Sunday, August 30, 2009

One Wonderful Year!

Jared and I have been married for one YEAR!! Time flies when you are having fun! And that statement has never been more true!! It does not feel like we have been married a year! Boy are years short! => We have had so many amazing adventures and grown so much mroe closer and in love! I have absolutely LOVED being married!!
I have done a lot of looking back thru our relationship, from when and how we met, to today, when we are officially married a year, and I love that I can see the Lord's hand in it all! And I love that I have a wonderful and faithful husband who always puts the Lord first in his life! I am so grateful that we were able to get sealed for time and all eternity in the Lord's house, and that so many members of our family could be there!
I was looking back thru all the blog posts I have posted this far. I started this blog shortly after we were married and have recorded our life happenings in it. From the beginning I have been planning on printing this blog into a book, like a journal of our first year of marriage. Looking back at all the events I noticed I have not put any pictures of our wedding on it! And what a better way to celebrate a first anniversary than to look back at the weddign day!
And for anyone who has ever been associated with a wedding you know, there are more pictures taken on that day than any other day of your life!
It is weird to think wearing these is just a natural thing now. I remember it was so weird to have a ring on all the times! And it was difficult to remember to put it on in the morning! I have gotten better at remembering to wear it, and sometimes I even feel like I am missing something when I don't wear it, but I am not a perfect wedding ring rememberer yet =>
Jared is a farm boy from Idaho. A true manly man. And he thinks its so amusing how I got him to be married in a pink temple! He must truly love me to be married in such a girlie temple! haha =>
I love the Newport Beach temple grounds! It is so cool how all temples are decorated and take on the culture of the land, and the Newport Beach Temple is all about the beach! Palm Trees, running water, spanish/style building! It is absolutely gorgeous!
He just couldn't resist me then, and still can't now! I thought I loved him with all my heart and as much as I could then, but it is amazing how your heart can grow and how much more I love him now! I can not even fathom what it will be like in even 10 years, let alone and eternity! But I am so excited to find out!!
And of course, I had to add a traditional wedding picture of cutting the cake! A funny story about our wedding cake. My mom and I were looking at different kinds of wedding cakes and trying to pick which kind we wanted. I wanted a small cake on top and cupcakes on the bottom (I do not think cut pieces of cake is very attractive) My mom did not think that was a very good idea and said we should go with a more traditional cake. So I download some pictures of some cakes and also one of a cake with cupcakes. While I was looking at those and comparing Jared came over and began looking at them with me. I was showing him the cake I was leaning towards and then he saw the one with the cupcakes and said "I like this one, why can't we do the one with cupcakes" and yep, my mom said 'thats would be great, ill see what I can do' or something to that effect. haha I find that story hilarious! I didn't tel him to say that, but we got the cupcakes! => Oh the power men have with food haha
I love this picture! I think it is amazing how they were able to catch the perfect action shot! => What I think is more ironic is that my little twelve year old cousins were trying their hardest to catch the bouquet. Doesn't it mean that they will be married next? hehe I guess thats just an old wise tale. =>
I am so grateful that I met Jared and that we were able to get married in the Newport Beach Temple! He is my best friend and I LOVE my life with him so far! I can not wait to see what adventures we have in the years to come! => I LOVE JARED!!!!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Anniversary Celebration!

Our one year anniversary falls on a Sunday this year so we celebrated it mostly on the Saturday before! We had been looking at apartments that whole day and on our way back to my aunts house we decided to stop and play around Temple Square. We ate dinner on tope of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building at 'The Garden'After dinner we went and walked around the temple. There was a nice old man there that the church has stationed there to answer any questions about the temple. We talked to him a while and he had some pretty interesting facts to tell us about the construction and symbols on the exterior of the temple. Then we went to the huge visitor center and played around there, watched some things, read some things, talked to some missionaries. I love temple square! I think everything there is so interesting and fun!
I LOVE JARED!! I am so happy to be married and sealed to him!! And I am so excited that we have been married for one year! And I had so much fun celebrating it with him!!

Friday, August 28, 2009

Stinkin Utah Roads!!

