Valentines Day

Well, though it was a couple of weeks ago, I am just now getting to posting about V-day. However, here's the bright side. No longer will I be playing catch up. I thought about posting V-day stuff, but then I felt bad about posting about that before catching up on those other posts. All things considered, I feel better about doing it this way and, after this, I will be up to date. Yay!

So here was Valentines Day. It was nothing super exciting...but it was a wonderful day despite not being exuberant. Of course, since it fell on a Tuesday, we were limited to the evening only since I work during the day and Jesse's on campus. Luckily, Bishop admitted that most of the couple he would visit would want to be left alone on this particular evening so Jesse had the night off from Bishopric duty and that was great because it allowed us to spend an evening alone, just relaxing midweek, which doesn't happen very often.

We made spaghetti and meat balls and watched Lady and the Tramp, completing the dining experience with Sparkling Cider. Cheesy...yes! But we loved it! Here's the great part haha Jesse played it like he wasn't going to do anything special because he just didn't have time to. Which is true. He's stuck on campus all day without a car since I drop him off in the morning and then I pick him up after I get off work...so it's not like he could get home to put together some surprise right? I thought so. Until I got off work that day. He had left some treats for me with a tantalizing string of clues written on each one for me on the seat of my car. When I got home, I was welcomed with a trail of yummy chocolates to a giant card, a cute gift, and a dozen roses.

How did he pull this off, you ask? He skipped devo! Yes, he skipped devotional that day, walked down to my work a few blocks from campus, stole my car to drive home and set the whole thing up without me knowing a thing! The funniest part is that he told me later that night that he had run into my boss right as he was getting back and parking the car and my boss had seen him, acknowledged him, and didn't say a single word to me. It was perfect haha. Not very many people manage to surprise me, but...then Jesse does know me better than almost anyone else.

I, assuming he wasn't going to have time to do anything besides the dinner, set up something for us that night too. So it was a triple dip into Valentines day for us haha. We had our plan, then he surprised me, and I surprised him. This won't be something that happens often, but it was a great first Valentines Day together.

Just a glimpse of what we did that night. And no...we did not plan the wearing of Valentines Day colors...it just kind of happened that way and I only even noticed when I was putting together the collage. Pretty great tho.

Christmas!

Christmas Part 1

After the zoo, getting married, and then graduation...Christmas came! I got a job in the meantime too and that has been such an amazing blessing. But...Christmas is more exciting haha. Jesse and I enjoyed decorating for Christmas in our first apartment. We didn't have a ton of money, but we still found enough to get our first pair of stockings and some ornaments. The decorations were mild for what will come later, but we both loved them as they were. Luckily I already had a nice Christmas tree and a cute little nativity set that the Seamons family had gotten for me a couple of years ago.

We had just gotten back earlier that day from spending a wonderful Thanksgiving with Jenny and Jon in Rupert, and we were tired, but I insisted we do it that day and Jesse, in his loving and enthusiastic way, joined in.

It was fun to start a new tradition of putting the tree up the day after Thanksgiving.

Jesse had lots of fun making me pose for pictures that I would not otherwise consent to, but he did all the work for pictures and in the end I accepted the inevitable. Secretly...so keep this hush hush everyone...pictures are growing on me. I still think I look horrible in them, but I like having them to remember moments. Like the zoo, I had completely forgotten about that day until I saw those photos on Jesse's camera card. I think that's really where my deeper appreciation for pictures began to grow.

Anyways, as you can see, Jesse is a goof and...I love him and go along with it. I LOVE our tree. I'll be sad when this one goes, if it goes, because it has been a faithful Christmas tree and has memories attached to it. But maybe someday we can get a big 8 or 9 foot tree that Jesse will have to stretch to put the topper onto or put a kid onto his shoulders....all in good time though :)

Christmas Part 2

While decorating was fun...Christmas day was just as good if not better. I'd never really had a Christmas quite like it actually. Everything was simple, peaceful, and the atmosphere had no hint of emotional eruption of any kind. It was the kind of Christmas that I want to always be able to share with my family.

Since it fell on a Sunday this year, we had a special stake wide meeting which was supposed to be about an hour, but lasted almost 2. It was a good meeting though and I loved being able to sit with Jesse during church for even just that one Sunday. After church, we went over to visit Janet Huff, a wonderful friend of mine and Jesse's since we were little. Really, she was an amazing friend to my mom during her time living in Corvallis and Jesse was friends with her son, David, but as Jesse and I have grown up, we've developed our own friendship with her. We planned on just dropping by for a little bit to visit some, but to be home soon because we hadn't opened gifts before going to church, but we ended up being there for about 4 hours just talking. She's such a kind, generous and loving woman...and it was great to just sit and visit with her when we had no pressing concerns on our time.

Once we got home after visiting with Janet, we actually made dinner first since it was so late. Note: we *still* hadn't opened presents and it was almost 6 pm by that time. But, we chose to make and eat dinner before getting down to gift opening. I think, in the end, we didn't open gifts til about 8 pm. That, won't make it into the family traditions haha, but we had fun opening them, even late in  the evening. In fact, I think the delay in opening gifts kept our priorities and activities of the day closer to what the center of Christmas really is.

