Our little one

No.  Not a pregnancy announcment.

We call our parakeet, Sierra, little one, little girl, our child, etc.  My mom calls her the grand-bird. 

When we got home from Breckenridge, we tried switching her food over to pellets because they're healthier.  We were mixing the new food half-and-half with her old food.  It seemed like she was eating the pellets, so we completely switched her over.  The night we did that was a bad night.

Neal got home that night and when he walked in Sierra tried to jump from the bottom of her cage to her perch, and failed.  Miserably.  She also kept fluffing up like she was super cold and was being SUPER clingy (which, if you've met our bird, you know is weird).  She couldn't fly very well, and her grip was super weak.

Neal called me telling me all of this and I started Googling.  Then I freaked.  I was convinced she was going to die, and I needed to go home right away (having a sick kid is going to be interesting when we have an actual child).  We talked to Neal's cousin Melissa who told us it might be the food, so Neal put some of her old food in her dish and she INHALED it.  The next few days she started getting better and better.

I felt so bad.  We were literally starving her to death, and not even realizing it.  We've been cuddling her and loving her SO much lately because we feel SO bad!  I think she is enjoying it though.  She's been so much easier to handle lately, and she's been super cute!

Sierra being well behaved and sitting on the computer

Apparently the nativity is comfy, and the tree lights are pretty :)

Breckenridge

Neal and I went to Breckenridge for a little RNR the weekend before Thanksgiving.  Between the intense training that I was doing at work, and Neal building a new show, we didn't get to see each other much.  It was so nice to be able to go up there and stay at a beautiful lodge (The Breckenridge Lodge and Spa) and just be together.

We drove up to Breck Sunday night after having a wonderful dinner with the family of one of the kids in our Sunbeam class.  They made us a wonderful pasta dinner, and we sat around the table and laughed with them.  It was wonderful.  We headed up to Breck about 7 pm.  When we got up there it was FREEZING, so we hurried to check in and get to our room.  Our room was an awesome "rustic" mountain suite, complete with flannel chairs and cow hide bar stools.  We also had a fireplace and an AMAZING view out our window (which we didn't see until the following morning).

Our gorgeous view

Monday, we got up late, went to breakfast at the Blue Moose, and wandered around Breck for the day.  We did a lot of shopping, Neal showed me the River Walk Center where he works sometimes, and then we ate dinner at a super cute little restaurant.  We decided to split a calzone, and we were so glad we made that decision when our food came because they were HUGE!!!!  Then we headed back to the hotel, sat in the hottub, and then went back to our room and watched Bones and the new Spiderman :)

Cute little Italian restaurant

This was HALF a calzone!!

The next day we went SNOWBOARDING at Loveland!  It was fun, but it was still early season, so it was crowded and the snow was meh.  My day ended on my fourth run because I ran into a guy accidentally and messed up my knees (I STILL have bruises...a week and a half later).  Neal kept at it though while I hung out in the lodge and took a nap in the car.  We then headed back for dinner and a movie.  We had dinner at an awesome BBQ joint named Moe's BBQ (highly recommend it) and watched Snow White and the Huntsman.  I actually enjoyed the movie, which I wasn't expecting.

On the lift!  The reflection in my goggles is pretty sweet!

Wedensday we headed home.  We stopped in Silverthorne to do some Christmas shopping and to get lunch at Quiznos.  I also made my very first pies that night for Thanksgiving the next day!  They actually turned out really, really well :)

PS.  Did I mention we spent more money at Rocky Mtn Chocolate Factory than anywhere else?  Hahaha

My view on the general American population

****DISCLAIMER**** I realize this does not apply to EVERYONE in the American population.  Therefore, if this ISN'T you, please don't be offended.  This is just my general observation.

I do not like this time every four years dubbed the Presidential Election.  Don't get me wrong.  I am very grateful to live in a country where I have the opportunity and ability to vote.  I am grateful for the men and women who have given their lives to ensure that I have this right and privilege.  What I dislike is the hatred, contention, and stupidity that come out during this time.  I hate the lies, the half truths, and the general fact that I feel like I can't trust what anyone says about politics.  I dislike the fact that I can't watch a TV show or listen to the radio without hearing so-and-so said this but they were lying, or so-and-so says they're going to do this, but they really won't.

Normally I can tune it out, but this year, something that I find very odd and saddening about the commercials and the discussions I've had.  My questions are as follows:

Did the majority of people never take a general economics class?  Or are they just not remembering what was taught in that class?

Majority of what I have heard is that "we" the American people want taxes to be cut.  We believe that a stronger middle class will happen if they do not pay as much in taxes.  Tax the rich!  Their the ones with money!!  Who cares if there are "99%" of us and only "1%" of them!  The government should be able to off-set the money they lose from decreasing taxes from us as long as they increase the rich people's taxes!!!!!  Forget economics...how in the heck does this even logically make sense??  I won't bore you with all my math mumbo jumbo, but this doesn't work.  You cannot expect the government to cut taxes drastically on the "99%" of us "poor people" and raise the taxes on the "1%" of those "rich people" and have them offset.  Basic math.

This leads me to my second point.  I've heard a lot of commercials and people talking about how ridiculous the government's debt is, and how unbelievable it is that the government is spending so much money.  However, we want the government to pay for our higher education, help us buy a house, pay for our health care, and have a good military, among many other things the general population thinks they should pay for or assist with.  I'm sorry, but this doesn't make logical sense to me either.  Decrease how much the government spends, but at the same time, pay for all of the stuff "we" don't want to pay for.  Again, basic math.  You cannot pay for more things, but decrease your output.

