Our oh so busy life

So we have been just going and going!  I finally found the chance to jump on the computer.  Doug has been fairly busy with his Elders Quorum President calling.  They finally have succeeded in putting all of the home teaching assignments together and have visited just about every member in their quorum.  

While he had spud harvest, Doug decided to build a ladder that we could get down into our crawl space with.  He very expertly measured and drew one out using all of his math skills : ).  He was very proud of the end result! (that is untill he realized his steps were just two inches too wide).  So he needs to go back and cut them smaller before he can complete it.

I very suddenly have acquired 10 piano students!  I know you might wonder how I have time.  I don't know but I do know the Lord is behind making my days stretch 3 or 4 hours longer.  I know I can't possibly do everything with out his help!  So these students came from a young piano teacher in my ward.  She decided she needed to focus more on her composing and recording and just couldn't teach them anymore.  She asked me if I would like her students and I said sure.  I officially start teaching them this week and I'm so excited!

School is just continuing on for both of us!  I have a lot of fun with my classes but they take up a lot of time.  I am doing homework more than I ever have in my whole life!  I can't believe that midterms are this week!  At least its a comfort to know this semesters half over.  Doug is going to start preparing for his december concert!  I love to watch his students perform.  He has so many of them its crazy. 

Well thats how our life is going....I will post later about our super fun murder mystery dinner we had this last saturday  and all of the cute things I did for our enrichment night.  

Hmmm.....Long time no blog!

Ok so I have been horrible!  School started and I don't know what happened to me!  I'm so busy I haven't even had a chance to check others blogs in two weeks let alone post on mine.  So heres the rundown on the last part of summer and the beginning of school.   

We went to a couple reunions in August it was really fun.  We had the Boyer Reunion here in Rexburg and then the Quick Reunion in Lehi utah.  For a great rundown on that you can read my sisters post here.  It was a lot of fun to see all of our family.  

Doug, Me, Bryant, Rachel, and Becca decided to hike to the top of Table Rock to see the Tetons right in front of our faces. It was my last fling before school officially started.   It was a wonderful hike.  The scenery was beautiful even for 12 miles : ).  We were all very sore but extremely happy that we had done it.  

School started for me and I found out I was the class sequence schedule I was following was missing 4 classes that I need before I can graduate in the winter.  So I am pretty busy I am taking 18 credits and when your a music major it means you have about 9 classes.  Its only the second week of school and I feel a little like I've been ran over by a bus.  I have a lot of reading and it gets a little mentally draining while walking all over campus is physically draining.  I'm excited to learn though!  I love school and am excited for what I get to do this semester.  

It was my birthday on the 17 and I had a great time.  Doug got me beautiful flowers then took me to dinner in Idaho Falls.  My biggest present was a good winter coat (something I've never needed before moving to Rexburg).  We had cake and ice cream with Dougs family and my family called to wish me a Happy Birthday!  It was very fun.

So thats what's been going on.  Maybe this semester will get easier as it goes on and I'll have more time to get on and post.  If not just know that I am wishing I could and I do still try to read all of your blogs!

Our Many Travels

We went down to visit my family for a week on the 21st. Our anniversary was on the 19th of July so we decided to stay in Salt Lake on the way down on Monday. It was nice to have a break in the drive but as soon as we got to Logandale we jumped right back in the car to go to California with my mom. Doug had never met my grandparents or my great-grandma. So we left on Monday, stayed overnight, drove the rest of the way to Logandale on Tuesday, took an hour break, and headed down to California the same day. We stayed and visited my grandparents wednesday then jumped back in the car to go back to Nevada on Thursday. Then we stayed and played till the following monday. We went waterskiing and wakeboarding. I tried wakeboarding for the first time and crashed the hardest I've ever crashed in my life. It was a lot of fun though. We also got to play a lot of games with all my brothers and sisters. Logan (who is preparing for a mission) recieved the Melchezedik Priesthood that sunday and I was very glad we were there for it. We got home on Monday and Doug's parents asked us if we would like to Moscow, Idaho to move Brad and Traci up there (Brad is started medical school in a couple weeks). We were debating whether to go or not because they were leaving on wednesday. Finally we decided we really did want to go even if it was a 10 hour drive just to get there. So we went up there and helped them move into their new apartment. We were really happy we went. It was a lot of fun to see their new apartment and help them organize it. We got to watch Alaina be so cute all weekend and have fun with Brad and Traci, Mom and Dad, and Traci's parents. Then we got back in the car on Friday. All in all we had a great time. I only wish we could cut travelling time in at least half. I think we travelled about 50 hours in the last two and a half weeks. 9+9(Idaho to Nevada and back)+6+6(Nevada to California and back)+10+10(Rexburg to Moscow and back) yep that equals 50. I'm just glad the Boyer reunion is in Rexburg this year.

....grrrr...

