Michael and Jenni Woodmansee

My Sweet Girl's Quilt

2012-01-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

I finished my baby girl's quilt! Thanks to my mamma, I have a new interest in sewing and quilting. Just baby quilting for the moment, because I do not know how ANYONE has the patience to make a bigger one. I sewed the top and did the applique, then took it to Oregon over Christmas and Mom helped me quilt it. Ok, let's be honest, she did most of the quilting. Here it is:

I am a TOTAL amateur so there are definitely imperfections, but I'm really happy with it. It looks so beautiful and bright in her room on her crib. I cannot wait to snuggle her in it and see her playing and rolling around on it. We don't have a lot of space in her room, but the space that we do have is decorated with these same fabrics and other cute stuff. It's starting to feel like a baby belongs in there :).
That's just an up close look at the applique flowers. Those provided many frustrated calls to my mother, but I got better and better as I went. It will be a while before I applique anything again. Anyway, I just wanted to share! Baby girl moves ALL. DAY. And I mean all day. I think she is running out of room or something, because I feel her at all times. And I love it. I am starting to be sad that pregnancy is ending. Don't get me wrong, I cannot wait to have her in my arms, but pregnancy has been wonderful for me and I will miss that.

I Wish Vacation Never Had to End

2012-01-06T16:01:00.001-08:00

Is it really over? Christmas was wonderful, WONDERFUL! Michael and I took a nice, long vacation home to Oregon and had such a fabulous time. We absolutely love spending time with Mom and Dad, and not just because they spoil us, but because they're so dang fun and hilarious! Not to mention the mega bonus of seeing Darren & Fam, Marc & Fam, Brad & Kristy, Cierra & Fam, the Mitchells, Whitney, Aliya, and all our friends in the ward from over the summer. It was just so much fun! Every moment! We played games, watched movies, ate and ate and ate delicious food, chatted, visited, baked, shopped, etc, etc!

Some of my favorite hi-lights:

- Surprise Baby Shower! My mom was as thoughtful as she always is and gathered all my favorite ladies for a surprise baby shower. It was so special!

- Playing with my nieces and nephews. I adore those children so much.

- Finishing my baby girl's quilt with the help of my mom.

- Watching the Duck's win the Rose bowl.

- Opening presents and baby girl being spoiled!

- Playing games with Dad as the constant comedic relief :)

- Hanging out at home with family and friends around me.

Here is the evidence of our awesome trip!

30 weeks after Christmas. I'm 31 now and bigger already! But this is the most recent picture.

Cameron grew up so much since this summer! He is such a fun, smiley baby! So adorable.

Great Grandpa with baby Harlan. Thank you Cierra & Michael for coming to see us!

Whitney was missed at the shower, we had such a wonderful time and everyone was so good to baby girl and I!

I'm sad to see this great time of year go by once again, but next up... 8 weeks until baby!

Thankful for our Calling

2011-12-19T14:24:00.000-08:00

For the past year and a half, Michael and I have been teaching the 16-17 year old Sunday School class. Best Ever. We have loved every minute of it! Seriously! I remember the very first Sunday we taught them, they were all so quiet and not sure of us. Now, we have such a great time with them every week and we just thoroughly enjoy them! Teaching these kids has eased my fears of raising teenagers in this world. They are smart! They know so much about the scriptures. They are funny. They are nice to each other. They put up with our crazy, scrambled, learn-as-we-go teaching methods, and they are truly amazing people. We truly miss them when we have to miss a class or when one of them has to miss a class.

Michael and I have been SO grateful to study the Bible while teaching this class. 2010 was the Old Testament, and 2011 has been the New Testament. It has been so wonderful to study the life of Christ and to hear these kids thoughts. You'd be amazed at how thoughtful and honest they are. Like I told them yesterday, I am 100% positive that we have learned SO much more from them, than they could have ever learned from us.

Here's our current group:

We've lost some to graduation and growing up and such, but these kids, and the ones who weren't there for picture day, have been such a JOY in Michael and I's lives. We feel so proud to watch them graduate and go on missions and go to college and we love hearing about their band concerts, football games, plays, boyfriends, etc. They just do so much good. And make the people around them feel so good. Our favorite part is how different they are. It's like one of every personality in our class and we LOVE IT! And they work and blend so well together.

Lakeridge 3rd Ward 16 & 17 year olds, you rock! Seriously. Thanks for making church even better :) I've always had a tender heart, but man I think this pregnancy is making me more sentimental than ever! haha!

Christmas is Coming, The Goose is Getting Fat

2011-12-15T19:07:00.000-08:00

Michael and I had a Christmas photo shoot! lol! It was pretty funny, but I'm happy to have some Christmasy pictures. So I thought I'd share one :) We are doing just wonderfully over here. Michael is taking his last final as I type and we're gearing up for Christmas. YESS!! I cannot wait! December has been great to us. No snow. NO SNOW! Oh my gosh it's a dream come true every morning when I wake up and realize there is yet again, no snow. We're working and shopping and enjoying feeling our baby girl move LIKE CRAZY!

And of course, the best part of this month is all the parties and social gatherings!! So far we've had a relief society Christmas dinner which was awesome, then we had a party with Michael's accounting group last night which was great fun, and last weekend we had our 2nd annual white elephant with our favorites. It was at the DeVard's this year (Lauren & Josh) and we had SUCH a great time!
Last year, Michael gave this framed picture of himself to Lauren for the White Elephant. She brought it back this year and Loni got it. It was hilarious! We decided that whoever gets it has to display it all year and then disguise it at the next year's party. It will look beautiful in Loni & Corbin's soon-to-be love nest. We had such a great time! Delicious food, games, and presents. I love these people so very much. They are all so special to Michael and I. We were just talking the other day about how lucky we are to have spent these years dating, engaged, and married with friends that we adore. Sadly, Tiffany & Collin weren't able to make it due to sick kids. We missed you guys! But here's the group:
Here's my lovely ladies now. Take note of how dang good Stephanie looks! She's really putting on the pressure for me with her 2 months post baby skinnyness!
And here's my lovely ladies in 2006 when we met. I love picture flashbacks obviously. They all knew Steph at this point, but she wasn't in Rexburg for this picture unfortunately!
I sincerely hope you're all enjoying your holiday season! We're feeling as blessed as ever.

I hate when a fun week ends. But fun it was!

2011-11-30T19:26:00.000-08:00

What a Happy Thanksgiving INDEED! Michael and I were lucky enough to go down toVegas for the 3rd Thanksgiving this year. We are so thankful to them for always welcoming us. And BONUS-- Mom & Dad met us there this year! It was so fun! It was so wonderful to spend a week with family and eat and laugh and just enjoy. I have tons of pictures to share, but first I want to share what I am thankful for and what I loved about our fun week!

I'm Thankful For:

My husband. He is so kind. I've honestly never met such a kind, giving person.
Our baby girl. I'm so thankful that she moves all day, everyday to keep me company.
My family. They bring be SO much happiness!
My friends. Since a was a child I've been blessed with the best friends. You all know who you are and I love you to pieces.
The Rogers opening their home to us for the week and entertaining us.
The Graham's for opening their home to us and feeding us delicious food.
My apartment, my car, my job, Michael's schooling & job.
We are tremendously blessed and I could go on forever.

Our Week:

I must say, my favorite thing was probably Carly's LOVE for Michael. Every couple of minutes I would hear "Where Michael?". They were the best of buddies and it was so adorable!
I am SOOOO thankful that my sister is pregnant at the same time as me. It feels so good to have someone with my similar personality who understands me so well! We did baby crafts and bought baby clothes and felt our babies move and did a lot of talking about babies and it was awesome!
My parents rock. My mom even black fridayed with us at midnight! They spoiled us pregnant girls! And there is really never a dull moment with them. We just have so much fun together!
Emily & Steve took us to the cactus gardens all lit up with Christmas lights and I just LOVE that festiveness!
It was WARM! SO WARM! We were out on black friday and I was not cold. What a blessing before the terrible Utah winter hits.
Easton was upset because he wanted to play The Incredibles, but he doesn't have their action figures. SO, we used our imaginations and made our own action figures out of cardboard. It was so fun and so cute! We played with them all day and I'm afraid that now Em & Steve are stuck making lots of guys out of cardboard. I love that boy so much and seeing him at Kindergarden brought tears to my eyes.
Carly is the most beautiful 2 year old ON. THE. PLANET. I can't count how many times I said it. I love her so much. Her voice and her thoughts and her ideas are so precious.
I could go on forever. I'm sad it's over and we had so much fun!! Thanks, Rogers!!

BRING ON CHRISTMAS!!!!

The Culpepper Girls

2011-11-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

Shellie spoils us! Michael and I have been seriously DYING to meet our new niece Macie Rae Culpepper, baby girl of Michael's sister Shellie and her husband Judd. But they live all the way in Texas and we have been so sad to think that it could be a year before we got to meet her! BUT, her wonderful mommy took pity on us and came to visit us here in Utah! We LOVE when Shellie comes to visit and she is so nice to do so every year. This time was extra fun because she brought this precious beauty.

I was so nervous that she would be nervous about us new people and only want to be with her mom. WRONG! This little girl takes after her mamma, she is friendly! She snuggled me for 4 days straight. Sorry Shellie, that I stole your child all weekend :) She is just so beautiful. She is itty bitty! She is 3.5 months and almost 11 lbs. The size I was when I came OUT! hahaha! So it's really adorable to see such a tiny baby smiling and laughing and responding so well.
This is her awesomest trick. She refuses to lay flat. It's like she cannot relax. If you lay her down. She will be in exercise position, with her head, neck, and legs up. It's HILARIOUS! Even if you try to push her down to relax, she resists! So cute!
We also had lots of fun with this little princess's mommy. Shellie and I went to see Breaking Dawn, we went to a Christmas tree lighting and festival up in SLC, we ate delicious food, played games, and stayed up late chatting. It was so wonderful to have her. We truly feel so blessed to have her in our lives.

Thank you Shellie and Macie for coming to visit us! We miss you guys so much already. What a fun weekend!

Before the festivities began, I took a pregnant picture. This was last Thursday, and I feel like I've doubled in size since then... ok maybe not doubled. But I truly think I get bigger every day. So in this picture I'm 24.5 weeks. Baby girl is trying to BUST ON OUT I'm pretty sure because her movements are huge and non stop. We LOVE watching my tummy move! I realize that she has to grow, but now that she finally is, this whole weight gain thing is interesting and causing mixed emotions.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Our Halloween Celebration

2011-10-31T18:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I love Halloween! It brings a smile to my face every time I see someone in costume. It's awesome to see people's choices! My neighbor, Virginia, and I decided that we wanted to do Halloween with style this year and throw a 4plex party. It was so fun planning it all and making it all happen. It started with people entering downstairs in Virginia's apartment. There they walked through an AWESOME haunted house that she dreamed up and set up down there. Then, they came up into my apartment for the partay! We had spooky feely boxes, costume contest, guess the pumpkin weight, and lots of delicious food!

I took a bunch of pictures to try to capture the event. So there are a lot here. None of them are great. My camera just doesn't flatter anything really...hint hint Michael Santa :) But I promise, it looked cool and we had a lot of fun!

Steph & Court gave me this great idea for a costume! I had so much fun making it and loved the way it turned out. Michael kept walking around saying to people "what did you have for lunch"? Hoping that they would ask him in return so that he count point to his stomach haha!
Spider Web taco dip! I also made hot dog mummies. They were cute but I didn't get a picture. I got pretty much every single idea from my ladies over at Our Best Bites.
I don't know why this picture is crooked, but they are nutter butter ghosts :)
Witches Wands!

Our little lanterns led the way into the party. Michael used his crafty skills helping me make these. This is a good time to give Michael the credit he deserves. He was SO helpful and wonderful this week. Helping me with everything!

Glow in the dark drinks! I loved them.
These are the Woods. Friends of our neighbors, and now friends of ours. If you came without a costume, we quickly dressed you up :) that is how Todd became a sexy baker and Karen became a hippy. That cute little peter pan won the costume contest.
There's our fellow party throwers! Those little nerdies looked so cute!
I don't know this couple, but I LOVED they're costume! Paper dolls! They got my vote.
It was hard to guess, but once we figured out they were Canadians, it was hilarious :)
My favorite people came :) We had about 26 people come. That's lots of peeps in my apartment. It was very fun to socialize with everyone!
And my baby girl was kicking and wiggling the whole time! Love her. It was a really fun night and thank you so much everyone for coming! Have a fun and safe Halloween!!

The Latest and Greatest Addition to the 4-Plex

2011-10-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

First of all, I need to blog about this perfect angel. Evelyn Hope Lance.

Courtenay took these beautiful pictures of her the other day! It was soo fun to watch her be the best model for Aunt Courtenay. Evelyn is so beautiful and perfect in every way. Seriously. I mean SERIOUSLY. I cannot get enough of her. I'm just kind of sitting here at my computer, waiting for words to come, but there are none. I mean- just look at that face. That says it all. I am SO SO SO grateful that she lives just down the stairs. Every time I go outside for any reason, to get in my car, throw something in the dumpster, etc, I just feel the NEEEEEEEED to go see her. I feel that need right now actually, but I'm waiting patiently for Steph & Jarom to finish eating dinner. :) The point is. I miss her when I'm up here! Real bad! I've barely even heard her make a peep. She is just perfect.

Speaking of Steph and Jarom...it is so fun to watch them be parents. They are clearly naturals. Everything seems to come so easily to them. And it is SO obvious to see how much they love that baby girl. The whole thing is surreal. Seeing my best friend have her first baby! I feel like Evelyn is just visiting, but at the same time, I feel like she's always been here! I guess it's because we're the same age, and I know that I'm next. So everything is so real and hits home. It's crazy. And wonderful.

I swear my baby kicks up a STORM when I am holding Evelyn. I like to think she is saying hi :)

We had a really fun Halloween Party last night, where Evelyn was the star of the show! I'll post about that soon!

What a Happy Day!

2011-10-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

There aren't words. I have tears rolling down my face as I write this. She is perfect! Yes, SHE!

It's a GIRL!

We went and got pink yogurt to celebrate :) I have been referring to my baby as girl since the beginning. I've always felt it. But I wasn't sure if that was just me wishing. Michael has wanted a girl since we were married. This just feels like a true gift that we don't deserve. She was perfect. The Ultra Sound Tech kept pointing out how she wouldn't stop moving! And I knew it, she is kicking me all day, and I love it! She had her hand open and was waving at us. She was a wiggle worm, I'm afraid she'll be like her mother--kinda crazy :)

She checked her heart and brain and spine and everything was perfection. I could have sat there all day. I started crying the second she said girl. And we've both been teary every since! lol. I can't stop looking at the pictures.

Here I am at 20.5 weeks. I look in the mirror, and I say... ummm- am I too big for 20 weeks? Then I look at these pictures and I say... ummm- am I too small for 20 weeks? This weight gain thing is doing crazy things to my brain! But I feel great and that's all that matters.

We are just so grateful today. Grateful for our baby girl. Her health, and mine.

This must be recorded... and shared.

2011-10-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

The night that we got back to Utah it was painfully hot. We rolled into town around 11:30 and stayed up chatting with Steph & Jarom until about 2 AM I think, hoping that it would cool down so we could sleep. Our apartment had been sitting there for 3 months, un-lived in, in the 100 degree weather just festering with heat. ANNND keep in mind for this story, we had JUST arrived home from Hawaii about 2 days earlier. So, once we decided to try and sleep, we threw the covers off of the bed and sprawled out trying to feel a breeze from outside. I drifted to sleep surprisingly quickly and felt ok, until....

I was awoken by Michael climbing over me and getting out of the bed on my side.

Michael (while shaking me): Jenni, Jenni, I'm sorry. It's my fault. We have to go. NOW!

Jenni (feeling very frightened): Babe?! What?! What's the matter?!

Michael: They told me this would happen, and I did it anyway. We have to go.

