Mckae and Julie Ballard

Man oh Man, these last few weeks have been a bit chaotic with Christmas, buying another house, and Julie’s wedding! Friday we drove up to Saint George for Julie’s wedding brunch and sealing. It was a beautiful sealing and Julie looked absolutely gorgeous. Justin and I were so glad that we were able to take time off of work, so that we could be there. After the sealing we took pictures and it was FREEZING!! The kids were shivering and crying and asking us to take them home, it was pretty funny and sad. I am so glad that Justin and I got married in the spring. After the pictures we went to the stake center and put some final touches on a few things for the reception and then the reception started. The decorations looked awesome! She had beautiful backdrops and center pieces and a cute slide show playing. Justin, Brian, and I decorated both Julie and Mckae’s cars it was a lot of fun, but unfortunately Mckae’s mom removed some of our decorations before Julie and Mckae got to see it, but thanks to Darin we have pictures. LOL! The reception ended and at 8:00 p.m. and then we tore everything down and packed it all up and headed back to Vegas. Justin and I didn’t even unload the car when we got home because we were so dang tired! We just went straight to bed. Saturday morning we got up unloaded the car, got ready, and did a few things around the house, and then Connie called and asked us to come help set up for the Open House. Jo and I decorated the church and taste tested all the food :) They had a nacho bar and it was delicious!! There was homemade salsa and guacamole, refried beans, jalapenos, olives, and lots of other yummy dips. And for dessert there was strawberry short cake and slush! Everyone went back for seconds and even thirds :) They had a really good turn out and I met a lot of old family friends and Justin got to catch up with them. He really enjoyed seeing them and talking to them about their lives. The open house was supposed to end at 7:30 p.m., but people were there until after 8:00 p.m.. As soon as it ended we packed it up again and cleaned up again. It was a really nice wedding and weekend, but I think we’re all glad that it’s over and that Mckae is officially part of the family.

We finally found one!

After a year of trying to decide whether to buy a new home for us or just buy one to rent out…we finally decided to buy one to rent. We found a house across the street that is the same exact floor plan as ours and we put an offer in on Monday and last night we got a call from out realtor and they said the bank had accepted the offer!!! Exciting, huh? The bank is even going to put in carpet for us! Justin and I were really surprised that they responded so quickly, so if things go according to planned we should be done with everything by January. All we need to do is find someone to rent it, if you’re interested let me know :) Here are a few pictures of the house, I really like it. It has new tile throughout the house, and new countertops, and hopefully soon it will have new carpet!! I am just so glad we are done house hunting for a while. If you are looking for a good realtor, please let me know we love our realtors, they are the best!! To those of you who are still looking I wish you the best of luck, I definitely feel for you, it is frustrating to say the least!! You just have to have some patience, which is something Justin and I just don’t have much of. Well…happy house hunting J

Christmas at the Bellagio

It snowed here in Las Vegas yesterday, which was actually really nice. Now, I am not a fan of the cold, especially cold and wet weather, but I didn’t mind it yesterday at all. I loved being able to bundle up and drink hot cocoa. Justin and I went to the Bellagio and looked the atrium and watched the water show. It was a lot of fun! The decorations were awesome! Last night definitely made it feel a little more like Christmas. There are only 9 days until Christmas and I am so excited! I hope the cool weather sticks around for just a little bit longer, but not for too long. I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season. Good luck with all of your last minute shopping JHere are a few pictures from last night, they are the best quality because they are from my camera on my phone. I have some on my camera, but the battery died, so I had to take the majority of them on my phone.

Be Optimistic

“ I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy…or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free. I can feel sad that I don’t have more money…or I can be glad my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health…or I can rejoice that I am alive. I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up…or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns…or I can celebrate that thorns have roses. I can mourn my lack of friends…or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new friendships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work…or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do. I can complain because I have to go to school…or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework…or I can feel honored because Heavenly Father has provided shelter for my mind, body, and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have.”

-Unknown

Try to look on the bright side there are always things to be grateful for. We choose how to react to the things that happen in our lives, so let’s just try to stay positive and remember that trials only make us stronger :) and we never have to go through them alone. I admit I struggle with seeing the good in all things, but I am going to make it my goal to choose what kind of day I am going to have every day. What could it hurt??

Gas prices are going down...down...down

and I am loving it!! I paid $1.60/gallon, I can’t remember the last time I was able to fill my tank for less than $30.00, but I am not complaining. I hope they keep dropping or just stay where they are :)

This weekend was quite eventful! Friday night Justin’s sisters Laura and Betty Jo came over and we decorated and made some food for Julie’s shower on Saturday. I had a lot of fun talking with them and getting to know them a little better. (I really did luck out with having good in-laws!!) Thank you two for all of your help, I greatly appreciate it!! Saturday, Julie went through the temple for the first time. Everyone in the family was there, except for Afton and Brian. She looked beautiful and there was such a sweet spirit there. I was so glad that she invited Justin and I. Mckae and his parents were also there, this was the first time we had all met them. They were so nice! After the temple, we went back to my house to finish prepping for the shower. The shower started at 6:00 p.m. and I think it turned out really well. It was fun to get to know some of her friends and spend some more time with the family. It was also fun to hear the stories about how they met, the proposal, their house, and…? She got some nice things and some embarrassing things, but then again it wouldn’t be a bridal shower if something didn’t make the bride-to-be blush. Lol! Only 11 more days until the wedding!! Crazy, huh?? I am so excited for her and Mckae, it will be nice to have him in our family.