We have been pretty busy and so I haven't blogged in a while. However it doesn't mean I havent tried. My Internet has decided to be the biggest pain in the world. It will work just long enough (sometimes) to read other blogs and check my e-mail (rarely). But as soon as I have a real reason to use it (such as blogging, or looking something up), it immediately drops the connection to the server and won't work. My solution was to call the company! Of course if you have problems with the server its the company's fault right? So they tried all kinds of troubleshooting with the modem and asked me more questions than I wanted to answer. In the end they wanted to come and put a dish up on my house to boost my reception (we have wireless internet you see). That wouldn't work because our homeowners association is trying to set up a deal where there will be one dish for internet and one dish for tv on each building. Anyone who puts up anymore dishes before that is all worked out can be fined. So I talked to the president of the HOA. He said if we could just stick it out I could get a better deal with better service in two weeks. I decided that sounded ok so we are still stuck without properly working internet. You might be asking how it is that I'm blogging right now. Well I came to the school with Doug to set up his room. His computer works just fine! I guess if I really need something we can just come up here. Hey it works for me : ). OH and did I mention that our phone has not been working for two weeks? : ) ......grrrr... : ) I have to just smile and remind myself that those are just little things compared to what is really important. : )

Very Busy!

We have been very busy this last week. Doug has been involved in directing Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. It has been a great experience for him! He has had quite a few practices which I'm not too crazy about, but it has turned out great. I am going to go see it tonight with his family. I had juries this last week. I think they went pretty well. You never get used to playing for a grade. I had a big mess up at the recital part of my jury : ). I smile at it because it was avoidable. The guy in front of me got up and couldn't get his piece started. He would get a few notes out and then have a memory slip. He tried 4 or 5 times before he could get going. So I sat there and thought I don't want to do that so I better know how my piece starts. I thought through it picturing the notes on the page and what they were feeling confident I knew my piece. But when I sat at the piano my fingers simply would not start it. I stopped and thought through the notes once more and still couldn't get started. Now Doug and I have decided that my analytical side of my brain overpowered the side that feels and does things naturally. Its ok I played the rest of the piece great and even had the chance to play it again later in my jury to redeem myself. We also have been very busy finally tiling our bathroom but since I don't have the pictures on this computer I will leave that for another day.

Jewelry

I haven't ever been a really big fan of jewelry.  I like simple things. I don't own many earrings and have even less when it comes to necklaces.  So when one of my primary friends invited me to a lia sophia party a while back I wasn't sure what to expect.  I found I liked a lot of the stuff they had and was even swindled into booking a party for a free necklace.

So today I had a party at my house.  It was a lot of fun.  My family came and supported me (thanks guys).  We had a great time putting all of the Jewelry on and playing games the advisor had for us.  I had hoped a few other people would come but it was a great party anyways!  I know the stuff is more on the expensive side but it is really nice.  You know if you buy something that's cheap, thats what it is.  

I am just letting you all know that you can come and do an online party in addition to my party at home.  The products are all here at this link http://www.liasophia.com/sites/bernadette/page-catalog?CatID=20&TotalPages=61&PageNum=1  And if you find anything you like you can buy it under my name/party and I get a little closer to some rewards.  You just click on "how to buy" and enter my name in the hostess place.  They also are discontinuing a lot of stuff and have sales like buy one full price get two half off (make your most expensive one half off).  So for anyone interested have fun!

Hansen Reunion

We had our Rick Hansen Reunion last week!  We finally got everyone together and had a great time.  It was a pretty busy week.

Tuesday was Brad's birthday and we went repelling/climbing with him in the morning.  It was just us, Brad and Traci, and her brother and sister.  We drove out by Table Rock and repelled in the canyon.  It was definitely more beautiful than Heise : ).  It was kind of scary getting over the ledge to repel and then swing out over the canyon but exhilarating at the same time!  We got back, ate dinner, did presents for Brad, and had to rush to go see savior of the world at the college.

Wednesday Doug and I decided to go ride our bikes down to the splash park to watch our niece and nephews play.  However, by the time we got down there we had just missed them.  We turned around and labored back up the hill : ) (great exercise!).  We had dinner together and then everybody went to practice for the 4th of July concert.

Thursday we went boating!  The water was great.  We had a fun time waterskiing, tubing, and wakeboarding.  When we got home we all decided we needed a nap!  Afterwards  we had a great time playing games.

Friday was the 4th of July parade.  It was fun to see all of the people in the parade and grab candy for the kids.  We had a bbq for lunch and got ready for family pictures.  Following that we headed to Idaho Falls for dinner, a concert, and the best firework show I've ever seen.  It was a very fun day but I think we were all funned out by the time it was all over and we were sitting in traffic just to get out of the parking lot.  I guess its worth the show but I vote getting a hotel room next year and just going to sleep when its all over.