Jenni: Michael, they told you what? Who told you?!

Michael: They told me that we were sleeping on a hot lava bed and I forgot! We have to go! That's why it's so hot!

Jenni (now realizing Michael is NOT awake): Michael. Who told you that?

Michael (in a VERY harsh tone): THE LOCALS, JENNI!!

Jenni: ohhhh! teehehehehehe! What locals?

Michael(climbing back into bed and getting more and more frustrated): The people who LIVE HERE!

Jenni: Michael, we live here.

Michael: No, we're kind of temporary.

Jenni (realizing Michael thinks we're in Hawaii): mmmmm, what did you guys talk about?

Michael: JENNI! I know you think I'm sleeping but I AM SERIOUS!

Jenni (giggling): Ok, Michael....

Michael: UGHHHHH... rolls over and goes back to sleep.

HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the greatest EVER! That hot weather was well worth that experience. The next morning, Michael got up early to go get some milk for breakfast.

Michael: Hey babe, I'm gonna go get some breakfast.

Jenni: Okay wait. Before you go, can you tell me more about the hot lava beds?

Michael: Pauses. OHHHHH MYYY GOSHHHH.

hahaha it all came back to him and he remember how very serious the situation seemed at the time! It was such quality.

If you're interested in more HILARIOUS sleep talking stories, I highly recommend THIS BLOG.

I saw him on the Today Show about a year ago and just remembered it last night. So, the Lances and Woodmansees looked it up and LAUGHED OUR TUSHIES off for a good hour. It's totally legit. Check it out. Warning: his wife says that in real life he's a very conservative, well mannered man, but in his sleep talking, he has a foul mouth sometimes.

Our Next Adventure

2011-09-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

I figure that since we went to Oregon for an internship (well, that's why Michael went), that I should let you all know the outcome! Not only did we have a LOT of fun in Oregon this summer. But we came away with 2 really awesome things

A JOB... AND A BABY.

Yep :) We'll talk first about the one we all want to talk about. BABY! Michael and I are expecting our first baby on March 8th, 2012. I will be 14 weeks on Tuesday. We are truly THRILLED. We feel so blessed. Really. There aren't words for how truly blessed we feel. We feel like we can't be thankful enough. I had my first prenatal appointment in Oregon and it was wonderful. We had our second prenatal appointment just yesterday here in Utah and all went well. We heard our precious babe's heartbeat and that always makes it feel so very real. Doctor says everything looks good. I am feeling great. I really have nothing to complain about. I've been VERY tired. And I eat all day long. Other than that, I'm very lucky. We are reading and learning and so excited for this experience!

Job. Michael had a great experience at Moss Adams. He enjoyed it there and they enjoyed him. I'm so proud of him and so very, very grateful. They invited him back next summer 2012 for another internship, and then offered him a job for after he graduates with his masters degree in 2013. After a lot of prayer, thought, and research we both feel very good about this decision. We've signed the papers and will be moving to Eugene in 2013 :). We are so excited!

I kind of feel weird sharing all of this, but I just wanted to update you all. Thank you for all of your support, advice, and kind words. We appreciate SO much the support of our loved ones. Like I said, we are so grateful and feel so blessed and we know just where these blessings are coming from.

Our Week in Paradise...Hawaii!

2011-09-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

It was truly as magical as everyone says it is. I feel like it was more magical than I can really express to you. The minute we got on the plane, I was SO excited and we both already felt like we were in paradise. The weather was absolute perfection. It would rain for about 20 min. a day. And then it would be about 85-90 with a breeze. PERFECT for beach! I was most excited to see the water and it DID.NOT.DISAPPOINT. Swimming in the ocean never got old. I just kept looking out at the water and thinking... I'm swimming in the ocean!!!! And I'm not cold!!! And I can see straight to the bottom! I can see fish at my feet!! It was amazing! And these are no Oregon rainbow trout. I'm talking bright purple and yellow and pink FISH!

I could go on forever. To warn you, I posted a LOT of pictures. I just figured I'd go through it day by day kind of for my own record and for anyone who wants to see what bliss looks like :)

Spending that week with Michael after a year of him working his tail off, was absolutely wonderful. We're always here, there and everywhere... just like everyone is. It felt so good to do WHATEVER WE WANT. Nobody to please, no obligations. Just absolute heaven. Oh, and Hawaii makes you love your spouse even more. It really does. It has magic powers. He was totally romantic and was full of surprises the whole week. I felt so so so lucky. Even more lucky than I do on a daily basis.

Day 1: Dole Plantation, Laie Temple, and we wasted NO TIME getting our bums in the water! Pineapple ice cream is what they serve in Heaven, I'm pretty sure.

Day 2: I spent the morning sitting on this GORGEOUS beach (turtle bay), watching Michael like a kid in a candy shop looking for fish in the water. Then we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center. AWESOME!

Day 3: Pearl Harbor, and Waikiki. I'm so glad we checked out Pearl Harbor. It was really cool to see the Arizona and think about what happened there. Not to mention it was beautiful. The wind as you can tell, was strong! We rode this aweseommmme water tricycle thing INTO THE OCEAN!

Day 4: This day was one of my favorites. It was lounge on the beach day. We checked out a couple of different beaches, hit up Motsumotos, and Michael surprised me with a massage at a local place. It was fabulous!

Day 5: Kayaking in Kailua! Emily told me this was a must-do and she was 100% correct! It was my favorite activity! We took a kayak... into the ocean! Way far out! We went to other little islands and it was freaky. I was constantly afraid of falling over and getting eaten by a shark, but it was exhilarating and so fun!

Day 6: Last day on Oahu. We hiked up to Waimea falls. It felt like a fairy dream land. Look at that waterfall. We swam in it and it was so fun! Then we went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. I LOVE SNORKELING!!! Those fish are crazy!!! They don't even care that you're watching them! They were BEAUTIFUL!

Day 7: Off to Maui! We explored this BEAUTIFUL island with the incredible accurate map provided to us by Cameron & Virginia. I ate the best meal of MY LIFE here at Kimo's with the most beautiful view.

Day 8: Play on the beach in Maui day! We enjoyed this beach SOOO MUCH. I mean look at it. It was like a swimming pool. It was amazing. We only left it to eat. And Michael found a sweet starfish!!

Day 9: Bye Bye Hawaii. It was heartbreaking to leave. Our resort in Maui was beautiful. We don't know where else in the world we want to vacation. Hawaii topped all of our expectations!

We feel sooooooooo lucky to have had the chance to go. Who knows when we'll get such a fancy vacation again. It feels like a dream now. And it was the greatest dream ever. There is nobody I would have rather gone to Hawaii with. Thanks for surviving that post!

Fun with Sorensens and the Seattle Jolleys

2011-08-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

Right after Black Butte, we were greeted back home by the Sorensens! Have you seen my babies lately?? THEY ARE NOT BABIES ANYMORE!!! They are all grown up. It really is so fun to get to know them at every stage of their lives, even though it would be ok with me if they all stopped growing right now. Bethany drives. That ought to blow your mind! Nick is this super handsome, ladies man, high schooler! Ben continues to be the comedy of the family. I've always loved that boy so much. Bella and I share a deep love for Justin Bieber. She's clearly a smart girl. But seriously, she is really smart. And Joshie is precious. I love every chance I get to play with him. It was so fun to see them even though it was quick. I don't get to see Mel enough and love every chance I get. I hope to be even half the mother she is.

Immediately after the Sorensens drove away, I got in the car with Jill & kids for a week in Seattle. I was really looking forward to this as well because I haven't had a chance to play with the boys in way too long, I have been totally ROBBED with my Erica time, and I see Darren occasionally, but never Jill! Well the trip did not disappoint. If you want to talk about imaginations, these boys have it DOWN. Not to mention they are little smarties! There were multiple times where I had to stop and think if I even know what they were talking about because it was so advanced! We did all kinds of fun things! Downtown Seattle, zoo,the boys came home from Knight Camp in awesome armor, played outside, and most fun for me... watched Erica learn how to walk!

I nearly stuck her in my bag and took her to Hawaii with me. I love this girl. She finally learned to love me too. That there was worth the trip! She was SOO adorable. She was so proud of herself for standing up and taking little steps. And for good reason! One night, Darren & Jill went to a movie. Erica stayed up until 10:30 just snuggling me and staring at me. She would NOT let me put her to bed. She just tolerated me until her mom got home. It was so cute! haha!

Thank you, thank you for a great week!It was long overdue and very fun. I miss you all already!

Black Butte

2011-08-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Marc and Connie were so awesome to share their favorite place with us. Black Butte is a ranch/resort dealy by Sisters, Or. It is beautiful! And there is so much fun stuff to do. 4 great swimming pools, bike riding, deer running all over the place, canoeing, and beautiful homes perfect for a family gathering. It was so wonderful to spend time with my parents, some of my siblings and their beautiful children. I truly could watch those kids play all day. They are HILARIOUS! I'm kind of obsessed with the little girls right now because they're the only ones who aren't getting all big on me. And then... then... there's Cameron. It was sooo fun to get to snuggle him all week!

Some of my favorite things of the week:

-Winning every single game of Scrabble. Thank you, thank you very much.

-The kids excitement over the awesome crafts mom planned for every day.

-Easton telling my mom EVERY detail of how to play is imaginary Mario game. This took about at hour.

-Snuggling Cameron.

-Staying up late catching up with family.

-My sweet husband driving 2 hours each way, 3 times throughout the week to see everyone.

-Bike Ride!

-Carly trying to steal food from Erica and Erica shewing her away.

-Watching the little boys play ping pong.

-Jill's amazing patience in working on swimming with the boys.

-I could go on & on

It was a wonderful week in a beautiful location. Thanks everyone for all the fun!!

Much Apologies

2011-08-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

You can always know when someone is off having the time of their life. It's when they ditch their blog for a month. That's what I've been doing. Since my last post, I've spent a week at Black Butte, had a quick/fun visit with the Sorensen family, spent a week in Seattle, and then spent a week in Hawaii. There's so much to share and I can't wait to do it :)

We're safely back in Utah after the best summer ever imaginable. We were very sad to leave Oregon and all the fun at home with Mom & Dad. But, the good news is, we've missed all of our friends here SO much and we're so happy to see them again. I think Steph and I have been talking for like 2 days straight and I love it.

I promise I will share all of our fun adventures with you. But for now, I'm off to finish reading The Help until I fall asleep. I'll leave you with the image that I fall asleep to every night... our view in Maui. It feels like a dream.

Cameron Marcus Jolley

2011-07-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

Most.Precious.EVER! Look at that face. I am telling you guys. He is beautiful. He was born Tuesday, July 19th and came in at 9lbs! He doesn't look that big though, he looks tiny with the perfect amount of cheeks :) Congratulations to Marc and Connie on another adorable and perfect baby boy! I love him so much.
Kellen and Caleb are adorable with him. They want to hold him and kiss him and they kept telling Grandma to make sure to take good care of him. They are proud big brothers and Cameron is in good hands. Marc and Connie were so happy and proud of their new boy and I just loved it. I could NOT get enough of Cameron. I was trying not to be a baby hog, but it's hard when he's that precious and I just want to snuggle him all day long! They were so nice to share with me.
I love you, Cameron. And can't wait for all the fun to come :)

Another Fun Weekend Away

2011-07-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

Mom, Dad, Michael and I decided to pack up and hit the beach this last weekend. I love the Oregon Coast and had to get my fix at least once while we are here in Oregon. Yeah, it was cloudy and kinda misty, but would it really be the Oregon Coast if it wasn't?! Michael and I really enjoy doing all this fun stuff with Mom & Dad. It's always fun! Michael said the other day... "Bruce, you are the funniest person I know" haha :) We stayed at Driftwood Shores and had fun every minute! Fire on the beach, swimming in the hotel pool, playing cards, Mo's, hiking the light house, crab cocktails, and playing on the beach! We had a great time enjoying the beach, it's truly the most beautiful place.

The beach cleared up real quick when it started raining, but we stayed out and enjoyed our fire :) It reminded us of the Horseshoe Bend days when the campground would clear out if it rained, but we were still there warm & dry thanks to my prepared parents!

It was a wonderful weekend! I love looking forward to these fun getaways during the week. This has seriously been the greatest summer ever. Better than I could ever want! I'm pretty sure you're all sick of me saying that a million times... but I'm trying to live it up while I still can! We're not talking about going back to reality yet. I'm pretending that's never happening.

We love America & the Butte to Butte!

2011-07-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

What a jam-packed and super fun 4th of July! We truly enjoyed every last second of this great day this year and hit up all the fun events. I love the 4th of July. I think most people do. Besides the great food and fireworks, we get to think about our country. We are so blessed. Most of the things we complain about, are things that most of the world we be so happy to have. It's also a day when we get to be thankful for those who are serving/have served our country. THANK YOU. I don't know why I'm so blessed to live in this great nation, but I truly am grateful.

We watched the fireworks from Island Park this year. Man, that is some quality people watching! We had a great time enjoying the atmosphere and the fireworks were awesome!
We also went to the Creswell Parade! It did not disappoint, as always. Mom & Dad looked so cute and patriotic and we loved the parade. It was kind of hilarious to see Dad & Michael out there fighting the little kids for candy.

And I think the hi-light of our day was the Butte to Butte! Michael and I ran the 10k while Mom and Dad walked the 4.5 mile walk. It was awesome! We all had such a great time. The weather was absolutely PERFECTION and it felt so good to jog through the city I love. Neither Michael or I had to walk and just enjoyed the whole run. I was nervous before, but I think we'd all do it again in a heart beat. My dad is the Butte to Butte champ! He's ran it for many years and had good times, so it was really fun for me to join him in this tradition.

Again, summer is great. The 4th of July was so fun. And I sure am proud to be an American.

Workin' it Out!

2011-07-03T17:59:00.000-07:00

Check out my aerobics crew! THEY ARE AWESOME! Of course on the day that I brought my camera, we had 4-5 missing people. So I'm going to keep bringing my camera to make sure to get them in action too. This has been SO fun! Aerobics has been my favorite way to exercise since my first aerobics class my freshman year of college. That class was the reason I chose to study Exercise Science and what a blessing that turned out to be! I have always wanted to get certified and the opportunity has presented itself many times, but for some reason I never do! It's definitely what I want to do for work when I have kids and such. This time around though, I was inspired by my friend Shelby. She started teaching a class back in Utah and it is SO FUN! I knew I had to keep it going while here in Oregon for the summer! Notice how Michael is in the picture... he never misses. :) Love him!

Everyone keeps asking me who is going to take my place when I leave, I nominate Whitney :) She's a pro. So, if you are reading this and know me and live here in Springfield/Eugene, come to exercise with us!! If you're interested let me know and I'll give you the info. There's no class this week though, I'll be out of town.

PROPS TO MY EXERCISE PEEPS WHO ALWAYS KEEP UP AND WORK SO HARD! THANKS FOR MAKING THIS SO FUN FOR ME!

Getting Away

2011-06-28T09:23:00.001-07:00

We don't have much to get away from. My days are full of crafts, exercise, friends and hangin with my mom. But Michael, on the other hand, works all day long and a weekend getaway was his idea. Mostly he was just anxious to check out what Oregon has to offer, and I was excited to show him. I have my favorite places to camp, but they are all so far away for just a weekend trip, so we read over this summer adventure magazine many times, asked our friends, and finally chose a place. Brice Creek east of Cottage Grove. IT. WAS. BEAUTIFUL. We got very lucky with beautiful weather and we had a fabulous time! Hiking, swimming (if your name is Michael and you're crazy), playing games, cooking, and sitting by the fire. We can't wait to go back. We feel like we found a real treasure when we hiked up to the waterfall. It was awesome!

Project: Brainwash Michael to love the Northwest... Complete success so far. :) And I barely have to do anything. It's just happening naturally! Here's a little video of our fun weekend...

