Valentine's Day

Darren and I celebrated our first married Valentine's Day together. I know so many people think it is a a stupid made-up holiday,but I really like it. It is just a fun day to do nice things for each other and a good excuse to be super lovey! We started celebrating Valentine's Day this past weekend. I have been wanting to go to the mall and so we went down to Idaho Falls to go to the mall and to go out to dinner. I am the one who wanted to go shopping but Darren is the one who ended up getting stuff. He has really been wanting a new coat and we found a coat that he loved and it was 80% off. We just had to get it. So we got a 210 dollar coat for only 50 dollars or something like that. Anyway, I am glad we could finally get him a new coat. After we went shopping we met up with Maddie and Jordan who were also in Idaho Falls and we went out to dinner at Rumby Island Grill. It was so good and we had a lot of fun. After dinner we went to chic-fil-a for shakes. We celebrated Valentine's Day again on the real day. I had do work all day and Darren had school all day but when I walked in the door this is what I saw.

Darren had also cleaned our room which was a huge disaster and I am sure it took him forever. Little things like cleaning our room mean so much to me. It is just one less thing I have to do! Darren also wrote me the nicest card ever. I cried and cried...good thing he was at work when I read it. My big thing is cards and notes. I don't need or want a present I just want to be told how much I am loved, and Darren knows that and so he gave me a wonderful card. When Darren got home from work we went to Costa Vida for dinner which was perfect because my parents got us a gift card for Valentine's Day. When we walked through the door guess who we saw in line? Maddie and Jordan. So we had our second Valentine's Dinner with them too. I got Darren a few presents for Valentine's Day...I made him a map journal, I ordered a memory box thing, and I got him a kindle fire case. We have been wanting a kindle fire case forever so it was kind of just an excuse to buy one. At 10:15 Darren had a basketball game. Who has a basketball game at 10:15 on Valentine's Day? Well we went to his game and they won by a ton. They even ended the game early because they were winning by so much. Overall it was a great day and I am glad I got to spend some extra lovey time with the man I love!

Darren and I before we went to Idaho Falls

Darren's new jacket

Me with my flowers

Darren with his present

Sledding

We went sledding a few weekends ago with some of our friends and it was so much fun! Seriously I miss being outside. Living in Rexburg I feel like I am cooped up inside all day long and it really doesn't help that I live in a basement! Walking to the car is miserable and the cold seriously aches my bones. But it really isn't that bad once you get 2 pairs of pants, a sweater, a coat, gloves, a hat and a scarf on to go sledding. It is quite nice actually, except my nose runs a lot. After we went sledding I kept telling Darren how I just loved being outside and I wish we could have stayed all day. I guess I should go out and play in the snow more except we have had hardly any this year. One day when it snowed a lot Darren and I took the kids that I watch to the park and played in the snow with them. It was a lot of fun and reminded me of how much I liked to play in the snow when I was a kid. Anyway... back to sledding. We went at night and it was a little scary because the hill was so icy but we all had a lot of fun. We also got to watch some little kids go off huge jumps and fly of their tube. I guess when you are raised in the snow you are fearless of sledding. Darren and I aren't so fearless. We steered clear of the big jumps and one time we accidentally hit a little one which ended up being a lot of fun... Here are some pictures!

The Maker's Touch

Sometimes on Sunday's I like to listen to church-ish music while I get ready. I really haven't done that since I have been married but today I broke out some Jenny Phillips and listened to it while I got ready. Jenny Phillips is one of my favorite LDS singers. Well actually she is my favorite. There are a lot of good ones out there but I just really like her for some reason. Her songs are really peaceful, encouraging and thought provoking. Today the song "The Maker's Touch" really had me thinking about my life. The lyrics to the song are...

I watch the stars
Fill up the sky
A billion lights that testify
His hand is in all of creation

And there is no doubt
That He has made me
He’s giving me life with
Each breath I breathe
And I feel a debt
To never forget Him

I am His child Made with His love
And it is enough to
Bring me to my knees
He’s reaching down
And I’m reaching up
And somehow I feel
The maker’s touch

The sun and the moon
Obeying his name
Marking the path
And lighting my way
All of these things
Given to me

So I will bow down
With all of the earth
And offer Him praise
For my infinite worth
For all of the light
He’s given to me

This song was really touching to me today because I feel like I have been being really selfish and unthankful (I guess that's not a word...but I am going to use it anyway) lately. The part that really struck home with me was "He’s giving me life with each breath I breathe and I feel a debt to never forget Him." I forget HIM way too much. It makes me really sad that I am able to forget my Father in Heaven who has given me so much and who continues to bless me everyday. I have so many reasons to be grateful in my life and I forget about them way too often. I am blessed to just be living. That could be taken away from me at anytime and each day I get to live, learn and grow is a huge blessing. The other part that was striking to me today was, " I am His child made with His love and it is enough to bring me to my knees." I am also not brought to my knees nearly as often as I should be. I need to remember how important it is to kneel down and pray to my Heavenly Father everyday. He really has given me everything I have and I feel so blessed. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of the truth and for the plan that Heavenly Father has created. Everything truly does testify of the reality of God and the reality that he loves all of his children. I feel lucky to know of his love and to feel it each day.

So thank you Jenny Phillips for making me remember how loved I am, and for making me realize that I need to Remember my Heavenly Father more and make our relationship a top priority.