Update on Andi

Our cute little niece Andi had open heart surgery last Monday. She had a heart murmur, so they had to operate on her valve. It was so scary, because she was only 8 days old. The surgery went well and she is recovering. She got to home this weekend, which is awesome. Unfortunately Afton and Brian live in Texas, so the family hasn’t been able to help out as much as we would have liked to, but they are always in our thoughts and prayers. I am so glad that Andi is home and I hope that she will continue gain weight and get stronger and healthier.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Justin had to work this Thanksgiving, but he didn’t have to go in until 4 p.m., so we were able to eat with his family at 1 p.m.. This was the first time in the last few years that we haven’t eaten more than once, which is probably a good thing :) We usually eat with both families but this year my family was in Zion. We would have to loved to be there, but it just didn’t work with our work schedules. Justin and I were so glad that his family decided to eat early, so that we could be there. The food was delicious!! Laura made the turkey and lots of yummy pies and Justin’s mom made home-made rolls, stuffing, and lots of other yummy things. It was so nice to sit down and spend time with the family and talk about what we are all thankful for, although, we did miss Julie, Mckae, Brian, Afton, and the kids. After we ate we headed back home, so that Justin could go to work. After Justin left I went shopping. I found a few things here and there for me, for the house, and Christmas gifts for the family. I really wasn’t to o impressed with the sales this year though. Michaels had an awesome sale on picture frames though, so I made sure to stock up. After a few hours of shopping I went back to Justin’s parents and helped his mom and Laura stencil and stamp Julie’s wedding invites. They turned out so cute!! Justin had to work until 7 a.m., yes, 4 p.m.- 7 a.m., that’s 15 hours!!! He was happy to get the overtime and he was especially happy that is was Holiday pay! Now, I can’t say I was too excited, but I am thankful he has a job, I just hate to be home alone. So…I watched “Prince Caspian” and waited for him to come home.

Saturday, we went to Best Buy, Walmart, and Kmart, we were trying to find Rock Band or Guitar Hero bundles and we did, but we didn’t end up buying either. We would still like to get one, but we decided to wait a little longer. We did get a GPS though and we really like it.

Overall, it was a good weekend. We didn’t do a whole lot, but it was nice to just have time off and get some things done. I have some pictures and I will try to get them posted A.S.A.P.

Andi Berrett

This is the newest addition to the family. Her name is Andi Berrett. She was 6lbs 7oz and 19 inches. She’s gorgeous!! Welcome to the family!

I am thankful for...

These last few months I have been thinking about my life and the decisions I’ve made, the things I’ve learned, things that I regret, all of the many blessings I have received and not fully appreciated them or even seen them as blessings at the time. I think sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in all the glam and glitter of the world and not realize what is truly important. Thanksgiving is this week and it has really got me thinking about all the things I have to be thankful for. I remember when I was in young women’s I was asked to give a talk on gratitude in sacrament meeting, now public speaking never has and probably never will be my favorite thing, but I really learned a lot while preparing for this talk. I went through old talks and my scriptures and I don’t remember what book I read it in, but it talked about thanking Heavenly Father for the small and simple things of life, such as the weather, a beautiful sunset, birds singing, and I just thought I really do take so many things for granted. It also talked about being thankful for our trials and sometimes I have a really hard time with that, but they really do make us stronger, and usually helps us develop a stronger relationship with our Heavenly Father.

I am so thankful for the gospel in my life! I honestly don’t know where I would be without it, but I know it probably wouldn’t be good. I am so thankful for the temple! I love the peace and comfort that I feel when I am there, it is truly overwhelming. I love that I get to be with my family forever! I am so thankful for prayer. It is so nice to know that I can go to my Heavenly Father with everything and anything and know that he is there and understands exactly how I feel. I am thankful for our Prophet and all the leaders of the church and all of the time and effort they put into their callings and the guidance that they give us. I am thankful for the scriptures. I know if you pray and ponder about the things you read, they will strengthen your testimony and increase your knowledge and bring you closer to Heavenly Father. I am thankful for my husband. He is such a wonderful man, he takes such good care of me and is such a good example.

I am thankful for my home and to have a job, especially through these hard times. I am thankful for my family and their unconditional and willingness to help and support me. I am thankful for the Atonement. It is so comforting to know that even though I’m not perfect and I make mistakes that I can repent and return to live with our Father in Heaven. We really are blessed each and every day. It’s a blessing to be able to wake up every morning and a blessing to have nice weather, when others are losing their homes to wild fires, hurricanes, and tornados. I encourage you to just take a little time every day to appreciate the small and simple things it really will help you have a better outlook on life. I am sorry if this seems like I’m preaching or if you think that I shared a little too much, but I do hope you “Find Joy in the Journey”.

