Merry Christmas!

Viva La Mexico!

A week and a half after graduation Nic and I had the opportunity to go to Cancun for a WONDERFUL much needed vacation. People thought we were crazy because we had just moved three days prior to leaving, but it's something we needed. I had been very stressed with the move and things that were happening (or not happening??) in our life.

Nic is blessed with a wonderful boss. The trip to Cancun was made possible by him (in 2007 he took us on a Caribbean cruise-so much fun!). Here's a break down of our week:

Tues, 10/19: arrive in Mexico. Enjoy a buffet dinner and Michael Jackson show. I was a little disappointed in the show. It had potential to be AWESOME but it was lacking. All is well.

Weds, 10/20: Hang out at the resort and get acquainted to our surroundings. The water was BEAUTIFUL!!! So blue. So calm. So peaceful.

Thurs, 10/21: Visit Tulum. Visiting the ruins has always been something I wanted to do. Having the opportunity while in Mexico was amazing. I think I need to plan another vacation simply to visit more ruins.

Fri, 10/22: Snorkeling at YaKul. I have never snorkeled before and I LOVED it. I snorkeled a couple of times at the resort and Nic heard this bay was a good spot. It was amazing. We saw some beautiful fish. The only scary part was when we went snorkeling from the bay out into the ocean. The water was choppy and I had no life jacket. Water kept getting in my snorkel and one time when I came up to clear it out I had to put hurry and put it back on because a huge wave was coming. After that I was totally done. I turned around and Nic came swimming after me. I told him I was done and was turning back. Nic had to get the other girl that was with us. The whole time I was swimming back I was trying hard not to freak out and stay calm. I managed to make it back to shore, but that night as I was going to sleep I just kept seeing ocean waves come over me. I told Nic "I don't think I let my body react properly to what happened this afternoon." I did some relaxing breathing, cried, and then I was able to go to sleep. My mom says it's a good thing I didn't break down while I was out there because that could have been really bad.

Sat, 10/23: Xplor-this place was so cool! We got there at 9am and didn't leave until 5pm! We did two zip line courses, an amphibian ride (kind'a like a four wheeler), swimming in caverns and canoeing through caverns. I decided two things while we were there: 1) though I enjoy the water I am prone to freak outs in the water if I can not touch bottom and 2) canoeing is NOT my cup of tea.

Sun, 10/24: Shopping! It got a lot of Christmas gifts down there and I got a way cute purse. I let Nic do all of the negotiating for things and he did pretty well. Though he did make one shop owner mad. The guy was wanting $30 for two purses. Nic got him down to $25. Then he gave the guy $30 and asked for change. It was kind'a funny. But the guys was way upset.

Mon, 10/25: Enjoying our last day in paradise. The water was choppy and there was a warning flag posted to keep people out of the water, but it really wasn't too terrible so we ventured out into it. The cool thing was that we were able to see some sea turtles.

Tues, 10/26: said goodbye. We sported our Bronco gear on the plane ride home and actually got to enjoy some of the game on the plane. I don't think some of the other passengers appreciated us shouting (quietly) and waking them up from their slumber.

Mexico was wonderful and the food was great. Nic and I think that we like being at a resort better than being on a cruise. Though a cruise is nice and you get to go to different locations you feel rushed when you're in port. The resort was nice because we could do everything at our own pace. . . BUT having food available 24hrs is really a great thing. When I got the munchies late at night at the resort I couldn't get any food in my tummy. All is well. Can't wait to see what Dr. Spencer has in store for his staff next trip! Thank you Dr. Spencer.

Graduation

On October 8, 2010 I graduated from Milan with a certificate in Massage Therapy. I LOVED school and the friends I made. The original plan was for me to get my certificate in massage (because it's something I wanted to do since 2002) and then return to BSU to finish my degree in social work. Well, now that's changed. Now I want to return to school and study kinesiology! So, we will see what the next few months and year may bring.

Here are some pictures from the graduation ceremony:

before the ceremony

getting my diploma

"It is what it is." My instructor would say this all the time so a classmate found this shirt for him.

