Mike & Brit

The Big Book of Birth

2011-03-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

Recently, Mike and I discovered the local library. It is a gold mine of information. I checked-out several books on labor and delivery in order to educate myself more fully. I have spent the last week reading The Big Book of Birth by Erica Lyon. It has been full of little gems of information, teaching me what is going to happen to my body during labor and suggesting multiple ways in order for me to cope with the entire process. Surprisingly, as I read, my once epidural-determined mind opened up to the idea of natural childbirth and a belief that I really just might be able to handle the pain on my own, that it might be a Wonder Woman challenge I am willing to undertake. Until I read the chapter titled, “Pushing”. It was full of words and phrases like 15 minutes to 4 hours, ring of fire, watermelon-sized bowel movement, work, breathing, tearing, burst blood vessels, and episiotomy. It was full of pictures of suggested pushing positions that made me cringe in horror at the thought that I might have to replicate them. As a result, I have decided one of two situations will occur during my delivery. Number 1: Being pregnant isn’t so bad…my baby can just stay put and I will avoid this whole pushing thing altogether! Or number 2: Take advantage of technology and pray I am able to receive an epidural that lasts a very, very long time! Who wants to be Wonder Woman anyways? Her nemesis, Circe, had a much sexier costume.

Some Needed Updating

2011-02-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends and Family! Brittany really is better at this than I, so when she doesn't update, we end up falling off the face of the Earth. Sorry Blogger world, we've been very bad. Since I'm the one posting you'll have to bear with the lack of good writing, sunshine and butterflies.

Texas has been an interesting time of growth and excitement for us. We are so far away from family and friends, it's hard not to think about how we are going to make our way back to the mountains or the coast someday. Fortunately, almost all the restaurants that we loved back home and in California are here in Houston plus amazing additions of Tex-Mex and Southern Seafood which has made the transition way easier than expected. As long as I can find good food, I can live anywhere. So Brit settled into her new teaching job at Northshore Senior High and I had continued the job hunt and worked on improving resumes and cover letters.

You bored yet? OK, so here are some of the exciting things that have happened since we moved to Tejas.

Week Before Thanksgiving

Brittany and I are enjoying some sun at San Rafael beach, which is located about 3 hours west of Santo Domingo in Barahona. My mission covered a large span on the Western side, all the way to Haiti, so I couldn't miss the chance to go back to the places where tourists don't go. We got here by...

...a little Kia Picanto, which drove wonderfully and got us out of a lot of sticky situations. If you have ever been to developing countries, you know what I'm talking about. No one is really paying attention to that red light and the intersection is jammed with people going in all directions and the only way through is to muscle every inch you can. Not fun. I'm surprised I decided to drive in the first place and I'm surprised I didn't leave that trip with an ulcer.

We saw Crístobal Colón (Christopher Colombus) and the tomb that his remains are buried in. There is actually a disagreement between the Spaniards and Dominicans as to whether CC's remains are all in the D.R. or all in Spain.

We also saw an amazing print facility, one of those Marmon temples (way beautiful!), and an amazing sunset. It was way fun although it really was a culture shock for Brittany and even I was glad to be home after the trip. (It's so nice to be able to flush your poopy TP down the toilet)

Thanksgiving Week

From the warm D.R. we directly flew to SLC and made our way to Burley, Idaho. One thing that absolutely sucked about combining the two trips was packing for two seasons and staying under 50 pounds for each piece of luggage. You try it! Not to mention it was holiday traveling and we were flying international, it's a zoo at best. For real!

We went from this...

...to this in a matter of days. But I'm not complaining at all because we were well fed and well taken care of in both climates.

What I was most excited about wasn't the snow and it wasn't the uber-ginormous meal that beckoned me from Paradise...

...It was playing Uncle with Zoey and giving her whipped cream, which made her pucker up as if the sweetness of it really tasted sour. I couldn't stop laughing! Her reaction was priceless and I was chastised for being a tease, as always. We sure enjoyed playing together. It was the best two week vaykay ever!

Two Week Christmas Drive From Houston to Syracuse And Back

By December I was still looking for work, and even with a moderate 8.3% unemployment rate as compared to the rest of the U.S., It wasn't all that bad. I had about 5 interviews to this point in time but nothing was developing. So, when Brit announced that she was off for two weeks during Christmas we decided that a road trip back home to her family was in order. Brit's sister Madison, who is nannying in New York, found that a road trip from Texas would be a great opportunity coming home for the holidays; tickets into Houston were way cheaper than flying into SLC anyway.

So the three of us made the 30 hour, grueling trip back to Syracuse, Utah while making stops at scenic places along the way to break up the monotony. In all honesty, Arizona and Utah were the most scenic and best parts of the drive. West Texas was the absolute WORST part of the trip. Unfortunately, this was the best route to take back home due to massive amounts of snow in Colorado and luckily we only had some rain on the way there. Here are some of the photos that we took there and back:

Zions National Park on New Years Day

El Gran Cañón

Today...