I would also like to thank Susan Budge for sharing her testimony with me and encouraging others to do it. We really should strive to share it as often as we can.

Update...

I’ve decided it’s a lot easier for me to just blog a short little summary of what has been going on in our lives. So here it is…

· November 11^th, 2008, I didn’t have to work because it was Veterans’ Day, so Justin and I got to spend the whole day together! We went with our realtor and looked at a few houses, visited family, got some things done around the house, and then we watched a movie and just relaxed. It was really nice!

· November 15^th, 2008, Justin and I put up all of our Christmas lights and decorations. I know we’re a little early, I really did try to wait until the day after Thanksgiving, but I have been so anxious. We haven’t turned the lights on outside yet, but they will be on the day after Thanksgiving. What can I say? I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! I will put some pictures up soon! Now, we don’t have a whole lot, but this is only our second Christmas being married, so we’re just slowly trying to accumulate things. We try to just wait for the after Christmas sales. We’re frugal, but it’s all good.

· November 21^st, 2008, I went and watched “Twilight”, with my little sister Autumn, I thought it was cheesy, but cute. I have not read the books yet, but I am planning to soon. After the movie I went home and finished making Julie’s Bridal Shower invitations. They are really simple, but I think they turned out pretty cute. Now, I just need to finish planning the rest of the shower.

· November 23^rd, 2008, Afton and Brian had their first baby girl! Her name is Andi and she shares her Birthday with her dad! What a great birthday surprise, huh? We invited my parents and my sister over for Sunday dinner and dessert. It really is so nice to have family so close by. Justin loves to visit people on Sunday or invite them over for dinner. We invite his Grandma over the most, but every once in a while we’ll have our parents over too. Usually if we don’t invite anyone to dinner, we’ll try to go and visit. Most of the time we end up at one of our parents houses. I really do feel so blessed to have so many family members close by, but it makes me miss the one who aren’t even more.

Okay, so I know my life is still not too exciting, but maybe one day it will be. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The last few weeks in a nutshell...

Well…these last few weeks have been somewhat busy.

· October 13^th, Justin called me at work and said, “We’re going to Mexico!” I was a little confused, but then he explained himself. He said, “I booked a cruise with Carnival for the two of us for February 9^th-14^th.” I am so excited! Neither one of us has been on a cruise, so I’m sure it will be a blast! Happy valentine’s Day to us :)

· Justin turned 24 on October 22^nd. I decorated our room and made a cheesy poster in the morning and then after work I bought him pizza, banana cream pie, and candy, and went to the drive –in. I know it wasn’t anything too luxurious or spectacular, but we enjoyed it and Justin is a really simple laid back guy, he doesn’t really like fancy food or anything super flashy! We watched “The Express” and “Lake View Terrace”. It was a lot of fun, neither one of us has been to the drive-in for years and we had never been together.

· Justin tested on October 28^th and passed his written, physical, and oral exams, so if his background check and polygraph go well he will start the academy in March. I am so glad that he passed and that the tests are over because he was so stressed and to be honest I was stressed because he was!

· On October 30^th I found out my brother Kitita and his wife Bridget, are having a BOY!! And…that my brother Anthony and his wife Stacey are expecting! I seriously feel like everyone is having babies right now! Justin’s sister Laura just had a little girl in August, and Afton, Brian’s wife is due at the end of this month, my cousin Luse just had a little girl in October, and I have three more cousins that are due in January! And…Justin and I have quite a few friends that are expecting. Apparently there is a baby race going on and nobody told me!

· October 31^st, I went to Warm Springs with my in-laws and enjoyed the cool weather, the food, and the company. I got to see all my cute nieces and nephews in their Halloween costumes. Hanna was a cheerleader, Trevor was Iron Man, Kylie was Cinderella, Natalie was Piglet, Brielle was a skunk, and Sadie was a pea pod. They all looked adorable and had so much fun swimming and eating all of Grandma’s yummy snacks!

She said YES!

So…Justin’s little sister, Julie, is engaged! Mckae proposed Saturday and she said yes! We are so excited for the two of them. They are getting married on December 19^th, so they’ll get to spend Christmas together as husband and wife! CONGRATS you two! We love you!

Nusery

Justin and I were called to Nursery in our ward about 4 months ago and to tell you the truth I was really excited that we got to serve together and that we got to work with kids! But…I didn’t know that there were 5 nurseries in our ward! There are actually 3 now and we have the largest and youngest group of kids. I would say on an average week we have about 22-24, but there are more coming in soon and more and more families moving in! Every Sunday we go home unbelievably exhausted. We eat and then head back to bed for our “Sunday Nap”. We have had a lot of people say that Nursery works better than Birth Control, but surprisingly it only makes me more eager to have children. It is so fun to watch them learn, play, and interact with each other. Now, don’t get me wrong I know it’s not always sunshine and rainbows, there are weeks I come home with boogers on my shoulders, pee spots on my skirts, and bite marks, and I seriously start to rethink having children anytime soon, but…I get over after putting on some clean clothes and taking a nap. Another thing I love about Nursery is watching Justin interact with all of the kids, he is pretty serious sometimes, but for the most part he does well to play with them and comfort them when they’re sad. It is so cute! If you are newly-weds in the Sierra Ranch Ward, BEWARE! I still can’t decide what their thinking is when they call us to serve in the nursery. I don’t know if they are encouraging us to start having kids sooner or later…??? What do you think?

