Tłusty czwartek

Last night we had over several friends and all the missionaries for a "Tłusty Czwartek" party.  In Polish "Tłusty Czwartek" means "Fat Thursday" and is celebrated the last Thursday before lent. Traditionally, it's a day where friends and family are invited over and everyone indulges in sweets (and other foods) which are forbidden during Lent, in which you fast for 40 days and are not permitted to eat these types of foods again until Easter.  In Poland the typical "sweet" to mark this festival or celebration is called "pączki".  The Polish reason for making paczki was to use up all the butter, sugar, eggs, & fruit in the house (because they were forbidden to be consumed during Lent, due to Catholic fasting practices). This treat is quite similar to a doughnut in the United States, but the ones here are filled with all sorts of delicious jams & jellies & cheeses, and the bread-dough is much more fluffy and not as greasy as a typical doughnut... and... there is no doughnut hole.     

Katie, Michal, Nina, Kristina, Sister Ence, the Elders

 Kinga & Sister Mann (who somehow missed our group photo)

We ordered a lot of paczki's and I'm glad we did because our guests decided to have a competition to see who could eat the most while they were there.  I was sure that the Elders would jump all over this, but (drumroll please)... it turns out that our winners were: Nina & Kristina (who both ate 6 or 7 paczki each).  They liked experimenting to see which flavor was going to be in the next one and they were our official taste-testers for us, letting us know which ones were the best.

Overall we had a blast with everyone that came and we can't wait to have another fun get-together at our home. 

Valentines Day

Since Michal had to teach Institute on Valentines Day, we decided that we would celebrate the Friday before.  Michal planned out an evening for the two of us which included dinner and a movie... but it didn't go as smoothy as he wanted it to.

We got lost trying to find TGIFridays (which - by the way - is nothing like it is in America!  Here it is overpriced and doesn't taste the same... in other words, I would NOT recommend this place to anyone here).

After we finished our (not-so-good) meal, we were still hungry and we decided that it was a must for us to buy the largest popcorn possible at the movie theater to satisfy our tummies.  This was not a wise idea... (details to follow).

Michal makes a great jedi warrior.

The movie was great, we went and watched "The Vow".  In Polish the title is: "I ze cie nie opuszcze" which translated means, "I will never leave you."  Since it is a movie about a woman who looses her memory and her husband fights to win her love all over again since she has forgotten who her husband is.

At the end of the movie I asked Michal, "What would you do if I lost my memory?"  And his reply was quite a shocker: "I'd watch all the 'King of the Hill Episodes' with you to help you remember how cool this show is and how funny it is."  Here I was setting him up to give me a cheesy, romantic response - and instead I get a white trash one.  I told him that with a response like that get a 'do-over' date.

Regardless, when the movie got over it was around 12:30 and Michal & I discovered that public transportation doesn't really run that frequently at this time of the night.  We were the only ones one the Tram & the Metro on the way home.

Michal used his charm and talked a tram driver, who was taking the tram to the garage, into dropping us off at a nearby Metro station.  From there it was about a 40 minute metro ride home.  And we walked into our apartment around 1:45.

Well, remember all that popcorn that we ate?  It was so salty that when we got home all we could even think about was drinking lots and lots and lots of water... which kept us up even later and later.  We weren't tired, we were just so thirsty.  By the time we ended up falling asleep it was well into the early hours of the morning.  I haven't stayed up that late since I was in College, and trying to convince Michal to stay up to even ring in the new year is a trial for me.  (Next time I'll just feed him lots of Salty Popcorn and that should do the trick!)

Overall, it was a fun adventure and one that took us through a lot of unexpected turns.  We tried to make the most out of a date that did not go as planned. I had fun and I'm glad that I have a great memory of our very uncommon, unusual Valentines day date.

Since we moved to Poland

It's been cold.

Very cold.

I don't think that I've ever been this cold before.  But we have decided that staying in the house all day is no fun.  So we try to get out and go exploring.  Michal & I found an outdoor market, like a Bazaar.  Here you can buy things really cheap - so we shared our knowledge with the sister missionaries & with Kristina and Ky Staples and we went bargain hunting with them.  Our Mission was to find Kristina & Sister Ence a warm coat.

I don't know how Kristina was brave enough to try on coats outside when it was so cold, but we found her a lovely gray one and it looks lovely & extremely flattering on her.

While it has been cold, Michal & I have tried to get to know people in our church better and have invited several over for dinner.

The sister Missionaries in our Branch.  Sister Mann & Sister Ence.