Me & Tammi. We caused trouble in the corner :)

Charma-our clinic director. She is amazing!

Now that I'm done with school I'm running my own business and looking for a Chiropractic or Physical Therapists office to work at. Wish me luck!

We're alive!

We're here and we're still alive. We are in the middle of working, finishing clinic, graduating, packing and moving. I'll probably be offline for a while (again-sorry) but next time we'll have pictures of our new home up.

Trust God and believe in good things to come

After much searching and prayer Nic and I have found a place to live. We are moving to Nampa. Gasp! I know. The one place I did NOT want to move to turns out to be the one place where the Lord needs us.



As soon as we gave notice to our lender of our move out date Nic and I were constantly on craigslist looking for rentals. Driving around the areas we wanted to be, looking for places to rent and there was hardly anything. And if we did find something it was snatched in a second. We did finally find a property in our subdivision and checked it out.



It was a completely different style and way smaller, but we liked it. The only bad thing was the pet deposit-it was insane! I know, I know. Some of you are saying "just get rid of your cats" but after having to step away from our house, the last thing I wanted to do was get rid of my cats (only a pet/animal lover could truly understand this pain). We moved on to the next property. Another house in our subdivision. A little out of our price range but I figured we could make it work. We viewed it and fell in love and there was no additional pet deposit. We filled out an application and went on our merry way. I was filled with some anxiety, but I knew it would be okay. We could make it work. I called the owner the next day because we did have some more questions and we never heard back from her. Frustrated, we continued our search.



After the second disappointment and the deadline looming overhead, I really started becoming frustrated and stressed out. One day while I was looking on craigslist, Nampa came to mind and I quickly pushed the thought to the side. I did NOT want to live out there and I KNEW I would not be happy out there. And I KNEW with the additional distance we wouldn't be able to afford the gas. We found a 3rd property to look at. COMPLETE disappointment. Continued our search. The 4th property seemed like it would be a winner. Went to look at it and it was cute. A lot smaller but it would work for us. The owners were friendly, it was in our price range, and there wasn't an insane pet deposit. It would be sufficient. We filled out an application talked some more with the owners and left. But there was something unsettling in me. Though I knew the deadline was close, I felt as if we were rushing into this house. I shared my feelings about the house with Nic to see if he felt the same but he didn't. I then shared with him the thoughts of Nampa. I told him "I don't know if it keeps coming to mind because I know we can have the size of home that we want for cheaper than Boise or if it's where we're supposed to be." He didn't know either but agreed we could rent a bigger house out there for cheap.



I sat on it for a day and figured what the heck, we might as well just look to see what's out there. Mind you, I did this with 100% attitude. I was not happy about even searching for something in Nampa. Nic got an appointment set up on Sunday and we headed out. The whole drive out I was not a happy camper and mumbled under my breath. A lot. I decided I should say a prayer. As I bowed my head, the sticky note I had kept in my car for the last two weeks caught my attention: "Trust God and believe in good things to come." I told Heavenly Father that I wanted to trust Him. That we wanted to be where He needs us to be. I prayed that if this house was to be where we needed to be that He would give us those comforting feelings. We went inside and it was BEAUTIFUL! I could see us living there. We talked with the property manager and filled out an application. No thoughts or worries of "how are we going to make this work?" crept into my mind. I was at peace. Nic and I got in the car to head back home and he asked me how I felt. I told him that it just felt right and I wasn't filled with any anxieties or worries. At that moment, it felt as if someone was reaching out to me and saying "Thank you. Thank you for trusting me."

This whole journey of finding a place to live has truly been a test of faith and trust for me. At one point I prayed saying: "I know I need to go through this to learn more patience and trust but if you can help speed this up, that would be wonderful." I felt the Lord chuckle. So often in our lives it's easier to do things our way. It's the natural man in us. But how often when we do things our way is the journey filled with bumpy roads and more stress and frustration. All we have to do is put our trust in Him. The Lord will guide us. He will not lead us astray. Though the journey may still be bumpy we know that the Lord is watching us over us.

Featured!

Where? Only the hottest blog on this side of the equator-The R House!