Saturday we went swimming at Heise and had a picnic.  It was fun swimming with all the kids.  They are all so cute and were so excited to get in the water.  The water slide was pretty fun!  I'm glad they had something to entertain all of the guys : ).  We had a great big nap when we got home! ( I know I think we got this reunion stuff figured out.  Do something then take a nap! Its a lot more fun that way : ) ).  We had a program where the kids sang, babies blew whistles, and the oldest played violin.  They were all so cute!  Bryce and Richelle sang a great song for us! I'm so glad we got that one on video.  And I played piano, Dallin played his violin, and Becca read her poetry.  Off course it wouldn't be a program without ridiculous skits : ).  Brad and Traci did a great one : ) then Mom, Dad, Becca, and Bryant did a more ridiculous one.  They each made us laugh and were so very entertaining.  All of the brothers sang some barber shop for us and we just relaxed.  Brad put up a badminton set and we had fun swatting the birdie onto the roof with a lot of help from the wind. (whew that was a long day!)

Sunday we had a testimony meeting in the morning before Dallin and Leslie had to leave.  It was a very spiritual and wonderful experience.  I am so amazed with the strength of this family and am so grateful to be a part of it.  It was a great family reunion!  

Suzuki Camp

Ok so I haven't posted for another week. And as always I have a good excuse. Really. I do. . . 

This last week Doug was teaching at Suzuki Camp in Boise.  It was my first time going and it was pretty fun.  It's just a camp where kids come and take classes from a bunch of different teachers who teach Suzuki.  

Doug had 4 classes he taught so I sat in and observed on some of the piano classes while he was busy.  I was never taught Suzuki method until I took some lessons from Mom Hansen so it was good to see how to teach younger kids (since the way Mom taught me isn't exactly how I would teach beginners).  I also got to observe another piano teacher which has given me a variety of ways to help students with different learning styles.

Dallin and Leslie came up also to teach and put their little girl through for her first time.  So my other time was occupied watching their very active two year old so Leslie would be able to be in classes without worrying about disrupting it.  It was a lot of fun for me.  I've always loved babysitting and its even better when you don't have to work very hard because this little boy entertains himself so easily.  

The other part of my time was taken up with practicing.  I have only 3 weeks till school is over which means juries are coming up.  I was glad that this was a music camp and I had plenty of time to access a nice piano to practice on.   

So that was my last week in a nutshell.  Very busy and no access to a computer (which is my other excuse for not posting).  We had lots of fun and are just getting prepared for another busy week.  The Hansen Family Reunion! I'm excited to see all of my brother and sister - in - laws.  It will be fun and I'll keep ya posted on activities.

Camping & Climbing

We went camping with Doug's Family this last weekend.  It was a lot of fun!  We went to Heise and camped by the river.  It was a different kind of camping than we are used to because it was all grass and the spots were pretty close.  There were a lot of trailers and we joked about all of the old folks eatin dinner and turnning in at 5:00.  But we had a blast. It was actually great to have the grass under our tent and it was a really beautiful night.  I loved sitting around the camp fire and sing songs.  I got to learn some new songs I had never heard before and Mom Hansen was great entertainment :  ).  

We got up early to go rock climbing with Brad, Traci, and Bryant.  It was a hot day against the rock but still fun.  This was only my second time really climbing and boy am I sore.  My forearms have been the worst but it is a good sore (you know the kind that reminds you that you actually did something that made you feel so alive? Yeah that kind of good sore).  I got halfway up the first face and then completely up the second.  Doug did great he got a little further than me on the first and did the second much quicker than I ever could.  Brad, Traci, and Bryant did great.  I'm always amazed when I watch other people climb.  Brad always makes it look so simple and Bryant is so tall it takes him about half the moves it would take me to climb.  Traci really inspires me!  Here she is the one with the baby but climbing (and doing great by the way). It was a lot of fun and I want to do it some more.  

We were so hot when we were done we got down and dipped our feet in the river.  Brrr it was cold water but felt great.  It was a great way to end the camping trip! 

Update

Ok so we really have been busy....So I'll tell  you all about it : ). 

 

Last week Doug had Fiddle Camp with Brian and Aaron Ashton.  It was a lot of fun for the kids.  They learned a lot and played some fun games.  The concert was really fun to listen to!  Some of the kids had improv solos for about 2 measures.  I think that was my favorite part and it was definitely the most entertaining.

I have been busy catching up on practicing piano and cleaning the house.  I finally got through the laundry from our long trip so Doug could put all the luggage away.  I'm still in the process of deep cleaning the house (a process that never ends by the way).  It seems like every time I am satisfied with one room we have something to do so I don't get to move on to the next.  But hopefully I can finish up this week.

 

Mom Hansen's Birthday was on Friday.  It was busy day but we went over after the concert and had birthday cake and played games.  Then on Saturday we went to Indiana Jones and had a blast.  It was a very entertaining movie and we all decided we couldn't see why anyone wouldn't like it as much as the original ones.  