Here is where my question about economics comes in.  How can the general population expect the government to decrease taxes and therefore decrease their "income" but then expect them to turn around and pay for all of these things like health care, higher education, etc., and still spend less money?  Its general basic economics that this is impossible.

If this is how the majority of people run their personal financial lives as well, its no wonder debt runs rampant in our society.

My first Time Out for Women

Yesterday my friend Elissa texted me and asked if I wanted to go to Time Out for Women with her in Denver.  She had an extra ticket, and boy am I glad she asked me!  It was SO nice to take a day (that otherwise would have been spent at home by myself since Neal had to work) and literally go have a time out.  A time out from social media, my work email, the house not being clean, and worrying about daily life.  It was so nice to get to know my new friend Elissa better, too!  So many wonderful presentations were given, and Mercy River (my new favorite thing to listen to) did all of the music.

TOFW started at 9 am.  We walked into the room (which was 4 ballrooms put together) and I could just FEEL the strength, power, and faith of the women sitting in that room already.  I'll admit, I even began to cry when I looked out over the crowd at all of the women sitting there with one goal in mind: to somehow come closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We sat down in the fourth row from the front (I know, right?!?) and the day began with a wonderful song from Mercy River.  As I would come to find out throughout the day's events, these women are REAL women, which is part of why I loved them so much.  They are wives and mothers who truly write their songs based on their daily lives and testimonies of the Savior.  I loved hearing their stories, and especially loved hearing the songs that they "re-did" (like "Bye, Bye, Bye" about bed time...HILARIOUS!).

Then the presentations started.  They were as follows: Chris Williams, Sarah Wells and Kate Jones, Anthony Sweat, Julie De Azevedo Hanks, and Laurel Christensen.  Each presenter was so wonderful, and each had something that the Spirit spoke to me about.  In fact, they were all so wonderful that it would probably take over an hour for me to post everything I loved about each of them.  I really have been asking Heavenly Father what things I could be better at lately, and each of these presentations helped me realize an area of my life that needed to be worked on.  The even better part?  I feel empowered and hopeful rather than down and depressed about these things!  I really truly feel like I can and will do them!

One things I do want to post about is something that Julie De Azevedo Hanks, an LDS therapist, challenged us to do.  She talked about how we, as women, need to develop our most authentic selves.  Her equation for this was as follows: Heavenly Father's will + my unique gifts and experiences = my most authentic self.  She also pointed out that it is really hard for us to give ourselves and our will to Heavenly Father if WE don't even have ourselves.  One of the things she said we could do to help with this process is to celebrate the good in ourselves.  She said that many people believe the myth that acknowledging our own strengths is prideful.  The truth is that owning our strengths is humility because we are acknowledging the talents and blessings that God has given us.  Then she challenged us to make a list of 10 strengths AND 10 weaknesses.  She challenged us to go public with them, and truly own them.  So, here it goes.

10 Strengths
1. I have a strong desire to do the things my Heavenly Father has asked me to do through my priesthood leaders.
2. I forgive others easily.
3. I have a beautiful voice that I love using to bring the Spirit into peoples lives.
4. I do really well with small children.  I am able to calm them and help them learn more easily than a lot of people.
5. I find loving other people very easy.  I often find myself thinking about why they make the decisions that they do, and trying to act as Christ would (except for Weakness #1 below).
6. I don't struggle with the temptation to listen to music that offends the Spirit.  I love listening to my "church" playlist any day of the week.
7. I love public speaking, and I think I'm pretty good at it.
8. I can kill, dress, butcher, and grill my own meat.
9. I can get dressed up and act like a lady (as Neal puts it, I can actually look like a girl) but when it's time to get down and dirty to work on cars or go hunting, I am strong and able.
10. I do really well at my job, and always put my best effort into it!

10 Weaknesses
1. I get offended VERY easily when someone seemingly attacks my religion or my family.
2. I am not the best cook.  If we aren't eating grilled meat, we are probably eating 1 of about 5 things.
3. I have a tendency to put my feelings before Neal's when we are arguing.
4. I don't do well inviting people to learn about the Gospel.  I don't mind answering peoples questions, but I won't bring up the subject (probably as a result of #1).
5. I procrastinate.  A lot.  I tend to sit and do things like watch mindless TV rather than things that really should get done.
6. I always say I'm going to do something, and then I either don't do it, or I start the project but don't finish it.
7. I'm really over cautious.
8. I am impatient.  I am ALWAYS trying to hurry my life forward instead of just enjoying the present.
9. I tend to talk a lot about myself and not ask many questions about others (I'm already working on this one...I almost had a friendship ruined because of it).
10. I am not good at doing my visiting teaching...I always think about it and then put it off (see #5).

There.  TA DA!  That was actually harder than I thought it would be.  Now I challenge you to do the same.  It actually feels kind of good!

Hopes for the future

I'm watching a show on BYUtv called "Army of Faith: Inside the MTC."  It makes me think of all of the hopes and dreams I have for my children; all of the excitement I have built up inside of me.  There are many times in primary that I have looked back at the children sitting behind me and seen their testimonies shining through their eyes, and I think to myself, "This is our future...these are right children who are future righteous young men and women who will go on to be missionaries, wives, husbands, and parents," and I start to cry because I feel the joy and hope that comes from that.  I cannot wait until I get to see this light in my own children.  I cannot wait until I get to teach my children about the Gospel and help them begin building their testimonies and learning to love their Lord and Savior.