Cutest Bows Ever!!

So…my cousin runs this business called “Little Desert Divas”, she makes bows and hats for little girls. They are so cute! I can’t wait to have little girls to play dress up with, but until then, I can buy them for my nieces! Check out her website (little desert divas.com).

littledesertdivas.com

I'm sorry I'm new to this whole tagging thing, I just realized I never tagged anyone else. So... I tag Nycole Nelson, Sarah Shirley, Trisha Tucker, and Janell Bischoff.

I've Been Tagged! (Thanks Alyssha :) )

Justin David Berrett
My Husband & Best Friend

1) Where did you meet? We met at institute on June 27th, 2006.

2) How long did you date before you got married? We dated for four months and we were engaged for five months.

3) How long have you been married? We have been married for almost twenty months and I have loved every minute of it and can’t wait to see what the future will bring.

4) What is your favorite feature of his? I love his smile and his eyes!

5) What is your favorite quality of his? He is very genuine in all he does and always keeps his word.

6) Does he have a nickname for you? Most of the time it’s “Babe”, but every now and then he just calls me “Crazy”, lol!

7) What is his favorite food? Hmmm…let’s see…PIZZA and anything with sugar in it.

8) What is his favorite sport? I don’t think he really has one…?

9) When and where was your first kiss? Our first kiss was on June 30, 2006 (well…technically it was July 1st, 2006 because it was almost 4 in the morning) We had just spent the last ten hours together, talking, watching a 51’s game, eating, watching movies, driving, and just getting to know each other. Justin dropped me off at my house and totally took me by surprise, he just gave me a quick little peck and I thought I was going to die. This was only our first date, but I like to count it as a second or third because it was so long. Now, I never kiss on the first date, but luckily I ended up marrying the only guy I did kiss on the first date. J

10) What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Justin and I just love to be together no matter what we’re doing. We like to go on walks, watch movies, bowl, roller blade, go to the lake, hike, and…?

11) Do you have any children? Not yet, we said that we would wait at least two years from our wedding date to start trying, which is only four months away, but we might wait a little longer. I am very anxious and excited to be a mother though and I know Justin will be a great dad!

12) Does he have a hidden talent? Not that I know of…he is good at a lot of things though!

13) How old is he? He just turned 24 yesterday!

14) Who said "I love you" first? Justin did, he totally caught me off guard, we were just sitting on the couch and he just said it. I was shocked, but I felt the same way and I was so glad that he had finally said it.

15) What is his favorite type of music? He likes anything with a good beat, he’s not really into slow songs or classical, but other than that he’ll listen to whatever.

16) What do you admire the most about him? He is always striving to be a better person. He challenges himself every day and does everything he can to accomplish the goals he sets. He never fails to amaze me! He really is just so wonderful in so many ways and feel so blessed to have him in my life.

17) Do you think he will read this? Maybe…?

makemebabies.com

So…the other day I was reading a friends blog and she had gone to a website called makemebabies.com, you put in a picture of yourself and your spouse and it generates a photo of what your babies will look like. It is hilarious! I tried it a few times and I don’t know how we ended up with a blonde, a redhead, and finally a brunette with really hair (which was probably the most realistic one, but was still didn’t really resemble either one of us) but you should try it. The website is having some issues, so I can’t put any pictures up yet, but I will try again later.

This Weekend...

This weekend was actually quite eventful. Saturday, Justin and I looked at a house, went running at the high school track, went shopping for a bed for our spare room, met Julie’s new boyfriend Mckae, and then I cleaned my house and my parents came over with my birthday presents and we watched a movie and had dessert. It was so fun! Sunday, our niece Sadie was blessed. She is so cute and her dress was beautiful. My mother-in-law has some pretty awesome sewing skills. She never fails to amaze me with the things that she can create and in such a short time frame! After church we went to Laura and Reid’s for lunch. They had tacos, homemade salsa, homemade guacamole, Texas sheet cake, pumpkin cake, and frog eyed salad! YUM! Everyone went back for seconds and some of us snuck a few more platefuls after that. It was a lot of fun to spend time with the family and eat all the yummy food. After visiting for a while Justin and I went home and took our Sunday nap and then Julie and Mckae came over to play games and have some more dessert. We had a blast! We played Guesstures and Catch Phrase and then just talked about life and got to know Mckae a little better. Unfortunately, Julie and Mckae had to head back to Saint George because they both had school and work the next day, so they took off after our visit. Hopefully, they’ll come back soon and visit or we can go up visit them. It is so nice to have both mine and Justin’s family nearby and to have so many friends in town that we grew up with. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by family and friends. It’s nice to know that we’re all here and support and help each other out and just enjoy each other’s company.