Milk Tasting With Carlee

Carlee came over on Friday night to work out with me. Just Dance was our work out, and it really does work out your arms if you play it right. Well before we played Carlee made us some delicious meatballs and we ate dinner.It was so yummy! She is quite the little homemaker :) I helped a little, you know, like I steamed the green beans that ended up being disgusting but anyway... We had a great night but we had to go to the store to get some chocolate. I mean, everyone eats chocolate before they work out, right? Carlee got some Dove chocolate and she opened it and guess what it said? We couldn't believe it! That was exactly what we were going to go home and do. Darren also ate a chocolate and his said the same things so Carlee and Darren were the first to hit the dance floor! Then I hit the dance floor after spilling water all over my shirt... Darren and I bought a coco late machine at target last weekend with our last wedding gift card to target. I am so glad we bought it. We seriously use it everyday. Well there have been all these steamed milk and hot chocolate recipes I have been wanting to try so we had a milk tasting. You know, like a wine tasting, but a milk tasting. We didn't make it very long though because we got all milked out but they were still yummy! To end the night we drank our beverages while watching a movie. We love Carlee and she comes over a lot. I am so glad that she still likes to hang out with us even though we are married! I love that I had the chance to live with her because now not only is she my cousin, but she is one of my best friends. She is like the sister I never had and I love her! Thanks for hanging out with us Carlee :)

Winter in Rexburg

We are back in Rexburg, and have been for a couple of weeks, and there is hardly any snow! It is a miracle for Rexburg. I am so glad that there is no snow because I hate driving in it. It is so scary to see everybody's cars swerving on the road. At first I was sad to be back because I just like being in San Diego so much but now I have gotten used to being here again and I am ok with it. I am off-track this semester so I got a job being a nanny for a professor. I feel pretty proud of myself because over 100 people emailed the professor on the first day she posted the job on the bulletin board... and I am the one who got it! It is SO hard to get a job in Rexburg and I am so thankful that both Darren and I have a job. We are really lucky! Darren works on campus and he is a sports first aid coordinator. He has to teach all of the student coaches first aid, work in the room where he tapes people and treats them and stuff, and go to games to help people when they get injured. I think Darren and I both have the jobs that we would really want. He loves taping people, and going to the games. I love the little children that I get to watch everyday. There is a 4 year old boy and a baby girl who just turned 1. I am so happy that I get to watch a baby because it helps with my baby craving just a little bit. Actually some days I leave their house thinking I don't want kids for a while and some days I leave really wanting a baby because the baby is just so cute and cuddly. I guess that's how being a mom would be. There are good days and bad, but mostly good :) And I get to do laundry at their house!! That is so great because I hate going to the laundry-mat and it is so dang expensive! Now I get to do my laundry for free and they have a really fancy washing machine! Other than that, I don't think there is too much new with us. Darren is taking classes...hard ones, but he is almost done with school! horray! I don't get to see Darren nearly as much as I used to because we are both so busy but I think that makes the time we spend together all the more wonderful. We are so excited to see each other at the end of the day and I really like that!

Family Time

Today my dad didn't have to work so we wanted to go out and do something as a family. After about 2 hours of debating what we should do we eventually decided to go to boomers and ride the go karts and play miniature golf. Darren started the game off with a hole-in-one...

Then he got another...

And another...

And then we stopped taking pictures after his third hole-in-one. I think he ended up with 5

I even got a hole-in-one

Gage got a hole-in-one but refuses to take normal pictures...

And dad got a hole-in-one but didn't want to take a picture of it, so this is all I got

Mom didn't get a hole-in-one, but she still played well!

After miniature golfing we headed over to the beach to watch the sunset. It was such a beautiful day...it seriously felt like summer and it is December! I have no idea how I live in Rexburg! Everything was so beautiful we couldn't help taking pictures :)

We found so many crabs in the reef. They were really big and gross but I had to get a picture of one. Overall we had a great day playing and watching the sunset. We have been enjoying the great San Diego weather and we will be sad to go back to the freezing cold!

Christmas

Darren and I got to have our first Christmas together! It is so nice to be together now for all of the holidays. We spent this Christmas in San Diego with my family and next Christmas we will be in Portland with Darren's family. We wish we could have had Christmas with both families but it just wasn't possible. Darren and I both love Christmas and all of the pretty lights and family time. The Christmas season is a wonderful time and we are sad to see it end, but good thing Christmas comes every year! I am thankful that my Savior, Jesus Christ came into this world to atone for my sins and to make it possible for me to return to my Father in Heaven. I love celebrating His birth and thinking about the little baby Jesus who was born in a stable. It is weird to imagine Jesus as a little baby because I mostly think of him as an adult, but when I imagine him as a baby I bet he was the most well behaved, beautiful and innocent looking baby ever. And I can't even imagine how it would have felt for Mary to be his mother. Well anyway these are some pictures from Christmas morning with my family... It was a great day and I loved being with my Darren and with my family.

Josh and his memory foam pillow

My dad with his new tie

Arie opening her Pottery Barn gift card

Darren opening a shirt from me

Gage and his new electric guitar!

And Darren and I holding up some of our presents...and wearing some. We decided that every year we are going to take a picture like this. It will be our new tradition. Darren and I are most excited about our kindle fire which we got from our parents but I am also loving my new beanie from Gage, my new coat from Darren, a cute Christmas pillow from Josh and Arie and Strabuck's caramel apple cider mix that I got in my stocking. We got a few other things but this is all we could manage in the picture. And Darren had to have his grapefruit that he gets in his stocking every year!