THE RAYMONDS

2011 Photobook

2012-01-11T21:33:00.001-08:00

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BE MY GUEST!

2011-12-26T16:36:00.000-08:00

So remember about 8 months ago how I was all excited about re-doing my guest bedroom? Turns out my summer project turned into a much MUCH longer project than I had intended. Standard. But I'm all about doing things right the FIRST time, so it is what it is. I'm excited to finally get this blogged! I spent alot of time gathering inspirations and following tutorials to get the look we wanted for as little $$$$ as possible (although it still wasn't as cheap as I wanted, things never are these days... that's a blog for another day...) So next time you're in Idaho, we'd love for you to come and be our GUEST!

Remember this beauty??

First we sold everything to get some cash for the new look! And I mean EVERYTHING! Gotta love Craigslist!

And now for some inspiration. I have this lovely blank canvas and a guest room that needed to be created! I found THIS and fell in love with the color scheme. Grey, Yellow, White, and Black it would be. Walls were painted "Fashion Gray" from Home Depot's BEHR brand.

And WHALA!! Here's the final product! I just LOVE how it turned out... sometimes I surprise myself :) So come be my guest and you can stay in my lovely new room!

And now for the BREAKDOWN: Where did I find it, how did I make it, where did I buy it, etc.

FRAME: It just so happens that my neighbors up and left their house one day, and left a big pile of rubble in their driveway with a FREE sign! My favorite! White frame used to be blue... nothing a little $3 spray paint can't fix!

VINYL LETTERING: An inspiration from Hobby Lobby- found the quote there, but it wasn't the right color or size. So I bought my own vinyl using a 40% off coupon from Craft Warefouse and a friend in the ward helped me use her Cricut machine to cut it out perfectly!

VASE: Found on clearance from Graples Home Decor for only $10, what a steal!

FRAME: Already had it :)

HORSES: Don't be jealous, but Jason gave me those while we were dating (a story for another day!) and I've never had a good place to put them until now!

SQUARE FRAMES: These were a MUST HAVE item for me. Don't ask why, I just fell in love with them and had to have them somewhere in my room! Thus, they were one of the splurges in the room... $20 a piece from IKEA. But I love them.

PICTURES: The one on the left was taken by yours truly! Jason took the other two, and we had them printed at Costco for $3 each.

ARMOIRE: Yeah... I'm not gonna go over that again. Read THIS post!

CHAIR: Found this beauty for $6 on craigslist. Had a white seat originally and it was super easy to recover! I mainly needed it for my craft closet right there. That and the corner felt so empty! It fits perfectly though! :)

VASE: This incredible Tulip vase was given to us for our wedding, but it's been sitting in our cupboard since then! I was so excited to be able to display it because I just love it! Flowers and black sand was courtesy of Michaels and a 50% off coupon. $5 bucks.

R: Bought from Hobby Lobby for 0.75 cents and painted for $1.50

SHELVES: Got these beauties for FREE from a Home Decor Swap party! You bring your old (but still in good condition) home decor you don't use anymore and SWAP it! So fun, and so useful! Love them.

LAMP: My sister, Jill, made the mistake of showing me this lamp from Kirklands.com- Needless to say it was another splurge BUT it was a steal of a deal for a lamp! Got it for $30 bucks!

PICTURES & FRAMES: Already had those :)

SIDE TABLE: Okay! I am so excited about this one. I looked ALL OVER for a side table that met my demands and my budget. It did not exsist. So we built one! (Say Whaa?!) Found the blue print and inspiration HERE. It was definately a more tricky build, and Jason and I learned ALOT about what we know and what we don't know about tools, wood, angles, measurements, etc. But it was a fun project to do together and I just LOVE how it turned out! We definately surprised ourselves on this one! Only about $35, not too shabby! Painted it a "Du Jour" White from Lowe's VALSPAR brand.

WHITE PILLOW: This was my in-between General Conferences project last October :) Found my inspiration HERE but wanted it to look more like THIS so I changed it up a bit, and that's what I came up with! I think I spent about $25 on fabric and filling for all the pillows combined in the room. And I have tons of filling left over for future pillows! Yay!

BLACK PILLOW: This just might be my favorite pillow in the room! Made from a T-shirt out of my DI pile! Found the inspiration HERE and used it to cover up a pillow I made in my 8th grade home economics class... believe me when I tell you, you don't want to see what's underneath! :)

WINDOW SEAT: Do you know how expensive foam is? Holy cow! Seriously! I don't know how people sleep at night charging that amount. Luckily for me I didn't have to buy any because there was a large couch cushion laying in my neighbors big pile of rubble! How perfect is that? It wasn't quite the right size- but I cut it and re-shaped to make it work and saved like $25! Go me!

GRAY PILLOWS: Saw pillows at Walmart for $15 similar to these. Couldn't find any tutorials similar so I just kinda made it up... not too crazy about how it turned out but they will do.

YELLOW PILLOW: Do you know how rare yellow pillows are?? I hate looking so hard for something, only to find it for $30+ and that definately wasn't in the budget. I knew I wanted something like THIS and so the yellow pillow is what I ended up with just kinda winging it.

BED SPREAD: Why are they always so dang expensive? All I wanted was for it to be white and simple! Found this one at The Burlington Coat Factory for $80

HEADBOARD: Wow, there are some really ugly headboards out there. I was intending to re-do one from craigslist but saw THIS and knew it had to be built! This was our first major woodworking project, and I think it turned out pretty good! And especially for only $45! This was also painted a "Du Jour" White from Lowe's VALSPAR brand.

1993 Christmas List

2011-12-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

Pay close attention to #4...

PLEEEAASE VOTE FOR ME!!!

2011-09-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

I am in the top 3 to win FREE LASIX! I am so excited, but I need your help! Please take a moment to follow the link below and register to vote for me! If these crazy eyes do anything for me in this life... it'll be to get me free lasix! Thanks so much for your help, and maybe next time I see you... it'll be WITHOUT glasses!! I can't thank you enough! I owe you!

PLEEEAASE VOTE FOR ME!!!!
http://www.1033kissfm.com/pages/landing_contest?contestID=2438

(I have never done this much begging in my life!)

FINALLY!!!

2011-09-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

BEHOLD, THE CHAIR!

Remember this little puppy that I posted about MONTHS ago? Well it is finally done! It's actually been done for a while- everything except the back pillow, and I didn't want to post about it until it was completely finished. And now it is!! WAHOO! So I picked this up on the side of the road back in May... it had a lovely cardboard "FREE" sign on it- Jason was out of town, so
I decided to start a little project! Which actually turned out to be a rather BIG project. But oh well. I think in the end this ended up costing around $80 which was more expensive than I thought it would be, but WAY cheaper than it would be to buy it! So it's a win win.

It took up my parking spot for a while- it was way too dirty and super STINKY, so I didn't take it inside until I was ready to put the new fabric on.

I read numberous blogs, tutorials, and DIY websites to make sure I did it right- but I don't think I could have done it without Jill! She is a DIY diva and I probably called her 100 times to get it right. She even mailed me her staple gun which was AMAZING! I love sisters :)

So this is pretty much what it looked like for a while... I just wanted to be done with it, but it still needed pillows for sure.

