... 12 years ...

On the 10th of March, we celebrated 12 years as a betrothed couple!!

We kept it low key and spent the day at the movies and went out to dinner at Cafe Sabor!

It was a relaxing day and it was great to spend time together 

that wasn't backed by worries of studying or working! 

(Yay, Spring Break!!)

We didn't take many photos, and the ones we did take didn't turn out that great -

but here are a few anyway!!

I know I've said it before, and I mean it every time,

but I'm so in love with this guy!!

I'm so grateful to be his wife and to have him for my best friend!

... the decision ...

So I've spent a lot of time thinking about this blog and the fact that there is a space limit for photos. 

It's a good thing that it's been Spring Break this week, because it really has taken up a lot of my thought.

I argued with myself and said things like: "ok - just pay the $5 and get on with it!" 

Then I realized that if I did that, I'd be committing to $5 per year for the rest of my blogging life -

 really, it's only $5, what's the big deal?

 But, what if I got busy and didn't post pictures, or what if I got disinterested in blogging, 

or what if blogging went away and my whole blog became obsolete anyway ... 

what if? what if? what if?

Then, another part of me thought that maybe it's just time to stop blogging. 

Really, I don't know who even checks blogs anymore ...

I went back and forth and back and forth and here is what I have decided ...

My blog really isn't for other people. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that those of you who read it care enough about us
to want to keep tabs on us (and that's why I read your blogs, too!),
but it is a quick and easy way for me to document what is going on in our busy lives!
It is a place for me to vent, to share my joy and to let the crazy out ...

So ...
 I'm keeping the blog. I'm going to pay $5 a year to be able to post pictures 

and I'm not going to feel guilty if I don't use all the space that $5 will guarantee me!!

So, here's to many more posts and a lot more pictures!!

Happy Blogging!!

... All Filled Up ...

It's Spring Break!! Yeah Baby!!

I thought I'd update the blog with some photos, and guess what?

Apparently, it is possible to run out of photo space, because I have! 

Because Blogger is partnered with Picasa, and Picasa only allows you 1 GB of photo space, 

I am officially out of photo space, which kind of sucks!!

Now I have to choose whether or not I want to pay for photo space, 

start a new blog, or figure out what I want to do ...

Hmmm ... decisions, decisions ...

Noodles & Company

 

Nate & I have found a new favorite restaurant!

If you live in a city that has a Noodles & Company and haven't been there ...

well, I'll first say shame on you,

then ask why,

then tell you to GO! Go there now! It's so YUMMY!

My favorite dish is the Japanese Pan Noodles!

Mmmm ... is your mouth watering yet?

Warning: this one is SPICY! but mmmm ... so good!

Anyway, enough of the raving!!

We went to Noodles & Company today with Carlynne, Lizzie, Eva & William!! 

We ate, we chatted, I got to snuggle the sweet baby boy,

and we took some photos with my phone!!

Go out and get yourself some Japanese Pan Noodles,

snuggle with your nephew 

& take funny pictures with your nieces!!

It's a good time for everyone!!

Luhv!!

Our Valentine's Day was pretty low key this year!

Because of the craziness of this Semester,

we agreed to not do anything on the day of

and that we would celebrate the day the following weekend.

Well, my husband cheated!

I got in the car to go to my class,

and was surprised to see a beautiful rose

and a very sweet card

sitting in my cup holder!!

I love my Nate SO much!

You see Rascal hovering in the background in the picture below?

That is why I can't have live plants in my house!

She LOVES to eat them, 

and then she get sick after eating them!

She tried SO hard to get to this one,

but one or two sniffs was all she got!

Even though we agreed not to do anything the day of,

I was truly surprised to see this gesture of love from my sweet husband!!

... Everyday ...

Everyday I fall deeper in love with him.

This day was no different.

He is an amazing uncle and would be such an amazing daddy.

And I love him for that.

... who needs to study ...

... when there is a camera attached to your phone?

sometimes, when i'm up on campus all day, i have a hard time focusing on the task at hand.

that's when i take picture like this ...

by the way, 

there is a spot in the bottom floor of the library

where one can curl up

in a semi dark place

and take a little nap after their 7:30 class ...

it may or may not be my favorite spot on campus ...

i might procrastinate on my homework,

but at least i know where to find the joy!

by the way, i'm SO happy that it's friday today!

Yup ...

It's official.

I'm tired.

The End.

Today ... (and yesterday ...)

It has been a really good weekend. I didn't study or work nearly as much as I should have, but perhaps that why it has been SO good!!

Friday night we spent the evening with Nate's family! I call them Nate's family so that you can differentiate between our families and what is going on in our lives, but really, they are my family too - in every sense of the word! Nate's sister and her family are going to be moving back East soon (seriously, does EVERYONE have to move to the East? :), and we are going to be so sad to see them go. We are also getting ready to move, which means that we won't see his brother's family as often as we do now, and that makes us sad too! 