Jesse and I couldn't remember ever being more spoiled on a Christmas. We had set a budget...but we both went over that budget a little bit. Ironically, we both went over the budget by roughly the same amount. I thought it was funny. Jesse spoiled me with picture frames that I'd been wanting desperately (I wanted to put up wedding pictures) and he got many things that he liked too. He wouldn't give me any hints as to what he wanted so it was hard shopping for him, but I chose a couple of winners in the end. I think his favorite was the puzzle I got him, that is now preserved and displayed in our living room.

This Christmas was definitely one for the memory books. The feeling throughout the entire day was amazingly peaceful and it was just wonderful to have such a relaxing Christmas day, relaxing with a good friend and my sweet husband. It couldn't have been any better.

So...here's some more catch up. Not much new has really happened so I'm taking the opportunity to catch up a little bit more on the things that have been happening. I even make picture collages for these updates so...appreciate them dang it. Haha just kidding...I really enjoyed making the collages. I may in fact be a tiny bit (or a lotta bit) addicted to picasa 3 collage tool...

But anyways....here's the catch up portion after my random ramble. Here's one fun event from shortly before Jesse and I were actually married. We decided to hit up the Idaho Falls Zoo on its "Free Zoo Day" and because we all needed to pick up some things in Idaho Falls anyways. So it was perfect. It's always fun to hang around Brad and Paige because they're just as random as Jesse and I are and neither of us mind that each couple just randomly drifts into their own conversation. Tis great haha. But we always have a great time hanging out together. This...is some evidence of that...

I
I warned you. We are random. I think it was Jesse...maybe Brad, I don't remember for sure...but one of them spotted this wing span thing on the fence and decided that we all needed to be measured against it. Of course...Brad had to be all goofy. Maybe he's part chicken :) And, not to be out shined by Brad in his goofiness, Jesse had to up his game a bit and stick his head in the alligator's mouth. He's cute tho.

While the Idaho Falls Zoo was nothing compared to the Detroit Zoo that I got to go to on a marching band trip, we still got to see some fun animals too.

My favorite was the Red Panda. He's small enough to look kinda like a medium-sized dog and he looked all cuddly too. Maybe I can sneak one in under the pretense of getting a dog someday. We'll have to see if Jesse will fall for it. I doubt it, but a girl can try right? We all had a great time making fun of the tortoises tho. They must have just sat there for who knows how long while our group watched, hoping one of them would rise and prove that they could in fact move. They...never did though. Sad.

All in all it was a great day. Jesse and I, somewhat cruelly, teased Brad and Paige about how much further away their wedding was than ours because I think we were within just a couple of weeks by this time and they still had over a month. They of course shot teasing remarks right back at us, but what are friends if they can't tease and be teased?

Graduation

So, as I said the other day, I GRADUATED! My gosh it feels like it was forever ago now, but it was really just a couple months ago. I mentioned it in the giant post the other day, but...then I decided I wanted to add some pictures of it because it really was a great day. Plus, Jesse will be proud that I actually shard pictures with people haha. So anyways...enjoy!

Jesse was enjoying himself far too much...but it's not often that he gets me to actually consent to pictures.

 I didn't ever hope to much to have my mom at my graduation because of finances,

 but it was AMAZING to have both her and my new Mom Rose there.

Jenny made it from Rupert and Kerry stayed an extra day or so after all her classes were done to be there with me.

 It was flashback to 716 in Fall of 2007 except now things have changed. It's kind of crazy to see how much 

things can change in 4 years, but wonderful to see everyone moving forward too. 

 And here's the gang...all changed from Fall 2007. Jenny is married with a baby and 

Kerry is almost graduated and starting an internship in just a couple weeks now and then 

Jesse and Me...still together but married now. Haha some things only change in statuses. 

 I couldn't resist including this picture. I only wish Sis. Arnell could have been there too because then my "Poli Sci Trinity" 

would have been complete. I can't even express how much an impact these two professors, Brother Adamson and Brother Lamoreaux, along with Sister Arnell have made on me. I can't even thank them enough for all they've taught me. 

And finally, the picture of me on the stand. I had the "opportunity" to say the opening prayer for my convocation ceremony. 

I wasn't nervous or even think much about it until I found out that Elder Cook was going to be attending my particular college's convocation. Then I got a touch intimidated, but I was grateful that I didn't have to deliver a talk or anything. 

Jesse told me after the ceremony that he worked super hard to try and snag a good picture of this scene because 

he was excited to show off my having been sitting on the stand with a general authority. I know...he's a fun one.  

So that was graduation. These pictures were already on facebook, but I didn't put any captions so the blog gets spoiled I guess. It was really everything I ever hoped my college graduation would be and I sometimes wish I could return to the fun classes I had in political science. But not enough to return haha. I will say this though, and scoff as you will, but the cheesy fortune cookies that I got from the BYUI Grad Fair was right, "BYUI will always hold a special place in [my] heart."