TA-DA! The back pillow was probably the most challenging part of the whole project, probably because it didn't have one before and I had to make it up. It turned out okay for a first timer. I'm just so glad to have it finished! (And I'm sure Jason is too! He's such a trooper!) Hooray for make-overs!

Now don't think I forgot to post about my guest bedroom makeover... it's not quite done yet either, but it's getting close!! Here's a little sneek peak! (And no, the headboard is not done in this picture.)

SUMMER UPDATE!

2011-07-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a little update of what we've been up to this summer! I'll let the pictures do the talking!

TEMPLE TRIP WITH THE RAYMONDS.

MY BIRTHDAY DINNER AT TUCANOS WITH GOOD FOOD AND GREAT FRIENDS!

FOURTH OF JULY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

PIONEER TREK AT MARTIN'S COVE!

RAYMOND MINI-REUNION AT COPPER BASIN, CAMPING!

AFTER 4 1/2 YEARS...HE SHAVED IF OFF!!

BOISE MUSIC FESTIVAL- MC HAMMER'S IN THE HIZ-OUSE!

Summer Projects!

2011-06-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

I have been a busy little bee over the last several weeks! This summer I decided our lamo guest bedroom needed a major re-do! Our old guest bedroom was filled with leftovers... miss-matched furniture, ugly bedspread from Jason's college days, random picture frames, and even a "Nothin' Runs Like A Deere" sign that Jason LOVES (incase you didn't know he has a little thing for John Deere... it's a sensitive subject at our house!) You can kinda see it above the window in our "BEFORE" picture:

(hopefully the sign will be going in the garage soon... crossing my fingers...)

So over the past 8 months I have been getting rid of stuff and selling it on craigslist. I sold EVERYTHING I could- I sold the bed, bedspread (not the one pictured), Jason's old stereo, our DVD player (who needs one when you have an xbox?), etc. You get the picture! So the money I got from selling our stuff went into my secret stash (except it wasn't that secret, cause Jason knew about it)- until one day I had enough to start dreaming and designing our new guest bedroom! First thing was first- I wanted to move the guest room from the back room to the front room which was Jason's office. So I kicked him out (nicely) and move everything to the back room- since it was empty from selling everything! Here's the before pictures:

Now, in my "dream guest bedroom" there was a place for me to put all my craft stuff and place for me to DO my crafts and leave a mess until it was complete... and do all of this without Jason complaining about the mess which means it would have to be out of site! So I did a little research and designed my "craft closet" to accomplish all those things and put Jason straight to work!
Then we had to decide on a color for painting! This is always the hardest part for me because it totally sets the tone for your room and I wanted to get it right. So we bought a couple of sample colors and debated for a while- we knew for sure we wanted to paint the ceiling white cause who wants to lay in bed and look at a tan ceiling? Lame.
My finished craft closet! Complete with a desk and plenty of shelving for all my crap! LOVE IT! Jason is such a stud- he even crawled in the attic and installed an outlet in the closet (YES! AN OUTLET INSIDE OF THE CLOSET!) That way I can have my sewing machine set up without anyone having to see it! LOVE IT!
We finally decided on "Fashion Gray" and just a plain flat white for the ceiling. I LOVE the way it turned out!
(Guess what's inside that closet? Hehe! Now you know my secret!)
I have decided that working on a budget is not all that it's cracked up to be. For example, this armoire Jason has had since college and it just screams "sell me!" BUT since it is made of crappy particle board and not a real solid wood I knew we wouldn't be able to get very much for it. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with particle board furniture- this piece is in great condition and pretty sturdy... it's just ugly :)
So I painted it! I have never refinished something with a veneer finish on it, but it is not something I would recommend. It took FOREVER to get the finish off, but I do think it's worth it! I LOVE how it turned out with about 5 layers of "Du Jour" white. SO SO glad that it's finally done!

It's not over yet folks! This bedroom needs a bed! And that part is to be continued... (because i don't have one yet!) But stay tuned for a re-do of THIS baby! It is sitting naked in my garage right now- stripped of all that gross plaid fabric. I just returned from the fabric store and it is going to be FAB-U-LOUS!

Praying for those who need it most

2011-06-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

Incredible story of a family who needs our prayers. Read on...
(this one's for you ERIN!)

http://www.dennyandwendy.blogspot.com

My Official Race Photo!!

2011-05-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

(The official ones always make you look better than you actually do...)

25 pounds and a MARATHON

2011-05-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

I, like most of you, made New Years resolutions at the beginning of the year. They were similar to past years resolutions, but I was determined to make this year different. I was determined to actually DO them! (what a concept- I know!) The thing that really got me going was a competition that Jason and I entered at our gym. It was a couples weight-loss competition and the winners got $2,000 gift certificate to a travel agency! Jason and I REALLY want to go on a cruise, so that was our motivation for the competition. I was so proud of how hard we worked! It was only a 4 week competition and I lost 14 pounds and Jason lost 10! Although we didn't win, I was motivated to keep going and actually get in shape. To give myself even more motivation, I decided to cross something off of my bucket list... and actually register for a full MARATHON!

Today, I completed the Famous Idaho Potato Marathon in Boise- and I have a metal, and a bright yellow shirt with a picture of a potato on it to prove it! My legs have NEVER felt so sore before, but my self esteem has never been so high before! Completed a Marathon? CHECK!! The training for a marathon is very time consuming and you have to be very dedicated, so I'm happy to have a small part of my life back!

Jason is my hero. He drove my friends and I up to the starting line at the crack of dawn and then he raced ahead and met me about every 4-5 miles along the course! When I got tired I would think to myself "Just make it to Jason!" and without fail, he would be there cheering me on and carrying my bag of goodies with him so I didn't have to take a pack on the course. He also made a fantastic photographer! So yes, Jason is my HERO!

Alanya Wyne, ME, and Erin Keller

A picture to prove that we started the course!

A picture to prove that we RAN the course.
(At mile 13- almost half way, and still smiling!) And a picture to prove we finished the course!

I only trained up to 16 miles for this race, so I had no idea how long it would take for me to run a marathon. I guessed about 5-5 1/2 hours. I was pleasantly surprised when I crossed the finish line just under 5 hours at 4:59.34!

I have lost 25 pounds since my new years resolution and I ran a MARATHON.

'NOUGH SAID.

Here's to wishing I lived in Belgium!!

2011-03-09T21:59:00.000-08:00

FOUR YEARS AGO TODAY........

2011-03-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

(I think he enjoyed that one a little too much...)

Strange Encounter

2011-02-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I came back home from Utah, and when I pulled into the neighborhood- there was this 14-15 African-American boy walking into the neighborhood (this was around 7:30 at night and totally dark outside). I didn't think anything of it until I walked inside the house and the doorbell rang -- Jason answered it and this boy was at our door. He was just standing there and Jason asked him who he was, if he was hurt, if he needed help and all he did was stand there looking at the ground- not saying a word. Jason thought maybe he was a special needs kid and summoned me over to help. I introduced myself and tried to shake his hand, which was FREEZING cold. He didn't have a coat on, so I brought him into the house and told Jason to go call the police. At this point he has only said one word, which sounded like "mom", but for all I know it could have been something completely different. And as much as I tried- he would NOT make any kind of eye contact with us- just constantly looking at the ground. We brought him in, sat him on the couch, wrapped him in a blanket, and gave him some food and water.