Mrs. R put out a request for guest bloggers. I volunteered and she picked me (and a handful of other wonderful ladies). I truly felt so honored to post on her blog. Here is a link to my guest post.

In the days that followed my post, I got called 'an inspiration', 'amazing' and 'strong'. Words I had honestly never considered myself. I'm so grateful to those ladies, who left those words of encouragement, they had helped me to be stronger.

Thanks for the wonderful opportunity Mrs. R.

Back to school

On February 18th I became a student again. I finally took a stand in my life and did something that I wanted to be doing. Not what other people expected me to do. After six years of talking about it, I decided to return to school for massage therapy. And I am LOVING it!

I'm attending Milan Institute here in town. At first, I was a little reluctant because I hadn't heard too many good things about the the other programs they offered but I decided to go out on a limb and go for it. The beginning was kind of bumpy (my admin rep wasn't very thorough) but as soon as school started it was smooth sailing.

During orientation they were telling us that we would be getting a lot of books. So, I was expecting at least 15-20 books. I mean, we have a lot of medical terminology to learn. Imagine my surprise when I came to class and saw 9 books total. I had to laugh. Especially when my classmates were all like: "They weren't kidding. We got a lot of books." I sent Nic a text saying that 9 books is nothing (for 8 months). I had 9 books for one semester of school.

My goal is to finish with a 4.0 and so far I'm on track. Who wants a massage?

Come what may. . .and LOVE it

There is a blog are frequently stalk, er, I mean check. The blog? The r house (if you read our 'Journey' blog, you've seen me mention Mrs. R before AND a link to her blog). Mrs. R is a HUGE adoption advocate. Her blog alone has changed my perception of open adoption. She's has me thinking of ways to find our birth mother instead of waiting for her to find us. In other words, Mrs. R is AMAZING!


The r house is known for giveaways and I never enter or make mention of them until now. The new giveaway is called: "Come what may and love it." Mrs. R has had a rough last year with her contested adoption (something that truly terrifies me) and her family theme was: Come what may. It's taken a while for me to come into this: "Come what may" attitude. Quitting my job. Adjusting to the new life of quitting my job. Trying to navigate through this adoption process. A lot of this has been heavy burden. I've turned to Nic, who can always bring me back to center (I'm sooooooo grateful for that-I'm prone to freak outs). I've tearfully turned to the Lord. I'm waiting for that twist of fate. For things to fall into place.


I know all things are meant to make us stronger and are for our benefit. But sometimes, it's hard. REALLY hard. I'll be honest, I bounce back and forth between "Come what may" and "I'm really hating this right now." Haha. But I know that the Lord is always by my side and that by and through my faith, I will be able to face anything. Come what may.

In Memory of Max

This is a picture of my younger brother and our boxer Max when we first brought him home. Ricky spent a lot of sleepless nights with Max as he was getting used to his new home. We all loved Max.

Max was a protector. My date for prom snuck into the back yard to ask me and Max started barking up a storm. Somehow (and luckily for my date), Max stopped barking. Max was good with children. He would play with nieces when they were toddlers and never get rough with them. He's understanding of them being smaller was incredible. I loved seeing him leap (like a deer) from the back bushes of our house when we called him. If we dared say the word "walk" he would bolt to the front gate and wait for us. We learned that if Max was in hearing distance we needed to spell W-A-L-K instead of say it. Max had a food dance that he started at the mention of food and happily engage in as his food was brought to him.

As I came home through the years, I could see how much he was aging. Coming home for Christmas and seeing him was the hardest. He was all gray in the face. My dad had said that he could no longer hear (birds and cats would walk right in front of him without care) and the tumors (that Boxers are prone to) had increased significantly. He was longer able to support his body on all fours. His "standing" was more so him putting all of his weight on his hinds legs without completely sitting down. He was skinny. Though he was eating, the tumors were literally sucking the life out of him. My mom and I had gone out shopping one day and Nic called me: "Babe, I came out and looked at Max's tumors and they're really bad. He really needs to be put down. He's suffering." I began crying and told him I didn't want to talk about it. Putting Max down was a discussion no one in the family wanted to have, but I think in the back of our minds we all knew it was time.

