We elfed ourselves, then each other...and we liked it.

Well, in hopes to spread Yule Tide Cheer this holiday season, we once again did JibJab's forever hilarious, "Elf Yourself." Here are a couple of this year's selections.

Enjoy.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

And We're Back!

After a fairly long hiatus (during which we re-evluated life, it's purpose, and our position in it) we're back. I don't just mean we're back writing posts on blogs and doing the "same 'ol same 'ol". I mean, we're back. Plain and simple.

Now before you get pretty excited to figure out what has been happening in our lives the past "x" amount of months, know this - we're back. I feel I really need to make that clear.

Ok. I've got that out of the way and I'm ready to tell you everything. At least the big things that have happened. And you should know that there are some pretty dang big things. Big. So to make this easier, I'm going to break things down into events in chronological order starting with the latest and working my way to the very latest. So sit back, relax and get ready to be amused.

EVENT #1: Teaching. Way back in August, I started teaching. I won't go into too much detail, but public education sucks - and its it's own fault. I ran into a lot of early problems that most first-year teachers shouldn't have to deal with. I didn't have a room for over a month. I didn't have any equipment (computers, cameras, etc.) and when you teach photo and TV broadcasting, you need all that stuff. So, for the first month+ of school, we couldn't do anything. I lost the students and at this very second, I'm working on getting them back. I also was assigned to run a video scoreboard that never worked and I got blamed for it not working. When it comes right down to it, I love my job - which is to teach. I just hate all the other crap that comes with it.


EVENT #2: Pogi. If you said, "Aw, cute blog header!" you probably also asked, "What is Pogi?" Well, I'll tell you. Shortly after I began work as a Red Devil, our beloved dog, Belle, got terribly sick and had to be put down. I felt I needed to actually hold and comfort Belle as she slipped into eternity, which was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Shortly after Belle's death, we felt a void in our life and had an opportunity to get another dog for a very good price. So we did. And named him Pogi. Long story short, Pogi means "handsome" in Tagalog and in the Philippines, they always say "Handome is for dogs." I took their advice and named a dog Pogi. Aside from the constant smell of poop on his butt and his breath, he is supposed to be our dog and we love him very much!


EVENT #3: Mapleton, UT. We took the plunge and bought the most expensive thing we ever have up to this point. A house. It is a quaint little cottage of a house that we now call home. It sits on just under half an acre, so most of the investment is in the land. We've already began to fix things up and will probably post more things about it as things progress. We've also had to fix things, which naturally happens with a 60 year old house. But like I said, we call it home, and it keeps us safe from the elements.


EVENT #4: Arrie (prounounced R-E kind of blended together). Up until Arrie was born, the house was our most expensive investment. On October 21, that changed. We welcomed our biggest investment into the world and it was the most incredible experience. Here is how it happened: 1:30 am, Jen wakes up - water breaks. 1:35 am, I complain that I want to sleep. 2:30 am, we arrive at the hospital. 11:15 am, Arrie is born. Basically, life has never been the same since. It's funny, much like our dog Pogi, all she does is eat and poop. She sleeps when she wants to. I have to speak for myself and say I absolutely love being a padre. That's all.


So there you have it. That's basically all you need to get caught up on our lives. As time goes on, we'll elaborate on some details. I promise we'll get back into the groove of blogging.

Like I said before...We're back.

You know that song...

So, I know it has been a very long time since we last blogged. A month maybe. But I got to thinkin' about a certain song to let everyone know that "I'm Still Here" (by Vertical Horizon). Listen to it here. It kind of applies.

Anyways, if you've been missing us, don't worry, we have to! We'll be writing again shortly so stay tuned!

Arrie Jo Boss

Here are Arrie's first photos!!!! Isn't she cute! :) We went to the doctor on Friday morning and It's A GIRL!!! We are so excited! Mostly we are so excited that she is healthy. Also, you will see a picture below of her right foot, so far we only can count 5 toes, but she had her toes on her left foot curled, so maybe there are 6 toes on that one! :) It was a very cool experience - I have to say, I was relieved there was actually a baby inside of me and not something else moving around and making me sick! Most people thought it was going to be a boy, but Braden has always known since he was young that his first child would be a girl! - and it is! Oh, and last night, for the first time, Braden felt her kick! VERY COOL!

THE Happiest Place on Earth

I have always wondered why they call Disneyland the "Happiest Place on Earth." I mean, isn't it all relative to the person saying it? Well, I decided to give Disneyland a try to see if I too could gain a firm testimony of the famous phrase. Now that we have been home from there a week, and that I have had some time to really think of my experiences there, I think I have come to a conclusion.

