winter wonderland

yesterday it snowed for the first time up here. Time to break out the ice scrapers. I was a little annoyed at first because now that the snow has started, it probably won't stop for a while. I also get to start driving on slick roads. Gross. today though, Denver and I decided to make the best of the situation and build a snowman. I can't tell you the last time I actually did that, and we had a blast. I named him Charlie, and he's right outside our window. What a peeping tom. :)

I can't believe today is New Year's Eve, and it's the last day of 2009. My goodness. Time for me to make my New Year's Resolution list. Another year has come and gone. "Ring out Wild Bells!"
Tonight Denver and I might make an appearance at our stake's New Year's Eve party. We haven't really decided yet.

Happy New Year!

moving back into the cold

So. Moving back to school was a little more stressful than I thought! I never dreamt it would be this much work. So far Denver and I have been up pretty much at the crack of dawn to get everything organized. Check out our wonderful trash pile! Denver has decided he can't really rest until everything is done. He has been such the little handyman! I just love him so much. I just want a magic fairy to come and do this all for me. I knew there would come a day when I wish I lived back at home and Mom was the best thing ever. (She still is, now I have to take over that role.)

Thursday night when we arrived, we had lots of help from friendly neighbors, and just as soon as we finished the entire city had a blackout. Whatever! It only lasted about an hour, but it was so inconvient!

Friday we organized and bought all the groceries and neccesities. Who knew all the stuff we bought I took for granted at home.

Today, we had to buy a couple more things such as a bookcase, entertainment center, shelf for bathroom, etc. Thank you Target and Walmart. What would we ever do without them? Everything never ends :D I'll put up pictures of our finished product later this week. No worries!

new changes

December has already been full of changes. First of all, I got my hair dyed a darker brown, which I think suits me just fine.

Secondly, Denver and I got a new car! Well, it's new to us after all :D And of course I forgot to take a picture of it, so that will be coming soon. (Sorry mom :D)

Third, Denver and I are starting to pack up and get everything ready for our move. Well, I've started, and Denver will follow. Fingers crossed right?

Tomorrow Denver and I will have a getaway weekend and go to San Fransisco. Not quite sure what we will do yet, but I'm sure we will find something to do.

it's been a long time gone...

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything...haven't had much to say! But next week is the week of the big move back to school. I haven't really decided if I'm excited or nervous. I think I'm more anxious for all the new changes. Change is going to be around for a while, so I might as well get used to it. I've been counting down days until Denver and I buy our Christmas tree and some lights. It just doesn't seem like the Christmas season without them. We did go Christmas shopping over the weekend, which was an interesting experience. I think it was a little more stressful than Denver's liking. Oh well :D

Well, I really don't have much else to say. Maybe tomorrow? We'll see!

little truths

some little truths I've learned in recent months:

-the art of mastering one's self takes time

-"fake it 'til you make it"

-music soothes the soul and comforts the heart

-what you want in life is up to you

I've learned a lot from people these past few months. I tend to observe people a lot (no I'm not a stalker :D) and I have noticed that smiles are so much more comforting than frowns. The people that smile give me more faith and hope in this world. And I wonder if they know how much their smile means to somebody.

"Fake it 'til you make it." I wish I had thought of that phrase! It's such a good phrase, even if you're not happy, pretend you are, and then eventually you really will be happy.

Good, uplifting music (and movies) are a good key for happiness. Pretty self-explanatory.

christmas anyone?

I've decided that I don't really want to wait until December to celebrate Christmas. Why can't we just skip to it? That's my problem, I really have a problem waiting for things I want. Especially things I love. So for now, I just have to wait. You know the saying, "Sit back and enjoy the ride?" I've decided that whoever wrote that statement didn't have a roller coaster in mind. They must have had the Disneyland ride "I'ts a Small World" on their brain. I just love that ride, you just casually float along and look at all the pretty little dolls and underground world. I must have this mentality more often for my own life!

