Jim Dear

Yesterday was my brother-in-law's wedding! It was beautiful! This was my first wedding that I have been to in the temple besides my own and I loved it! I totally feel cheated now and I want a redo! Their's was long and in depth and amazing, ours was short and sweet and being the bride I don't remember any of it, as I'm sure is the case with everyone. I loved their's so much that I'm counting it as my own. Are you allowed to do that? Anyway, as I was sitting there listening I couldn't help but think about how amazing my husband is. He really is the best person I've ever met. For the rest of the day I was constantly hanging on him, giving him kisses and forcing him to hold my hand (not that he wouldn't want to, but even at the most ridiculous of times). To make things better, my dear sweet husband reminded me that we had been married for 5 months exactly! This really did make the day so different for me. I had been texting a friend about her relationship and giving her some advice from being in the same situation long ago. As I reflected back on that relationship it made me recognize more and more how wonderful MY husband is, and how happy I am that I never have to go through a break up again. On top of it being an extremely busy day yesterday, I thought a lot. I thought about my last break up, and how Jim was the guy to help me through it by setting the example of what I truly wanted in a husband. I thought a lot about my wedding day and the feelings I felt the night before, and on that day. I thought about how everyone talks about how big of an adjustment marriage is, but to me it was just natural and not weird. I thought about all those little things my husband does on a daily basis that I LOVE, or that drive me crazy.

• I love when Jim wakes up in the morning. I never hear his alarm, and he closes the door to our bathroom and closet while he's getting ready. I usually wake up in a panic because I haven't heard him get up and I think he's going to be late for work, but he's brushing his teeth by this time.
• I love that he never ask's me, or even thinks to ask me to clean up dog poop. He does it without complaining, and Chief leaves big poop's behind.
• I love when I call Jim on my way home from work and he answers the phone in the same annoying voice everyday and says "Hi Pumpkin". Most of the time I want to hang up and call him back until he talks to me in a normal voice. I just make some upset comment and he giggles and the conversation continues. I count of this everyday.
• I love that he always waits for me before he eats. I'm never hungry until 8 or 9 and he's starving by the time he get's home at like 6. He doesn't have to wait for me, but he does. Everyday.
• I love how he didn't complain at all when he spent 5 hours in the kitchen with my mom BAKING and I got my hair done. Clearly, he's a trooper.
• I love that he has done all the yard work at our new house from trimming the roses, to pulling grass out of the planter to cleaning the pool everyday. I usually sit on the rocks and ask him about his day, being of no help at all.
• I love that he takes the trash out and only has he once made some smart a$$ comment about how I never do.
• I love that every morning before he leaves for work he gives me a kiss on the cheek and whispers "I love you" in my ear.
• I love that he doesn't care that I'm overly obsessed with him. Every time he stands up to walk in another room you better believe I ask him where he's going, and he has yet to say "Calm the freak down women!" He always responds with "To the bathroom" or "to take out my contacts" or "To get a drink". And then I usually follow him.
• I love that when Chief chew's something up (and this happens daily), Jim is the one to discipline him, and 5 minutes later he's cuddling with him telling him how good of a dog he is.
• I love that we never fight. Don't get me wrong, we don't agree on everything, but Jim finds it a waste of time to get worked up over things. It's easier to stay calm and carry on, and this can drive me crazy, but I love it.
• I love how hard of a worker he is. and I love hearing him talk about his job and how he enjoys it, even if I don't understand anything about it. He loves it, in turn, I love it.
• I love that he let's me shop. I have a problem, I love shopping. He hates shopping, but I'm never afraid to tell him I've bought something, or I've found something that I just HAVE to have.
• I love he's reaction to me stressing out. Usually it's about something stupid, like not being about to figure out how to decorate our house. He always reminds me that we don't have to finish it right now, one step at a time.
• I love that when I lay in bed at night I usually just want to talk. He's such a good sport about it.
• I love that he knows no matter what time our church is, I'll probably be 30 minutes late. So an hour and a half before church starts he has to tell me to start getting ready. I never listen, and I'm always 30 minutes late. :) Sorry babe
• I love that he's an accountant.
• I love that he uses really big words that I don't understand.
• I love the way he talks. He's so confident in everything he says. He's amazing.
• I love that he likes to do boy things like camping (even if I hate it), watch basketball, snowboard, and fix things. On a regular basis he has to fix something that I've broken. Like the sink in our spare bathroom, or simply unclog the drains because I put all my hair down there.
• I love that he fold 95% of our laundry. I wash it, but never get around to folding it.
• Most of all, I love that he loves me. I question WHY he does all the time, but I love that he does. He's amazing, clearly. I'm the luckiest girl alive.

