Cruisin' Mexico

Hot sunny days, sandy beaches, drinking pina coladas, and not worrying about school, work, or any other obligations back home. Sounds like a dream right? Well a couple weeks ago this all too often dreamed dream became a reality for us. Ty and I..along with our buddies...cruised on down to Mexico for 7 days.  INCREDIBLE is the word I choose to describe our trip! There are many highlights of that blissful week..I tried to narrow it down to the top 5 but had to make it top 6 instead!

Numero Seis: My first time ever in Sin City! Pathetic that I have never been to Vegas but I experienced it for my first time on the way to California.  I cannot say that I was super impressed by the city...it's pretty dirty in more that one way..but it was cool to see all the chaos that goes on and now I can at least say I've been:)

Numero cinco: Singing karaoke with Hayli and Kandace...we are definitely horrible but if you can't tell we had a blast and that's really all that matters!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150330409661841

Numero quatro: The food in Mexico is amazing... especially the seafood. Everywhere we went Ty and I tried to eat as much authentic mexican food as we could. Shrimp tacos are our favorite! I may or may not have gained a pound..or two:)

 Numero tres: The beaches. Mexico has beautiful beaches that I could play on forever. There is something so simple and relaxing about being on a beach with the sun high in the sky and the waves rolling in. Life just seems to all make sense when your lying on the beach.

Numero dos: Ty and I did this cruise for our honeymoon.  We wanted to go again but this time with our friends.  We talked Hayli and Josh (Ty's sister and her husband) and Kandace and Joey (our good friends from Utah) into going with us. Cruises are meant for groups of people. There are numerous activities on the ship that are constantly going on.  It's fair to say that we hit up everything that we could. Kandace, Joe, Hayli, and Josh totally made the trip for us.  Thanks for coming guys! We may or may not already be planning the next trip:)

Numero UNO: My number one favorite thing about the trip was being with my husband.  Sometimes here at home we get so busy and stressed about the things that go on in life.  This trip was a good reminder that we NEED to relax and have a little more fun...kinda a vacation away from life. My husband is my number one...any day.

  I love you Ty! Thanks for taking me cruisin'!

Girl Time

A couple weeks ago my dear friend Rachel called to inform me that she was coming to REXBURG during conference weekend! I haven't seen her since her wedding a year and a half ago because she lives so far away in Canada.  Her sister Jenae..who is also my dear friend...is finishing up her last semester here at BYU-I. Jenae just got home a couple months ago from serving a mission in Japan. This weekend was the first time in two years that the three of us were all together...just like the good old days:)

                                                             

Highlights of the weekend:

Late night talks. Tanning. Sage Day Spa. Waxing. Not waxing. Little Caesars. Conference. Fruit trays. Justin's wedding. Idaho Falls. Registering Jenae at Kohls for wedding. Big straw hats. $6 blue flats. Cafe Rio. Shrimp tacos. The Help. Smuggling drinks. Ring pops. Too much Dr. Pepper. Not sleeping. Laughing hard. Smiling lots.

Spending time with Rachel and Jenae this weekend reminded me of so many good memories. A lot has changes since the good old days at the Ridge but these two girls will be my friends forever. They are great examples to me and I am so grateful for their friendship.  I love you Rach...el and Jenae!

And when the wife's away the husband will play...

"I was slayin' ducks," says Tyler.

Time

I've been thinking alot lately about time. I've been kinda MAD at time because it seems that everyday life completely revolves around it. I wake-up at 6:00 a.m. to make it to work by 7:00 so that I can finish at 5:00 and make it home in time to have dinner around 6:30 or 7:00 and it's off to bed anytime after 10:00. Then my alarm goes off at 6:00 the next morning to do it all over again.

Sometimes time is something to look forward to. In 12 hours my brother comes home from his mission in Russia :) In 5 days the weekend starts.  In 4 weeks we will be on a cruise down in Mexico and in about 2 months Ty and I will have our 2 year annivesary. In these instances time cannot go by fast enough.

Other times go by too fast and I wish they would just slow down...like my hours of sleep (morning ALWAYS comes too soon), the time I spend with Ty after work, weekends, and when I read a good book (nerdy but I always wish the end would drag out a little longer so I won't have to stop reading).

It's a funny thing how sometimes time goes slow and other times goes too fast.  Sometimes I get tired and like to sit, relax, and waste some time.  Most of the time I worry about what I do with my time...if I am being as productive as I can be.  Lately I've been trying to find a balance. Sometimes I try to live in the past and other times try to look to the future.  I've been realizing that if I try to live in the present and make the most of my time here and now that I will be just fine.  I won't be able to look back and regret doing too much or not enough and at the same time it will prepare me for the things ahead in life.  So slowly but surely I'm finding that time might not be such a bad thing after all...I just gotta learn to use it wisely:)

Before Cole left: Taking a Sunday nap

These last 2 years have flown by.

