Spring

Spring has sprung. Finally Idaho has gotten the memo and the weather has warmed up some. Some meaning a little over 50 degrees. I love Idaho. It has fantastic seasons. So different each one of them. Spring is one of my favorites. I love the flowers blooming and the grass turning green.
Another thing that comes with spring is Easter. Eggs, baskets, chicks, and candy all remind us of this time of year. One thing that is important to me about Easter is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a time where we think of hope.  Because Christ rose the 3rd day from the tomb we too will live again.
Thomas S. Monson said this, "To all who have lost loved ones, we would turn Job’s question to an answer: If a man die, he shall live again. We know, for we have the light of revealed truth. “I am the resurrection, and the life,” spoke the Master. “He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”
I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that he lives now and that he redeemed me from my sins so that if I follow him I will live again with him. I love my family and I love that I have the chance to live with them again after this life. It is such a comfort to know these things.

When your baby brother isn't a baby anymore

My youngest brother turned 12 on Thursday. We are 11 years apart and I have always seen him as a baby. It has been hard for me to realize that he isn't a little baby anymore. He is a big kid. A young man. Some times I still treat him like a little baby but I have realized especially with the big 1-2 that he isn't a little baby but he is turning into a great young man.

He was the funnest, cutest baby you could ever meet. I was old enough that I remember taking care of him and loving it. He was like my practice baby. He probably gets sick of me being his second mother but I love him to pieces.
This is him all grown up.

Being 12 is so cool. It is a big moment in your life. You are finally out of primary. You are officially not a little kid anymore but you are not close to being an adult. You can do almost everything on your own and you defiantly don't need your mom to help you out. Josh is such a special young man. He is different from most because he would rather spend time with his family than his friends. He is funny and loves to play games. I am so glad that I get to be Joshua's older sister and see him grow up.
Happy Birthday Joshua! I love you and I am glad to be your sister!!

Life

For the past while life has just been so crazy! We found out that our house is sold and we have to move by April 15th. Landon got a promotion at work and is now working full time. I have decided to go to school in the spring so that I can finish school earlier than expected. We have so many things going on that I don't even know where to begin. And on top of that I had some kind of flu last week that just knocked me out!
I love this quote

Source: lds.org via Kendra on Pinterest

This is how Landon was this last week. So kind and willing to serve me. Our house may not have looked like heaven but it felt like it to me. I didn't cook, clean, or do much of anything but Landon was still there to get me what I needed.

Family is so important and it is so important to remember to serve the people in your family. We are here for each other whether we like it or not. Luckily I have chosen my husband and I love my choice so serving him isn't that hard.

I challenge you today to find a way to serve those around you that you call family. Do something that will make your home a heaven.

Marriage

Marriage can be a funny thing. We have been married for 2 and a half years and we are no good at it. I mean we still fight and get mad at each other all the time. But the thing about all that is that we still love each other through it all. Dr. Gottman, a foremost researcher of marriage, said that it isn't a matter of how much or how little a couple fights but it is how they make up that really makes the difference of whether or not they stay together. According to that theory I am feeling pretty good about us. We still fight but we also are really good at making up.
This quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley really helps put in perspective what marriage really means -
"I have long felt that happiness in marriage is not so much a matter of romance as it is an anxious concern for the comfort and well-being of one’s companion. That involves a willingness to overlook weaknesses and mistakes.”
We all come with mistakes and weaknesses in our lives. Marriage doesn't fix them. The thing that we need to be willing to do is love the person that you have chosen to be with. It is like this old saying says, Choose your love and love your choice. Once you are married it is your duty and your promise to always love and take care of that person. You made the choice to be with them forever because you love them. Remember that love and look at them through those eyes.