Also on Friday we went rock climbing with Brad, Traci and Alaina.  It was a lot of fun.  We went to a new spot so the climb was a little more challenging for Brad and Doug.  It was a cliff face of lava rock and huge!  They only climbed up about 1/3 of the way.  There were lava rocks covering the ground so Lainy didn't have anywhere she could really go but she still had fun climbing with her Dad. 

Saturday morning we went to the airshow with Brad and Dad. It was way fun to see the planes that were involved in war.  Some of them bombed and sunk ships and were involved in all kinds of missions.  It was especially fun to see the trick planes put on a show.  I don't know how the pilots could stand spiraling towards the earth just for fun.  Scary if you ask me.  It was a nice morning and we all got sunburned staring straight into the sun

: ).

We wanted to find out all the details about putting the tile up in our bathroom so we went to a few stores on Saturday.  We are going to get all the materials and rent a saw so we can just do it ourselves.  I hope we can do it all in a day so we aren't without a shower for very long.  We are hoping to do it this week so I'll post pictures.

Then Sunday came and it was Father's Day.  I called and talked to my Dad and then we had dinner over at Doug's Parents.  We love our Dad's and are so grateful for their examples!  I don't think we could ask for better Fathers.  

Then yesterday I decided we should do something fun for FHE.  So I packed up dinner and we went to the park to have a picnic. The weather finally turned beautiful and it couldn't have been a better day.  So we didn't want to go home after we were done eating so we walked around the park.  Then got some ice cream at Mill Hollow and walked around the block.  We wanted to watch the sunset so we took a drive around and looked at houses (one of our favorite things to do!).  The sun finally started to go down so we drove up by the temple and sat on the grass in front of the chapel to watch the sunset.  It was beautiful and we had a great FHE.

So that is what we've been doing and I'll try to keep ya posted more often : ).

Our California Trip

Well I'm a little slow getting back to life.  I do have a good reason I haven't posted for a while.  We went with the Dad Hansen and the high school on their California trip.  It was a lot of fun!
We got to go to Disneyland/California Adventure for 3 days!  It was great because we didn't have to try and cram it into just one day. We got to go on all the rides and still watch shows and parades.  It was a lot of fun too because we got to see Dallin and Leslie and their kids.

We also got to go see Wicked in LA!  It was fantastic and the theater was amazing!

We had never seen it before and it was a lot of fun!  If you haven't seen it you all should.  Its the story of how the wicked witch of the west became wicked.  And it is a great story :)

We also got to go see Medieval Times and it was a lot of fun!  We've been to it  a lot but its   

always fun!  The food was great and sadly our knight, the Blue Knight, didn't win.  But then again this time none of them won.  Instead it was the prince who came and conquered the green knight.  Lots of fun!

We also got to go to the San Diego Zoo.  It was amazing to see all of the animals.  Here are the pandas.  

 They were so cute!  Its a picture of mom and baby Zhen Zhen, which means precious.  They were just lounging and eating bamboo.  It was too much fun.  We got to see polar bears showing off and all kinds of monkeys (mostly grooming each other : ).  The Gorillas were amazing to watch and so much fun.  We didn't get to se the tiger because he was being lazy and sleeping somewhere.  But we did get to see the female lions and a few other big cats.  The elephants were just huge! It was a great trip. 

Camping Pictures

My dad bought this Razr for hunting and camping. Its way fun!  And its still small enough to go on all of the 4-wheeling trails. Here is Doug and the Razr.  We had a blast going on it but it was so cold we had to really bundle up.  My dad brought jumpsuits for everyone to wear and it really helped to keep us warm and clean. 

 We drove it up to this look out twice.  

The first time it was snowing and really cold (as you can see from the picture) and the second it was a lot sunnier.  This picture doesn't do the view justice.  We were up not too far from Bryce Canyon and so it kinda looked like this in a lot of areas.  The dirt was all really red and yellow. 

While we drove up to the lookout we saw a couple wild turkeys! Too bad I didn't get any picutres of those they were huge! It was a lot of fun. 

On Sunday it was finally sunny.  We play some card games and mostly relaxed.  We had a big dinner with the whole group. We go camping with 4 or 5 other families.  Now that we are all mostly married the group is expanding a lot.  There were tons of people to play kickball and capture the flag with!  We had a great time together and can't wait till next time.

Memorial Day

Yes, yes, I know I just wrote a blog about being more on top of things and writing more often.  Well I have a good excuse this time.  I was planning on posting and letting you all know I was going camping last weekend with my family.  However, my lovely internet stopped working and wouldn't load anything right on Friday.  So I just had to wait till I got back.  We went camping at Tropic Reservoir and froze!  It was down past Beaver, Ut so we figured that it wouldn't be too bad.  But boy were we wrong!  It snowed off and on every single day.  And when the sun did come out it was still too cold to not wear a sweater.  We still had lots of fun though!  And I've decided its great going camping when you are married because crawling into a freezing sleeping bag is great when there are a nice pair of warm legs to put your icy feet on.  : )  I'll post again about it when I can get some pictures up.