I thought of our next door neighbors- they usually have teenage foster kids. So I called them, but they said he wasn't theirs. So finally the police arrived and said that someone else had called in that this kid had been on their door- but they closed the door and he left. Then the police found out that another police district was looking for the boy because his family had called in.

The police were told he only spoke only Arabic and his name was Eduardo. But they had an address for his family- which lived in our neighborhood only two streets down! So the police took him home, and hopefully having three cop cars in front of our house won't taint our reputation in the neighborhood!!

What would you have done if a boy like that would have knocked on your door? It's a good thing Jason was home... not sure how comfortable I would have been inviting him in if he wasn't....

Needless to say, it was a STRANGE ENCOUNTER!

Inspirational

2010-12-11T22:48:00.000-08:00

Found this video through my sister... loved it! Thanks Teneill!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/AlphabetPhotography

ODE TO JASON: HUSBAND OF THE YEAR!!!

2010-11-23T16:02:00.000-08:00

"An ode is typically a lyrical verse written in praise of, or dedicated to someone or something which captures the poet's interest or serves as an inspiration" -Wikipedia

I have always loved Jason. Well, maybe not when I first met him (if you know the story...) but you get the idea. :) I have never met someone who makes me so incredibly happy, and has the ability to make my life feel so fulfilled. Sure, our marriage is not by any means perfect- in fact I think this past year has been the most challenging one yet! But Jason knows the secret to my never ending happiness- A secret that not even I know. He seems to use this secret weapon when I least expect it- and then I have to be happy even if I don't want to!

The inspiration for this post came to me last week. Jason was going out of town on Thursday to his parents house in Blackfoot. We are going to be apart for a whole week, until I join him over there tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Before he left, I asked him to write me a little love note so I would have something to read when I came home to an empty house. No, we're not newly weds. And Yes, we've been apart for much longer than a week before. This was not my first time around the "lonely" block. Nevertheless, Jason agreed to my simple request and said he would do it. But when I came home, there was much much more than just a love note...

If you know Jason, he's not so much the mushy love letter type of guy- but rather he shows his love by his actions. When I walked in the house I was greeted by a love letter, as promised, but I was also greeted by countless actions of love from my husband. The first thing I noticed was a little post-it note on a magazine I was reading. Then I saw one on my computer. Another one in the bathroom, on my pillow, and in the fridge. They were all little love notes, reminding me of my incredible husband.

When I found the one in the fridge it said "I didn't want you to eat only cereal while I was gone. Love, Jason" It was sitting on top of a chicken & stuffing casserole he had made for me. Then on the next shelf down there were homemade chicken enchiladas. And on the last shelf was a homemade chicken pot pie. This food was going to last me the whole week, and then some! Jason used to work for a catering company- so he knows his foods and best of all, he knows how to cook them! I have been eating these delicious meals for dinner each night, and even taking them to work with me for lunch! I do love a good bowl of cereal, and probably would have eaten a fair share of it while he was gone- but I am happy to announce that I have only had two bowls, and they were actually for breakfast!!

Jason must have been incredibly busy before he left, because he also painted the bathroom ceiling!! Our walls and ceilings are all the same color. Tan. I've never had a problem with it because our ceilings are 10 feet high. But our guest bedroom and bathroom are the normal 7/8 feet, so the tan color makes them feel a little small. A couple of months ago we painted the ceiling in the bedroom and have taked about doing the bathroom but never got around to it! Well sneeky little Jason got around to it right before he left, and it looks AWESOME!

So ODE TO JASON: HUSBAND OF THE YEAR, for capturing my interest, and being my inspiration. I love you, appriciate you, and am so lucky to have you.

Here's to living happily-ever-after!!

Pioneer Trek Blog!!

2010-10-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

After a month of research and countless hours... I pleased to announce (drumroll please!)

OUR PIONEER TREK BLOG!! Check it out!!

www.livelikeyoubelieve2011.blogspot.com

TA DA!!

bye-bye blondie... HELLO BRUNETTE!!

2010-10-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

I have been brunette for almost a week now, and I have to say... It's starting to grow on me! Here's a blonde and a brunette pic for you to compare and decide for yourself- what do you think?

Facelift

2010-10-04T14:39:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to thank Jill and Teneill... who inspired me to update my blog and KEEP IT GOING! This blog facelift is dedicated to you two :) XOXO

WOMEN'S FITNESS CELEBRATION

2010-10-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

September 25th

The annual Women's Fitness Celebration Race :) I ran it with my friend, Stephanie Geddes- our headbands say "Hot Woman". We got them at the Women's Show Convention the day before- rather fitting, don't you think?

THE DIRTY DASH

2010-10-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

September 18th

A 10K Race, with obstacles every mile... and a big mud pit at the end. I'll let the pictures do the talking:

BEFORE:

DURING:

AFTER:

COMMUNITY SHOWER:

Yeah, most intense race of my life! I couldn't walk straight for a whole week afterwards! Needless to say- YOU MISSED OUT!

Martin's Cove Training Seminar

2010-10-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

September 10th & 11

Jason and I were required to go to a trek training seminar for our ward's pioneer trek next summer. We traveled 10 hours to get to Martin's Cove in Wyoming. This training is mandatory for anyone who wants to have a trek there, and there were about 150 people in our group. It was an incredible weekend! There are 55 senior missionaries serving at the pioneer sites (including the willie site). First of all, they are soo stinkin cute! And second of all, they really know how to bring the spirit. Jason and I were there for a little over 24 hours (we slept in a tent) and it was such a spiritual experience... I felt like I was practically crying the whole time :)

The "Father" spoken of on this plaque is my great-great-great grandfather who was part of the Martin Handcart Company.

Notice how baren the land looks behind us! Leaves nothing to break the wind... except for your own body! The wind was so strong that it broke our tent pole! CRAZY!

Our first day we trekked 6 miles. We went to Dan Jone's Cove, Martin's Cove, Crossed the Sweetwater River (it was freezing!), and did a Women's Pull. All along the way there were missionaries stationed at a "post" waiting for us. They would tell a story or two or tell us different things we could do with our group at that particular spot. The possibilities are endless, and the thing I loved the most- is that Jason and I agreed that whatever we choose to do would be fantastic. Meaning that there are no bad choices! All we feel like we have to do is get everybody there and the rest is taken care of because the spirit that is along the trail will do the rest. It was nice to be able to bounce ideas off of everyone and see what different things they came up with. Needless to say- some of the stress of this calling was relieved! :)

This video is of one of the missionaries who sang for us in Dan Jones cove. She wrote this song, and although I only got a piece of it, you can see how incredible it was! I wish I knew how to play the guitar.....

The missionaries at Martin's Cove were fantastic. They even taught us how to square dance! And if any of you know Jason, you know that that is not an easy task! (love you babe!) They had speaker after speaker teaching us about pioneers and their trek to Salt Lake. I bought a book while I was there called "Tell My Story Too". It is an incredible compilation of stories about the pioneers in the martin and willie handcart companies. It's a BIG book and will take me a while to get through it, but so far so good!

