With a little more research...

**Still no update on previous post... yet**

However I do have another correction to make about something I recently blogged about. When mentioning that certain restaurants did not exist in Florida, I mentioned Bajio ... however we have learned that there ARE Bajios here!! There are actually FOUR on the west coast, the closest one being in Tampa. Tyler drove past one last week and couldn't believe his eyes. He even took a picture on his iPhone to show me the proof. Sadly he wasn't able to stop by, since he had a tight schedule that day, but we're hoping to stop by soon and just HOPE it tastes the same as the Jennings used to make! I haven't decided yet if I want the Chicken Green Chili Salad or the Pineapple Shrimp Salad ...

Since I learned I was wrong about Bajio, I've been doing some research (aka googling) and have been looking into some others of my favorite restaurants. While there is some good news, there's also quite a bit of bad news...

Paradise Bakery - definitely NONE, but there are 6 in Texas. So maybe it's coming east?? And when I went to their website, I noticed a small Panera Bread logo in the corner of the page... I'm not sure who owns who ... but I'm assuming they're related.
Costa Vida - none in Florida, but there is one in Maine! Seriously, how random is that?
Rubios - OK, I guess I'm really obsessed with Mexican food because it seems like all my favorite places are Mexican. But I grew really attached to their Fish Tacos in my last few months living in SLC because there was one right by my office and we went there at least once a week for lunch. Sadly...there are NONE in Florida.
Jamba - lately I've been craving a Jamba Breakfast smoothie, Chunky Strawberry (the one with the chunky peanut butter and the slices of banana on top) :-) but sadly there are NONE in the Orlando area!! The closest one is in Tampa, and then they're all over the Miami area. So sad...I got spoiled with Jamba in the Wilk and on late starts in Junior High, but no more. PS When I was on their website I saw that they now serve salads and wraps?? are they good?
Wendys - Yes of course Wendys are here, but the closest one is 15 minutes away, and not really on the way to anything... Goodbye late night JBC, Frosty, and 5 piece nugget runs...
Sonic - OK, there are only 5 Sonics in the Orlando area and the closest one to our house is 25 mins away. I've actually driven past it, it's in a nasty neighborhood so ... I will realllly have to be craving a banana cream pie shake in order to go over there!

OK and I'll wrap up with some positive news

Chipotle - Yes, they are here! There's one right by our house and we may or may not have been there at least 10 times already...
Five Guys - Yep, there's one right next to the Chipotle, sadly since we don't get the Jennings discount anymore ... we haven't been going as often as we used to - but at least it's there!
Gandolfos - I don't think I ever went there for lunch or dinner, but Tyler and I have some good memories getting Gandolfos breakfast sandwiches. It all started when we were dating, we went there on my 21st birthday and I really loved it. We had a tradition of getting them on General Conference before the Saturday Morning Session. We thought that tradition was over. Well, we just found out that they just opened ONE in Florida, and it's 10 minutes away! We haven't been yet, but maybe this Saturday we'll have to try it out for Breakfast.

OK ... now you can totally see that I need to get a life (or a job) since I just did an entire post about restaurants!

**Correction**

So remember when I said, "One Down, One To Go" in reference to weddings this year?? Well, I will need to change that to "TWO to go"... Who would have guessed! Paige and Ben will still bring up the rear with December 30th, but there will be one more wedding we'll be traveling to earlier than that... Stay tuned for details and the OFFICIAL announcement.

What I've learned

Some things I like about living in Orlando...

* It will NEVER snow

* You can go swimming year round

* One hour drive to the Beach / Atlantic Ocean

* One hour drive to the Beach / Gulf Coast

* Thousands of amazing restaurants within a 20 minute drive

* Even though it's CRAZY hot during the summer days, the evenings are cooler than those in AZ

* Great Shopping, 2 HUGE Outlets Malls, Upscale Shopping Malls all within 20 minute drive

* Tiger Woods, Shaq, Patrick Ewing, Jonny Damon and others have houses in our neighborhood

* Publix. It's the local grocery store here 5 tiers above Smiths or Albertsons, it reminds us of the Harmons in Draper where we shopped in Draper* Panera Bread - It's Paradise Bakery meets Kneaders with a hint of Zupas, they're all over Florida and the east, I've been to at least 6 different locations already* There are direct flights to pretty much every major city in the country

Some things I Don't like about living in Orlando, Florida...

~~Warning: Most of this list will be removed once the summer ends~~

*There are no mountains, which also means there's no where to go to escape from the heat

*During the summer, it pours rain almost every day, sometime between 3 - 7 pm

*We never know exactly when it will rain, so you always have to be prepared, or just don't go grocery shopping unless you are ok getting soaked

*Gas Pumps - they don't have those little locks on the handle, so you have to hold the dirty pump in your hand the whole time you're pumping - even in the rain and heat*It really is pretty humid here

* No Cafe Rio, Costa Vida, Bajio, Tia Rosas, Oreganos, Gurus, Paradise Bakery

Oh and one other thing that I like about living in Orlando ...

Him.

One Down ... One to Go!

The wedding has come and gone! I'm so glad I was able to be in SLC for the big event. I sadly didn't take too many pictures at the wedding though... I think when I'm there with Ashley Swapp, knowing that she's taking amazing pictures right next to me, I just let her take them all. But ... I'll see them soon on her blog! Here are some of the dinner and reception though...

I was also able to spend an evening with the Jennings family down in American Fork at CAFE RIO! Vicki, Kristi & Reese, Nick & Jamie, Troy & I enjoyed the Utah Classic together.

And last but not least ... on Thursday night my sister Paige got engaged! She will be marrying Ben Lewis on December 30th in the Mesa, AZ Temple.

They have a unique story as they've been dating long distance for most of their relationship. Ben graduated from BYU and now is going to Cornell in Ithica, NY. They met last Christmas break in Mesa and then both went their separate ways in January for school. They got to know each other better over the phone that semester, Ben took a couple trips to Utah, and now have been together in Mesa most of the summer - and now are planning a wedding! Ben goes back to New York in the fall, and Paige will go to Utah for her last semester at BYU. So after they get married, Paige will be moving out to New York to live as Ben finishes his last few years in his doctorate program. Quite a big change in her life but we're all excited. They are really happy together and make a great couple.

And this wedding finishes off the Year of Weddings for me this year! ... Unless Ashley or Troy decide to get married in the next few months that is...