First Project Done

I finished making my pillow covers that match the Christmas blanket I made.  Here's a picture.

I tried to put a picture of the blanket and the pillows on but it wont work.  I did three pillows though and it turned out just great.  Now on to my next project.....

Doug's B-Day

It was Doug's Birthday on Saturday!  So we had a party for him with his family.  It was a lot of fun!!! We were going to have a bbq at his parents but while we were waiting Brad and Doug wanted to go out and shoot some old plastic apples Mom Hansen was getting rid of.  So Brad, Doug, Bryant, Traci, and I loaded into the car.  It was pretty fun here are some pictures. 

We also got to go to Prince Caspian and we loved it!  So you all should see it.  It is a bit different from the book but essentially the same.  

Doug got a grill from his parents!! Thanks Mom and Dad!!  I can't even believe it but it is just what he wanted.  And I got him a new swimmin suit and helped Grandma get him a camping pad.  So he had a great birthday and we all enjoyed beautiful weather.

Super Savings!!!

I have to tell you about my cereal savings.  Thanks to Mom Hansen,  I got a sweet deal.  I never shop at Albertson's but Mom told me they were having a great sale on Kellog's cereal.  It was 10 for $10! So we went down together on the last day of the sale.  I picked out 10 and she got 10.  When we got to the register it ended up being even less.  They gave us some $2.00 off coupons.  For some reason they gave Mom 3 coupons so her total was something like $4.  They only gave me 2 coupons so mine came out to be $6.  I was excited though! I'll take 10 boxes of cereal for $6!! Thats crazy!! One box of those costs almost $3!  So I just had to tell you all I got good name brand cereal for $.60 a box (I usually buy the bag stuff) : ).  I'm happy.

Tile Update

When I went down to Salt Lake, I happened to mention the fact that I needed to do something with my bathroom to my Uncle, GV.  He lays floors (tile, lamanent, wood, vinyl, etc...) so I thought he might have some tips for me before I dived in.  He asked if I had tile and I told him we were still looking.  Then He jumped up and said 'well come out here and look I have tons of left over tile.' Wonderful!! I know!! Free tile?!!?  I was so happy because we were a little worried about expenses and this could cut them in half.  So I jumped up and went out to his garage. And boy did he have tile.  The biggest problem wasn't that he didn't have very much but that he didn't have very much of a set kind.  I found tons of beautiful slate, granite and marble but there were only about 10 tiles each of them.  I finally settled on this 

It is lighter than in the picture.  It is off white and is almost the same color of our walls.  The smaller tile is granite (light tans, brown, and white) and we are going to cut that in half length ways to use it for an accent border.  We will probably put it in between the two rows or on top against the ceiling.  And he had 4 boxes left over of the big tile so we have enough to do the whole thing.  I am excited.  We will have to do some cutting on the tiles and I hope we can do it without breaking many.  We can probably afford to break some of the big tiles but the granite is limited.  And thats the problem with not buying the tile ourselves but oh well! I'll take what I can get, especially when the word free is involved : ) !!!  

Trip to Salt Lake

I got to go to Salt Lake last weekend to see my Mom and some of my extended family.  It was perfect because Mother's Day was this weekend and I have been missing my Mom.  My Mom came up for a Primerica convention which she is involved in.  I decided to go and see her and go to the convention to see what this thing was all about.  It was fun.  The company helps people get out of debt and that is great! I'm just not ready to jump in and sign up.  Its a multi-level build  your own buisness company.  I think that its a great opportunity but the problem is motivation.  It is hard to stay motivated to do it when you are so busy with other things.  And most of you know I'm not to hip on doing the multi-level thing.    : )  But while I was there I found myself saying 'Yeah this is great! I could do that!'  I mean they have meetings every week to train you and keep you motivated.  Thats better than any other company Doug has signed up for.  And I kept thinking if they could keep me motivated this might be great!  Haha but of course after a few days I have more doubts.  I just keep having the thought that I could be good at it if I give it a chance.  The problem is I don't know if I want to take the risk of giving it a chance.  How about you guys?  How do you feel about things like this?  Have you ever tried them?  

Oh Dear

I have been really slacking on the whole posting part of blogging! And I have no excuse because I have so much free time.  I find a lot of my problem is simply coming up with things to post about.  A lot of the time I just forget but I am making a goal to be better at it. So with that in mind.....

Our bathroom has been giving us problems.  The shower and toilet are set apart from the sink and mirror, which is great! I love it! Except they are squeezed into such a small space that it is almost impossible to vent without leaving the door open.  I don't have a problem doing this but even so we have water damage on our walls.  The paint is peeling all above the shower and when I talked to our builder about it he made it clear that it was my problem but they would give me new paint to fix it with : (.  Not so fun! I just painted it 5 or 6 months ago! So Doug and I have come to a conclusion.  We are going to tile it (well we will see...it depends on expenses).  But if we do we plan to do it ourselves.  We decided it would be a great summer project : ).  So I will have to take pictures and keep ya updated on how it goes.

