Mormon Mom Syndrome

Sometimes, it feels like the wife in me sprouted overnight. Honestly, I don't know when it started. Perhaps, it was the day I was born. All I know is five years ago I told my mother I would never cook. Ever, ever. My bedroom was unrecognizable at times, and I was reminded repeatedly to do my chores.

Now, all I know is this: I bake bread ... for fun.

Furthermore, I don't ever feel like it's a chore, or that I'm conforming. There is little that aggravates me more than those who belittle the modern housewife or degrade the "stereotype" of the LDS mother. My mother is the best person I know. I will be lucky to be anything like her. Believe it or not, no one is forcing me to fix dinner every night or spend Saturdays cleaning the house while Dalton does homework. I choose to do it because I enjoy it.

For those who know me, sitting mindlessly is not one of my strong suits. Well, it wasn't until I married someone who sits still very well. I'm better now, but I always need projects. Always. Many of my projects involve meal planning because I feel like I am learning skills that are prepping me for taking care of a family. I rarely make the same things twice, I rarely follow recipes step by step and I'm getting dang good at ad-matching and couponing. I usually save $40-$50 on my shopping trips! Since I graduated Dalton and I have saved thousands more than we could have otherwise.

Sure, we could go on more extravagent dates and buy toys and clothes we don't really need, but honestly, the low-cost things we find to do together are way better than ideal luxuries. Within the past two months we've had two Monday holidays begging to be filled with adventure. While I would rather go exploring in New Zealand or Greece, I'm working with what I have--the Uintah Mountains and quirky cities only a short drive away.

Thanks to Martin Luther King Jr., we began his birthday celebration with free massages. I realize this is a luxury few people have, including me. Did I mention I love working at a massage school? A free one-hour massage every weekend? Yes, please! Luckily, I didn't get pulled over for being massage drunk on my way to Park's Sportsmen in Orem. This is where I rent snowshoes when we need to get out in the fresh air, but it's cold as an igloo outside. I'm sure I could find a less expensive place to rent them, but I'm all about supporting locally-run businesses. I think it was just under $20 to rent two pair for a full day. Oh, and an additional bonus: national parks are free holidays! Well, I think they are. At least they were for us. We had so much fun taking photos of the gorgeous scenery and even saw some daring snowboarders cruise down a slope through some trees and manage to skim across the top of a reservoir without falling in. If you want to save money on recreation, start liking the outdoors.

Is it camping season yet? I'm craving dirt, bug spray and campfire smell.

This past Monday was President's Day, a day I am also grateful for because Dalton and I needed a Valentine's Day date, because Valentine's Day hardly existed at all. You know, we work and he goes to school and stuff. I was searching around online Monday morning for something fun to do, and behold!--I came across the Heber Valley Train's website. For those of you unfamiliar with this century-old train, it is commonly referred to as the "Heber Creeper." It wasn't creepy at all! It was $10 for both of us to enjoy the 90-minute ride. Yes, we endured singing YMCA with a hurd of hyper 6-year-olds, but we got into it. The train conductor could have been my great-grandfather and he wore a spiffy conductor's suit. I could have picked him and his white hair out of a model train. We drove past Deer Creek reservoir where people were ice-fishing, and thanks to those brave souls standing out on the lake, I now know what my next winter adventure will be. I hope the ice will stay long enough for me to give it a whirl.

We ate in Heber as well at the Dairy Keen. The name is bizarre to me, but the place was flooded with people and we only spent $15 on two shakes, a burger, fries, a drink, half of a turkey sub and a cup of soup.

In other news, we found an apartment! Hopefully, the people living in it now follow through on their end. It's absolutely perfect for us and basically fell in our laps. My sister Lindsay is going to stay with us during her spring break and Dalton's family is coming to stay in just a few weeks for a gymnastics meet.