Good Weekend

2011-06-19T22:34:00.001-07:00

Lots of laughs. Lots of love. And sunshine! Great day today. We went to the rose gardens, played scrabble, ate delicious foods, and sat out-- all of dad's favorite activities. I love my dad so much. He thinks he deserves more than one father's day a year... he's probably right.

Whitney is so awesome to let me come butt into her life for the summer and try to command her schedule. I just love getting the chance to spend time together again and it's been so fun! Game night on Saturday with her and my parents was QUALITY. All of us were laughing harder than we have in a long time.

I want to keep everyone updated on our ever so anticipated Oregon summer, so I post my pictures on my blog and on Facebook. Is it too much? Help me out. I just figured that some people dont have Facebook, so I should do both?? Your opinions please :)

Is it weird that being in the place I love makes me love the man I love -- even more? Bless you for making this summer possible, Michael... bless you. Ok I'll stop with the mushy.

A Few of my Favorite Things... These days...

2011-06-15T16:42:00.001-07:00

Finally, I'm blogging. It's taken a while to share everything I've wanted to share with you all because life has been too fun and too busy lately. Both of those things are good things in my mind when the busy is the fun. We're here in Oregon, staying at my parents for the summer and it's truly everything I hoped it would be. We were eating dinner outside the other night and I just had to say out loud how happy I am. I love spending my time doing things that matter, like visiting family and working on projects with my mom and spending time with friends. I love exercising everyday whenever the heck I feel like it. I love seeing Michael so happy to be putting his education to use. I love Oregon. And I'm mostly so grateful that we've been blessed with this opportunity. Let me share with you some of my favorite things as of lately...

My Mom retired! You heard me, the greatest daycare ever is closed for business. It was a bitter-sweet day as you can imagine. But we are so grateful to my mom for all of her hard work. We decorated for the occasion and she got some awesome gifts! This is her opening her new camera from dad! Spending time with mom and dad on a daily basis is as wonderful as I remember and it's been so fun!

My dear friend, Aliya, had her second baby girl :) Her name is Veda Brielle Basom. SHE. IS. PRECIOUS! I'm sad that I didn't get a better picture of her pretty face, but there will be more to come. I'm SO happy that I get to be here to get to know her girls better and catch up with her FINALLY!

I'm spending as much time as possible with my Whitty Bear. So far I don't have any pictures of us this summer (Whit, we've got to fix that!). I have long been waiting for the day where I get to talk to her on a daily basis and see her multiple times a week again. That day has come! It's fabulous! Just like it's always been. I'm pretty certain this is one of my favorite things about this summer.

Time with the Mitchells! This particular picture is at our girl's day celebration for LeAnn's birthday. Home is just not home without the Mitchells and I'm loving all the game nights and sittin' outs!

Visiting family!! So far I've been able to see Tina and her family as well as most recently, Marc and his family. And there is lots more family visiting to come. We went up to watch Marc's football team scrimmage and it was so fun! I LOVE THESE BOYS! They are HILARIOUS! And I never tire of watching Marc coach, it's seriously tender. And Connie looks fantastic in her 8th month of pregnancy!

Teaching aerobics at the church twice a week. This has turned out to be SO FUN! I totally adore everyone who comes and I have so much fun doing it. I'll try to get some pics of that crew :)
Hearing all about Michael's internship everyday. You should see him when he gets home. He's like a kid on Christmas. So giddy and just soaking up every minute he gets in that office. I am so proud of him and just so so insanely grateful that he loves what he does.
THE BEAUTY OF OREGON and seeing it everywhere I go, most especially when out jogging.

I could go on forever, but I'll save some for future posts. Basically, summer rocks.

P.S-- I came across some fabulous old pictures the other day, so prepare for an awesome post that some of you will be pictured in :)

Hello Oregon

2011-05-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

Mr. Harlan Masias. I finally got to meet my great-nephew, Harlan. He is precious! Tina had a baby shower for Cierra, Michael, and Harlan and we made it to Oregon just in time to make it. I am so thankful we could go. This little guy is the strongest little fighter I've ever seen. He has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and is a true inspiration. I love him so much already, how could you not-- just look at that face!

The shower was fantastic. Tina did such a wonderful job at celebrating Harlan and giving everyone a good time all at once. We had so much fun with the whole crew! It had been WAYY too long since I'd seen Cierra. We used to just play, play, play when we were little and I always love a chance to catch up. I'm excited to spend more time with them this summer.
There she is. Cierra, the proud mama. I don't even have words to describe how much I admire her and how she's been so brave for her baby. Super mom should be her title.
We also got to go to Grandma & Grandpa Jolley's graves. I love going there and thinking about them. We left pretty flowers and told Michael a lot of stories about how great they were. Most of my memories are of Grandpa and I feel lucky to be a part of his Legacy. They were amazing people and had some pretty fantastic kids. Memorial Day is such a good reminder of all that I have to be thankful for.
So, how is Oregon so far? FANTASTIC! We are loving it! We love seeing friends and family. We're loving the beauty and even the rain. Michael is hooked and I haven't even had to try. :)

And side note, look at these fabulous cookies! If you cannot tell. They say I LOVE JB. Which of course is referring to Justin Beiber. And then two of Justin himself. Two of our awesome girls from our Sunday School class made these for us along with a super sweet card as a going away gift. MOST TENDER EVER. It totally made my day. They're so awesome!

Bye Bye Utah

2011-05-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Well, we're all ready to go to OREGON for the summer and we CANNOT WAIT! CANNOT WAIT. Did I mention WE CANNOT WAIT! We are leaving on Thursday and that feels like an eternity away from right now. But, as excited as we are to go, we are going to miss all of our Utah friends. SO, to solve that problem, we had them all over for a BBQ to hang out and say goodbye for the next 2 months! Here's some pictures and a video of all of the fun. And fun it was! We had such a great time! We chatted and ate and played and loved seeing everyone!

Check out our awesome BBQers. These guys were AWESOME! They were up early that morning getting the lawn all ready and they took care of setting everything up and the grilled us some delicious hamburgers and hot dogs!
Look at Steph's cute baby bump! I am going to miss her realllll bad over the summer. We truly love our neighbors!
Speaking of neighbors!! Meet Cameron and Virginia! Ok, we love these 2. And great news people, they're moving into our 4Plex! YAYYY!!! They only live around the corner right now, but downstairs will be so much more convenient, considering we spend most of our free time with them and the Lances. They're adorable, right?! Michael and I always joke about how when you're married, you have to flirt with other couples hahahaha! Well, it totally worked with them.
SO MANY FABULOUS PEOPLE CAME! Loni & Corbin came as well as Lauren & Josh. I don't get to see these beautiful ladies nearly enough and I love them so dearly.
Lindsey made the drive as well. She is a teacher and I'm sad that while she is out of school, I'll be gone.
Court & John came too! And brought their most perfect baby Everett! He is just so adorable and the life of the party for sure.

Basically, it was so fun! We stayed outside until it got dark, and then we moved the party inside! There were 25ish people there and it was a huge success. Yummy food, great people, and a fabulous time! Here's a video! I did the long version so that everyone could see who all was there. It sure was a party!!

Oh, and in the video if you're wondering where my arm bandages came from... it's because I went to give blood and they stabbed me, missed, and tried again. It was awful!

Another Giant Sigh of Relief

2011-05-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

HE GOT IN!

Michael received an Email today congratulating him on his acceptance to the BYU Masters of Accountancy Program. YAY!! Can I just brag for a sec? Thanks. I am SO proud of him! Michael works so very hard. He did well fall semester, but according to his standards, not well enough. So, he made a goal to excel this last semester and he did just that. He gets up every morning with a smile on his face and tells me about what he gets to learn in class that day. Then, after a long day of class, study groups, work, and studying, he comes home again with a smile on his face and tells me about what project he gets to work on. Then, he eats and proceeds to study more until 11 pm- 12 am ish. This was his daily routine. While at the same time, some how managing to always make me feel included and special. Always spending time with our friends. And always magnifying his church calling. Who is this man and where does he get this energy!?

We were talking today about how we can't believe we're here. Michael is a grad student. He's studying what he loves and making steps to begin his dream career (as weird as it is that anyone dreams to be an accountant). We feel magnificently blessed. Michael told me today that he is learning to be prepared for whatever outcome the Lord has in store for him and that trust in the Lord is proving to show serious blessings. We feel very thankful for the chance Michael has to receive this fabulous education and we're so excited for what's coming!

I don't have words to express how lucky I feel. I always knew Michael had some really special qualities, and those are showing more than ever. Having a motivated, determined husband is honestly the best gift a wife could ask for.

Thanks for letting me brag. Thanks for listening :)

Enjoying Spring!

2011-05-15T20:37:00.001-07:00

Well, there's been a lot of fun stuff going on around here and I thought I'd share some of it. We are getting really excited to move to Oregon for the summer NEXT WEEK! But, before we go we really want to enjoy our time here with our friends and family because we will miss everyone this summer.

Last weekend we went to Idaho Falls for Grandpa Woodmansee's 80th surprise birthday party!! I thought the whole thing was so awesome. Michael's dad and siblings put the whole thing on and they all came. ALL of his grandparent's children were there and a good share of their grandkids along with ward friends and old friends. I love Michael's grandparents so much, I really do! They are wonderful people. When Michael and I were dating and while we were engaged, even while he was on his mission, I spent a lot of time with them and they are always so welcoming and make me really feel like family.

I got to stay with Anessa while we were there and we had some good old roommate slumber parties. It was SO fun to spend time with her again. I spent most of the time dropping hints that she should move to Provo the MINUTE she graduates!

Michael, his dad, and his grandpa. Love this picture! I love all 3 of those men very much. Really, they are all outstanding people and I feel really lucky that our kids get to have such a great heritage. Grandpa is hilarious because he always tells the same stories, luckily we all love them. Regarding me, it's always about how I must have webbed feet because I'm from Oregon, and how he knew I was the girl for Michael because the first time I came over, they offered me food, and I ate it. :) hahahaha! Niceeee.
The fam. I really always enjoy my time with Michael's aunts, uncles, and cousins. Those Woodmansees are really pretty great.
We celebrated Brooke's 25th birthday. 25th PEOPLE! How can this be? Brooke and I met when we were 19. I love spending every birthday with her. She is so important to me and it was great fun.
Oh yeah, and I cut my hair! Well, Steph cut my hair for me. And I'm very happy with it! I've been telling her for weeks that I want shorter with tons of layers and some color. She did exactly as I asked. It's been long for so long and I was ready for something summery. Steph's the bomb when it comes to hair!
Oh yeah, the color I was talking about, it's purple! I pretty much love it. We made it stick out on purpose in this picture but it's kind of subtle in real life and I love it! I like a little spunk now and then. Don't worry Mom, it'll be gone in a few short months :)

Today, we had a picnic at the park with Steph & Jarom and it was so nice and relaxing. Next weekend is our BBQ with all our friends, can't wait!

So, that's life lately and it has been a lot of fun. It's so nice having Michael at home with no homework to do at night. Speaking of school, we find out on Wednesday if he got into the Masters Program at BYU. CROSS YOUR FINGERS! And as for you Oregon... see you in 1.5 weeks!!

Never say Never

2011-05-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

2 words will describe my latest obsession... Justin... Bieber!

My friend Virginia and I have been dying to see the movie, so we somehow got our husbands to go with us and my gosh it was worth it. This kid rocks! Seriously, he's incredible! The Lance Bass lover in me came out in full swing during this movie and I felt that I could truly relate to those screaming girls. Michael was making fun of them, but I could honestly understand them. I know how it feels to be SOOO frustrated that you didn't get to meet the love of your life, so all you could do was just scream when you saw him!! SERIOUSLY! I remember going to the NSYNC concert and feeling like my life could never get any better than seeing him up close. So, Beiber lovers, I feel your pain... and I say go for it! Live the dream while you can! Mine came to a screaming halt when I found out that my love (lance bass) also liked boys... shoot.

But seriously, props to J Biebs. This kid has been playing the drums, and WELL, since he was 3. It's incredible. Someone saw him on YouTube and BAM, his talent is now known world wide. It's super fascinating. Anyway, go see the movie. It's pretty awesome. And you better believe I have now purchased his music, and made it my ring tone.

Rock on, Justin Bieber. You're a total hottie and have skills to pay the bills.

P.S- Michael is back to blogging. Check out his view on the movie HERE!

Woodmansee Family Visit & Easter

2011-04-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

We got to see Michael's whole family this past week! It was a double-event weekend. Robert & Tamara are both graduating and they also blessed their new baby boy, Marshall. This is the only picture I got of him, but my GOODNESS he is precious! He is so little and perfect and quiet and I just couldn't get enough of him. I snatched him up at every chance I could get. We're all super proud of the graduates and thankful to them for bringing us all together.

Bill & Amber were awesome to set up a family pictures session. I can't wait to see the professional versions of these, but this is just a snapshot I got of the original Woodmansees. Cute, right?! It really was fun for me to see Michael get to interact with his entire family and I always enjoy catching up with them.

I just love this little snapshot! LuCille is so beautiful and she loves her aunt Shellie. She was the only one who could get her to smile for the pictures and let Mommy do her hair.

HAPPY EASTER!! The easter bunny came to our house. He was so sweet. He left me a basket and hid eggs all over the house... yeah-- he's adorable. Don't worry, Michael and Shellie were also visited by the easter bunny. Check out the beautiful, pregnant Shellie below :). She looks so great and we are so excited to meet Macie Culpepper in August!! I love this picture of Michael and his favorite girls.

Spring is slowly showing up and I'm loving it. Thanks for visiting, everyone!

The Highlight of the Weekend

2011-04-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

Look who I got to see! It had been far too long since I've had some quality time with Kim Davis (now Thomas) and Kallie Hutcheson (now Murdock).Seriously, I think it's been since high school... sad story! I honestly had NO idea that they both lived here in Utah until just a couple of months ago. And thanks to Kim, we all got a chance to catch up! Miss Kim is expecting her first baby in June so Kallie and I went on a little trip to Price, UT for her baby shower.

It was just the craziest feeling the whole time. I felt like we were 14 and just back where we used to be, but NO- we're all grown up and married and living in UTAH... what????!! Kallie has 2 beautiful babies of her own, and this is Kim's first. I know, I know... where's mine? But I'm a whole year younger than them, so I think that allows me extra time.

Kim was stunning. Seriously- she was beautiful as always, but more-so because she is so happy to be pregnant! The shower was so well done and fun and it was just great to see her so spoiled for her new babe. I got to see here mom, Nan, and sister, Amy as well which was awesome too!

Kallie and I just chatted up a storm all the way there and back. We had sooo much to catch up on and I loved every second of it! Turns out she just moved right up the road from me, so I'm hoping to see more of her! Anyway, it was a great reunion! These girls truly are fantastic and being with them brought back SOOOO many funny memories!!

My Moment of Radio Fame

2011-04-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

Meet Todd & Erin of my radio morning show!

The greatest thing ever happened, listen to this...

So, every single morning, I take Michael to school at 7:40 AM and we listen to the 7:40 challenge on B98.7 radio station. It is a trivia challenge. Someone calls in, they ask 5 questions and if you get 3/5 right, you get a prize. Every morning Michael and I make comments like "awww man, how could they miss that?!" or "crap, I would have never known that". For the past 9 months, I have been telling Michael that I would smoke that challenge! I try to call in a couple of times a week and they never answer me. Well guess what folks, the stars aligned and THEY ANSWERED MY CALL!

So, here's the play by play. I call. It's ringing. I'm freakin out! Todd answers and asks me if I want to play. Ummmmm H*** YES!!!! hahahaha!I told them this was the best day of my life!!! They said "Jenni, don't say that, that's very sad". hahaha! So they asked me what I do and I told them and they proceeded to tease about how I torture people for a living and they were very funny and just being all funny you like like radio morning hosts are. I LOVED that I was talking to my radio celebs.

This whole time Michael is crouched down to the car speaker trying to hear me on the radio. We pulled over because I was so dang pumped. Too pumped to drive.