Some other projects I have decided to do have to do with Christmas : )!  So I won't really tell you all what they are exactly otherwise all of my sister-in-laws would have no surprise.  But they have been taking up time (one of my many excuses for not posting).  

I also have been making pillow covers that match a christmas rag quilt I made last fall.  What better time to do it than during the summer! Its fun and I'll post pictures when I have them finished.  

I have been scrapbooking like mad! I figured if I don't get things done now whats going to happen when I have kids!?! I'll never do their pictures because I still haven't done trips and christmas and parties from before they were born.  So I have about 20 pages done and 20 pages to go of pictures and I'm sure our summer trips will give me that many more.   

Also my sister-in-law Richelle has made some of these, which are so cute I cant even believe it!  I have found some very cute fabric (which by the way was a $1 a yard YAY!) and plan to make some in my spare time.  Thanks Richelle for being so crafty! You inspire me : ).

My biggest summer goal however is to exercise! Not that I feel I need to loose weight because if I don't really.  But because I feel like I can't do much anymore.  Doug and I went rock climbing with Brad and Traci and I should have climbed but I didn't have the desire because 1) it was so stinking cold and 2) it just looked so hard and I wouldn't have got very far : ).  I know they are sad excuses but I plan on going climbing anyways next time because hey thats what helps get ya in shape right? So Doug and I have set a goal to run a 5k in June sometime (not much time I know) and I am gettin ready.  I plan to run everyday, no excuses.  If I mess up I am going to post it on here and all of you have to seriously scold me! : ) hey I need all the support I can get. 

So for now that is what I've been doing and I plan to keep up on posting so you dont have to worry about stopping by and being disappointed with the same old thing every time : )  

Teaching

Doug's mom asked me to teacher her two classes while she went to Arizona to visit family.  It was fun since I don't have much in my schedule.  But boy let me tell you, college kids are hard to teach : ).  First of all it was beginning piano and I am used to teaching little kids so I have all sorts of easy-to-understand explanations for little kids.  Well you can't use these with college kids! I found it hard to explain things without talking down to them.  Secondly they said nothing! NOTHING!  When I asked them if we played it too fast, or if they need it again, or if there were any questions..............................Yeah you guessed it, a lot of blank faces staring at me and the room so silent you could hear a pin drop.  It was actually kind of amusing to compare it with teaching opinionated and very vocal children (which is what I'm used to).  You would think college kids are comfortable enough with their lives that they can ask questions or at least talk to each other.  Lastly I found ways to fix my own problems in teaching.  Sometimes I go too fast or I confuse rather than clarify.  It really uses more self discipline to teach older ages than younger.  It was a great experience and I really enjoyed it!  

Family Pictures

Warm Weather on a Saturday!

Oh I just have to get on and tell all of you how nice it was yesterday! Haha it is a little silly that I write about the weather so much but I just have to!  Yesterday it got all the way up to 54 degrees!!!! : ) Well you may laugh but we were having a great time.  We went up to Doug's parents and washed our car.  This was a little hard because their hose was frozen under a big pile of ice that will never melt because its in the shade.  So we were stuck with taking buckets of water in and out of the kitchen.  But we succeeded in making our car all squeaky clean.  Then we came home and cleaned the house with the windows open! It was a beautiful day and today is supposed to get even warmer so we are going for a walk after church! Thanks for reading my weather update for Rexburg : ).

End of Semester

Oh boy, it has been a while since I have even had time to think!  I have officially 2 days left till the end of the semester so I can relax!  It has been so crazy with only a 12 week semester.  All of the teachers have to try and shove everything in and I have way less time to get all of my piano pieces ready and memorized.  Of course I'm not complaining! I love to start a week or two into September and get done right at the beginning of April : ) all of my other friends start in August and get done in May.  My advice to them is come to BYUI : ).  Anywho, last night I had Juries.  For all that don't know thats when I play for the piano professors here and they give me a grade and decide whether I am progressing enough to continue.  A little nerve racking to say the least.  I think I have mastered the art of being nervous and not letting it affect you.  It actually went very well and I am hoping to get a good grade.  I only have two more tests to take and I am home free (well at least for 5 months).  Then I will have all the time in the world to continue to post my life on here!  

Happy Easter!

I was asked to share my feelings on the atonement and resurrection with the primary kids  in sharing time later today.  I am very grateful for this assignment because it has made me think a lot more about why we celebrate Easter.  It is so much more than egg hunts, candies and baskets.  The resurrection is the center of Easter and we need to remember that.  New life is symbolized over and over with the eggs, spring, and baby chicks or bunnies.  Christ has done so much for each of us!  Without the resurrection the atonement would loose its purpose.  He made it possible for us to return to our Heavenly Father both spiritually and physically.  To me this is the greatest gift we could ever receive!  We need to remember how important this holiday is and what it represents.  We should give it as much recognition as Christmas!  I am so grateful for what our Savior has done for us.  I am indebted to him forever!  I hope as everyone celebrates this holiday, you won't get lost in the candy and eggs.  Remember what Easter is really all about.  Happy Easter!

