Confessions of a Not-So Perfect Wife

Happy 3rd birthday Oakley!

2014-07-04T02:27:00.002-06:00

We are those crazy people who know their dogs birthdays.

We love our dogs. End of Story.

I always wanted a dog, since I was a little girl.

I asked my mom and dad for one all the time, but was always told no.

Before Jeff and I got married there was no question we would be getting a dog.

Before we decided to buy a house and were looking at apartments.

I refused to look at anywhere that didn't allow dogs.

More specific... big dogs. {Jeff wanted a MAN dog}

Then it evolved to buying a townhome or house.

Much easier to have a dog in.

We picked out Oakley a couple weeks before we got hitched and I was so excited.

He was the cutest little fluff ball and just really mellow.

We actually picked out two dogs, but during our honeymoon decided one was more than enough.

Isn't he so cute? The little black dog was the other puppy we had selected originally

Cute little fart! When he finally got to come home. He was 7 weeks old if I remember right.

Oakley had his own personality right from the start.

He has always been really curious and loved to explore.

When we first met Oakley he was wondering through the tall flowers and bushes in the garden.

Little did we know he would NEVER grow out of that.

Just hanging out. He quickly discovered that bits of food on dishes went into the dishwasher

He loved to cuddle and be held in your lap.

Another trait he still loves. Big ole lap dog.

He was a handful from the beginning and always into stuff {especially if it was food oriented}

He loved to play with toys, but had a tendency to ~~shred~~ kill them.

He was extremely smart and was even potty trained before we were able to take him home.

He learned tricks extremely quickly... all he needs is a treat for motivation

He grew way to fast and didn't stay this cute little pup for more than a second.

We hadn't even moved in completely and look how big he already was

Shake

So food motivated he turned his bowl into a toy

He has always had a love for laundry baskets... not sure why

Oakley is a great dog, but has had some really naughty moments in the past

Most of them happened before we got Bailee

When he was a couple months old he ate an entire bag of dog food (10 lbs) while we were at work

I came home to an unbelievable mess from one overly full and sick dog.

On an entirely separate occasion he ate an entire pound of chocolate covered coffee beans.

He was fine, not even sick.

Just EXTREMELY hyper

Don't think we left these things out ... that dog will find food anywhere

Then there was the time he ate Jeff's ~~homework~~ entire semesters worth of work

binder and all

This is all that was left. It was on top of the kitchen table.. pushed back to where we didn't think he could get it

But then again... he could climb up on chairs...
{Bad picture it was taken from my phone}

One of the many other paper shredding moments courtesy of Oakley

His most famous naughty moment is when he TIE DYED my kitchen and himself.

I was making some almond bark popcorn and added color to be more festive

I had to get to class so I didn't have time to completely clean up the kitchen. so I pushed everything back to the edge of the stove and counters and left for class.

Now Jeff was on his way home from work when I left, which was a total of maybe 5 minutes away.

5 minutes is a lot of time to a little dog. BEWARE.

This is what Jeff came home to.

My little smurf dog

This is only a small... small part of it.

My entire kitchen was spotted in various splashes of green, blue, and purple

Jeff was nice enough to clean up Oakley while I was at school

But he thought it was sooo funny he waited for me to get home till we cleaned up the kitchen.

It took HOURS for us to get all the food coloring off the floor

To this day there is still a little blue stain on the seal on the door and a purple spot in the corner under the table.

All I can say is Oakley is lucky he is so dang cute and that we love him so much.

Oakley's favorite thing is to go for car rides, to go to the park, and to go swimming (though he didn't always think the last one)

Words like: go, park, ride, walk, and car are not allowed in our house, especially put together

He freaks out and cries until we are out the door and in the car.

If you stop at a stop sign too long he lets you know.

Only golden retriever I know who has his tail over his back all the time

Tongue is always hanging out

Not too sure about the water

One happy pup right there. I wish he would have stayed this little. Too cute

Head always out the window looking around

Oakley is the most expressive dog I know and has so many different facial expressions.

Good thing is you always know what he is thinking.

He is weird and keeps us in stitches all the time

My mom is his favorite person and the word grandma is not allowed in our house either

He loves people and I swear he thinks he is one sometimes

Loves to be on his back, especially for tummy rubs

What? This isn't normal dog behavior?

Spoiled much? Look at all those toys and his very own swimming pool

My favorite picture of these two. He loved her from the very beginning

He even let her sleep on top of him

Best buddies, though she does annoy him sometimes
That's what little sisters are for right?

Always up for a good treat.

He is a wonderful dog and we love him so much

Happy 3rd birthday buddy!

Another OVERDUE Update!

2014-06-27T00:57:00.001-06:00

I feel like the only time I'm on here is updating the past couple months at a time.

Maybe I just need to schedule time to blog into my schedule.

I have a feeling I'll have time to now- details to follow

Now for the updating part- bare with me this will be lengthy once again.

As far as my ACL recovery its definitely slowed down progress wise.

I guess that's to be expected seeing as there aren't as many big moments at this point.

My focus is strengthening and just general flexibility again.

I stopped having regular physical therapy appointments back in May.

What a relief on my time, body, and most of all pocket book.

Who knew surgery wasn't the expensive part?

I can walk and go up and down stairs fine- slow but fine.

No running or jumping right now.

The biggest thing for me is it gets stiff if its not moving and it really hurts to kneel.

Anyone else who have had knee surgery experience this?

I was told by my surgeon that I probably will need to do a scar tissue scope in the future.

More surgery is not good news in any shape or form.

I'm happy that I can be back to my daily activities and don't think about it constantly.

I figure they said its a 9-12 month recovery and I'm only on month 4.

Big news with Jeffrey! He started a new job!

He is working as a Youth Counselor at the Juvenile Detention Center here.

Its an awesome opportunity that will give him great experience in his career field.

Not to mention he is loving it and learning lots.

Working 2 jobs, both graveyard shifts, makes our time together limited to say the least.

I feel like I never see him and if I do its figuring out dinner and kissing good bye.

Its hard, but its temporary and part of life.

We will just learn to schedule time together whenever we can.

He is such a hard worker and an amazing person.
I am so beyond proud of him in everything that he does.

He is truly an amazing person and I am the luckiest to be his wife.

I love you forever, babe!

My handsome boys.

That's the biggest things right now I can think of.

We need more excitement in our lives I guess.

Maybe some bigger things will be in our near future.

You'll just have to wait and see....

And just because they are just so gosh darn cute.
Here's a picture of a rare moment of them both asleep.
Oakley is asleep most of the time... Bailee not so much.

ACL Post Surgery: Week 2

2014-02-24T22:38:00.002-07:00

Quick update for everyone who has asked how I'm doing.

I really appreciate everyone's concern and sending me healing thoughts.

My life pretty much consists of putting ice and heat on my knee and going to physical therapy.

My pain levels have dropped, which I couldn't be more thankful for.

I have a low pain tolerance.

I finally got to take my bandages from surgery off and can take showers like a normal person.

HALLELUJAH!!!

My doctor said one of my incisions needs to be watched and I can't take baths, because it could reopen.

Not happy news, since its the large one at the base of my knee

Today (24th of February) was the first day I was able to do a full rotation on the bike at physical therapy.

Small step, but means things are improving.

In other good news....

Jeff and I finally had ventured out on our first date night post surgery!

I can't tell you how nice it felt to get dressed up and have a wonderful night out.

What did we do?

First a little background story.

When Jeff asked me what I wanted for Christmas I honestly had no idea.

I didn't need anything major and the things I wanted were way out of budget.

My idea was a special planned out date night.

Jeff and I don't get major date nights out with school and our opposite work schedules much.

We try to do a dinner date night once a week.

Jeff planned out a date night from start to finish and gave me clues to what it was on Christmas morning.

The Plan.

Brunch at Little America

Early Dinner at Melting Pot (Our favorite, but expensive)

He even surprised me with a long stem rose at our table when we arrived

Tickets to go see Hale Center Theatre's Les Miserables.

I am obsessed with the music and the movie, so I was super excited.

I have never been to a Hale play and I was so impressed.

It was incredibly done and the cast was beyond amazing.

If you haven't seen it. I would HIGHLY recommend it.

Play goes through middle of April.

Obviously, the date was planned before I planned my surgery

Because of my leg and giant brace sitting in normal seats weren't an option.

Fortunately, my uncle let me borrow his wheelchair and we were able to change our seats.

It was interesting trying to maneuver around hordes of people in a wheelchair, but glad we were able to borrow it.

More thankful I don't have to use it all the time.

It was a wonderful date planned by my amazing husband.

I don't know what I would do without him and there is no doubt I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Things are slowly getting better and I know I still have a long way to go.

There is one thing that I need help on. Scar Cream.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

ACL Post Surgery: Days 3-4

2014-02-16T15:53:00.002-07:00

I haven't been updating Facebook or the blog or even responding to text messages the last couple days.

Sorry, I have been trapped in the worst days of my life. No joke.

Looking back those first 24 hours after surgery were a cake walk.

After the nerve block wore off my pain levels went up and any movement made me want to scream and cry.

Which I have spent many hours doing

On top of the pain, the pain pills made me EXTREMELY nauseous and spent hours hurling until I had nothing left.

Worst thing was if I tried to just drink enough to take a nausea pill and pain pills I'd just throw it up again.

I'm not one who throws up easily, I think its from growing up with acid reflex your body learns to keep it at bay.

Lowest point of my existence was waking up, not being able to even move in time, and throwing up all over myself, my pillow, blankets, everything.

Not only that I can't shower or just get up and move.

I was in my own private hell.

Oh and did I mention another fun side effect of the medication: extreme itchiness!!

Could be used to torture someone.

It got so bad that I woke Jeff up in the middle of the night to help. I was going mad from the itchiness.

Jeff had to work that night and my mom was spending the night.

Bless her heart. I don't know what I would have done without her.

I was so sick and she was so worried she spent the night in a chair next to the couch where I was laying.

She can't have slept more than 10 minutes at a time and then she went to work the next morning.

She's over here when she's not at work helping with laundry and taking care of the dogs.

This may have been the worst valentine's day of my life, it was the one that showed the most love.

I don't know what I would have done if Jeff and my mom hadn't been there to help me.

It takes a lot of love for someone to help them the way I have needed help the last couple days.

I can't stand and get to the bathroom without help, or getting dressed, or getting food

Basically anything that isn't within reach of the couch I need help.