Our "interesting" day

Saturday was a rather interesting day for us.  It started off going to be at about 1230 am (yes, from Friday night...).  My sister was driving in from Utah and I wanted to see her before we went to bed.  It probably wasn't the SMARTEST idea since Neal and I had to get up at 4:30 am, but I didn't care.  We stayed at my parents house so we didn't have to get up any earlier than that.  We slept on the floor, and well, lets just say neither one of us got very much sleep.

We got up at 4:30 am to go dove hunting about an hour and a half away from my parents house.  We were so tired that neither Neal nor I woke up when my alarm went off at 4:15.  My dad actually had to come wake us up.  We dragged our butts out of bed though and were on our way by about 4:40.  We got all settled in at our spot and waited for the birds to fly in.  We shot like poo the entire day.  Neal was able to shoot his first bird (and therefore his first animal...yay!!!!) and we were very excited about it.

We left hunting at about 10 am because Neal and I were supposed to be at a wedding in Winter Park by 3 pm.  After we had showered and gotten ready at my parents house we started on our way up.  After about 20 minutes in the car I PASSED out.  I was so grateful that Neal was able to sleep a little bit on the way home from hunting...between my allergies and my lack of sleep there was NO way I was going to be able to drive.  Neal woke me up at about Colorado Mills to tell me he just saw a sign saying it would take an HOUR to get to Idaho Springs, and then at least another hour to get to Winter Park.  We looked at the time and realized there was no way we would make it for the ceremony, and that if we did make it for the reception, we would be cutting time uncomfortably close.  Neal had to be to work at 7, and we realized that with how bad traffic was, there was a probability we would not make it back in time.  After discussing it, we decided to invite our friends over for dinner sometime soon and celebrate with them then.

The 2nd best part of the day (next to Neal shooting his first bird) was going home, sitting down on the couch, and passing out until Neal had to leave for work.

I am quickly realizing the importance of sleep...the entire day that day my reaction time was SO slow, and I couldn't have made a decision to save my life.  I think it was Heavenly Father's way of reminding me how important it is to get the sleep I need while working such a high risk/stressful job.  Its something that I hopefully will be able to remember at all times!!!

New Life...sort of

We are doing well!  I started my new job, and I LOVE it.  Getting use to the hours is hard/strange, but Neal's been super helpful and supportive.  We've been super lucky that he's found stuff to do every night so he didn't have to sit at home by himself.

We also love our new home.  We've finally got everything unpacked, set up, and put away.  We are also loving our little bird Sierra (even when she wakes up at 7 am and I went to bed 4 hours before that...).
With our new home came our new ward, which we are also loving.  Everyone is super nice and caring.  We've been called to work in the Primary teaching the Sunbeams.  SUPER fun!

Neal has been working on getting the Candlelight's production of Fiddler On The Roof up and running.  It's a wonderful production that everyone is LOVING!

That's just a quick update on us!

Hallelujah

I am so not good at this whole keeping up with the blog thing.  Especially since starting my new job, life has been cah-ray-zee.  Forty hours a week with what feels like a fire hose of information being shoved down my throat.  I'm exhausted every day when I come home, and I feel like our house has had a bomb of clothes, shoes, dishes, and dust go off.  But, I love each and every minute of training.  I love training and knowing that in a month and a half I will be fully trained to help people in some of the scariest and hardest moments of their lives.  I will again be a part of something that I love.  It's taking an adjustment in family life, but it is so worth it.

Things you wish you knew before you were a mom

Neal and I are not quite to the stage of having children yet, but it is definitely in the near-ish future.  Because I know this, and to keep myself busy, I am trying to find talents to develop that will help me when we do become parents.  So, my question to you, is what do you wish you knew before you were a mom?  What do you wish you would have done differently before you had kids?  What do you wish you had learned how to do before your little one(s) were born?

Thanks :)

Beauty and peace

I'm not one to normally post stuff like this, but I just watched this video and think it is beautiful.  It brought such peace to my heart.

Baby's first bath:
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/04/skip-your-morning-meditation-watch-this-instead/

Today

Today.  Sunday, July 29th.  I am whirling between happy and sad, from one moment to the next. Today was my last Sunday as the CTR 6 teacher.  I looked at all those little faces that I've gotten to know for the last 6 months.  I saw how happy they are, and I can see the changes that have happened since I became their teacher.  I feel and remember the things they have taught me about love and having an eagerness to learn.  Today was our last official day in our current ward, and we got to speak.  Today I found out that my best friend from high school had her little boy, and that everything went well and everyone is healthy.  Today I look around my house and see my house in disarray...half packed, but not really packed.  In a week we will be in our new home, and I will be preparing to start my new job in less than 24 hours.  We are doing and have so much to do this week that I really would rather sit and do nothing.  But unfortunately, we have to do all of these things.  We have to pack, and we are going to leave.  We will all press on...I think.

Want to see a mood swing put into writing?

I promised Neal I wouldn't post anything negative on here tonight, since honestly, I'm in a rather negative mood.

I'm learning that I have a very hard time not becoming offended when someone attacks someone or something I care very much about...and I'm learning there are a lot of those someones or somethings.  I easily become offended and then get defensive and then say hurtful or careless things.  Okay.  I'll work on that.

But seriously, why is everyone so quick to assume they know the whole story?  That their ideas are right, no matter what?  That they know everything there is to know about something, and so there can't be a different side?  Or they're even unwilling to listen to a different side?  Or they're told something about that something that they take to be truth, even though its a completely biased opinion from someone who's had a bad experience, or quite frankly, their "truth" has no validity at all?

I feel like tonight a lot of things that I care about have come up in this manner.  So what did I do?  I got defensive and it put me in a negative mood.

