So, as I have mentioned before, Michael got a great internship in EUGENE,OREGON this summer! I did not, however, mention what I would be doing because I didn't know. Originally, I was going to stay here and make frequent visits to see Michael in Oregon. Then, after some thought, and a stern talking to from Darren, we decided that being apart for 3 months was kind of a terrible idea. I hardly see Michael now because of his excellent study habits, and if I don't see him all summer and then he starts school again in the fall, that would be awful. So, great news everyone... we're both going to be living in Eugene for the summer! YAY!! Oh heavens, my excitement is completely indescribable!!
I am excited for so many things... another fun summer with my Michael, spending good, quality time with mom & dad, really getting a chance to show Michael the places that I love (horseshoe bend, loon lake, and places around town), the coast, time with my northwest siblings, nieces, and nephews, being home for Marc & Connie's new baby, fun fun fun girl time with my best girlfriends at home, and mostly Michael falling in love with the great state of Oregon.
Get this though, he already loves it. I never had to try to talk him into this. He is pumped! He chose to apply there without even asking me. He looks at real estate in Oregon all of the time. My goodness, he gets more and more perfect everyday! I really hope this internship goes well because Michael is really excited about it and so far has really good feelings about this company, Moss Adams.
I have talked to my work and they are being flexible and understanding. Michael and I are feeling blessed.
What a week! What a wonderful, wonderful week. This last week I got to see Mom, Dad, Jason, Megan, Kevin, Darren, Jill, Erica, Emily, Steve, Carly, Easton, Aunt Janet & fam, Aunt Ila and Uncle Val, and Grandma. It was the greatest! It all started because Jason decided to come out here for the kids' spring break and I am so so so grateful they made that decision. We stayed here in Orem for a couple of days, then we went to Beaver, and then everyone else went on down to Vegas. This post is full of pictures of the people I love, the fun time we had, and stories that you don't have to read but are welcome to :). This is mostly just to document and share with the people who want to steal pictures. But you are all welcome to look and read!
Goodbye picture in front of grandma's house. There is no other house on the planet like it and I love every second we get to be there. It never gets old to hear about my mom's childhood there and imagine my grandma there. It was so wonderful to spend time with Jason & family again. Catching up was way overdo and it was so great!
I started the weekend at the Dinosaur Museum with the Rogers. It is seriously adorable how much Easton loves and knows about dinosaurs. That place is really cool! I loved it! And also, half of the fun was hearing how much Emily knew also haha! She could name ever dinosaur!
Baby Erica. I love you. This is the first time I got to meet her and I love her so much! She is so perfect. She is smiley, snuggly and BEAUTIFUL! I didn't get nearly enough time with her and I cannot wait until next time. Bridal Veil Falls. Love this pic! I wish you could see Easton's pirate bandanna in this picture!
JUMP ON IT! I'm so glad that the kids loved jump on it as much as we do. Kevin has some serious skills and the rest of us just like jumping around.
Megan & Kevin's first time in grandma's house. They really know how to make everything look exciting! Now let me brag about these two. I hate that we live so far away from each other. I love them so much. We have so much in common, meaning that we're all really silly and have a great time joking around. Every couple of years they come visit me, and it's like we've lived close together, we just catch right back up. Their parents have done a fine job with them because they are the only teenagers that don't make me afraid to have kids. Jason, thank you SO MUCH for bringing me my niece and nephew.
Carly sucks her thumb and plays with her button!!!! I cannot get over it!! When she is old enough to understand how monumental this is, we will bond BIG TIME!
I love my grandma Fern. She is so fascinating, funny, smart, and adorable.
I love my family so much and every chance to get together is more than welcome. I missed everyone else so much. It's so hard to get everyone together, so the fact that half of us were there was a miracle. Thank you EVERYONE for traveling to visit. It was the spring break that I truly needed. Here is a quick video of the fun. For all you guys who were there, I plan on making a longer video, I'll post it for you to see when it's done :)
I miss my Wildcats terribly! 3 High School Musicals was not nearly enough. I often think about them and wish that they were part of a reality show or something. And I don't mean Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale etc, etc. I mean Gabriella Montez and Sharpay Evans. The Characters. I wish I could see how their lives are playing out! How is college going for everyone? Is Sharpay a star on broadway?! hahahah silly I know, but that's how much I love that movie!