Todd tells me that he has a basket full of questions, he is going to pull 5 out at random and I have 5 seconds to answer each question. I told him I was so nervous!! And Erin tells me that this is my chance to show all those people who get questions wrong how it's really done. And I said LET'S DO THIS! What are the questions you ask??? Here you go...

1) How many degrees in a right angle?

2) What is the smallest and thinnest form of US currency?

3) Who is Simba's father?

4) Name a Chicago baseball team.

5) Which member of the Jackson 5 named his son Jermajesty?

Guess what suckas?? I GOT THEM ALL 5 right!!!! They rang all their fancy bells and played their special music and I finally got my MOMENT!! Oh man, it was so liberating. You have no idea! hahahaha!

Here were my answers (the correct answers by the way)...

1) 90

2) Dime

3) Mufasa

4) White Socks

5) Jermaine

Todd said that I should get 1 point taken away because I should have said Chicago Cubs, and do you know what I said?? I said, well, my brother in law would be proud. SHOUT OUT TO STEVE-O! Erin told me that there is a very small list of people who have bragging rights and that I am on it!

You guys, seriously- this made my life! You know how you listen to your show every morning? Well it feels GREAT to be a part of it. Yes, maybe I'm a little over excited. But hey- it's the little things in life, right?!

I won 2 large, 2 topping Pappa Murpheys pizzas and 2 tickets to a play at a really fun theater around here. And now, I feel complete.

Plans

2011-03-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

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.

Family Filled Spring Break!

2011-03-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

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 :)

Day 30 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-23T19:16:00.000-07:00

Day 30: A picture of someone you miss.

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 :)

Day 29 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

Day 29: A picture that can always make you smile.

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!

Day 28 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

Day 28: A picture of something you're afraid of.

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 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

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 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

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.

Day 25 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

Day 25: A picture of your day.

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, and our 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 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

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!

Day 23 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

Day 23: A picture of your favorite book.

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 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

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 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

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 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

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!

Day 19 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

Day 19: A picture and a letter.

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.

Day 18 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

Day 18: A picture of your biggest insecurity.

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 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

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.

Day 16 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

Day 16: A picture of someone who inspires you.

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 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-03-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

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.

Day 14 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-28T18:36:00.001-08:00

Day 14: A picture of something you could never imagine your life without.

My membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is something I could not live without. Growing up, I loved the church and everything that came along with it, including my friends, the activities, and the spiritual experiences. Now, that I am an adult and married and living life away from my parents, it has never been more real to me. The gospel of Jesus Christ has blessed me with a knowledge of who I am, why I am here on earth, and where I am going. On a daily basis, my life is made better by the knowledge I have of Jesus Christ and the love that is shown to me through the church I belong to. Please, go to mormon.org to learn more about this wonderful message. Whether or not you are a member, this website is fabulous. My favorite part is under the 'Our People' tab, the link is 'I'm a Mormom'. These people's stories are awesome.

Day 13 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

Day 13: A picture of your favorite band or artist.

Britney Spears. I was going to put a band that I've fallen in love with recently, like The Rocket Summer, We Shot the Moon, Taylor Swift, Straylight Run, etc. etc. But I wanted to share music that I've been loving for the most years, I've got to say, that goes to Britney. Sure, she's gone pretty crazy, forgotten to put on clothes quite a few times, and she isn't the same 16 year old she was in this picture, but I'm a Britney fan for life. Baby... One More Time, won me right over and I've been dancing, exercising, singing, jamming to her catchy songs ever since! I can't even count how many of her dances I've learned and memorized with some of you, Danielle and Emily most especially :). Thank you, Britney, for a lifetime of good times and good music.

Day 12 of the 30 day Challenge

2011-02-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

Day 12: A picture of something you love.

Chocolate. I love chocolate. I would say that I have tamed my addiction a little bit over the years, but I'm still a total sucker for a chocolate treat. I'm recently hooked on white chocolate custard from Farr's. YUM! This picture is a great example of how much I love chocolate. My first semester of college I lived in the dorms and at the end of the semester we have "white glove" clean checks. They are a beast in the dorms. You have to clean like you've never cleaned in your life! So, they told us that the best apartment would get a Cold Stone gift card. So, we stayed up all night and CLEANED our hearts out. We really wanted that ice cream. Then, when the next morning came and we DID NOT win the cleanest apartment. We were ticked. So, we bundled up, and walked our sorry little tushies to Cold Stone. If you've ever been to Rexburg in December, you realize how serious we were about this ice cream. It is a VERY LONG, -14 degree, icy walk. But look at that chocolate ice cream, it was so worth it.

Day 11 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-25T23:16:00.000-08:00

Day 11: A picture of something you hate.

I HATE ACNE. Yes, this picture was taken after my extractions, so it is a bit exaggerated, but when I look in the mirror, this is what I feel like. GRRRRR. It is my lifelong curse. Whoever I inherited this from... curses be upon you. It is somewhat under control right now, but not like it used to be. I miss the days of clear skin. I am hoping that someday those days will return to me. In the mean time, I will continue to stare at other people's skin in envy. If you ever catch me staring at you, it's because I'm jealous of your clear skin :).

Day 10 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

Day 10: A picture of the person you do the most crazy things with.

Honestly, I really don't do that many crazy things. Is that sad? I don't think so. Instead of "crazy" things, I am known for doing silly, maybe somewhat stupid, funny things. But when I think back on my life, the times when I do the most ridiculous things, things that I'm glad nobody had a camera, I was with these 2 ladies. Steph and Whit. I blame them. Believe it or not, I claim to be the one in control and in touch with reality, but these 2 get together and there silliness bounces off of each other and is contagious!! I won't lie though, there are many times when I start the nonsense. That's pretty much why we've all gotten along so well for so long. Ladies... what rings a bell as I write this is... Harriet :)

Day 9 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-23T18:02:00.000-08:00

Day 9: A picture of the person who has helped you through the most.

My Girls. This is a weird one for me because I've been really lucky and blessed to live a pretty much trouble-free life. But, whenever something arises that I think is the end of the world, these ladies seem to be the ones to talk be through it, that would explain why I wanted them by my side on my special day. One of the main reasons my life has been so happy is because I've been blessed with seriously wonderful girlfriends. Many of them are not pictured here, but they are definitely my sanity. So, my childhood girlfriends, college roommates, co-workers, sisters, etc, etc- thank you for being the BEST!

Day 8 of the 30 Day Challenge & Rexburg Visit

2011-02-22T20:42:00.000-08:00

Day 8: A picture that makes you laugh.

We got to go visit our favorite place last weekend, REXBURG! Here is Michael and David playing Just Dance on the Wii. SO HILARIOUS. If you have ever seen Michael play the Wii, then you can imagine how fabulous it was to watch him dance to the Wii. Along with my 8th day of the challenge, I want to post about our trip because we had such a wonderful time.

We went to Rexburg to see my roommate and dear friend, Kelly. She just had her 2nd baby and I had to get my hands on that little guy. It was so much fun to see them! I'll tell you one thing, the Hesselgessers make some ADORABLE babies! Her 1 year old, Keagan is hilarious and so cute, I could just watch him all day. And Carter, ohhhh Carter! He is SO SWEET! I never wanted to put him down. I realize I'm not the one staying up with him all night, but he seemed like a pretty perfect kid to me!

Look at that little snuggler! He has beautiful skin and hair and makes the cutest faces. Kelly and I made a craft, checked out the new campus (which by the way is AMAZING! You wouldn't even recognize it), ate, and mostly did what we do best, chat and catch up. It was fabulous and much needed.
Along with seeing Kelly and her family, there are lots of other perks to going to Rexburg because we have a lot of friends there. We got to spend an evening with the Tippetts family who I love SO dearly and that was excellent as always. Some of our all time favorites, David and Alaina, also live in Rexburg and we had so much fun spending an evening with them. If they would just move to Provo already, we would be super happy-- k guys?! And of course, Grandma and Grandpa Woodmansee are seriously the best and I love spending time with them. And look who else I got to see for the first time in FAR too long...

Yayyyy! Oh how I miss this girl! Danielle let us go to church with her and come see her beautiful home. I could have chatted with her all day long. It was so wonderful to catch up with her and Clay. Ummmm, have you guys noticed how HUGE their dog is?! HOLY CRAP! He's totally sweet and I can see how he is very lovable, but my goodness... why did I not know how tall he was? It was pretty hilarious when I saw him for the first time.

What a great weekend! Rexburg will forever be calling me back. We were sad when it ended as it was a much needed get away. Here is a little video all of our fun, with a song that always reminds me of Kelly :)

Day 7 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

Day 7: A picture of your most treasured item.

My scrapbooks. There are a lot of items that I treasure, but my scrapbooks hold so many memories. I love making scrapbooks because as I put them together, I get to relive those memories and it is so much fun for me. I forgot to include my most current scrapbook in this picture, but it has been really fun to make a record of our married life so far. Scrapbooks make it possible to remember people that I may not see very often and focus on the happy times of life. So, this is why I take so many pictures... don't mess with my scrapbooks!

Day 6 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-20T23:01:00.000-08:00

Day 6: A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.

I would love to trade places with Meredith Vieira. Why? Because I LOVE the Today Show and even more than the show itself, I LOVE Matt Lauer. I watch every morning, and 9 out of 10 times I go to work in tears because the show always has moving stories. It also has really funny stories. This is how I keep up on my world events people. They cover it all and they do it with personality. They just make it feel like they are my BFFS. I love the whole crew: Matt, Meredith, Anne, Al, Natalie, etc. So, I would love to be Meredith for a day so that I could sit next to Matt at that news desk and joke and laugh and share the news all morning.

Day 5 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-20T00:05:00.000-08:00

Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory.

I will be mocked for this...Leaving our wedding reception. What? You're trying to tell me that ending the best day of your life by spending your first night together with the man of your dreams isn't your best memory? You know it is. :) I remember getting in the car right after this picture was taken and being very emotional and just feeling so loved.

Day 4 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

Day 4: A picture of your silliest moment.

I have had a LOT, COUNTLESS, silly moments in my life. But when I came across this picture, I knew it was the one to share. Let me explain. This was my 1st year of college (you can tell by the good ol' freshman 15 I'm sportin' there), my roommate Kacie had to go get her body fat percentage tested at the wellness center and Tiffany and I said we'd go with her. Once I got there, they said that we had to be in BYUI issued clothes, so go change. So, we did, but I realized I didn't have exercise shoes, just the boots I was wearing that day. Those of you who went to BYUI know that to get from the locker room to the wellness center, you have to walk through the gym where all the beautiful people are. I was mortified. I'm pretty sure the personal trainer I had a crush on was working. Don't I look smokin? Thank goodness I had Tiffy to suffer with me!

Day 3 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-17T19:54:00.000-08:00

Day 3: A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

Have you watched yet? If you haven't, you're missing out. Eric and Tammy Taylor are the greatest characters to ever grace television. Tim, Lyla, Jason, Matt, Julie, Tyra, Landry, Smash, Vince, Luke, Becks, Jess, Buddy Garrity and the rest of my FNL crew... I miss you dearly, you are the greatest cast. Now Go WATCH!

Day 2 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

Day 2 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.

Considering she gave birth to me, raised me, put up with me, taught me everything I know, and continues to do all of these things...I think my MOM qualifies as the person I've been the closest with for the longest. I can't wait to have daughters simply because I want to be best friends with them like I am with my mom.

Day 1 of the 30 Day Challenge

2011-02-15T20:23:00.001-08:00

So I've been seeing this 30 day challenge thing on people's blogs and facebooks and it looks pretty fun, so I've decided to do it. You guys should all do it too! Because I like to look at people's pictures and this will be fun. Here it is:

30 Day Challenge!

day1 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
day2 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.
day3 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
day4 - A picture of your silliest moment.
day5 - A picture of your favorite memory.
day6 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
day7 - A picture of your most treasured item.
day8 - A picture that makes you laugh.
day9 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.day10 - A picture of the person you do the most crazy things with.
day11 - A picture of something you hate.
day12 - A picture of something you love.
day13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
day14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
day15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
day16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
day17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
day18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
day19 - A picture and a letter.day20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
day21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
day22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
day23 - A picture of your favorite book.
day24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
day25 - A picture of your day.
day26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
day27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.day28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
day29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
day30 - A picture of someone you miss.

DAY 1: A picture of yourself with 15 facts

1) This picture explains a lot about me, I love BYUI and I love brushing my teeth.

2) I think that treats that aren't chocolate are a waste of treats.

3) I really love watching TV--only quality shows though.

4) I love Michael and have for exactly 5 years now.

5) I like to snuggle at night until I'm really ready to fall sleep, then I need all the space in the world, hence our king sized bed.

6) I really wish I had better decorating skills. I just fake it.

7) Every couple of days, I cough up these really disgusting mounds of snot that I call "tonsil nuggets" (I'm trying to think of facts that people don't know, hahahaha! Sorry about the nasty ones!)

8) I secretly think that I'm the only one on the planet who knows how to drive.

9) I SERIOUSLY desire to be on TV. Reality, acting, making a fool of myself, I don't care.

10) I find the human body incredibly fascinating.

11) I am 100% positive that I have the greatest friends.

12) I often leave my keys hanging in the door. DUMBEST THING EVER. I'm working on it.

13) I find tardiness to be so very rude.

14) Exercise improves my day, my feelings, and my mood EVERY time.

15) I WANT TO GO TO HAWAII... MICHAEL! ... and I want my very own porsche-like (malti-pom) puppy.... michael!

Adventures in Puppy-Sitting

2011-02-13T18:33:00.001-08:00

Well, if you know me, then you know that dogs typically drive me crazy. But, I suppose there are exceptions to most things in life. My friend and co-worker, Leanne, got a puppy over Christmas break and the second I saw him he just melted me. The day she brought him in to work to meet me, I went right home and begged Michael to at least entertain the idea of getting one someday. He was a brat at first saying that he doesn't want a dog unless he can play frisbee with it blah blah blah, but then he slowly gave into my fantasy. I hate barking, I hate being jumped on, I hate slobbering, and I hate ugly dogs. But my goodness, this dog is tiny, ADORABLE, doesn't bark, and if he does it's so quiet you cant even tell he's barking, he's such a snuggler, and just the perfect dog for me.Look at him! Couldn't you just pick him up and snuggle him!? Well, his name is Porsche and he is a sweetie. Yes, he is a puppy and currently peeing everywhere. Yes, that includes my carpet. But listen, I wasn't even ticked because how could you be ticked at that face! Yes, he is chewing on things, but he can't really do damage. Here's the greatest thing about him, this is as big as he gets! YES that is what I said! A little harmless doggie, perfect. We just became great friends this weekend. Michael and I really had a fun time with him while Leanne and Craig were in Las Vegas. We went on walks, wrestled, played a mini version of fetch for a mini dog, cleaned up pee, cleaned up poo in our neighbors yards, snuggled, and taught him how to walk up and down stairs. Here's the best part... Michael liked him too :) There are no dogs allowed in our apartment currently, but we won't be living here forever. So, I'm thinking there may be a little maltese-pomeranian in our future.Thank you Leanne and Craig for letting us play with Porsche for the weekend. Goodbye cute puppy, can't wait until next time. You are the only dog I've ever loved.

Are you all in shock? I know, me + dogs = not something I thought would EVER mix.

Some Favorite Things

2011-02-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

If you've been wondering what I've been up to lately, it's the same ol', same ol'. Work, cook, clean, sleep, repeat, repeat. Michael is hard at work with school and is always so good to give me extra attention on the weekends. So, during the week, I have a few hobbies that shake things up a bit and keep me sane.