I love you, babe! XOXO

A Few Months Over Due

Ok Everyone, here it is. I'm finally here to update our blog. I've been putting this off since... well... October 29. So much has happened in our little lives! I've condensed 2 months of events into one GIANT post with lots of pictures. I hope you make it to the end. That's the good part, but don't skip ahead!

First, Shelby turned 21! Woo Hoo!!! And we went to the fair to celebrate.

Happy Birthday Shelbs!!

Then it was Halloween. We are crazy dog people, but luckily our friends Cj and Savanna are too! We had a little doggy date at there house, went to dinner and watched a movie.

Chief and Scout are actually best friends. As soon as Scout had his submarine outfit on Chief was convinced that he was a chew toy. When it came off they were nice and best friends. But clearly, they were the cutest things ever!!

Thanksgiving is also in November and we were so lucky to be invited to my aunt and uncle's beach house! It was AMAZING! I was lucky enough to have the day before Thanksgiving off so I said YES! TAKE ME TO THE BEACH! and that we did. I couldn't have asked for a better short vacation before the holiday season. It was so great to just spend time on the beach, takes naps, and learn all about Hollywood's addiction to plastic surgery. On thanksgiving we did have to drive home, but not before we ate an AMAZING meal! It was so good and I'd love to give a shout out to Uncle Bob for the AMAZING deep fried turkey, Paige for the guacamole, and also the amount of butter and brown sugar that went into the sweet potato's, Aubry for feeding all of us, Amanda for the cute pie, and Shelley for the Ugg's and Swimsuit, along with making up for our lack of radio on the beach. Need I say more?

Unfaltering for many reasons, reason #1, we just ate.

November was Fabulous for the most part! Chief got parvo and we don't know how, but he survived, and we don't know how. Just kidding, we do know how. We took him to the vet and after a few IV's and some drugs he was back to eating everything and digging in the back yard.

Two weeks after Chief was over his Parvo he was sick again and we didn't even know it. As I was getting ready for work I noticed all these bumps on him that looked like tumors. Naturally I freaked out and went to work. When Jim got home the bumps were way worse but he gave him a bath and they seemed to be going away. Around 10 pm chief threw up the weirdest throw up ever. Completely undigested (TMI?). Anyway we knew he was sick but had to keep packing. Later, around 12:30 he started to throw up again. This time was a different story. It smelled like he threw up poop right out of his mouth, and he did. In the middle of it all was nothing but a AAA battery. That's right, He survived parvo, and then tried to kill himself by eating a battery. Either he's really stupid, or he just hates us! (we know he loves us!)

In my last story I mentioned that we were packing. We got notice awhile ago that The Gingerbread house we were living in was being sold at auction on December 3 so we had until then to move out. We have been looking and looking at houses everywhere trying to find a DECENT one to rent. I said DECENT not perfect, just decent. Two Sunday's ago Jim's mom gave him a call saying there was a family in their ward who had a house for rent that was a little over our budget, but worth taking a look at. Jim had to work so I took Shelby with me to see the house. I had every intention of not falling in love with this house because It was in Mesa (no offence), and it was far from both freeways, and it was over our budget. As soon as I saw it I fell in love. I could see that the yard just needed a little loving with the lawn mower and rake. When we walked inside I knew I couldn't live without it. This house was WAY beyond decent. It was perfect times a million. I know now you are all wanting to see pictures, but I don't have them yet. We are still waiting for the yard to be loved a little more, and for all these rooms to unpack themselves! I do have a picture that our landlord took awhile ago when all the shrubs were managed and she had it decorated all cute.

Isn't it adorable?! Yes I love it. The people who own the house bought it and redid everything on the inside and added onto the back. They then bought another house and did the same thing and are renting this one now! The people who rented before us didn't care for yard work however, and I'm upset about it. But in the next little while we will get things back to looking as good as they do in this picture. I do have some pictures that I took the day we came to look at it. Sorry, I have none with furniture.

Family Room

Dining Room

Spare bath #1

Kitchen

Amazing

Bathroom #2
Master bedroom

Master Bedroom

Master bath

Looking out the master onto the patio

So far I'm OBSESSED with our house. It's perfect in every single way. I just can't wait for the yard to be done. The neighbors tree seems to think our pool is a great place for all of it's leaves. Wrong. Enjoy!!

Ps I did not take the time to reread this, because it is WAY to long. I apologize for any misspellings, and bad grammar.

Wedding Blogs

I love my photographer. She was seriously AMAZING to say the least. Every now and then I'll get on FB and she will have me tagged in a post. When I go to the post it's always something about how my wedding made some wedding blog. I thought I'd share this one. Thank you Jennifer for submitting it!!

http://www.theldsbride.com/2010/11/phoenix-az-lds-temple-wedding-kensley.html

Enjoy!

Lately....