So, Jared and I have not been in Utah more than three days and we already are being driven crazy by the roads! The WHOLE STATE of Utah is under road construction!!!! On friday (Aug 28) Jared and I had a full day of appointments to look at apartments, so full we were a little worried about making them all on time. So we leave my aunt Heather's house and head down to Salt Lake (a trip which previously took us a little less than 20 mins to make) We had been on the same freeway for an hour and a half and had not made it to Salt Lake yet!! Jared was not very happy about the traffic, in fact he was fed up with it. He said that traffic jams caused by something cool are ok but this "stupid roadwork jam" is unacceptable! Oh I was laughing quite hard. We finaly make it to an overpass, which is a couple exists from down town and all of a sudden a police car pulls in front of a car ahead of us and makes the whole line stop! We didn't know what was happening until Jared saw and told me to look.
This is what I saw, and I did not see anything out of the ordinary, until Jared told me that the 'support beam' behind the red truck is infact not a support beam, but a new fuel tank that the truck was carrying!When people started realizing what was going on they began to turn off their cars and walk around. We were going to be there for a while. There were even kids running around playing with toys and balls. Jared and I called our appointments and tols them we were not going to be able to make it. But it was fun to be walking around the freeway. =>
They unhitched the truck and he drvoe away. Believe you me, it was a good thing the north bound side of the freeway was empty, that trucker was raging mad! and who would blame him!?!? Can you imagine going 70mph down a freeway and all of a sudden being jerked back and have your cargo stuck on the overpass? That can not be a fun feeling => After he drove away two large forklifts came across the freeway and knocked the tank off the overpass. Jared was watching it but I wasn't paying attention, and all of a sudden this huge noise was being made. Now I had never heard a bomb go off in real life, but I would imagine it sounds a heck of a lot like that big boom we heard when that thing hit the ground! It was cool!
After the tank was down they began to let cars pass, so we got to pass right by it! That thing was enormous!! Look at that damage! I would not have believed it had I not seen it!! Could you imagine if a car had been behind that truck!?!? I don't think any were, and I do not think anyone got seriously injured, but there was a line o police cars and amblences like I had never seen before! Not to mention news crews up the wahzoo! Once we initially passed it the roads we open and clear. And Jared had decided that that was a cool traffic jam and was glad it was not a dumb construction one! =>
I don't have any pictures of this next one but the next day, coming back from Pleasant Grove we were in ANOTHER traffic stand still ont he freeway! But luckily again we were up pretty close to the front so we saw the action. A WalMart truck had tipped over and they had to bring another one to unload all the cargo into and then a machine to get the truck out of the road! We passed by as they were still unloading the truck but the take-off machine was there! And not to mention the coutless other times any day that we were stuck in dumb construction traffic!! So a caution to all, when in Utah avoid any sort of timed commitment because you never know how the Utah traffic fairy is going to strike! =>

Thursday, August 27, 2009

My 20th Birthday!

Jared and I got home from our cruise on Sunday August 23, and on Wednesday August 26 we left Denver for good and headed off to Utah to find an apartment! My aunt and uncle (Heather and David) were nice enough to let us crash at their pad => long enough to find an apartment. We arrived to their house Wednesday night and Thurseday was MY BIRTHDAY!! This is what I look like when I am 20! => hehehe We looked up apartments online in the morning, then in the afternoon Heather and I took the kids and went to some house decor stores while Jared went to some stores to get me a birthday present! I scored on this birthday! Jared got me a dock for my ipod with great speakers! => For my birthday dinner Jared, Heather and the two kiddos went to an Indian restaurant.
It was a daring idea, and Jared was alittle nervous about it. =>
The restaurant was called "Taste of India". Isn's Jared such a good sport!?!? He was brave enough to try my weird food, and nice enough to put up with all my pictures =>
Heather and David have been to this place and are 'experienced eaters of indian food' so we gave Heather the complete ordering power. => The food was very tasty and we really enjoyed it!
This was taken before we learned that to authentically eat it you take the bread, and let me tell you, that way was harder and messier so we eventually went back to the forks =>
Heather had picked out an ice cream cake from ColdStone earlier that day and even had them write on it! It was so cute, but look at all those candles!!! I am old!!!
Thankfully I am still young enough to be able to blow them all out in one breath!! That would have been depressing if I couldn't!! =>
We didn't take the cake out and let it defrost, so it was a little tough to cut, but sooo worth it!! =>
Holland loved licking the candles! She was just so adorable doing it! It started out that she thought it was weird when Jared, Heather and I were doing it, but then she loved it! =>
After all the kiddos were tucked in bed we prepared for a night of fun and games!! David was at school, so we had to play without him but it was still fun! And I think I won the fastest game in Clue! I was genius!! On my second turn!! Oh yeah!! Birthday luck!! => It was a wonderful birthday!!

And when we got to Jared's parents house to begin our idaho trip they celebrated my birthday too!! A double celebration birthday! Wahoo! =>

Thursday, August 20, 2009

We Went On A Cruise!