Yesterday Teresa and I visited Target (one of our favorite places to go) to browse and peek at their selection of Christmas decorations. We found a pretty cute Christmas plate set for Denver and I to enjoy. Aren't the snowflakes just pretty? I love snowflakes, their delicate structure amazes me. Needless to say the set is timeless, and I hope we are able to enjoy them for a long time. They will be perfect for Denver and I's first Christmas dinner.

As long as I've got Christmas on the brain, and since Thanksgiving is just right around the corner, I have been counting my many blessings and looking at all the things I'm grateful for. Here is just a small portion of my blessings:

-being able to live in a free country

-having the gospel in my life

-having the blessing of eternal families, and being with them forever

-a roof over my head

-sanitary food and water

-a healthy, able body

-this precious life I am able to live

I really could go on and on, as I'm sure many of us could, but those are just a few. I really am thankful for all I have, and try and express it everyday to those I love. I also want to thank my dad for always looking out for me and helping me find a job back up at school. He knows how frustrating the process is for me, and is always looking for jobs for me. My mom is also a huge support to me, and I love them both very much!

goblins and wizards and witches...oh my!

this past weekend was one of my favorite holidays...HALLOWEEN! Our branch put together a "trunk or treat" and Denver and I were determined to have the best trunk there. And suprise, suprise we won the best trunk! We were pretty pleased with ourselves...we sure had a lot of fun decorating it! We totally went all out. And what is Halloween without costumes? Denver became a wizard for the night...(he never specified what kind of wizard he was, so all the kids called him different names such as Merlin and Gandalf) and I became a witch. So much fun!

you know you're getting older when you stay home Halloween night and watch a movie and find yourself wondering what all the Halloween hubub is all about. That's what I felt this year..although I had a great time that night with family.

some upcoming events in my life this week...going to Portland for the weekend for my cousin's wedding. A short little visit, but it will be deeply gratifying and wonderful to see my family!!! I can hardly wait. :D

excitement

yesterday teresa and I picked up some final touches for my room. It included:

-a picture hanging kit to hang up a framed picture from the honeymoon
-a cream colored ottoman to be placed at the end of the bed

-a matching pillow to jazz it up (Denver calls it the "lovebird pillow.")

-a brown wooden tray

-a candle plate
-a festive fall candle
-a photo albumn

-a square vase filled with brown wicker-like balls

I've decided you can decorate your entire home in Target. I love Target!

So exciting! I just love my room it is so inviting. I had always dreamed of the day I would be picking things out for my first place. Which leads me to some good news-it looks like Denver and I have our first place up at school! Happy day!

Somedays it all doesn't seem real. Sometimes I ask myself if I really am married to such a wonderful guy, if I really am halfway done with COLLEGE, and will it really be time to start a family in a few years? Kind of funny how time flies. I always used to hear people say that (still do!) and never really believed them. How funny! Time flies by everyday!

sewing and such

this weekend went by too fast! (I hate when that happens). On Saturday we went to the corn maze with Denver's Uncle John and Aunt Libby, and their two kids. It was a lot of fun, except for all the accumulated mud on my boots. But, it gave us all a good laugh.

Also on Saturday I attempted to improve my sewing skills by sewing some scarfs for a Relief Society activity this weekend. It was pretty easy, and I felt like I acccomplished something. Yay!

I finally finished my pinecone wreath! I think it looks pretty darn good. Now I have a decoration to use throughout the fall and winter. I think I'm doing pretty good with my domestic skills.