This 30 Day Challenge has been SO FUN! It has been a great trip down memory lane. Thanks for reading and you should go do it too. Now, I can't wait to post tomorrow about my weekend with my family :)
I wasn't here for this picture, but every time it comes up on my computer screen saver slide show, I really laugh... out loud... and hard usually. I believe Easton was NOT diggin' the fireworks on the 4th of July if I remember correctly. I loved this picture so much that I think I stole it off of Em's blog and saved it many moons ago. hahahaha! I love this child, just look at him!
Kidnapping. It infuriates me to no end. I posted this picture because I think she is the bravest, most classy, most fabulous girl out there, and what happened to her is my biggest fear. Not necessarily happening to me, but to anyone. It's awful and really I don't have words for it. But that's my biggest fear.
Day 27: A picture of yourself and a family member.
Daddy. I love my dad. I had so much fun looking through my pictures to pick one for this post. I came across some seriously hilarious pictures of the 2 of us, but I decided to go the tender route and save those silly ones for later hahaha! Poor Michael, I'm always saying "let's call my dad, he'll know". Because my dad knows everything. As much as I missed my siblings when they all grew up and left me at home alone, I treasured those years with my parents when I really got to know them and I got to build such a bond with my dad. I will be mocked until I'm 80 for calling him daddy, but he's just that to me. I love his words of wisdom, I love how he's always been the best example of a worthy priesthood holder, but most of all, I love how he makes me laugh... literally on a daily basis. And I admire his dedication to his health. I hope to be healthy like my dad until the bitter end! Thanks, Dad for providing for our family and never complaining a day in your life. Love you and cannot wait to see you this weekend!
Day 26: A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Well sheesh, there are a LOT of things in my life that mean a lot to me, but the first thing that popped into my mind was my college degree. I don't plan on being a world famous trainer or scientist. I don't plan on being the main provider for our family, but it really does mean a lot to me to have been able to go to college. It feels really good to have knowledge. And not just general knowledge, but specialized knowledge in an area that really interests me. It's rewarding. And it really is a source of confidence for me. It's been really fun for me to see all of my friends and their different specialties as we've grown up, and it feels good to have one of my own.
I decided to do a picture of my day on Saturday, because that was an awesome day! Michael and Jarom gave Steph and I a suprise birthday party!! Are they the sweetest things ever?! We were talking about how we want to celebrate our birthdays together like we did when we were little, andour awesome husbands made it happen for us. They even knew just who to invite! Friends from work, friends from the ward, roommates and even a surprise visit from a roommate still living in Idaho. I knew they were up to something, but I didn't suspect surprise party. It was really so fun and I felt so loved :).
Michael was adorable and asked my mom to send him a bunch of pictures of Steph and I. He had them playing like a slideshow during the party. How cute is he?! I love these pictures! I'll have to post more here soon.
Birthday Girls!
Thank you, everyone for such a great night! Steph and I felt so happy! Celebrating our birthdays together just feels like the right way :).
Day 24: A picture of something you wish you could change.
I wish I lived closer to my nieces and nephews. I love these children so much. I've been missing them all terribly recently. When I see them, I feel so SO happy. Seriously, I want to take each of them home. They all have such special places in my heart. Cierra is my oldest niece, she is my age, and I will always think of her as a close friend who was an important part of my childhood. Then there's the teenagers, I remember when Bethany was born, I was 8 and I loved her SO much. I wrote a book about her in my 3rd grade class. Then when Megan was born, I went back and edited the book to include Bethany and Megan's names hahaha! Seriously! And then all the younger ones, they MELT MY HEART AND SOUL. All I want is for them all to be so happy. They are so lucky because they all have extraordinary parents who are providing excellent childhood's for them. I truly love each one of them so much for so many individual, special reasons. They are turning out to be amazing people. I am so my mother, I cry at every picture and story about them all. So, if I could change something, I would have instant access to all of my nieces and nephews at any given time!
Harry Potter! I was slow to get on the bandwagon and boy am I glad I did! I remember in middle school, everyone was reading Harry Potter and I thought it was so silly. Then, Danielle read it, Emily read it, and I thought ok, I'll give it a try. BEST CHOICE EVER! I am so excited for the 2nd half of the movie, but at the same time, I feel like that is the end of the end and I am not ready for that. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are like my BFFs. It's just such a fun escape. When I'm reading, I actually feel like I live at Hogwarts and it is all so real. It never even crosses my mind that I'm reading fiction. That is what makes a good book as far as I'm concerned. I feel like if I say "LUMOS!" that a light will come one. I feel like Snape is a total Jerk, but when it comes down to it, he'll have my back. I feel like Dumbledore is someone I can rely on. I really feel these things when I'm reading. And most of all, I feel like Harry has the biggest heart of any person ever!
