Our First Christmas

Christmas was wonderful!  We enjoyed the warmer weather (in the low 60's) in Arizona.  I LOVED the mild weather! We spent Christmas eve day with Jared's family.  Then we ate with our family and opened presents with my family.  It was a late night filled with lots of tradition - both his family's and mine.  We then finally crawled in bed to be woken up a few short hours later to see what Santa brought.  The little kids (Jared is #2 of 9 kids, the youngest being 3 years old) were so fun!!  I've missed seeing little kids on Christmas morning.  After breakfast, we went to my family's house and opened presents, enjoyed family, and saw what Santa brought there too.  We took our usual mid-Christmas-morning nap and then went back to Jared's Grandma's.  Then we went to my Grandma's.  Next we went back to our family's house and then back to Jared's house where we finally crashed....  Whew!  I can't even begin to tell you how busy it is to always be bouncing between both families for the fw days we have with them, but it's so worth being able to spend time with them!  We are blessed to have two very wonderful families!

I imagine that First Christmas being a bit more calm.

I am thankful to our Savior for His birth and life.

What a wonderful reason to celebrate!

Other Highlights 

----------------------------------------

-Buying and decorating our very own tree

-Talking to my brother David who is now in Italy

-Doing the family puzzle(s)

-Caroling with Jared's extended family (around 30 of us)

-Watching lots of Christmas movies
-Going to "A Christmas Carol" at Hale Theatre with Jared's family

-Going to J's basketball game that ended with a 3-point buzzer shot by J's team to tie the game... and then they WON in over time
-Going to the Phoenix Zoo with our siblings

-Jared and I finished reading Percy Jackson #1 on the road trip down and watched the movie.  It's been really fun to read books together on our road trips

-Eating lots of good food

-Going to my Grandma's Christmas party and seeing all the talents

-Attending church with both our families

-Sharing our traditions with each other

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

My Handyman

I married a handyman.   

We moved into a place that had a few things that needed fixed up:

-new shower heads installed

-new calking around the tub and kitchen counters

-a bathroom medicine cabinet needed installed

-new towel rod (one that isn't 10in. above the toilet - seriously, who does that?!!?)

-closet door tracking - the sliding doors were more like just sliding immovable doors

-new sink faucet installed

-putting together a t.v. stand

-putting together a coffee table

Poor guy, had a honey-do list longer than ever should be legal, 

and all before we were even married!

After we got married, he helped hang all our wall decor, hung a ton of storage hooks and... replaced our dishwasher AND microwave. (P.S. I'm really grateful for BOTH those appliances!)

He was able to do all of it!! 

I can't even tell you how grateful I am for having that all taken care of!!

It really is such a blessing!
I'm so grateful he has taken the time to learn those skills
and use them to bless us!

How did I end up so lucky?!?

I am so thankful for that handsome handyman of mine!

Thanksgiving 2012

We were super blessed to be able to spend 7 full days with our families in AZ.  Jared didn't have class the week of Thanksgiving so we were able to enjoy lots of time off.

The entire break was filled with activities with our families from lots of baking to black friday shopping to the turkey trot to birthday lunches to board games to singing around the piano to hot-tubbing to just about anything we could squeeze in.  Not to mention, Jared was catching up on sleep he lacks during the school weeks.  It was a wonderful week that went all too fast.... that is until our drive home which did NOT go fast.  We ended up driving back to Utah with half of our high school who was also caravanning back to Utah after the holiday.  You know it's bad when you can name over half the people at the gas station in Page, Arizona.  Haha!

Turkey Trot - All of us ran the 10K

We have so much to thankful for this year!  Including our opportunity to gain an education, the long break our educational institution gave us, enough funds to be able to drive home for the holidays, two amazing and loving families, good weather, plenty of food to eat, healthy bodies, religious freedom, this time of year to reflect on our Savior, and SO much more!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Wedding

We got married over a month ago, but now that I have my pictures, I wanted to post a few...

Our wedding weekend was a WHIRLWIND!!