But first, let me tell you how this all started. Oh, about a month ago or so, we were talking to my parents when they mentioned they were going to take Jerik, their oldest grandson, and their youngest son Dill to Disneyland. Jen wanted to go and so I made the mistake of saying we had the money to go and that was that. I just said that to be nice, but didn't really think she would jump at the opportunity. I thought she would have wanted to save the money. Anyways, the "Priceline Negotiator" got us the best deal (4 days 3 nights in an awesome hotel really close, and airfare for just under $240/person). We got Park Hopper passes on ebay for about $120/ea. ($20 less than at the park). Oh. We also got a full-size rental car (a van) for 4 days for $89 thanks to Jen's mom's "Entertainment Book" membership. That's the details, now to what we did.

Day 1: Thanks to Captain Kirk, we got on a great mid-day flight to Long Beach. Once there and the rental car gotten, we headed to the beach in Surf Town, USA - Huntington Beach. That was fun, hot, and salty, but fun. We then went a few miles east to the hotel, checked in, freshened up, then went and ate at Cheesecake Factory. Dang good shiz.

Day 2: Disneyland! Got there early and no waits in line. It stayed that way pretty much all day. Now, because Jen is "with child" and because my mom was a wuss today, they went and got the rest of us fast passes to things. But we really didn't have to wait that long for anything anyways. Dill and I had to wait about 40 min for Space Mountain, but that was well worth the wait. Food was expensive, so we split most everything. There was a parade in the evening which was fun. Weather was overcast and not too warm, but perfect in that we weren't miserably hot. Good day. Fun day. We were glad to go to bed. We did everything (seriously, EVERYTHING) at the park between the hours of 9 am and 6 pm. No regrets. "Happiest place on earth phrase" in question.



Day 3: California Adventure! And oh boy what an adventure it was. First, Soaring California twice! It was fun and I really thought we were flying. Next was the Rapid ride which was fun, but we all got soaked and due to the weather, which was overcast and colder, so we were all wet for most of the day. Next I was pleased to experience Screamin' California. FOUR TIMES! Loved it. Probably the best ride so far! The best experience though was getting my mom to ride it. She was terrified and it was great. She screamed frantically and was practically crying. I was laughing so hard I thought my cheeks were going to split open! Tears everywhere between the two of us, I couldn't talk for some time after wards without laughing hysterically. Best memory of my mom to date. Another really fun ride was the Tower of Terror. I loved the overall experience. Again, Jen got us all fast passes and was able to go on a few rides herself, including the Toy Story ride, which is super fun! Finished up Cal. Advent. around 7 and headed over to Space Mountain one last time, this time with my mom. That was a super long wait because someone blew chunks all over the ride. But, once again, totally awesome. Mom did a lot better. Then was Tower of Terror one last time, this time with mom. No fireworks tonight. But the bed felt better than ever.








Day 4: Last day of awesome free breakfast at the hotel. Did some free laundry at the hotel, packed up, and left. Thanks to the host of the old show "Rescue 911" we had a 4 hour wait at the airport. Smallest airport ever. We got home, ate, then went to bed.

So. One week later, after much thoughtful consideration, here are my "Best's":

Best Ride Waiting Experience: Tower of Terror
Best Ride Element: Indiana Jones
Best Ride Animatronics: Pirates of the Caribbean
Best Overall Ride Experience: California Screamin' (with my mom)
Most Suspenseful Ride: Tower of Terror & Space Mountain
Best Kids Ride: Toy Story
Stupidest Ride: Roger Rabit
Longest Wait: Space Mountain
Shortest Wait: Haunted Mansion
Best Food: Soup Bowls (California Adventure)
Best Place to take a Nap: Tiki Room
Biggest waste of time: Waiting to get autographs from characters (They always cut the line off when we got to the front)

Now that I've written all of this, here is the verdict: The combination of Disneyland and California Adventure really do make up the Happiest Place on Earth. For now. But also know this, we'll wait to take our kids when they are past the age of accountability (8). Jerik just got tired and didn't want to do a lot. But that's it. It was a great trip and nice to get out of Utah for a bit. It was much needed and again, a lot of fun.

First Five

Ok, I just posted 3 things today, so after reading this and commenting if you want, read the next two blogs also! :)

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me!
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations.

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year.

You have no clue what it's going to be. It could be a craft, a goodie, or- who knows?