Jeff sleeps in that same uncomfortable chair so he can be near me.

He wakes up every couple hours to check on me and make sure I'm on top of my pain pills.

He probably got 5 hours of sleep total from Wednesday to Saturday.

He never complains and if I even shift positions he asks how he can help me.

No doubt he wins the husband of the year award.

On the bright side, things are getting better.

I finally got to wash my hair today, which felt like heaven.

My new pain pills don't make me nauseous and my pain in back under control.

I have a sore throat still from throwing up, but its much better than the alternative.

I finally am getting into a routine and that helps keeping the pain down.

Tomorrow is my first day of physical therapy so fingers crossed that its not a horrific experience.

Thank you for everyone who has been worried about me and calls to check up on me.

I'm sorry I'm not the best at keeping in touch.

I try to sleep as much as I can.

I love you all and appreciate the support more than you know!

ACL Surgery: First 24 hours Post OP

2014-02-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

Since I tore my injured my knee back in July and was on crutches till the middle of September

I wasn't all that excited or anxious to get back on crutches.

Then we moved and I got my new job....

Plus other events interfered, like holidays ;)

Anyways, I finally made the appointment to have my reconstruction surgery.

That dreaded day has now passed and its officially day 1 post surgery.

I'm not going to lie I was terrified of having surgery.

I have never had any big surgeries and only had anesthetic when with my wisdom teeth and during a handful of endoscopies.

Part of the reason this scared me is I have a high risk for MH {malignant hyperthermia}

Its a syndrome that is highly passed through family lines and if given the certain anesthetic can cause a reaction that if not caught or prevented is highly fatal. Scary? Just a little.

My uncle had a reaction years ago in surgery and it almost killed him if one of the doctors hadn't recognized the signs right away.

It is also why my family does not due well in heat and can have heat strokes very easily.

Anyways, besides being afraid of a reaction and dying...

I am also a wimp. I don't handle pain well. Very, very low pain tolerance.

My mom, being my loving mom, was also nervous and I didn't want to make her worry more.

So I tried to put on a brave face leading up to the surgery.

I think I did a pretty good job up until I was in my hospital bear gown (ones that blow warm air) and getting ready to have the IV in my arm.

Now one thing to know is I have difficult veins. They are small, deep, and tend to roll when you finally find one.

The main nurse tried to get stick me where the bone is on the side of your hand by your thumb.

Random place? I thought so.

After much digging around in my arm he finally gave up. Thank Goodness!!!

It took every bit of effort not to scream and cry.

Another nurse in the unit was shocked he wasn't able to do it, as he was being called to help other nurses put in ivs.

After George (the nurse) left I thought he'd be back to try again, but instead he came back with a pill and a little cup thing to take the pill with.

Not a cup of water, it was sealed and looked like those little ranch or jam packs you get at restaurants.

I guess the pill is to help with nausea after surgery? Still not sure.

However, that little cup was filled with this absolutely ~~NASTY~~... ~~disgusting~~ ... no words to describe its taste.

Seriously, if you needed information from terrorists or assassins they would spill the beans to avoid this stuff.

So gross and bitter. Cruel punishment there.

I digress....

Then I got the low down on what was going to happen and that they were going to do a nerve block in addition to the anesthetic.

{Something I was not advised about prior and was not too thrilled about, but appreciated later}

Hearing this unexpected news put my brave face over the edge.

One I actually am afraid of needles and I knew it was going to hurt and I'd have to be awake.

They kept telling me it was because they needed to know when they hit a nerve.

I lost it and the tears came. I told you wimp.

After a little waiting the anesthesiologist came in and put in my iv in my hand.

Then it was time for the nerve block....

They stick it into your hip bone/groin area.

It hurts. That's all I can say.

One thing about this nerve block is it only effects the top of your leg.

The other set of nerves for the underneath your knee aren't effected.

Now that I'm out of surgery. I wish they'd have done two for both sides. Why don't they?

I was ready to go and took a few deep breaths said goodbye to Jeff and my mom and left with a few tears.

After getting into the actual surgery room and got my iv anesthetic (which burns by the way like a b...)

Why all the torture? Can't they work around all this with all the medical advances? Just saying...

Next thing I know I'm awake in a different room and extremely groggy and dizzy.

I woke up bawling. The back of my knee was in excruciating pain.

{Again nerve block needs to be on both sides}

I can't even describe the pain at this point.

I can't remember who was in the room, not my mom or Jeff, still have no idea.

All I can remember is closing my eyes and trying to not scream.

Finally got some pain killers and after some time passed they took effect.

All the while this nurse kept making me drink water and force feeding me crackers.

{Confession: I almost seriously thought about biting her. Katie did NOT want a cracker. I'm not a parrot}

I had to be put back on oxygen since my oxygen levels had dropped. Probably because of the crying...

Plus I kept moving it, because it was making my nose itchy and I was out of it.

My other fear was I would wake up and say something stupid or embarrassing like you see in the movies.

I am proud to say that to my knowledge I did not say anything embarrassing.

{other than the crying}

I spent the next hour or two hours maybe in and out of consciousness.

I was either really awake or when I closed my eyes it was like a heavy weight pushing me to sleep.

It was a weird sensation.

Then when I finally woke up I was ready to escape that torture zone.

The nurse came in wanting me to walk around and see how I was doing.
However, I was NOT going to walk around in that thin hospital gown. No way.

She let me get dressed and tried to walk around with the crutches.

Fortunately, my months of living on them paid off at this point.

She was amazed how easily I could use them. Not sure if that's a good thing. Ha.

I basically walked down the hall and half way back.

Jeff knew I just wanted to go home and brought a wheelchair so I could leave.

I guess the nurse thought I was going to go get back in the hospital bed, because she said she still needed to take my vitals again.

So I stuck my arm out in the middle of the hallway so they could do it there and I could be leaving as soon as possible.

My sweet husband had the car all prepped with pillows (including the ones from the back of our couch) and my favorite blanket. He was all prepared.

Since I had surgery at Utah Valley Hospital my Grandma Nanny (Dad's mom) was going to come see me after I woke up from surgery.

Since I got out of there sooner than I would have we drove to her house.

She was so sweet and so worried about me. She came out crying.

Must be a family thing. lol

It was great to see her again since I don't see her much since I moved back to Bountiful.

On our way home I had to have a smoothie and piece of bread, because I hadn't eaten and it was making me nauseous.

Then I slept the entire way home.

Jeff being the incredible husband he is went and ran errands for me after I got home and situated.

It included... safety pins from his mom, soup from Kneaders, bread from Great Harvest, lunch for him and my mom, and picking up some pills.

Plus he remember that days before I wanted a certain brand of yogurt so he stopped at another store and brought that home too.

Seriously Husband of the year award right there.

My mom stayed the day and let me lay in her lap like I did as a kid while she played with my hair.

Now many people were concerned about my dogs.

Honestly, so were we

I love them to death and wasn't going to send them anywhere like some suggested.

When I'm in pain cuddling up to them makes it better, like right now Bailee is snuggled up next to me.

However, when we got home and I got situated on the couch Oakley came out more wild than he normally is.

He loves my mom more than anyone and gets extra excited when she comes over.

He was jumping up and down and running around the room, despite us telling him no.

It was really out of the ordinary for him to be that crazy.

Well he jumped on top of my leg (the bad one) and instantly my pain scale went from 4-5 to 11 or higher!

I know he didn't mean to and he instantly calmed down. This time I couldn't hold back the scream.

Worst moment so far.

He made up for it though. While I was sleeping I guess he'd come over and give me a kiss.

They both have come and cuddled with me.

Dogs are so smart and know when you just need to snuggle. Love my babies.

I pretty much spent the rest of the day taking naps.

My bestie Dani and Stephen brought us dinner and to come visit.

It made my day for her to come visit, because she's the busiest person I know.

She is greatest friend and I could ask for. Thanks Dani and Stephen!

I can't believe how many people were worried about me and wanted to know how I was doing.

I have the best friends and family a girl could ask for.

Thank you for all your love and support it makes the pain more bearable.

I love you all so much!!

I'll keep posted as my recovery continues. If you read all of this I'm amazed.

Now I'm off to sleep some more.

Thanksgiving 2013

2013-12-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

This year has been a year of full of wonderful and some not-so wonderful times.

Thinking back to when I first started dating Jeff ... almost 9 years ago.

I remember thinking about life after high school and being an adult and dreaming about how I thought it would be to be married and an adult.

No one told me life as an adult can really bite you in the behind.

Okay... maybe they did, but I wasn't listening or didn't believe them.

Anyways, when we were engaged everyone warned us that the first year of marriage was the hardest.

They all lied. not on purpose I'm sure.

Maybe we were just lucky or maybe all those years of dating made helped; but no matter the reason, our first year of marriage was bliss.

I think that has made this last year more difficult.

We had so many challenges arise this past year, we just seemed to be hit from all directions.

However, I can honestly say it strengthened our marriage and we have grown closer as a couple.

That is why this Thanksgiving I am most thankful for our struggles

I am a firm believer that without the lows of life we cannot fully appreciate the highs.

The ugly moments make the beautiful ones more special.

I have learned so much this past year about myself, our marriage, my family, and about the important things in life.

I have the tendency to get wrapped up in the little things that don't matter in the grand scheme of things.

I fight the perfectionist inside me and often feel like I have failed if something is not perfect.

I need to be proud of my imperfections, because they are what make me unique.

Thanksgiving is a time when people express what they are thankful for.

However, it shouldn't be something that happens once a year or when something bad happens.

I want to make it a goal to wake up every morning and find something new to be thankful for.

It doesn't have to always be something big or life changing. We should be thankful for the small things.

Seeing as it is Thanksgiving I'm going to list the things I am most thankful for.

That way if I'm having a difficult moment or day I can look back and remember.

I am thankful for my incredible, kind, caring, passionate, loving, and {of course} handsome husband.

He works so hard at everything that he does.

He works graves so he can focus on school during the day.

Everyone at work loves him and he really excels in his field.

I know its because he cares about people and genuinely wants to help and be their friends.

He is friends with the patients at the hospital and not just there to work.

When we moved after we got married when we came back to the area, he would always try to drop by for a visit.

He works so hard in school and is 2 weeks away from getting a 4.0 in college.

Someone who really hates school and often works over 40 hours a week. That's pretty impressive.

He amazes me every day.

He makes me laugh constantly.

