6 MONTHS

Can YOU believe it's been 6 MONTHS already?

 We can't either!

What I have learned about Marriage in 6 months:

• It's impossible to "feel married."

• Friday nights aren’t as important anymore.

• Quarters are like gold.

• You will no longer have to subsist strictly on pizza. In fact, you won't be allowed to. Women like pizza, but they don't like pizza every night. They want variety. And pepperoni one night, meat lover's the next won't cut it.

• Top Ramen isn't fine dining

• Even when you're right, you're still wrong.

• Never question the number of shoes a woman owns

• Pickles or banana peppers are not an ideal midnight snack

• ‘On My Way” Call is something the husband initiates right when he is leaving the school.

• Your engagement ring is still fun to look at, no matter how long you’ve had it, or how many times you’ve seen it.

• Having a joint bank account is great, but it’s hard to hide the purchase of birthday, anniversary or Christmas gifts (or more clothes, for that matter).

• You each learn to appreciate the little things about the other person, the good as well as the not-so-good. There were so many reasons that you chose each other, and even more come to light each and every day.

• The toilet paper comes over the top

• The toilet seat stays down after used 
• The toilet does NOT substitute for the garbage can!

• Laughter is often the best medicine

• Don’t brag too early about him not snoring, he will as soon as he gets used to having a woman in his bed.

• It’s better to keep listening to those stories and laughing at those jokes rather than remind him he’s told them to you a million times

• It is amazing how many disagreements, crummy moods and disappointments can be glossed over with a plate of good food.

• If you ask his opinion, and he says "I don't care", or "I don't know" - he really doesn't care, or know.

• We are never the same temperature. Literally! I’m cold in bed, and he’s dying of heat. I’m hot in the car and he’s freezing and wants the heater on.

• Sleeping at night is like trying to sleep with a newborn baby that gets you up every hour. Brian is not a sound sleeper!

• Even after 6 months we still feel like newlyweds! We are still SO happy and in love!

P.A.I.N.T.I.N.G

    So I've kind of taken on this new project this summer. In high school I did a few watercolor paintings and have always wanted to start it up again. With the girls I nanny I've painted with them a few times and it just pulls on me that I should start up again. So this last Spring, I found myself at Michael's buying supplies. With every free moment I had (meaning when I was doing homework or working) I'd paint. Now I still have a lot to learn but it's getting somewhere at least. I like doing it so that's a start right?!
    I just hope that since we have started school I will still be able to find the time. It's relaxing and I really enjoy watching a picture appear from a white canvas!

A Whole YEAR!

     Today is August 27, 2011.. It was exactly a year ago today that I met Brian. That's right.. I've only known this boy for ONE year! Soon to be eternity though! I found my journal entry from August 27, 2010 last year.. Here is what I mentioned about Brian:

This is my first day in Logan. About a half hour after my mom left after a long day of packing/shopping/unloading etc!

Ashley [my roommate] asked if I wanted to go to Lava Hot Springs with some friends. Of course! Spontaneous! The door bell rang and Ashley's friend Jaron was there with his friend Brian. They are both kind of weird. We got ready and met Brian and met at the Pineview apartments across the street. There were ten others there. We all hopped in a car and drove 2 hours up to Lava. I say by Brian and he told me about his painting business. He sounds like my dad sometimes. He talked to me a lot and then we stopped somewhere to eat. I was still full from earlier and so I just ate some of Brian's fries. Then we swam around lava for a bit. The hot pots were so hot! Brian came and talked to me. He's a junior and a neat boy, really talkative and nice. He went on a mission to South Africa! Awesome! College is fun! I can't wait for more!

     This is why I love journals so much and need to keep up on mine. That way, I won't miss what I thought during moments like this so that I can always look back on it! Who would have ever thought when I opened my front door in Old Farm, that I'd have my future husband standing on my porch? Not I! Anyway...

My first impression still holds true today! He's still weird, neat, nice, and VERY talkative! That's why I love him so much though!

Something You DON'T Want to Miss!

     So Brian and my brother-in-law, Ben, have been working hard ALL summer long to bring this awesome discount card! This is literally such an awesome deal! Just read this over because I know you will be interested!

Okay, so this picture below is cut off.. But you get the gist of it right? This is SO cool! Read through these deals and you can already see that this card is a keeper!

I don't know about you, but these deals are for places I go all the time! Just read even my favorites on the card!

Some favorites!*Aggy's Sports Grill: FREE! Aggy's Sundae!
*Maximum Style: FREE! Haircuts!
*Cinefour Theatre: Unlimited Buy One Admission, Get One FREE! 
*Twinkle Toes: Get Toes Glitter for ONLY $5!!
*Crystal Hot Springs: Buy One Admission, Get One FREE!


*Firehouse Pizzeria: Buy Large Pizza, Get a Medium One-Topping FREE!
*Cafe Sabor: Buy an Entree, Get a Fried Ice Cream FREE!
*Jamba Juice:  Get Two Smoothies for ONLY $5!!
*Subzero: Buy a Medium/Large, Get Same FREE!
*Pita Pit: Buy a Pita, Get One FREE!