Better Late than Never

Jesse and I talked about starting a blog shortly after we got engaged at the beginning of last summer but...it never happened. Mostly because we were a little distracted with putting a wedding together and getting back to school and just enjoying being around each other again after being separated for 2 years. But - I have decided that it is time to get my rear in gear and start a blog since I'm horrible at journaling. I'm hoping that I will be better at recording things on the computer than I am at recording them in a book. We'll see I guess. Cross your fingers for me...

But anyways...to catch everyone up a little. Jesse and I got married on October 22, 2011. Somehow I managed to pull him all the way through the experience with 0 hesitation from him. Even I was a tad surprised that I had no hint of cold feet. *Shrug* I guess that we have just both known for a long time that this is what was supposed to happen and we were ready to be moving forward. I remember breaking away from everyone one of the nights before our wedding in that week to go up to the temple and read our patriarchal blessings together. It was a wonderful feeling to be there on those sacred grounds, with the glow from the temple projecting enough light to read those together. It was also amazing to see how linked our blessings were. Not to sound cliche, but...they seemed to complete each other. Things in his complemented elements of mine and vice verse. Perhaps that is one reason we did not wake up the next morning with cold feet; we knew that we were supposed to go through with our wedding.

And so we found ourselves going to the temple at 8am on October 22. I had never been so beautified in my life. Bonnie was amazing enough to spend an hour or two on my hair and a friend of hers, who didn't even know me until a few days before that, was also kind enough to get up at 5 in the morning to come to my apt and do my make-up. Thank goodness for these two angels because otherwise...I would not have looked anything close to a bride. It would have just been me in a fancy dress haha. Oh! That reminds me of the dress. I  still am slightly surprised at the dress I chose. It was beaded, and poofy, and just GORGEOUS! I fell in love with it the first time I saw it and was pleasantly surprised to find that it looked good on me. I have never felt so beautiful in all my life than when I was wearing that dress, married to my wonderful husband.

We had a very brief time away from Rexburg to go home for our reception and see so many of the wonderful people from Corvallis Ward who helped us become who we are now. It was funny to hear so many of them saying variations of, "We saw this coming when you two were just in high school." Of course, we always had the thought in the back, and sometimes not-so-back, parts of our minds. It was a wonderful weekend.

And then we got back to real life very quickly. We didn't have money or time for a honeymoon so we immediately reentered the "real" world of school, work, and homework. Jesse more so than me as...I wasn't working at the time. I spend a few hours on campus each day and then went home and...waited until it was time to pick Jesse up often almost 6 hours later. Those were long days. I am so grateful to now have a job. It takes a lot of pressure off of him and gives us more time to spend together which is very nice. The weeks passed quickly and we soon found ourselves settling into a routine.

Not long after we had a routine going, the Lord decided it was time to make some changes...to bring growth...to this newlywed couple. We were busy, but we were content. It is dangerous to be content haha. The bishopric was changing in our ward and one Sunday afternoon Jesse got a call from the Steak Presidency wondering if we could come in and meet with them. Jesse and I teased about it being a bishopric calling in one of the campus wards or something, but we both just figured it was some kind of get-to-know-you meeting. We were wrong. Once we got there and sat down in the office, the Stake President visited with us some, but did not wait very long to extend the calling of Bishopric 2nd Counselor to Jesse. We were both stunned to say the least. We never thought that as newlyweds, he would be given such a calling. But here we were and of course he accepted after the Stake President had cleared it with me.

It has been difficult at times to get used to my husband being in the bishopric. Nothing in my background ever prepared me for it and it still hits hard sometimes during his late nights out doing visits and while sitting alone during sacrament meeting. But...today at church I heard something that I've been needing to hear. One of the brothers who was giving a talk is new in the ward and spoke on ministering. It has been a focus in our ward since the new Bishop came in. He spoke of how he and his new wife, only married 6 weeks ago, had been having a very hard time finding which ward they were to be attending. Many wards had told them that they didn't belong in their ward, but had not given them any help in finding the correct one either. He continued to say that after coming to church at our ward, they had been quickly welcomed by the Bishop and the next thing they knew, their records were in our ward. He continued on, and stated how much it meant to him to have had the Bishopric come and visit him and his wife in their home on Tuesday night. They had been out very late that night and I had had a difficult time with it. But hearing how much it meant to this brother at church, helped me to see more of what Jesse is doing while he is out and it brought some calm to my heart.

But back to catching you guys up...I GRADUATED! It is so wonderful to be done!!! I even have my diploma and everything now. It's legit haha. I got a job the day before I graduated and now I work full time while Jesse is at school. The new job was intimidating at first. I had a lot to learn, but I caught on very quickly and now it already feels like I've been working there for a year or more. Jeremy, my boss, is still a little stunned at how fast I learned everything, but is very pleased with the fact that it took about 1/3 of the time to train me that he was expecting to spend training the newby. Jesse is getting a touch burned out with school and all of his homework, but deep down he's still addicted to learning and he loves his subject. He's going to make an amazing teacher.

That about gets you caught up. There are many things that have happened, but you've gotten the main points.  From here on out, the posts should not be nearly as long. Again....cross your fingers cuz...I could be finding myself as inconsistent with this as I am at journaling and so the next post will just be another catch up. I hope not, but we shall see...