He took care of me and helped me soooo much when I was injured and couldn't do basic things for myself.
Not to mention he would work 60-70 hour weeks to help pick up the slack from me not being able to work.

There is no way I could have made it through those 3 months without him.
I hope you realize how much you mean to me.
You are my world.

I truly am the luckiest girl in the world to have such an unbelievable husband for all eternity.

They are best friends

Next, I am thankful for my darling, energetic, fur babies.

I always dreamed of having a dog and now that I have two I couldn't be happier.

I know I'm one of those crazy ladies who think of their dogs, like their children. Deal with it. I AM.

I love coming home and opening the door to two wet noses.

They are so excited to see us, even if we've only been gone for 15 minutes.

I will take them with me whenever I can, even just for a drive to the bank. They LOVE car rides.

"Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day."- John Grogan, Marley and Me

I know my dogs might not be the best behaved dogs and get excited when you come to visit.

I wouldn't trade them for anything.

They have such different personalities and are constantly making us smile and laugh.

Bailee is so extremely sweet and loves nothing more than to give kisses.

She will play for hours and hours and never get tired, especially if a stick is involved.

Oakley is the calmer of the two and spends most of his days trying to find someone to rub his belly.

He has the funniest facial expressions and you can always tell what he wants.

They both love treats, especially if it involves peanut butter, pumpkin, or cheese.

They are so extremely smart and amaze me constantly with what they understand.

I love them like they are my children and I don't think that'll ever change even when we have a child of our own.

I am so thankful to have such an amazing mother.

As cheesy as it sounds, she really is my best friend and I don't know what I would do without her.

I am thankful for everything she has sacrificed and that she still does for me each and every day.

She is the strongest, most kind hearted, and hardest working person I know.

She puts the needs of others way before those of her own, especially when it has come to me.

She is just beautiful on the inside and out.

I would not be the person I am today without her teachings, her spirit, her support, or her encouragement.

I hope that I can be an ounce of the mother that she has been to me to my children someday.

They will be the luckiest to have her as a grandmother.

After All, my dogs already love her more than they love me.

I love you, Mom! Thanks for being the greatest mom!

I am so blessed to have married into such a wonderful family.
I have always wanted siblings I could be close to and since I don't. I love that I feel so close to Jeff's.
I really wish that they could be near this holiday and not on the other side of the planet.
I hope they know, even with the distance, how much we love them and appreciate all the support and love they have given us.
PLEASE COME BACK!!! QUICK!!!
My in-laws are such a great example and support to us.
They always are their to lend some helpful advice, support, comfort, or just to listen when we have concerns.
I can't thank them enough for all that they have done for us and that it has meant the world to us.
Thank you for making me part of your family and I truly love each and one of you as if we were blood.

Of course I haven't forgotten the rest of my giant extended family! I love you all!!
These past couple years have been filled with sorrow and lost, but I feel like our family has grown so much closer.
I think its rare for such a large family to be so close to one another and even through different generation lines.
I know that I can always count on my family and can lean on them in times of need and in times of joy.
Though we have had to say goodbye to loved ones, I know they are watching over each and every one of us.
They will forever be in our hearts and in our thoughts.
I have the greatest family. NO arguments.

As part of my family are our friends.
We love you like family and are an irreplaceable part of our lives.
Even though we don't get to see you as much as we would like you are never far from our thoughts.
Thank you for being such a great support system and for all the love that you give us.
We love you all!

We really have so much to be thankful for; here are a few more thing we are grateful of and are worth mention.
We both have jobs that we both love and that more than help provide for our needs.
Thankful for the abilities god has given us: to walk, to see, to hear, to generally be healthy.
Jeff's job has really opened to our eyes to just how blessed we are to have our health.
The opportunities we have to go to school and get a wonderful education
That we have two vehicles that can get us from point a to b and back again regularly.
The freedoms that are granted by our amazing country.
Even if people complain about the government and programs we could be a lot worse off and have it pretty easy.
I'm grateful for the modern conveniences that are my daily part of life: cell phones, computers, pluming, clean running water, etc.
We are thankful that we have a belief system and that we know that the trials and hard times are for a purpose and that there is something grand after this life.
Did I mention my puppies? Still grateful for them :) and the hubby.

If you made it through all of this. Congratulations. I'm grateful to for your patience.

Pictures taken from pinterest.

Constant Smile and Wagging Behind

2013-11-10T16:22:00.003-07:00

17 years ago this cute little fur ball came into my family's life. She was a puppy from our next door neighbor's dog and my grandma decided to buy her for my grandpa. I was only 7 at the time and spent A LOT of my time with my grandparents and was so excited to have a puppy to play with. I always wanted a dog of my own, so this was the next best thing. Mitzi was the best dog right from the start. She loved to play in the water and my grandparents got her a kiddy pool to put in the backyard. Even before she was big enough to jump in that dog was in and out of the water. I spent hours in the backyard throwing the tennis ball and playing with that pup.

Pictures I took last summer of Oakley and Mitzi playing in the backyard.

Since my mom worked my grandpa picked me up from school every day, from kindergarten till my junior year of high school. Who came with every single day? Good ole Mitzi. She was always there to greet me with a big smile and her whole back end wagging back and forth. When I wasn't in school my grandpa picked up my cousin Dan and I and took us to walk the dogs every day up Muller Park canyon. When he came to pick me up he'd let Mitzi out and she'd come meet me at the door ready to go. Everyone knew Mitzi and loved her. She would go in and out of the water and wonder off to see every person we happened to walk by. She greeted every single one with her same big smile and the wag of her entire back end. I remember one time she was sitting in the back seat of the car and had an apple she found somewhere along the walk and my grandpa threw the apple out the window. There goes Mitzi straight out the window of the moving car to get the apple.

Mitzi was a tease, she would make you think she'd give you the stick. Then she'd turn at the last second.

Mitzi was really a neighborhood dog than a household dog. She never had a collar, she refused to wear it even when she was a puppy. She wouldn't take a leash and would just carry it in her mouth instead. It didn't ever matter, because everyone in the neighborhood knew Mitzi and loved her. Many kids and families in the neighborhood considered her their dog. She stopped to see everyone whenever she saw them. The neighbor kids would come over and knock on the door to play with Mitzi. Anyone who came to visit my grandparents house were greeted in the driveway by Mitzi and she would walk them to their car when she left. When we moved into my grandma's house it was my favorite part of the day was coming home to that sweet dog. When I'd shovel the driveway in the winter Mitzi was always right by my side and ready to play in the snow, her favorite thing. She truly was a puppy at heart to the very end.

Mitzi was the smartest dog I have ever met. My grandpa used to joke that she was smarter than George Bush. You may not believe me if you never met her, but she really understood you when you talked to her. For a while my grandparents had another lab dog named Sage. When they first brought Sage home my grandma told Mitzi that this dish is Sage and that Mitzi couldn't eat out of it. She only told her once and Mitzi (who loved food more than anything) never touched that food dish, even after Sage wasn't there anymore. My grandpa taught Mitzi one day to go get the newspaper out of the driveway when she was a puppy and that when she brought it up in the morning she would get a treat. So a couple days later Mitzi thought if she got a treat for one newspaper that if she got every newspaper in the neighborhood she'd get a whole bunch of treats, so that's what she did. After my grandpa died my mom walked Mitzi every night after work. Mitzi, again not on a leash, would walk along side and when they got to an intersection my mom would say stop and they'd look both ways and off they'd go.

Mitzi was a stubborn dog, especially the last couple of years, she would only come inside when she wanted to and if she didn't there was nothing you could do to get her inside. Last winter Jeff and his brother, David, tried to get her to go inside one night (remember she weighed about 120 plus pounds of solid lab) and they'd push on her but and try and pick her up and there she stood firmly planted. She wanted to be outside so that's what she did.

She really was the best dog and everyone loved her. Yesterday when my mom called me and said that Mitzi was dying it broke my heart. We dropped what we were doing to go up and see her. We got there within 10 minutes of my mom's call and when we got there all the neighbors had gathered and everyone was crying and loving on Mitzi. It was the hardest thing for me to say goodbye to her and I will miss her every day. My mom, Jeff, and the two guys next door went to the vets. Mitzi didn't have the strength to stand up anymore, but she would lift her head and look at each of us with her big smile and her tail was wagging like it always had right up to the end. She knew she was surrounded by those who loved her and she got to be with her best friend again, my grandpa.

Oakley is really going to miss his friend

I can't tell you how much everyone is going to miss that sweet dog. I know Oakley really will miss her. He loved to play and chase her around the yard. He always greeted her with a kiss. We love you Mitzi.

Remember Remember the Fifth of November

2013-11-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

I wish she was still this itty bitty

Today is our sweet little Bailee's birthday.

I can't believe its been almost a year since she joined our family.

Still sleeps like this today

She seems like she's been out of the puppy stage for a while, she stopped growing months ago

I thought she would be a big dog, like Oakley, but she only weighs 34 lbs

We believe that she might have a little or a lot of a black pointer.

Sleeping anywhere plush

She has a lot of that breeds traits/behaviors and looks just like a black lab pointer mix

Not to mention she is way small for being a pure bred lab

But then again she still is naughty at times.

I feel like the year mark is when Oakley stopped {for the most part} his naughty shenanigans

Hanging with her best buddy

Bailee is such a funny dog with a very unique personality

She is a very lovey dog, she loves to give kisses and hugs to everyone

She doesn't really care to be petted, where Oakley that's all he wants

Bailee is pampered and she won't sleep on the floor without there being something to sleep on

She loves to sleep on anything plush and I frequently refer to her as "princess and the pea"

She is sensitive and can get her feels hurt easily

She loves ANY toy, especially a wood stick {not matter the size, even a twig}

Hated car rides as a puppy, but LOVES them now

She has endless bounds of energy

We can be at the park for hours and she will run around full speed {which is VERY fast} non stop and still have plenty of energy

She is smart. Too Smart and it amazes me the things she figures out

Such a bird dog and little hunter

Outside she is very independent, but at home she has to be right next to me

She doesn't like when people wear hats and will remove it; then she'll lick your ear

She loves to dance, especially if food is involved.

She loves and adores Oakley and cries anytime when we separate them

Found a stick

Our home would not be the same without Bailee, or Pippers as I call her

We look forward to many more years with our two amazing dogs.

My love bug

Happy Halloween 2013

2013-10-31T20:47:00.002-06:00

I was on a roll with posts, but its been a REALLY busy 2 weeks.