Today, my parents put Max down. He was 15 years old, which is the equivalent to 76 years in human years. They took Max to the vet and the doctor said he lived a good life, but it was time. The vet explained to my dad and older brother that even if they were to remove all his tumors, it was no guarantee that all the cancer would be gone. My dad and brother were able to stay with Max right up until they were to begin the procedure.

Farewell Max. We love you and you will never be forgotten.

*Editors Note: I called my younger brother after I posted this blog. He told me that he ended up going (he originally planned on not going. He said it was going to be too hard for him) and sitting with Max in the back of my dad's truck to make sure he didn't jump out. He said Max didn't even consider it. He just rested his head on my brother's shoulder and then Max lay his head in my brothers lap (I didn't say his to my brother, but I think Max knew it was time. He was enjoying the final ride with his best buddy). When they got to the vet, my dad went in and my brother got Max out. Max stood by his side until the vet brought a leash. They were all able to say one final good-bye and then they took him away. Max will truly be missed.

For Posterity

My Grandma 1949:

My Mom 1979:

Me 2005:

My Uncle recently sent me a picture of my Grandma on her wedding day. He commented to me how much my mom looks like her when it was her wedding day. When I got married, my dad told me that I looked just like mom 25 years ago. As you can tell, good genes run in our family :)

Like giving birth. . .

that's what I feel like with this project. It has taken FOREVER to get it EXACTLY the way I want. To get everything formatted. But it's done. So, without further delay:

Click on it. It will take you some where wonderful!

Pooka

I should be working on something else, but I can't concentrate. Instead I'm blogging. About my cat none the less (but I guess this is what you blog about when you don't have any children-haha!). This is Pooka:

Pooka is a calico cat that I've had since Nic and I got engaged. Though she may be "my" cat, Nic has always been her favorite.

Nic is the only person's lap that she (as a kitten) would willing jump into, curl up and fall asleep. When Nic and I were first married (and Pooka was our only cat) she would jump into bed with us and squeeze her way between us. If we didn't budge, she would keep squeezing and squeezing until she got her way. She always wanted to be as close to Nic as possible. One time when Nic came home from work she heard him downstairs (when we lived in an apartment) and ran to the window to see him come up the stairs. Then she ran to the door (because she knew that's where he would be coming from). When Nic didn't come through the door, she ran back to the window, heard him again and meowed. Then she ran to the door. Nic still didn't come in. Back to the window she went, meowed again and this time waited until she saw him walk up the stairs before she ran to the door. I am not making any of this up! She LOVES Nic. She also likes to fetch-yes like a dog does. Nic discovered this when he was playing with her once. He would throw her toy, she would chase after it and bring it back. Then it would repeat. When she was a kitten (and the only cat) she would do this all the time, now it's on her terms. If she wants to play, she will find an object (usually a water bottle cap or the tie around the milk jug) and bring it to your feet (if your seating or standing) or your hands (and nudge them). It's so cute.

If Nic (not so much me) has been gone for a few days, she CRAVES his attention when he gets home. She follows him around until he picks her up and then she cuddles into him. She gets so excited to see and be with him that her nose starts running. We let her sleep in the room with us at night (because she's the queen cat and she needs that extra attention) and around 4 in the AM, she'll start nudging us (mostly me) to let her out. Without fail I will get out of bed, go to the door and call her so she'll go out. She never moves. She just repositions herself on the bed (usually where I got up from). I'll come back to bed defeated and beg Nic to put her out because she won't let me sleep. What does she do? She leaps off the bed when Nic calls her and willingly goes out. Whenever that happens, it is usually followed by "stupid cat" coming from me.

Though she may be full of love for Nic, she has been known to scratch a kid or two that is invading her space. We were baby-sitting our god-daughters one week and I hear the oldest just bawling her head off. I hurry to the crying and I just see blood. Pooka had scratched her face. I asked Nic what happened and he said that he had told our god-daughter to back away from Pooka (because he heard her growl-her warning) and she didn't. The next thing he heard was crying. Our god-daughter since refers to Pooka as the "not nice" kitty. So sad.

