Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Perfect Pumpkins!

Every year since we've been married, I've made sure that we carve pumpkins together.

I wanted to make sure we start some family traditions of our own.

And every year there seems to be some obstacle in our way (work! and band practice) that trys to stop us, but i'm stubborn! and darn it all--we will carve those pumpkins and watch hocus pocus or clue well after midnight if we have to! (and which we have done!)

Well,  tonight is THE night!

We picked our PERFECT pumpkins out 2 weeks ago on our anniversary.

AND...

This year, we had nothing stopping us! Band practice was canceled and it was so fun. We turned on our movie, I got my witch socks on, and we got carving!



 I love doing fun stuff with Jace. Happy Halloween folks!

Monday, October 29, 2012

the week of...

the migraine.

however, even with the migraines that i've been having, my talk in church went well, my meeting went great, i did my visiting teaching this month, found a dress that i dont hate myself in, and deep cleaned the apartment.

funny side note:

my bishopric has been trying to get me to give a talk for the last 5 months...but every time they asked we legitimately were going to be out of town. however, they really thought i was avoiding them and did not want to give a talk.

the truth? i actually really dont mind talking in church, and i also kind of am good at it.

so yesterday i gave my talk. and in priesthood, our bishop (hes brand new) went up to Jace and said, "these guys have been telling me that your wife was dodging them...and we expected her to give a 3 minute, not so good talk, but MAN! she is a PRO! she totally NAILED IT!"

...

i swear men gossip more than girls.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Can this week be over yet?

LONGEST WEEK EVER!

I have had 3 meetings that I've been in charge of. 
cleaning, calling, preparing, presenting.

and visiting teaching appointments.

and a talk to prepare for Sunday.

last minute hair clients that were super picky.

2 really crappy days at work.

Jace has had a rough week at the bank and has been a little touchy.

and my little brother just called and asked that i get up SUPER early tomorrow on MY DAY OFF to help with his eagle project...

and then my older brother just called and asked me to assist him tomorrow for an hour or 2.


and i'm exhausted. 
whew.



Thursday, October 25, 2012

The dilemma every married person goes through...

Okay.

Growing up...through jr. high...through high school...through college...and after college I have had 2 best friends.

One girl, One guy.

I knew that for the most part, i could call and talk to them about ANYTHING. 

I knew that my guy friend would be there for me AND ALWAYS HAVE MY BACK.

I knew that my girl friend would not hate me when i broke up with a guy and called her at 3 in the morning to cry, or if I left my phone at her house, she would meet me half way (she lived far) THAT NIGHT (even if it WAS 1 am) because shes awesome like that. 

However.

I was the first one engaged.

Jace and I spent alot of time together (naturally). BUT i knew how i'd feel if they found someone and just LEFT me in the dust and forgot about me...so we made HUGE SPECIAL efforts to spend alot of time with them. 

I cared. Their friendship meant the world to me.

Then came my wedding.

They were in my wedding party, my MOH and Best Man (yes, i had a best man) respectively. 

I love them you guys. So much.

And life continues on. School, work, married life, and juggling 2 families were our norm. But we kept trying (albeit not as much as before).

However.

I noticed something. They weren't really trying...like AT ALL. I was confused.

Fast forward.

Guy friend moves across the country. I keep trying to send him texts and facebook messages...and FINALLY he responds to a text. But he never reaches out to me. And then i find out he is in a serious relationship...and he didn't tell me :( ouch.

Girl friend had started dating a someone seriously and I could NOT get her to hang out so i could hear all about him! Finally I met him...ONCE and then they were engaged. Which I found out about on facebook. I've seen the fiance TWICE since then. (3 times---are you kidding me?!) And then they bought a house together and I haven't seen her since. Honestly. I keep inviting them over to hang out, have dinner, play games and they keep bailing. We have lived in 2 different places for the span of 2+ years and they haven't seen either place. I've mentioned that I would love to see her new house and come out and everything...and there has been NO response. Girl friends sister even called me on my ANNIVERSARY and said she was thinking about me, AND then she sent the sweetest card. Why didn't my girl friend care enough to do something like that?

Now girlfriend asked me to be co-matron of honor...and i am so happy to do that. i love her so much, but other than her dress shopping a few months ago, we haven't seen each other. :( and the wedding isn't until next year.