I started my new job with Ritz Carlton and LOVE IT!!!

Ritzy hotels and awesome people!

Not to mention the travel perks

Plus we have been doing finishing up our townhome for our renters, who moved in today!

I love Halloween. A Lot

I love decorating my house.

I love dressing up in costumes. especially when it comes to my dogs.

I even love carving pumpkins, minus the allergic reactions.

I love the fall and all that it brings.

This year was lame.

First of all, I had to work till 7 pm and Jeff had to GO to work at 7 pm.

We did NOT carve pumpkins for the first time, since we started dating 9 years ago!

I have NOT decorated my house at all, other than getting the boxes out.

I did, however, dress up my dogs

well at least Bailee... {Bailee destroyed Oakley's headless horseman costume the night before}

I did get a huge dose of Halloween at work
My coworkers are hilarious and so clever
We had some really elaborate costumes
my boss came in a Theater quality Marie Antoniette costume, sorry failed on a picture

Animal Themed... Zoo Keeper and all his animals

Hee Love her!, Really bad pictures off of my phone. but you still get the idea

Paint = Ruined Clothing

2013-10-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

Part of getting ready for our renters to move in we needed to do a little painting

We wanted to cover some dings and nail holes

We also had some damage from the previous owners we never got around to fixing

We also had a hole in the wall that was made worse by Oakley

Part of owning a dog I guess

Generally, pretty easy fix and nothing to major

I thought I could just carry a little paint drip pan around with me and fix the spots that needed fixing

Easier said than done

Within the first couple strokes the plastic drip pan bent

The ENTIRE thing of paint dripped down my sweatshirt, my new leggings, and onto my favorite pair of Toms

{They don't make my Toms anymore}

Heartbroken and covered in wet paint I just thought I'd ruined my entire outfit

Well thanks to the magic of the internet I decided to research how to remove dry latex paint from clothing

Multiple different sites suggest a variety of things

The only one I had experience using to remove stains, like pen ink, was rubbing alcohol

I thought I'd test out this method and share the results.

Major paint spill right? This is a week and a wash/dry later

STEP #1

Soak paint stained area in small bowl of rubbing alcohol

Wait 10 minutes

STEP #2

Use a little elbow grease

Rub with cleaning rag {one you don't care if the stain transfers to}

Keep scrubbing until you see the stain disappearing

Side note: You might have to add a little more rubbing alcohol through the process

STEP #3

Rinse thoroughly with warm water

{rubbing alcohol is FLAMMABLE and needs to be out of your clothing before washing}

STEP #4

Wash your clothing as directed on the label

Before actually washing. Surprising right?

STEP #5

Enjoy your clothes again!

Side Note: It worked the best on my black pants, my white shoes it was an improvement, but didn't fix it completely. It could have been, because I didn't try to fix it until a week later so the stain REALLY set in. The quicker you act on ANY stain the better. Rubbing alcohol is also great at removing pen ink, but make sure you blot the stain DO NOT rub or it will just spread like wildfire.

Making Dreams Come True: Our Bucket List

2013-10-20T06:17:00.000-06:00

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss, but that it is too low and we reach it." ~ Michelangelo Buonarroti

Our life is ours to live and we intend to live it to the fullest. We are always talking about things we would like to do in our lifetime and places we want to go. I personally LOVE to make lists so why not make a list of our dreams and turn words into actions. In a Forbes article it outlines ways to achieve any goal; step one: write it down, step two: look it often, step three: tell people. Here you go, in no particular order. Some of these are individual goals, but we plan to do them together. Some of them I'm adding that were on my bucket list before

~~Own a dog~~ Completed August 2011
~~Fall in love~~ Completed Summer 2005
~~Get married to best friend~~ Completed August 2011
~~Move away for college~~ Completed August 2008
~~Buy first car all on own~~ Completed in 2008
~~Buy first home~~ Completed June 2011
~~Own a Lovesac sactional~~ Completed September 2013
~~Stay in Presidential Suite of fancy Hotel~~ Completed Summer 2010? Again on honeymoon
~~Kiss on the beach~~ Completed June 2012
Learn to Surf {Completed by Katie in Hawaii October 2003}
Become parents
~~Cook a Thanksgiving Dinner all by myself~~ Completed Thanksgiving 2011
Experience Christmas in New York {Katie)
Spend all day and night on the beach, bonfire included
Volunteer in Africa
See the Northern Lights
Change someones life for the better
Play "messy" twister, keyword paint
Go on a cruise
Learn to drive manual {Katie}
~~Get a puppy for Christmas, like on Lady and the Tramp~~ Completed Christmas 2012
Swim in every ocean
Become fluent in ASL {Katie}
Become fluent in another language {Katie: Italian, Jeff: Spanish}
Visit Dubai
Own a horse
Ride a mechanical bull
Plant a tree from a seed and watch it grow
Milk a cow
Go hang gliding {Mostly Jeff}
Go bungee jumping {Mostly Jeff}
Go skiing in Aspen, Colorado
Swim with dolphins {Completed by Katie in Hawaii October 2003}
Have a 50th wedding anniversary and many more
Run in the Color Run
Run a half marathon
Ride an elephant
Pet and hold a baby tiger
Go scuba diving {Jeff has a GIANT list of places}
Ride in a helicopter
Visit all 50 states, airports do not count
Ride in a hot air balloon
Visit the pyramids in Egypt
Graduate from College
Go skydiving {Mainly Jeff's, Katie's have the guts to go}
Stand on every continent
Go white water rafting {Completed by Jeff as a kid}
Go to the floating lantern festival {Katie}
Walk the Great Wall of China
~~Attend the Olympics~~ Completed at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Attach a lock to Love Bridge
Watch the ball drop in Times Square
Cut down own Christmas tree
Go to Mardi Gras
Go paintballing {Katie, Jeff has many times}
Go on vacation with no plans, show up at airport and take next flight
Spend the night in an aquarium
Build a piece of furniture from scratch {Katie}
Adopt a baby
Be paid to blog
See a show on Broadway {Katie}
Learn to play a musical instrument
Throw a dart at a map and travel to wherever it lands
Put a piece of gum on the gum wall in Seattle
Stand on the Chicago Ledge in the Sears Tower
Stay in over the water hotel in Bora Bora, the one on Couples Retreat
Go on a safari
Carve something on a tree together
Jump off a waterfall
See the frozen waves in Antarctica
Send a message in a bottle
See an Ohio State football game {Katie}
Visit Greece
Kiss at the top of the Empire State Building
Kiss at the top of the Eiffel Tower
Take a gondola in Venice
Make a wish in the Trivi Fountain
Visit Vatican City
Visit Ireland
Visit London
Visit Rome
Put a letter on Juliet's Wall {Katie}
Go zorbing
Ride a segway
Go Para sailing
Watch sea turtles hatch
Participate in the polar bear plunge
Ice skate in Central Park
Donate bone marrow and save a life
Visit the four corners
Be part of a flash mob {Katie}
Spend the night in an igloo
Stay at the ice hotel
Go whale watching {Completed by Jeff in August 2008, Alaska}
Go cage diving with Great whites {Jeff, he is nuts}
See all the 7 wonders of the world
Go to the Galapagos Islands
Ride in a submarine
Cook every single thing in a cookbook
Be an extra in a movie
"Hold up" the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Own something from Tiffany and Co
Experience zero gravity
Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Climb the steps of the Mayan Ruins
See a meteor shower
Go to every Disney Land/World
Swim with manta rays
Ride a camel
Become a teacher {Katie}
Become a police officer {Jeff}
Swim with beluga whales
Do everything on my bucket list

That's all I want to think of right now. I will add on as I go and update with all our adventures. Do you have any bucket list items? Any Suggestions? Let me know, I am always up for new ideas.

My Little Raccoon Puppy

2013-10-17T21:00:00.000-06:00

If you are a friend on Facebook you have probably heard part of this story.

A couple days ago we were watching TV when I looked over at our little dog, Bailee, and noticed something odd.

This is her cute little face normally. I love this pup!

It looked like she had been punched in the left eye.

All around her eye was swollen and you could really see her white skin under her black fur

I thought maybe she had something in her eye and had Jeff take a look.

We couldn't see anything and decided just to watch her

After a couple hours we realized both eyes were getting swollen and the left one was a lot worse

This was when I first noticed both eyes were swollen.

Jeff kept calling her his little raccoon puppy. Poor dog.

She was acting her normal hyper self.

We even went to the park and played fetch until they were both worn out.

Before we left Jeff gave her a Benadryl

We were used to doing this, since Oakley has major skin allergies in the Spring

A couple hours went by and it seemed like it was getting even worse

So I took to the internet to look at different causes and asked our dog friends for advice

I called the vet to get advice and see if they were still open she was turning off the phones as I called

She told me just to keep on the Benadryl to make it through the night and then if needed come in the morning

Around this time Jeff found the remnants of the first Benadryl on the kitchen floor, little stink

We gave her another Benadryl, making sure she actually ate it

You can tell it was getting worse and looked like fluid around the eye.
{Sorry bad picture, these were taken with my phone and she wiggles a lot}

I was really worried, because I couldn't think of anything that she could have come in contact with out of the ordinary.

I started wondering if one of the other dogs in our community gave her something

Needless to say I treat my dogs like my babies and I was freaking out. Google didn't help either

We bought some eye drops for her and hoped that she'd get better

Though I couldn't tell if the Benadryl was helping at all

We went to bed and hoped for the best.

Throughout the night Bailee threw up a couple times.

Which is not something she has ever done

Her swelling had gone down and by morning it was almost completely gone.

Throughout the next day she acted normal, except she threw up about 3-4 times

She still was eating, drinking, and playing like normal

Vet's advice to fast for 12 hours and then for the following 12 hours only give small amounts of rice and boiled chicken.

We also continued the Benadryl for the next 24 hours to prevent any other complications.

Probable Diagnosis: bug bite or allergic reaction

Since we hadn't given her anything new or changed anything in our home I believe a bug bite

Since we moved back to Bountiful I have been traumatized by spiders

I am terrified of them and they are everywhere. We see big ones at least every other day

Bountiful equals the land of the Spiders

I believe that my sweet little dog has now been attacked by one of these spiders.

Happy to have my little dog back to normal!

Baby Fever

2013-10-16T22:48:00.002-06:00

In Utah its no secret we get married young and have babies quickly there after.

I have friends who are pregnant with or just had their third baby!!!