Thursday morning at like 6am (the day before we got married and the morning after Jared flew in), we met with our videographer to record our stories... it was early, but we had to be done by the time the courthouse opened so we could get a marriage license... you know, that one thing you HAVE to have in order to actually get married!  That was easy enough since we beat the rush!  Afterwards, we went out and ate breakfast.  It was a nice little break to a crazy day.  Then the craziness continued... I went to get my hair done for pictures and Jared had an orthodontist appointment. I know, I know - doctors appointments your wedding weekend? - Yep, that's life!  We got to the temple for pictures and we were so blessed.  It was the ONLY day we could take pictures and it ended up being a beautiful day with an amazing sky!  Pictures were a blast!!  Below I have posted some of the pictures from our wedding shoot.  That night, after pictures, we spent time with family that was in town and then enjoyed our last night being engaged!  Being engaged to him was SO FUN!   It was a crazy day but a very fun day!

On our actual wedding day, I didn't get up super early - I always said I would have a later wedding so that I wouldn't have to get up at 4am.  I'll admit, I didn't sleep much that night - I was a bit excited, but I'm still glad I wasn't getting up at 4!  My sister A came with me to get my hair done (I didn't take any pictures! - Ah!).  Then, I ate breakfast, got dressed, packed my bag for the day and headed out the door with my mom.  We picked Jared up and drove to the temple.  Don't worry, we left the marriage license in our car so we had to run back out and get it!  At least we didn't leave it at home!

Our wedding ceremony was really neat and I am SO grateful that I was married in the temple.  It is the only place on earth that has the power to seal you together so that we have the opportunity to be married for time (this life) and all eternity (forever after).  It was also so wonderful to have so many close family members there to support us and even more family and friends waiting outside the temple for us!

We had more pictures afterwards and then went straight to our luncheon.  It was super delicious and lots of fun!  Jared's family spoiled us with his favorite food and their wonderful talents!

That night was our reception.  I had very little to do with the planning for this day so when I walked in to the building, I was blown away with how good it looked!  I was so pleased and thankful to my mom (and dad) who helped it all turn out so great!  We had so much fun seeing everyone who came and it went so quickly!  The food was so tasty (we got big boxes of it to take with us!) and it was a blast!

As we drove away, we could hardly believe the day we had been planning, waiting for, and dreaming of was over!  It was an absolutely perfect day!  And the best part.... I was married to....

him! :)

For more pictures and our wedding video, click the links below...

Pictures

Video

D on a mission

My brother D is on a mission!!  I can hardly believe it!! He left for the MTC on Wednesday, October 24th.  He flew out from AZ which meant that Jared and I were able to pick him up in Salt Lake.  It was so exciting to see him at the airport!  I didn't have the "sad" goodbye experience at the airport... my "sad" goodbye was at the actual MTC. 

 (Picking him up from the airport to take him to the MTC)

We chatted the entire drive to Provo about missions and snow (it threatened to snow the entire day that he entered the MTC - not quite the "warm" welcome he was hoping for) and family and the gospel.  It was an amazing car ride.  He is an amazing kid!  

As we got out of the car to take a few pictures and say our goodbyes, he practically ran off, he was so excited!  As we crossed the street with him, I had to stop him and remind him to give me a hug goodbye.  He was seriously SO ready to begin, that he nearly forgot to say goodbye to us!  

(Goodbyes at the MTC!!  Love you D!!  See you in 2 years!)

He has been there for nearly 3 weeks now.  I love knowing that he is only a short distance away from me!  I love knowing that when we go to the temple each week, he has been in the very same temple that week too!  It's almost like he isn't gone... even though I haven't seen him and can't talk to him!  

He is picking up Italian quickly!!  Here is his testimony from his most recent letter... in Italian...

