My Boys

So I walked out and saw my boys napping the other day and had to put it up. In just a few days Chance is a part of our little family. I love him so much. We are still working on the potty training, but he is getting better. He is so sweet, and did a great job while we traveled.

Party with Friends

Not only did I get to spend time with my great family, I was able to see some of my best friends in the entire world! I went to a party at Jill's house and saw lots of friends from church, the Armstrongs came over for a birhday bash for my other little brother Christopher, and brought April, and Kacie came to say hi!

Here is a bad shot of Allie and her husband Eric, but it is all I got!

Here is Jill, Phillip and I at Jill's house:

Here are some of us HOT girls from the party. Then below is Mallory and Jen, more hot girls!

Then lastly a shot of April and I... classic shot

I love my friends! I think of them basically as family! I was so glad to see everyone! Not everyone is in pictures, but know I was happy to see you!

Christmas in Ohio

So this year for Christmas we snuck up to Ohio for a few days. My family was as random and cray as ever. For example, we each got beach balls from aunt Val in AZ...and decided to all try to keep them in the air. This turned into trying to hit people and laughing like crazy. I love how we are a room full of grown adults, but we act like kids! We just moved the decorations to the floor so we wouldn't have to worry about them too much.

So we took several pics trying to get all the balls flying everywhere... but this was the best we could get. I love random fun with family! We opened gifts and did our tratitional white elephant thing. I just love being with my awesome family. It was weird to not have my brother there, but he called us and woke everyone up on Christmas morning. We are so proud of his hard work on his mission!

We got a puppy!

So Jon called me from work yesterday to ask my permission to get a puppy. Even though we are in a weird time in our lives, we decided to go for it (because he was free and already has his shots). His name is chance, he is really cute! he however likes to pee and poop on the floor... so that is interesting. if anyone has any potty training tips please let us know! I am totally stupid when it comes to inside dogs, ours growing up were always outside all the time!

Christmas Tag

So I have been taged!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper... unless I am running late!
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial... it saves money!
3. When do you put up the tree? Sometime after Thanksgiving, whenever I want... it changes year to year
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime after christmas, Im kinda lazy so whenever I get around to it
5. Do you like eggnog? no way-- it is so thick and yucky!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Man I liked lots... on i know i liked was my mermaid doll (I just know it sang and light up and changed colors in water.)
7. Hardest person to buy for? My brother in Law Scott
8. Easiest person to buy for? Jon, He always practical stuff... i make it harder by trying to get him fun stuff, but really he just wants the boring stuff like socks.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope not yet.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? so Im lame and dont do christmas cards. I guess I should start doing that, but so far I havent.
11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? My great grandma got me an ugly nightgown once.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Prancer, but it makes me cry, and A Christmas Story cause it makes me laugh
13. When do you do your Christmas shopping? Whenever I have time, but I like to get it done early.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not unless you count white elephants
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? potatoe chip cookies. meatballs, mac and cheese, strawberry snow, anything junky food
16. Lights on the tree? Yes white
17. Favorite Christmas song? Anything Josh Groban
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Be with my family, if that means i travel I travel
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Who cant?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Ya know, i kinda like nothing... what is wrong with the tree having a tree at the top? (i only say this cause I dont have anything on the top of my tree)
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Pj's on christmas eve, and everything else morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? All of the people... you cant buy groceries without waiting in line forever!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Well thanks to my mom and granny I have the best tree theme ever-- my ornaments are all blue/purple in different shades and styles. it looks so good!
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Meat Balls
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? clothes, stuff for scrapbooking, stuff for my house.... but i will just have to move that stuff and hope it doesnt break. OH WAIT-- What i really want is artwork. I asked my family to make me original artwork so i can have priceless decorations around me house!

The official last day

So today marks the last day my husband will slave away at America's Home Place. Although we are stressed out, I thought I should take a moment to mark this occasion. Now who knows what will happen to us! The sky is the limit! (especially if we cant find another job and we end up camping!) lol-I'm totally kidding! So... farewell AHP! We moved to South Carolina for you, now who knows where life will take us!

7 Random Facts about Me

I have been tagged to tell you 7 random facts about me so here it goes!

1. I have an obsession with even numbers. it is extreme, if someone offers me candy and gives me 3 pieces in my head i am screaming take one away or give me one more! Also, i will not have an odd number of children-- like 3 or 5! that just sounds so wrong to me. i need a nice number like 2 or 4 (6 is far too many!) This is kinda related too, but when i chew my food i take turns on the different sides of my mouth. if the last bite went to the right, i make sure the next goes to the left. weird i know but it is just my thing.

2. The sound of people touching their forks/spoons/knives to their teeth make me queezy. That noise seriously makes me cringe even thinking about it.