The House Hunting Continues...

Well…Justin and I have been very indecisive about buying a house. We looked for months and months and put in several offers, but nothing went through and the ones that did we changed our minds on. When we first started to look we were trying to find a larger house for us for when we decided to have children, then we started to think that it would be better to buy one as an investment and rent it out. So…we went back and forth on our thinking and then we just stopped looking for a while. It’s been a few months and we have finally decided to just get one as an investment and rent it out. We put an offer in on one and we’re going to put offers in on two more today. It really is a “Buyer’s Market”, which is a good thing for some, but BAD for a lot of other people. I can’t believe how many homes go into foreclosure in a day; it really is just so crazy! All of the homes we have put offers on are either foreclosures or short sales. The prices are so low, but unfortunately the process can be a little nerve racking. It usually takes the bank forever to respond to your offer and there is so much paperwork. This is why most realtors recommend that you put in several offers in at once, so that the chances of one going through are higher. Justin and I hope that one of these offers will work out for us, but if not, we’ll just be grateful that we have our home and our jobs. We would eventually like to move, but we are in no rush! We still have two empty bedrooms and no children! Not to mention we both really love our home, the neighborhood, our neighbors, no HOA, and we’ve got a pretty big front and back yard (for a Vegas track home that is). Oh…and there is a lot of parking, which is hard to find now in Vegas. So…keep your fingers crossed for us :)

Birthday Madness!

I have decided that I go through my blogging phases. Sometimes I just feel like I don’t have anything exciting to write about, but I am going to try to make my life a little more exciting, so that I do have more to write about.

Well…Monday October 6^th, 2008, was my 21^st birthday. I can’t believe that I am 21!! There are days I still feel like I’m 17! Time just flies by, this is the third birthday I’ve spent with Justin and that just blows my mind! He has done such a great job every year to surprise me and treat me like a queen. For my 19^th birthday Justin took me out to dinner, the mini grand prix and a movie. He also had little surprises/gifts that he gave me throughout the night. The first one was when he picked me up at my house, he opened the door and there was a pretty gold anklet on my seat that had a piece of paper that said. “My heart is chained to yours.” We went to dinner at Outback and just talked and had a good time. After dinner we went to the mini grand prix to kill some time until the movie started. We weren’t there too long, then we watched “Grid Iron Gang”, which was a lot better than I had expected. We made our way back to the car and there was another surprise on my seat! Justin bought me some really cute strappy shoes, on the shoes there was a piece a paper that said,” I’m so glad that you walked into my life!” I was so surprised he found such cute things and put little sayings on them, but I knew that he had to have had some help from Julie and his mom. (They are both so creative and crafty!) The surprises continued throughout the night. I got a crystal candy dish with some of my favorite candies and it said, “You’re the best treat there is”. Now, I know some of these are cheesy, but I still thought they were so cute! Then I got a cute long sleeved shirt and the saying said, “Happy Birthday covers is all!” Now, I thought this was the last one but I was wrong. It was getting late and Justin was getting ready to take me home, he turned to me and said, “I have one more, but we’ll have to look for it.” I was so confused! We looked around his house and then he said, “I think we need to look at your house”, at this point I was so lost and racking my brain, I couldn’t imagine why he want to hide something at my house, so we left and as soon as we arrived he starts to look in the bushes and all around the outside of my house. I finally asked him what it looked like, and he said, “Well…it’s in a little black box”. My heart literally stopped! Once, I caught my breath, I though well this is an interesting way to propose, but I’ll go with the flow. He finally pulled out the box from the back of his truck and tells me to close my eyes. (Now, I could hear him getting down on one knee and I was freaking out!!) I finally opened my eyes and…it was just a watch. It was a beautiful gold heart shaped watch that had a quote that said, “The best time of the day is the time I spend with you”. Justin was laughing so hard and he just kept saying over and over again, “You thought I was going to propose”, and then just laugh some more. He later explained to me that he just needed to get a practice round in. I didn’t think that was the best explanation, but it definitely is something I’ll never forget.

For my 20^th he took me shopping and out to dinner and he planned a surprise party for me. He invited a bunch of our friends over for a game night and he even made me a birthday cake! It was a lot of fun!

This year we went shopping and out to dinner. After dinner we passed a few slot machines and thought we’d try it. This was the first and last time for both of us. We played the quarter, nickel, and penny slots and lost everything! We only put in $3.oo and we did have our winning streaks, but we would just play until the money was gone. I am sure if we had more money on the line, we wouldn’t have been as careless as we were. We both decided that gambling really isn’t that exciting; I don’t know how people can do it for hours and hours. I guess if you are always winning you might want to play more often, but how often does that really happen? After cutting our losses we went and rented a movie and just cuddled at home. Doesn’t sound too exciting, but it really was a nice birthday.