8 months have passed since my last full time job and it wasn't for the lack of finding work. There are TONS of jobs here in Houston. Some have asked why I didn't go back to Target or look into retail while I looked for the job I wanted. My answer was always this, "If I settle for menial or ordinary now and always look for the easy path, sooner or later, I just know that I'll be too tired to try and too exhausted to challenge myself for something better." The easy has been way too tempting since I've been here and honestly I was going crazy at home, even with all my "toys" to help pass some time. I even tried to convince Brit for us to set aside 500 bones to pay a pet deposit at our apartment so that I could have a friend at home to keep me company. That didn't work out too well. So I decided to take on another type of animal that would get me off my butt and serve...Cub Scouts.

They have kept me busy and creative. Here is a video that I helped them make with an Always-Be-Prepared motif:

It's incredible how smart some of these boys are. They have been a lot of fun but 12 rambunctious boys can definitely make me tired after an hour and for the rest of the week. Now I understand why people in America think their kids have ADD and why they become Riddlin junkies. Little boys are just hyper, even the shy ones. It's sad that moms and dads will misdiagnose their kids so that they can have some peace and quiet. Soapbox moment. Right now we have 2 or 3 Den leaders for each den (Wolves, Bears, Webelos) to assist with the madness and we still hardly get things done when we want them done. We do have some great moments though and it's great to be able to teach little boys something valuable.

For the month of February we have had good news all around. Brit was named Teacher of The Month which consisted of student and supervisor approval. She is great at what she does and she loves it. She is ready for the summer though and ready to take the baby out of the crock pot!

We also had her 25th week checkup and we were hoping for another shot at the ultrasound to see if we were having a Lady or a Gent. FOILED AGAIN by the institution of stupid people! We were so upset and our mothers were so looking forward to the revealing. We decided to take matters into our own hands. A Sister in our ward is a ultrasound tech and she had helped others in the ward find out the sex of their babies, so we decided to petition her for help. She gladly agreed and took us to her hospital and within 2 minutes we knew that we were having a baby boy! I was thrilled! Here was the proof that were desperately waiting for:

My Y chromosome won out in the end and I couldn't be happier. Since Brit was raised with all sisters, she's not going to know what to do with a boy. She'll be amazing though, look how she has raised me!

To top off all the good news, I was offered not one but two job offers! Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Both are entry-level positions and start you off from the bottom up. One is called Consolidated Graphics, a commercial digital print giant, which holds a 3 year Leadership Development Program for post-undergrads. I was offered a spot in their Technology and IT department to work on web applications, software, etc. The other is called Rosen Inspection, an international pipeline inspection company, and they offered a position on their Data Analyst team. Yeah, they both may sound boring but they offer stability and growth which is so important to Brit and I. It's the reason we have moved to so many places; opportunity and growth. Both these offers can advance my career. Eventually I'll go back to school to do a Masters or MBA, but for the time being, I'm just going to savor these exciting moments.

BEE-Aware!

2010-06-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

It seems that every Sunday, at least one comment is made by one of the speakers about how they tried to discover a way to get out of speaking. And you know that they weren't successful because obviously, they are standing right there. Well, Mike did find a way to get our of speaking during Sacrament meeting last Sunday, and if I may say so, it was going a little too far!

This last Saturday was a busy day for Mike and I. I had a long day of work scheduled and Mike had a long day of golf planned with a few of the guys in our ward. During my 8 hour shift, I periodically sent texts to Mike, checking to see how he was doing during his game. Text after text, I received no answer. When I finally got home from work, I was a little irritated to find Mike laying face-down on our bed, instead of studying for his talk and Sunday School lesson. I jumped on the bed, poked him, and told him to roll over! After a moment, he did, and I was absolutely horrified with what a I saw!

His entire body was covered with these horrible, red, blotchy hives! Almost every limb on his body was swollen and red. He was very lethargic and sore. During the golf tournament, one of the guys had parked the golf cart on top of a ground bee hive and Mike had been attacked! He was stung at least sixteen times on his legs. It was later reported to me that he had been stung on hole four and continued to play through hole eighteen, even though by that time he looked like a rotten tomato. I quickly called his mom, who is a nurse, and found out that he would be alright, as long as he didn't have any breathing problems. He was in a lot of pain, which made me feel very sorry for him. I started giving him Benadryl every six hours. As a result, he slept from 7pm Saturday night through 2pm Sunday afternoon, conveniently missing his talk he was supposed to give during Sacrament Meeting on Sunday morning. Don't worry. A talk was still given in his place. By me.

I have always said that Mike is successful at whatever he endeavors to do. This little experience just more fully solidifies that idea in my mind. While others talk about getting out of speaking in Sacrament Meeting, Mike actually does. Amazing.

Hey Ya'll...

