Things I LOVE!

A few things that are making me smile this week, in no particular order:

This past Saturday, Tommy and I turned our regular old fridge into a CHALKBOARD FRIDGE- and I love it! It took a little convincing to get Tommy on board for this project, but it was worth it. And, it was surprisingly easy to do! It’s perfect for leaving little love notes in the morning :) I'm not sure this picture quite does it justice- we got a little carried away, so it's a little cluttered!

Our GARDEN! It’s been a few months since we planted, and we are now starting to see the fruits (and vegetables) of our labors! The squash have taken off, and I have had fun trying out some zucchini recipes- bread, muffins, baked squash- you name it, I’ve tried it! Don’t be surprised if you get some goodies coming your way- the watermelon, peas, tomatoes, and chilis are starting to bloom now…

SUMMER- of course that makes me smile!! Yesterday I took my last final of the semester!!! Although I still have a lot of work ahead of me, I am taking this chance to be SO grateful that I’ve made it through the first year of grad school. It’s definitely been a rough road, but with the help of Tommy and my family I’m almost halfway to getting my degree. Thanks for keeping me on track and not letting me give up!!

Darius Rucker, aka HOOTIE: is anyone else so delighted that he transferred over to country?? This song you’re listening to now is my new favorite!

Here's a little adventure that happened today that made me laugh at myself- sometimes I can be so embarrasing! Today, I had to go in to the doctor and get a few immunizations so I can work at ASU's speech clinic this summer. Now, I know that I have a wimpy stomach, and tend to get sick if I get my blood drawn. Today, I just had to get a few shots though, should be no problem, I mean kindergarteners get that done, right?? Anyway, I happen to look while the nurse is poking me, and see a little drop of blood. No big deal, I hold it together until I get out of the office, and then by the time I'm out to the waiting room, I'm really sweaty, and not seeing quite right. I run back to the restroom, and...Yep, I threw up. Is that not pathetic? I thought I'd eventually grow out of that, but apparently not. I better toughen up before I have kids- I can't imagine getting blood drawn every few weeks- yikes!!

Holy Moly!

Holy Moly! It's already been (over) a year! Tommy and I celebrated our 1st anniversary last Saturday, April 18th. It is so hard to believe we have already made it through one year of marriage- it seems like just yesterday we got engaged! This year has been full of so many exciting events, and I am so lucky to have such a hard-working, loving, fun, supportive and patient husband. I love you baby! Here's to many years to come!

So, a great way to start out an anniversary is with a 4.2 mile run, right? I thought so too! Brie and I decided to do Pat's Run, and it was really cool! There was one point when you are running slightly uphill on a bridge over Tempe Town Lake, and you can see THOUSANDS of runners filling the road ahead of you- it was all I could do to keep my sappy self from crying! The run organizers pay this company to take your picture as you cross the finish line on ASU's football field, but I think they should get their money back- the picture is definitely NOT of me! Haha, I guess you'll have to take my word for it that I actually crossed the finish!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Hope everyone has an excellent holiday.

Time For A . . . . .

We were planning on waiting until

I was done with school

but

some things just can't wait.

Yes,

you guessed it, there is a

bun in the oven!

JK- APRIL FOOLS! No baby for a while :)

the SUNS game

Ha! This picture cracks me up, because it seriously looks like Tommy and I were photo-shopped in!

But, we really did go to the Suns game Saturday night. It was between the Suns and the Wizards, and we stomped them! Really, the final score was like 128-96, and Jason Richardson (I'd never heard of him before the game) scored 30 points! It was super fun, and was actually Tommy's first time at an NBA game! We were hoping we might score some free stuff, but had to laugh when the entire section to the right of us won free shirts, and the people sitting just on our left had a visit from some important guy in a suit and won a backpack full of goods. Really, what's the deal? Just kidding, it was still a lot of fun, and an excellent date night!

The view from up in the sky, the right way to watch a SUNS game :)

Spring Break~ ROAD TRIP!

Tommy and I spent our spring break traveling to Utah! We kind of got it backward- leaving somewhere that is nice and toasty to go somewhere you can't even wear flip-flops! But, it was still a lot of fun to go and visit (or in my case, meet) a bunch of companions from his mission that are now studing at BYU. I majorly regret that I did not bust out the camera to take more pics!! Anyway, we also got to spend some time checking out the beautiful sights in Temple Square, like the Salt Lake Temple, Brigham Young's house, and the Tabernacle.

Congrats!~'Tis the Season~Happy New Year!~One Fat Dog

Yep, we're covering all that and more in just one little (or not so little) post! To begin with- Tommy did survive his last week of the fire-fighting academy, and I couldn't be more proud of him! He has been on shift now for about a month, has already seen some crazy things (crazy like he needs to edit the gory details before sharing them with me), and LOVES his job.

I have to admit, I love it too- we get to spend a lot of time together, and he has time to do some awesome projects. Remember that before picture of the backyard- aka the wilderness?

Here it is, all completed!

And, I asked Tommy to leave me a little space for a garden in the back corner. I can't wait 'til it gets warm enough to start planting.

Another reason I love the holidays- seeing old friends! Heather is enjoying her new life as a Texan, but we love when she gets to come back to visit!

Christmas lights at the temple: Tommy and I went over after some last-minute Christmas shopping, and our not-so-patient selves couldn't really stand the thought of waiting until it was really dark to see the lights. So, we can tell you- they are pretty at dusk too!! We were glad we went and got a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.

Tommy and I had fun opening presents at his parents house on Christmas Eve. His mom is so awesome, and loves to get the girls in the family matching PJs.

I especially love the attention to detail- we even get matching socks! It really makes you feel like part of the family.

Tommy and I headed home and opened our own Christmas presents that night too. He was working in the morning, and anyone who knows me, knows that it is best, if at all possible, to let me have my morning beauty sleep! So, a 5 am wake-up to open presents was out of the question- we took care of those presents the night before.

Even Zoey got to open some presents. She loved her treats! Perhaps a little too much. At her last visit, she weighed 59.4 lbs, which is officially overweight!! The poor little girl has been sentenced to a diet. I guess she gets to take part in the New Years Resolution weight loss game too!

SNOW!! I can only remember a few times of getting to watch it actually falling, and it was so graceful and beautiful. The cabin looked so serene and perfect!

My older brother Damon just hit the big 3-0. Holy moly! But, he rang it in in style, and the kids LOVED breaking open the '30' pinata. Here is Princess Gracen taking a whack at it.

The boys:

McKinna has great form!

Grandpa and Skinnie Minnie

Happy Birthday Damon! Hope you have a great 30 more!

'Til next time- goodbye!