Changing subject.

Neal and I have been very blessed lately.  We've made new friends.  I got the job I wanted.  We were able to be approved for and sign a lease on the condo we wanted, in the ward we wanted, in the stake we wanted.  We've been very blessed financially in this month that I'm not working that we were rather worried about.  We have each other, and that's something I'm very grateful for.  I'm grateful that he listens to me rant, cry, freak out, worry, and be calm.  I'm also grateful for my testimony, and for the faith I have in the Atonement for EVERYBODY...not just people of my religion.  People can change if they are willing to change.  That I have learned so far in my relatively short life here on Earth, and I have seen it.  I am also grateful that I believe in a truly just, understanding, merciful God.  One who in omniscient and therefore sees things I do not see and knows things I do not know.  I am grateful that I truly believe that He judges in a just way, and that everyone, at some point, will answer for things they truly did wrong.  Whether I believe they did wrong or not.  I'm grateful that is NOT my job, and it frustrates me when people think it is their job (if that seems hypocritical and opposite, I was just wondering the same thing as I typed that...)

Look at that.  I'm in a better mood now.  That's right.  You just witnessed a mood swing happen, live, as I was typing.

Good night.

PS.  I didn't write the title until I read the post and thought to myself, "Wow...I hope no one thinks I'm bipolar or something." (Which, was not meant jokingly....bipolarism is a serious thing...seriously.)

Concentration and Anniversary

Since I can't concentrate on the things I really should be doing, I will write a blog post instead!  Productive, right?  Hahaha, ok maybe not, but it will make me feel better.

First of all, my Blogger Dashboard is wigging out.  It says that I'm not following any blogs, which, is a complete lie.  I follow like 30.  It's one of those little annoying things that shouldn't annoy you because, lets face it, it's a total first world problem, but it does anyway.  Then my computer crashed, erasing the long, tedious, project that I've been working on.  Great.

Anyway.

Sorry if this post is a little disjointed.

We went camping the Sunday before Memorial Day and then headed from there to Glenwood Springs (for our anniversary).  We took the scenic route from Estes Park (the Peak to Peak highway) and it was absolutely beautiful.  When we got up there, we checked into the Hotel Colorado, and went and ate some delicious BBQ at Rib City.  Then we went and swam in the hot springs for a few hours.  Then we walked down to Villiage Inn and got some delicious pie.  (Walking back my flip flop broke.  This is of importance because I have had that pair of flip flops for years, and they died.  It was sad.  Even Neal admitted that.)

Funny story about me staying at Hotel Colorado.  I am a little less than obsessed with "haunted" places.  I think its fascinating.  I am okay with most haunted places (with the exception of old insane assylums...they FREAK me out to no end).  So, just before we laid down to go to sleep, I decided to look up what made people believe the Hotel Colorado was haunted, and if there was any validity to it on my fancy new smart phone.  Ya, um, bad idea.  I fell into a very light sleep.  At about 12:45 am (so, like 15 minutes after I had fallen asleep) Neal started wigging out in his sleep.  He kept saying really weird things (which, I'm sure, had I been not half asleep and freaked out by what I had just read, I would have realized that the things he was saying were because he was asleep, not because he was possessed by some spirit in this crazy haunted hotel that we were staying at).  Well, I ended up being in my half-awake, totally freaked out stupor until about 3:00 am.  I kept hearing weird banging noises (which were caused by the guy upstairs taking a shower I finally decided...the plumbing in that place was done in the 40s).  Funny enough, when I finally passed out, I was lulled to sleep by a really strange noise out in our hallway that kept repeating over, and over, and over again.

I woke up the next morning and told Neal about my eventful night.  He looked at me, shook his head, and simply muttered, "I told you so" which, he did, before we went to bed the night previous.

As we were getting ready to head out for the day, Neal received a phone call from his sister, Shauna, telling us his Grandpa Milligan had just passed away.  We had known it was coming for a couple weeks, but none the less, were saddened by the news.  We went and ate breakfast and then headed home to be with Neal's family.

More to continue in the next post...

Quiet moments

I am currently reading a book Neal and I received for Christmas from my grandparents.  It is called "To Draw Closer To God - A Collection of Discourses by Henry B. Eyring."  As I was reading I had a quiet moment where I felt a wonderful feeling of joy and a confirmation that I could not refrain from sharing.  President Eyring says, "Seeking the Spirit can bring you blessings, but seeking to bring it down on someone else also adds the joy of gift giving."

It took a second while I sat back and let it soak in.  I LOVE gift giving, but I guess I had only really thought about giving gifts in a very physical sense, but President Eyring is TOTALLY right.  Praying for other people to have the Spirit to help them throughout the day IS like giving them a gift...a very spiritual one.  One than can help them overcome trials, help keep them safe from danger, and make them happier than a lot of other physical gifts that are given can make them.

It made me so happy :)

One year: already?

On the evening of the 12th, as we were getting ready for bed, I looked at Neal and said, "Tomorrow we'll have been married for one year...weird."  He looked back at me with a sort of quizzical look and then replied, "Wow...that is weird..."  We both agree that it feels like it has been longer than a year, but at the same time, so much shorter.

Yesterday was a wonderful day :)  we received so many well wishes and congratulations for making it through the first year aka "the hardest year."  It was so wonderful to look at each other and think, "hey...this year was awesome, and we're going to have many more awesome years to come." 

So here's to all the awesome years to come!

Certified craziness

The last month has been one word.  CRAZY. 