SO GET EXCITED 34th WARD! GET EXCITED!!

NEW CHURCH CALLING!!!

2010-07-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

In 2009 I was the Enrichment Leader for my Relief Society. I was able to get to know many of the women in the ward and I learned alot about that responsibility. It was stressful at times, but overall a good experience!

Then at the begining of 2010 I was released and called to be a Relief Society teacher. A calling I did NOT feel I was worthy of. I always LOVED going to Relief Society because the teachers always did such an incredible job at inviting the spirit to be with us. I felt overwhelmed at the task that was set before me, and asked the Bishop if he was sure he had the right person... he was. I was soooooo nervous for my first lesson! But after I got over that hump, I felt more at ease each time I had to teach. Over the past 7 months, this calling has helped me to invite the spirit more into my life than any other calling has. As I have studied the topics and prayed for guidance to teach my lessons, I have become more and more greatful for the opportunity to have this calling.

In April I was given another calling in addition to being a Relief Society teacher. I was called to be the Young Women's Camp Director! Now this one I knew I could handle... after all, it was going to be my 11th year at Girls Camp!! Camp was held at the begining of June and it was (as always) an incredibly spiritual experience. I will forever LOVE girls camp!

Last Sunday, I was released from both of those callings. And my husband and I got a new calling together as the (are you ready for this??).......... MARTIN'S COVE TREK COORDINATORS!! Our Ward is inviting everyone 12yrs and up to go on a Pioneer Trek in Wyoming (10hrs away) at Martin's Cove next July. I knew our Bishop was wanting to do this, and ever since I found out, I had a feeling that I would be involved somehow. I just never thought that I would be in charge of it! I am so glad to be able to share this responsibility with Jason too, it will be a learning experience for us both I'm sure! I look forward to this next year with much anticipation of what is to come. I have so many mixed emotions about this- I'm stressed, nervous, excited, scared, happy, anxious... but most of all I am humbled at the opportunity to plan this out with everyone from the ward. I will be investing in some knee pads, as I imagine I will find myself praying to my Heavenly Father more than ever before.

I welcome any and all suggestions!!

Our 2009 Photobook!!

2010-05-29T12:23:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

2010-03-04T22:37:00.000-08:00

I realize that I am really behind on my blogging and so I am writing to help you realize that at this point I will not be doing any of that "catching up" stuff. That's for people who actually have time to sit down and spend hours on the computer! (yes HOURS... do you know how far behind I am?)

Just wanted the world to know that I am still alive... just behind :)

Maybe I will post something useful tomorrow... maybe...

FINALLY CAUGHT UP!!

2009-09-18T21:35:00.001-07:00

So I have FINALLY caught up my blog to my life! You are no longer behind! Wow, what a relief! And yes I know it would be easier if I just kept it current, but who wants to read about my Fourth of July adventures when they're reading about everyone else's? You see, by waiting a couple of months to blog about all of my summer adventures, I have made my life seem much more interesting! :)

THERE'S TONS TO CATCH UP ON... SO HAPPY READING!!!!

FRONT ENTRYWAY

2009-09-13T19:26:00.001-07:00

This is my newest addition to my house decor. I totally LOVE it! I bought the vase a couple of months ago and waited until I went down to Utah so that my amazing friend Crystal could help me arrange the flowers! Like I said before- she is so talented! (see the "Andie Got Hitched" post for more references on her amazing talent!) THANK YOU CRYSTAL!! I LOVE IT!!

POTATO DIGGIN'

2009-09-13T19:21:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, September 8th- Thursday, September 10th

I will now educate you all on the process of harvesting potatoes...

STEP ONE: Learn how to drive a John Deere Tractor (and I learned very quickly that if you even mention the name of another tractor, they practically put soap in your mouth for saying a dirty word!)

(LOOK!!! THEY LET ME DRIVE!!)

STEP TWO: Dig up the potatoes (this is easy, huh?)

STEP THREE: Pick up the potatoes off the ground and put them in a truck that is sent directly to the grocery store! (kinda...)

THE END!! WE CAN NOW FEED THE NATION THEIR POTATOES!!!! GOOOOOO IDAHO!!! (Now wasn't that easy?? And very fast too!! Who knew?! Only three steps- and BAM, the potatoes are in your local grocery store! Thank you IDAHO!)

And when you get sick of digging up potatoes, just can just sit and relax in the cab of the air-conditioned tractor, while the men do their manly tractor fixes!

Jason and his dad worked on this dang broken down... tractor-pull-along, thingy... for HOURS!!

Man, I make the best Idahoan E-V-E-R!!

THE FAIR

2009-09-13T19:17:00.001-07:00

Well I did it!! I went to two official Idaho fairs!! I am now considered a true Idahoan! First we went to the Western one here in Boise, and then when we went to visit the potato diggers, we went to the Eastern one!! I had so much fun just looking around and taking it all in... these things are BIG deals around here! The coolest thing we saw was a bare-back horse race- how do you not fall off without a saddle?? They must have thighs of steal baby!! It looked scary though!

OH YEAH BABY!! I TOOK THE BULL BY THE HORNS!!!! THAT THING WASN'T GOIN ANYWHERE!! HEHEHE

Jason and his precious John Deere tractors.

This was just a weirdo animal- I think it was a little confused about what it was supposed to be: it had horns like a bull, and a hump like a camel!! I would be confused too!!

FAMILY PICTURES

2009-09-13T18:51:00.001-07:00

Sunday August 9th

The last day of our Knight Family Reunion, we went and took some family pics. My Uncle Roger is a FANTASTIC photographer and he took the real pics- but here are some off of my camera!! We only had the original Vande Merwe girls there, so no in-laws or babies! It was just like old times to dress all alike and try to smile pretty for the camera... even when you don't want to!! :)

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves................

KNIGHT REUNION

2009-09-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Friday August 7th- Sunday, August 9th

One week after the Vande Merwe reunion, we had a Knight reunion! We haven't been all together since my Grandma Knight's funeral. It was so fun to be with everyone and catch up! Even though it's been a couple years since we were together- no one skipped a beat! It was just like old times- the only thing we were missing was Bowdish Road! I love these guys!!

Yeah my sisters love me...

Curtis, Pam, Bonnie, Mom, JC, Caleb, Me, Haley, and Sierra

Gotta love it!!

Cute little Mia!!

DOIN' THE BABY DANCE- YEAH!!!

Saturday Morning we went and did a session in the Temple. It was so perfect!Saturday afternoon we piled as many people in the truck as we could, and drove up the Utah mountains to the tippy-top of Mount Bountiful!!

It was a gorgeous view from the top!

Group Picture!

I rode that truck like the bull that it was, on the way back down the mountain!

Can you tell how cozy we were? Good thing we were all cousins!! There was not too much leg room back there!!

The birth control center!!

MOTAB BABY!!

Haley, Sierra, and I at the Sunday morning "Music and The Spoken Word" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Our cousins picture before people had to start leaving. Saying goodbye is just no fun!!

I MISS YOU ALL!!! COME AND VISIT ME IN BOISE!!!!!!!!