It's really pleasant to get to know more about people from here and what their interests are.  I also appreciate that they always speak English in our home and try to make me feel included in the conversation.  If the conversation ever turns to Polish, at least one person stops it and reminds the others that we need to speak in English.  It's also really nice that people are so willing to help me with Polish.  They teach me so much every time they come over, but it is so hard to remember everything that they taught me.  I get so frustrated so easily with the language, and I get so discouraged so easily... but when my new friends are so patient and try to help me, it helps motivate me.


My favorite part is walking them down to the Metro station where we always make it a point to take a jumping picture in front of the train as it's coming down the track.   Here are some of our favorites:

Marta & Kinga.  They love jumping just as much as me.  I think you'll see them appear in more jumping pictures as the weather gets warmer.

Books Read - January 2012

Since moving to Poland, I have had a lot of free time.  Here's how I've been spending it!  

(Ordered by books I liked the most with (Delirium) to the books I disliked the most (Living Dead in Dallas).  Think of it as assigning out grades Delirium = A, The Lovely Bones = A-, ... , Dead Until Dark = D-, Living Dead in Dallas = F).

I'd love to hear about what you are reading also...

If you have any good book recommendations, leave me a comment!

Going Away Parties

Since we were moving to Poland, there were a lot of people that I wanted to say "good-bye" to, but not enough time to make it around to see all of them.

Party #1

The first 'going-away-party' was with my colleagues.

Zions Bank was kind enough to throw me a going away party. I didn't expect it at all. They were so kind and Chris even went out and bought my absolute favorite thing in the world: White Chocolate Magnum Ice Cream Bars (which, in case you were wondering, I have not been able to find at all in Poland, in any grocery store, probably since it is so cold here).

Chris Olson.

Kristina Rodriquez & Sean

Nikki Best, Aaron Munro, JP Hardy (who is so great because he always makes me laugh), & Chad Witcher

(Also notice how excited everyone is to try out these phenomenal ice-cream heaven-in-you-mouth-bars!)

Diane Dunne - one of my favorite co-workers. She has such a die-hard, kick-ass, down-to-business work ethic. Not only does she do an awesome job at what she does, but she takes the time to teach you how to become better. Her approach isn't demeaning or condescending, but very caring. She really goes out of her way to let you know how she's feeling and how much she appreciates your work. These qualities are hard to find in a work place, but she really knows how to be your friend, make you feel appreciated, and motivate you all at the same time.

It was so nice of them and luckily, Michal was there to take some departing pictures.

Party #2

The day before Michal left to go to Poland, and a few days before I left, I sent out a facebook invite to as many people as I knew living in Utah to see if they wanted to come bid us farewell. Here is who showed up:

Heather Collier. I love this girl. I will forever be indebted to her. She showed and taught me how to soak up life and have a passion for all things European (and Ice Cream and Hansen). She has the most contagious positive attitude. One thing I admire Heather for is that she knows what she likes and she's not afraid to stand-up for it. She's not easily swayed by others opinions. She looks for the good in everyone and if she can't find it, she doesn't waste her time trying to get others to accept her. She really is such an inspiration to me.

Brooke Blair. What more can I say about this girl other than she lives 5 turns away from me (ha). Brooke is such a genuine person. You never have to ask this girl twice for a favor. She would give you the shoes off your feet if you asked, even in ice-cold, negative degree, arctic - you get the point. Brooke exemplifies what it means to be charitable and I think that anyone who has met her can attest to this.

Yvonne & Randi McKinnon. I met Yvonne & Randi in a very random way. But I found out that Yvonne is from the same city that Michal grew up in: Wroclaw, Poland. Over the 3 months while Michal was away, she would invite me to her home often and share all of her Polish cultural knowledge with me. She introduced me to the music, the literature, the history, the good-food, and helped me with any language questions that I had. I was so happy that they came!

Natalie (Jackson) & James Pace. Michal & I first met Natalie - oh - like 8 years ago at BYU when at 2 in the morning she was walking home from the grocery store with too many groceries to carry. We offered to give her a ride home. Later Natalie put in her mission papers and got her call to (none-other) than POLAND! We sure do love Natalie - and we love you too James & Charlotte.

Amanda (Hull) & Jared Mortenson. Who are pregnant! Yeay! We love this couple. Michal & I were lucky enough to watch them first hook-up, date, and eventually get married. I love Amanda. If it weren't for her, I think that I would probably be locked-up in a straight-jacket talking to myself, after working at Nu Skin. If you haven't worked at a call center - I'll tell you what - they can drive you crazy. Amanda is super patient and full of love, and loves to share her knowledge with me. She is such an interesting person. Michal loves being able to tell people that she is a 'porn-doctor'. I just love that she teaches me how to eat healthy. And Jared is just as smart. I love how much he appreciates Amanda and how every time he looks at her, you can just see the love he has for her. It melts my heart.