"Io so che la Chiesa di Gesù Cristo dei Santi degli Ultimi Giorni è la vera chiesa. Io so che Gesù Cristo vive, e che Lui ha espiato per i peccati di tutto del mondo. So che Jospeh Smith era un profeta di Dio, e che lui ha visto Padre Celeste e Gesù Cristo nel sacro bosco. So che io ha avuto chiamto di Dio a insegnarle ai abitanti di Italia. Io so che Dio mi ama, e che Lui vuole communicarci e benedirci. Nel nome di Gesù Cristo, Amen."

(D's best friend found him on the temple grounds and was able to tell him 

IN person that he got his mission call to MEXICO)

From his second letter he said, 

"I've already learned more Italian in two weeks than the amount of Spanish I learned in three years (now granted, my spanish background has really helped because the grammar and conjugations are nearly identical). In fact, the other guys in my district have nicknamed me Garn-asaurus because I'm so tall and they're convinced that I've been speaking Italian since the dawn of the dinosaurs... Haha it's pretty funny. Really though, I know that there's no way I could have learned so much without the Lord's daily blessings. I have really felt Him strengthen my understanding, not only of Italian but of His gospel too. It is truly a joy to be working so closely with our Father in Heaven."

He is an awesome elder and we are so proud of him!  I am so grateful for his example, his love, and his letters.  His letters have already been such a blessing to me!  It is a remarkable thing to have an immediate family member out on a mission.  There is an added blessing felt in my life!  I am so thankful that he is willing to serve our God and go and preach the gospel to those out there that are missing the wonderful blessings that come from this gospel.  It is true.  This is Jesus Christ's gospel and the reason why 19 (and now 18 year old boys) are willing to do what they do - leave their families for 2 years to help others come to know Christ!  
  

(D and a friend from AZ who is also in the MTC)

If you would like to receive his weekly emails, please message me your email address and we would be more than willing to add you to the list! :) 

Status: Unemployed

Time to be very open...

I graduated from high school in 2007.  3 years later, in 2010, I graduated from ASU with my Bachelors degree.  I immediately started graduate school and 2 years after ASU graduation (this year), I graduated with my Masters degree.

I haven't wasted any time in gaining my education.  (It sure helped that I knew what I wanted when I was 14 years old.)  I never took a semester with less than 16 credits in undergrad and in grad school I doubled up on electives to save on tuition costs.

I worked so hard at gaining my education.  I didn't always put in 100% effort (there are days where you feel as if it never will end and you can't put in any more effort), but it was definitely at the top of my priority lists right there with family and my faith.

I have always wanted to work hard at it, finish quickly, and become proficient, so that

1. I could help/support my husband through his schooling (ask any of my friends, since I was a sophomore in high school, I was "getting my masters so I could put my husband through college"). 
2. I could pay it forward: my brothers both needed speech therapy and their therapists had a huge impact on who they have become.  I want to pass that on to other families to help their children and siblings have the ability to communicate too!  

Well, now the time has come.  I have finished my schooling and I have all that I need to be a SLP.  I have a husband that is still in school and I have an overload of enthusiasm in my field that makes me anxious to help others.

Problem: there are NO job openings within 30 min of Provo in any direction.  I look nearly every day!

What does that make me?  UNEMPLOYED

A month ago, I went to a doctors appointment.  I had to fill out my new info.  The form had me declare my status: Employed, Student, Unemployed.  I about threw up as I marked unemployed.

When we were filling out our information for our new ward a couple weeks ago, Jared filled out all his schooling info and his work info.  I fought to hold back tears as I wrote N/A on both.

I have had a job EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE since I was 15 years old.  

Now, I have a Master's degree 

and I am 

unemployed. 

I have struggled with this.  

It has been a very humbling experience!  

Every time someone asks how the job hunt is going, I feel as if I'm being punched in the stomach.  I have had to fight the feelings of inadequacy that have come with such questionings.  I have even had to fight the "why" questions as I say my prayers: the "why has my education worked out flawlessly only to come to a dead end?" or "we really need to start saving up for our future family and I have done ALL I can to be able to do that. Why isn't that righteous desire granted?"  I'll admit, I think the "why" questions have slipped a few times in my discouragement.