So there it is. Our cat Pooka. Full of love and attitude. Oh yeah, she's a guard cat too-but that's a different story, for another time.

Hair Spray Dilema

Since I've quit my job, our income has been cut in half. This is an adjustment that has not been without it's challenges but we're trying our best to make it work. Case in point? Our trip to Wal-Mart yesterday. On the list: hair spray, liquid hand soap and yogurt.


Now, I used to be a salon brat. Going in every four weeks for a trip and six weeks for a cut. Getting my hair colored about every other month. I used the best (salon) products on my hair, even if they cost an arm and a leg. But when we moved into our house, I sacrificed going to the salon as much and stopped using salon products and started using high-end store products. My weapon of choice? Aussie*.


Aussie products smell wonderful and don't leave your hair feeling like it's heavy with product. I love it! I discovered Aussie my senior year of high school and used it through out college and my single days. Going back to Aussie was like going home, it just felt so right :) !


I digress. . .where was I again? Oh, Wal-Mart. Typically at Wal-Mart I would buy this:







This baby cost $4 a pop and it's only 8 oz (though this bottle says 10 oz). Usually I wouldn't even blink at paying that but when you're trying to SAVE money, paying $4 for hair spray seems silly. As I walked by it, I let out a heavy sigh and went to this:




White Rain. $1 for 7 oz. A steal of a deal. But I hate the way my hair feels when I use it and it totally smells like alcohol-gross! As I picked it up off the shelf, I mumbled under my breath: "This sucks!" And my dear hubby looked concerned. He then began to justify why buying the $4 bottle would be okay: 'It will last longer since it has more ounces', 'This a better product', 'It's on sale (which it wasn't)'. This is why I love my husband so dearly, he always trys to make me happy. I couldn't justify buying Aussie-paying $4 more for just ONE ounce just doesn't make sense. So I made the grown up decision and bought White Rain.

We walked out of Wal-Mart only spending $5.07-pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

*I have since learned that Aussie does animal testing on their products and will no longer be using them. Stinky cheese. This is the same reason I stopped using Cover Girl cosmetics.

Young Women Evolution of Dance

I'm now serving as a counselor for the Beehives and I LOVE it! I've been with these girls since they were in Valiant 10's. I love being able to see them grow.

This month we were in charge of our activity and we decided on a talent show. Every youth group was supposed to do a skit (Deacons, Teachers, Priests, Beehives, Mia Maids and Laurels) and the Leader groups (Bishopric, YM Leaders and YW Leaders) and then individuals could sign up. Our Beehives rocked it lip-syncing and dancing to "Once There was a Snowman" by Inside Out . I forgot to record it though-darn! Us YW Leaders busted a move and did evolution of dance it was fun. Check it out:

We're glad everyone had such a good time!

The Best of 2009

. . .I know it's a little late, but better late than never!

7.5 Years

Five years ago today, Nic and I were sealed for time and all eternity. When I stop and think about everything that happened during our relationship prior to getting married, it really makes me realize that the Lord truly intervened in our relationship. Especially from the start.

Nic and I met in July of 2002 (7.5 years ago). At first I thought he was a jerk and I heard that he had a "history" so I decided to "play" him. But after a while I found that I just couldn't do it. He was too nice of a guy. About two months after dating, I decided to heed the counsel of one of my Young Women's advisers that had counseled us (when we began dating) to pray about the boys that we were dating, to know if they were ones we should be dating. While I was praying I got the VERY distinct answer that I could marry Nic. I totally stopped during my prayer. Marriage was the LAST thing that I was thinking about, I was freaked out. How in the world was I supposed to bring this up to a guy that I had been dating only for a couple of months?!

We had a lot of ups and downs during our dating years. Sometimes we would be together, sometimes we wouldn't be. We were much like Ross and Rachel ("We were on a break!"). I think my friends just stopped trying to figure out if we were or weren't together. Even when we weren't together, Nic was still around. He was my best friend.

I'm so grateful for Nic. He is truly my everything. Here is a list of 5 reason I love my hubby:

1) He makes me feel like a queen. He has never spoken to me with a harsh tone-not even when he's upset (which, honestly hardly ever happens). He always treats me with love and respect.