I cannot wait for him to come home TONIGHT!

I've missed my little brother!

And the livin's easy..

 As much as I hate to admit it...summer is almost gone. This thought depresses me to no end.  I love being out in the sun whether it's boating, fishing, camping, or whatever else my crazy husband wants to do.  So instead of being depressed about summer ending we decided to make the best of it while it's here.  This last weekend we got some of our friends together and went camping/boating at Palisades reservoir.  Those of you around Idaho know that lately it has been unusually hot...which made last weekend the perfect weekend to be in the great outdoors.  You can't complain about a little camping, boating, eating junk food, sitting around the fire, and taking it easy.

We kinda got lazy and decided to do hot dogs the first night and went to the Cheeseburger Factory in Alpine the second night. We all went and got yummy hamburgers and shakes.

And by the end of the trip we were all exhausted...

 Especially Tyler...who fell flat asleep on the ground next to the fire:)

So this is the start of our annual Palisades camping trip.  We had so much fun playing, laughing, drinking Monsters and too much soda, telling "stories" around the fire, and just being with the people we love. Until next year...

My Little Sissy

My sister Bailee decided to go on a huge adventure this summer.  This adventure included leaving family, friends, and her comfort zone behind to go and work in Utah for a couple months.  She left the beginning of June and is coming home TONIGHT to visit for a couple days! I know it has been a good experience for her but from my selfish point of view I have missed her and at times wished she was home to play with me.


I love the quote "Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of.  You know whatever you do, they'll still be there." I think this quote is true for both Bailee and I.  When Bailee takes my clothes and ruins them, calls and wakes me up in the middle of the night with a crisis, or steals my car without telling me, I still love her.  And even when I get mad at her for taking my lip gloss that she really didn't take, give her my advice on the boys she dates, or actually tell on her for stealing my car and get her kicked out of drivers ed, I know eventually she will .still loves me too. 

I am so grateful for my little sissy.  Bailee is such a good example to me...more so than she knows.  She has so much energy and at times when I get boring she brings a little life back into me.  Being without her this summer has made me realize how much I depend on her.  Bay, I'd be lost with out you. I'm your #1 fan. I'm always here for you not matter what and I know that you've always got my back too.

I love you sister!

Camping

So my husband thinks that as soon as the month of May hits it is camping time...which in some geographical locations is true but let me attest that Rexburg Idaho is not one of those locations.  It's only June and we've been 4 times...3 of the 4 it rained or snowed.  Not my idea of perfect camping weather.

This weekend Joey and Kandace, our good friends from Utah, came up to Rexy to hang out with us.  We always rant and rave about how awesome Rexburg is and wanted to show them a good time.  So we decided to take them camping and four-wheeling at the sand dunes.  The forecast was suppose to be 80 degrees and sunny.  As soon as we got out to the sands it started raining and winding. Just our luck! So we played on the four-wheelers for a while, ate our tinfoil dinners, and retired to the camping trailer by 8:00.  Thanks heavens for Josh and Hayli's trailer that kept us warm while it rained the majority of the night.  It was still an awesome trip.  We didn't let the weather get us down.  We sat in the camper and talked, played games, watch Joe imitate the midget rapping with 50 cent, and laughed our guts out. Ty and I are grateful for awesome friends who will go camping with us even when it's rainy, windy, and cold! Thanks Kand and Joe for coming to play with us for the weekend!

Us girls in our sexy Walmart camo shirts!

Hayli and Josh

Kandace and Joey

Chillin in the camper

Our sweet rig! ( I guess Josh's sweet rig)

 

My Handyman

On Thursday I took the garbage out to the big dumpster at the apartment complex that Ty and I help manage.  I noticed that there was a blue vacuum sitting next to the dumpster.  I thought nothing of it and went back inside.  The next day I came home to find the same blue vacuum sitting in my front room.  I instantly put on my slightly annoyed wifey voice (that sadly I am very good at) and asked what the broken vacuum was doing in my house. Tyler pointed out that we do not own a vacuum (we use one that belongs to the apartments) and he thought he could fix it to make it work.  That way we wouldn't have to buy one. I, on the other hand, didn't think it was a very good idea.  Obviously it was broken...or why would someone be throwing it away?