VANDEMERWE REUNION

2009-09-13T18:02:00.001-07:00

Thursday, July 30th- Sunday August 1st

Our family reunion was held at the East Canyon Resort in Utah. I couldn't make it down until Friday, but it looked like everyone was having loads of fun!! The theme was the Olympics, and with the Marchants in charge you know there was lots and lots of games to be played!!

Our team at the closing ceremonies.

Grandpa is famous for his stories- can you guess what this one is about?

Thanks to mom and dad's generosity- we were about to go on a horse back ride on the most beautiful trail in the mountains!! In this picture is: Corban, Sierra, Mom, and Teneill

High On The Mountain Top!!

Corban, Sierra, and Teneill- you can see Park City ski slopes in the background!

Me, Mom, Teneill, Sierra, and Chelsea

SISTAS! (minus 2)

East Canyon Lake- Love it!

This lovely bird was just outside the sliding door on the back padio! It was cool to watch her feed her babies!!

SIERRA'S VISIT!!

2009-09-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday July 25- Tuesday, July 28th

Sierra went to EFY in Utah, so I was able to pick her up on my way home from Andie's wedding. It was so fun to have her come and visit! We did so many things- it was non-stop AWESOMENESS!!!

We stopped at the Malad Gorge- the freeway goes right over this thing (you can kinda see it in the background) You'd miss it if you didn't know it was there!!

You can't see this big crater until you're practically right next to it because it's so flat. Sierra had no idea what we were going to see, until we were right over it!!

Jason's job was having an open house- allowing people to swim in the club house pool. You can see how busy it is!! It was nice to have it all to ourselves... ahhhhhhhhhhhh

Monday morning, Sierra and I went to a Zumba class at my gym (obviously I wasn't going to put a nasty sweaty picture of us on here). And then we went white water rafting!! (we're the two in the front of the raft) It was very exciting- and Sierra even rode the bull through one of the rapids!! She is my HERO!!

Come again soon Sierra!! I miss you!!

ANDIE GOT HITCHED!!

2009-09-13T17:35:00.001-07:00

Thursday, July 23rd

ANDIE ROBINSON GOT MARRIED!! WAHOO!! Andie is my good friend from Cincinnati, and I wouldn't have missed her wedding for anything! She got married in the Salt Lake City Temple to Trevor Seal on the most beautiful day EVER!! The weather was fantastic! Crystal Lyman let me stay with her- she was in charge of all the flowers and center pieces, which were BEAUTIFUL!! Here are some pics from that fabulous day:

Crystal and I, waiting for the newlyweds to come out!

And when they did... Andie was on CLOUD NINE BABY!!

(can't you just see it?!)

The gorgeous bride bouquet that Crystal made- isn't she talented?!

Andie's mom was my Laurel Advisor in Young Womens, and her dad was my Bishop!! I was practically surrounded by the Robinsons growing up... but they rock, so I didn't mind :)

Andie and Trevor were "workin it" the whole day!! Oh yeah, you go girl!!!

So there's this picture from about 10 years ago of the three of us making this face... fast forward and we haven't changed a bit!!

Technically I guess Trevor should be the one under the veil... what can I say though- we wanted to take a cool picture and it ended up being corny! HAHA!

Yeah I know- Trevor should be the one holding Andie's leg too, but Crystal and I just couldn't get enough! ;)

By the way- I am in LOVE with Andie's dress!!!!! She looked so stunning!!

The Cincinnati guest table- way to represent!

And of course the car- don't worry, I held back everything I really wanted to do!! Boy were you lucky Andie!! Sorry about the mannequin in the back seat... I didn't know Trevor's brother was going to be in the car with you guys!!

CAMPING- BOYS ONLY!!!

2009-09-13T17:21:00.001-07:00

Thursday July 9th- Saturday, July 11th

Every year, all the boys on Jason's side of the family go on a camping adventure- and no matter how many times I beg or how different I ask, the answer is the same- NO GIRLS ALLOWED!! I don't know if they think I could hack it or what, but one of these years I'll get in! :)

So this year they went camping around the Livingston Mine in Central Idaho. I think they just try to pick the most random, desolate location they can, drive into the mountains and camp when they reach a flat spot. Sounds exhilarating, I know!

From the left: Ryan Raymond, Ryan Richards, Ron, Tate, Jason, and Jared

The steep climb.

Yup- still steep!

Family pic

Jason wishes he was TARZAN.

Apparently when you camp in the middle of no where- there is no dress code! :)

A view from the top of the hike- BEAUTIFUL!

FOURTH OF JULY!!

2009-09-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

For the fourth of July, we went over to my sister-in laws, sister's house. (did you get that?) We had a blast! There was a delicious barbeque and TONS of food! Plus we put on our very own and very LEGAL fireworks show!! Gotta love those shooting fountains!!

Don't ask me how they played flag football on totally FULL stomaches! See Jason's harsh competition? It was an INTENSE game!! :)

STUD.

While the guys were playig flag football- the rest of us played WACKEE 7. But it was just as much- if not more- of a workout!! With some hard core concentration baby!

Braden, Jared, and Joy- my inspiration for matching Fourth of July shirts!

YAY FOR HOLIDAYS!!

THE TRUE FACES OF A RAYMOND :)

2009-07-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

(now you know the real reason why jason & i haven't had kids yet... we fear what they will look like with those raymond jeans in his blood!!!)

GIRLS CAMP!!

2009-07-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

June 15-19

This was my 10th year going to girls camp!! Man, that makes me feel old! So this year I went as the nurse and had a blast! Luckily nothing huge happened that I couldn't handle :) It was a week filled with bugs, no showers, mosquitoes, stinky outhouses, and I kid you not- nearly 3/4 of the girls were on there period that week! HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN??? We kept running out of "supplies" and spent about $115 total buying pads!!! Anyways, lets just say I gave out a TON of midol! Here's some pics...

As always, the week started with "THE RUNNING OF THE COWS" (Idaho style!) where this HUGE herd of cows gets moved up the mountain and goes right by our camp! This video gives you an idea of how loud they are- and I totally learned something new... cows CAN run! Every time I drive by a field of cows they look so lazy! But look at them MOOOOOVE! I totally under-estimated them!

Our theme this year was "Sweet is the Work" (Hence the candy-land background) Every ward was assigned a different candy as their mascot/theme. So being the nurse, it only made sense that I was a LIFESAVER!! (Hence my awesome outfit). As the nurse, during the opening ceremonies- I have to go over a couple of ground rules to keep everyone safe... so I decided to make a rap song! It pretty much rocked- you'll have to call me if you wanna hear it :)

Amy*Brook*Karrie*Lacy

These were our incredible Stake Camp Directors! And they were lucky enough to be my roomies for the week! We had WAY too much fun together!

I had to teach a first-aid class that included CPR. So this was my dummy! I had all the girls make one so they had something they could actually practice on.

Me and my mad skills teach first-aid.

One of the girls (Taylor) doing CPR compressions... she saved a life!

The night activity committee put a lot of hard work into making this temple. This picture, we were putting the last finishing touches on it. It was located in the very back of the campground where the girls were not allowed to go. And it was saved for the very last night during the faith walk which was at night time.