Anyway, we spent Friday evening with them! Nate, best Uncle in the world that he is, took a pounding from 5 out of the 6 kiddos, and LOVED every minute of it! (Pics to be posted later!) I got to snuggle the sweet new baby, and it was just really great to all be together.

Saturday we knocked out some 'must do's' then drove Nate's mom down to the airport. We've loved having her here and being able to spend time with her (Nate's dad was here for a week, and we LOVED seeing him as well). After we dropped her off, we met up with some friends that we haven't seen for a few years, and had a great time catching up with them and their ADORABLE little ones! After our visit, Nate & I headed to Applebees in Ogden and had a really nice date! It was great to spend some one on one time with each other, that's something that is hard to come by this Semester!

Today has been full of snuggling, cleaning, studying and of course, the Superbowl! Nate's brother Joe came Sam & Jack and there were treats, laughs and big distractions from homework!

Really, it has been a great weekend! This week might be a little more stressful because of the minimal amount of homework that got done, but I think that I'm okay with that! It was worth it for a little bit of normalcy & sanity!!

Have a good week!!

I'm Grateful For ..

- the amazing abilities that our bodies have to heal themselves! I'm feeling SO much better this week!

- the quiet dark corner that I found in the library! It is my favorite study spot! This morning I even got a 10 minute cat nap in - I'm a big believer in cat naps - especially with how busy I am these days!

- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread from Old Gristmill. How can you have a bad day when you've got a slice to eat on the run?

- I made a friend and study partner in my Psych Stats class yesterday! For me, this is a big deal, because for some reason, I am super shy at school. Sometimes I feel like I'm so much older than the other students and that I have nothing in common with them, so when I make good friends in my classes, it makes me happy!

- my phone. I'm super grateful for my phone because it allows me to keep in touch with my husband throughout the day! Again, a really big deal because of how busy school is keeping me!!

What are you grateful for today?

Frustration

It's a frustrating day.

I can't seem to shake this darn cold/flu/sinus infection
(really, I don't know what it is, but I do know that I feel really crappy 

and that at times, I might possibly be floating ...)

I felt SO good over the weekend! 

Friday and Saturday were great, then Sunday afternoon it all came rushing back at me.

I called in sick to EVERYTHING yesterday, hoping that all I needed was some rest,
and while I did sleep a lot, it didn't seem to make me feel any better.

It's frustrating because I've got SO much to do.
I feel okay enough to worry about everything on my to do list,
I just don't feel well enough to do anything on that list,
And that is FRUSTRATING.
I'd almost rather be passed out in my bed and incoherent, because then I wouldn't be stressing out ...

I have a test to study for, hours of work to catch up on, 

missed classes to find notes on, laundry to do, a dirty house, and the list goes on and on ... 

(image from www.cartoon-image.blogspot.com)

This is not a good beginning to my Semester.

Pedicures

I just got a pedicure from Lizzie and Eva!

They sure know how to make a girl look pretty!

Baby William

Nate and I got a new nephew over the weekend!

Little William is as sweet as can be!

I have had a cold, so when I met him for the first time, I wore a mask, 

just to be sure that I wouldn't pass anything on to him! 

Lizzie & Eva thought the masks were pretty cool too!

I've been super busy with school and work, 

so I can't wait for Friday to come so that I can snuggle him some more!

Have I mentioned that I love being an auntie?

Organization

Sometimes I think pinterest is evil!

For instance, when I saw a link on how to make these awesome storage shelves for totes
(because we have a ton of them), I told Nate that they were a must do!

Three months and $170 later, they finally got finished the day before school started!

I think they are beautiful!

Not only does it make getting to our storage SO much easier,
but the totes have been cleaned out and de junked, and that makes me super happy!

 

 ***

Addendum to this post :) (January 19, 2012)

Here is the link on how to make these:

And  Debbie, tell Jack that the pieces DON'T fit in a normal tote ...

but a long flat tote should hold them!! :)

Yowza!!

It's official!!

I have started my very last Semester!! Apparently, in my lack of planning for my schooling and schedule,

I thought it would be fun to leave the most stressful Semester to the very end!!

I could get really specific and give you my detailed schedule, but I'm pretty sure no one cares!

I will tell you that every day I leave the house when it is dark and I get home when it is dark, 

and even when I get home, I've still got several hours worth of work to do!

One thing, however, that I really already love about this Semester is my Practicum! 

I am doing it at a local preschool! I'm 15 hours in and I have loved EVERY minute of it!  

My goals at the preschool this Semester include implementing ASL into the school
and helping the director develop and carry out the whole child assessments for the school!!

This Semester promises to be VERY challenging, but if I keep my head clear
and don't procrastinate, it also promises to be VERY rewarding!!

I look forward to proving to myself, once again, that I can do it!!

... ... ... ... ...

Also, if my appearances on our blog this Semester are infrequent and random, now you know why!

Happy studying!!