3. I love to talk to people (family) when I am in the bathroom. This is weird to some people, I had to get Jon used to it when we first got married. He used to come over to me and shut the door while i was mid sentance. It is weird i know, but I guess I figure its just family i dont care. It has made for akward moments for me... like once when my friend Jill was over and I totally walked to the bathroom and caught myself not closing the door while talking to her. luckily for her i caught myself before it got TOO weird.

4. I am freakishly scared of sharks and baracudas, but i LOVE the ocean. I could make a career studying the magestic oceans but some of the things in there scare me to death.

5. My eyebrows. It is a fact that if I dont pluck them once a day I feel like I am growing bushes. Sometimes I try so hard to find something to pluck I hurt myself.

6. I HATE HATE HATE to touch raw chicken. Literally if I touch it while cooking it I wont eat it, but if someone else touches it i love chicken. Jon doesnt get it, but I cant touch it then eat it. It groses me out.

7. I remember song lyrics like crazy. I sometimes test myself and flip stations and try to find a song i DONT know most all the words to.

I tag: Drie, Allie, Mallory, and whoever else....

Being Thankful

So, lately I have been freaking out... I've been trying to hide it, but really inside I have been being very pesimistic and complaining about Jon and I's current situation. This weekend I have, however, decided to take everyones advice and try my best to be happier about everything. Finding Joy in the Journey like President Monson counsled. I just want to take a minute and formally list my blessings, in honor of Thanksgiving coming.

Just thinking about this post has filled my heart with love. Even though my future is not 100% clear, I am still blessed and loved by many.

First I must be thankful for my Father in Heaven and my Savior. I have felt their love amidst my trials. I pray forgiveness for my shortcomings, and I realize that no matter what happens the Lord will take care of us. I need to work harder at having faith in His plan for me.

Next I am so thankful for my family and friends. my family is always the 'wind beneath my wings'. Jon and I are so loved and cared for. My awesome brother is a great example to me as he is serving his mission currently. His strength is giving me strength.

I must say, I have the best friends on the planet. My friends that have been with me since the early days of me life and those that have entered much later have all given me strength and love. I love and appreciate all of you for all that you do. I would be lost without your support. Just remembering all of you brings a smile to my face and a lump in my throat. I have had so many great times with all of you. the laughter and tears have ment the world to me. Thanks so much for everything.

I am so greateful to my husband for being the strong and steady one. I am, as everyone knows, much more emotional and crazy than my husband. He is always constant and I look to him for everything. Even with the world being so unknown and crazy, I know that I will always have his unwavering love and support.

I am grateful for this opportunity to grow and be humbled. The Lord works in mysterious ways, but I feel that I have truly been able to grow from this. I am aware that this time in my life is far from over, but I am grateful to be alive. I am here with people I love. I just thank everyone for everything. No matter what happens next in my life I hope I can remember just how lucky I am.

Sad News

So as you all know the economy sucks now, and because of this Jon has been informed he may be without a job in the near future. We have officially backed out of the house, witch makes me VERY sad, but it is for the best. This way if we find ourselves without a job we can more quickly move if necessary. We don't want to move or be without a job, Jon is just really starting to shine in his position (his boss even said he was doing great, but the market is forcing him to let people go), we are just starting to feel like we are at home here in our ward and city. Life kinda sucks... just when everything is going perefect, something blows up. Any prayers on our behalf would be appreciated!

Zach's mission farewell!

So this past weekend Jon and I went to Ohio for my brother's mission farewell. He leaves Nov 5 for the MTC. He is going to Tallahassee Florida. I am so proud of my bro! here are a few pictures from the good times!

A Tour of my Potential new house!

So, the loan hasn't officially gone through, and also the inspection hasnt passed, but if all goes well here are some much awaited pictures of our house! So....

From the outside (note we will trim the bushes when we buy it):

Then open the door and see the open stairwell:
Then see the dining room from the livingroom:

Then the Kitchen without appliances, those will come later:
Then the Family Room attached to Kitchen, we will pull up the carpet and put down fake wood:
Then we go outside to the deck:
Then we go upstairs to the Master Bedroom:
Then our baby room, I may have to change the color someday:

And one of the other 2 rooms:

So all in all it is 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bath, formal living and dining room house. I really love it! Hopefully everything goes well and we get it. Also, hopefully the economy picks back up and we dont have to move right after we get settled.