(Peaking inside the windows of the temple... hehehe)

THE FINISHED PRODUCT!! Looks just like the real thing huh? Talk about going the extra mile! The whole faith walk was about going to the temple. There were 4 stations with different speakers that everyone went to that talked about different aspects of getting to the temple: repentance, having high standards, listening to the holy ghost, and preparing to go to the temple. After those, they walked down a path holding candles and passed through a lighted archway where their Bishop was standing and he would hand them their temple recommend. Then down at the end of the path was our replica of the Salt Lake Temple! It was an incredible night, and everyone could feel the spirit so strongly. What a way to end the week!

CAMPING... IDAHO STYLE!!

2009-06-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

June 5th-8th

So this year for my birthday, I wanted to go camping a break in our new tent! So we planned for this mini-vacation for about a month, drove around for about 5 hours, and we ended up in the Boise National Forest! There were SOOOOO many pictures, I tried to narrow it down but there's still quite a few! So enjoy, and be jealous that you didn't get to come! :)

This is our little camp ground- right next to the Payette River! It was so beautiful!

Jason, relaxing by the soon to be fire!

We took a TON of scenery photos, everywhere we turned there was another beautiful shot! This one is my favorite!

JASON- KING OF THE ROCK!

This was my birthday banana! You slice the banana down the middle and take a long chunk out... then you fill the hole with chocolate chips and marshmellows! Wrap it up in tinfoil and throw it in the fire for 3-5 minutes. DELICIOUS!!!

Our tent totally passed the test... I was so roomy that it fit our queen sized, double decker, air-mattress, AND all of our stuff, AND these two chairs AND a table! PLUS there was plenty of room to still walk around! Amazing! I know!

Jason made the MOST delicious breakfast burritos! They were so filling that we skipped lunch and didn't even know it! Yum! Yum!

I have decided that this is where my final resting place will be. All alone, in the middle of an awesome forest... on a rock. :)

Jason found another rock to be KING of!

This was a neat hot spring coming out of the mountain into several different pools that someone had built up! We would have totally gone in it if you didn't have to cross the freezing river to get to them. But we did see other people in them, and pretended it was us!

Blowing out my birthday candle... I mean birthday stick... Don't worry- I still made a wish!

Proving my love to Jason, by writing it in ashes on a rock! Now THAT is love baby!

ODE TO CHELSEA... WOMAN OF THE YEAR!

2009-06-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

May 29th- May 31st

Jason and I made a trip down to Utah to spend some quality time with my sister Chelsea. She pretty much rocks, so we went down to see what we could learn from her awesomeness.

Then on Sunday, Teneill and Corban came over for an incredibly delicious dinner that Chelsea risked her life to make (seriously we had BBQ chicken and the wasps had made a nest inside the grill! I know, right? AWESOMENESS!) Here are some pics from the mini-trip...

Cheslea... in all her GLORY!

(let me remind you - this pic was taken AFTER her battle with the wasps! How does she do it? GRACE! CLASS! and a little bit of SASS!)

I can only pray that I can become 1/2 the woman she is one day.

Sistas

GUESS WHAT?? Teneill's pregnant!

(Isn't she a cute prego?!)

And they remembered my day of birth! So tender- I got to celebrate all week long! and this is what started it all! Thanks guys!

Let me explain myself...

2009-06-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

I feel the need to explain all these late posts...

Well, every year Jason and I make a book that basically highlights the past year with all our pictures and stories in it. It's my crative way of doing our family history! And besides- remember when we all had polaroid cameras with millions of photo albums filled with pictures to look at? Well now that everything is digital it's like- cool, I'm taking all these amazing pictures to download to my hard drive and let them sit there... and sit there... and sit there... and maybe get uploaded to facebook... and sit there... and maybe get uploaded to my blog... and sit there... YOU GET THE IDEA. So these books we make are a really fun project. We order them off of either shutterfly or blurb (check it out! www.shutterfly.com or www.blurb.com )

Ok back to the point of this post- so the reason for all my late posts is because when my year is up and it's time to make a book again, I decided it is SOOOO much easier to just copy and paste from my blog than so try and remember the whole last year and all of the things we did.

So there you have it. I will probably ALWAYS have late posts because I have a hard time sitting down and updating for just one event. (as you can see)

And no- this post will not be copied and pasted into my book :) incase you were wondering!
(and who knows... maybe i'll even start copying and pasting the comments that are left! but not very likely...)

TRIP TO PHEONIX!!

2009-06-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

May 16th- May 19th

Just another late post...

I took a little trip to Pheonix, Arizona to go visit my sister Jill and her cute little family. I had the best time! Her kids are so entertaining, I was happy just sitting there observing! We did lots of fun things and the time passed by WAY too fast! But that's okay because, that means that now it's time for her to come visit me! (HINT, HINT!!) Here are some pics of the trip.....

Crazy, but cute, little Abby... you gotta love her!

We went to the children's museum one day- but I think the adults had just as much fun! This is Jill and I in the swimming-noodle forest. (Or at least that's what I call it!) They had a million of these swimming-noodles hanging from the ceiling that you could walk/run through! It was so fun.. but also kinda dangerous for kids- it's hard to watch where you're going! Let's just say I tried not to plow too many kids over :)

Jill and Parker
(Jill is the cutest mom ever by the way!)

Soakin up some arizona heat, by the pool. ahhhh...

Abby and Mia! You hav no idea how many pictures it took to get one of Abby actually smiling and not making a funny face! (see above) She's quite the entertainer!

Jon at the Children's Museum... These little mobile thingy's are alot harder than they look! You're suppsed to run on those top wheels and it turns the bottom wheels, and thus moves you forward. Kind complicated to explain, but i tried!

I"M A BLONDIE!!!

2009-06-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

After much contemplation... I went blonde! Yea, yea I've always been blonde, but I threw some darker colors in there for the winter and now I'm back to blonde and I'm loving every minute of it! I'm pretty sure I'll be staying this way for a LOOOONNG time! Here's a pic of my new do!

(And yes I know the 80's are over, but I will always wear overall's! No matter how much my husband makes fun of me!)

SUSAN G. KOMEN: RACE FOR THE CURE!!

2009-06-09T21:15:00.000-07:00

May 9, 2009

Yes I know I'm a little slow getting these posts out- but better late than never!

So my friend Melissa and I trained and ran the Susan G. Komen, Race for the Cure. It was a 5K, which is just right for me :) It was so, so, so much fun! There were 13,000 participants, and when the starting gun went off it was so crowded that we seriously couldn't even start to run till like 1/4 mile into the race! Not only that, but almost half way through it- this guy in front of me dropped to the ground and had a seizure! (yeah he was like 19-20 years old too!) My nurse instincts made me stop and help, along with an ER doctor that was running the race and some other people. Eventually there was so many people to help, they really didn't need me so I just kept on running :) I didn't want to mess up my time too bad! So much for setting a record, maybe next time! The breast cancer awareness and theme was so overwhelming- everyone who was a breast cancer fighter/survivor got a pink t-shirt, and a medal when they crossed the finish line. There were lots of people who had made shirts that said "In memory of..." or "In celebration of..." and there were WAY more pink shirts than I would have ever imagined! You just never know who is struggling with something like that, but when they stand out and you all are able to fight together to find a cure, you just feel... united.