I still don't why.

BUT,

I have learned a few things through this trial.

1. Heavenly Father has His own time table.   
2. Heavenly Father's plan is better than our plan! 
3. Heavenly Father has answers that dispel all the "why" questions, but He wants us to learn to TRUST Him.  It is in these situations that we build faith. 

(If only I could just get these lessons down for good, I wouldn't have to keep having "opportunities" to learn them over and over again.)

I listened to Elder Busche's mini talk on YouTube.  If you haven't seen it, watch it.  I practically have it memorized I've listened to it so much over the last year.  A statement he makes at the very end has stuck out in my mind as I have worried and wondered about my work status.

He says,
"When you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now.  But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better."

I know that Heavenly Father is watching over us.  I know that He hears and answers our prayers: on His own time table, in His own way, in His perfect way.  I know that He knows of our needs and is concerned about us.  He knows the desires of our hearts.  He wants us to be happy.  He wants us to be successful and to be self-sufficient.  And ultimately, our lessons here on earth are to teach us to be like Him.

So I have looked for blessings that have come from this experience, and there are MANY!!

1. I was able to plan a wedding, split my time between 2 states, and not have any ties to school or a job that would've kept me from fully enjoying and experiencing this great time in my life.  Honestly, I have not had a break from school/work ever before.  What a blessing that I was able to focus solely on my marriage!!
2. I am taking in every moment I can to enjoy being only a wife.  I have all the time in the world to make Jared breakfast, pack his lunches, and enjoy cooking dinner.  I have had time to figure out all this name-change stuff, and adjust to living in a new place.  When will that EVER be the case again?! - Being only a wife?! - never.
3. When Jared has a break in school, I ride my bike down there and eat lunch or workout with him.  The second he gets home from school/work, we can spend time just enjoying each other instead of throwing in late night loads of laundry or cleaning bathrooms.  That won't be the case when I have a job either.

So for now, I am truly enjoying the tender mercies of God each time I eat lunch with Jared or each time I start dinner early enough to eat at a reasonable time!  I know that these days won't last forever.  I know that I will find a job.  I know that Heavenly Father values education and will help me find the job that will best bless our family.  Until then,  I have lessons to learn, faith to build, patience to develop, and humility to gather, and tender mercies to recognize and give thanks for! 

Halloween 2012

Anyone who knows me well knows I love holidays! Although, I do love some holidays more than others, I don't care what the excuse is to have traditions, I enjoy all of them!

So, we spread Halloween out this year...

Monday - For FHE, we picked and carved a pumpkin.  We also baked the pumpkin seeds and tried all different seasonings on them!  Jared loved the ones I doused in Red Pepper!  I liked the ones doused in cinnamon sugar!  Haha.

Tuesday - I made my mom's homemade sugar cookies with my cousin Clarissa.  Jared helped decorate them with me and we sent most of them off to other places so I wouldn't eat them all!  I also got my yearly fix of candy corns and candy pumpkins!  I have a love/hate relationship with those things!

Wednesday (Halloween) - We didn't do anything.  Lame, I know. 

Thursday - Jared and I drove to Thanksgiving point to enjoy an evening at Cornbelly's Corn Maze.  It is home to one of the biggest corn mazes in the US each year.  Surprisingly, there was a lot more to do there than the corn maze.  We played Pumpkin Checkers, Basketball Free Throws, and Corn Hole: a game that the people in Kentucky (where Jared served his mission) played all the time.  It was a really fun evening full of lots of laughs and amazing weather! Cornbelly's does rock!

Saturday - We went country swing dancing with some friends.  (Country dancing always reminds me of  this season.)  It was Jared's first time country swing dancing and he picked it up so quickly!  It was a blast!  I haven't been in a long time and I forgot how much I love it!

And yes, I listened to Christmas music while typing up this Halloween post.  But I'm not the only one.   Cornbelly's knows how it's done too - look at their Carved Pumpkin Christmas Tree...

  The Holiday Season has officially begun!