26 February 2009

Counterproduction

We got a treadmill 3 weeks ago. I ran on it today. I also ate my favorite hershey's almond kisses while I treaded along. We need some type of motivation!!! Right?? Right....?? Oh my!

22 February 2009

Good 'Ol School Days



For the last 8 years Andy has been trying to get his bachelor's degree. He has had many interruptions, 2 Marine Corps deployments, a church mission to Taiwan, and a few other obstacles. It has been a long road...ok an eternally long road at times, but the light is at the end of the tunnel for us and we couldn't be happier. This weekend however, I'm realizing how much I'm going to miss it. As long as we've been together one or both of us has been in school. Recently, it has been soooo much fun having Andy in school believe it or not!!! We have received some serious perks of which I'm so grateful for!!! Let me just say that FREE comes as a very welcomed word right now as we budget and plan ahead for the future, stretching every penny as far as we can. Last semester, since Andy is in the accounting program, Ernst and Young invited all the Jr. Core students and their family members to a huge concert. We got tons of free bees and the band signed CDs afterward...talk about awesome!

Wed night this week, we ate a free dinner at the Tanner Building.

Just last night, we went to the BYU Ball. The event was called, "A Night Under the Stars" and the only things we paid for were the blisters on our feet from dancing so hard to jazzy tunes from the live band. It was blast!! It was a free night of fun!! We got to dress up and eat yummy catered food, dance to a live band, enjoy patisseries, and I even got a rose at the end of the date. It was so great. I think I'm going to miss these nights of fun.

17 February 2009

Beautiful Spaces for Kids




I love the vibrant and creative designs of this French designer, Camille Soulayrol. Her children's bedrooms are beautiful. I especially love the one with the alphabet board! What great ideas!!!

15 February 2009

Happy Quote

"The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do."

From "Simple Abundance: a Daybook of Comfort and Joy", by Sarah Ban Breathnach

14 February 2009

You Magnify Every Beautiful thing Valentine!


This is what we found for my mom for Valentine's Day! A little Magnifying Glass Necklace. I saw someone wearing it and asked them where they found it! Luckily I could help my dad and we got it online!!! Have a beautiful Valentine's Day!

10 February 2009

Tornado Tot


Today at work I was checking the CNN front page and OKLAHOMA TORNADO was one of the top stories. I immediately clicked on it to find out a tornado was headed straight to my home town. A TORNADO IN FEBRUARY!!!

I hurried and called my mom, my dad, my friend Kristin (her phone didnt even ring), my brother, and my sister in law answered the phone after I called her twice. I guess the tornado had hit a few miles away from them and she and my niece Kate were in a closet with a wind up radio listening to the storm. She had just been told it was ok to come out for a second, so she grabbed snacks for Kate and was back in the closet when I called. I was so worried about everyone and she told me that everything was ok and that she had talked to my brother a few minutes ago but the power was out everywhere. Throughout our conversation I could hear my cute little niece just babbling away and making happy little squealing sounds. It was so cute. She was just happy as could be hanging out with her mom in a closet with a wind up radio. Thank goodness they are ok. The tornado was only 2 miles away from their house, their cars got severe hail damage and lost electricity for a while. 3 homes were destroyed and 3 people died in southern OK from the storm. Here is a video about it: http://www.koco.com/news/18683254/detail.html. I'm so happy hear their voices and little baby Kate playing with her momma.

09 February 2009

Driving Home Scare

Today as I was driving home, I called my sweet Andy to tell him I was on my way. He had already arrived at home and was starting to prepare dinner. He asked me how much longer until I arrived and I told him that traffic was really good so I'd probably be home in at least 10 minutes.

"Great, I'm so excited to see you!!!" he said.
"I'm excited to see you too," I told him.

He had been gone all weekend at drill, so it was nice to know he'd be home when I got there.