I guess what i'm trying to say is that this is a dilemma for me. I love these people...they truly have been my best friends for the better part of my life...but is it over? Obviously I care in a different way than they do. I just hate to see our close friendship become the "card on birthday/christmas" kind of friendship.


(names were not used on purpose...and if you know who I'm talking about...please be respectful and don't use their names. the writing of this post was for journal purposes.)

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Insane

I hereby label this post as "things that are insane at the moment":

#1. Its the END of October! I wanted to fast forward October, because we have still had some pretty warm weather..."get out of the 100s and high 90s Mesa!" were the words I think I uttered most this month. However now its

#2. Its the END of October! Which means that the holidays are going to be upon us!!! ::squee!!!::

#3. Its the END of October! Which means that the election will be over soon. Can I get a hallelujah? This year especially, I have done my research on candidates, propositions, and the like. But in my humble opinion, was there EVER any real choice about who to elect as our President?? Like we need ANOTHER 4 years like we JUST had. No thank you. Mitt Romney said it best a the end of the 2nd debate, "We do not need to settle."




#4. Its the END of October! Our niece Alyssandra just had her 3rd birthday. SO WEIRD! Jace and I had just gotten home from our honeymoon (basically) when we rushed to the hospital to see the little beauty. Now, shes just as beautiful and a million times more sassy :)




#5. Its the END of October! Which means that our niece Jane will be turning ONE next month. WHERE HAS THIS YEAR GONE?!!?!??!



#6. Its the END of October! Which means that this month marks 6 years since my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and has been "cancer free!" for ONE WHOLE YEAR!





#7. Its the END of October! Which means its just 2 more months until we can change our health insurance so we can get into a fertility specialist!

#8. My little brother can now go on his mission a YEAR early...which means that in just 8 SHORT months...he'll be gone :(









Friday, October 19, 2012

HELP!

Okay. I had the funniest idea for mine and jace's Halloween costumes this year.

BUT I have to make them.

Which wouldn't be a big deal.

Except my SIL Mindy's Halloween party is TOMORROW instead of next Saturday like we thought it was going to be.

And.

I have to work today, then we have a wedding reception to go to.

Then I have to work tomorrow.

Do I have enough time?

If I don't, what are we going to do?!?

Do you have any LAST MINUTE suggestions?!?

help a sister out.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Mundane

Our lives ARE mundane, but thank you everyone who said that they like hearing about even the trivial stuff! I don't write this blog for the comments, but I do appreciate them. So...thanks!

And in going along with this title...

Jace and I are both sick. It started before our anniversary with me...then we went up to the blissfully cool mountains where i passed it along to jace. Now i'm on the mend and he came home from work and has been downing herbal tea and orange juice all night.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE:

I love my fall decorations.

alot.








Tuesday, October 16, 2012

One Way or The Other

I was thinking this morning about bloggers.

Some people do it for a journal--like me.

Some people started out that way and now its also a job.

Some people started a blog to make sure their voice gets heard.


All of us though, i think, struggle with what to write or how to write it.

You see, some people blogs seem PERFECT. The moms houses look wonderful ALL the time in their pictures...there is vacation after vacation, their kids are put together and kind and do what they say, they never seem to have disappointments. Well, we all know that that is not how life tends to work. 



Jace's brother and wife have adopted a little girl (5 years ago) and are in the middle of the process again. All those years ago she had her blog as a way to perspective parents to take a peek into their lives.

But most of the time we blog about the good things in our life...not the nitty-gritty every day stuff. So we go one way or another. I feel like i have a hard time maintaining even ground myself. 

My life is not glamorous by any means. Its not bad by any stretch either! However, i feel like my posts are either "We did this, I finished this craft, I'm happy because...OR its complaining and frustration about the fact that we don't have a baby yet and my dreary mood about how bad i feel."

Most days i'm ON middle ground. But those are the days where i wake up, go to work, come home, clean, maybe read a book or watch some movies, make dinner, hang out with husband doing nothing (poor jace has long days, so vegging out most nights is what he likes to do), going to bed, and starting over.

Most days I'm not crying over every announced pregnancy, I'm not crying because i don't have a baby. I have my roller coaster days where that happens. But most days our lives are not exciting. 