First- Exercising with my ladies! Everyday after work I have the GREAT opportunity to show Steph and Eliza some good ways to exercises. We've been at it for about a month now and it has proven to be a total blast! We use the elliptical for cardio while it's cold outside, we do some resistance training with weights, pilates/core work, and when they're lucky- kickbox :). It's such a great release at the end of the day to chat with my girls and get in some exercise. We talk about how we feel like we're in a movie. You know how in the movies, the girls always seem to gossip while they work out? That's so us. I've been so impressed with how tough they are! So, basically watch out for us because we're getting pretty tough! I know we're laughing a lot in this little video, but I promise we get a lot of hard work in. We're usually dripping in sweat when we hobble out to our cars at the end. I've been meaning to take more video, but for now, I just have some from a couple of different days.

Second- Veronica Mars! I have previously posted about my love for Friday Night Lights. Well, now that I am depressed that it is almost over, I have found a new drug, VERONICA ROCKS MY WORLD!

I dare you not to love her. It's impossible. It's about a girl, Veronica Mars, who is the daughter of a private investigator so she's super sleuthy, sassy, hilarious, and completely awesome. Of course there is some romance, drama, comedy, but mostly awesome mystery! It actually gets pretty scary at times! I rush home from my work out, whip up some dinner and settle down for a couple Veronicas every night. There are only 3 seasons and that is nothing short of a tragedy! I'm almost done and I'm very upset. SHE ROCKS. Please, if you watched FNL and loved it, then trust me on this one!

That's life for now! Excited, huh? We like it :)

Go Ducks!

2011-01-11T19:19:00.001-08:00

We had some friends over to watch the big Duck game. Sadly, the game did not end as we had hoped. Our Ducks fought to the bitter end, but Auburn came out on top. Boo. But, we still had a good time watching the game and spending time together :) So I would call that a success!

So proud of my non-Oregon girls in their Duck gear :) GO DUCKS!

Christmas with the Woodmansees

2011-01-09T12:13:00.000-08:00

I love this pic... So christmasy!!

Michael and I had a great Christmas! This post is loaded with pictures. I wanted to share as many as I could so that my Woodmansee family could steal them if they want, and so that my Jolley family could see what we were up to this year. So, I'll try do to minimal talking and let the pictures do the work. To sum it up, we were lucky to spend Christmas with the Woodmansee family is Texas this year. It was really special to us and especially Michael because he hasn't spent time at home since his mission (my bad, I stole him)! It was fun for me to see how they do things and my favorite part was spending time with everyone. We never get to see Michael's mom and dad, Bill and Amber, or Judd and Shellie, so it's always awesome when we do.

To start off the trip, we had quite the adventure on Christmas eve. We didn't want to bother anyone on Christmas eve for a ride to the airport. SO, we drove to Courts, parked our car, walked to the bus stop, rode the bus all over SLC and finally ended up at the airport :) haha!

That is how thrilled I was about the walking-with-all-of-our-luggage situation. My scarf is so beautifully wrapped around my ears because they were frozen. And I wasn't wearing a coat because I knew it would be warm in Texas. Luckily, Michael was with me keeping me laughing about the whole situation!
We made it to Texas and opened presents on Christmas day with the fam! It was really so fun to see everyone open their gifts. They were all SO thoughtful and Michael and I felt so spoiled by the awesome presents they gave us. Here's Shellie and Judd on Christmas morning. Shellie stuck around for part of the week and played with us which I LOVED! Bill and Amber! We had a lot of fun spending time with these 2, and they brought us all fabulous gifts from their trip to Italy!
I made Cheri a family calendar. I wish I would have made one for the whole fam... oh well!
This is my favorite picture, Richard got an iPad. His face was pricelss!
Santa, aka- Richard and Cheri, got us a Flip! YAY!!! They totally read my mind. I really wanted one, but I didn't ask anyone for one. We were SO excited! I'll be sure to start posting videos.
Cheri got a Wii and we had a lot of fun getting her all set up! She's pretty much a pro!We were also able to see Michael's close friends and that was a lot of fun for us. They are all such great people. It was my first Christmas ever away from home, my mom and dad, my siblings, and my precious nieces and nephews. I missed them all so much. I am thankful that Michael's family was so welcoming and showed me a great Christmas. Thank you, Woodmansees!

P.S- I successfully got them all hooked on Friday Night Lights! YAY! More people have seen the light. If you haven't watched yet, start... now.

Trying to make the best of the snow...

2010-12-23T20:19:00.000-08:00

Well, just ask anyone around here, I'm pretty much sick of living in a snowy environment. For the 4 years that I lived in Rexburg, I honestly didn't mind the winters. Yeah- they were RIDICULOUS. But I just loved my time there so much that I just let the snow be a part of that love and the experience and atmosphere. Well, when I graduated I was hoping my snowy days were over. Not so. We live in Orem now. And I will say, the snow is nowhere near as intense as in Rexburg. But I still feel a bit of sadness everytime I wake up and my car has to be dug out in order to drive it anywhere. Steph, Jarom, and Michael LOVE the snow. So I decided to shape up my attitude and try to enjoy the fatty storm we had the other day.Michael didn't know how to build a snowman! Seriously- he had no technique! So we had a quick lesson and then went to work.We don't have snow pants or anything so we had to wear jeans with long johns under. Definately not the most comfortable choice, but I had no other options!
He had a face and arms, but they are on the other side and this was the only picture we could get. It turned out to be really fun! We had a snow ball fight and played until I was numb. I'm glad Michael talked me into going out there.And this is a bonus Glamour Shot of Steph for ya while we're talking about snow. She had to spread salt outside our office. She did a great job and nobody was injured on the icy walkway! I just couldn't resist the photo moment.

I hope wherever you are you have nice Christmas weather!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Clean teeth and Christmas time

2010-12-14T20:50:00.000-08:00

Things are going quite wonderfully for us around here. Christmas time is so wonderful. We're having so much fun shopping and baking and looking at our real Christmas tree. We've had a lot of fun and there is much more fun to come. Some of the more exciting recent events are...

Brooke cleaned my teeth! She is in dental hygiene school and I am not kidding when I say it was the best teeth cleaning I've ever had! I seriously almost fell asleep in the chair! She was a total pro. And she didn't ask me stupid questions when my mouth was preoccupied as so many hygienests do. I was so proud of her. Plus, it was only $10 for a cleaning, xrays, and a dental exam! No cavities!

Michael and I got to meet Apollo Ono! Sweet, right?! He came to talk to the accounting program and he was super great. He is quite an amazing dude if you couldn't tell by watching him in the Olympics. I'm a big fan, so it was quite thrilling.

We had a white elephant/dinner christmas party with all our favorites! It was SO MUCH FUN! It's crazy how much fun we have when we get together. Some things never change! There was a lot of laughing and eating, my favorite things. I love these people so much and it was wonderful to spend time with them again.

We're excited for Christmas and I love having my tree up so much!! Michael is taking finals. I'm working. Life is about the same, and that is a good thing!

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-01T20:11:00.000-08:00

Emily and Steve were so sweet to have Michael and I back for Thanksgiving again this year. Here it is almost a week later and I'm still very sad that it is over. There was a huge storm warning here on Wednesday when we wanted to leave, so we waited it out, left a little later, and had great roads the whole way there. The way home on the other hand... was a whole different story. Right when we hit St. George, the snow began. This is NO exaggeration... we were going 5 mph from St. George to Cedar City. It took HOURS!! The roads just got worse and worse the more we drove. We couldn't even make it to Beaver to stay with Aunt Ila. So, we stopped in Cedar. And so did everyone else. All the hotels were full, so all that was left was some ritzy room. So, we just decided to treat it as an extended vacation. Luckly- we are home safe. I think it was a sign that we should have stayed in Vegas because it was SO fun as always! Let me tell you some of my favorite parts...
Easton took me to Bass Pro Shop to see all of his favorite things. This is us at the fish tank looking at the sting rays. I think I liked them more than him. It was so cool! I could have stayed there all day. P.S- notice how Easton looks how he's giving a thumbs up? He's not. He had a hang nail and was too scared to let Em or Steve rip it off :).

I. LOVE. THIS. CHILD. Look how big she is getting?! I just love this picture. I had so much fun playing with Carly. She was so sweet and would even give me pitty snuggles. I taught her to say "gobble gobble" and it was pretty dang cute.
But I must admit. She liked Michael more. It was adorable. She would go to him anytime he was in the room. Just warms my heart right up.

I feel like evertime I see Easton he's at my favorite age. But I'm loving 4 year old Easton. So smart. So fun. And my personal favorite- SUCH a big imagination! We went on lots of pirate, dragon, viking, sumbarine, helecopter, etc. adventures. Here we are making a pie :)

I wish I had pictures of everything we did. But it was packed full of fun (minues the part where Michael and I both got fevers/pukes/opposite of pukes and I did not make it to the bathroom). We saw HP7 (FABULOUS), em and I made a craft that I'm totally obsessed with and will post later, we watched good movies, laughed, ate, totally OWNED black friday starting at 4 AM, played, and had a great time.

Thanks Rogers family for a great thanskgiving!

Reunited by The Rocket

2010-11-14T19:09:00.000-08:00

Kelly, Tiffy, and I 4 years ago I believe, when we were roomies. Those were fun, fun times and I love how we are able to STILL have so much fun together. I am so thankful that they live close enough for occasional reunions. And if there is 1 thing that will bring us 3 together, it is THE ROCKET SUMMER! I've blogged before about how fabulously fabulous his music is. We used to listen to him over and over and over again! I think we've seen him 4 times in the past 4 years and his music always reminds me of these good ol' days!Here we are now, waiting in line to see the one and only Bryce Avery aka The Rocket Summer. I'm going to post a lot of pictures, just in case Tiffy and Kelly want to steal them.
If you still haven't listened to The Rocket Summer, I beg of you-- do it now! His music will make you feel so happy, make you tap your foot and sing along. He is excellent. This particular concert was especially cool. He didn't bring his band this time he and played all of the instruments himself. It was awesome. He is insanely talented.

Kelly is pregnant and if you are aou concert goer, you know that it is very close quarters and people get very pushy. We did a pretty great job of keeping a protective circle around her belly haha! And now her new baby will come out singing good music :)
I thought this was awesome. I have so many memories of dancing around, going on crazy road trips, and being too silly with these girls. And now I walk into the room, and they are both changing diapers. It's so cute! And just check out how dang adorable their baby boys are!
Kelly's little guy Keagan.
Tiffy's handsome little Landon.

We had a really fun weekend all together! Not only did we get to go to the show, but we went shopping and ate delicious food. Kelly taught me how to make a pumkin roll, which is super easy but I'm afraid to try new things and she's not, so that worked out great! I loved playing with those adorable boys and it was so fun to spend time with my girls.

Watch this video, if you know The Rocket, it will make you happy :)

Back to the Place I Love the Most

2010-11-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

Michael and I have been trying to find a time to get home to Oregon. We were thinking Thanksgiving, but plane tickets were sky high. So we decided we'd just drive. But, then this perfect little situation fell into our laps...

Michael got a fly-out internship interview with Moss Adams, a great accounting firm that has many locations including EUGENE! And that is where he had an interview. We firgured if they were going to pay for Michael's way out, then this would be the cheapest and best time for us to go. So we were ON OUR WAY! They totally spoiled Michael with a fancy hotel, car services, paid meals, the whole deal.

This, of course, all makes me very, very happy. So I went out to spend 4 days with my mom and dad. IT. WAS. FABULOUS! I love every second I get to spend at home. All we have to be doing is chatting or even just sitting together watching Bill O'Riley (only because that's the only thing my dad allows us to watch) and I'm always enjoying myself. The weekend was packed with all kinds of fun! I got to go to my friend Kirk Blair's wedding reception, the singles Halloween party and all kinds of fun stuff. Mostly I just really loved hangin around the house with mom and dad. Playing scrabble and teaching them stretches and exercises for the respective back/neck/hip pain problems.

Jenny Mae needed a ride to the dance so we brought her over and got ready together. It's always such a treat to see my Jenny :). Mom was so quick and clever with our costumes and it was perfect! Dad tried to be a really scary lion, but those whiskers were not helping his cause. We had a great time though!

Mom was so patient and helped me make this super cute Christmasy indoor wreath that I copied off of Kelly's blog. I'll have to post a better picture later but it turned out super fun!

I GOT TO SEE WHITTY!!! Oh how I miss this girl. It's been seriously too long since we've spent time together and it was SO fun. It's amazing how after a year, I can see Whit and we can jump right back into best friend mode and be just like we never left each other. She looks great and now I'm just waiting for her to come visit me!

SUCH a fun time and I wish it didn't have to end. Eugene is so beautiful this time of year and I love all the trees lining good ol' Janus St. Thanks mom and dad for a great visit and I hope it happens again soon!!

P.S- Moss Adams called the very next day.... my Michael got the internship :) :)

I can't believe I'm saying this, but...

2010-10-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm really enjoying living in Provo. It's taken a full year, but I am finally learning to be grateful for this place. Sure, my skin itches daily, I have fall allergies here, driving here makes me fear for my life, and there are a lot of people who think that if you didn't go to BYU than you're less educated somehow. All of that aside, we are having a lot of fun and this location has proved to really work out for us. I've seen more of my siblings since living here than I ever did in Rexburg. My college roomies and greatest friends all live within a small drive from me, some 5 minutes, some 4 hours, but still close enough for reunion weekends. Michael is loving his job, classes, accounting. I have a great job that I enjoy. I would have never met the fabulous people I work with if I didn't live here. We love our calling. I live 14 steps from Stephanie at a time where I know it would be hard to be away from her. And we're enjoying the BYU experience.

We finally went to a BYU game and they actually won for once. We take the credit for that. It was fun to go especially since I miss being home for football season.
Yeah, this pic is pretty sick, but have you hiked the Y? It's straight UP!So that's why I am a mess. It was really fun though and the perfect day for it.

Not saying I want to stay here forever, because I don't. But I am saying that we're very grateful to be here and we're having a great time. We know that we're here for a reason and we're being blessed.

Fasting and Prayers for the Lances

2010-10-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

This Sunday is fast Sunday and I would like to ask you all a huge favor. Could you please remember my dear best friend Stephanie and her Husband Jarom Lance and their precious baby girls in your fasting and prayers.

Stephanie found out on Wednesday night that she has Twin Twin Transfusion Syndrome. This can be so very scary for her babies. I'm no expert, but basically the babies are sharing placenta, one has too much fluid and one does not have enough. They are also sharing blood vessels which is problematic obviously. For more great information go to: tttsfoundation.org.

Great blessings have already come. Like the fact that one of the few doctors in the country who can do the surgery for this flew into SLC Wednesday night and was able to treat Steph immediately. Thank heavens. The surgery is the best treatment and went very well. I'm so very grateful that Stephanie was able to receive the best care, best surgery, and quickly.

Now that the surgery is done, the babies are already making progress. Awesome! There are still many prayers needed because it is possible that things could change throughout the rest of her pregnancy. But, so far things are looking up and that is so encouraging!

Michael and I spent the evening with Steph and Jarom and they both seemed optimistic and thankful for the help their fabulous doctors have given them. They are already the best parents these baby girls could have ever received! They are so brave and remaning cheerful and great examples of strength and faith. So let's keep that positive energy coming!

This is me asking you to please pray for the Lances. Please always have a prayer in your heart. And please, remember them in your fasting this Sunday, October 10th. I believe so strongly in the power of a group fast that is full of faithful people. We want Steph, Jarom, and their babies to have all the blessings they deserve!!

I'll let Steph share any more details when she's ready, but that is the basics.