To start off...I did get a conditional job offer to be a dispatcher with the City of Fort Collins.  I had to pass a drug test, hearing and eye exam, and a psychological exam.  I'm pretty dang sure I passed all of them :)  I should be finding out in the next week or so if/when I start.  I will try and keep it updated on here.  This opens up a LOT of possibilities for Neal and me, and well as opens the avenues for a lot of dreams we've had lately.

Now that that is out of the way.

In my Hunger Games annoyance, I forgot to post about the wonderful trip to Estes Park that Neal and I took.  We LOVE Estes.  It's kind of been our thing since we were dating.  We went to a fabulous pizzeria and had a wonderful dinner.  We also stopped on our way down and Neal showed me one of the climbs they do during the summer :) It really was a rather beautiful little hike!



The climb is behind us

Next came a Rockies game.  Last season we lucked out: we went to a game where they were handing out vouchers for a free game THIS season.  So, we got to go to the Rockies game for free, AND we sat in the pavilion!  It was AWESOME!  We were so close to the out fielders!  It was also kind of entertaining to listen to the hecklers sitting in that area!  Neal ALMOST caught a ball during batting practice (but of course, he didn't listen to me and did not bring his glove...)




Yup.  We were that close.



Excited to be there :)

Next came my birthday, and let me tell you, I got treated like a QUEEN!!!!  Neal spoiled me!  He got me presents that I'm SUPER excited about (The Princess Bride, a Rockies sweatshirt, and the most awesome sheet music anyone could ask for).  He then took me to Red Lobster where we tried crab and lobster.  The crab was delish, and the lobster was pretty good (a little chewy for us...).  We then walked around Old Town for a while.  It was SO much fun!!

I am SO excited about this!

A couple days after my birthday I had the grand priveledge of going to the temple with my friend Reyslla and being her escort.  It had been almost exactly a year since I went for the first time, and seeing her excitement and hearing the things she learned that day was such a great reminder for me about how our attitude about the temple should be.  I am so grateful she gave me this opportunity, and for her friendship!



Reyslla and me

Last, but not least, this week.  Neal finished his finals for this semester and definitely passed all of his classes.  Hallelujah!!  He and Shauna and "the crew" (Colin, Jamie, and Tim) started loading in everything for Marilyn MaCoo and Billy Davis Jr. last night.  Talk about craziness!  They are performing Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and then we go back to our regular shows starting Thursday!



And THIS ladies and gentlemen, is the craziness

Neal and I also went and saw Avengers last night.  Only one phrase can describe this move:  holy freaking movie of awesomeness!  I legit think I just found my new favorite movie!  It was so funny and so cool!  Totally going to see it again while its still in theaters!!!


My trip to the "Motherland"

I hate naming my blog posts.  I always feel like the names I come up with are repetative and totally not creative.  So, this one is untitled.

A couple weeks ago I flew out to Utah.  Morgan, my best friend from high school, was having her baby shower, and I wanted to be there (especially since I couldn't be there for her wedding).  Greatest part?  She had NO idea I was coming!!  Between her husbnad Mike, his sister Sally (who was throwing the baby shower), and my friend Kat, we were able to work everything out.  I showed up at Sally's house, and Kat told Morgan there was a big present for her by the door.  She walked around the corner and saw me and said, "What are you doing here?"  I laughed and we hugged and I'll admit, I cried.  I miss her very much.  A couple days later Kat, Morgan, and I went out for dinner, and then Morgan and I started packing all the baby's stuff for their big move.  We talked and talked, just like we used to.  I miss it, a lot.

Morgan :)

While I was in Utah I stayed with my Aunt Julianne.  She is about 5 1/2 months pregnant (like 2 weeks behind Morgan actually...).  She had an ultrasound while I was there, and it was the COOLEST thing!  I got to see my little cousin before anyone (besides Julianne and Kirk obviously...).  The cutest part is she was trying to suck her little thumb.  SO cute.  Maybe made me a little more baby hungry :)

I also got to see my cousin Hannah and her husband Justin.  Justin and I actually had an awesome bonding experience over the show "Deal or No Deal"...no, seriously.  We sat on the couch while everyone else was looking at all of the baby clothes for our soon-to-be newest little cousin, and watched this show.  We complained about how greedy people can be (the contestant needed like $178,000 for pharmacutical school...she got offered $248,000 and turned it down...she ended up walking with only $98,000 or so).  We also sat and laughed about random things we found on the internet that we found HILARIOUS (such as the website iwastesomuchtime.com...don't let the name fool you...its the most entertaining thing I've ever seen...it should be more like thiswebsitecausesmetowastetime.com...).  I also got to see Hannah and Justin's new apartment.  Very cute :)

After my grandma and I left Hannah and Justin's apartment, we drove around campus a little bit.  My grandma showed me her old dorm, where my mom came home from the hospital to, where she took classes, etc.  It was really fun and really neat to hear those stories from my grandma and to actually SEE all of these places!  I will give BYU one thing...they have an extremely beautiful campus.  I also got to see the MTC and the Provo Temple, both of which are also beautiful.

I also was able to see my sister, Tiffany, for the first time since she moved to Utah.  She just moved into a new apartment (which is AWESOME and a beautiful place).  We went to In N Out.  I went to church with her (which, btw, was very interesting...going to a single's ward again...).   She showed me where she works, and we went shopping :)

Tiffany and me :)

I had such a wonderful time.  I missed Neal very much, but I was still kind of bummed to come home.  It was nice to be out there with family and friends that I miss :)

Hunger Games: Why is it so popular...?

After weeks of refusing, I finally went and saw Hunger Games with Neal.  Long story short, I owed Neal.  So we went to the movie theater, and I sat down and watched the movie with him.