Our Temple Goal

Justin and I have a made a goal to go to as many temples together as we can. So, every time we go out of town we try to schedule time for the temple before we make other plans. We haven’t really gone on too many vacations, so we haven’t been to very many yet, but we’ve got time. I have really enjoyed doing this so far it is so awesome to see all how beautiful all of the temples are inside and out. They are all so unique! Some are big and some are small and the décor and landscaping is always gorgeous! These are the few that we have been together all ready. We hope to take a few more vacations next year, so hopefully we can add to our list. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Hawaii! We would like to go on a cruise there and to Mexico (this is where Justin served his mission) and possibly drive to New Mexico (Justin owns property there). I doubt that we will ever visit every temple in the world, but I still think that we could maybe try for all of the temples in the United States. Justin has been to quite a few more, but I don’t count them, because we didn’t go together! Don’t get me wrong, I still think that it is great that he’s been and I am way jealous, but I’m only counting the ones after our wedding.

Las Vegas Nevada Temple

Saint George Utah Temple

Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple

Los Angeles California Temple

Salt Lake City Utah Temple

Surprise...

About two weeks ago I walked in to find this….

Now, Justin and I were planning on buying one in May, but we weren’t able to because things just got really crazy with my little sister’s wedding! But…we have been looking at them for the last few months, but we just couldn’t decide on a size. Justin wanted a 73”, which is the largest you can get, but we found a really great deal, so we settled for this one. I never understood the hype with big screens, but now I do. I love it! I especially love HDTV. I think I like it more than Justin does, probably because I use it more, which isn’t really something to be proud of, but when you’re husband is gone 4 days out of the week, you run out of things to do. I usually have it on, so that there is some background noise while I clean or cook or whatever.

Our First "Real" Vacation

Okay, so I have been meaning to put these up, but I just never got around to it!So..here they are! We didn't take as many as I would have liked to, but oh well.

Our Guest Room

This is one of our spare bedrooms. We just painted it a few weeks ago, and I must admit I was a little nervous about the color, but I think it looks bright and cheery! There isn’t much in the room right now, but hopefully we’ll have a bed and some decorations in there soon. I made the little dream shelf and I painted an old picture frame black and made a new matte and then put in a cute card I got from my mom. I know it’s kind of “kiddy” but I just think it’s such a cute picture. I have had so much fun painting and decorating, it definitely keeps me occupied while Justin is at work. I find myself thinking of more and more to do, but I think eventually I’ll run out of rooms and wall space, which is probably a good thing. I need to start working on my cooking skills and maybe read some books. But…I still have some sewing projects before I even attempt to master cooking! I definitely should have spent more time with my mom in the kitchen, but it’s too late now. I’ll have to figure it out on my own…poor Justin.

Home Improvements

Well… Justin and I painted our family room and kitchen a few months ago, I didn’t take any pictures before we painted, but trust me it looks a lot better than it did. (At least I’d like to think so) The walls were just white and we didn’t have too many pictures or décor on them, but now we have some up and I have a few more things up that I’ve made. I’ll have to post my latest projects up later, because I haven’t taken any pictures yet or uploaded the ones I do have, but I’ll get them up. I think that our house is finally start to look like and feel like a home! I did make the boards with the vinyl lettering boards and the live, laugh, and love blocks. I also made the “Always Kiss Me Goodnight” floating frame. This is what happens when your husband works nights and weekends, you find odds and ends and try to make things. Lol!

Job Update

After about a year of thinking about….Justin has finally decided to test to become a Corrections Officer! He seems pretty excited about it, and I am just glad that he is happy. The good thing is that he will be working with the same people he works with now and he all ready knows how the jail runs and the set up of everything. He has definitely been a lot more motivated to go to the gym, since he has made the decision to test, which was a huge shock to me! ( Now, I don’t mean this in a mean way, but anyone who knows Justin well, knows that Justin does not like to run or work out, at least he didn’t used to) I am so proud of him! He has been going at least three times a week and is doing really well. He is definitely in better shape than I am. His test is on October 28, 2008, I am sure he will get the job he is such a hard worker and is so persistent!! He is definitely looking forward to the pay increase, which will be nice, but I am more excited for a new schedule! Hopefully, he gets a good one and we can spend more time together. Now, Justin was quick to tell me that he could work 15hours/day all week long, if he wanted, because there was so much overtime available, but I was quick to tell him “NO”. Maybe if he was single, but he’s not! He really doesn’t want to work that often, he just likes the money! (Not that he spends it! He loves to save it, which is a good thing, because it’s for our kids! It’s for when we get older too! I am so lucky that he is so financially smart and such a hard worker!! He is such a good provider and just a great husband!) Well…we still have a little over a month, but we will keep you updated. Keep your fingers crossed!

Collecting Quotes

I used to love finding quotes and keeping them in a binder or on a bulletin board, but I haven’t done it for a while. I think I might start collecting them again. It’s a lot of fun and there are so many good ones out there! This is definitely one of my favorites though. I hope you enjoy it

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around and shouting that he has been robbed. The fact of the matter is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey ...delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." - President Hinckley

Congratulations!