We are the odd ones out with no babies. Except of course our two fur babies.

My fur babies are pretty cute though

Ever since we got married it seems babies are everywhere

The last couple months even more so

I am so happy for all my friends and family who are pregnant or new parents.

You are all making me want a baby, especially since the birth of our adorable niece Avery

We wish she wasn't on the other side of the globe! We are dying to meet her

Plus we want to wish our handsome nephew Dominic happy 2nd birthday!!!

We wish we could have been there and we miss you terribly!

Isn't she adorable? I can't believe how much Dominic has grown up!

Only a handful of people know that at the beginning of this year Jeff and I were trying to conceive

Obviously, nothing happened so NO we are not pregnant.... keep reading
We knew that it would take some time to get pregnant, I was diagnosed with PCOS back in 2007
We weren't in a big rush and just followed my doctor's advice

However, life intervened
We had so many changes and new challenges that we decided to put it on hold.
I will be the first to admit that it was a really hard decision.
I really wanted to start our family, I still do

We decided it was not the right time after all

We realized we have dreams we want to accomplish before we bring children into the picture

We want to travel and to see the world

not exactly easy to do with a child on your hip

We want Jeff to be hired on with one of the police agencies

Babies are expensive

I want to be the healthiest in all aspects of my life I can be
I still have to have that dreaded surgery, after all
We will wait at least a year and maybe two years before we add any more members to our family.

Babies will change our lives and we really cannot wait to be parents someday

In the mean time I will stifle my baby fever with visiting everyone else's adorable babies.

The Catch Up Part III: The Big Move

2013-10-14T02:14:00.003-06:00

One of many trips on Frontrunner

Good-bye Utah County! Hello Davis County!

That's right we moved!

For the last 6 months or so we had just kinda thrown the idea around to move.

It was something that we would say "oh, six months from now," or "down the road"

This September we decided that the time had finally come.

Between school, my injury, Jeff starting the police academy, and life intervening

Jeff was looking at traveling up to 4 hours a day. Not exactly practical

Its funny how when you make the decision how everything escalates so quickly

It seemed like we started packing stuff up, looking for a place to live, and actually moving in just a couple weeks time

Its amazing how things fall into place when something is right.

I'm someone who worries. That's an understatement

I stay up late going over possible outcomes and debating on the right thing to do.

I break down plans and make to do lists. over and over

I lived on the Internet looking for places to live and tips to selling your house.

It's been an exhausting month to say the least.

Our home for the last 2 1/2 years!

When we decided to move we were planning on selling our house.

We talked to a realtor and had her go through our house telling us what to fix and what will up our sale price.

We started fixing repairs that we had delayed doing while we lived there.

Our family has been such a HUGE help and we appreciate it sooo much!

My mom was there every day she could helping clean and paint.

All while she has had pneumonia!

Jeff's family has helped with repairs and painting, which included painting an entire room that was yellow

My dad helped fix the carpet and fix some baseboards that needed to be replaced.

Throughout this whole process Jeff and I have been excited to move back to our home town.

But there was just an uneasy feeling about selling our house.

I think at first we both really ignored it, I mean its easy to do when you are super busy every minute

We prayed about it and I spent my late nights ~~thinking~~ obsessing about it

The promptings were always there and just got louder the closer we got to officially putting our house on the market.

We talked it over and decided that maybe selling wasn't the right direction for us.

When we first bought our home we knew we wouldn't live there forever.

We had talked over the years about someday renting out our home since its such an amazing location

So we decided to become LANDLORDS!!!

Cue the scary music

Its amazing how much better and less stressed I felt after paying attention to those little "nudges"

I know more than ever that we made the right decision and that Heavenly Father really brought that peace.

Happy to be able to sleep a good nights sleep again.

The instant we made that decision EVERYTHING fell into place

We found a cute family to rent our home that had lived in our community a year before

We have had great advice from friends and family who have experience with having rental property

We have done tons of research and read books for advice.

We are ready to take this head on and start this new adventure!

We are loving being back and being so close to friends and family

Oakley didn't like it at first and seemed a little homesick, but has adjusted well

Bailee on the other hand took to the new place like she owned the place.

I can't tell you how much we have ~~hated~~ despised making the hour drive down here all the time

Jeff went back to working at his old job and is loving being back with all his favorite patients

I still will keep substituting, but not for all the school districts and just for schools in Salt Lake

However, I did get a NEW job working for Ritz Carlton!

We are excited for these new adventures and changes.

I am personally happy things are settling down a bit though

Just in time for the holidays!

You will be Missed Grandpa

2013-10-10T19:35:00.003-06:00

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal"- unknown

My sweet grandfather, Ray Moosman, passed away last week. He was such an example to everyone in our family and for anyone who met him. He was the hardest working man I have ever met and taught that to all his children and grandchildren. He was witty and loved to laugh and joke around. He was stubborn and had a firecracker personality. Most of all his was the most generous and charitable man.

He played such a big part in my life and always supported me. Even with a huge, busy family he always made time to call me and check on how I was doing in school and life in general. He always made sure to tell me that he was proud of my accomplishments and wanted me to succeed in college. He knew money was tight for my mom and that my scholarships only went so far. He sent me $100 every month like clockwork from the time I started college. It made all the difference in the world to me.

When I was little he would make sure to pick me up every Christmas so I could attend the Moosman Christmas party. It was a tradition I loved and was always entertaining. I remember when I was maybe 12 or 13 he came to pick me up and when I was getting ready to get into the backseat of the car he had hid a plastic snake on the back seat to scare me. Trust me it did, I'm terrified of snakes. As I screamed he just laughed, which then made me laugh. The car ride to the party was always entertaining too. Every year, without fail, Grandpa and Grandma Shirley would bicker about how to drive the entire way. "Ray, turn your turn signal on. Ray, get in the other lane." or vice versa depending on who was driving. This would probably drive most people crazy, but it was more entertaining than anything. He drove a taxicab for years to support his family, he drove up to the age of 82. About a year or so ago my mom was driving down the freeway and was behind a taxi car that was driving maybe 10 miles under the speed limit. Annoyed she got into the next lane to pass the car, she happened to glance over at the driver there was Grandpa, cowboy hat and all, just chatting away with the passenger in the back. I hope his passenger wasn't in too much of a hurry.

Another memory that makes me smile was at this past year's Christmas party, every year we have Santa come and bring gifts to all the kids. Santa pulls gifts from behind the tree and you have to come and sit on his lap, no matter how old you are. (You only get out of it once you're married.) Well Santa had pulled out a couple of the gifts, which were gladly taken by the little ones. Then he pulls out a present and reads off the name, "Grandpa" and with little enticing on Santa's knee sat Grandpa. Laughter, snapping cameras and phones filled the room. He was always up for a good laugh. He loved Christmas. Its the time our big family all gets together, catches up, and has a good time. Grandpa made sure that every year he had a Christmas present for all the grand kids (and there is a lot of us) when we were little he would get us all matching pjs (which over the years changed to just pjs) and then when we reached a certain age he would give us money. It was always a highlight of the Christmas party, especially for the teenagers. Mostly it was just a way he showed his love for us. He'd have given anyone in our family his last dollar if he knew they needed it. This Christmas will be a hard one for all of us not having him there.

Anyone who met Grandpa and spent more than 10 minutes with him, you would know his passion in life was the horses. I don't think I ever had a conversation with him that didn't involve the horses. At his home he has pictures of all the "greats" they had owned and I remember sitting in the living room a couple years ago and he would bring out different pictures and tell about each one. I probably sat there a good hour and a half listening to him reminisce. Honestly, it was one of the best conversations I had with him not because I was really interested in the horses, but because his passion and the stories of the past was so strong. He told me about growing up with horses and how he got into the horse business. Even though my grandpa had been really sick the last couple months he couldn't wait till he could be back with the horses. He was worried he'd still be in the hospital when their was a horse race on the weekend.

His passion is something that he passed on to everyone in the family. He taught us to work hard and be passionate about the things we love and that family will always be there. I still cannot believe that he is gone. I don't know what we will do without him and a void has been left in our hearts. His funeral was a great time to remember him and talk about all the great times we had. As hard as it was to say goodbye we know he isn't sick and in pain anymore. He is with my uncle Gary, his two daughters that died at birth, and cousin Cody now. I know he is watching over our family and sending his love. I know that his spirit will always be the strongest with the horses and the races.

"When a loved one becomes a memory, that memory becomes a wonderful treasure to hold in your heart forever."

I love you Grandpa and miss you so much.

Allison's & Pauls Beautiful Wedding

2013-10-09T22:48:00.000-06:00

What is better than a beautiful, outdoor wedding in the summertime?

How about if its your gorgeous sister-in-laws wedding?

Jeff's older sister Allison got married this summer.

The best part was that she moved back to Utah for 2 months while she planned her dream wedding

How cute are these two? Paul's niece and nephew

These girls adore Allison, she used to nanny them

Even though Jeff and I have been together for 9 years I haven't had many opportunities to really get to know Allison

Allison has been in Alaska, basically since she graduated high school

Alaska is where she met her husband Paul, he is from the beautiful state of Oregon

I also hadn't met Paul before this week, so it was nice getting to know him before the wedding

We are so happy for you two and wish you a life full of happiness

The night before the wedding Paul's family hosted the rehearsal dinner at Jeremiah's in Ogden

The food was great and it was fun to hear all the childhood stories

It was a night filled with love, laughter, and of course a few {happy} tears.

Lene, Cathy, and Dominic just days before they left us for Italy.

The rare occasion I'm not behind the camera.

Jeff & Allison's sweet cousins. Love this family!

Dominic obviously enjoyed the food

Allison's best friend gave the BEST speech I have heard.
She used a Hanson song that they used to listen to when they were younger.
It was really funny and sweet.

Sweet speech from Allison's best friend Amanda brought tears to everyone's eyes.

I believe this is the reaction to the Hanson song

The week before the wedding the weather reports said it was going to rain.

While we were in Lake Powell Allison asked that during every prayer we ask that it wouldn't rain

Her prayers were answered!

It was a perfect day and not a cloud in the sky

Allison looked absolutely stunning and the wedding couldn't have been more perfect

They held the wedding in their parent's backyard that was covered in white lights.

They had a sweet ceremony with close family and friends

After the ceremony we had a sit down dinner. The food was incredible!

Allison's friend cooked, who is a professional chef at the Canyons, cooked the entire meal.