P.S all this information and more can be found on

http://www.loganbrainyjoe.com/ and http://www.ogdenbrainyjoe.com/ 

Order yours online now! Heaven is just a mouse click away! :)

Work=Playing Hard

       For the past few years I have had the awesome privilege of working for the Lackey family. They have two adorable little girls, Madison (9 years) and Morgan (6 years) that I get to watch each day. They feel like my little sisters to me and because of this I have realized more and more how much I'm really going to miss them when we move away next fall. We have so much fun together and they teach me more than I could ever teach them. I am blessed to become more and more prepared for the role of motherhood every day, especially when challenges come my way that require me to learn a great deal.

      This summer has been full of swimming, kayaking, lagoon, crafts, house, trampoline, kickball, treehouse museum, movies.. etc. They make work fun and something to look forward to!

One of our many crafts! The VOLCANO!

Off to lagoon! I am going to miss these cute girls' laughs. Really it's the cutest sound! (And not just because it means I actually did/said something funny!)

I know, we are SO cute!

    Morgan is 6 years old and is going into first grade. She is extremely smart for her age. She can be so shy around others she doesn't know well, but as soon as she opens up she is quite the talker. She keeps Joely (her wonderful mom) late for work with her cute stories and funny jokes. Morgan has the sweetest spirit and is so giving and kind. She's only learned that one place, and that is from her parents. Her parents are such an  example to me for what I want Brian and I to be. They give of themselves unselfishly and are always willing to help and drop whatever it takes to put someone else's needs above their own. Morgan has inherited this trait and what a wonderful to be passed on!

     Madison is 9 years old and she is very talented. She is also brilliant in school but has a special talent for writing. She has a great imagination full of amazing stories that I love listening to. Whenever we play House, she usually comes up with great plots to play where we are locked in a cave or have magic wands to defeat pirates and wizards. She has the cutest style that is unique to her and really shows he personality. She is always surrounded by many friends and it is just obvious why. She is just so darn fun and happy! Again, more traits learned from her great parents!

Morgan and I went to the Dinosaur Park, and we invited Brian to join us since he had never been. I think he enjoyed it very much, especially when we started playing House that the dinosaurs were real and chasing us!

 I can't get enough of those cute faces! I really am going to miss these girls more than ever before. I pray for them and their parents. I hope that even when they are older they will be able to look back at our time together smiling because of the memories we made and good times we had. They are such beautiful sweet, sweet spirits and I'm so grateful I was part of their lives for so long!

CAL-I-FOR-NIA!

So Saturday August 6, it was off to Oxnard California for a week on the beach. Boy oh boy was it spent ON the beach! The whole family came along which made it all the more fun!

This is our little beach house! It's the small red one, but it was perfect! So nice to be right on the beach!

The whole family!

My sister Camille took these of us jumping off the sand hills on the beach. They are pretty awesome :)

The humidity  was so strong that the only thing I could do with my hair was just let it fly.

This dog was proof that we were no longer in Utah. Its fur is DYED!

Strolling along the docks was one of my favorite things to do along with beach combing! We found some pretty awesome stuff!

James liked the seafood a little TOO much!

And they liked him just as much!

We jet skied around the coast.. It seriously felt like we were just flying. I LOVE the ocean!

     Once as we were swimming in the freezing water, I looked over and saw something in the water. I pointed it out to Brian saying, "Look!" He looked over and said, "It's a dog!" The creature surfaced again and I cried out, "No! It's a seal!" So while we boogie boarded we had a seal come ride the waves with us! He was the first of many others!
     I fell in love with California, but I was certainly glad to come back home to familiar soil. We had such a great time and I hope we'll be able to do it again! Thanks Kendell family!

Happy Birthday Brian!

 The world's most dangerous creature has just turned 23! That's right! Brian is officially getting old.

As of 8/16/2011

Brian is 23 years old.
  276 months old.
 1,200 weeks old.
8,400 days old.
  201,672 hours old. 

12,100,339 minutes old. 

726,020,396 seconds old.

     The eve of Brian's Birthday, his best friend Chad Knowles and his girlfriend Emily Armstrong surprised Brian with a visit to Huntsville. Chad has been working all summer selling security systems around the country and was not expected to come back to Utah until the 27! Or so everyone thought! Little did Brian know, Chad and I had been planning this for a few weeks!
     It was out to dinner and then a night of games for the four of us! Party hardy is how we play!

Had to put a picture up of the cute couple! :)

Here is the lovely cream cheese cake that I made for Brian. It surely was delicious might I add!

Can you read what it says?!

I know... I know.. I married a cutie! It's true!

     For Brian's birthday we went to Lagoon with one of his mission companion and friends. That's why my hair looks crazy in this picture! It was a BLAST!

     I took my camera on the roller coaster to try and capture our faces.. Half the pictures were of the sky because of how fast it was!

Here's the group! Seastrand (Jake) Ryan, Amy, Megan, Me, and Brian!

It was a fabulous day! We had so much fun and I'm so happy that I'm able to share this great day with the man I love! Brian is so wonderful! He can make anyone smile and is literally my sunshine! I am so happy to be married to him! He's made a great Eternal Companion so far and I am just dying for more of him!

Happy Birthday Brian! I love you SO much!

He still hasn't changed! :)