Justin and I arrived in Salt Lake City, Friday evening. We stayed with my brother and sister-in-law. We went out to dinner at Red Robin on Friday and after we had all finished our meals Justin got up to take a picture. He played with the camera for a minute, but the batteries were dead, so we didn’t get to take any. While he was playing with the camera my brother tells him to take a picture of “Aunty Fiola,” I looked at him because I was so confused. I told him that I was an aunt, but not to anyone there. (He had forgotten about my nieces and nephews on Justin’s side and our nephew Akillez) I just kept asking them if they were expecting, but they just kept smiling and laughing, and they wouldn’t respond!! I was getting so frustrated! They finally said “YES” and I am so stoked! We have 6 nieces and 3 nephews on Justin’s side and 1 nephew from my side and one (niece or nephew) on the way. I can't wait to find out whether it’s a girl or a boy! This is my dad’s first grandchild and he couldn’t be happier! We are all so excited for the new addition to our family! Congrats Tita and Bridget! I love you two and I am so happy for you!

We're Home!

Justin and I are finally home. It is so weird to be home and have to cook, do chores, and work, after a week of not doing any of it! We have had a very busy and exciting week, to say the least! Justin and I woke up Wednesday morning to the sound of running water, so Justin jumped out of bed and went to see where it was coming from. Come to find out, it was coming from the fridge in our kitchen. The tube behind the fridge that carries the water to the ice maker and the water dispenser had split open. There was about an inch or more of water in the kitchen and in our laundry room. Now, we obviously weren’t too excited about this, but we were glad that it didn’t happen after we had left town. So, we got some towels and the mop and cleaned it up and then we got ready to go. Justin and I spent Wednesday and Thursday in Saint George. Then we were in Salt Lake City, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We weren’t supposed to come home until Tuesday, but it had rained quite a bit all weekend, so we decided to head back and just spend a day at home. I haven’t uploaded any of the pictures yet, but I will try to get them up tomorrow. It was nice to get away and just enjoy some time with each other and visit some friends and family though. I finally got to meet some family from the Berrett side. We stopped in Orem on Monday and visited Mark and Lila. (Lila is Justin’s aunt on his dad’s side.) I have only met one other relative from the Berrett side, so it was nice to meet some more family.

Wednesday we went shopping, went to a BBQ, went to Cold Stone with Casey (Justin’s best friend) and Jamie Lee, watched “What Happens in Vegas” with Julie (Justin’s little sister), played rock band until about 2 a.m., then we went swimming. It was a long day, but it was nice to just do whatever we wanted to and not worry about waking up and going to work the next day.

Thursday we went to Zion’s and went hiking with Casey. We did not make it all the way to the top, because I got sick, but we still enjoyed the scenery. After the hike we went out to dinner with Julie and then we hung out at her apartment and met her roommates. It was actually a lot of fun. Then we went back to our apartment and got our stuff together, so that we could leave in the morning.

Friday: Well…we got a late start because we slept in, so we arrived in at my brother’s house in Salt Lake around 4 p.m. We got ready and went out to dinner at Red Robin. I haven’t seen my brother and sister-in-law since May, so it was nice to see them and catch up. After dinner we went back to their house and watched movies and ate ice cream and junk food.

Saturday: We went to Raging Waters (it was like a mini version of Wet-n-Wild) with my brother and his wife. The water was freezing, but we still had a lot of fun. After the park closed, we went back and showered and got ready and went to Olive Garden. Then we went home and slept.

Sunday: We visited my Grandma Lota, Aunt Fika and all of her kids. It was so fun to see them; they all have such funny personalities. We went home after visiting for a while and ate dinner with brother and sister-in-law. Then we just sat around and visited with each other some more.

Monday: We were supposed to go to Lagoon, but it was raining!! So, I had Bridget (my sister-in-law) color and cut my hair. She works at a salon in Utah, but she also has a salon in her house! She darkened my hair, put in a few highlights, and cut my hair. I think she did an awesome job! I absolutely love it! Thanks Bridget! Robert (my cousin), Jamie (his wife), and Paityn (their adorable daughter), came over to visit. It was so fun to see them! We haven’t seen them since last August! Justin and I decided to head back to Las Vegas after visiting with Jamie and Robert, so we loaded up the car and said our goodbyes and left. We stopped in Orem to buy tomatoes and peaches for Justin’s dad and then we went to visit his aunt Lila and her husband Mark. We were there for about a half hour and they got back on the road. We got home at about 11:30 p.m. and went to bed!

Tuesday: Justin and his dad fixed the fridge line and did some other repairs on our house. We did all of the laundry and unpacked everything and just enjoyed our last day of vacation.

I know we didn’t do too many wild and crazy things, but we had a lot of fun. The best part was that we got to spend a whole week together doing whatever we wanted to, we haven’t been able to do that before now. Thanks babe for working so hard, so that we could go on vacation! I hope we can do it again soon!

We're finally going on a VACATION!!

Justin and I are going on VACATION and I am so excited! We didn’t have much time for our honeymoon and we haven’t been able to take any over the last year, so we both decided to take off a week!! We have 7 days to do whatever we would like!! We are going to Saint George for a few days and then up to Salt Lake! We are going to Zions, Lagoon, Raging Waters, and…???? I will make sure to take a lot of pictures and post them when we get back. Have a wonderful week at work!