Home Alone

Landon doesn't get home until 9 at night from work so I am home along for a while... in the dark... in the woods. I am usually just fine by myself. I do lock every door to everywhere and make sure all the blinds are closed and that I know where the gun is and that it is ready to go... just in case. But seriously, most days are great. I kinda like my alone time to do whatever I want. To watch shows Landon won't watch with me and eat in bed. (Don't tell Landon he hates when I eat in bed)
But last night was a different story. It was getting to be 8 o'clock so I went to the kitchen to start dinner. I was browning the meat when I hear 2 big THUDS coming from the back porch. If you don't know my closest neighbor is about a quarter mile away, and we live basically in the middle of the forest. No body can see our house from the road and for all intensive purposes we are all by ourselves. So I hear these THUDS. I get freaked. So I grab the gun and go to to back door. I turn on the porch light and I see... nothing. Everything is fine. No footprints in the snow. No animals, nothing. So I walk to every window looking outside to make sure that there is nothing there. Nope... I am all alone, or so I thought. I go back to making dinner. Once dinner is finished I get back in bed and start to watch my show (The Biggest Loser). Now I am at the totally opposite side of the house and I hear a couple more THUDS. Again with the gun and looking out the window. Nothing. So I know Landon won't be home for a while so I call my Mom. She sends my dad over to check everything out. Once he pulls into the drive way he sees it....

(just pretend there is snow on the ground and that I took this picture last night)

A big daddy moose. Right by my porch. I couldn't see him when I looked out the window because he was black but when my dad pulled up his headlights caught the culprit.
I was freaking out for nothing. But I was glad that my dad came to rescue me.

Christmas 2012

 

I just love Christmas. Friends and Family. Good food. And the love... there is just so much love to go around. Here are the pictures from our Christmas vacation time. 

Blessed

I feel so blessed lately. And you know sometimes when you don't really know why you deserved any of it but it still came... and maybe is still coming. That is how I feel.

I am so grateful for all my blessings but lately this one has come to the front of my mind.
I am grateful for this man!

I am so grateful that I get to spend the rest of forever with him. I know that my last few posts (spanning over the last 6 months) have been about how much I love him.. mushy mushy... But he has been such a huge blessing to me.
I got really sick last week and I didn't even want to get out of bed. He ran to the store and bought me power-aid and crackers and soup and took care of me. I couldn't have asked for a kinder man. He is so hard working and willing to do what it takes to provide for our family.  I am just so grateful to call him mine.

Our First Road Trip

We don't go many places that are far away from home. The furthest we go is an hour and a half to my brother and sister-in-law's house in Pocatello. But this summer we were able to go to Twin Falls, a whole three hours away. It was an adventure for us. We were there for some good friends' wedding. We even got a hotel room and everything. Aren't we so grown up?!

 

Driving was fun. We talked a lot and I asked a lot of questions. I get really curious on road trips. I'm glad Landon wasn't annoyed at me.

We stayed in a hotel Friday night. We felt so adult.(I mean being married defiantly isn't as adult as getting your own hotel room... uh come on... really?)\

The next morning we got up and got ready and went to the Twin Falls temple. It was such a wonderful sealing.

 After the temple we had some time to kill so we drove around Twin and found an Arctic Circle to get some ice cream. Then we drove around some more.

 

 I just have to say I love my husband! He is so fine! Mmmmmm Mmmmm Mmmm!

The lunch-in was held at this beautiful event center right on the rim of the canyon, as you can tell. It was a beautiful day.

Next on our adventure was finding Hagerman, Id. Hagerman is about 45 min northwest of Twin Falls. We found it and had a great time hanging out and helping clean up the reception.

On our way out, the next morning, we decided to find where Shoshone Falls was. It took us a while to find it becasue of some road construction. It was worth the search it took to get there.

 Our first road trip was a success! Yeah!

I woudn't change a thing

This weekend we were able to attend the wedding of some very good friends of ours and it has made me think about the night Landon and I got engaged 2 years ago and the short year and a half that we have been married.

I have never believed that there is one specific person out there for everyone, like sole mates. I believe that in all reality, I could have married a number of people and been very happy. But what I do know is that Landon and I fit so perfectly. We get each other. One thing that I loved about Landon's and my relationship from the beginning was that we just understood each other. We didn't have to try and fit into the other person's world, we just belonged there. 

We have the same dreams for our future and we support the dreams that the other person has. Our life is definitely not easy. We have the same problems and trials as any one rise up as any college couple. We are the epitome of the poor college students. Despite the fact that we don't have much in the way of material things, we have more than enough love and support to go around. That sounded so cheesy when I typed that but I can't think of another way to say it. Our love is enough. I love Landon more now than I could comprehend when we got engaged, or even when we got married. We have learned so many things and grown in multiple ways and all while being there for each other. Marriage has been the most rewarding and most difficult thing that I have have even done. I wouldn't change my life for anything.