2010-05-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

So, my use of "ya'll" in the title of this post is totally appropriate, because Mike and I are moving to HOUSTON, TEXAS! Even though it is SO hot and humid. We are so excited for this great opportunity and all the amazing things that have happened over the last few days. Most of all, we are grateful for the chance to be able to live in a place longer than six months and settle down. Over the last week, we got two job offers: one for Mike and one for me. The company that Mike is interning for right now, finally offered him the position we had been hoping for...and then I got offered a job exactly two days later. We had the hardest time deciding, because we were excited about both great offers. But after much thought, prayer, advice from wonderful parents and friends, and lots of nervousness, we decided to take my offer to teach in Houston. The school systems in Texas are incredible. Those of us who grew up on in the west have no idea how cheated we were! Their juniors and seniors are divided into "academies" based on where their career interests lie. I was hired to teach Anatomy and Physiology in the Health Science Academy...which I am so excited about because I will be able to use my minor in Health! Texas pays teachers about $18,000-20,000 more a year than Utah or Idaho, cost of living there is the lowest in the entire US, all moving expenses are covered, our health insurance is paid for by the school district for the first year, and I got an extra $5000 sign on bonus for being a science teacher! Not to mention that we would live only 20 minutes from the temple, instead of 3 hours from it like we are now. Mike is going to look for a job, which shouldn't be too hard because we were recently put into contact with the executive chairman of the chamber of commerce, and he confidently told us that Mike will be able to get a job there without a problem, and he is going to help. However, Mike will probably only work for one year (because he needs a bit more experience and Texas residency) and then start his MBA at Rice or Bauer the next year. Depending on what he decides to do, he should be able to have it finished within a year. He is very excited about it and thrilled for another adventure.

We are so blessed by the Lord! We have really worried about what decision to make, but were reminded by reading Joshua 1:9 to "be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Go Texas!

Just a Little Update...

2010-04-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

We are together again! Yea! I finally finished my student teaching in Utah and headed out to Cali to be with my hubby. It was a long three months apart, but we have really had some great opportunities. Student teaching was one of the hardest things I have ever done. When parents complain about their kids' teachers, I really don't think they realize all the work teachers do and all the challenges that they face. But I won't go there or else this will turn into a LONG post! Usually I spent about 60 hours a week working on teaching stuff. Needless to say, I was exhausted by the time the end came. But I passed my student teaching experience, I officially graduated, and I passed my Praxis exams so I am done! Mike is still working away at his internship. We haven't heard anything about whether they are going to offer him a job when the six months are up, but we are hoping. They have dropped many, many hints so it will be interesting to see what happens. Mike really enjoys his work and has been told often that no one thinks of him as an intern, but as an actual employee, which is a huge compliment. Whether it works out or not, we know that this is where we are supposed to be and have no regrets!

There were a few highlights during the last three months. First, Mike and I became an uncle and an aunt! Liz and Zack had the most beautiful baby girl that I am absolutely in love with. Second, Mike and I were able to visit San Francisco during Valentine's Weekend. Third, I had the opportunity to do crazy things with my little sisters, which I have really missed. Fourth, I fell in love with Discovery Channel's Life series! Fourth and a half, Vienna won the Bachelor which is the most disgusting, horrible thing to have ever happened in Bachelor history. It was a complete disgrace. Fifth, Mike became the new Sunday School teacher for our ward. Sixth, my little sister Macy was the prettiest girl at prom. Seventh, I was offered three teaching positions in Arizona, Colorado, and Utah, none of which I am going to accept because I am holding out for one in Cali or Texas. Wish me luck! Eighth, I fell off my little sister's ripstick for the third embarrassing time and have decided to retire. Ninth, Mike played lots of golf and is getting much better. AND, tenth, we have been asked at every church meeting since we left Rexburg when we are going to get busy and have a baby. That has to be some sort of record!

We love you all!

Valentine's Recap

2010-02-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

So it is sooo like me to never do anything on this blog and expect people to know what is going on with us. Yeah, you can probably guess that this is Mike, because Brit is usually on top of this thing. However, since Brit and I are states away at the moment and I have the pictures, the fate of our social lives lies on my rusty fingers. After about a month and half being apart from Brittany, I have started to feel the effects of drifting away into nothingness and feeling quite by myself. It's true! There is nothing better than spending endless hours with your best friend. We do have Skype and everyday calls, but it just isn't the same and I'm missing my better half. So I give myself much credit on the most fantastic Valentine's weekend ever; I'm still patting myself on the back.

THE PLOT

So Brit has been missing me pretty bad, and I admit that the feeling is mutual. For about 2 weeks straight she is wanting me to fly home and be with her and I tell her no-can-do. It's hard having very little time off and being way too far to make a round trip drive. She understands but lets me know that if I really loved her I would find my way there. Sound familiar to anyone? To my surprise, I get a tip that an uncle has a free plane ticket with Brit's name on it for whenever I wanted. So I decided to let Brit slather on the guilt while I held firm to my decision to stay put. She was clueless the whole two weeks prior while I planned a two night getaway to San Francisco.

I reserved a hotel, dinner, and a fun two days. So while she was wishing for miracles, I was creating them. Aren't I the coolest guy ever? I'm so smug right now, it's awful. Just to make sure the surprise works, I sent her a bouquet of roses just days prior with a note saying, "Why spend Valentine's all alone when you can spend it with me in San Fran". To her credit she thought the note was phony telemarketing ploy to get her to buy something, which is totally understandable because I'm so horrible at these type of things. She was so excited on flying out with only a days notice. And I was excited to make her happy.