Looks like my next project will be cleaning all the mud off my boots tonight. Sounds like fun huh? :)

this week has been pretty good! Wednesday marked the two month anniversary of being married to my wonderful husband Denver! We celebrated by going out to dinner. And Denver, being the wonderful guy he his had flowers delivered to me at work. I just love him.

thursday I got my hair cut and colored. I was way excited, I just love getting my hair cut. I was very pleased with how it turned out.

we'll see how the weekend goes!

its a charmed life.

so... friday afternoon teresa, heidi and I went up to the coast to spend the night. It was a nice, quick trip and truly refreshed me. Friday night we went out to dinner at a restaraunt "Finn's" and had a bowel of clam chowder as big as my head. It was super delicious! Then we had a hot chocolate adventure. Who would've guessed that using a GPS to find a Starbucks would lead us into a dark part of town with no Starbucks. :) You could tell we desperately wanted a cup of cocca. We also went to the beach Friday night and again on Saturday afternoon. I loved how the air smelled...so fresh and rejuvenating.

Saturday we went to an antique show up in an orchard. It was so pretty! We all picked up a couple of special items. I got an iron basket, a set of old books and some old fashioned keys. I'm in love with them..they have such a unique charm.

overall this weekend was a good experience. I loved being able to see different parts of California and being able to spend some time with Teresa and Heidi. I hope this week turns out to be a successful one...I have a lot of things I want to accomplish, like finishing my pinecone wreath.

My quote for this week: "Faith is what keeps us alive."

fall days make us think

saturday was a wonderful fall day. Denver, Teresa, Heidi, her kids and I went to Oakhurst to ride the Sugar Pine Railroad. What a treat! We got to take a fun train ride through the mountains. After, we had a picnic lunch. What a great way to spend a beautiful fall morning!

Later, while watching conference, Teresa, Heidi and I started to make pinecone wreaths. I still have to finish mine, but it looks pretty good so far! Conference was pretty powerful this time around! I loved Elder Holland's talk about the Book of Mormon and how powerful his testimony was about it. I hope one day I can have a testimony with that much power.

fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. some things i love about fall are:

candles that smell of vanilla and "fall" smells ;)

pumpkins

crisp fall air

leaves just as they are changing colors

fireplaces

those are just a few. i learned from my grandma and grandpa bryce how to appreciate what Heavenly Father has given us. I thought about that a lot while riding on the train, driving in the car, while listening to conference, and today looking at a powerpoint my mom sent me. It only takes a simple realization to appreciate the beauty in all things. That's what my grandma taught me, and i love her for that.

well this week should be full of things to do. each day holds the potential for beauty...now i've just got to recognize it! :)

fall is here!

so yesterday was the first fall day we've had in cali so far. i was sooo excited. fall is my absolute favorite season and i just love everything about it. so teresa and i went and picked up some fall things for the house. here's a peek. This first picture is a pumpkin i picked out. the cute little wreath around it is from michaels, and so is the ribbon. i felt so creative. This cute little candle holder is so festive. i'm in love with it. we also found a cute little haunted house. what a day full of festivity. teresa and i also bought some mulch and spread it around the flowerbeds. it was a nice project for me.

well that's about it! sorry i don't have much more to talk about, maybe later this week!

Yosemite and sparkly things

Saturday Denver and his friend Evan and I went up to Yosemite National Park. It was so gorgeous! The boys took me on a hike that I sadly assumed was going to be fairly easy. Well when you haven't excercised in a while your legs don't work as properly as they should. So lack of excercise combined with high altitude had me huffing and puffing more than any 20 year old should be doing. But I was thankful for the gorgeous weather and atmosphere and I think our Heavenly Father is pleased when we take time to enjoy the wonderful creations on this earth He made for us. So here is some pictures of that adventure.

Then on Monday, Teresa and I went to Pier 1 to take a look. We ended up finding some cute things for my room and I am quite proud of what we found! Take a look :) My favorite is the mirror. Just pops out I think and I love it! Probably because it's sparkly and wonderful. Our room is slowly coming together!

So this week has been full of adventures to be continued with a trip to Old Sacramento today!

also, I am having the darndest time with putting my uploaded pictures where I want them to be instead of them all clustered at the top like that. Does anyone know how I can fix it? Thanks :)

progress...little by little...