They did group Jazzercise to warm everyone up before the race, it was HILARIOUS!! But so much fun at the same time!

The HUGE crowd at the starting line- see what I mean about the not being able to run part? Those people go on forever!
Melissa and I after we crossed the finish line! She was running to support her mother who has breast cancer, and she made a shirt with her mom's picture and it says "I love you mom!" on it! She rocks.

Community Garden

2009-06-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

This year our Stake has put together a Community Garden. They had a couple acres of land that wasn't being used, and they had a couple of acres donated for use. This project is HUGE. Jason and I have been put in charge of a small square foot garden to demonstrate how a garden can be managed at your own home in a smaller space. It has been alot of hard work, but has been a fun project to do together. This is my first attempt at a garden, but Jason (growing up in Idaho and all) is practically a pro! It's been fun to see the community come together and work on this garden- everyone is supposed to keep track of their own hours (using the honesty system ofcourse) and then when the fruits of our labor (or vegetables rather) start to sprout they will distribute the food according to the work you put into it. In other words, free food for your work! Being in Idaho, it has been easy to get tractors, compost, and even seeds donated from farming companies- the generosity of people has been so incredible! I'm pretty sure a project like this would never happen in Cincy...

Picture taken: 4/27... There has been MUCH growth since then! I'll have to take more pics!

Teneill's Baby Shower!

2009-04-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

Well Teneill's little fetus is growing in her little belly, and her little baby is comming soon! These are pictures from our celebration that it was her a NOT me!! :) Happy Baby Shower Teneill!

Chelsea, Me, Teneill, Haley, and Jill

(WE MISSED YOU SIERRA!!!!!!!!!!!)

If anyone needs cupcakes decorated, you should hire Jill, Haley, Chelsea, and I... We make a KILLER team! Don't you think?!

Cute little Mia! (Jill's newest addition)

Jill, Chelsea, Me, and Teneill

Saying our SAD, SAD good-bye's!

And this picture explains why it is Teneill who is pregnant, and not me!!

THE END!!!

OUR NEW TENT!!

2009-04-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

Jason and I have been looking for the PERFECT tent for quite some time now... and we finally found it! (We hope!)

We decided to set it up in our living room to make sure it really was PERFECT :)

Jason's ONE requirement was that he had to be able to stand up straight in it. That's alot harder than it sounds- he's 6'4!!! But luckily this tent is 7'2 at the center! Talk about head clearance!!

The bubble that took over our living room! We almost couldn't fit it! My one requirement was that I wanted it to be able to COMFORTABLY fit our queen sized air mattress. Well this tent is 16 feet X 14 feet... I think we accomplished that one!

When you take off the outer cover, it's like a big screened-in room! I love that! (Notice The Biggest Loser is on in the background! Love that show!)

Inside the tent... Celebrating our awesome find! And it was on SALE too! How sweet is that!

MAD-HATTER-RELAY

2009-03-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law, Joy, and I ran in a small fun run together! It was a relay where teams had to wear a hat and pass it off as if it was the baton. They were giving out prizes for the best hat and since we knew we wouldn't get first place in the race- we decided to get first place in the best hat category! AND WE DID! It was a fun race! It was: 2 miles x 2 miles x 2 miles x 2 miles (so we each ran 4 miles total... just incase you didn't get that!) Here are some pics from the big event!

Joy and I before the race!

Notice our planned outfits to coordinate with our awesome hat! Oh yeah... we're cool! :)

Joy on the last stretch of the relay! She was commin in strong and totally rocked it!

WE WON "BEST HAT"!! (don't be jealous!)

Showing off our outfits, and just glad we made it through the race!

This was our small group of race participants. Check out all the cool hats! (Sombrero's, bunny ears, wigs, fishing hats, flower hats, etc.) Joy and I are in the top left corner!

GOOD TIMES!!!!

UTAH ADVENTURES!!

2009-03-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

So I went down to Utah March 6th-11th for my cousin Jake's wedding. Don't worry- the roads were all good this time! Here is a little re-cap of my visit!

Dad, Haley, and I

Haley and I in the canyon where Dad's grafiti is hidden.

Dad's grafiti from his college days! If you can't tell, it says "DEB (heart) JAN WAS HERE". I won't go into all the juicy details of who Deb is, but you should ask my dad about his freshman sweetheart! OH-LA-LA! (sorry mom!)

Haley, Corban, Teneill, Teneill's Fetus, Me, Chelsea, and Dad.

Having a delicious Mexican Dinner! Thanks Dad!

We told our waiter it was Dad's birthday! (which was no lie, by the way)

They sang, and danced, and embarrassed him like no other! Dad was such a good sport to still pay for dinner after all that! :)

I spent the night with Haley in her Freshman dorms (Jason met me in Utah on Sunday, but I went down on Friday)... oh that brought back good memories! Although I don't remember being that hyper! (But I do admit to having a selective memory!)

A BIRD POOPED ON ME! (or so we thought!) I walked outside of Teneill's front door and all the sudden there was this little "plop" and I look down to see this lovely ditty right smack dab in the middle of my dress! For some reason, no one would taste it to see if it actually WAS bird poop, you see, we had just eaten some sandwiches with mustard and mayo on them- but I am NOT that big of a slob to spill and not notice. So you see, it MUST have been a bird!

THE BRIDE AND GROOM!

CONGRATULATIONS JAKE AND TIFF!

Dad and all his girls! (minus three!) We missed you Mom, Jill, and Sierra!

Ya'll missed some SWEET dance moves by the way! (Just ask Chelsea!)

Andie, Crystal, and I

It has been FOREVER since I've seen these girls! And yet- It was just like old times! We laughed soooo hard at all our memores from growing up in Cincinnati. GOOD TIMES!! I miss you girls! Come up and visit sometime!

Andie Robinson, Crystal Lyman, and I in our "hooker boots" (a DIRECT quote from Andie!). We wore them to church on Sunday, and yes I went to a singles ward while Jason was gone! Don't worry, I let my wedding ring sparkle like never before!

Haley, me, and Dad!

We hit the slopes on Tuesday and had the PERFECT ski day! There was a big snow storm the day before we went skiing, which ment LOTS of powder and no ice! Plus there was hardly anyone there that day! I didn't even run anybody over this time! :)

Me, Dad, and Haley on the ski lift!

NEW CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-04T18:40:00.000-08:00

So after juggling one car between the two of us, we finally sold the broken down saturn! It wasn't worth much, but at least we got it off our hands. And we got a new one! Well not new, new- but new to us and that's what counts! YAY!!