THE EVENTS

I picked her up in San Jose, Saturday afternoon and it was AWESOME! Wow, I really missed her. We drove around Cupertino for a quick lunch and I had to show her where Apple HQ was. She then chatted my ear off all the way to the hotel where we got dressed for the evening. I had reservations downtown at a restaurant called Zare at Fly Trap.

I know that sounds really weird but the food was really, really, really good. It serves Mediterranean style dishes with a touch of Persian influence. I was a bit nervous honestly because this was the type of place where wine is the main money maker. If you don't drink wine, you save your self about $100 dollars and make some servers quite upset due to way smaller tips. I was relieved with the great service and great food. Brit had grilled Moroccan-style salmon with toasted fregola, blue lake green beans and charmoula while I had lamb shank, black-eyes beans, fingerling potatoes and some torsi. The meat was extremely tender, it was so good. Mmmmmm.

Afterward we walked down to the bay and took in the nice brisk air. It was 55 degrees and clear night skys. We decided that The Lovely Bones would be a nice way to end the evening before we called it a night.

The next day we decided to see everything that Brit has never seen before. I'd had been to San Fran before back when I was in Jr. High but this was Brit's first. So we went to the Conservatory of Flowers and walked around Golden Gate park.

We then went to go see some of the redwood near Sausalito. It was packed on the road so we decided to return on another time. We did get out and take pictures of Golden Gate bridge and expensive ones at that. I didn't think about having change on me, who has change anymore these days anyways? People that live in the bay area thats who. Because I didn't have $6 for the toll on the way back over the bridge, they charged me $31 to get through! Needless to say we didn't attempt to go back over to see them trees!

Finding parking downtown is impossible, although pretty fun on those hills. After much stress, we parked near Fisherman's Wharf and got some good seafood dinner. I then decided to joy ride and drive down the beautiful coastline along the 1 . The rest of that evening was maniacal! We tried to find Baskin Robbins that didn't exist, google map app said there was one in Half Moon Bay which was lie, and my clutch decides to lock up on a hill 10 minutes from the hotel. Where did the karma go? I did finally get the car shifting and we found a Baskins so the night ended up alright after all.

All I can say is that Valentine's weekend was extra awesome for both Brit and I. Hopefully soon we'll have Brittany back posting some good entries, she probably could have given this one with a little more tact and a lot more lovin. G'nite!

2009-12-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

So I thought I'd add a little something to the post, since the blog is really Brittany's strength. As I was listening to Christmas music to and from Idaho Falls this winter, I thought It would be appropriate to make a montage of Christ and send it out as a Christmas card. It would be our first one in almost 3 years of marriage and I thought I owed it to all my family and friends. I would have posted it earlier but i have been enjoying, oh so much, this break with being graduated and all. I did make this after school was out though and I wanted everyone to have their own copy but that came with challenges of it's own and It didn't send like I thought it would. So i have been trying every available means to get it out, with Facebook, personal visits, and now this blog. We want you all to know that we do think upon each and every one of you and hope that your doing well and that your dreams are coming true.

Enjoy and I hope you had a Merry Christmas!

So, What's Next?

2009-12-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

It seems that Mike and I have reached a crossroads in our life and find many people asking us, "What's next?" Our last two years and eight months of marriage have been spent as college students. But as of this last weekend, we have officially lost the title of college students and are now college graduates! WAHOO!!! For those of you who don't know, Mike graduated in Business Management, with an emphasis in Finance, and a cluster in web design. I graduated in Biology and Health Education. For those of you who are wondering, here is what is next: (...and keep in mind, that like usual, we only have the next six months of our lives planned. After that, who really knows?)

For Mike: Michael was offered a second internship with World Minerals in Lompoc, California. It is a huge company, the largest open-pit mine in the United States and is owned by the largest mining company in the world. Mike doesn't actually work in the mine, he works in their corporate offices punching numbers and figuring out problems. But, he does now own a hard hat, steel toe boots, and can technically be called a miner... It is for six months and after much thought and prayer, we have decided to accept their offer. The people there absolutely love him and Mike completely loved his job there, as well as the people and the beautiful beach! This time around, he will be working in the Customer Service department, rather than the logistics and supply departments, because he didn't have time to get any experience in that area last summer. He's a little worried about that because he will be dealing with more customers directly, who sometimes can get really irate, but it can't be worse than pest control, right?! He has already signed up for a class to help him prepare to take the GMAT within the next few months, because he wants to go to Grad school in about 2 years. I'm voting for grad school in the east coast, another adventure! He plans on spending his free time studying, playing golf, basketball, and soccer, learning more about web design, playing his xbox, and just enjoying life like he usually does!

For Brit: I am doing my student teaching at Bountiful High School in Utah. Yes, this means that Mike and I will be separated for about 2 1/2 months, but it just couldn't be avoided. We feel that it is the right thing to do. For some reason, the Lord wants us in Santa Maria, California and this is the only way to get us there. I am excited for this challenge, but I will miss Mike more than anything in the whole world! I will be living with my parents and working so hard to make my cooperating teachers happy. I am actually going to be teaching my major and my minor, which hardly ever happens, and means twice as much work. But, I will have a rockin' portfolio by the time I am done, which will hopefully help me find a job in California...which seems impossible for most people to do, except for Mike, so wish me luck!