Julie (and my mom). We met Julie.... a long time ago... I don't really remember when, but I'm sure that it was a long time ago. She has become a great family friend. She has the most tender, caring, soft-heart. When she speaks to you, its straight from her heart and everything she says is loving and genuine. She always comes to support my family at our random events. It's a very thoughtful thing of her. I really appreciate Julie for how she has loved me as if I were her daughter.

Kristina & Ivan Rodriguez. The first time I met Ivan, (and I'm sorry you have to find this out on my blog Ivan), he drove me CRAZY. I thought - who is this guy? He came over with the Elders quorum presidency on a Sunday and talked for like 90 minutes. I just wanted him to go home so I could take a nap. Now every time I talk to Ivan I don't want him to shut-up because he is so interesting. He has this plethora of knowledge and is so, so smart. He found the perfect match - Kristina. I think that she is just as smart (if not smarter) than Ivan. Every time I talk to Kristina I feel like I am a better person. Or I feel totally motivated to go out and start a new hobby or skill. Have you heard the phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none"? Kristina is "Jack of all trades, master of all but one". She is incredible, she is an amazing seamstress, and amazing cook, has some serious computer skills (programming & that language that I don't understand), just to name a few. I love being around her because I feel like I can take on the world after her motivational speeches. The best part about Kristina is that she is one of the most patient, non-judgmental people that I have truly ever met. Sometimes I just want to vent, but she always looks at things from a very unbiased perspective and never judges anyone. She has so many great christ-like qualities. If I could be half of her one-day, then I know for sure I'll make it through the pearly white gates!

My family. Yeah, I think that they were bored. Understandable seeing as they had a houseful of strangers they didn't know.

I felt so loved to see all my wonderful family and friends come bid me adieu. There were tears, hugs, laughs, and good memories shared. The invitation still stands - anyone who wants to come and visit us out here, we would LOVE to see you and take you around Warsaw (just not when it's freezing outside in the winter).

Party #2.1 & #2.2

I did have a few late-comers, who stopped by to say good-bye. (The pictures are horrible and were done on my ipad since Michal had already taken the camera with him).

Katrin Martin. She is the very best visiting teacher I've ever had. Sorry to all the other visiting-teachers that don't get a shout-out, but Katrin makes you guys look like amateurs. Every time she visited she brought the most outrageously delicious german desserts (she is from Germany in case you didn't catch the subtlety there). And she has this laugh that is so contagious. Every time she laughs, you laugh, and then she laughs at your laugh, and it doesn't stop - you laugh for so long that your cheeks hurt. She is also one of the cutest tiny pregnant people ever.

Melisa Mulvey. What would I do without you Melisa? You are such an inspiration to me. You came into my life at the very best timing ever and have been such a loyal, faithful, honest, true friend. You are amazing in every way possible. Thank you for your friendship and for always being there for me. Thanks for just listening and making life easier for me. Thank you for hating the same people that I did, and loving the same people I did - even if you didn't really feel that way about them (or if you didn't know them), it made me feel much, much better (and justified). Thank you for showing me that it's possible to have a really good girlfriend who isn't catty, back-biting, and who leaves your life the instant something better comes along. I think that you are an incredible individual and you have so much potential. You are such a hard-worker and such a devoted mom & christian. And thank you for making me laugh and tease you whenever you were a little naive (about other countries - in specific). I miss you and can't wait for you to come and visit!

Big THANK YOU to all our friends who support us and who we are so lucky to call friends. We really appreciate you and you have made us better people for knowing you!

Ben + Fatima = 01/05/2012

So... on January 5, 2012 - Ben & Fatima were married in the Salt Lake City Temple for Time & All Eternity. It was a beautiful ceremony. Actually, the whole day was just perfect.

Candid shots are my favorite. Instead of posting formal regular posing pictures, here are a few of my favorite (unformal) candids from the day.

As you can see, the whole day was really a lot of fun. That's the best way to describe this wedding.

Fun.

The reason that I posted all these pictures is to show you that everyone was laughing, having a good time, and celebrating Ben & Fatima tying-the-knot. That's the way a wedding should be - a celebration with those you love. I'm glad that everything went so smoothy and the day was just perfect. Congrats you two! Thanks for sharing your special day with us.