THE DRAMA OF THE NEW CAR....
Ok, so this was a car that we found off of craigslist, that was a killer of a deal... but it was in utah. So we decided it was worth it to drive 5 hours to get the car! When we drove down on Saturday morning the weather and roads were great! We got to Utah and picked up the car, and then spent the night with Jason's Aunt in American Fork. Sunday morning we woke up to typical Utah winter weather... snowing like crazy!!! We went to sacrament and then I had to drive back to Boise that night because I had to work on Monday. Jason had planned to stay in Utah one more night to spend some time with his brother and then was going to drive the new car home on Monday.
ANYWAYS, I left Utah and the roads weren't too bad they were mostly just wet from the snow. I was able to go 75 mph for about 2 hours until I started to hit some snowy roads, so ofcourse I slowed down- little did I know that all the fun was just about to begin! I started seeing all sorts of cars that had spun or slid off the road from the snow and ice. I stopped for gas and when I got back on the freeway the roads were even worse. Then, about 30 miles later I came upon this truck that had slid off the road and rolled a couple times. I could tell that it had just happened, because there was no police/ambulance and people were stopping their cars to go help. This was a full sized truck that was on it's side, so me being a nurse- felt compelled to stop and see if I could help. The other people that had stopped, mostly just stopped to look because no one was really doing anything. I ran up and told them that I was a nurse- so they helped me climb into the cab of the truck (remember this truck was on it's side). There was only one man inside, about 60 yrs old who, from what I could tell, had a broken wrist, probably a broken rib, and was bleeding from his head. Long story short- I stayed with him inside the truck until the paramedics arrived.
THEN when I got back in my car and back onto the horrible roads, my car started driving really funny. I was only going 20 mph and it was a flat road, but I was fish-tailing like crazy! So I, myself, ended up sliding off the roads just like everyone else! AH! Luckily, it was a slow semi-controlled slide off. But it totally shook me up! Needless to say, I had started fish tailing because I had a flat tire! I figured I must have ran over some glass when I stopped to help. The place where I had gone off the road was right next to an on-ramp and I could see a Chevron, a Shell, and a Walmart down the road. So I went in reverse up the on-ramp all the way to the Chevron and was hoping to fill the tire up with some air, and then go to Walmart and get it fixed. Well ofcouse the Chevron "Free Air" was out of service! So I slowly made my way over to the Walmart on the flat tire and they took it off and showed me the HUGE hole in it. So I got two new tires and was on my way again. The roads started to get better and better so the cars started to go faster and faster, but I was still chicken to go fast from all the drama in the day. It was a good thing though because then all the sudden with no warning the roads were covered in snow and ice. I was able to maintain control, but I watched in my rear view mirror as the car behind me hit the bad roads and spun out of controll and off the roads. I watched to make sure they didn't hit anything or flip over (they didn't) and kept going.
LONG story short, I passed about 15 cars total that had gone off the road and it took me NINE hours to get home! It was the most intense nine hours of my life and I had the whitest nuckles from the drive! I was very blessed that nothing worse happened and I made it home safely. And the whole point of it all was to go to work on Monday... which you'll be happy to know I made it to!
SORRY for the long story, but there you have it! *sigh*

Happy Birthday Jason!

2009-02-04T18:18:00.000-08:00

For Jason's Birthday last month, I suprised him with tickets to go see Jerry Seinfeld! I bought these tickets in Novemeber and it was the hardest thing to keep it a secret for so long! But it was definately worth it- I gave the tickets to Jason a week before the show, so the anticipation could build up all week long. It was nice to finally be able to talk about it too! The show was great, and Jerry was a very clean comedian too!

New Curtains!!!

2009-01-07T16:19:00.000-08:00

I don't know if these pictures do my lovely curtains justice... but here they are! For a better view, you should just come and visit to see them in person! So this was my first curtain making experience and I am open to any and all suggestions to make them better!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

2008-12-26T12:36:00.000-08:00

Well I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Here are some pictures of our holidays...

Our dinky display of Christmas lights!

Our tree on Christmas morning- look at all those presents! You'd think I was actually good this year! To the left of the tree was our giving table, where we put our presents we were giving to family and friends. It's empty, cause we gave them all away! (Mostly, we made the table because we didn't have anywhere else to put it and it looked kinda silly just sitting there. So we made it festive!)

The fireplace with stuffed stockings!

LOOK AT THAT WRAPPING JOB! I was thinking Jason would just want to admire my art of wrapping presents... bu NOOO he just tore right through that thing! All my hard work- wasted! Oh well... it's all about presentation, right?

My new peacoat! I was sooooo excited to get this! I've been wanting one for a really long time! Now I won't have to wear plain old sweaters to church anymore! Hooray!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2008-12-21T13:30:00.000-08:00

This is our wanna-be christmas card that we're not sending out to anyone... but just emailing and posting online! (the lazy way!) So now that you've seen it, you can pretend it was meant just for you! Happy Holidays! :)

Our Love Story...

2008-12-18T14:28:00.000-08:00

Alrighty, so apparently this next post is supposed to tell our love story so the whole world can know how we met. After Jason and I got married, I made a wedding book so here is a little slice from that:

How We Met…
Jason Todd Raymond and Brook Van de Merwe met on a beautiful sunny day in August 2005. Brook was to start nursing school at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah so she moved into a house with seven other girls located at 4035 Fowler Avenue and became one of the "Fowler Foxes". Across the street lived eight boys, including Jason, they were better known as the "Fowler Fellas". Jason met Brook when she was moving in, and let's just say it wasn't exactly love at first sight! They both have exactly opposite views of how that first impression went, so here's his version and her version:

HIS...
I had lived at the “Fowler Fellas” house for a couple years, and being in the house I knew what was going and on and when it was going on. My roommate owned the house I lived in and the house across the street. Often times I would be asked to help people move into or out of either of the houses. And that is how it began, it was a warm August summer day when two girls were suppose to move into the house across the street, and I hadn’t meet either of the girls. When I went outside I saw a girl moving boxes into the house out of her car, so I thought I would go out and offer to help her while I had time. I walked into the house and didn’t see her so I walked out into the back to the carport to see if they were still there. When I went out I saw two girls getting boxes out of the car, it was then Brook stood up and said, “You can help!” I didn’t know what to think or what to say, so I helped with a couple boxes. One of her new roommates had previously asked me to take her around town, since she didn’t have a car. Doing this I had to leave Brook and her sister to unload her car by herself.

HERS...
My sister, Teneill, and I were unloading boxes out of my car into my new home when this guy walks up and asks "Can I help?" I had no idea who he was, but figured he was one of the guys across the street. I knew no one at Weber and wanted to make all the friends I could, so of course I said "Yeah! We could use some help!" He rolled his eyes and grudgingly picked up a box and carried it inside. I immediately thought to myself "What a jerk! Why did he even offer to help me if he didn't want to? Geez!" He came back out and I remembered that I didn't even know his name, so I nicely asked it as he was picking up another box to take inside. He replied "Jason" and took another box inside with that same attitude as before. After the second box, there was still a ton to be unloaded but Jason left and decided to drive one of my new roommates to the mall instead of helping. Never in a million years would I have thought that I'd end up marrying this man!

So to sum it all up, we were friends for a semester, dated on and off for a year, were engaged for about 4 months and got married March 9, 2007! So there you have it!

Hello!!

2008-12-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, just for you Jill... I will try out this whole blog thing. Not too sure how it'll work out, but I'll give it my best! Let me just say, that just because we don't have a webcam doesn't mean we won't still be in the loop! This blog will become my new "webcam", So HA!