For both of us together: When we are reunited once again in Cali, we are going to spend more time sight-seeing in that beautiful area, enjoying each other's company! We have several trips planned that we are looking forward to this next year. For graduation, Mike's parents surprised us with a trip to anywhere we wanted to go in the world. We have decided to visit where Mike served his mission, the Dominican Republic, in June! We are so excited! Also, we have my family reunion in August, at my most favorite place in the whole world, Catherine Creek Lodge. Mike's Colombian family is having a reunion in Idaho sometime during the summer and his dad's family is having a family reunion during October on a cruise (last I heard, we're probably going to be cruising the Panama Canal-so cool!) So many adventures!

I know that the next six months are going to fly by in a blur. I will try to keep everyone updated on where we are going after that! Hopefully, we will be able have plans that extend past six months, but we just seems to love moving, making new friends, and having adventures. I want to thank everyone, most especially our families, for all of their love and support. The last few years have been hard work and we are so grateful for all the help we have received along the way. I know that we are going and doing what the Lord wants us to do and that gives me great confidence that we will be given great opportunities to help build His kingdom and become better disciples. If you work hard and are obedient, YOU WILL BE BLESSED, we have definitely been!

Have I Helped Anyone in Need?

2009-12-13T22:34:00.001-08:00

While I was listening to Christmas music today, a special song really touched my heart. In between hearing about Mama Kissing Santa Clause and how All I Want For Christmas is You, I heard one of my favorite songs of all time that brought Christmas back into perspective for me today. It is Mary Did You Know and I would like to share these special lyrics with all of you:

Mary did you know that your baby boy,

Would one day walk on water?

Mary did you know that your baby boy,

Would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy

Has come to make you new?

This child that you delivered,

Will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy,

Will give sight to a blind man?

Mary did you know that your baby boy,

Will calm the storm with His hand?

Did you know that your baby boy,

Has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little baby,

You kiss the Son of God.

The blind will see.

The deaf will hear.

The dead will live again.

The lame will leap.

The dumb will speak.

The praises of our Lamb.

Mary did you know that your Baby Boy

Is Lord of all creation?

Mary did you know that your Baby Boy

Would one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your Baby Boy

Is Heaven's perfect Lamb?

The sleeping child your holding,

Is the great I AM.

When I heard this sweet song, I was reminded that Christmas isn't about the lists, the gifts, the food, the decorations, the cards, or even the songs. It is about remembering our Savior and trying to be a little more like Him. It is about remembering that He lived, He loved, He served, and He died for each of us. The best gift that we can give to Him at this time of year is to find ways to serve those around us. We were reminded during

this last conference by President Monson that, "Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish--and in effect save their lives...How many times has your heart been touched as you have witnessed the need of another? How often have you intended to be the one to help? And yet how often has day-to-day living interfered and you've left it for others to help, feeling that 'oh, surely someone will take care of that need.' We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives." Christ was never too busy to help those in need. Like the song said, He healed the sick, raised the dead, and loved us enough to die for us. All He asks for in return is this, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

If we love our Savior, we need to serve those around us. There are so many who are sick, poor, and in need of comfort. We need to be like the Good Samaritan and be aware of the needs of those around us and being willing to take the time out of our busy lives to actually reach out and help. I challenge myself and all of you to find those people who stand in need of comfort and obey Christ's commandment to love one another, not only during this wonderful Christmas season but throughout the entire year.

Summer Lovin'

2009-08-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

We love summertime in California! We have been having a blast and have stayed very busy. Mike is still working away at his internship and has been putting in lots of overtime. He is loving the purchasing department and is about to be moved into the logistics department which will give him some good experience. He just had his 26th birthday last weekend and got very spoiled. I am working away at JC Penney and feel like I live there most of the time. A couple of weeks ago, I went to Utah/Idaho to visit my family and see my best friend Janelle get married! It was beautiful and I am so happy for her. Other than work, we have had the opportunity to visit Disneyland, Hollywood, Solvang, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Laguna Beach, hike one of the seven sisters, and see Les Miserables! Here are some pics of our adventures:

Beach, Beach, and More Beach!

2009-06-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write a quick update to let everyone know that life is great! We love Cali, the beach, and just life in general. Mike has really taken off in his job and is enjoying every minute of it. Last week they had several corporate executives from Atlanta come visit the office and he was included in all the meetings and discussions. It was a great experience and he is impressing people left and right. I was able to get a job at JC Penney's here in Santa Maria. It is perfect and a complete blessing! It gets me out of the apartment and adds a little extra change to my pocket to buy clam chowder from Splash Cafe in Pismo Beach...which I am absolutely addicted to! We spend our free time playing on the beach and have explored many different ones, finally finding our favorites. Unfortunately, Mike's favorite is different from my favorite, so we have to alternate. Besides work and the beach, we just play and enjoy each other. The other young couples in our ward have been very friendly and accepting and we have been invited to several beach bonfires and BBQs. The area that we live in is well known for their farmer's markets and stands. Last week we drove down to San Luis Obispo with some friends and went to a farmers market that really resembled an Idaho County Fair. The only thing is that they do it every Thursday here! The food was incredible and the whole experience was just fun. I am tempted to make it a Thursday tradition. I would love to write more but it's really not that interesting, and I'm headed to, you'll never guess, the beach!