2) He thinks I'm a good cook. I can make anything and he thinks it's the best thing every. I'm not lacking in my culinary skills by any means, but sometimes some things are better than others. But no matter what, it's always: "Thanks babe. That was so good."

3) He encourages me. When I have thought about doing something and had doubts he has been there to tell me that I can do it. He's always letting me know that I can achieve anything I put my mind to.

4) He is affectionate. I love that we can fall asleep cuddled together or just holding hands.

5) His faith and testimony. It seems that no matter what trials have happened in our life, he will be the first one to say: "We have to have faith. The Lord will provide." He's unshakable when hard times fall upon us. He is my rock.

I love you Nicolas Ryan! Here's to another five (or 7.5) years.

'Nuf Said

More to come!

I'm working on a "Year in Review" but I'm totally blogged out for the day. Check back within the next week.

Peace out y'all!

Hair!

Gimme head with hair
Long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming,
Streaming, flaxen, waxen

I am a hair freak! I love changing it. Sticking with one hair-style and color is totally NOT me. My stylist always jokes with me that I change my hair so much that Nic must feel like he gets a new woman every two months, and funny enough that's what Nic often jokes about.

I think it all started back in the summer of '98 when I went to Belgium and came back (to my mom's surprise) with blonde in my hair. I've had long hair, short hair and super short hair. I've had blonde, carmel, and platinum blonde in my hair. Recently I've FINALLY been able to have my hair exactly how I want it. And I think this style and color is here to stay (with some subtle changes of course). Here's the evolution of my hair within the last year(s).

Short and sassy

Rocker look: light to dark-little longer

Blonde and wavy

Blonde with a flip

Not my real hair. Just fun to throw in.

Now, here is what I call my hair liberation and I TOTALLY love it!!! I went red. The picture on top is a vibrant fire engine red AND I got bangs for the first time in a really, really, REALLY long time. At first, I felt like a little girl but they grew on me. I loved the vibrant color but it started fading to pink and a nasty lookin' orangy pink-not what I wanted. So, I had to go back to my stylist and go for a more subtle red (picture on the bottom). I still like it, but I want the "pop" back. Maybe when I'm working again and can afford the upkeep I'll go back. But for now, it will do.

Like I said I LOVE this new color and it's here to stay. Sorry mama, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do :)

The Last 10 years

Since it's the beginning of a new decade, I decided to hit on some of my highlights from the last 10 years. Enjoy!

2000-Moved to Rexburg to attend BYU-Idaho. Though I wasn't too excited about attending a church school, it was the best decision I ever made. Said good-bye to my grandma, Rosario.

2001-Made the decision for the fall semester of '01 to move into a house where I knew NO ONE. It was a little scary and nerve racking at first, but I don't regret it one bit. The girls I met are my very best friends. Laughter and tears we survived it all.

2002-Moved to Boise with the intention of finishing my education. I took a break. . .a very long break. Met a boy (or two or three) but only one truly caught my attention, right babe: ;)

2003-Can you believe I can't think of anything for 2003??? I'm sure it was full of surprises though. It seems my life is NEVER boring.

2004-Got engaged and started planning a wedding.

2005-Got married!

2006-Tried to start a family. Found out it would be harder than anticipated, especially emotionally.

2007-Went on a cruise. It was WONDERFUL!!! Longing to go on another one. Maybe in a few years.

2008-Became homeowners.

2009-Became paper pregnant. Quit my job and made the decision to go back to school.

I can't wait to see what the next 10 years bring us!

The dawn of a new decade

Happy New Year!! Wow, it's crazy to think that 2009 has come and gone. But there are so many new things waiting for Nic and I this year and we are very excited.


We spent New Year's Eve with our friends the Fenns. It was filled with games, food, fun and new friends. We played games right up until 10 minutes before the stroke of midnight. And then we rang in the new year with Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark. It's so sad to see Dick Clark after his stroke. Here are some pictures from our night of ringing in the New Year. Happy New Year everyone!