I love you so much Stephanie and Jarom. And baby girls, your Aunt Jenni can't wait to meet you :)

Another Fun Weekend

2010-09-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

I got really lucky last weekend and had a last minute little family get together. Darren was coming to town for work (which by the way he does a couple of times a year and Michael and I always love when we get to see him), and Steve was out of town, so I thought Em should come hang with us in Provo. And she went for it! YAY!! It was quick, but it was worth it. I enjoy any opportunity to spend with siblings and family. They are always so good to me and we have a good time. And not to mention the fact that it was the best treat to get to see Easton and Carly! 2 babies in that little tummy!! I was with Em and Darren when I called Steph and I could tell that she was hiding something, so she spilled it! We freaked! If you can't tell, she did Em's hair and then we watched sister wives... don't even get me started on them. Ugh. Ew.
I tried to be more prepared for my babies this time. Last time I had ZERO for them to play with. Here we are doing sidewalk chalk. I accidentaly let them get covered in chalk... sorry sis :) But seriously look at them. I love them.
Bridal veil falls! It was BEAUTIFUL and cold. Easton wanted to go in the water, so of course I went with him. But good heavens, my toes were FROZEN for the next hour hahahaha! But it was really fun to go up in the canyon and see how beautiful it was. Carly was such a trooper. It was fun to watch Uncle Darren and Easton play. Where is Michael, you ask? He was working his little tail off all weekend. And we were bummed he missed the fun!

I really had such a great time keeping Em up too late and talking. We had a great weekend and I wish that she was still here. We totally convinced Darren to delay his flight until Saturday night. Jill went into labor Sunday morning. WHOA! Good thing he didn't delay another day! But we are SO happy to have baby Erica in the family and I can't wait to meet her! Basically, thank you guys so much for coming and spending time with us. It was so fun!

1 year at work

2010-09-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been working at Utah Physiatry for a year and I'm still happy there. I've never worked somewhere for a full year, funny huh?! But it's gone by really fast. I've been blessed with some FABULOUS co-workers, funny/kind/rude/ridiculous/fabulous patients, and a lot of great learning and experience. I'm truly thankful to have such a great job while Michael and I are here in Provo. Of course there are days when I think I have tons to complain about, but really- I have it good and I enjoy myself, so I try to keep any whining to a minimum. I thought I'd show you around a little bit. We'll start with this very cheesy picture of me hahaha!

This is my space. Well, a small portion of it. But this is where I teach folks their exercises and then there are little side rooms off this main room for all the other stuff.

I wanted a bigger picture of my area, so I made steph get on the elliptical hahaha! She looks totally tough working it out up there! It's pretty nice having that there though, I get to work out after work without having to go to the gym. Perfect!
These girls brighten my day every single day. I seriously mean that. Eliza is one of those that was destined to be friends with Steph and I. hahaha! We get along really well. She's just a gem. With girls like this around everyday, it's easy to have good days. I've been blessed with lots of other great co-workers during the year. They weren't all here on picture day because some don't work here anymore, are about to have a baby, or were off work, but seriously- I couldn't be happier with the company I've had at work.

Do you see what I mean? hahaha! Who needs office chairs when exercise balls are good for your back and so much fun. And Eliza's bow just made the situation so much better.

Anyway, that's work! If you are having back, joint, nerve, etc. pain-- come on over, we'll take real good care of ya' :)

I may have a small television watching problem...

2010-09-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

Are you sick of me posting about TV shows? You all must think I'm a total loser. Before I go on to do my nerdy TV talk, I would like to start by saying that I promise I have a life. I clean, cook, do laundry, exercise, read, scrapbook, etc. BUT- my husband is ALWAYS doing homework, so I still have a lot of free time. The weekends, late nights, lunch time, I'm free as a bird. SO-- I choose to watch my shows.

Friday Night Lights. EXCELLENT TELEVISION. Jill and Darren were the first ones to tell me that this was a show worth watching, but I've been so obsessed with 24 that I haven't watched anything else. I finally decided to start it from the beginning on NetFlix. Best Decision.

This show is so great. Teenager drama. Adult drama. Parenting drama. Comedy. Love. Football. Motivation. I love it. I'm about half way through the 1st season now, and I already love my characters. For those of you who know them (Jill mostly), these are my feelings... Lyla- adorably confused, but I somehow still love her and Jason together. Jason-Bitter, but who can blame him? I think he's trying and I love him and Lyla. Tim Riggins-WHY do I love him and Lyla's secret relationship? It's sick and wrong, but I can't help it. He has so much potential, I hope he stops drinking. Coach and his wife- best ever. I love them. I hope I'm that awesome of a parent. Julie and Matt Seracin- SO adorable! I hope my daughters date that nice of boys (I'm hoping he stays nice). Landry- hilarious, awesome best friend, I wish I knew him! Tyra- skanky and dragging julie down.

One of these days I'll post about how much I love my books and how cute my scrapbook is and my exercise routine and all that good stuff, but for now, it's the weekend and it's time for a little Friday Night Lights baby!

Working On Our Creativity

2010-09-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

Back in June we moved into a new place. We love our neighborhood, our new ward and calling (16 year old sunday school teachers), our lawn, our parking spaces, all our windows, our washer and dryer, etc. It is a 4plex and we are really liking it so far. It's 2 bedrooms, much more spacious than our last place, and we've had a lot of fun making it our own. We've had a lot of fun working on this place together! Here are some of our projects. We are beginners, but learning together has been a blast!

These are the chairs we found with a table at a garage sale many moons ago and we were inspired by all of you redoing everything you set your eyes on. So, we gave it a try. These chairs would not be possible without the many phone calls we made to Emily, Mom, and Dad that day... thank you kindly for your help guys!

Can you tell that I'm a little bit terrified of a staple gun and don't know what I'm doing?

There they are! We are pretty pleased with them. We did 2 different fabrics. This isn't the best pic, but it's the one I had. As I said, we are definately not pro's, but for our first time, we're satisfied.

ohhhhh the shelves. I must show them, because I have waited a full year for shelves until FINALLY my father came to visit and showed Michael how it's done. And while we're at it... my fall decor-cute or dumb? Seriously- I suck at decorating. I need tips.
We painted a couple of different rooms. That was such an adventure hahaha! It was fun. If you ever come visit, don't worry about the spots on the ceiling... we learned our lesson.

Anyway- those were our summer projects along with a couple other things. So, keep all the good ideas coming on your blogs so I can keep copying you. Thanks :)

Our Last Hoorah

2010-08-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned previously our friends David & Alaina who we love so dearly... well- their wedding was in the Oakland temple, only 2 hours from my sister Melanie's house. So, DUH we knew immediately that we must go! It just turned out that Michael's mission buddy decided to get married that weekend as well is Sacramento. So, we planned our final summer adventure together and packed a lot of fun things into 5 days. Here are some pictures and details for my last weekend of freedom with my husband. WHAT A TREAT it as to spend time with the Sorensens at their home. I haven't been there since high school and that is far too long. I love each of those children so much and it is seriously a blast to see them growing up. I used to love them as my babies and now I get to love them as my friends. Although- they'll always be my babies :)

I love this picture! Melanie and Andy spoiled us rotten. We had home made tortillas (and if you have ever had Andy's, you know this is a huge treat), cheesecake, a deluxe bed set up in the living room, and mostly I enjoyed the fun conversation and catching up.
Uncle Mikey is always popular. We loved getting to know Joshy a bit. He is seriously a doll face and I felt like I'd known him forever! I love it when they're not shy.

Rock band, baby! This is our band, The Vipers I believe is what we were called. Please take a look at these boys- they are big kids now. WHAT!? Nicholas is seriously handsome and we were so lucky to be there on the day he was ordained deacon president. Don't worry mom, I took care of the crying for you. It was very sweet.

Mr. & Mrs. Ainsworth at the Oakland temple! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL TEMPLE! The sealing was absolutely beautiful and these 2 were glowing. Michael and I are so thankful that we made the trip because it was so worth it to see these two so happy. We wish we lived closer to them. Don't they look GOOD?! The reception was a blast too! We danced the night away and Michael hung out around the cold stone catering a lot.
Temple #2, Sacramento was beautiful as well. Dexton and Randi were yet another stunning couple. Dexton was a groomsman of Michael's, so it was really fun to see him married as well. AND- special treat, I ran into Jill Newell in the temple :)
Chinese-Speakin' homies.

phewph! That was a quick, whirlwind summary. But take it from me, it was a wonderful weekend and we were both really sad to see it end. I was sad to leave Mel's house, especially knowing that I was coming home to the end of summer! Atleast it was jam packed full of fun! And honestly- we're ready for school to start. We've waited a long time for the accounting program. We'll keep you posted!

Married Life... so far so good!

2010-08-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Michael and I have been married for 1 year! Can you even believe it? I know 1 year isn't that long, but it's just so crazy. I seriously feel like we got married last month. But at the same time, it feels like it's been forever! And it has truly been a fabulous year. Michael and I have been having so much fun. We have worked hard this year, we've been insanely blessed this year, and I can honestly say we've fallen more in love this year.

Michael suprised me with a Park City get away for our anniversary. It was perfect timing. He found us this adorable condo and the suprises just kept coming. It felt like we were back on our honeymoon, which is how I think an anniversary should feel. I never wanted it to end.

In our condo. Park city is such a great town, and the outlet mall isn't bad either! We got michael a pretty smokin hot first day of school outfit. My actual anniversary gift was tickets to Lagoon! We've been wanting to go all summer and it was SO FUN!The slides are giant! It took me a minute to warm up to them. But I eventually got brave and was so glad that I did. Michael was braver-- he went on the really scary slides. michael and I also share a love for roller coasters so we had a blast in the rest of the park as well. We were just like kids! Running around the park, playing, and laughing. It was SUCH a great day! We thought this alley way was very "24 ish", so we felt the need to document our time spent there. There was cool street market downtown on Sunday and we went to check out the live music and yummy food at the farmers market. It was an over all WONDERFUL and romantic weekend and I couldn't stop thinking about how lucky I am to have such a fun husband. So-- Happy Anniversary, Mikey! Thanks for a great year and I can't wait for the rest!

The 24th Weekend is Awesome in Utah!

2010-08-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

On July 24th, Pioneer Day, I have fond memories of stake picnics at the Thurston Chapel. There was usually some softball, hamburgers, tug-of-wars, and I remember looking forward to it. But I also remember my mom talking about how that was weak sauce compared to the 24th where she grew up... the beautiful Beaver Utah--home of the country's best tasting water. It's a big deal here in Utah. I mean, I got the day off of work! Emily had the genius idea of checking it out for ourselves this year since Beaver is right in the middle of Em and I. Oh man, was it EVER worth the trip!

You all know that Beaver is a special place to me because it is where my sweet Grandma Fern lives and my mom was raised there. So half of the fun of being there is spending time at Grandmas house and visiting with the family that still lives there. And just to add on to it all, the parade was FABULOUS and the games and exhibits in the park were wonderful as well!

Grandma was not happy with me for taking this picture, but I told her I'd get in trouble from my mom if I didn't.

The origional plan was for Michael to go stand in the street with Easton so he wasn't alone, but I think it became Easton standing with Michael so that he wasn't alone. I couldn't tell who was enjoying the candy throwing more. They were both adorable.The highlight of the parade was the grand marshals- Uncle Val and Aunt Ila! They were so adorable. I was sad my mom missed it! I'm seriously always amazed at how EVERY single person in that town knows my aunt and uncle. They deserved their moment of glory! And it was fun to watch them with their kids and grandkids- my cousins! I love this picture of Em with Caroline and Andrea, but I'm sad that I didn't get more of everyone else. They were all so sweet to us! They let us just barge in and play with them all weekend long-- thanks, guys!After all of the festivities in Beaver, Michael and I got to take the Rogers clan home with us :). Ohh it was so wonderful. I was slightly concerned when Easton asked "Jenni, what kind of toys do you have at your house?". But luckily, our grass was good enough to entertain him, because we quickly learned that our apartment is not kid friendly- sorry about that guys! Spending time with them is so special to me. Carly is giggling and walking and talking and I can't seem to get enough of her. I absolutely adore Michael and Easton's little friendship and love every second I get with Em, so a wonderful weekend it was indeed!

A Rexburg Visit and an Acceptance Email

2010-07-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

Michael and I are always in the mood for a trip to Rexburg! We haven't been back since November and we were itching to go back, so thank goodness our friends David and Alaina were recently engaged and there was reason to throw a bridal shower!

Alaina was my roommate last summer and David was her boyfriend. Michael and David fell in love. And I mean fell in love. They becamse great friends very quickly and seem to miss each other when they are apart. Luckily- Alaina and I hit it off too. So, we have been waiting very patiently and anxiously for this engagement! They are SUCH an adorable couple and the bridal shower was a great time! Alaina was probably the most hilarious opening her special gifts. And it was wonderful to spend a day with my old roomies!Naturally, we went to Horkley's the night we got into town at like 12:30. Oh how I miss that place.Bromance-Michael and I are both really excited to see David and Alaina married in less than a month!The bridal shower crew. Alaina's ring is SERIOUSLY beautiful. That is not an exaggeration. While we were in town we decided to throw a little suprise birthday party for Anessa! Her birthday isn't until August, but we wanted to celebrate while we were all together. We suprised her reallll good considering it was a month early. hahaha! We had dinner, cake, AND snoasis!! I could NOT leave town without my red rasberry snoasis. YUM!Well, David and Alaina were going to be one huge bonus to the idea of moving to Rexburg, and even though we will miss them and all of our other Rexburg friends...

MICHAEL WAS ACCEPTED TO THE ACCOUNTING PROGRAM AND WE WILL BE STAYING PUT!! KEEPING OUR JOBS, KEEPING OUR APARTMENT, AND STUDYING ACCOUNTING!!! yayyyyy!!!!! We feel so blessed and thank you all for your support and prayers! classes start August 1st. We'll keep you posted.

Mom and Dad Came to Visit. Come Back!

2010-07-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

Now that my dad is a retired man, my mom and dad ventured out on a road trip! First stop, OUR HOUSE :). I was so so so excited for them to come. I wanted my mom to see my new place, and I needed them both to help me fix it up! Also, now that we have 2 bedrooms, we were excited for our first guests. It was a wonderful couple of days and I wish they'd come back!

We started off the visit right by having dinner and sittin out eating Oreos. Things just got better from there (minus the part where Michael's bike got stolen the next morning... BOOOO). We ate at all our favorite places to eat, mom and dad came to see my work, we played scrabble of course, mom and I shopped, and mostly we worked worked worked on cuteifying our new place! Seriously- my parents are MIRACLE workers!!! I am so happy with it! Remember the shelves that nobody could ever hang? DAD HUNG THEM! They hung all my pictures, hung my curtains in 2 rooms, fixed my pantry door, put together an adorable over the toilet shelf, cooked, cleaned, AND had time to play and laugh with us. Seriously- they were so good to us while we were the ones who should have been hosting them! I found it comical that dad had to sleep on the futon because our guest bedroom full sized bed was too small. hahahhahahaha! Welcome to our lives for the past 10 months! I knew exactly how they felt, so I didn't blame him! We are SO happy with the way our apartment looks now and I will post pictures soon.

Another huge bonus of the visit was going up to SLC to see Courtenay and Johns new baby Everett. OH. MY. HEAVENS. Talk about a perfectly precious gift. I was in love with him at first sight. He is perfect and Courtenay looked fabulous. It was so fun to visit with her and LeAnn.

I was an idiot and did not take nearly enough pictures. As soon as I steal them from my mom I'll post them. But mostly, I just wanted to share how wonderful it was to have my parents visit. Michael and I felt lonely after they left. We had a great time. I can't wait until the day that we get to live closer. Thanks so much for coming, mom and dad! We love you!

What You Said?

2010-07-15T10:22:00.001-07:00

The title of this post is my favorite quote from Mr. Easton Rogers, and also how I felt when Michael received his response from the accounting program. Yes- thats right, we got a response.

Remember 6 months ago when they wrote us and told us to wait until July 12th. Well, we waited VERY patiently. FINALLY- July 12th came. Michael called me from work... "Jenni, I got the Email and I want you to be on the phone when I open it". My heart is racing! I had no idea that I was so passionate about him getting in, but now that the moment was here, I was praying praying praying that he would give me happy news. So, he reads the email... "Thank you for your application to the BYU School of Accountancy, you have been placed on the waiting list.".

WHAT YOU SAID?????????