One Crazy Fun Month of May!

2009-05-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

Well, time sure flies when you are having fun! May was a month full of travel, fun, and family! We were able to spend time with the Hoggans and the Maxfields and were spoiled very much and are grateful for wonderful families that we love so very much! After visiting family, we headed off to California, arrived safely and soundly, and moved into a cute little studio apartment. I am surprised to say that I love my studio apartment more than I have ever loved any of my other apartments. It is cozy, easy to keep clean, and pretty much just wonderful-except for the fact that I have a mini-oven that doesn't fit any of my cookie sheets in it... California is fabulous and I have become a regular beach bum! Mike started his job and loves it! He is working for a company called World Minerals, which is a subsidary of a company called Imerys. They have treated him very well and have given him many, many projects to start working on. He is very fortunate to have gotten this job because they only took 9 interns this summer and Mike was told that they chose him from a stack of hundreds of resumes. He admits that it is a little overwhelming, but this opportunity is giving him excellent experience and is quite a resume booster. All the ladies in the main office love him already and everyone else will as soon as they realize what a hard worker he is! I am so proud of him! Since we have arrived, we have just been exploring everywhere! We have visited several beaches, found a library close by for me, a movie theatre for Mike, and spent time with family in Riverside. We hope that everyone else is doing well, we love and miss all our family and friends, and will keep you all updated the best we can!

2 Down, AT LEAST 48 more to go!

2009-04-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Mike and I have officially been married for 2 whole years! Time sure flies by...Our anniversary this year was amazingly fun! Mike really went all out and arranged an adventure for the two of us. For those of you who are familiar with the story of our anniversary last year (remember: Bad Lands, Bad Movie, Bad Restaurant, and Bad Bad Bad Bad Hotel ran by people from India), it was not that kind of adventure and I must admit that this year totally makes up for last year! So no more laughing at our expense! This year, we got to spend a couple of days in beautiful Sun Valley! Mike surprised me with reservations at this really charming Bed and Breakfast called the Inn at Ellsworth Estates. It was built in 1915 and since then has had quite a colorful history. There are many weddings, anniversaries, and other events held there. It has the charm of an earlier era and is one of the few homes of that quality and size which were built in frontier Idaho. Needless to say, I LOVED it and would highly recommend it to everyone I know who wants to have a romantic get-a-way for a couple of days! We spent a lot of time walking around Hailey, Ketchum, and Sun Valley. There are a lot of fun shops and some great restaurants. We ate dinner at a really yummy restaurant called the Sawtooth Club, which I think was the highlight of Mike's trip. He loved his food and talked about it the entire way home and has mentioned it to everyone he has come in contact with since! We were going to rent bikes in order to use the bike pathways that run all over the mountains and connect Ketchum and Hailey, but this really neat couple who live in Hailey loaned us their bikes for the day. This was so nice of them and really made our day because bike rentals are about 25-30 dollars per person for a couple of hours. We spent an entire day just riding around and exploring. It seems like everyone there uses bikes instead of cars to get around, which is so cool! Mike and I have decided that we absolutely LOVE the Sun Valley area and are going to build a house there someday! All I have to say, is if you have never been there before you are missing out and should make plans to visit soon!

A little taste of the cute town of Ketchum, which was my personal favorite out of the three!

The historic Inn at Ellsworth Estates

Our room at the Inn, there are eight others to choose from and they all are very unique.

This is our table at the Sawtooth Club..the food was fantastic and the atmosphere very romantic!

Beautiful...Need I say more?

This one is for Mike, he loves taking funny face pictures for some strange reason.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T18:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a wonderful time of year! I love the snow, the presents, the family-time, the lights, the music, the tree, my nativity set, the food...everything! And this year has not let me down! We spent our Christmas in Burley with Mike's family. Since Mike's mom is from Colombia, we decided to do Christmas Colombian-style and open our presents at midnight Christmas morning. We spent Christmas Eve eating great food, playing games, sharing our goals for the next year because none of us we be there for New Years, and when midnight rolled around, we dug into the pile of presents under the tree! Here are some pictures of all our festivities...

Our Christmas Eve started out with lots and lots of snow! Mike's house was covered so much!!!

Our Christmas tree!

I can't believe this happened again, but Mike got caught cooking part of the dinner for Christmas Eve! His mom looks shocked. He is getting really good at garlic cheddar biscuits so if you're hungry you know who to call!

Mike read the Tale of the Three Trees and Dad Hoggan read the story of Christ's birth from Luke, it was a great reminder of what Christmas is really about.

The entire Hoggan family!

Everyone looks excited except for me...and I don't know what face that is exactly.

Mom and Dad Hoggan, aren't they cute?

Mike's beautiful twin sisters, Liz and Lynnette.

That was a huge pile of paper, bows, and bags. Everyone got so spoiled. Me, especially. We are so grateful for family! We have been blessed with two wonderful families who love and support us. We are grateful for this wonderful holiday time to remember all our blessings and our Savior Jesus Christ. We know that He lived and that He lived a great, perfect life. We can only hope to be more like Him each day. Thank-you to all our family and friends for everything you do. We love you, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and we wish you the best!