So, here is the catch:
You must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment, will get a fabulous homemade gift by me! Be sure to post a picture of what you get when you get it.

Mother's Day

This is a little late, but I took these pictures and wanted to blog about my first "Mother's Day," or well - partial Mother's Day! I didn't expect to get anything, but Saturday night I came home to the following on my dresser! :) I have a great husband!! :)







Then on Sunday I got a card from my parents...



Inside it says:

"There's a miracle happening in your heart. Beyond the excitement and anticipation, already there's a love between you and your child that's unlike any other love.

It's a love that will be your forever. And there are so many mor miracles yet to come. Happy Mother's Day to a Soon-to-be Mom.

and braden's parents gave me one too..



What a grand calling it is to be a woman - and at that a Mother. We are all mothers to our own children and every child we come in contact with. Sherri Dew said,

"As mothers in Israel, we are the Lord’s secret weapon. Our influence comes from a divine endowment that has been in place from the beginning. In the premortal world, when our Father described our role, I wonder if we didn’t stand in wide-eyed wonder that He would bless us with a sacred trust so central to His plan and that He would endow us with gifts so vital to the loving and leading of His children. I wonder if we shouted for joy at least in part because of the ennobling stature He gave us in His kingdom. The world won’t tell you that, but the Spirit will."

Happy late Mother's Day to all women!

Springville High School!

Hey! Braden got a job!!!! :) We feel so fortunate to have gotten a job. After graduation,we weren't sure what we would be doing for a little while. As Braden said in his graduation blog, even teaching jobs are hurting in this economy.

We knew we would be guided in the right direction, wherever we were supposed to be and whatever we were supposed to be doing. I know that Heavenly Father is aware of each one of us and our individual needs. He knows what is best, while sometimes we don't understand. But if we put our trust in Him we won't go wrong.

Braden had interviewed at a few High Schools that seemed very promising, but in the end they didn't work out. Then, when we least expected it, he had 3 job interviews in a matter of a week at most (Spanish Fork High Shcool, Eastmont Middle School, and then Springville High School.) Then on the 12th of this month, the day he interviewed with Springville, he had all three schools call him that afternoon and offer him a job. We were so happy!

He has decided to work for Springville High School, where he will be starting a new multimedia program and teaching digital photography and TV production. He will have the opportunity to also introduce some video production and hopefully that can grow bigger over the years. Braden is so excited and has so many good ideas for teaching and really involving the school and the community. We feel so good about this job and where we are at. We are so excited for what the future has in store.

Movie MAY-hem!

So May '09 is probably one of the best movie months ever. We'll be seeing all the great shows on opening days! (It's all about the experience!) We already saw "Wolverine" on May 1, but here's the rest of the schedule.

May 8: Star Trek
May 15: Angels & Demons
May 21: Terminator Salvation
May 29: Up

If you wanna go with us, you probably have our numbers, so just let us know!

Oh, and don't forget to mark your calenders for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" in theaters and IMAX June 24!

Graduation & The End of BYU?

So you're wondering what the title means, right? Well, me too. I'm sure by the end of the post, I'll figure out something to write. In the meantime, however, let me tell you that I am officially graduated from college! It's a pretty big accomplishment, especially since I'm the first grandchild on both the Boss and Washburn sides to graduate. But I have to admit, I wasn't really that excited. Here's why. See, there are many reasons why one pays thousands of dollars to learn - half of which is useless information (i.e, GE's). The other half is supposedly something you're interested in and wouldn't mind making a career out of. So here I sit with a Bachelors of Science degree in Technology and Engineering Education. I couldn't have asked to graduate in a "better" economic time when it's VERY hard to get a job. I always thought that it would be great to get a teaching degree because I could easily get a teaching job and if I decide to go into industry, I could fall back on teaching when that gets bad. Well, things are bad and everyone has fallen back on their teaching degrees. So, for the first time in a very long time, principals actually have a choice of who they hire! So the future looks bright! Seriously! I have some prospects and I'm excited for the possibilities. Also, it's important to note that with the baby coming, both our parents near, we're gonna stay here in Utah/SL counties. Wherever that'll put us.






Now, I digress. Let me refer you back to the title of the post. There is a big question about whether I will return to BYU immediately to obtain a Master's degree. Let me straighten things out so not as to confuse anyone. I will return to BYU to get a Master's degree, just not right now. First, I have to take the GRE (entrance exam), then apply, get accepted, etc. So, hopefully I can be ready come winter semester. So it's not the end of BYU for me. But I will return a Graduate Student, which means better parking!