General Conference

Ok, so the older I get the more I LOVE the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I remember being a kid and dreading having to be at church all day for 2 days (we used to just stay at our building between sessions and have a potluck with the ward). But now I find myself looking forward to hearing the messages from the Prophets of the Lord. This conference session really was a strength to me. The messages seemed to be so positive and reassuring. To me the theme was, don't worry, do all that you can to keep the commandments and you have no need to fear. It is easy to get caught up in the media and feel uneasy about the world around us, but Conference has helped me look outside of this mortal experience and remember why I am really here. I am here to gain a body and knowledge so I can live with my Father in Heaven again. Another theme from Conference I got was to strengthen your marriages. I just want to say that I think Jon and I have come a long way. We still fight and get under eachother's skin, but really we are growing closer together as we strive to get closer to our Father. I love my husband so much. He is a great example to me of his selflessness and love for others. I strive to live the best I can so we can be together forever.

I am so blessed to be a member of the church. My faith gives me guidance and support no matter where I go. I am thankful for General Conference and the sweet messages we were given.

8 Things

OK, Corteiga tagged me...Ive never done one of these but here I sit at work doing NOTHING, so it comes at a great time!
8 Things I'm passionate about
1. My family - Not to copy Corteiga, but really, I love my family. My husband is the best, and as a bonus his side of the family are so sweet. I have officially been adopted into their big loving family! And my side of the family is the coolest!
2. Fun- I love do be active and do anything new and entertaining. I dont know how else to explain it, but I thrive on having fun in whatever form it takes!
3. My Friends - usually they tie into fun and family, but I figured I should add a number for them. I have gotten a new appreaction for my friends moving to SC, I realize how blessed I am to still feel the love of my great friends even when I am forever away from them. To all of you, I love ya!
4. Eating- Yes I said it, I love eating! mostly I love eating out, because I cant eat at my apartment (it makes me sick). But I LOVE everything about good food, so many good things in life revolve around food.
5. Exercise/Educating people about Exercise- because I love to eat, I am passionate about exercise. I know from looking at me you cant tell, but really I feel like a lazy blob if I dont exercise. I wish I was better at doing it, but I do alright. Also with my job I LOVE to educate people on how to live a better life with exercise. I feel like I am doing my small part to help those around me.
6. Scrapbooking/anything crafty- I LOVE my scrapbooking. If you put me in a scrapbook store I could spend hundreds of dollars! It is my own personal time to tell my life story. It also helps me sit around and feel grateful for my blessings in life.
7. Traveling- I absolutely love going places. Even if it is just a drive a few hours away, I love seeing the world around me. I want to go everywhere and see everything! (no joke! it freaks my hubby out!)
8. The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints- cheesy I know, but really I love my church. It has given me everything from my values to my husband. I am so grateful to my Lord and Savior for all they have blessed me with!
8 Words or Phrases I say Often
1. so.....
2. ok
3. anyway
4. Jump on over, jump up here, (instead of step)
5. well
6. Oh my Gosh
7. whatever
8. holy crap, or holy cow
8 Things I want to do Before I Die
1. Get a house and fill it with kids!
2. See everything in the world, but more exactly I MUST go to Paris! but I want to go all over Europe
3. Parachute
4. be able to say that I have been to all of the 50 states
5. write a book. I dont know why but I have always wanted to write/publish a book
6. own a mustang. Yes my dream car... the 08 model red with white racing stripes.
7. Meet someone famous like the Prophet.
8. get a master/PHD however far I can get in education
8 Things I Currently Want or Need
1. A HOUSE!!!! I CANT STAND ROACHES ANYMORE!!!
2. More Khakis.... get this, I chose my job because I can wear gym clothes to work every day and they change the dress code after 2 months to wearing khakis and a polo! LAME
3. I want cute/crafty stuff to fill my new house (that could be mine in a month!) In with that we will need more furniture!
4. a spa/massage day. I dont know why but i have thought about that lots lately.
5.Brown dress shoes.
6. My friends to move to SC so we can see eachother more. Or at the very least visit!
7. A Dog. Yes I want a cute little puppy for the backyard of the house I hope we get!
8. a Sewing machine! I have some crafts I want to do but no machine.
OK I tag Bethany B., Mallory G., Adreinne U., Allie B., and anyone else who needs something to do!!

Buying a House

Soo, most of you know that Jon and I have started looking at houses. Well, we think we have found the one, and we are going to put an offer in on Monday. I am SOOOO excited! I dont have pictures yet, but as soon as we know more about if we will get the house or not i will put up pics. But it is a white house with black shutters (I plan to change that ASAP) have 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, formal living and dining room, and a fenced in back porch with a deck! So basically it is bigger than anything I thought I would get, and especially this soon! I am so exicted it isnt funny! Wish us luck, and start planning on when you want to visit, cause we will have plenty of room!

A Quick Trip to VA

So my Aunt from AZ was dropping her duaghter off at college, and since it was 4 hours away from me I decided to go keep her company! It was a blast! It was fun to spend time with my aunt Val!