So I originally planned on doing a post a day about our cruise, but I think I will just do one, like a summary. That is mainly because I am also doing a book purely based on our cruise, and I don't feel like going into details in two different places (basically I am just lazy) =>
Our first port-o-call was in the Cayman Islands!! All the islands are gorgeous! This one was owned by Great Britain so there was a huge modern/english influance!
We signed up for an excursion thru the ship which was swimming with the sting rays! It was so much fun and the whole family got to do it! Jared just LOVED this excursion! He was so fun to watch chacing all the sting rays around trying to catch one!
Our second port-o-call was at Roatan Honduras! This by far was the most gorgeous place we stopped! I could not believe how breathtakingly beautiful a place could be! But it was also one of the poorest. If there was something lower that third world, I would say this definately qualified. In Roatan Jared and I took the kids swimming with the Dolphins while my parents and Trey went scuba diving! They had a great tiem as did we! IT was so cool to be so close to those magnificant animals!
Belize was our third port-o-call. Mom and Cole went snorkling and the rest of us went zip-lining through the jungle! We had to drive over an hour inland and thru jungle to get to the spot, and then hike some. But all that was so worth it! There was definately a cool factor to gliding over the tops of jungle trees! But the bugs there were huge! haha And I got a pretty sweet bug bite, but all was worth it! =>
All our excursions so far were done thru the ship, but when we came to our last port-o-call Cozumel my parents decided we should go out and explore on our own! I say that was one of the smartest desicions! We found this great secluded beach we were able to snokel as a family, and also a small company that would take us parasailing! Even Cole was able to parasail! That was a blast!
We had so much fun on our cruise and are so grateful to my parents for taking us! It was such a great time! And we loved having new experiances and with our family! And we can't wait for the next one! => haha

Saturday, August 15, 2009

The Beginning of the Caribbean Adventure!

We went on a 7 day cruise with my family last week! It was AMAZING!! The cruise went to the Western Caribbean (Cayman Isalands, Roatan, Belize, Cozumel) and they were all incredibly gorgeous!! This is the first of many posts to come, and they may take a whiile because I am getting pictures from my parents too. But this is of August 15, the day we flew into Miami. This is Jared's third time flying his whole life!! (One when he was little to some family memmbers funeral, one to his mission and one back) And its like my fifty billionth time! But it was fun!
This is how I pack my clothes. I don't know why, but I seriously can not pack without laying out everything first! I blame my mother who made me do it as a kid so she could se I have everything! Jared was making fun of me for it, but hey, I didn't forget anything! =>
One of the wives here was nice enough to give us a ride to the airport! Here we are, about to embark on an epic adventure!! And believe it or not, I am such a good packer that we did not check any bags, we only brought two carry on bags and my purse! I think that is impressive! =>
In the Denver International Airport (DIA) you check in and then have to ride an automated train to your terminal! There were not many people flying that day so we got to sit on the only seat in the train cabin! Sweet!
This is us, almost eight miles in the air!! On our first married flight!! (and Jared's third!! I still can't believe that!)
We met up with my family in Minniapolis, where we then took a flight together to Miami! It was so much fun getting to fly with them, but the boys were a little crazy after being stuck in an airport for a layover of 3 hours!
Me and my lover in the airport!! After surviving his first married and recent flight!! =>
Happy anniversary Mom & Dad!! All this traveling was taking place on their 22nd wedding anniversary! They are such troopers and love birds!!
Walking on the plane!! We are almost there!! Just one more three hour plane ride and we are in Miami!!!
Cole and I walking on the plane!! I am overjoyed ot have my whoel family here with me and Jared!! And I could hardly wait for our cruise!
On our plane!! Horray!!! And it was great because we all sat together!!
The three little boys sat together, and they did wonderfully! We were all suprised! =>
And the love birds got their own row!! What lucky anniversariers!! =>
We made it to Miami!!! Horray!! And now its a waiting game for their luggage...
Luckily all their luggage made it too!! Now time to board the last bus of the night to take us to our inn!! This is my mom and I on the bus! We were taking pictures of everyone else and we wanted our picture taken, but for some reason we could not coordinate smiling and keeping our eyes opened, so we had to pretend there was something interesting to see => (there really was just a pile of luggage where we were pointing)
Waiting to get our room keys, and lucky for us my Dad was there, in Miami you need to know spaanish, you can hardly get along without knowing spanish!! Its insane!!
Can you tell I was excited to be there? => ANd Jared did not have the vacation bug yet, don't you worry tho, he got it eventually! =>
After getting all situated in our rooms I was the mastermind and found a place to order pizza! Ok, so we were the ones with the pizza fliers, but I brought them to my parents to order! => So at like midnight we ordered pizza for the whole fam, and while we were waiting we played a tantalizing game of Uno!
Finally, a little before 1:00 in the morning our pizza came, and we had a Miami pizza party!! Now time for bed and on to our cruise!!!