Now, if you love me, and you love Hunger Games, and you don't want to get mad or blah blah blah, stop reading, because I'm about to destroy it.

Back when I was refusing to see the movie/read the books, I was asked MANY times why I was refusing.  My answer was always "it's about children killing children...why would I want that in my head?"  The response would always be the following:  "Ya!  But it's about sticking it to the man, and standing up for your rights..." etc., etc..

Does anyone but me see something wrong with that statement?  Anyone?  Let me explain my thinking. 

Here is a quote from Mary N. Cook in her October 2010 General Conference talk: "We must model that which is virtuous and lovely by our personal media choices. We must take care that the media we invite into our homes does not dull the sensitivity to the Spirit, harm relationships with our family and friends, or reveal personal priorities that are inconsistent with gospel principles."

A quote from M. Russell Ballard in his April 1989 talk titled "The Effects of Television": 'Volumes of research data show the detrimental effects of television, but I just say that television and videocassette viewing by youngsters has a significant impact on their behavior. We must not take lightly the confession of a recently executed killer on the impact pornography and violence in media had on his life. The Apostle Paul warned that men can become “past feeling … [giving] themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” '

A quote from Joe J. Christensen in his October 1996 talk titled "The Savior is Counting On You": It is very unreasonable to suppose that exposure to profanity, nudity, sex, and violence has no negative effects on us. We can’t roll around in the mud without getting dirty."

Ok.  Enough of the quotes.  Does anyone see my point yet?  That YES, the series may be about sticking it to the man, standing up for your rights, etc., but its STILL ABOUT CHILDREN KILLING CHILDREN!!!!!  I bawled through the entire thing!  There were a couple times Neal asked me if I wanted to leave the theater and wait outside, and honestly, I wish I would have said yes...because now I have those scenes engraved in my mind, and I will have to remember them throughout my entire life.  I don't think it's far-fetched to say that watching murder happen (and yes, I mean murder...innocent people were 'killed') dulls our sensitivity to the Spirit, as Sister Cook talked about.  I don't think it's a coincidence that when prophets, apostles, and other people called to preach to us talk about the effects of violence AND sex in the media.  You wouldn't watch (or let your children watch) a movie with an explicit sex scene...so why would you watch explicit violence?

Its definitely not a movie that will be allowed in our house, and we definitely will never see it again.

Babies :) (No, I'm not preggo)

Let me start off by saying that about a gazillion of my friends are either preggo or just had a little one come into their lives in the last year.

With that being said....I am ridiculously, unbelievably, baby hungry.  Neal and I have been talking a bit about kiddos lately, and have come up with a plan.  A plan that made me even more baby hungry.  A plan that if it doesn't pan out, I might cry.  We're coming up on a year of being married.  For some people that's not enough time.  They don't want to throw kids into the mix yet.  But Neal and I were talking last night, and seriously...if the last year was supposed to be the worst year of our marriage (everyone talks about how the first year is the worst) then we are going to have one freaking awesome marriage because really, the last year has been amazing.

We just to get into arguments over having chitlins.  Now we're both pretty comfortable with the idea of it.  Both pretty relaxed.  Hopefully our plan will pan out the way I am praying every day for it to, and we'll be able to be baby crazy instead of baby hungry :)

Making new "friends"

At my new job, in my office, I have a white board.  This white board is right above my computer.  I glance at it a ton.  I got a bunch of magnets for it, only to find out the white board is no longer magnetic.  "So..." I asked myself, "...what in the world am I going to do with this white board?"  Well, I thought and thought, and then remembered that in seminary I used to memorize scriptures by writing them down, and then erasing one word at a time, until I had the whole thing memorized.  The problem?  I only did this my freshman year.  The other three years I "didn't have time" for scripture mastery.  Then it clicked!  I can use this white board (that isn't magnetic anymore) as a tool in memorizing scriptures!  Elder Richard G. Scott spoke in the October 2011 General Conference about the power that comes from memorizing scriptures.  He said they become a friend that cannot be separated by time or distance.  I LOVED this concept, but had forgotten about it until now.  I am excited to start this adventure of making new "friends."  I have memorized Moroni 7:45 and 1 Nephi 3:7 so far, and am currently working on 2 Nephi 2:27.  The greatest part?  It only takes about thirty seconds to glance up, read the scripture once through, and erase a couple words for next time.  I love it :)

We did it!

Guess what?!?  I didn't die on Saturday!  Robin and I both ran the entire 5k in 35ish minutes!  We didn't get any pictures (I know, what the heck, right?) but I was allowed to get new running shoes after the race.  My OLD Asics KILLED my feet, and my knees, AND my hips.  So now I have a lovely pair of pink and gray Under Armor running shoes, and I'm VERY excited.

The other exciting news?  Neal and I are both going to start training for another 5k.  I felt so accomplished and great after the St. Patty's Day race that I now want to do another one, and Neal wants to join me!  He got a new pair of Nike Shox just for the occasion.

Yaya!

Hooray for St. Patty's Day!

Ok, I know.  This is my third post in two days, but I feel like I have a lot to talk about lately.