I got off at our exit and started headed towards our neighborhood. We live really close to the freeway past a stone company, and some fields, a train track and there's our house. The speed limit is only 25 mph so I was going relatively slow minding my own buisness, singing to the radio, and looking towards home. Then all of the sudden I see someone running frantically just off to the side of the road waving their hands like a crazy person. It actually startled me and I thought they must be flagging someone else down so I just kept driving hoping everything was ok. At first that person was a small object and upon getting closer and closer and as he kept running and waving his hands in the air, I realized it was Andy!!!!!!!!!!!! He was running towards me in the mud (it had rained all day). I swearved off to the side and he was smiling so big. I was so confused, not sure if everything was ok or not, but he just had this HUGE smile on his face. In disbelief, he opened the door and kept smiling so big.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD???" I asked him.
"I told you I was excited to see you!!! I just couldnt wait any longer!!!" he said.

All I could do is laugh all the way home (1 minute). He is unfailingly the sweetest/funniest person I know. I'm so glad he was ok, more than ok, he's crazy!!!!

05 February 2009

Ramblings of a military wife

Can you spot his beautiful smile??? This was the first time I saw his face in 7 months!!!! I love how he is not even listening! I was crying a lot at this point.


When Andy signed up for the Marine Corps (almost 7 years ago), they told him his contract would consist of going in for training (Drill weekend) ONE WEEKEND a month TWO WEEKS a year. Well, it has turned into 4-5 days a month, and 3 1/2 weeks a year. This has been a real big pain, especially because he is in school, and that is why he signed up for the reserves, NOT ACTIVE DUTY, so that he would be able t balance them both!!! Because of this insane scedule, he misses a lot of school work and I just have to say, He is one increadible person. He made it on the Deans list in the BYU Accounting school and for BYU in general. He manages time more efficiently than anyone I know, and I am in awe of his dedication (one of the reasons I married him, other than he has a beautiful smile, tenderness, and kindness that I didnt find in other boys that were even older than him).

When he is gone for several days in a row sometimes I become very sad again, almost like when he was in Iraq for months and months, however, my mind gets into that grove again and I begin to accept the fact that he wont be home anytime soon. It makes me so a tad bit frustrated when I hear wives say, "I miss my husband he has been gone for one or two days." I'm like COM'ON! You can totally do it, it's two meazly days, not 365!!! For heavens sakes, he's not taking a m-16 automatic machine gun with him on his trip and he's probably out camping or on a buisness trip and he probably has a cell phone to call you!! Everyone has their right to miss their husbands and sometimes we just have to make the best of it. I think life is all about perspecitive and experiences. I've learned never to assume, and alawys be grateful, so amist this ranting, I would like to honestly say that when I meet other wives that have done this, and some that have their husbands never come home, I am humbled and thankful beyond compare. There is a bond there that I can't explain. They understand, they've been there, cried there, stood there, and walked there.

At church, there is a beautiful military wife whom I love dearly. I just love her and I love her for how she is so full of light and gratitude. She walks tall and with faith. Her husband has been gone to Iraq for several months and we have this increadible bond and are able to have deep and meaningful conversations about life and it's perspectives. She has that glow about her that starts about a month before you know your man is coming home and huge tears of joy just swell up in my eyes when I hear her talking about his homecoming. One night this week, I asked her, 'Do a lot of women say to you that they dont know how you did it with him being gone?" She replied with a "Yes". Then it seems to be a common thread that they continue to say, "I could NEVER do it." I'm not so sure if I agree with that. I do believe that it is a emotional response and a kind respectful one, but we dont give ourselves enough credit as women and what we are capable of. When you have no other choice than to DO it, somehow you do!!! If more of life's experiences were Do it ones instead of I dont know if I could ones, think of what we could conquer!!! It doesn't mean it is easy, I had my fair share of crying, depression, saddness, and sometimes I still do, like today, but once it is over, as it will be with my dear friend Amy Jo, you look back at how this experience makes you grateful that he is only gone for 2 or 3 days and that those few days are really nothing in a year, and that 365 days are nothing in a lifetime, let alone eternity. There is such a grater perspective that even I can't comprehend...but I'm trying!! Then I think about my grandma who survied after my grandpa died almost 10 years. What an icreadible woman. She never failed to be greatful or smile. I need to be more like her...That is a whole new story for another day perhaps, but this weekend I am going to try and be happy and realize Sunday isn't that far away....