the Manti temple. It was a beautiful sight and it was really romantic. He mentioned how great he thought I was and then told me that he loved me.
Where was your first kiss? In front of the institute in Ephraim. We had met up in Ephraim for ward prayer and then I went with him to his apartment in Manti to watch a movie and hang out. When we were done he drove me back to Ephraim and when he dropped me off we ended up kissing. He was a way good kisser but a lot taller than I had realized. I ended up having a sore neck afterwards but eventually adapted to his height ;)
What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We love watching movies (any kind of movie), playing games (like uno, rummicube, boardgames, etc.) and most importantly talking. We love to talk to eachother. When we go for really long trips, for example when we travel to Elko Nevada to visit his parents, we sometimes talk the whole way and never even turn on the radio.
Do you have any kids? No, but we want children so bad and can hardly wait to be parents. The plan is to wait until I am done with school so I can stay home with the baby without worrying about studying (because I wouldn't be a very good student if I had a cute baby to look at and take care of).
What is a hidden talent of his? He loves recording and producing sound bites. He has an amazing voice and knack for mixing music, the combination of the two make him very talented at making things sound really great. He just happens to work where he can use his talent to make commercials, mix music, etc. He recently bought equipment for a home recording studio.
How old is he? He is 31 years old.
What do you admire most about him? He is really supportive of my goals and ambitions. He thinks that it is important for me to finnish my education even though I don't live with him for more than half the week. I think that it is rare to have a man that is willing to make that kind of sacrifice. I know that he loves me not only because of his words but by the things that he does for me.
What is his favorite past time? He has lots of things that he likes to do but among his favorites would include watching movies, playing sports, and cooking.
What is his favorite kind of music? He is a huge fan of any kind of live music. He would much rather sit around at a blue grass festival and listen to live talent than listen to the most popular artist on a CD player.
Do you think he will read this? Of course he will read this. I have already told him that I wrote it about him and mentioned that I wanted him to read it.

Weekend Fun

Friday night John and I went on a date to the Mexican place in Salina, El Mexicano. I ate the best chicken enchilada ever with avocado on top. They were really busy that night and while our food was being prepared they kept plenty of chips and salsa on the table. Needless to say we ate tons of chips and salsa and were full by the time dinner was brought out so we barley touched our dinner. It all worked out in the end though because we got to eat the left overs later.

On Saturday night my little brothers Bryce and Brenden, John, and I went to Brett and Brittney's house to see Zach our new nephew and hang out. We brought Chinese food to eat and KUNG FU PANDA to watch. In the process of getting dinner ready Brittney had lots of visitors come over to see her baby unexpectedly. It was really funny because just when we thought that we were going to start the movie someone would show up to see Zach. Needless to say we didn't start the movie until about and hour and a half after we planned on watching it, but it was well worth waiting for. It is definitely one of my new favorite movies Jack Black is hilarious!

Baby Zachary Brett Blackham

This is little Zach, He is such a doll!

Brett and Brittney are new happy parents of their little boy Zachary. Their new title has also given the rest of our family new titles as well such as uncle, aunt, and grandma. We are so happy that there were few complications with him getting here and that he is a healthy baby with a good set of lungs.

AUNTIE EM

On November 3, 2008 I became an aunt to my brother Brett's baby ZACK. I forgot my camera when we went to visit them in the hospital so I will have to post pictures later. Zack is such a sweet little guy, he was 8 pounds 4 ounces and 21 inches long.

Fall Pictures

Saturday JD and I got our pictures taken by my friend Becky. She did a really great job I love them!

It's funny though, we don't have any children yet so it's kind of like getting engagement pictures all over again.

Pharmacy School

About a month ago I started pharmacy school at the University of Southern Nevada. I was pretty worried about being away from my husband all week and only seeing him on weekends but knew that it would be a good thing in the end for me to finnish my education. so I went forth and found out that I have my own "pharmacy family" to help me out while I'm away from home.


On the first day of school I met Stacy. She was very easy to talk to and we became instant friends (we're actually very similar to eachother: same age, same height, love Layers clothing, both been married for two years and have crazy last names, Harbertson and Kuchenmeister).

I also have a great peer group from Snow College (Desiree, Cameron, Nathan, and me). We have great memories form Snow and probably have too much fun together.

Becky (who is a former Snow College student) is also in our group of friends She is such a doll and we ge along great! So now the six of us in our little "Clan" have a blast together in class and esspecially at "recess" I mean lunch time when we have heated games of Bocce Ball.
It's so funny how when you are living your life the way your should how things just seem to work out. I have a great time at school with my friends and an even better time when I head home on the weekends to see my sweetheart. My time with my JD is so much more meaningful now because we are apart for so long.

I am greatful that I made the choice to finnish my education and that I have the unique opportunity to fulfill my abmition to become a pharmacist. It's been better than I could have ever imagined it to be.

White Chicken Chili

Last week I made a yummy chili and everyone at my lunch table wanted a copy of the recipe. So here it is. I hope that you like it.
White Chicken Chili
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cooked, boneless skinless chicken breast halves, chopped
2 cans (14 ounces each) chicken broth
1 can (4 ounce) chopped green chilies
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 cans (14.5 ounces each) great northern beans, drained, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped jalapeno pepper, optional
In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the onions and garlic in oil for 10 minutes or until onions are tender. Add chicken, chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low. With a potato masher, mash one can of beans until smooth. Add to saucepan. Add remaining beans to saucepan. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Top each serving with cheese and jalapeno pepper if desired. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Snow Bear

Ruby Roo

BUDDY !

This is our adorable puppy named buddy. We call him buddy-G sometimes because he is a goofball and kind of looks like Goofy!