Happy Turkey Day!!!

2008-12-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

So, I know that it is almost Christmas, but I figure I better write about Thanksgiving first! We went to Utah to spend time with my family. It was relaxing. We both were burned out and it was a great way to recoop so we could make it two more weeks until Christmas break! Here are some pics to show you what we were up to...

One of the first things we did was have a sleepover at Kyle and Christian's new house in South Jordan. We played lots of games, and yes...Mike and Kyle did cook Christian and I breakfast. Kyle is a good influence on Mike! We should hang out with them more often!

On Thanksgiving Day, all we did was eat, eat, and eat some more. There were many, many little kids running around everywhere making lots of noise, football games, and lots of fun. We went and saw Twilight and loved it. Mike even went with me and liked it so much he is reading the books now...although I am not sure if I am supposed to say that!

For an early Christmas present, my parents got Mike some really great seats at a Jazz game. I won't bore you with anymore details of our break, but I do want to say how grateful we are for all our wonderful blessings. We have a happy life full of love and laughter and have much to be grateful for.

To cut or not to cut?

2008-10-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

I have never seen a man with as much hair on his head as Mike has. He will NEVER go bald. He gets a haircut and three days later, he needs another one. Women would kill for his hair. I hate to admit it, but he has better hair than I do. However, recently his personal hair stylist decided to become a lawyer (I guess we weren't paying you enough Brandon!) and moved to Moscow, and Mike's hair has become longer and longer. He just hasn't been able to keep up with it. For those of you who know Mike well, you know that he is not a cheapskate. He loves to spend money and buy himself new things; but for some reason he refuses to spend money on a haircut. I decided to ignore it for a while, but when he started having to borrow my bobby pins to pin his hair back so he could take a test in the testing center, I knew it was time for that hair to go. As a result, I came up with a fabulous idea. I would cut Mike's hair. Last week, I calmly told him what I would do, watching the panic fill his eyes. Too bad he had no choice. I somehow figured out how to put the little black guard thingys on his clippers, sat him in a chair, and began to buzz. I couldn't help giggling the entire time- partly because it was really funny and partly because it made Mike more and more nervous every time I did it. To his surprise, and mine actually, we didn't end up having to shave his head. The only casualties were my fingernail (which somehow got a hair stuck in it, don't ask me how, it's even still there) and my kitchen floor (which I am still finding hair on, even after I have swept it about 10 times). And I now have a handsome husband who can take tests in the testing center, get good grades, which will hopefully lead to a good job someday making us lots of money. I would like to give my thanks to Brandon Ritchie and his four finger technique. It worked wonderfully!!!

Before Shot He looks nervous...

After Shot
He looks handsome!

P.S. Read below!
Okay, okay. Mike never borrowed my bobby pins to pin his long hair back behind his ears. However, I have evidence that he does sometimes borrow my earrings... I love him! He always makes me laugh!!!

The Haunted Mill...

2008-10-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

So for FHE the other night, Mike and I, Kurtiss and Michelle, and Mark and Mallory all went to the Haunted Mill. It was so much fun! Michelle, Mallory, and I all screamed like crazy...except I actually think our husbands scared us more than the guys with the scary masks and chain saws. Michelle spent most of the time bear-hugging my back, which was fine with me because at least I knew who was behind me! However, the girls weren't the only ones who got scared. I am not supposed to tell anyone, but I am afraid that I heard Mike scream and felt him jump several, several times. It was so much fun and we are grateful for wonderful friends!!!