Easter Eggs!

For Family Home Evening this past monday Doug and I decided to color some eggs!  It was really fun.  We got a special tye-dye kit so you could do it the regular dip-it way or a fancier way.  We turned out some really good lookin' ones I would have to say.  So sorry too I took pictures and planned on putting some on here but we don't have the cable for my camera or a card reader.  So we will have to work on that and as soon and I fix that problem we will post plenty of pictures!  Happy Easter!

Relief Society Auction!!!!

Today Traci invited me to come to an auction dinner presented by our Relief Society.  I was very happy to have a friend since I'm in primary it is hard to get to know everyone.  The dinner was very fun and creative! The food was great but the auction was even greater.  Lots of people brought things they had made, i.e. cookies, bread, blankets, dresses, and dolls while others wrote on little pieces of paper what they would do, i.e. babysit, flower arrangements, and help scrapbooking.  We acquired money by the things we had done in our life, how many kids we had, had we gone to the temple this month, have we served a mission etc.  I knew what I wanted was a nice loaf of bread.  I don't make bread often, I love homemade bread and I knew Doug would appreciate it (especially since I skipped out on dinner tonight!)  So when the first loaf of bread came up I was ready! With $335 and my bidding number in hand the auctioneer called for $50.  My hand shot up as did several others. $75! $100! 150! 200!  It was back and forth between a few of us. '$225!' shouted my most persistent opponent.  '$250!' I returned....$275! $280! She really wasn't giving up but neither was I.  I didn't show that I was getting low on resources (I only had $335), hoping that she would give up with the thought that I would never quit, no matter how high it got.  '$290' she looked at me questioningly......'$310!' I smiled back wondering how far she'd go. 'Do I hear $320?' the auctioneer asked.  Defeat on her face, my opponent quit! I had won! A loaf of bread worth $310! It was a very enjoyable experience and had I had more money I would have continued bidding.  'Only in Relief Society,' I thought, 'could a loaf of bread be worth so much!'  I returned home with my winnings, very proud, and now as soon as Doug gets home I will enjoy a very expensive piece of toast and jam with my hubby.

Water Aerobics

I am having a very fun semester with a stress relieving class of water aerobics.  It is a very fun way to exercise!  It is also the only exercise class recommended for pregnant women.  There are 5 in my class all at different stages in their pregnancy and all very much entertaining (I know my time will come when I waddle and can't bend over so I feel safe saying this).  Yesterday I enjoyed watching 3 of them race against each other in a relay! The object of the relay was to swim across the width of the pool holding a 1/2 cup measuring cup filled with water and poor the water into a bowl on the other side.  Not spilling the water is the hard part.  It was very funny!  They had the benefit of a noodle to help them float which I think was very helpful.  It was interesting to see the competitiveness come out as three very far along pregnant women struggled across the pool! I guess it is something you may have had to be there for.  Anyhow I enjoy their good natured attitude about their limitations and always being last to get done (Not to mention how cute they look in their swimsuits).  My time will come but for now I just have to laugh...

Longing for Summer!!!

Oh its been beautiful outside! I can say that because for the past five months its hasn't gotten above 25 degrees and has stayed mostly in the teens! oh the wonderful 30 degree weather is definitely refreshing!!! It felt so warm to me when we went outside the other day. I was thinking "Yes!! Warm Weather!!".......that is untill I talked to my mother on the phone. She informed me it was '80 degrees just the other day' and that 'dad has been outside in the yard all day'. I suddenly realized how crazy I was to be rejoicing in warm weather! 30 degrees!?!?!?! Now where I come from that's definitely cold!!!! Its now March 5th and almost summertime according to my book. Oh how I dream of wearing sandals, shorts, and a t-shirt. I know I shouldn't complain because when it comes summertime I'll be thankful I'm in Idaho and not in Nevada, but oh how I long for that 75 and 80 degree weather my family is enjoying. I guess I will continue to sit and wait for the snow to melt and the grass to turn green. However long that might take.......

Leslie's Tag

Grown Up Tag RULES OF THE GAME: 1) Each player answers the following questions 2) After answering all the questions, the player tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves a comment letting them know they are tagged! 10 years ago I was: Umm....I was in 4th grade! oh dear now I feel really young. The title of this is grown up tag right?!! 5 things on my list to do today: 1) Take a NAP! 2) Make dinner 3) Practice Piano 4) Do some homework 5) ummm....oh yeah I have a concert... Things I would do if I became a Billionaire: 1) Save! 2) pay off our house I guess 3) start college/mission funds for future kids 4) invest in some land 5) find some cabin land for my dad and our family! thats something we've always talked about going in on together. 6) I'd love to go on a cruise or visit europe or something fun! 7) I don't know??? 3 bad habits: 1) reading instead of doing homework or practicing 2) leaving the dishes for tomorrow 3) being a control freak 5 places I've lived: 1) Las Vegas 2) Moapa Valley 3) Rexburg 4) mmm......