As defined by Webster, progress means a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage. definately true with our room. It's progressing to become at its best! Denver and I put together the dresser together, and by that time we'd both had our quota of fun with furniture.

Last night Denver put together the nightstands while I cooked our first dinner as a married couple. Yipee! Thanks to kraftfoods.com I made a delicious broccoli, cheese and chicken bundles. Yum, yum. I should have taken a picture, but I'm still working on the love of photography. Not as much my thing as it is Denver's. Maybe someday I'll learn :)

Still working on adjusting to married life and Cali. I'm thinking it's going pretty good so far..i'll take that as a good thing.

Week Two

So today is our second week in California. We went to Ikea furniture oultet last Thursday and picked up some nice furniture for our bedroom. Denver and I put together the dresser yesterday and today I attempted to do our nightstands. Let's just say that didn't last very long-maybe I'll try again later.
I can't wait until our bedroom is all done, that will be a very happy day indeed. I'm trying to think of what to make for dinner tonight. Maybe Kraftfoods.com will be helpful in assisting me...

Fresh Start

Happy day! Today Teresa and I set up the bedding set on our bed in Gustine. Isn't it just amazing?

Aren't these pillows just the cutuest? If I get tired of the blue side, I can just switch it over to the white side. Marvelous. I hope to go do some research on Ikea's website and see what I want for our bedroom. Once I get a game plan down, I'll post it. Wish me luck, this is all out of my comfort zone. :)

Well, today has been good so far. Last Denver and I were dead tired so we crashed at like 8;30. No joke. But that made it pretty easy to wake up at 5:30 this morning ;) Hopefully it won't be an everyday thing or I'll never get anything done. We decided we are going to alternate days we stay up in Cathey's Valley and Gustine until the season gets really busy, and then we'll just stay in Gustine. But Denver and I have decided the commute isn't really for us. But what can you do but make the best of it? The drive conversations are great.

Day 4 in Cali

It's almost been a week since we've moved to California! Happy day! :) Today Teresa and I went to the outlets in Gilroy, we had a nice shopping time together. Now we're back at work and I have a ton of thank you notes to write so that will keep me busy.

Yesterday we got off work early, so Denver and I had a little date night. We went into Merced and cruised Target. I just love that store. Today Teresa and I went back and got a bedding set, so I'm way pumped to put it on our bed. It will be so cute!

So today was our first offical day in Cali! I went to the office with Teresa and she showed me around the nuthouse. So I got to learn the ropes of the family business. There's not much to worry about like I originally thought...what a relief. Sometimes I really get nervous about little things and then they turn out to be fine. Ha who would've thought? Let's see, funny moment today was that I learned how impatient Mr. Denver can be when he's trying to teach something. So here's a little tip...if you have a question about using Photoshop, just google it. Or you can face the wrath of Denver. Take your pick. :)

Let's see after work Denver and I went grocery shopping, which is fun because Denver takes me up and down every single aisle. He is such a silly goose. That is why I love him. Tomorrow will be a fun day because we get to go to the DMV and pick up a booklet for me to study so I can get a new license. I really don't understand that rule about taking the driving test again if you're only trying to get your name changed on the license. But that's just me talking. Oh well.

I'm going to continue the blog, and I'm still getting used to everything. But it's going to be a fun adventure!

Newlyweds

Well here is my first attempt at this whole blog thing. I hope to update it pretty often once I get the hang of it :) Denver and I are enjoying our little moments together, I just love him to death.

We have enjoyed our week in Nebraska. Denver has gotten a taste of my hometown. He was pretty worried at first, I think he thought Nebraska was going to be a giant wasteland or something. But he has said Lincoln is "pretty" so I am satisfied. On our way to dinner with some of my high school friends Thursday night, we ran into a precession of tractors on one of the busiest streets in town. I assured Denver this was not a normal circumstance. I don't think he believed me. Oh well. Nebraska has been a great place to live and now it is time for a new journey.