On the Open Road

2008-09-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

At the end of our summer in Minneapolis, we packed up our apartment into a million boxes and loaded them into a HUGE U-haul. Mike's parents had planned a great trip for us on the way home. Of course, as most things with Mike go, it was an adventure, filled with many bumps along the road! It all started when Mike and his dad went to pick up the U-haul. 20 minutes after they left I get a panicked phone call saying that Mike cannot pick it up, because of course, his driver's license is expired. He drives hurriedly back to get me and we make it back to the rental place 2 minutes before it closes. We cut it way close! I was supposed to drive it all 2,000 miles back to Rexburg, but I only made it down the street before I pulled over and handed it over to Mike. The next day we left Minneapolis forever and headed out to Nauvoo, Illinois. It was about a 5 hour drive. We took the scenic route along the Mississippi River, planning to see the Davenport Dam. Little did we know what would happen...As we enter Iowa, and head towards the dam, I happen to notice a sign stating that vehicles 11 feet and higher will not fit under the bridge leading to the dam. I point this out to Mike, hoping that he will take the next turn to avoid disaster. He does not. Mike finally notices the sign, but of course it is too late. There is no way to turn around. A police officer drives by and tells Mike that there is NO way he can clear the bridge without leaving the top of the U-haul behind him. Mike panics because he can't turn around, so instead he drives off the curb and ends up in the middle of a park, almost running over an important monument. You would think that the solution would be simple. Back up and turn around. BUT I forgot to tell you that we were pulling a car trailer that we could not back up in. BIG problem. The police officer returns and is VERY angry. Unknown to us, he had blocked traffic so that Mike could turn around. But seeing the Uhaul stuck in the middle of a park was not what he expected. We were quickly joined by a cop from the Illinois side of the river and another one from the Iowa side. My heart almost stopped. As I mentioned above, Mike's drivers license was expired and he was not supposed to be driving the U-haul. I was freaking out and imagining huge fines and maybe even the night in jail Mike would spend when they asked for his license. Would he be charged in the state of Illinois or Iowa or BOTH? Mike, Tom, and his dad were speedy and managed to remove the car from the trailor, unhook the trailor, back up the U-haul, reattach the trailor,and hook the car back on all in about 10 minutes which is all the time the cop would give us before traffic started coming back through again. If you have worked with trailors and Uhauls before, you know that this should have been a world record. Luckily, I charmed the cop and Mike's mom prayed like crazy, and he never asked for Mike's license. And this was just day one of our trip. I have never been so happy to see a hotel before in my life. We spent all of the next day in Nauvoo. It was amazing. In the morning, we went through a session at the Nauvoo temple. It was the most beautiful temple I have ever seen. Walking around the town and visiting the sites was great. I was seeing all the places that I have read about so many times. I will never forget it. The missionaries were all dressed like pioneers and spent the entire time telling us the stories of our heritage. I LOVED it! Probably our most favorite was the gunshop. I never knew that the man who invented the Browning guns was LDS. After visiting Nauvoo, we headed to Carthage, which was an incredibly spiritual experience. From Illinois, we headed to Missouri. We visited Far West, Adam-ondi-Ahman, Independence, and Haun's Mill. Haun's Mill was a great experience. Mike's ancestors lived there and one of them was killed during the Haun's Mill Massacre. Adam-ondi-Ahman is beautiful, and Independence was interesting. We got to go through a tour of the Community of Christ temple (RLDS). It was different. I found it fascinating what happens when a church loses the power of revelation. It made us grateful for a living prophet. We continued our trip through Nebraska so we could visit winter quarters. Of course, our trip couldn't be complete without another Uhaul story. Mike got it stuck in a gas station. It took 5 men to fix that problem! It ended up making us late so that we didn't get to go through a session at the Winter Quarters temple. Somehow we managed to make it through all the rest of Nebraska and Wyoming without any problems. It was a great trip. I learned a lot and my testimony was strengthened. I am so grateful for the pioneers and the sacrifices they made and the testimonies they gave. I am so blessed with a wonderful family, and grateful to have such wonderful in-laws! This trip would never have been possible without them, and we love them so much! But the number one lesson I learned, was to NEVER take a road trip with a Uhaul!!! Just imagine what would have happened if I would have really drove it!

MINNESOTA

2008-09-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

Mike and I had the great opportunity to spend our summer in Minneapolis, Minnesota! Mike sold pest control for the THIRD summer in a row, and let me tell you, he will most definitely NEVER be doing door-to-door sales ever again! I got spoiled and got to play out in our apartment pool several times a week! Minnesota was a fun experience, even if it was very different. It was really green and rained ALL the time. We got to hear what tornado warnings sound like, and even see one! Mike's car still has a few dents in it from some of the golfball sized hail that hit it. It was very exciting! The one thing we could have lived without was definitely all the mosquitoes! If you guys could have seen all the bites Mike got on his legs after working, you would be surprised that anyone told him no to pest control. Everyone we talked to thought that I had a crazy accent and that Mike didn't! I just couldn't figure it out. We fell in love with the houses over there and took lots of pictures so that when we are ready to build our own house we will have some fun ideas. They are way more creative than we are out west! Probably one of our favorite weekends out there was our one in Alexandria. Mike's mission buddy Mike Rose invited us to spend the weekend at his family's lakehouse. It was amazing. We spent the entire time jetskiing, tanning, eating great Mexican food, and just plain relaxing. We also got the opportunity to be permanent summer substitutes for a primary class, which we absolutely loved! We also spent a few days at the end of the summer babysitting for a crazy little boy, which is important to know because he is the reason we will not be having kids anytime soon, just ask Mike about that one! An interesting thing is that Minnesota is where Mike's dad served his mission, so we were able to meet several of his old converts. We even got invited to a burrito eating party at one of their homes and ate the best burritos I have ever had in my life! Brandon and Sara Ritchie left earlier than us, so once we didn't have our intense games of Cities and Knights (which is pretty much how we spent all our free time) anymore, and although we missed them, we actually went out and did some great sight seeing! The end of the summer was by far the best. We floated the Apple River, which is one of the dirtiest experiences of my life (the people were just as bad as the river, just ask Mike and Mike Ramsey about the Apple River and their boob experience)! We got to go on a riverboat tour on the Mississippi River and see the sights of the city from the river (that is where the pic is from) and it was beautiful! We spent a few days at Valley Fair riding rides and going to the waterpark, and even spent a day in Duluth, which is an absolutely gorgeous city. Lake Superior, which is where the pic to the right is from) is absolutely HUGE! I think that everyone should go there at least once in their life! There is so much history there! With all the friends and family we got to spend time with the past couple of months, it was definitely a great experience, one that we will remember always! It makes us excited for what next summer will bring!