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!