So this morning I woke up to find my studly husband had gotten up early to fix the blue vacuum.  I am not sure if he was trying to surprise me or just prove me wrong that the vacuum wasn't broken but either way he surely fixed it. Now we have our very own new to us-used by someone else vacuum! I am grateful for a handyman husband who loves to fix stuff and doesn't overlook little things....like his wife does:)

You know what they say...one mans junk is another mans treasure.  I hope the people who threw it away don't see us using their vacuum one day and want it back.  If that happens Tyler says, "fixers keepers... losers weepers!"

Change

I asked a patient this afternoon what flavor of prophy paste she wanted me to polish her teeth with. You would be surprised at the variety of flavors offered: bubble gum, cherry, orange, root beer, cookie dough, mint, cinnamon. After reciting the memorized list that I repeat daily she decided to go with plain mint because the though of having her teeth polished with bubble gum or cookie dough paste was disgusting to her. My next patient was a little kid who excitedly chose bubble gum and I could tell that getting his teeth polished with bubble gum paste was the highlight of his day.

I remember being little and just like my patient I loved bubble gum paste. I remember loving to dress up in my mom's high heel shoes and having her put lipstick on my 5 year old lips. I remember sitting with Ashley at the Jr. High after school eating a whole bag of Cool Ranch Doritos because we could eat whatever we wanted and not have it effect us at all. My little sisters use to drive me crazy and I always wanted them to leave me alone. Staying up all night on the weekends was a routine thing to do. I also remember thinking about my wedding day and wondering what kind of person I would marry. Now everything has changed.

I wear high heels everyday day of the week...rain, snow, or shine. I could choose to wear lipstick if I wanted but it's really not my style. My little sisters are now truly my best friends. I feel the effects of all those bags of Doritos we ate more than ever and I can't even stay up past 10:00 p.m. Now I don't have to sit and daydream about my wedding day because it's come and gone. It was everything I'd dreamed it would be. I wish I could relive it on a daily basis. And the person I married is the most amazing person on the planet.

I am starting to understand that as the years go by we change. It's inevitable. The scary thing is that change happens all the time, but most of the time we don't even realize it. Maybe because we are too busy to realize...or maybe because we are scared to grasp the change. I personally hate change. The hardest change for me has been growing up. Some of the experiences I've had are almost embarrassing. I remember my very first day of college I was sick to my stomach. I couldn't even function properly. I missed my first couple classes because I had to call my dad and have him come give me a blessing. I was a mess. I also remember when I moved out of my house and up to the Ridge. I was 20 years old and honestly it's only 2 miles from my parents house but I cried and cried because I had to leave home...ridiculous right? It's funny to look back on those experiences and see all the things I learned from those changes.

Before Tyler left on his mission he told me that it wasn't a matter of if I was married or not when he got home, it was a matter of if I had changed or not. He was going to change for the better the whole 2 years...I better be trying to improve myself too. Apparently I changed a little or else we probably wouldn't be married now. I find myself continually trying to live by this....trying to be a better person for him and others around me. Let me tell you, it takes a whole lot of change. I am astonishingly good at being human and I make more mistakes than you can count everyday but I TRY constantly to fix those mistakes and change.

I guess what I am trying to say is that change can be hard. It's not fun to look back on some changes. Other changes are the best things that happen in life. Either way it's important to realize change in your life, see what you can learn from it, fix it if you need to, and be grateful for it because it makes us who we are....now all I need to do is take some of my own advice:)

I found these pictures that were taken of Ty and I in 10th grade...

Hopefully we have "changed" a little since then!

A Beautiful Mess

So I finally succumbed to temptation and decided to start a blog for Ty and I. I actually set it up about 4 or 5 months ago but apparently this blogging process was too confusing for my little brain to figure out on it's own. Last week I got my act together and had my sister-in-law teach me how to set this thing up. So we are gonna give it a go.

Tyler and I have been married for a little over a year. I thought I might give anyone who is interested a light overview of our delightful first year of marriage...a little look into the beautiful mess we live in. If you are not interested that is just fine too:) Forewarning...this post is a little lengthy.

On November 21, 2009 Ty and I were married in the Rexburg Temple. It was an almost perfect day...except the wind was blowing about 70 mph. I guess that is what to expect here in crazy Rexburg.

Our wedding day was perfect. Having all of our family and friends there to celebrate with us was amazing. There is not one thing about that day I would change...except maybe the wind!

We wanted to get out of the cold so we decided to go on a Mexican Riviera cruise for our honeymoon. We had such a good time touring different cities in Mexico...and doing other fun stuff too...

December was a long month. As soon as we got back from our honeymoon Tyler left the airport and came to Rexburg for surgery and I went back to Orem for school. For the first 4 weeks we were married we only saw each other on the weekends. Needless to say we made it through and in January he moved down to Orem with me for the last 4 months of school.