Last of all, I just want to thank everyone who supported me (and still does) especially during the last year or so in which I have gone to school every single month. I'm tired. I'm gonna enjoy my summer for the first time in a long time.

Thank you.

Seven Pounds My Butt! - Part 2 (And a new movie review!)

Alright. So it wasn't too long after the last post that we finally found the movie. It was available, it worked, and it was pretty good. I'm going to use this little bit of blog space to provide you with a brief review. If our past troubles are any indication, you've probably already seen it. So here goes.

It's a good show. I wouldn't be one to say it's great. It's good. Will Smith does a great job with the character. My favorite part of the movie was Barry Pepper, as is the case with any movie he's in. Anyways, the story was one that makes you think about what you do to serve others. The ending was bitter sweet and predictable, although how everything happened did surprise me. Other than that, there's not too much to say about it. It's semi-depressing, but at the same time, it's not. Weird.

Well, if you haven't seen it, get your act together and join the crowd. I'd probably buy it if it was less than $10. We'll see.

Now, look right to your right and read another review for a great show, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"

Seven Pounds My Butt!

Contrary to what you may be thinking, my butt does not weigh seven pounds. As much as I would like it to, I'm pretty sure it weighs more. Anyways, I have to vent for a second.

Ever since the movie "Seven Pounds" came out during the holiday season last year, Jen and I have wanted to see it. However, due to time conflicts and just being totally busy with school and work, we never saw it. "We'll see it in the dollar theater," we said to each other. Well, to our demise, that was a lot easier said than done. Twice we went to the dollar theater in Provo, which seems to be where everyone else goes at night. We got there early and stood in the never ending line so we could buy tickets. Finally, when we got to the front of the line, I mean the VERY front as in, we're the next to buy tickets, we can't be helped right away because the boxed employee is putting the "Sold Out" sticker on the very movie and time we wanted. That happened BOTH TIMES! "We'll see it when it comes out on DVD," we said to each other in our frustration.

Apparently everyone in Utah County loves the movie because it hasn't been in a Redbox or Blockbuster since it came out. That is until last night! We finally found a Redbox that had it and quickly reserved in online. That was our first mistake. I went to Smiths, which is where everyone goes after their done at the dollar theater, and stood in line twice! (Smith's has 3 Redbox machines) Neither machine "A" or "B" recognized my card, which meant the movie I rented wasn't in those machines. I looked over at machine "C" only to see it said "OUT OF ORDER." I looked toward the heavens in awe of my awful luck, ended up getting a different movie and fumed all the way home.

So, at this very moment, we still haven't seen "Seven Pounds." We did get a promo code so that the next rental is free because they don't refund your money. So we'll see. Sooner or later, we'll get to see it and I'll write a review about it. Until then, wish us luck.

Better yet, if you have the movie, can we borrow it?

Movie Review - The Day The Earth Stood Still

I'd like to think people read my mediocre movie reviews, but because I fear the exact opposite, I'm actually writing a post to tell you to go look at it. It's not far, just there on the right. This time it's about "The Day The Earth Stood Still." Hope it helps. If you have a request for us to watch, leave a comment and we'll check it out.

INGAT!

Oh Baby!

Hello all! Well, this has taken me a week to post this, life has just been busy. But, if we haven't told you, we are now announcing that a new arrival to the Boss family is on it's way! Yep, we're pregnant! Well, I am pregnant, Braden is the expecting Dad! :)

I found out the day before Valentines Day. I got up before Braden to shower and get ready for work. I prayed so hard as I was waiting for the pregnancy test that it would be positive. Instantaneously it said it was, but I didn't want to get my hopes up - I feared it would fail on me. After it stayed positive for about 20 seconds the tears came. I was so happy, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't stop crying, luckily I had the shower time to regain my composure. I wasn't sure how I wanted to tell Braden. I thought I would wait until that night and do something cute and special - or maybe even on Valentines Day, but I was so happy - I decided I wanted him to enjoy the day as I did, knowing he would be a Dad. Those are hard words talking about "your baby" or "Mom/Dad" when that hasn't ever come out of your mouth before. We always pray before Braden goes to work, and it was my turn. I wanted to say something in the prayer but the words wouldn't come. So I ended my prayer and kicked myself afterwards. He gathered up his things and was going to the door when I said, wait! I forgot to pray about something. I prayed about a few things and at the end I prayed that Heavenly Father would bless our baby. I ended it and Braden was looking at me funny. He was like, "Are you serious?" And I said yes, showed him the proof and he was so excited. But he couldn't get as excited as he wanted to because we have neighbors that live above us. It was the best morning though! :)