If these people make me wait one more stinkin' day I am going to FREAK! After I composed myself, I decided that this is much better than hearing "you have been rejected"! Obviously they like Michael enough to have him in the program, which is very happy news. In the email they encourage us to go ahead with our back up plan and if we are admitted they will let us know. How it works is that if anyone who was accepted drops out, we will possibly get in. We got the vibe that there are 10ish or less people on the list, although they wouldn't tell us outright, and the people who were admitted have until July 22nd to accept, if they haven't by then - we're in. SO, July 22nd is the new date we're waiting for.

What's our back up plan you ask? 2 options, study finance in China, or study accounting in Rexburg. This is a TERRIBLY difficult decision for us. We have been up late most night hashing out the pros and cons of each and it is really, really difficult. I never actually realized how much I love our life here in Provo until the threat of having to move was in my face. I love my job, I love my new apartment, I love my ward, I love my friends.... I'm not ready to move. There have been tears indeed, but both of us are 100% certain that each option is excellent and after lots of prayers, we will be guided to the right place for us.

CROSS YOUR FINGERS THAT HE WILL GET IN ON JULY 22nd!!!!!!

That's the update!

Happy 4th of July -- Coeur d'Alene style.

2010-07-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THE 4th OF JULY! I get really emotional during the fireworks especially because I think it's really beautiful that all over the country, citizens are celebrating our freedom. And I'm so thankful for the people that have made/make it possible for us to live freely in this country.

For the 4th of July this year, Michael and I got to go to Coeur d' Alene, Idaho for the first time. What a beautiful place! Thanks to Shellie, that is where the Woodmansee family reunion was going down and we did not want to miss it! The reunion was a week long, but we could only stay for 3 days, bummer! But, I will say that the time we had there was well worth the 12 hour car ride! It is absolutely gorgeous up there and we had a great visit with Michael's family. This was my first time meeting a lot of his cousins and such and I am so glad that I did! They are all so friendly and have ADORABLE children! So I was definately entertained.

We spent a day out on the boat and it was a blast! And once again, even though it was freezing, Michael was in the water with no problem! hahaha- what am I gonna do with this guy?! He's very entertaining, so I guess we'll just let it slide We stayed in a beautiful house right on the lake, what a view! Shellie really got this whole thing together and we are really grateful to her because it was so nice to see the whole family. Michael and I really love Shellie and Judd and they are so good to us, so we're sad it had to end. We also got to spend some good quality time with Mama and Papa Woodmansee. They were super adorable in their tourist hats, and I might add, smarter than the rest of us. I kept saying that I wish I had a sun hat because I sunburn far too easy! Cheri even brought ear plugs for me so that I wouldn't have to listen to both of our husbands snore all night long. AND- she went without make up to encourage me in my new skin plan.

The fireworks were beautiful, the kids were adorable, the company was fabulous, the drive to and from was really fun and Michael and I had a good chat about how grateful we are to be free Americans. Watching so much 24 makes me especially grateful to be free these days. Don't laugh, I'm serious! So, Happy 4th of July! I hope yours was fun too :)

Happy Retirement, Daddy!

2010-07-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

My father worked for Union Pacific Railroad for 45.5 years. WOW! If there has ever been a reason to celebrate, I believe this was definately it. My mom planned a fabulous party and I was lucky enough to be able to go! We stayed the whole weekend at Marc and Connie's which was SUCH a treat! They were so good to us and those boys are an absolute delight to play with!

We went on a train ride starting from Hood River. Everything was perfect. My mom had us all wearing bandanas, engineer style, we decorated the train, the boys were wearing engineer hats, and the conductor even anounced my dad's special day to everyone on the train! We went all out to celebrate my dad and it was all such a blast.

The train stopped half way, so we stopped, had lunch, and broke a train pinata. The whole hour and a half train ride back, Joseph sat in my lap ooooing and ahhhing and the trees, grass, water, mountains. It was so adorable! The best part was laughing and catching up with everyone on the train. It was so nice to enjoy each other, and on a train at that!

Our little conductors- how adorable!The Retiree and Party Planner!It was awesome to get to see the Mitchells for a bit! And I love this picture below if Marc & Connie, Darren & Jill. ADORABLE!

Tina and her family came :) After the train we stopped at Multnomah Falls and it was absolutely beautiful!Pretty much the most tender thing I've ever seen is when Joseph started to cry because he didn't want to leave, and Kellen immediately hugged him. Those cousins are so sweet!

ALL the family who couldn't make it was GREATLY MISSED! And we were thinking of you guys. Thank you, mom for planning such a great weekend! It was a complete success!!

My Skin

2010-06-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

This is a long one, but I wanted to include the details, read if you have the patience :)

Well, as we all know, I have terrible skin. It's overly sensitive, it often breaks out in hives, it sunburns very easily, I cannot use normal fun, girly smelly stuff, and worst of all, I have had terrible acne my whole life basically. I have been on every antibiotic known to man to help my skin since the time I was about 13 (with the exception of acutain). The drugs DO help. I took them all through college and I was very happy with my skin during college and on my wedding day. But, here's what happened, I got married. 1st of all, my health went way downhill after that! WHAT THE HECK!? Next, I got booted off of my parents insurance, thus- I no longer have a dermatologist to write me scripts for pills. Slowly the zits began to return. And before I knew it, I looked like a 15 year old again with terrible acne. I was wearing WAY too much make up to try and cover it up, which makes it look worse. I was the annoying wife who always talked about how ugly I am, and mostly I was 100% discouraged that I would be this way for the rest of my life.

Well, as I have previously mentioned, I have the greatest co-workers known to man. Sarah could feel for my big time because she's been there and so she gave me all her tips and secrets. She mentioned that she gets peels, facials, and extractions all from an esthatician. I thought well, that sounds painful, but worth it because her skin looked great. Then, Loriol told me that she gets her facials from a lady here in town who works out of her home and is the best in the business. So...I decided to try it.

FINALLY- a glimmer of hope. Julie Foo has given me my confidence back. She is the most adorable little lady from Syngapore. The first time I met her, she said right off, "you have bad skin, I fix your skin, you will thank me". Let me walk you through the progression of my skin with pictures to prove my progress.

FIRST- She gave me a facial with extractions. What does that mean you say? That means she takes a sharp metal tool (pictured below) and digs into EVERY SINGLE poor on my face until all of the dirt is gone. Painful? HE** YES! That took over an hour.

Then she did some other stuff that felt like I was being shocked, a nice mask, and some burny cream. I came out looking like this...
At this point, my boss called me and asked me to come into work. I was terrified. But decided that this was the price I was willing to pay and I headed off to work. Everyone was really good liars and said I didn't look that bad :) A week later, my face was already clearing up and it was SOOO smooth! I mean, obviously not 100%, but encouraging. So, I went in for my peel. At that point, she puts this super stingy stuff on my face and I chill there for a while. It was WAYYYY better than the extractions and I came out looking like this:
Better, yes? I'm always in my scrubs in these pics haha. It looked way better the next day even. SO- next week, I went back for MORE of those tortorously painful extractions. I wasn't even half as swollen afterwards this time and I'm healing way faster and now, I look like this:
BETTER, YES?! And bethy came to see me :) :) This pic isn't as close up, so I tried to zoom in. It doesn't look that great, but trust me it's better. I haven't even mentioned the hardest part of this yet. Julie Foo says "NO MAKE UP". WHAT?????????I haven't gone a day without make up in decades due to my insecurity. I spent many nights crying about going to work, church, out without make up on, and my wonderful husband has been so supportive. But if I'm going to give this a try, I"m going to give it 100%. she says I can wear make up in a couple of weeks. I cannot wait for that day. This is what I look like everynight now. It takes me over 30 minutes to do my face routine, but I love doing it because I feel like I'm making progress. Look at all of the products I use... Yep, that's 11. Not cheap. Not cheap at all. But worth every penny. So, that's that. My skin is definately not healed yet. I have a long way to go. I'll be seeing Julie every 2 weeks, then 3 weeks, and so on until I only need her every 6 weeks. But for now, I'm feeing hopeful and can see my face improving. yay!

Sorry about the novel.

The Seattle Jolley's Visit!

2010-06-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that I am the offical in-law party crasher. Everytime my siblings and their families are anywhere within like 8 hours of me and they are visiting their in-laws, I go crash the party. So, to the families of my siblings in-laws. Thank you, and I apologize for always stealing your time with my siblings and their precious children. I just can't help myself. As a matter of fact, I just got off of the phone with Bethany. She is visiting her grandparents for the week and I'm going to go steal her tomorrow... whoops!

Last weekend we had the chance to crash an Anderson party and see Darren, Jill, Joseph, and Justin. And bonus, the party we were crashing just happened to be Taylor's wedding! Everything was beautiful, especially the bride and groom. It was so wonderful to see them. When we walked in and saw their faces I just felt instantly happy and excited! I haven't seen Jill and the boys since the wedding and the boys are getting WAY too big without me. But they were so sweet and acted like we'd never been a part. And let me tell you something, these kids are PARTY ANIMALS and I LOVE IT! I can already tell that we are going to be getting a long for the rest of our lives because they are a blast!

Joseph the photographer with his cutie cousin Alexis. It was so funny. He was running all over the place taking pictures of cutting the cake, throwing the boquet, everything. He was legit.

Darrennnnn- way to go. You must be Bruce Jolley's son, because Joseph and I were looking good before the bunny ears!
Justin is growing up so fast and he is absolutely adorably charming! His little personality is so much fun. We couldn't get our act together, I thought we were doing silly faces and he thought we were being cute....
And then he thought we were doing silly faces and I thought we were being cute... hahaha!
Michael was all about the cold stone catering... can you blame him?I'm really ticked at myself for not getting a picture with Jill. We were able to spend some time together later in the week. We went to lunch, she approved of my new place, and we played at the park. It was just really nice to spend some time with them. And someday, I hope to be the mom that Jill is to those boys, that's for sure. Anyway, it was really, really nice to see them.

Michael and I have SO much fun stuff going on this summer. I'll be sure to keep you posted. Right now I'm trying something new to heal my skin and I'm really optimistic about it, I'll post about that soon, I've got some pretty awsome pictures :)

Jack. 24. Our Summer Obsession.

2010-06-11T11:22:00.001-07:00

I've got a couple of things to blog about, but I'm going to start with the most important. First of all, if you've already watched all of 24 and you plan on commenting, please don't give anything away! I've only seen season 1 so far. Thank you. My family has been watching 24 since it started, and they've always told me how good it was, but it was on during FHE in college and I was more concerned with flirting with my FHE brothers than watching 24. Now, I'm married to the only boy I want to flirt with, and we watch it together. It's so fabulous. It must be said that all of the credit goes to Emily and Steve Rogers for introducing us to this fabulous television show. And even though I'm way behind, I'm going to do this anyway...

Ok- most importantly, I LOVE JACK BAUER. I love how he just regulates everywhere he goes. And yet he's so collected. I love how he loves his family and does whatever he has to to protect them... even though it doesn't always work, which sucks. I love how there are so many story lines going on at once. It is NEVER boring. I love Senator Palmer. I hate his wife. I hate how people I trust turn out to be DIRTY RATS!!! For some reason I love Kim Bauer and I'm really worried about her.

We just started season 2, we are on our 3rd episode. We are totally hooked. We watch at lunch, after work, we stay up too late, it's truly addicting. I told Michael that we have to start slowing down because this show is really stressful and I worry about my characters during the day. That's a little out of control, so I think we'll try to slow down. I don't know how you people waited a whole week to watch the next eopisode! TORTURE!Season 1 was absolutely fabulous. I love these characters. I have very strong feelings about each of them for different reasons. I cannot WAIT to see what season 2 holds.

This is my favorite picture of Jack. I asked Michael if I ever saw Jack Bauer on the street if I could kiss him on the lips. He said no. Rude. He's a fictional character so there is a 0% chance that I'll ever bump into him, and he still said no! The truth is, I think Michael loves him just as much as I do.

Memorial Day Weekend was a Delight!

2010-06-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

Be prepared for a large amount of pictures because we had a lot of fun this last Memorial Day weekend! It all started with Courtenay's baby shower. What a gorgeous mother-to-be! I mean seriously, take a look for yourself, she is tan and adorable and it was really fun to see all of her cute baby things.

The decorations, the treats, the setting, everything was adorable and it was just really nice to celebrate Court and John's little baby boy that we can't wait to meet!Reading my super tender card, if you can't already tell.Malls :) REALLLLY excited for a 3-day weekend!After the shower, we went our seperate ways. The Lance's drove all night to get to Jarom's hometown (stress me OUT, driving all night!), and Michael and I took off for LAS VEGAS!

When I learned we were going to be having a 3-day weekend, I knew that I was due for a visit to my Rogers family in Vegas. Carly is clearly growing up WAY too fast and I couldn't handle missing it anymore. There aren't words for how nice it was to catch up with my sis, learn all her tricks for cooking, decorating, kid raising, and tv watching, do some MUCH NEEDED shopping, play with my Easton and Carly, spend time with Steve again, and swim! Emily and Steve are always so good to us, thanks so much for letting us come visit guys! Easton's little personality is truly a JOY to be around. We had so much fun playing with him. He is hilarious and adorable and waking up at 7:30 AM isn't so bad when it's to this cute face.Carly really wanted to go outside and play with the boys, but I made her stay and play with me. I had to warm up verrrrrry slowly because she loves her mama, but it was well worth the wait because I could SERIOUSLY gobble her up she's so adorable. Just look at that face! And when she scrunches it all up, it just melts me! I actualy really miss her.One of my favorites from the weekend. She didn't cry at all when Mikey held her. I was a tad jealous.

We stopped in Beaver of course and were able to visit with Grandma, Uncle Dean, Aunt Janet, and Cousin Tad. It was really fun to introduce everyone to Michael and catch up a bit. And everytime I see grandma I just feel so happy. It rubs off from her.

It's really hard to go back to reality after such a great weekend, but at the same time, I feel re-energized! And plus, we've got lots coming up to look forward to. Summer is such a fun time! I hope you all had a great memorial day weekend and enjoyed the extra day off!

JUMP!

2010-05-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

There is this place called Jump On It here around Provo and we've been wanting to check it out for a while. So, finally, Steph, Jarom, Jarom's sister JoAnna, her fiance Cody, Michael and I went to jump around! So basically this place is like 16 trampolines all smashed together, with trampoline-like walls for you to just play on. When we first walked in, it was packed full of sweaty, stinky kids. But, we found a sweet spot in the back where us big kids could play. We had so much fun! If you've met Michael, you know that he does not hold back when it comes to playing hahaha! He is TRULY a child at heart. Jarom was a machine as well. Those boys were the sweaty, stinky ones by the time we were done!

Please excuse the large amount of pictures, they were just too fun not to share :)
We bounced, and bounced, and bounced, and BOUNCED! Michael was on a roll while the rest of us were getting tired... until the fall. Watch the sequence of events:Uh-Ohhhhh. He went down pretty hard on his toe. It is now quite huge and multiple shades of purple and blue. I think it's good and broken. Poor baby :( I feel really bad for him! But he is back at work today, trying hard to get over it.

More Happy Days

2010-05-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

Lots of fun again this weekend! It all started with a grocery shopping trip on Saturday morning. We were making our way to the grocery store when we saw a garage sale. We don't usually stop at these, but Michael is in the market for a bike, so we thought we'd take a glance. We stumbled across a true treasure! We have been using a card table and it works wonderfully! Sure, it's a little ghetto, but we don't care! So, we haven't been really looking for a dining table, because we don't necessarily NEED one right now. BUT- there was this beauty with all 6 chairs for $100 and we TOOK IT!There were 3 people wanting it, so Michael pulled out his money and handed it to the guy before anyone else had the chance to. And we got it! It's so fabulous to have a table where we can fit our plates AND the food! We plan on re-painting the top black, and I'm going to re-cover the chairs. But for now, we're so happy with it! And for such a steal. It's our first little project and we're really excited to work on it together.