This picture was taken at the book midnight release! Em and I went and it was well worth it and so fun! I wish I could go back to that night and re-read the book for the 1st time. I love you Harry Potter!
Day 22: A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Art. Painting, more specifically. I've always wanted to paint something awesome. I actually have a painting in my mind that I've wanted to paint, but I'm too chicken. I'm seriously, SERIOUSLY not gifted when it comes to the art and creativity department. I'm not even just saying this, it's true. I can't even draw a square or circle without messing up! I'm cool with it, I've just come to terms with the fact that my art is very unique. So, the first time i do actually paint something, I'm pretty sure nobody will be allowed to see it.
Day 21: A picture of something you wish you could forget.
The feeling I felt after eating the Big Judd. The Big Judd is a 1 pound, GIANT hamburger. When you eat it, you get your picture on the wall in the Archer, Idaho. Totally worth it. It was on my list of goals before I left Rexburg. Don't get me wrong, I would do it again in a heartbeat because I am so proud to have accomplished it. But, I will never forget that filthy taste of ground beef by the time I got to the last 1/4 pound and then the terribly nauseating feeling after. Seriously, every time I eat a hamburger to this day, I can barely finish just because that taste brings back the feeling of disgust. I wish I could forget that greasy, gritty feeling while eating that ginormo hamburger so that I could again eat a hamburger in peace.
Day 20: A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
HAWAII! It's no secret that I want to travel to Hawaii one day. I have never talked to anyone who didn't love it there. What's not to love... beauty everywhere, warm ocean, delicious fruit! Sometimes I regret not spending a semester over there while in college. It seems like the perfect time to go, you have the excuse of school, and you get to stay for like 3 months! I am confident that I will go someday. Even if Michael never comes around, my future children will all grow up someday and at that point in our marriage, I'm pretty sure I'll just pack my bags and tell him I'm going and he can join me if he'd like to. :) So, Hawaii, save a place for me, because sometime in the next 5 decades, I'll be there!
I have hundreds of letters I could post between Michael and I while he was on his mission, but those are all in Oregon. So I decided to change this one to a journal entry rather than a letter. This is the first picture ever of Michael and I. It was the 2nd time I'd ever met him. It was the weekend of Valentine's Day 2006. We met a couple of days before this, and he came over on this special day because we were having a birthday party for Loni. This picture cracks me up! We both look so silly, but it was an awkward moment. We had just met and were taking a picture together haha! What ended up happening this night was we never left the couch we are sitting on here. We talked throughout the whole party and movie after the party. On the actual DAY of Valentine's Day and Loni's birthday we went out to dinner as a group and here is my journal entry from the next day...
February 15, 2006
"Valentines day was fun! It was Loni's birthday so a bunch of us went out to dinner and I mean a bunch of us. It was Me, Mahonri, Jessica, Melissa, Brooke, Tommy, Natalie, Steve, Kacie, Mallory, Tiffany, Rebecca, Mikey, Lauren, Josh, and Loni. We really had so much fun. And the whole day was great and everyone was just giving each other valentines and loving each other! I like a boy. His name is Michael, but I call him Mikey! I met him through Lauren-they went to high school together. Anyway, He's way cool and totally my type. He dresses good, and has a great sense of humor, he listens to good music and is so cute and way nice. So- here's the deal. I just thought he was cool at first, but I have a crush on him now. But, I have no idea what he is thinking- uh! It drives me nuts. I actually lean towards he doesn't like me like that. Which is okay, he's a cool friends, but I wish it could be more."
Michael and I look back at this all of the time and talk about how we both were crazy about each other but were afraid to say anything because of the upcoming mission. Thank goodness he finally budged! My journal entries are hilarious! I was so silly, but I am so thankful I have them. I wrote in my journal faithfully throughout our whole relationship, including his mission and I am so grateful to have it documented.