We took a carriage ride through Lexington, and went to Stonewall Jackson's grave (whitch is in the PERFECT creepy old cemetery). Lexington is one of those blast from the past places... it is really old. We walked around in the rain, ate at a great pizza place, and just enjoyed the scenery.

Then we got to see Natural Bridge, which is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Just a note, pictures dont do it justice, it really is HUGE! Also at Natural Bridge I saw George Washington's signature! pretty impressive I know.

Next we went to see the FAMOUS Foamhenge! It is a replica of Stonehenge, but made of foam and in the middle of no where VA. It was awesome! So now i can say i have not only seen Stonehenge, but Foamhenge also! It was a blast to run around there and take funny pictures. One plus to the Foamhenge was that you could actually walk in and touch the foam rocks, so the pictures are way cooler!

Then, the same guy who made foamhenge made this crazy dinasour/civil war display where the dinasours are attacking the war guys. It was strange to say the least, but worth a visit!

2 Year Mark

So it is official! Jon and I have been married for 2 whole years today! Hopefully the first 2 are the hardest, but since we have no kids and no morgage I am guessing that the future will be just as stressful if not more so! I just can't believe I really have been married this long! It seems like just yesterday I was in college dating this crazy guy, and now we are in SC and making a future! Its funny how time flies!

Going on a Mission!!

So my little brother finally got his mission call! He is going to Tallahassee Flordia! So basically he is only going to be like 4 hours away from me! Jon has already said we may have to stop by on his P-day and see how he is sometime! Ok so we won't do that, but it will be tempting! I'm really proud of my bro, he is a great kid! well man I guess since he is 19..... weird! That means I am almost 22... wow we are old.

July 4th Fun

So for the 4th, Jon and I went to visit his brothers in Columbia SC. It was a blast! my nieces are SOO cute! We basically just hung out, and it was great. So here are some pics of the fun.

Having fun in SC

So lately I have been having a hard time adjusting to living in our new home. Jon is at work all day, and the only jobs I have found are part time, leaving me with too much time on my hands and no friends. So I was VERY happy when my mom asked if I would have time for her and my grandma to come visit me for a couple days! And as a bonus, my brother came along! These pictures are of us in downtown Greenville at Falls Park. It has been great to have company. I feel so much less alone. I love my family!

Tribute to my husband

So this post is in honor of my amazing husband. I mean I knew he was awesome, hence the getting married part of my life, but I didn't know I was getting this! We saw a book shelf that I loved at a store, and I told him how much I liked it. Of course, it was like $200 plus dollars, a little above our price range. But that didn't stop my man! He looked over the bookshelf and then went to Lowe's, and built one for me from scratch! He used all hand tools too! (he assures me that if he had a table saw and other fancy things it would have turned out better, but I don't see how!) So here is a picture of my awesome new book shelf, that isnt completely decorated yet, but that will come with time.

some of the pretty wallpaper in the bathroom

the kitchen

our dining room (note the china is NOT in the cabinet yet cause Im lazy!)

the other half of the living room

Our new home

So as most everyone knows Jon and I are officially in Greenville SC. Jon is almost done with his first week on the job, and I'm ALMOST done packing (except the boring stuff like clothes... that's still a mess!) so I took a few quick pics to give you an idea of what our place looks like. It is hard to tell in a picture, but really this is a nice enough place. There are stains on the carpet and the floor squeeks TONS, but overall it will be a nice place till we build our first house. I think my Mom and Grandma did most all I need to do to decorate, they got my couch cover and few accessories to tie it all together. It already looks better than our old futon in our first place, and we still dont have anything on the walls. It's starting to feel like it could be home. We already love the people in our ward, they are very friendly!

Jon and I at the Falls

My niece Ashlyn and me hiking to the falls

Jon and his BEAUTIFUL sister Melissa (we were hiking so dont judge by this pic alone!)

Jon's brother David and the Falls

The Walter Family Reunion

So before Kevin (Jon's youngest brother) left for his mission the Walter family got together in Tennessee for a week of hanging out. It turned out to be a blast! These pictures are of a waterfall, I think it was Ozark Falls or something like that (shows how much I know!) but it was beautiful!

Saying Goodbye to Rexburg

Jon and I head to South Carolina this weekend, so this is our last run in Rexburg for probably forever! (Unless our kids decide to come here and we come visit) It is bitter sweet, I am SO excited to get on with my life, and scared at the same time. I'm leaving behind some of my best friends in the entire world. This picture is of me and my two best buds, saying our byes. Oh Rexburg, it is weird to leave you!

My life after graduation

After graduation Jon went to build a hospital in Wyoming, and only was home on Sundays. To keep entertained I moved in with Corteiga and little Treysen. I have been babysitting little T while Corteiga goes to her classes. I'm going to miss this little man and Corteiga when we move!