We were going to wait to tell our parents and friends until about a month ago, but a month into my pregnancy I started getting sick and I didn't know WHAT I was doing. So, we told them early so we could get help and advice and they were all so happy and excited for us. It was Braden's idea to give them cards with a baby on the front - in my parents it said "Think about it!" - My Dad just looked at the front of the card and looked at us and said, Really? We then told him to open it. He got it right away. My mom was super excited and Andrew was like, "That is SO COOL! - I'm going to be an Uncle!" For Braden's parents, we wrote inside the card, "We figured out what to do and it worked!" :) It took a while for Braden's family because they didn't open the card until after dinner and we gave it to them for the third time, after reading it it still didn't sink in and so we had to tell them - it was awesome! :) In their defense we were playing a game and were really into it, so it wasn't their fault. :) We told our grandparents that next day and thought we'd keep it to just family because it was still early.

Well, last week on Wednesday we heard the heartbeat. Braden was there and it was truly an amazing and spiritual experience. It was really fast and was more like "swooshing" sounds but it was there, and it even moved while we were listening and the midwife had to find it again, she said that they do that - they move a lot. There is a little person inside of me and even though I am still experiencing the sick side of it, it is wonderful. Hearing the heartbeat was I think the first real evidence for Braden that this was all really real and that his baby was real. He was SO happy, and I know he is so excited to be a Dad, as I am to be a Mom.

Our baby is due on October 20th. I came a month early and Braden was born with 6 toes on his right foot - so we'll see what surprises this little one gives us! :) We will keep you updated and post pictures as they come. We love you all! Take care!

Loo-a-vull!

Well, for that past 4 glorious days, I have been in Louisville, KY. I have to say that it was really nice to get out of Utah for awhile! It didn't take me long to realize that my western pronunciation of the city was, indeed, wrong. But once I got it, I got it!

Anyways, I was there for the annual International Technology Education Association conference. Basically, it's a conference for a bunch of educators, both elementary and secondary education as well as college. You pretty much just go to a bunch of workshops, see what products are new, meet new people, and, in my case, eat a ton of great food. I went to only 2 workshops over the course of 3 days, but I also had the opportunity to present some of the research I have been doing for the past year.

The presentation actually went better than I had thought. I got a really bad time. The last time slot on the last day of the conference. But, to my surprise, a lot of people showed up (20-25 people). The name of the presentation was "Technological Literacy: What does it really mean?" I presented some research findings and we had a great discussion. A bunch of people came up to me and wanted the powerpoint I used as well as a copy of the survey. So, as far as I know, my research will reach as far as Australia and the Netherlands, as well as Canada! Pretty cool.

Now the reason I went to only 2 workshops is because during the conference, there are also competitions between then different attending schools. I was on the "communications" team, which means we made a video. It was supposed to be about the watercraft of the Ohio River. Only problem, this is the one time a year where there are practically no boats on the Ohio. So that meant it was a lame topic. Anyways, we had fun with it and the following is what we came up with:



Needless to say, our video didn't even place in the top 4. Here's why. All the people who judged the video were also those who competed in other events. The TECA presidency. None of them have any background in video production so none of them know what a good video looks like. Also, the paper work (in this case, the storyboards) are weighted almost 3 times heavier than the actual video itself. Some of the schools had binders full of essays and color drawings and photos of ALL their ideas. We just submitted the required storyboard. I told everyone at the beginning of the competition that if we didn't win, it's not because ours wasn't the best. And let me tell you, ours kicked the crap outta ever video there. I'm not just saying that because its ours. After all the awards were handed out, 4 or 5 different schools got mad that ours didn't win. So yeah, there needs to be a lot of changes in the judging.

Moving on, there isn't that much to really talk about. There's not really that much to do in Louisville this time of year. We did go to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory which was interesting. I got to hold some of the bats they were making for some pro baseball players. The picture below is the worlds largest bat. We did eat at some good places. I got a freakin' good bratwurst from a guy on the side of the street. We ate at a Thai place that was amazing. Other than that, everything was pretty chill.



So yeah, that's about it. It was a good few days. It was a vacation that was much needed and looked forward to, although it would have been better if Jen was there.