Bodies the Exhibition at the Luxor

My boss took us to Bodies the Exhibition at the Luxor last Tuesday, it was Amazing!! Everyone needs to go!! I would love to go again, it was just so fascinating to see what the human body looks like on the inside and out. Everything they have on display is REAL, except for the eyes (they are too hard to preserve). I would love to take all of my family and friends and hear their input. Please go! It really was awesome!

You can check out the prices and some pictures at luxor.com

Family Pictures

Well, no one warned me before we got married that Justin’s mom loves taking family pictures, we took them three times, almost four in a year!!! These are from last Thanksgiving. The first one, as you can see, did not turn out, so we took them again the next day. I am sure we will be taking them again soon, because we have had a new addition to the family. Sadie was born August 5, 2008, and Afton and Brian are expecting a little girl in November or December. It is so fun to have so many nieces and nephews and to have married into such an awesome family. I just love them all to death!

This is Sadie!! She is so CUTE!

Sun Busters vs. D&B Electric

Justin and I bought bowling shoes a few months ago from shoeline.com. The first night we got them we went out with Justin’s parents for FHE. We had planned it the night before, so my mother-in-law, who is so fun and creative, made us shirts with our business logos on them. It was D&B Electric vs. Sun Busters. We played two games and… Justin and I won, but not by much! Thanks David and Connie for the shirts and for coming with us! We had a blast!

Oh…by the way… I would recommend buying your own shoes to anyone! It is so worth it! Mine were only $18 and the shipping was free! They are really comfortable and they haven’t been worn by a million other people.

Well... Justin and I have been married for a year and a half now, and it has been both amazing and challenging. Justin and I were both blessed to find new jobs that we enjoy shortly after our wedding. Justin is working for The City of North Las Vegas. He is a Security Control Tech at the Detention Center. He likes his job and we love the benefits, but we're not too crazy about his hours though. Justin also opened his own Solar Screen Business, it’s called Sun Busters. It's a little slow now, but it has done pretty well. If you’re interested in getting some solar screens, let us know. Our house is so much cooler with them and our power bill is a lot cheaper!! I am working at Pay Pros Inc., it is a payroll company. It is definitely not like any other office job I have ever had. We have our busy stressful days, but we also have a lot of fun!

Justin plans on staying with the City, but he may transfer to another department. He is not sure which one yet, but he would like one with a better schedule. (This is probably because I complain so much about not seeing him 3-4 days out of the week.) I hate being home alone at night and going to bed by myself. I know I did it for 18 years of my life, but I just like to make sure he’s home safe and sound. I am going to keep working until we decide to start having kids. We said that we were going to wait at least two years from our wedding to start trying, but we may end up waiting another year or so. We are still young and we would like to just have some time to enjoy each other, travel, and save some money for when we do decide to have kids.

Our Wedding

Some of Our Engagement Pictures and Our Announcement

Round One of Engagement Pictures (Courtesy of Darin Davis)

"Cowboy Take Me Away"

Justin proposed on November 4, 2006, in Bountiful, Utah. We had driven up to Utah the night before, because my cousin was getting married and I was one of her bridesmaids. We stayed with his Uncle Mike Friday night, because he has horses and Justin wanted to get up early and go riding before the wedding. Well…it started to rain Friday night and it didn’t stop. I woke up to the front door slamming and the truck starting up. Justin and Mike were on their way to put the horses in the trailer, so that we could take them up the mountain and ride the trails there. I had assumed that we were not going to go because of the rain and it was FREEZING, but Justin was very determined. They came back to pick me up and I kept trying to reason with Justin, but he wasn’t giving in. So…I bundled up and decided that I would make the best of the situation. We got to the bottom of the mountain and unloaded the horses and began our little adventure. It was still raining, but we just kept going and talking, after an hour or so we stopped and tied up the horses and let them eat and rest. Justin got out a camera and started to take pictures of the horses and the scenery and I was just looking around and watching the horses. Justin walked a little further up the hill and got into his backpack and I thought maybe he had a picnic planned or something. Justin asked to me to walk over to where he was, so I started to walk over. All of a sudden “Cowboy Take Me Away” by the Dixie Chicks started playing and I still had in my mind that we were going to have a picnic or something, but…as soon as I reached him he got down on his knee and pulled out the ring. (Now, I had told Justin when we first started dating that my best friend Sarah and I would listen to this song and talk about marrying cowboys and living on ranches next to each other. Silly, I know, but we were young. You would think that I would have got the hint when the song started playing, not to mention he was wearing cowboy boots and was so set on going rain and all.) I was freaking out!! (And by freaking out I mean I was speechless and I thought I was going to faint!) One of things I kept thinking was I have no make-up on and I didn’t shower! I had always thought I would be all dolled up, but I was soooo wrong. I said “YES”, but I don’t think reality sank in until the next morning, when I woke up with an engagement ring on my finger, I just kept thinking, “Oh my goodness, I’m engaged! We’re getting married! This is so insane!!” Justin and I were married after 4months after and we couldn’t be happier!