In January we celebrate my birthday by going to my aunt and uncles cabin. Josh and Hayli came with us. We had fun snowmobiling into the cabin, playing games, and eating food. The next weekend Ty surprised me and took me to Salt Lake for the weekend where we played all day and stayed the night.

February was the month I started studying for boards. It was not a fun month for Tyler or I. I was cranky and studying all the time but Ty was a good sport and tried his hardest to cheer me up!

March was Tyler's birthday. He turned 23! Hayli and Josh met us in Ogden where we went to dinner and a comedy club. We pretty much laughed until we cried:) We are so lucky to have such awesome siblings to party with!

April was a pretty big month. I took my written national board test on April 9th. It was the longest and most extensive test I have ever taken. When I left the testing center I was pretty sure I failed. A couple weeks later I found out that was not the case:) At the end of April I graduated from Dental Hygiene school. I was kinda proud of myself...it is one of the biggest accomplishments I've ever achieved.

I would have never made it through school with out Kandace and Mel!

My husband was happy to have his wifey back!

I had clinical boards the first couple days of May. It was intense and I am glad I don't have to do it again. However, the rest of May was great. Kandace and Joey got married on May 20th. A couple days before we threw her a bachelorette party. I loved being at their wedding. Kandace and Joe are our lifesavers!

Tyler and I moved back to Rexburg after boards and he started another semester at BYU-I. Also in May Josh and Hayli announced they were going to have a baby. I was really excited because I don't have any nieces or nephews. They made us these awesome t-shirts to wear to the hospital after their baby was born.

In June I received my dental hygiene license and was able to start working. It felt good to be out of school and actually practicing. Ty and I got the chance to go up to Canada for Rach...el's wedding. Her and Seth were married on June 18th. I love being at her house in Canada. It is one of my favorite places. I was so happy Ty got to go there with me and that we could be there to celebrate their wedding.

Me and my beautiful friend.

Outside the Cardston Temple.

The rest of June, July, and August were spent camping, boating, and fishing. We went camping 7 weekends in a row. After that extravaganza I told Ty we needed a little break....I like camping but that was a little excessive. We stayed home one weekend and were gone camping the next:) For graduation my mom and dad gave Ty and I a trip down the Salmon river. It was a white water rafting trip. My dad was a guide on the 7 day trip and we had a blast just being in the outdoors.

September and October were spent working. Tyler was off-track so he worked too. Fall in Rexburg was beautiful this year. Tyler golfed and fished even when it was probably too cold to be doing so. We went four-wheeling a few times, had a lot of fires at the sand dunes, and went to the ice caves as well.

November was a busy month. Ty and I celebrated our ONE YEAR anniversary. Tyler took me up to Jackson Hole for the weekend. It was nice to get away from work and spend the weekend hangin out with the hub.

ONE YEAR!

We also went down to Utah and spent a weekend with Joe and Kandace. It was fun to be with our long lost friends!

We even got to see our buddies while we were in Utah. I love Ashley more than anything and I am so grateful for her friendship. She is my best friend and always there when I need her.

For Thanksgiving we went with Tyler's family to Park City and then St. George. I am lucky to have awesome in-laws who I love and adore!

My sisters and I getting ready for family Christmas pictures.

The best part of November and the beginning of December is that Tyler and I became an aunt and uncle to not one... but TWO adorable little girls.

Cody and Jill adopted their sweet little girl Jada Marie. She was born on November 17th and we all instantly fell in love with her!

And on December 10th Josh and Hayli had their baby. Her name is Blaykli Rae and she is the cutest thing you'll ever see...even if you can't quite see her in this pic:)

It seems lately everyone is having babies. Apparently there is something in the water....so Ty and I are being real careful about what we drink:) We have loved having these beautiful babies around and are excited to watch them grow up!

Christmas was wonderful this year...as it is every year. I bought Ty a pair of fishing waders and I was so dang excited to give them to him I almost didn't make it until Christmas! He loved them and that made me ecstatic. We enjoyed spending Christmas time surrounded by the people we love.

So that about sums up our first year together. Our time being married has been the best. Remember now that I did not put up anything about the numerous disagreements we have gotten into over the last year, the student loan we are trying to pay off, the stress of finding a hygiene job, the transmission going out in our truck, or the adjustments of being married. Life is not always blissful but when it gives you lemons you just gotta make lemonade. I love the quote "We may not have it all together but together we have it all." That is how I feel with Tyler. Ty and I live in this beautiful mess and there is nobody else I'd rather be in it with!