After the dinner began the reception which was filled with laughter and lots of dancing.

It really was such a special night and we couldn't be happier for Allison and Paul

She looked stunning.
{Picture by Jessica Janae Photography}

I do's. I loved her jewelry
{Picture by Jessica Janae Photography}

The beautiful cake

Cake smash!

Cake smash that followed with a fall.
{NOT Paul's fault, there was a rock in the way}

First dance by sunset

Sweet father-daughter dance

My favorite part of weddings is always the father-daughter dance.
Always a sweet moment.

I think Grandma Judy and her sister had the most fun dancing

Cute moment between my sweet in-laws. Love them

A really sweet moment between Cathy and her dad.

All the little kids, especially Dominic, were having the time of their lives dancing

David, Eric, and Jeff enjoying the hard work.
I don't think Jeff will be willing to put lights up again

Welcome to the family Paul!

All the lights and overhead of the dance floor

My buddy throughout the wedding. Seriously she's too stinkin' cute!

I love watching couples dance.

Back of Allison's gorgeous dress

The Catch Up: Part II My Injury

2013-10-07T12:15:00.000-06:00

If you read my post about Lake Powell then you know that I was injured in the first HOUR of our vacation.

The doctor's at the clinic thought it was a sprained knee and hamstring injury.

Well it didn't get better the week we were in Powell and even after a week I couldn't put any weight on my leg.

So when we got back I went to instacare to have to have some x-rays done and have it looked at

The Lake Powell clinic didn't have an x-ray machine or anything fancy

I think Jeff thought I was a wimp and might have torn like my MCl.

He kept telling me there was no way I would have torn my ACL. I agreed.

So in the Instacare they tried moving my knee around and took some x-rays.

Pretty quickly they told me I needed to go see an orthopedic surgeon and gave me a referal to get in quickly.

Joy... not what I wanted to hear.

Honestly not a surprise either since I still couldn't walk after a week and a half

I made an appointment and thanks to my dandy letter I got in within 2 days.

Again I took some x-rays and did the range of motion test with Dr. Mortensen

He confirmed I had 2nd degree tear to my MCL, bruised my bones, and had some small fractures on my tibia.

He said my knee was really loose that he thought I could have torn my ACL, but couldn't tell from the x-rays

MRI was scheduled for the next day and he gave me some exercises to do to improve my range of motion

FYI: MRIs are very painful if you can't straighten your leg and you have to for 30 minutes without moving.

MRI results confirmed that I tore my ACL

it isn't even attached to my bone anymore. Great...

I also tore my meniscus.

Seriously how could I get that injured from a charlie horse? Curses...

My injury is called the "unhappy triad"

Really who came up with that name?

Overall, for a complete recovery takes anywhere from 9 months to a year.

Some people aren't ever the same after surgery. Just what you want to hear right?

I was directed to attend physical therapy for at least a month

The goal being to let the MCL heal on its own and get my range of motion back.

Studies have shown that physical therapy before surgery reduces complications and speeds recovery time

I was supposed to go into surgery around mid-sept based on the doctor's projections.

However, since we were moving I had to put it off until we were settled.

More details on this later

Surgery plans are still up in the air, I'll update when I know

Good news is that I am no longer strapped to my crutches

Thank goodness

I went back to teaching about 3 1/2 weeks ago

Unfortunately, I still walk with a limp and can't do too much walking or my knee starts to hurt

Weather changes haven't been too much fun either

The worst part is knowing I'll be back to crutches in the near future.

I appreciate all the friends and family who have been worried about me

It helps to know I have so many people who want to help.

Thank you and I love you all!

Until next time...

Lake Powell July 2013

2013-09-29T18:30:00.000-06:00

In July we went on a family vacation that we would never forget. This was the first time in 3 years that Jeff and I were able to go down to Lake Powell. I guess that's the price of being an adult, we had to work the previous summer since we used our vacation time to go to San Diego. Oh and the year before... we got married! I guess that's the best excuse not to go. I think so. Well this trip was a pretty big deal for many reasons. Allison, Jeff's older sister, was visiting from Alaska. She was getting married the week after we got back, so her soon-to-be husband came to join us. I had never met Paul, so it was fun to get to know him. Jeff's oldest sister, Cathy, was getting ready to move back to Italy with her husband, our sweet nephew, and they're soon-to-be born baby. Plus Jeff's parent's next door neighbors came with us. They have kind of been adopted into the family and seem more like family than friends. They have the CUTEST little girls and really made the trip.

The Soon-to-be Newlyweds

Lake Powell was an adventure from the minute we got there. When we arrived we had arranged to meet Jeff's parents on the beach next to the dock. When we got there we found Jeff's mom had gotten stuck in the sand with the trailer. It took maybe 30 minutes and having to detach the trailer, but we were able to get her out without having to call the park service to be towed. We gathered up everything from my car and started loading it into the boat. When the worst possible thing happened.

I need to backtrack a little bit, ever since I was little I get this debilitating charlie horses behind my knees. They come sudden and with no warning. They literally drop me to the floor, because my knee locks up and they are excruciatingly painful. As I have gotten older incidents have become less frequent and even a year or so can go by. I used to get them weekly as a child and have been tested for everything under the sun as to why I get them. Anyways, sometimes they occur at REALLY bad times. When I was a sophomore I had fractured my wrist and was cheering in the homecoming game. I went to do an aerial (no hands needed) and right as I prepped it happened. I had to just finish the aerial or just face plant it. Not pleasant. I ended up tearing my lcl and sprained a bunch of other tendons in my knee. I was in a brace for 2 months and physical therapy for 3 months. Again not pleasant.

I digress... back to Lake Powell

{You can probably tell where this is going}

We had just loaded the last of our stuff into the front of the boat. I had my left leg planted in the mud and my right leg up in the boat, I was waiting for the cooler to be moved before I got completely into the boat. I guess I had locked my left leg and the next thing I know is a extremely sharp pain and my leg just giving out. Unfortunately, my foot was planted in the mud and I fell sideways instead of backwards. I heard three loud pops as I hit the water. I might add I was dressed in sweats and not in swim attire. I knew right away that it was my childhood nightmare again. I couldn't move my leg as it was locked and all I could do was lie in the water screaming in pain. Great way to start a week long trip, right? Honestly, I thought that once the charlie horse went away I would be fine and maybe at worst a little sore for the rest of the day. Boy was I wrong. Well it became obvious after a couple minutes that the pain wasn't going away, even after I could start moving my leg a little bit. Jeff helped me get up, but I couldn't put any weight on my leg; not even toe pressure. I cannot remember how I got into the boat to be honest. It was clear I needed to go over to the clinic, which is not in a convenient location I might add. Thanks to my brother-in-laws and father-in-law I was able to get out of the boat and hobble across the dock into our car. When I got to the clinic still in my soaking wet sweats, in 105 degree weather, they did a very brief examination of my leg and said I pulled my hamstring and sprained my knee. They gave me this giant, old-school, gross, yellow foam brace that was far too big and completely pointless. I didn't take a picture, but take my word for it nasty. Plus I got my only saving grace crutches and pain pills. Said I'd be as good as new in a couple days and sent me on my way. This whole time Jeff kept telling me that fortunately I haven't torn anything and how lucky I was. If only.

Our AWESOME campsite. You can see the private little cove in the background.
{Picture by Allison}

I spent the rest of the day just trying to avoid pain and still enjoying myself. We set up camp in an awesome location, we had our own private beach and cove that was protected from the main bay. We spent the rest of the day just relaxing and just enjoying each others company. Riding in the boat was pretty painful, especially in the bay where there are lots of waves. Jeff made me up a protective barrier of life jackets, pillows, and towels to help absorb the shock of all the waves. I refused to spend the entire trip in the houseboat and unable to have any fun. After the first two days Jeff kept telling me that I'd be okay and I'd be able to do what everyone else was doing by day three. Well it was clear every morning I wasn't getting any better. I still couldn't put any weight on my leg. I was still in a great amount of pain, even with the pain pills. I think I realized before everyone else I wasn't going to be better and able to do what everyone else was doing. I was still determined to ride on the boat and take pictures along the way. I like riding in the boat and am not big into tubing or wakeboarding. I hurt my shoulder years ago and those activities just aggravate it. It was so hot outside I had to get into the water even though I couldn't kick my leg. Fortunately, Jeff's parents had brought a noodle chair that I could sit and float around in. I got pretty good at getting around in the water with that and since they put in a new swim ladder I was able to get in and out of the houseboat with little pain.

The group that went to Rainbow bridge.
{Picture by Allison}

We went down to Rainbow bridge and explored around. The houseboat had a new slide that was the main attraction of the trip.We just enjoyed hanging out in the water with everyone. It was Jeff and his Mom's birthday while we were there. For Jeff's birthday and just for the trip in general we rented a jet ski for the week. Jeff couldn't have been more excited. You know boys and their toys. All the boys turned the jet ski into a contestant, who could get it to the go the fastest. I think the max speed that was reached was 56 mph towards the last day. We also found out Cathy was going to be having a girl, which is what most everyone was hoping for. We loved having the entire family together and sad that it isn't like that all the time. We hope that someday everyone will live in the same state and our kids can be close to their cousins and not see them once a year. Here are some pictures from the trip.

Eric & David

My handsome husband keeping me company on the boat

Having fun with my camera.

Making a duck face. She was always some kind of animal and always wanted to be in the water

What little girl is not happy with a bubble gun?

I think I spent most of the trip just playing with these little girls. I hope that one day that I have little girls just like these two. They are such sweethearts, super polite, and so smart.

Cathy and Dominic. Can't believe that little boy is going to be a big brother!

What a cutie! He was more than content filling and emptying the cup

FINALLY finding out its a girl!! Coming Sept/Oct 2013 (Cake is pink)
{Picture by Allison}

Obviously he enjoyed his birthday present. They want to rent one every year now.

Wakeboarding was the favorite pass time during this trip

Allison getting some air!

Some epic crashes happened this trip. Ouch!

David jumping the wake

Everyone had some rough finishes

Jeff exiting the wake. I thought this was a cool shot.

Jeff practicing his tricks

Jeff had a particularly bad fall and left him with a massive headache for the rest of the day

He blacked out for a minute and was a bit dazed. So Lene jumped in to help him get back in the boat.

After his fall. I think he just didn't want me to feel left out being the only injured person and all

Lene got up his first time wakeboarding and even went out of the wake!

