Roses are red...

Now, this is my first attempt at a craft of any kind. So what's easier than a cardstock rose wreath? That's just why I did it. This thing was so easy, but REALLY time consuming. I made the roses while I was at work and then hot glued them at night. Just ignore the excess of glitter that looks like dust, I got a little excited with the glitter :)

Happy Valentine's month!

shout out

Happy 23rd birthday to my best friend, Lynzie!!! She's been serving a mission for a year in Czech Republic and comes home in June-ish and I canNOT wait to see her! This picture was taken the last weekend I got to see her before she went into the MTC. She's amazing and hilarious and is the best example to me. Since we met back in middle school, we've lived in 5 states (collectively) and are still the best of friends and pick up exactly where we left off and it's the bomb. Love you!

walk where He walked

How awesome is this photo? This is my brother in the Sea of Galilee... oh, ya know, just casually walking on water... ok, not really. They found a tire in the water and made it stand upright, so they can stand on it to make it look like they were walking on water. Either way, I dig it!

As I was sitting at work today, so tired of the non-stop phones calls about Disney On Ice and having anal mothers asking if their 2 week old baby can see from a certain row in the arena, I remembered at that exact moment of annoyance, my family was basking in this completely amazing and holy place known as Isreal. Yeah. They're in Jerusalem. Walking where Christ walked. Seeing where so many incredible events took place. Ahh I'm just so completely jealous!! I want to see where my parents met for the first time-- Yes, my parents met in Jerusalem in their twenties because they were traveling and happened to be staying in the same hostel and my dad saw her in the lobby and knew there was something different about her. Long story short, they wrote letters, they started to date, he got baptized, and they were married in my grandparent's living room and sealed a year later. Hello, how romantic is that!

Anyway, I've been getting emails from them, and this is what I read in the midst of my lame work day:

"Last night we stayed in a hostel with 10 people in bunk beds in a room. Weird- haven't done that in 30 years but it went fine. Yesterday was really nice-- went to Nazareth, the boys swam in the Sea of Galilee, sat on the place of the sermon on the mount. The scriptures really come alive when you see the places they are talking about."

I can only hope that some day Jeff and I can go there! I have to go. I need it.

Our downstairs has had a slightly foul odor lately. Stronger at some times than others. Tonight Jeff discovered a bag of frozen (now nicely thawed) chicken in the back of one of our cupboards in the kitchen! I have NO clue how I did that-- all fingers pointing at me, since I'm the only one who ever handles the chicken. Who knows how long that bag had been sitting in the cupboard. It reminded me of The Office episode when Dwight put fish in the air vent of Michael's new office.

When we pulled it out it REEKED so terribly. Throughout the whole downstairs. The eye-watering stench overtook us and we wanted to die.

I'm such a good wife.

... I lost.

CTR-4

Well... we survived. Our first class with are first calling as a married couple: 4 year old primary teachers. Sunday was our last week teaching this group of kids. It's actually been really fun. Even though our class was CRAZY. During sharing time, I swear it was just our class that was so loud and out of control hyper. All the other classes seemed like their kids were so well behaved. But we seriously loved our class. The kids were so full of personality and hilariously entertaining. We will miss them (and I know they'll miss us because we're awesome, obvi)

Today, we had a "get to know your new teacher" get together at the church. I was working so Jeff went alone and our kids went up to him and were like "I want YOU to be our teachers again". That "Don't Eat Pete" game really did us wonders!

We went and did our murderous task-- grocery shopping-- at Wal-mart tonight and forgot to get something we need for primary tomorrow. It's almost 10:30pm and both exhausted so we're about to play paper, rock, scissors to see who has to go get it. Wish me luck. I usually lose at this game.

NYE was really relaxed this year. Went to Teriyaki Madness for dinner. Got drinks and snacks at Wal-mart. Our friend Mel and her baby, Alli, came over. We watched a movie and just hung out. It was simple but fun. Jeff says he refuses to hold a baby under 3 months-- he thinks they're too fragile and will break them. He claims he won't even hold our own child until after 3 months. But I have proof that that is no longer!

Jeff and baby Alli

Highlights and blessings of 2010

• Getting married
• Going to Costa Rica
• My brother coming home
• Getting new couches! (it's been a long haul with these old ones)
• Jeff's mom's surprise 60th-- her surprised face was priceless
• Both having jobs
• Having our first year of holidays together
• Being so close to family
• No longer feeling like the "new" couple in the ward-- finally feeling settled and a part of things