My SKIN! I already posted about how much I hate my acne, but it's not just that... my skin in general is AWFUL. Second to my face, is my legs. My poor, poor legs suffer so much. The 1st picture was hilarious/so painful. I was at loon lake with Steph and Kelly and since I know my own skin so well, I was lathering on sun screen every 30 minutes. Somehow, I missed a PERFETCLY outlined stripe. seriously, look at it real close, my leg has a perfect racing stripe sun-burned into it. It was incredibly flattering. The second picture is from when we first moved to Utah and I itched myself to pieces because of all the dry skin and rashes. By the way, that continues to this day. It is not as bad, but I go through more Aveeno lotion that anyone you know, I promise. I must have moisture on my skin at all times or I will be up all night itching. This is the one reason I LOVE WINTER, because I never have to show my legs! EVER! It's a beautiful thing. When summer rolls around, I get so insecure and opt for the long flowey skirts as much as possible. So, if you ever see me in shorts or a skirt, just don't glance at my legs because my heart will start racing and I will start hating myself :) thank you very much!
Day 17: A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
This is Michael with his Moss Adams shirt, Deloitte shirt, PWC sweatshirt, KPMG sweatshirt, and Ernst & Young back pack, and this doesn't even scratch the surface of all of the accounting firm free stuff. So, what has made a huge impact on my life recently? The BYU accounting program. I want to start by saying that I am SO grateful that Michael is in the program. He loves it. We feel so blessed. But it rules our lives. That is FO SHO! Everywhere we go, the time we go, the conversations we have, what time we can eat, what time I get up and go to bed, our dates, and not to mention what we are going to do with the rest of our lives... is all dictated by the accounting program. Getting in was such a HUGE relief and from that second on, accounting IS our lives. But I'm certainly not complaining. Michael is learning about what he loves. He is excited to study and take tests, he is always planning his future and goals. Not to mention it can be a lot of fun! We've made a lot of great friends, gone to a lot of fun activities, and are so grateful for the chance at a career Michael loves. But as far as impact goes, we were slammed pretty hard with all things accounting.
My Sisters. My 3 sisters all have such different stories, life experiences, and effects on my life. Sometimes I wonder if they know that I remember everything about each of our relationships from the time I was very little. I remember playing with Melanie's hair when she came home from college and thinking she was so beautiful and so cool. I remember thinking Tina was the coolest mom for little things, like taking Cierra and I out to get hot chocolate in fancy cups that made us look grown up. I remember Emily letting me make cookies with her, and letting me just sit and listen to her and her friends talk and gossip after school and thinking I would absolutely NEVER be as cool or have as many friends as her. Now, that I am older, and have lost track of who has more friends between Emily and I, I love them for those same reasons, but for so many more. Melanie continues to hold the title of: "The person with the biggest heart I've ever met". Just even the way she speaks is kind and when I'm feeling snotty, I try to chanel my inner Mel. Tina has a way of making people around her feel comfortable. Even when I've gone years without seeing her, the second I'm in her presence, I can chat with her like it's only been a day. The little girl comes out in me and I feel so happy to have got some Tina time. Emily and I were the last ones left at home and she quickly became my best friend since she was the one there when I came home from the dreaded days of middle school. To this day, I secretly try to be her.
I am so thankful, and pride myself in the fact that I have these 3 as role models. Talk about words of wisdom, these 3 always know how I feel because between the 3 of them, they've been there, done that. I'm certain that my personality is a mixture of them 3. I've been told that many times and I see it myself. Being the youngest has serious perks.
Day 15: A picture of something you want to do before you die.
I want to be on TV. I talk about it all of the time. I think my life would make for a pretty hilarious reality show. I would do reality for sure if that's what it took, but I would prefer a fun role on one the the ridiculous shows I watch like Glee, Veronica Mars, Parenthood, High School Musical, etc. etc. I realize I don't quite have the skills as the people on those shows, but I have been rehearsing for my moment in the spotlight since I was a young child and I think I could handle it! Every time I see something awesome on TV, I think "MANNN, I really wish I was on that!". So, before I die, I would like to be on a TV show. Even if that means my face on a Smuckers jar of jam while Willard announces my 100th birthday on the Today Show.
We met at BYU-Idaho in February of 2006. It only took one short semester for us to realize we were the best of friends and we fell in love. After a wonderful year together, Michael left to serve his mission in Taiwan. I waited dated until he returned to me in April 2009. Michael proposed on May 2nd and we spend the best day of our lives together when we were married for time and all eternity on August 15th, 2009 in the Portland Oregon Temple. We are so blessed and so happy together!