Eric & Sherridan, parents of the adorable girls. We love these two!! Cutest couple

Jeff and Linda on their birthday. {We bought her the crown to wear}

Jeff's family. Love being part of this family

A huge amphitheater that we loved to go to. It was huge this year since the water is so low

Allison was teaching Paul and David to dive. Showing off her skills

Pauls attempt at a dive

Jeff going backwards and head first down the slide
{Picture by Allison}

David trying the same thing... freaked out right at the end. OUCH!
{Picture by Allison}

The Catch Up: Part I Career Changes

2013-09-29T01:22:00.002-06:00

Long time no blogging....

I can honestly say I haven't blogged anything of substance in about 10 months.

When we got Bailee last year, WOW how things have changed since then

I don't even know where to start...so many things I want to document about our lives

I have have started probably 2 dozen different posts and thought about many more in between

I just never finished or posted any of them. My bad.

I think part of it is I either didn't want to post anything about the trials we have faced in the last year

Or maybe I just haven't wanted to admit and post about them to the world

Probably a little from column A and a lot from column B

Though our lives haven't been all troubles, we have had some wonderful memories I'd love to share

I know this will be a long post with ~~little to~~ no pictures

Feel free to read or not, I just want to document our lives for us.

Well back in April Jeff received a transfer/promotion at IHC to the Dialysis Unit

Really an awesome opportunity that not is hard get.

Plus the jump in pay was an added benefit!

It consists of a 6 month on job training that consists of learning complex machines, reading doctor orders, and of course poking people with REALLY BIG needles. Yikes.

{Needless to say I told Jeff, no practicing on me}

Jeff shocked people at how quick he learned and how fast he moved through the program.

My rockstar husband!

They even had him training the two newbies in June, when he was supposed to be in training himself

Proud wife here and love to boast about my amazing husband.

Well shortly after Jeff got offered the job in Dialysis Jeff came to me with news that turned our world upside down.

He decided he no longer wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, meaning no more nursing school

What does he want to do instead? Law enforcement.

I can honestly say I was ~~surprised~~ ~~shocked~~ dumbfounded

First, Jeff has been working towards a career in the medical field since high school

Second, he has NEVER to my knowledge mentioned ANYTHING about law enforcement

Other than throwing around the idea of entering the military in high school and joking about being a cop

Third, he had just accepted a new job that would look awesome on his nursing resume

Honestly, I really didn't think he was serious and that maybe he was just overwhelmed with school and a new job

Shortly before this we found out that for him to be a nurse practitioner he'd have to get a doctorate instead of a masters.

Well I quickly found out just how serious he was

Jeff contacted his family's friend who is a sergeant with highway patrol and he told Jeff that they were hiring and to apply

Highway patrol, as any law enforcement agency, has an extensive application process.

Our world became filled with training for the physical assessment and studying for the exam

It was all a whirlwind and I barely had time to wrap my head around the whole thing.

Sadly, Jeff injured his wrist {pretty significantly} days before the physical assessment, which forced him to drop out

It has been in part a blessing, because we've since had the ability to make a game plan towards his career

He is 150% behind this new career path and I can really see a difference in his motivation

He switched all his classes and major at school and is in full criminal justice mode.

Which is nice for me since that's what I just finished doing in school

His new plan is to quickly finish his degree in criminal justice and really focus on getting in tip-top shape

He is going to start the police academy this December.

Then hopefully he can get hired on with highway patrol in the spring

I also changed my career plans, but not as much of a surprise

I have always planned on going to law school since elementary school

My family has told me to be a lawyer for as long as I can remember

Apparently I like to argue?

I really do love law and have enjoyed all my classes I have taken.

This past year I just haven't felt so excited about getting so close to law school.

I had talked with Jeff about potential law schools and moving out of the state.

I found I was more excited about just moving than the potential of going to law school.

I am a perfectionist and I don't do anything half fast and if I can't do it the way I want then I won't do it.

My dream with law school was to become a criminal prosecutor.

There really isn't any other law that interested me.

I don't want to be a public defender; I just don't have the mindset for it.

Over the years I have had many conversations with professors who lived what I considered my dream.

They really showed me the reality: minimum 60 hour work weeks that really are more like 70-80 hours

Yes, money is pretty awesome not going to lie

Is it worth it to be paying off HUGE school loans and not being able to enjoy the money

To me it ultimately came down to career or family?

Do I want to have a family, but not really be around to play with my kids?

Ultimately, I came to the decision that no. The money wasn't worth it and I chose to be a mom.

Now that I finished my degree, now what?

I threw around the idea of working something administrative for law enforcement or even the FBI

Nothing sounded all that appealing to me.

During my second semester of college I started tutoring and it really showed me how much I loved to teach.

I started talking some education classes and when I moved back home I helped out in a family friend's kindergarten class.

I loved it and still do.

So new plan is to finish what I had already started in college.

I am no working towards my second bachelor's degree in education.

Last spring I started substitute teaching and have loved it.

Except teaching 7th grade boys. They test my patience a little too much

It would be awesome to be a debate teacher some day and combine two things I've been passionate about

Time will tell ...

Well that's just part one of our catch up. I have lots more to share!

My Obsession

2013-02-24T23:13:00.001-07:00

I have an ~~obsession~~ MAJOR obsession

Les Miserables

I had never seen the play and I didn't even know the story

Now I'm hooked.

I have been to see the movie 3 times in theaters ,m

Honestly, I would go many, many more times

That is if a movie ticket wasn't $9!!!

Even Jeff has been twice with me

He loves the movie too

We listen to the music frequently at home.

Jeff not by choice, but he doesn't mind

If you haven't seen it. GO!

Here is the trailer if you haven't seen it.

Don't wait for it to be in stores. It needs to be seen on the big screen.

The story, the music, the actors, and just incredibly done overall.

And Then There Were 4...

2013-01-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I have joked around about getting a second dog. We originally had two dogs picked out when we got Oakley, but decided that two little puppies at the same time would be too much to handle. So we only got Oakley and planned that we would get another dog once he was out of his puppy stage. This fall I saw this stinking cute puppy that was at a pet adoption and almost came home with it, but Jeff didn't want it. (He hadn't seen it.) I decided that I wanted a baby pet and I started in on wanting a kitty. Jeff hates cats. So of course he always told me no, which he never really does. Then it started to turn into if we get a cat then you have to take care of it. I felt like I was going to get my way and just was waiting till I found the one I wanted. I frequented the ksl ads multiple times a day. Never finding the one I had pictured in my head.

Jeff still wasn't convinced on getting another pet so he started to change the conversation to well what if we get a puppy instead. This was his plan all along, he never was going to let me get a kitty. I had always wanted a Christmas puppy, like on Lady and the Tramp when the cute little puppy jumps out of a box with a big red bow. Well two things wrong with this picture: 1.) puppies do not quietly stay in a box, ever. 2.) Its really hard to tie a bow and have it stay on a mischievous puppy or when Oakley is around. So instead I came home to a cute little puppy that came running to the door. She has been my lap dog ever since. (In fact she is fast asleep with her head on the computer right now.)

Some fun facts about Bailee

Her name was going to be Annie think Annie Oakley
She has many nicknames

Bai, Bailee Girl, little girl, tipper toes {the very tips of her back feet are white}, Fang {super sharp teeth}, stinker butt {she has really smelly farts}

She is absolutely fearless.

Most puppies are very caution, especially around big dogs and in new places. Bailee has challenged Oakley since day one and hasn't ever been afraid of our house. She tackled the stairs from day one, at least going up. Down took some time, but mainly because she was so small.

She isn't too fond of the car. Oakley has loved the car since day one and its a forbidden word in our house as a result
She is really feisty in the morning and sometimes gets too rough with Oakley. Yepp, whenever their are cries from the dogs 90 percent of the time they are coming from Oakley. She bites his lip/ears/neck and then thrashes. If you tell her no and she doesn't like it she'll bark back as if to challenge you. Then you tell her again she'll sit down then run and hide in the kitchen or behind one of the couches.
She loves Oakley and has to know where he is at all times. At the park she spend the entire time trying to keep up with him and trying to keep up with him
She dances. She spins and jumps around all the time, especially for food. She now will do it on command. I'll get it on video soon and share.
Oakley never touched my shoes as a puppy....Bailee takes them every chance she can
She is smart and clever. She teases Oakley and sneaks up and stills whatever he has when he isn't looking. Oakley is going to have to learn to be more observant
She loves to cuddle if its her idea. She is always busy doing something
She is a great puppy and we are already completely in love with her.

The white on her back toes, is her tipped white toes.
She is really fast for being so little.

Getting warm in crazy cold weather.
She still wanted to play with Oakley, just needed some breaks to get warm again

Loves to give kisses

She has really big puppy dog eyes. She gets her way. ALOT.

Catching up to Oakley

Loves to dig in the snow...or anywhere for that fact

Nap time

They love each other

Needed a good pillow. Thanks brother

Being sneaky stilling wrapping paper on Christmas morning

Another bed hog of a dog. She is worse than Oakley ever was

Learning what it means to be potty trained by watching what Oakley does.

Another funny back sleeper. What is up with our dogs?

Edminster Christmas: 2012 Edition

2013-01-10T15:18:00.001-07:00

As winter approached we started getting our house decked for Christmas early this year. I love the way Christmas decorations make our house feel all warm and cozy. This Christmas I thought would be uneventful, boring, and honestly kind of depressing. We have known since Jeff started his job in Utah County 2 years ago that this Christmas would suck. As the season approached we came to realize it was going to suck more than we had planned. Jeff was scheduled to work the weekend before Christmas, Christmas Eve, AND Christmas Day, each being a 12+ hour shift. Boo. I kept telling myself that at least it wasn't our first Christmas as a married couple and that I wouldn't be alone since my mom spent the week with us. We just planned a really early Christmas morning and pretty low key Christmas morning, since we have been saving up for a new stove and new couch (both of which are headed for the crapper... and quickly).

She wasn't quite 7 weeks old. She was so tiny.

As the dreaded weekend approached things started to look up. I was so excited, but still was really sad about Christmas. If you know one thing about me is that I live for Christmas. It really isn't about the presents, I love the spirit of it. I love having family and friends close. Not to mention I love decorating my house, as a kid I dreamed my house would look like the Pottery Barn holiday catalog. Honestly, still do. Sorry got a little side tracked. So anyways the Friday before Christmas weekend approached I was at work as usual and came home to a wonderful surprise. Little miss Bailee. (I have another post where I will tell you more about our new family edition). She was a great Christmas surprise.