So I don't blog. There is nothing to note of that day in my journal. 

But i'm trying to be better. And its not for anyone other than myself. I'm trying to find the positive in the day or in SOMETHING that makes me smile. And that's not too one way or the other. Its my middle ground. :)



Thursday, October 11, 2012

3 years


This is my 200th post.

I've been saving this post for something special.

and that something special is my anniversary. my 3rd wedding anniversary.
(Monday the 15th...we are going to be up at the cabin ...)

Jace and I were reflecting on our lives since we have known each other. 
and boy, its been a WILD ride.

If by wild, i mean:
3 Moves.
3 Wards to try to fit into.
1 Graduation.
7 New jobs.
1 New car.
20 Months of trying for a baby.
1 Mission. (Jace's parents)
4 moves. (for Jace's side of of the family)
3 Surgeries. (My family)
2 Babies. (Alyssandra and Jane)
2 Babies on the way. (Jamie is having twins)
1 Cruise.
1 Disneyland vacation.
 A few trips to the cabin.
and countless other things that i dont have numbers for...

I've sat and reflected about our life many times...and while we are stumbling and finding our way and working things out to where they are best for our family...we are DOING IT TOGETHER. And i am so very grateful to have my husband by my side. I love Jace so much. 

So, here is to 3 years. Eternity to go babe.


(Oct. 14th 2009--day before wedding)


(December 2009--first Christmas together)


(April 2010--Jeff and Melanie's engagement)


(March 17th 2012--Fountain Hills St. Patty's Day)


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Mommy Weekend

My brother and his wife are out of town for a week.

They are on lake Powell, for a week!,...which would be difficult (and scary!) with a 10 month old who is learning to walk.

I personally would've taken her, but they opted to have family here who were willing to help take care of her.

Jace and I agreed to take Saturday-Monday (jace was home Sunday and i didn't work Monday).

We had so much fun!!! We played so much, and we got to snuggle a lot with a sweet little girl. She wasn't feeling fantastic, which made for a MUCH more cuddly baby.

She was so good natured, and we only had one MINOR meltdown...that is until i took her to Melanie's sisters tonight. Poor thing was so so so sad that i was leaving her! (which made me feel AWFUL, as well as really good because she was going to miss me)

The only "problems" that we had were: she got up much earlier than i'm used to! and that she had such a runny nose that was making her miserable.

My brother, when he asked me, joked that "jace and i wanted a baby...here was some practice!"
And other people kept joking that i was either going to go insane or accidentally kill her.

NOT FUNNY! 

Jace and I are so ready to be a mom and dad, and we did definitely enjoy being parents! Walking into her smiling face and getting slobbery kisses, watching her mimic us fold our arms for prayer and watch her learn how to sign 'more'...it was special.

We sure love our sweet Janie. 


"Aunt Andrea...i get to go to YOUR house?! Is it baby-proof?"



Watching general conference. She was enthralled when the Mormon Tabernacle Choir would sing... 


This was during President Monson's talk.


You cant see it very well, but she was laughing like crazy in this shot!


"Aunt Andrea, I don't have time to look at your camera and give you a smile. I'm busy making messes and reading Uncle Randy's book."


This little sweetie, just waking up on Sunday. She is so adorable!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

October?!

!?!?!

finally!

some things i love about October finally getting here:

1. i have holidays to decorate for, one right after another!

2. the weather has started cooling down...now its only about 100 degrees...

3. once the weather cools off i'll be able to wear my wedding band AS WELL as my engagement ring.

4. our shows have started back up! (NCIS, NCIS LA, New Girl, Once Upon A Time, Castle, Wipeout)

5. we are getting internet this week AT OUR HOUSE. you guys. we havent had internet where we live since before we got married!

6. Jace is done with his banker training today and starts FOR REAL tomorrow!!!

7. General Conference is this weekend and Jace and I are really excited.

8. Our anniversary is in 13 days! 3 years. Holy smokes.

9. Soon we'll be able to sit out on our porch at night and ENJOY...jace can play his guitar to his hearts content while i read a book...

10. This is the start of "Fall"...meaning that the new year is just around the corner (WHAT?!) and that means we can change our insurance and get into a specialist. So exciting!!!