I don't want to drive to Heaven in a Sports Car

I can't wait until I'm 60! Let me explain...For church, we had an enrichment night on Tuesday, and it was a birthday dinner. We have a very mixed ward with newlyweds to widows. At this birthday dinner, one woman from each decade in life (one representing those in their 20's, 30's,all the way to 80's) stood up and listed the top 10 things about being that age. As each woman got up, as each woman got older, their list became more priceless and so meaningful. I always thought that getting old would be so hard, but after Tuesday, it seems like life is finally comes together. They expressed how they've experienced their joys and sorrows with children, work and life; watched their kids grow up and raise children of their own. These family members adore them and their life is so full of meaning and purpose. They have drawn closer to their savior and can spend more time doing the important things. They can take the time to sit and talk with friends, console others, serve others, take a nap, serve at the temple, etc.

We go through life learning the things and overcoming the trials that will get us to that next step that we need to be at in order to complete the next task. There is a purpose and a plan for our lives. Our Heavenly Father knows our needs and wants us so desperately to return to him. He gives us these stepping stones to get back to him. And on that path back to him, hence the title of this blog, I would like to quote Marjorie Pay Hinckley, on how I want to arrive to meet my Savior:

"I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE UP TO THE PEARLY GATES IN A SHINY SPORTS CAR, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want o drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

Teaching Video for BYU

Well, I have been working on this little project off and on for the last few months. It actually started in October-ish and a presented a rough to the TEE department at BYU in January. I haven't worked on it since then - until today! Check it out and tell me what you think. It's my first project done in After Effects, so that is an accomplishment if you know anything about AE. Everything, including the smoke and earth, was produced be me. Enjoy!

License Plates & Initials

So back when Jen and I first started dating, she got me looking at license plates to see if I could find my initials. At first I flirtily complied, but before long I found myself looking at every passing cars in hope of finding the letters that defined my name: BWB. Well, as seems to be the case with practically everything in my life, things happen when I least expect them to, or even want them to. Anyways, I went to pick up one of my good friends and there, in the parking lot of his apartment complex, was a lone car. The license plate caught my eye as it was an Oregon plate. Feeling a sense of pride, I moved closer to the butt end of the car where, to my surprise, were my initials - BWB. Now this whole thing was kind of a double-whammy because a) there were my initials and, b) it was on an Oregon plate.

So now I can cross that off of my list of things to do/find before I die. You should try it out too. Who knows, you might find it. And if you're really lucky, you'll find it on the state of your choice. And if you're even luckier still, you'll find it more than once.

Finally!

Hello everyone, we are alive and doing well! It's been a long time since we wrote! I get on each of your blogs when I see there is a new post and I love reading about all the new and exciting things going on in your lives! I then see "Braden and Jen" listed under your blog lists and a small "2 months ago" under our names and I say, we need to blog, it's been that long?! So, I'm not going to let us get to three months old on your blogs.

Here's a quick recap and rundown since we blogged last - a lot has happened! We had wonderful holidays! We spent Thanksgiving in Idaho with Braden's mom's family! My birthday was December 11th and I am now a quarter of a century old! :) We spent Christmas with my parents in South Jordan, and then we spent New Years at Braden's Parent's in American Fork. Braden started Student Teaching at Alta High School, and will soon be done with that and moving onto a middle school in Alpine. We got a brand new primary class of fun and eager to learn 4-year-olds. We have started our two TV series for the year: LOST and 24 - oh my gosh - SO GOOD!!! So good in fact, I was getting butterflies this week before we watched 24! Since we blogged last we have also gotten a new President of the United States and celebrated Valentines Day and President's Day, which Braden got to take the day off and got to sleep in (a much needed break.) We went to the open house of the new Draper Temple which was beautiful. We also had our one year mark of being engaged on January 8th, man time sure has flown! We are so happy and doing so well. I love going home every night to my wonderful husband. I've learned so much about him, and me and love him more and more everyday. Life is so exciting and wonderful.

I know this was quite the list, but if I don't blog about it all now, I'll just need to keep catching up and never get to it - like my journal! :) Now we can blog regularly from here on out. Below I will post lots of pictures. For now, I have a small link and picture of a give-away that I found on a new crafty website! I think the aprons are really cute! Click here to go to the website.




One of our dates - we had a picnic in a homemade tent! Peanut butter sandwiches, cream soda, and frosted grahm crackers!


We get to babysit Braden's nephew's, Jerik and Jackson and we have so much fun!


We came home one Saturday and a family on our street had this in their front yard.


Thanksgiving in the church in Idaho! Left to right, Lu, Brittney, Gibson, Tim, DeLanea, Dill, and Braden