I've had every intention of updating our blog lately. We have been really busy... Ok that's a pathetic excuses, but I'm going to stick with it. A few weeks ago we took a weekend trip to Disneyland with our cute friends Cj and Savanna, and Booke and Kyle. It. Was. Magical!! (here comes the explanation as to why I REALLY haven't updated our blog) We don't really have any good pictures of our trip! It was humid and my hair product doesn't go nicely with the humidity and I don't know why! So I would wake up and do my hair and look just fine, after about 30 minutes I looked like I had just gotten out of the shower!! Awful... Anyway.

Friday we had all day to kill while we waited for Brooke and Kyle to get to California so we headed up to Hollywood! We were those annoying tourists that everyone hates, and it couldn't have been more fun! We had a little bite to eat before taking a Hollywood tour.

After eating the most terrible, over priced pizza, EVER!

This tastes a lot worse then it looks, and it doesn't even look good.

This was our little tour bus. Obnoxious tourists? I all ready told you we enjoyed it. Judge if you wish..

This is about how excited they were for the full 2 hour tour.

Awkward picture? Yes. It was cold, and a tight fit.

(This is where my hair took a turn for the worse )

We went for our little tour, and the first stop was an over look to the Hollywood sign. Seeing as the van had no roof, the pictures are horrible, and the only time it was sunny was during the picture, so we look like a bunch of idiot tourists taking horrible pictures that you look back on and say "I have no idea what this is". This Tourists instinct took over in me the remainder of the tour. I have about 12 pictures of gates to celebrity houses and I have no idea who belongs to who. I'll spare both you and I the pain and just skip it.

We then headed down the Santa Monica Pier. I'd never been before and all I wanted was to eat a funnel cake. (Please disregard the low quality of the photos below. After a short argument of who was carrying the camera Jim won and neither of us did. He insisted that iPhone4 would have superb quality in the photo's but guess what? It didn't. Most of the remainder of the trip we used his phone, and I like to blame the awful pictures on that.)

Oh yes. I enjoyed this.

By this time Kyle and Booke had made it and were waiting for us at our hotel. So we headed back and went to dinner with them! It was fun and we were exhausted and ready for bed. We hung out the rest of the night and the boys went to the store. It was so fun to just sit and relax and talk girl talk! I seriously love these girls! I struck gold with married friends!

Bright and early Saturday we woke up and headed for DISNEYLAND!!! It really IS the happiest place on earth!

This is not irregular in our lives. Blah.

You can see my hair starting to have issues. But Savanna looks flawless as usual!

I LOVE DISNEYLAND AT HALLOWEEN!!!

There was absolutely no line for splash mountain! We waited, I don't know, 30 seconds? It was overcast/misty the whole trip.

Look Familiar?

Jim and CJ decided that it would be a good idea to get a Turkey Leg while we waited in line for the Toy Story ride

CJ did finish his, Jim on the other hand... Well he felt terrible the rest of the day.

This is, sadly, the ONLY picture I have of Kyle and Brooke from the WHOLE trip! I hope Savanna got more!
This is Jim and I, don't get us confused with the other picture. It get's really hard when everyone wears the same hoodie!

The rest of the trip was so fun! I mean it was Disneyland for crying out loud! If anyone is still reading by the point, (I really had no intention of writing a post about this, I was going to write about how we went to the fair last week) we are almost done! This was when I finally called it quits with trying to get a good picture and pulled my hair up.

By the very end of the night my feet were done for and luckily CJ had bought Kitten some mole skin the night before for her aching feet.

The next day was Sunday, and it was long, but fun. Brooke and Kyle woke up and took off back to Phoenix, and I don't blame them! We didn't leave the hotel until like 11:30, got some lunch and were off to spend the rest of the day in Cali. We went to Venice beach (the opposite direction of Phoenix) and then to San Clemente. Venice beach is dirty, and cold, but it was great people watching and the perfect place for one last churro and one last funnel cake (oh how I love that you can justify anything terrible you eat on vacation). We went to San Clemente for the one and only Rainbow store! CJ and Savanna were RAVING about these AMAZING deals on Rainbow flip flops. They are like $55.00 at Nordy's and like $10.00 at the Rainbow store. Of course I was down to drive a little out of the way to get this amazing deal! When we pulled up to the shop the hours on the sign read "Sun: Go to Beach". Ok thanks. They were closed. We did what they said and went to the beach. I wish I got some cheap flip flops, but it was still fun. I love our married friends and that we could ALL go the same weekend! It was so much fun, let's do it again! Maybe next time it will be a cruise, Kyle. I'd love that too!

I had every intention on skipping this post entirely and posting about how much fun we had at the fair last weekend! Oh well... to another quiet night at home.

One Year Ago

October 24, 2009

Started out a lot like this.

I probably couldn't tell you how many cokes we had prior to this

But it Sure ended really good

Isn't weird how we think our life is going to go,

and then after one night everything changes?

I love you babe!

Happy one year of knowing each other!!