5) .........very few places I know! Something most people don't know about me: Ummmm....Something that I've just come to realize is I hate to perform on the piano. I love to play but I hate to perform. Some people get all excited and feel wonderful on stage and I hate it! 5 jobs I've had: 1) McDonalds (yes one of my sad summer jobs) 2) Radioshack! 3) I did one on one work with an Autistic boy for almost 2 years! very fun and interestingly rewarding 4) Piano teacher 5) and I will someday add mother to this list which is sure to be a full time job! I Tag... 1) Brittany 2) Lara 3) Julie 4) umm everyone else already got tagged!

On The Subject Of Cooking....

Doug and I had a wonderful time yesterday.  We had been planning to invite his family over for dinner since who knows when but had never actually done it.  I was making the grocery list and thought we should have them over.  

Of course when it comes to the cooking dinner part I think I'll choose frustration for two . . . : ).  But I enjoyed it! I now know what every mother with married kids goes through to get dinner on the table.

It was so much fun to have our house so full!  I love having family so close and have enjoyed so many memories made so far!  We missed a few family members who are so far away and I just hope that we can see them soon.  I love you all and am so glad families are forever!!!

My Never Ending Cooking Problems

With a title like that you'd think I hate to cook.  Well I love to cook and I think thats one of the biggest problems.  I love to try new things and feel a great sense of accomplishment if they turn out. 

Just two thursdays ago, for Valentines Day, I asked Doug what one of his favorite meals were.  And of course he picks something I've never really made: Lasagna.  That was ok.  I was up to the challenge but as I looked for any recipes, I found that they all made huge amounts.  I didn't want to ruin it by trying to downsize it and then just getting it all wrong.  So I just followed the recipe.  

It turned out great, I'm glad to say, but today we still have half the pan sitting in our fridge.  This was also the problem when I made enchiladas (which were almost gone before I had to through some out).  Casserole, meatloaf, soup, and even hamburger helper! I can never just have leftovers for one night they last at least three! 

Needless to say I get a little frustrated because even I don't like to eat the same leftovers that many times in a row.  If anyone has recipes for two, Please! Please! help me out here.

Who Drove???

I'm almost too embarrassed to put this on here but it was really funny and I can laugh at myself now.  Last Friday when I got out of class I walked to the lobby of the Snow building and proceeded to wait for Doug to come pick me up.  

I just got out of Piano Pedagogy and Doug always comes to get me after that class.  I waited for about 20 minutes and then tried to call him at the school.  Of course the office was closed and I didn't know his extension so I was stuck.  (He really needs to get a cell phone!) I even called his parents to see whether he had been up to their house and thought I got out at 5:30 instead of 4:30.  They hadn't seen him and started to worry.  I thought 'maybe he got in a car crash or something, the roads are really icy.'  

Then I had an idea that I could find out his room extension on the middle school's website.  So I found a computer to use right when my cell phone rang:

Me: Hello?

Doug: Hi what are you doing?

Me: I'm waiting for you. Where have you been?! I've been waiting for like over a half an hour!

Doug: What? I'm at the school waiting for you.

Me: What??? (very puzzled)

Doug: You drove the car today!

And yes I am sad to admit that I had driven the car and was spacey enough to wait for over a half an hour with the keys in my pocket.  Although it is definitely one of my most extreme cases of forgetfulness I doubt I will ever forget that I drove again.

Whats been going on...

Our lives have been kind of busy this past little while.  While Doug is teaching Orchestra I've been a full time student.  School work keeps me pretty busy most days.  Just last weekend we were swamped with the temple dedication.   The community/college put on a celebration for the history of Rexburg and a thing called the wagon box prophesy.  It was really neat! Back when the LDS people settled Rexburg the land was awful and the winters were even worse than they are now.  Wilford Woodruff came up to Rexburg one Sunday and made a prophesy standing on a wagon.  He said that the land would be blessed and that he could see schools of learning, beautiful houses, chapels and temples dotting the land of Idaho.  There are now I believe three temples in Idaho. The celebration that was put on included over 600 primary kids, probably about 200 fiddlers, and at least 100 dancers plus the 100 college kids in choir.  It was amazing and took a lot of work.  The Temple was dedicated the next day and it was very special.  Doug and I have to make appointments to do sessions its that crowded up here!  But yeah thats the major things that have been happening in our lives.

Our First Blog!!

Ok, so I am now trying to figure out how to do all of this so things might be changing around for a little while.  I figured this is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends so I will try to keep up with you all.