That would be an interesting life.

I saw this picture on a morning news show and could not believe it. It might just be because I am a twin myself that I found this so amusing. These girls were born of the same womb but have completely different genetic make-up. Their mother is of Jamaican-English descent and their father it of German descent. I just can't imagine having to convince everybody my whole life that the person I don't look anything like is my twin sister. This link will give you more detail about these girls. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,20621551-5006009,00.html
I have to say that are both very cute.

On my birthday of all days...

Well I had the surprise to beat all surprises. I wasn't really building up to this birthday as I have in the past. It was just 22. Nothing new, not really any more respect as an adult from 21. I was just kind of letting it pass as a mostly normal day expect maybe a little gift or two from my husband. Birthdays just haven't been the same since I haven't been celebrating them with my twin sister, with whom I had celebrated 19 of our birthdays. My family was planning a little party for the weekend so that was the party to celebrate my 22nd year of life. That was fine with me. I thought, maybe a dinner with my husband and a gift that I'd been hinting at for a couple weeks. Nothing too out of the ordinary. So the night before my birthday I started to get a little blue. I guess I just started to think that if this is the one day that things can be a little different from everyday life, why shouldn't it be. This is the time to party right? No kids, easy job, I wanted 22 to be a day to celebrate. So I was grumpy and annoyed that my husband didn't plan something for me. I kept him up for about an hour, sweetly lecturing him on my needs and wants from him. I don't know why I ever feel like I can say things like this, as he puts me first in everything he does. I just am not a night person and I say things I shouldn't. As I was talking he just took it all. I don't even want to think about what I said because of what was about to happen. We went to sleep and I woke up to a whisper, "happy birthday honey." I had almost forgot it was my birthday. I went to the kitchen to fix his lunch and was sitting at the table alone wondering what to do with my long day off by myself. I was looking at mail from yesterday scattered on the table wondering if I wanted to tidy up or not, when I got and unusually loud knock on the door I assumed was from the land lord telling me to move my car for road work or something. I was rather embarrased to answer the door since I was fresh our of bed. I cautiously looked out to find a crouched figure that looked like. . . was it really. . . yes it was. . . it really was my TWIN SISTER! She was here on our "birthday of all days"( it s quote from the movie "Clifford" starring Martain Short.) It was like she just came down the street for a visit. I had no idea of all the planning and secret keeping that had been in the works for 4 months. This is just like my sister, alway thinking of something you'd never expect. When I saw her I cried. Party because of her presence and because I knew how much my husband probably just wanted to tell me that everything would just turn out when I was whining the night before. He and my sister have the tightest lips of anyone I know.
There's so much to say, but I guess I just have to say that what I thought was going to be another ho-hum day at home turned out to be a day I will never forget my whole life. A day with my sister and her husband and a night my my amazing husband (who of course had a perfect night planned for the two of us. It was perfect.)
I love my sister and really had to fight to not cry the whole way home from the airport. Sometimes I get really homesick when she's not with me. I so grateful for my husband. He not only makes my life better everyday, but he supports my love to my sister.
So I guess it ended up being a pretty good birthday, contrary to my previous thoughts, not to mention the party today with the fam. My family is so sweet. My sister planned a fun dinner and a spectacular cake was made my my brother and his wife. I am really lucky for the family I have here. It was a little weird to not have melody there, but I'm sure they'll celebrate with out me in Utah. I think with that kind of arrival to my 22nd year, it will be a fun age.

English lessons

My husband often finds thing to laugh at online. We've all gotten sucked into the YouTube revolution. This is one we thought particularly funny.

http://www.youtube.com/v/UE5-EORgjno

If you ever need help learning English from some asian language, this is sure to help.

Pastry Chef or Photographer?

Well, I am currently working as a photographer for newborn babies at a hospital in the area. I am sort of conflicted as to what my occupation is. I am a trained pastry chef and enjoy making desserts for any occasion. My favorite project was definitely my twin sisters wedding cake. It was a huge accomlishment for me and she probably doesn't know that I was terrified about it. It sounded easy at first but I had to pack four frozen layers of cake with packing peanuts in a cardboard box from Maryland to Utah. My duffle bag was full of ganache and buttercream Anyway, it made it's way to the wedding through a lot of second guessing and reassuring (all in my head if course. I had come from my job in DC at an upscale hotel telling everyone it was no problem.) I am so glad I did it.

So I worked in the bakeries and such for a couple of years and it was fun. Telling people you work in a bakery strikes up a lot of converstion. I know it's a hard business and I liked the hard work while I had nothing to do except work. When I met my husband I realized that I actually wanted to spend the weekends and holidays with him. I actually didn't mind giving up those things at the time because I knew it wouldn't last forever, but throw in a bad boss and simple, hardley any professional knowledge required, tasks and it really gets old. I had looked and looked for another pastry job, but nothing stuck out. At that point I just wanted a job, some way to be productive with my time. So I quit and almost immediately found this photographer job.

I like being a photographer. I work for Growing Family First Foto, www.growingfamily.com. The hours are great, I have time to blog (actually the blog is a result of my spare time) and I just like baking what I want, when I want to. I get an urge to work for an upscale restaurant again because of all the things I know I still would love to learn. And then I remember the commute, hours, and the constant repeating of "Yes Chef!" Yep, it's just like Hell's Kitchen on TV.

So I think I like where I am right now. But I just don't know what to call myself. Anytime someone asks, I tell them I am a pastry chef on a break. Is that allowed? Am I still a Pastry Chef? I have the knowlege and the certificate. I think this is just a phase.

I love being married!

So my husband and I just made it to our seven month anniversary and are continuing to enjoy wedded bliss. My brother and sister live close by with their families so we have a lot of fun at birthdays, playdates for the kids (which we go to even though we don't have kids yet) or just because I feel like making a new dessert and don't want us to eat it all by ourselves. Marriage has been something I have always known that I would love. It has been so fun to make little dinners for the two of us, inviting people to our humble home, (it's pretty tiny so "people" is usually limited to two or three.) and listening to the sweet sounds of my husband playing his ukulele as I'm falling alseep. I know, I know, people say I'll get over the newly-wed glow soon enough, but why let it. I love waiting at the door to see him come home. Being a twin, I'm used to, or I could even say addicted to, companionship and I wouldn't want to satisfy my addiction with anyone else except my husband. This is a picture of us on the formal night of out honeymoon cruise to the Carribean. We even went Parasailing in Key West and loved it! I'll never forget our first week as newlyweds.

Just trying this out...

Hey everybody. With the free time I have these days, I am putting a little of my energy into a blog. I've never done this before so here goes!