Today, I remembered something very important.  I remembered that about two months ago I told my sister-in-law I would do a 5k with her on St. Patty's Day.  It seemed like a very long ways away, so I didn't think much of it.  Until today....when I remembered that I'd agreed to do this 5k...which is on Saturday.  Now, to some people this wouldn't be a big deal, but for me, well, I don't exercise much...or at all.  If I do, its like a half an hour of yoga or a couple push ups and sit ups.  Not cardio.  I used to be in GREAT shape (explanation: skinny does not equal in shape).  I ran seven miles in one run once.  Hit a runner's high for the first time and LOVED it. At that point in time, I had a goal: to pass Loveland PD's entrance fitness exam.  I had a reason to be working out (more than just to take care of my body...for some reason I don't find that a huge motivator, which at this point, makes me feel kind of ungrateful to my Heavenly Father for the good working, healthy body I have).  Then I lost my goal because I decided not to go into police work, and well, I stopped exercising at all.  Then I met Neal and life got crazy and took off.

Anyway, back to the present.  The 5k on Saturday.  I forgot until today.  Three days before the race.  So I went for a run today...I walked/ran 1.5 miles and it KILLED me.  I was hacking up a bunch of crap (my lungs were SO not happy), my legs felt like absolute jello, and started to feel dizzy.  Awesome.  Luckily, my sister-in-law said she's going really slow/walking on Saturday.  So, my goal?  At this point to just finish the race: walking, running, crawling, etc.  My next goal?  To be able to do the Turkey Trot (another 5k) in November, and to not die doing it.  Preferably running, but at least not to die.  I have a goal again, and that makes me happy.  (I'm pretty sure it'll make Neal happy, too.  You know, the whole "wife getting hotter" thing...hahaha)

Army vs Marine MMA Fights

My momma sings the National Anthem at all of the MMA fights for the local MMA organizations in Denver.  The event scheduled for Saturday (the 10th) was the Army vs Marine fights.  They were raising money for the Wounded Warrior project, and everyone who fought represented either the Army or the Marines.  For this particular event, Jeff (the guy who is in charge) wanted both the National Anthem and America the Beautiful sung.  My mom thought it would be boring to hear the same person sing two songs in a row, so she invited me to come sing America the Beautiful with her so we could mix it up a bit.  It was really fun, and really nerve-wracking all at the same time.  I haven't sung in front of that many people in a LONG time!!  We were treated to VIP passes for the day and got to eat free burritos and all kinds of other awesome stuff.  It was wonderful to see people come and support the project.  Over $2000 was raised in the four hours we were there.  It was also wonderful to be able to sing a song that was about a country that meant SO much to the people who were there!

Neal and I in our "VIP" spot

Mom and I getting ready to sing

Singing America the Beautiful

Probably the only time I will ever stand inside an MMA cage

So much to do, so little time

It feels like it has been forever since I posted.

I started new jobs a couple weeks ago.  I'm now the Conference Coordinator for Front Range.  It's a part time job, so I'm also serving at the Candlelight a couple nights a week.  The coordinator position at Front Range is really quite enjoyable.  I even have my own office!  According to Neal, I'm a big girl now!  Hahaha. 

Serving is also fun.  I've made quite a few friends in a short amount of time.  I seem to have a nightmare about serving every night after I serve.  I'm still trying to figure out why this is happening...everything can go just fine when I'm actually serving, but when I go to bed I have horriffic visions of everything that could possibly go wrong.  I think Neal finds them rather entertaining when I tell him about them, and they SEEM silly, but when I'm actually dreaming them, they scare the heck outta me!!!!

I have my "Truth-Verification" test tonight for Fort Collins dispatch.  Kind of like a polygraph test.  As long as I pass (which, I don't see why I wouldn't...I didn't lie in my interview) I only have the psych test and the drug test left!  I'm very excited, and we're hoping I get the job so we can discuss other "areas" of our lives ;)

It's that time again at the Candlelight: Tech Week!  So, Neal will be living at the theater (basically) until Saturday.  We got "Anything Goes" tore down last night, and they're putting up Oklahoma! for the rest of the week.  It's sure to be a great show.  I'm grateful this week because I actually have friends to hang out with instead of chilling at home by myself (which generally leads to a fight between Neal and me, as well as mild depression for me).  I'm grateful to the two ladies who've invited me over later this week!

No real big updates on school stuff - Neal's still plugging away at classes this semester, and so far doing really well. 

I found out one of my very good friends is having a little boy.  I am SO excited for her and her husband :)  They will be great parents!  I also found out one of my other friends from high school is having a little girl.  Congrats to him as well :)

Well....I think that's about it for now!  Short and sweet!

I passed!!

I had my oral board review for Fort Collins dispatch center last Friday.  I was very nervous for this interview because this is where I was told "you don't have enough life experience" last time I applied for the position.  On our way back from snowboarding yesterday (Tuesday) I received a phone call from one of the supervisors saying they had decided to continue on with my hiring process!  I am SO excited!  I received a call from the officer who does the integrity interviews today, and I go in Friday for my integrity interview!  I also had an interview with USBank today for a teller position.  The manager who did my interview said she would definitely be contacting me to set up my second interview.  I am so grateful and excited for all the opportunities that have been given to me!

An update on schooling choices

Neal and I have been doing some more research on sound schools lately.  Why?  Because as AWESOME as going to Manchester would have been, we both feel its probably a bit unreasonable.  We would have to prove that we had the funds to pay for not only school, but our all of our living expenses for the 18 months we would be over there before we could even get a student visa.  Add in figuring out how I was going to get over there and stay (legally), we just don't know if its going to happen.

I started poking around some more, and found two other schools that had programs similar to the one in Manchester.  The first was in Minnesota, and similar to the school in Manchester, when Neal graduated he would get a diploma, not an actual degree.  Then I found a forum where a kid had been talking about "Columbia" in Chicago.  After doing some searching, I found the College of Columbia in Chicago.  This is a private arts school that not only offers a sound program, but a BA in Audio Acoustics.  How awesome is that?  We would be able to use financial aid (unlike England), and would be a whole heck of a lot closer to home!