A sweet coworker agreed to switch shifts with Jeff so he could go to the Moosman Christmas party and have some sort of holiday. The Christmas party is always the Sunday before Christmas and Santa always comes to visit. Its always fun to see what the kids ask for and their is always something unexpected. The best part is that now that I am married... no more sitting on Santa's knee! The most memorable moment from this years party was Grandpa on Santa's knee.

The night before Christmas Eve we got a surprise call from Jeff's work saying they were so low on patients (hello! Who plans a surgery around Christmas) that they were going to put him on call for Christmas Eve. I literally jumped with glee. I had so much cooking to do for my mom's side's Christmas party and don't know what I would have done if he wasn't there. I had volunteered my house for the party and to cook the dinner. Thankfully everything worked out for the party and had an amazing dinner. The night was filled with laughter and catching up. We played the game Things, which was a lot of fun. I recommend it for any group gathering of at least 6 people. Basically there are a ton of cards and each round there is a reader. Everyone else writes a response to what is on the card and then the reader reads them out loud and you try to figure out who said what. Some of the cards read: what you shouldn't do with your mouth open, things you wouldn't want to find out about online, or things you should share over the dinner table. I thought the night was a lot of fun and want to do it again soon.

We celebrated with Christmas with my mom and step dad Chris, plus another new addition (not in our home) Nic, short for St. Nicholas. Chris found a couple week old baby kitty at his work right before Christmas and rescued it. He is so little he barely weighed a pound. My mom is completely in love with the little kitty. Oakley loved the kitty too, sometimes a little too much. Christmas morning we opened presents in our new pjs (left by the elves of course) and made a quick tasty breakfast.

He loved being up on her shoulder

Oakley wanted to play, but both Bailee and Nic were fast asleep together

They would paw at each other through the puppy gate.

Aren't they cute? Baby kitty and puppy

It was great to have Chris over, he works so much and we don't get to see him very much. We wish he would come over more. We had coconut crusted mahi-mahi tacos, I'll post the recipe soon, they are absolutely AMAZING!!! Chris was overly generous for Christmas giving us a gift card to home depot so we could get a new stove. Thank you so much Chris, you have no idea how much that meant to us and will help us out. We love you so much!!

We were spoiled this Christmas with a much needed pro shark vacuum, new clothes and shoes, 3 inches of memory foam for our bed (never want to get out of bed), I gave Jeff a Dremel and clothes, and the dogs got a giant bone and giant dog sausage for treats. Bailee loved the bows and wrapping paper. Oakley lives up to his paper shredding tendencies and was great at opening presents.

Christmas morning was great. Christmas night was eventful. We were waiting for my dad to come over and Jeff was trying to fix Oakley's medication spray bottle that was clogged. The knife slipped and sliced his finger really deep. Jeff kept telling me he thought he saw his knuckle bone and blood was everywhere. We jumped in the car and rushed for him to get stitches. He ended up with 4 stitches and now has no feeling in a good portion of his finger. Fortunately, stitches was all that was required, because the doctor said where he cut could have caused him to not be able to bend his finger and would require surgery to repair.

Wednesday we went over to Jeff's parents house to celebrate Christmas with them. It was relaxing and fun just to spend time with everyone. Jeff's parents added 2 new members to their family too this year. I guess it was a trend. In October they adopted two brother Samoyeds, Kody II and Kenya, they are 3 months older than Oakley. They are full of energy and always together. This year was special, because we got to spend it with our brother-in-law Lene. He is in the Navy and currently in Naples, Italy. We don't get to see him very often and we had really missed him. This year Jeff's parents had the idea to surprise Cathy for Christmas by bringing Lene back to the states. The whole family pitched in secretly and for weeks had to keep it a secret. It was great to have him down and wish he didn't have to go back to Italy. We were spoiled again by Jeff's parents and we got the food processer that we have looked at for years. I was probably more excited than Jeff, but we have already put it to great use. Thank you!

Kenya

Kody II

We were so blessed to be able to spend Christmas with both of our families and it turned out to be a wonderful Christmas.

23 Things About Jeffrey!

2012-07-14T11:40:00.004-06:00

I'm a ~~little~~ bias in saying this, but I have the greatest husband in the world. I don't know what I ever did to deserve his love. Well I'll let you in on a little secret... today is his 23rd birthday!!! There are so many things that I love about him, but I wanted to share things you might not know about him. So here you go 23 things you didn't know about my handsome husband Jeffrey!

Jeff's first birthday.

Jeff hates chocolate. Yet, He loves chocolate milk, brownies, butterfingers, reese's, whoppers, and fast break (Yet, he still says he hates chocolate...)
Jeff is without a doubt the funniest person I know. He is really quick on his feet and can snap some witty remark back without even thinking. I fell in love with his sense of humor first.
Jeff is starting his nursing classes this fall semester. I am so proud of his hard work.
Jeff is the kindest hearted person I know. There isn't anything he would do for someone. That's why nursing is perfect for him.
Jeff still goes back to his old job at South Davis to visit all the little kids. He loves them and I know he misses them so much. He gets a little emotional when he finds out what strides they have made since he left. All in all he loves kids.

Jeff and our adorable nephew Dominic. We can't get enough of this little boy!

He HATES to be tickled. He is extremely ticklish on his feet.
He is an amazing cook and does majority of the cooking in our house.
He has learned a lot of handyman type work from his dad and has put it to good use in our home.
I learned recently that Jeff's biggest pet peeve in our home is when the toilet paper roll is empty in the bathroom. He drives him nuts. (Yet, I have caught him leaving it empty before. Though he won't admit it.)
Jeff is extremely intelligent and loves history.
Though there is nothing in the world that he hates more than Math.
Jeff loves to be outdoors. He loves camping, boating, back packing, wake boarding, snowboarding, mountain biking, and he wants to get into rock climbing.

Jeff has about 20 different ties... yet he only will wear maybe 3 of them.
Jeff can find his way around anywhere. He never needs a map and can just remember where we are. He had California figured out in under a day. (I have no sense of direction so it comes in handy).
I have tested this on multiple occasions. Jeff can name the color, mascot, city, name, and all the major players of pretty much any football or basketball team; college or pro.
He spends at least 30 minutes a day reading up on college football. (He's a little obsessed with football... just a little.) Especially the Utah Utes. He is a HUGE fan of the Utes.
Jeff teared up the first time he saw Friday Night Lights.
Jeff's outfit of choice is basketball shorts, flip flops, and a hat. Even at that he'd probably rather go barefoot then wear shoes at all.
He loves the immature type comedies like Anchorman, Hot Rod, and Semi-Pro... all movies that I will be forced to watch during our movie marathon.
He can't stand to go into store like Yankee Candle or Bath & Body Works. All the combinations of smells give him a headache. (Yet, when I really want to go in he will come along if I promise to be quick. He will turn on or light the candles in our house cause he knows how much I love them.)
Jeff's dream vacation would be to go to China. Due to his love of history he loves to go on learning type vacations, like with lots of museums.
Jeff gets motion sick when on spinning rides or on long car rides. He loves roller coasters, but can't do the fair type rides.

He shares a birthday with his mom.

Happy Birthday to you both!

I love you, honey! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and feel like you are a year wiser. You make every day better and fill our home with love and laughter. I don't know what I would do without you. I am proud of everything that you have accomplished and I know you will do big and great things in this world. Happy Birthday!

Goodbye Kody

2012-07-10T22:14:00.001-06:00

Today was a very sad day for Jeff's family.

They had to say good-bye to a beloved family pet.

Kody.

He was a beautiful white fluffy Samoyed.

He was such a wonderful dog and everybody loved him.

His favorite thing was to be petted.

You could be sitting in the living room or at the dinner table

All of the sudden you'd feel a little wet nose and your arm be pushed up

That was his sign: Please pet me!

He was so quiet, gentle, and so sweet.

When Jeff's family adopted Kody about 5 years ago they also adopted another Samoyed named Ky

These two could always be found together

Seeing as Ky was really old he was almost completely blind and deaf

Kody watched over Ky to make sure he was always safe and in check

One time Ky got stuck in some deep snow and couldn't find his way back out

Kody walked along the snow where the ground was clear of snow

Then barked to guide Ky out and back to clear ground

Sadly, Ky died 2 years ago from old age and is now joined again with his dear friend

(On Ky's last days Kody never left his side)

I think the person who loved Kody the most was Dominic

Our adorable little nephew

He loved to chase him around in his little walker

Unfortunately, running over his paws a time or two

Dominic would just watch him whenever he was in the room

If he was close enough to touch he would take a grab at whatever part of him he could get his little hands on

Kody never cared and just let him do whatever he wanted.

Kody was such a funny dog

He absolutely hated if you touched his paws

He hated bath time and hated to be on his back to have his belly rubbed

He didn't really like any toys or bones

except when Oakley was around

He would pick up one of Oakley's bones in front of him and move it around the room

I imagine him in his head saying neener-neener-neener

(this was a forced picture, but Kody wouldn't look at Oakley)

Other than teasing Oakley, he didn't really want much to do with him

Though Oakley just wanted him to play back

When Oakley or the neighbor dogs would come over to play fetch or chase

Kody always seemed to want to play

He'd make sound and jump around

Yet, not quite sure what he was supposed to do

I hope you know that you will be greatly missed by everyone

We love you, Kody, Goodbye

The Jungle: Garden Update

2012-07-05T13:16:00.002-06:00

Its been just about 5 weeks since we planted our garden

I feel like its growing like CRAZY!

We refer to it as the jungle

We have picked: 2 zucchini, 2 tomatoes, and 3 jalapenos

We have SOOO many tomatoes that are going to be ready to pick within the week

Lots of zucchini ready to pick

Our cute little herb garden, still meaning to finish my herb garden project.. this weekend? Maybe.

2 small plants: Green peppers, jalapeno plant, and the wax yellow pepper (eaten by the ever growing tomato plant)


The Jungle: 3 tomato plants that are HUGE. This picture doesn't even give it justice. I grew up with a garden and our tomato plants weren't ever this big		\

Roma tomato plant with tons of growing tomatoes, we counted over 30 before we gave up

Giant zucchini plant and cucumber plant

Cucumber plant is starting to get flowers

All the flowers and growing zucchini

First vegetable of the season! Delicious zucchini!