The Goal: to take and post at least one picture each day for the entire year that I'm 27.

I find that I rush through the day, to rush through the week, to get to the weekend...just to find that an entire year goes by in the blink of an eye. So, on the eve of my last day as a 26 year old I decided to make a change. I challenged myself to take the time each day and find at least one moment worth remembering, hoping that in this way I will learn to live each day for what it is. For regardless of how uniform the days may feel at a glace each one is truly unique and worth cherishing.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Day 129 - Holiday Cheer


A night cap consisting of eggnog and gingerbreadmen cookies...Oh how I love this time of year!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Day 128 - What you missed

As promised here are the Thanksgiving high lights from the Riehle house...

First - Mine and Steve's turkey
Injected with apple juice, rubbed with rock sugar, and sprinkled with cinnamon




 Next is Kipp and his Turkey - a mix of herbs and spices and a pinch of cinnamon


And Bob - Well, I'm not sure...it was kind of a blur of injections and rubs...but it was good


After marinating for an hour and before the hot oil bath, the turkeys get a message to get the juices flowing


Then the turkeys went in the fryer...and 25 minuets later...golden delicious!!!


And in the mean time the sides and pies got baked in the house thanks to Myk and Mom



(The first picture is candid and the picture on the right is stages...both make Mim look miniature)

 Finally the table gets set and the candles are lit


And new Thankful Tages are made to continue the Thankful garland tradition


And just because she managed to escape all of the picture documenting her hard work...
Here is Grandma and I relaxing after dinner





Sunday, November 28, 2010

Day 127 - Winter Wonderland


Welcome to the annual winter kick off Gingerbread Party!!!


Mykaela and her train...or the Hogwarts Express



Me and Steve with our mini village


Kipp and Nickee...sorry I don't have one of their house - but it was amazing

Then Grandma gave us each an early Christmas gift...Shut the Box (a very cool game)



I got to get lots of cuddle time with the family

Mom cooked and Dad got caught eating wings right before dinner



And I'm pretty sure this little guy was in charge of bringing Christmas to the rest of the house


Saturday, November 27, 2010

Day 126 - Time to celebrate!!!

(Made by Corey)

I had intended to blog about the last two days and all of our Thanksgiving fun...
But that is just going to have to wait because we are celebrating some good news tonight (with Yogurtland)
After a very long search our friend Corey just landed a job! And it's actually in his career path
Starting Tuesday he will be a flight instructor in Mesa...and if that weren't good enough he (and his family) Just got a very cute new puppy (a rare White English Golden Retriever) named Chester
Such great news to end another great day!



Friday, November 26, 2010

Day 125 - Thanksging Part II


My sister and Grandma are in the Riehle home and so is Thanksgiving!!!
We spent over 9 hours at my parent's house today and just got home...so there are a lot of pictures
But for now all you get is a sneak peak of all the festivities...I'm off to bed

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Day 125 - Thanksgiving Part I


Today was Thanksgiving Part I - The Cowley Family
We got up early so Steve could make his famous feather rolls and I could make my Dutch apple cream pies
Both are old family classic that we make every year...in double for both our family Thanksgivings
Today we took 30 rolls and 1pie to Steve's dad's place and tomorrow we will take the same to my parent's
I am so thankful I have Steve (and our pups) and two amazing families to spend each holiday with

I am also thankful to be alive living this life...and guess what today is...I am 27 and 4 months old today!!!
So here I am with my wonderful Steve...closing out part I of this great holiday weekend


Wednesday, November 24, 2010

day 123 - Out for the night


We're out but I thought I better check in before I missed my first day of blogging since my birthday
Going out the night before Thanksgiving is kind of a tradition we picked up a few years ago
We have a few friends from high school that live out of town and come back every year for Thanksgiving
So we all meet up to catch up...
Plus this way there is no pressure to meet up on Thursday when everyone is busy with family
So have a happy Thanksgiving eve...cause we are!!!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Day 122 - Gates of Heaven


Do you like that post title? Haha, I couldn't think what to call this post and right as I uploaded this picture
The person on TV said "looks like the gates of heaven"...and I couldn't agree more!
Anyway, I get to sit in an hour (or more) of traffic on the way home every night...
An although that really sucks, it's kind of cool that right now I hit the very top of the 202 overpass
Right as the sunsets...and it's always so beautiful...I mean, just look at tonight's sunset!

(Oh and FYI, that is taken through my dirty car window
And doesn't show how the sunset stretch a full 180 degrees around me!)

Monday, November 22, 2010

Day 121 - When 3's not a crowd


It's been pretty chilly around here...and I have been a little under the weather myself
Luckily I have two very fluffy, very cuddly puppies

(Did I mention that they are also possessed - no not really...but it's a creepy eye picture for all of us!)

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Day 120 - In keep with tradition


So traditionally parents make the core of the Thanksgiving meal (Steve's on Thursday and mine on Friday)
At the Riehle Thanksgiving my brother Kipp helps my dad with frying the turkey
And my sister Mykaela helps my mom with all of the casseroles and sides
Steve makes amazing feather rolls from an old Cowley family recipe (that takes 2 days to make)
And I make a dutch apple cream pie (because Myk and Steve don't like pumpkin pie)

This year I considered making a mandarin cake for dessert instead of the apple pie
But neither Steve or Myk sounded too excited about the cake...
(And I kind of forgot Steve hates mandarin oranges)
So I might still make the cake - I alreay have all of the ingredients...but I will also be making the apple pie
Because you should never mess with tradition on a holiday like Thanksgiving
(especially when Grandma and Myk are flying in for it!!!)

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Day 119 - Rise and shine


If you were wondering what the sky looked like in Gilbert, AZ this morning around 5:30 am...here it is
I had planned on sleeping in some (and by that I mean getting up around 8-8:30)
But Ashby and her upset stomach had another plan...
And although I considered going back to bed after the clean up, it never happened
I did however have the kitchen all cleaned and organized, all the dishes we own washed and put away, and the downstairs all kicked up and vacuumed all by 10am!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Day 118 - Working weekend

This is no normal Friday night
We will be calling it early tonight because Steve actually has to work a full day tomorrow
All in the name of getting the Friday after Thanksgiving off (when we will have the Riehle Thanksgiving)

So I decided I would do a little "work" tonight to kick this working weekend off
Steve and I have been trying to figure out if we can afford to get new countertops in the kitchen
And while we do that we have been trying to hone in on exactly what surface we like best
Right now we both agree we want a quarts product over granite...specifically Caesar Stone
So I brought the color samples home from work tonight so we could pick a color (or two)


The front runners are all white-ish (because the cabinets are blue but one day may get painted black)





Or we let go of the black cabinet dream and go with a black countertops
(but that is only an option because I love the embedded mirror fragments in this sample)



Anyway...before we fall in love too much we need to get a quote and make sure we can even afford it

Thursday, November 18, 2010

117 - Lazy


Sorry, Beep and I are being lazy bums and making tonight a pretty lame blog night
I will try harder tomorrow (maybe) but for now just know we are both enjoying just laying around