We're still praying about it and discussing it, but both of us feel a bit better about Chicago than Manchester.  We're currently waiting on information from both schools so that we can more effectively make our decisions :)

It seems silly that we're this excited....

Ok.  It seems silly that we're this excited.  You would THINK we were having a kid, right?  But no.  The real reason we're so excited?  We bought a brand new bed frame....for $200.  Did I mention its king size?  And gorgeous?  Yup.  We put it together last night (boy, that was an adventure...I even discovered something that I need to work on in the process of putting the bed together)!  It was super, super fun, and now we feel less "ghetto" because our box springs are actually sitting on more than just the floor :)

Our first holiday season...and some other stuff.

Our first Christmas together was wonderful.  We spent our Christmas Eve with my family at my grandparents house.  We had our traditional Christmas Eve dinner which consisted of meats, cheeses, shrimp, and other finger foods.  The missionaries from my grandparents' ward were there, and they enjoyed the presents that they got.  I was so excited to get the Teachings of Thomas S. Monson book that I have been wanting FOREVER (just ask Neal...I mentioned it everytime we went to Deseret).  I also got a wonderful book by President Eyring.  Neal was excited to get some tools that my grandpa recommended for stage work.  We then took the elders home, and went home and watched a Muppets Christmas Carol (classic) and then opened one present each.  They were presents that we knew about already (I got him a pair of Vans he wanted, and he got me a pair of Reebok Tone-Up shoes).

Christmas Day was also quite fun.  We opened presents just the two of us Christmas morning.  It was quite funny because we both bought coats for each other.  So, Neal now has a new Carhartt work jacket, and I have a new plaid pea coat.  Our "pet possum" Maximus got us the movie Evan Almighty.  Church was absolutely marvelous.  The choir sang beautifully, and Neal's grandma spoke.  She did such a good job!  The spirit of joy was truly there, and you could see it in everyone's faces.  I also had a special moment with a lady in our ward (she gave Neal and me a compliment that absolutely made my heart soar).

After church we went to Neal's parents' house to open our presents from his side of the family.  We were given a lot of emergency prepardness items, which made me happy.  I've really been thinking a lot about food storage and emergency prepardness lately, so the gifts were perfect.  We then had a delicous dinner at Neal's aunt's house.  His uncle made some delightful sweet potatoes, which reminds me that I need to get the recepie for it!  After dinner we went down to my parents' house and enjoyed time with my family, Tommy, and Kayla.  My cousin Josh was on leave for Christmas, and I didn't think I would get to see him, but to my surprise, he was sitting on my parents' couch when I got there!  I was so excited to give my family their gifts, and it definitely seemed like they loved them!  We got all eight Harry Potter movies from my parents, which was super exciting!  Neal got a pair of gators for hunting, I got my traditional Christmas collectable Barbie, and my siblings gave us Iron Man (which we were also very excited about).

On Monday, we were able to hang out with Michael and Taylor Stones!  What a fun, fun, FUN evening!  We talked, played dance games on the Wii (including Michael Jackson...booyah!), ate pizza, and taught their family the game psychiatrist.  While playing the Wii, we discovered that Neal has a hidden talent for Wii dance games!  He and Michael also did this hip-shaking, Shakira dance, to which Taylor and I appropriately cat called.  It was QUITE entertaining.  It was so much fun to hang out with another married couple, and to enjoy playing and goofing around.

On Tuesday, Taylor had her baby shower at the Stones' house.  That was well good.  (PS.  That's not bad grammar...that's a British term).  This past week was the first time Taylor and I were able to actually hang out as friends.  The food was delicious, and I got some WONDERFUL pictures of Taylor.  She's super cute, and I can't wait for her and Michael to be parents.  They will do such a fantastic job.

We also left for our late season hunting trip on Tuesday.  It was kind of strange to just have my dad, my brother, and me up there...usually there are more people than that!  It was hard to be away from Neal for almost six days, but I survived.  This year was the weirdest year hunting-wise I've ever seen.  We didn't even get a shot at an elk.  That NEVER happens.  I have never come back from a late season hunting trip without my tag filled.  I guess Neal and I prayed for what we needed, and we didn't need an elk!  Luckily the deer I shot this year was REALLY big, so we were able to get plenty of meat off of that.

We came back from hunting on New Years Day.  Neal came and picked me up from my parents' house, and after I had showered and other such things, we went to his brother's house.  We had delicious brinner (breakfast and dinner...aka breakfast for dinner).  Robin got these cute little pancake molds for Christmas, and so we made Christmas pancakes (I got the hang of how to use them after about the fifth one).  We then watched Pirates of the Caribbean #4, and got to play with Ben.  Neal looked at me and told me we weren't allowed to have one yet.  Humph.  Hahaha.

Tech week for Anything Goes started at the Candlelight on Monday.  They are doing tech week differently this show, and honestly, I rather like it.  Neal's home at a decent time every night, and he's not as stressed as he usually it.  The set is beautiful, and the cast is amazing.  Quite a lot of talent on one stage!

Ok, now here's the big news.  I had to put it last to get you to read to the end :) hehehe.  Neal and I might be moving to.....*drum roll*....Manchester, England!  That's right!  Back to Neal's mission.  We were searching for sound engineering schools for him on the web, and discovered that he used to walk right by this school!  It is going to be a very exciting and scary road, but we are rather excited!  We're waiting on some information from the school, and after that it will be on to researching visas!  Updates will be posted on here :)