The day just gets better from there. Long story short, our dear friend Loni, who I've mentioned before, is now dating Michaels childhood friend Corbin. Who is also Lauren's childhood friend. They all grew up in the same ward. Soooo basically, Lauren, Loni and I were college roommates, and are now going to be friends forever because our spouses are from the same HOME WARD! Is this FABULOUS OR WHAT?! Sure, this is assuming loni marries corbin... but we can dream. So we all got together for a fabulous night of fun, food, and catching up!This brings me so much happiness. I remember when we all lived together, and we had to say goodbye for the summer, we all cried and cried for fear that we'd never be as close again. Well no need to fear! Looks like we're going to be seeing alot of each other throughout our lives and we couldn't be happier!Loni stayed the night and corbin came over in the morning to help us break in our table for breakfast, look at how everything fits on there! YAHOO!!! We seriously love visitors and mingling with friends, so please, feel free to stop by any time if you don't mind tiny apartments :)

We're still having a lot of fun and have a lot to look forward to!

What a weekend!

2010-05-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

1ST AND FOREMOST... HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO MY FABULOUS MOTHER!
I am truly blessed to have been raised by such a loving woman. Sometimes, I don't know how she put up with me and all of us, but she did and still does. She is everything I want to be in a wife, woman, and mother. I love you, mom :) Wish I was with you today!

Yesterday was jam-packed for us and we enjoyed every minute of it. We started off bright and early to get up and get ready for our 5k run. We had such a great time! When we got there, and saw all the legit runners and cross country teams, we were a little scared! And I think Michael started to get a little nervous about his goal of winning. But once we got jogging it didn't matter, it was fun. I'm sorry to inform you that Michael did not win first place. I think first place was something ridiculous like 16 minutes. There were over 200 participants and Michael came in 14th with a time of 21 minutes! Not bad, huh?! I, on the other hand... took 33 minutes. :) But I'm satisfied with that. I was well in the top half of runners haha. I'm slow, always have been, always will be. It's ok though, because I still had energy left at the end and could have kept going, we'll definately do another, possibly a 10k next! Who wants to join us??? Steph and Jarom are the best! They were there at the finish line waiting for us to cheer us on. It was fun! Afterwards we all stayed and listened to the live music, had some free breakfast, and just enjoyed the atmosphere. Michael has decided that his entry fee was totally worth it, we got free jambas and a t-shirt which he sported around town all day.We had so much energy from the fun of being involved in an experience like that. It was great! It carried us all day. And we needed it because yesterday was Brooke's 24th birthday! Wahoo! I will let the pictures do the explaining. Good food, games, and getting a little too silly once it started getting late.

Cafe Rio Birthday Dinner... great choice, Brooke!Apparantly the candles were too hot for Brooke. And to end the night, a tribute to the one... the only... Beyonce. Only watch this if you can tolerate some serious silly and pink panties.I think it's easy to see why I have so much fun with these girls. Ohhhh our patient husbands hahaha

Farr's Fresh Frozen Yogurt

2010-05-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

Michael and I have a small obsession. We were first introduced to Farr's by my wonderful friend and co-worker, Loriol. It is right across the street from my work which is not far from our apartment. This place is magical. Not only do they have frozen yogurt, but soft serve ice cream, and custard. And on top of that, every single topping you could ever imagine in the entire world. I'm serious! I know there are a million frozen yogurt places these days, but Michael and I have tried a lot of them, and Farr's is without a doubt far above the rest. It is so creamy, rather than those other places that are more icy, ya know? My personal favorites are the coconut yogurt and chocolate custard. mmmmmm! But, it's becoming a small problem. Why? Because we go once a week, without fail. It's typically on Friday, but if we know we have something coming up, we go earlier in the week. It's an addiction. Come visit, we will take you and you will thank us forever. If you currently live in Provo/Orem, hurry hurry hurry to Farrs!

In other news, Michael and I are running a 5K saturday morning. We're excited! I'm excited just because it's fun, Michael is excited because he loves competition and he is DETERMINED to win. We go jogging most everyday and he leaves me in the dust while he tries to make a better time. Hahaha, it's quite funny, but I do love his deteremination. Also, he didn't even want to run it until I told him he'd get a T-Shirt, and then he was totally game. :)haha!

Life is wonderful as usual. Not much has changed, and that's a good thing. Just thought I'd jot down a few recent details of our little life here in Provo. ohhh that word... Provo. It just makes me think about my itchy legs and this torture-my-skin-hardest-of-hard water. I'm terrified for summer because my legs still look like I have chicken pox. But other than that, Provo isn't such a bad place :) We've sure been blessed here.

Sorry about the random thoughts and no pictures. It just felt like time for an update.

Happy Cinco De Mayo and most importantly HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY PARENTS!! 34 years, HOLY SMOKES! It seems almost impossible, but my parents sure make it look like fun! I admire them and their marriage more than I can express.

The Good, The Bad, and The Sunny/Funny

2010-04-19T19:26:00.001-07:00

Good news. Michael had a job interview with Wells Fargo last week and has made it into the second round of interviews. That will be tomorrow. We're really excited about it for multiple reasons. 1) Extra money for the summer! 2) Great benefits 3) THEY PAY TUITION. Mostly, Michael is a fantastic people person and kind of a pro at interviews, so I have 100% confidence in him and we're definately crossing our fingers that he'll get that job. And, if he doesn't, luckily he already has a job, so that will be okay too.

Bad news. We no longer get to move into that house :(. The couple that is currently living there has decided that they need another year who in Provo. Who would want an extra year in Provo? Anyway, Michael is trying to help me not to be bitter, and I'm slowly getting over it. But I was so in love with that house as you probably could tell. Michael and I have begun the search for something just as cool or cooler, but my sights are set pretty high. Good thing I'm happy in our little apartment currently, so I'll survive.

Sunny/Funny news. It has been beautiful here lately and we have been trying to take full advantage before it hits the 90's and I become a baby who thinks that is too hot to play outside. (I MISS OREGON TEMPERATURES). We went to the park with the Lances to play some frisbee and have a picnic. Michael wanted to fly our sweet kite. Sounds fun, right? Well, the problem is, there was ZERO wind. hahahahahahaha! Enjoy these pictures and I'm sure you'll have a good idea of how the kite flying went. Michael is truly a child at heart, which I love, and when he gets a fun idea, there's no getting it out of his head, even if there's no wind and the park is covered in trees and power lines.

The 180th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

2010-04-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, I loved conference weekend because I got to sleep in and only had to go to 2 hours of church. Now, I love conference weekend because I get to watch 8 hours of church, and I live close enough to actually attend. What a fantastic experience. For those of you who have never attended a session of conference in the conference center, please do. When the prophet walks in the room, and everyone stands up, there is no denying the feelings that you get when you see him walk in. I don't feel that way when I see joe schmoe walk in the room. I feel that way about Thomas S. Monson because he is a prophet of God.

My thoughts on this conference:

- Technology is an amazing blessing. President Monson is a prophet, just like Moses, or Joseph Smith, but unlike those old days, we are lucky enough to be able to hear and see him speak!

-The world is definaltey trying to bring down the family, and church leadership is aware of it, and I felt so much peace by their words of comfort on how we can raise a family in this crazy world.

- Heavenly Father loves us SO much. The words spoken, the unity we feel as we all gather together as members of the church and believers in Jesus Christ, the boost of happiness, they are all examples.

I hope I don't sound preachy or anything! Totally not my intention. I just was very spiritually fed this weekend and hope you all were too!

Busy, Happy Life

2010-03-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

We've been busy lately and it's been wonderful! Our life has been full of great suprises, visits, and family!

First of all, My mom came to town! It was so wonderful to have her here. I really miss my mom out here, so it was just what I needed to have her around for a while. I didn't want her to leave!! She came to our funny married ward, we went to Michael and I's favorite breakfast spot, and then we headed down to BEAVER! Oh it was so great to be there again. Grandma's house is just like she left it and I loved all of the memories. I told mom that I really wanted the "beaver" experience, so she took me to the local diner which I'm certain has not been redecorated since 1950. We went into a drug store, and the lady had a big beehive hair-do. I seriously felt like I had fallen into another century. I loved it!

Emily, Easton, Carly, Marc, Connie, Kellen, and Caleb came to meet up with us too. Even though it as a very short visit, I needed a fix of my babies and my siblings and it was wonderful!! I hate saying goodbye though. We also got to see cousins Andrea, Valorie, and Stephanie- SO FUN!

I came home from Beaver to celebrate Steph's 23rd birthday!! WAHOO! We had another great gathering with the Lances and I was happy to be with her. It's great to be together on our birthdays and I feel SO lucky to have her as a neighbor again!

Lastly, a fabulous opportunity has fallen into Michael and I's lap. My friend and co-worker Loriol's parents own a house here in Provo. It is split into an upstairs and downstairs apartment. Loriol found out for me that it will be available in April. So, Michael and I went to check it out. 2 bedrooms, backyard, garden, covered parking, furniture, less than what we're already paying, hallelujah! WE LOVE IT! So, we will be moving in, in 1 month! YAY! We're so excited! It's really a cute little joint and I can't wait to live there.

That's us lately :). We're very happy and are just feeling so thankful lately for how well life has treated us since we've been married.

Lauren's married off!

2010-03-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. DeVard! Look how happy they are! For those of you who don't know, this is my dear friend Lauren Rasmussen (now DeVard) and her new husband Josh. Lauren and I met my first semester at BYUI and she introduced me to my Michael :). Her and I have been very close ever since. I cannot really even express how absolutely delighted I am for these 2. Lauren has the biggest heart, and BEST personality, and is so beautiful and I always knew that I would be critical of whoever she married because he better be good! And yep- Josh fits the profile perfectly. He is a true stand up, good, good guy. And want to know something funny? She was a sister on temple square and Josh was the security guard :). DON'T WORRY- they didn't have a romance or really even meet until after her mission. But it's still just a great story!

Look at this gorgeous bride and groom! Her dress was SO flattering and beautiful on her. And the flowers turned out excellent as well. It was snowy, but it didn't damper anyone's spirits. We were all so happy to be there and see them glowing. The reception was a BLAST! Michael's old friends from Texas were there along with alot of my old friends. Michael and I are pretty big socialites, so we had a a grand time dancing the night away!
I love this one. It really makes my heart smile to see Lauren so happy.

Roomies and friends with the Bride.
1st year of college roomies! Reunited for a temple wedding of our friend. How truly special.

And P.S- michael and I got to have lunch and shop around with our own Loni Nock :) Loni is another very special person in our lives and we were elated to spend time with her again. We love you, lon don!

23

2010-03-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

Remember when we used to play MASH when we were little? I would always choose to be married at like 20, and have 3 kids by the time I was 23, and live in a mansion, and drive sweet cars and all of that. hahahaha. So laughable now.

I turned 23 on Monday. Really?! It's so weird. I mean, I know that 23 is not old. But I really still feel 18! It's crazy. I'm happy to be 23, I think it'll be a great year. It's just weird. And I'll tell you one thing. My birthday was made absolutely FANTASTIC by all of the people that love me. THANK YOU to everyone for the thoughtful cards, gifts, texts, phone calls, messages. All of it, I honestly felt so special all day and it was so appreciated. It was so great to chat with my siblings, parents, nieces & nephews, friends, all on one day! Birthdays rock!

My parents have always done a great job of making my birthday fun growing up, and Michael took over wonderfully this year. He took me to get a massage, we went to dinner and to see Dear John (loved it), AND, my birthday actual birthday present was my rings being fused together. YAY! I'm so happy with them. They are 1 now and I love it. They're not clinking into each other all of the time anymore. Do I have a thoughtful husband OR WHAT? I had mentioned that to him before, he remembered, and had it done. stud. I can't stop looking at it.
Stephanie made my favorite birthday cake and we had a celebration with the Lances. We felt like our parents. Eating cake and chatting all night on a birthday :). It's a great tradition to continue. Jarom even got the frosting I like. Thank you guys!
And now, a moment of silence for Sarah.........thank you. My friend Sarah took me out to lunch on my birthday, sweet much? I know! This was a very happy time. We love catching up and such. Why the moment of silence you ask? Sarah is no longer my co-worker :(. She found a new freaking sweet job and I'm thrilled for her. But she is missed!
Basically, March 8th was wonderful this year. I felt so special. And I'm truly SO thankful for all of you in my life that have the ability of making me feel so loved. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your happy thoughts and words on my bday :).

The anticipation is killing us!

2010-02-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

I think by now that most everyone knows that Michael has applied to the accounting program here at BYU. That is why we are here. It is the best in the country and he's always wanted to give it at shot. He turned in his application at the very beginning of January and was told it would be 30-60 days until he heard a response. He has been anxiously awaiting as the days climb into the high 50s. FINALLY- 2 days ago, he excitedly sat me down in front of the computer to see a screen that said "a decision has been made on your application, click here to see". AHHHH!!! CLICK IT CLICK IT!!! So, he did, and this is what it said.... "because many applicants are finishing their pre-reqs this spring semester, we will re-review your application on July 12th". AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Do they even understand how tortorous that is? We have lives to plan people! If he doesn't get in, he needs to apply for another program, or we might be in China, or go back to Rexburg. There are so many options and we need to know!

But, Michael being the incredible optimist that he is says to me,"this is great news, I didn't get rejected right off the bat!" :) He's right. That is a very good news. We truly hope that Michael gets in. He wants this really bad. And even though I by no means LOVE Utah, it's dry weather, and BYU-Idaho hating students, we have had some great opportunities open up for us here, so it would be great to stick in one place for a while. But, he assures me that if he doesn't, life will go on, and there are many other options open to him. And I know that's true. He's worked really hard to make sure he has other paths he could take. Anyway... that's the status!

Also, last weekend Lindsey and Anessa came to town. PARTAY! So we had the whole gang over for some home-made pizza and we had a blast! Lindsey and Anessa stayed with us and trust me, we love having sleep overs so it was great fun. Brookie bear, Steph, and Jarom were a part of the fun too and really it is SO fun to have all of these people together. If only we could talk Anessa into moving down here, we'd definately do this more often. someday!

That's life recently :) We're loving it and very happy as usual.

P.S- 2 antibiotics and 1 doctors visit down, and I'm feeling MUCH better. thanks :)

My Valentine

2010-02-19T21:29:00.000-08:00

My Valentine was so wonderful to me. I should have known. He always sent me great packages from Taiwan on American AND Taiwanese Valentine's Day. He really is a romantic. First, he brought me flowers and chocolate. That right there would have been enough for me. It made me so happy that he was so thoughtful. Then, he took me to see Valentine's Day which I have been talking about for weeks! THEN- he took me to a local Mexican restaurant that I've been dying to try. And THEN- he took me to a comedy show on campus. What a day!! We had so much fun. We were just so happy and enjoying each other. It's was wonderful!

Then, on actually Valentine's Day, I left some suprises for him around the house and cooked him a delicous dinner and peach cobler. His fav, not mine. haha. It's days like these that make me EVEN more grateful for Michael. He really tries so hard to make me happy, and it works! And what is with all the Valentine's haters in the world? I never hated it! Even if you don't have a valentine, I am always all about a reason to celebrate and eat candy!

On Monday, Kelly and Tyler were in town so we had another get together with them and the Hiltons and Dad and Heather and Brooke. Talk about fun! It's so great to catch up with everyone. And Tiffy and Kelly's babies are seriously perfectly adorable and I could just gobble them up!! It was hard to go back to work after that long, wonderful weekend. But, it turned out to be a good week, as it always does! Now, we're excited for this weekend because Anessa is in town and we get to have a gathering with her, Brooke, Lindsey, and the Lances! REUNION!

...unfortunately, last night at 3:30 AM nature hit me with it's WORST illness. You terrible UTI, I will not let you ruin my weekend. But seriously, I found myself all last night wondering why this particular infection has to even exist. TMI?? sorry. But I figure it you're reading my blog, we're probably tight and you know I'm blunt anyway.

BRING ON SPRING!