Another Adventure

The past few months have been a blur. Our time in Provo is done for now. We are 90 % packed and off to Fresno for the summer. I do get to go to Burley for 2 weeks to see the family before I leave for four months, but I'm excited for yet another change! Brian & I have been on a lot of little adventures together & we are always looking forward to the next one.

So I'm done at the Olive Garden (for now anyway!). Brian is done with another semester of school & we've managed to have a lot of fun along the way. I got to go on a great trip to California/Disneyland with my family in March, we bought a new car, we went to the rodeo in Idaho & life has been great.

I'm a little sad to leave our "first home". All 525 square feet of it :) It's been the perfect little launch pad for our life together & we will look back on it with lots of great memories.

Shout out to the BURLEY girls!

Last saturday I went to lunch in Salt Lake with a few girls from Burley. I haven't spent much time with many people from Burley and to be completely honest I wish I had done better after moving to college....so....thank goodness for people who are proactive in keeping in touch. I really, REALLY loved high school. I have so many fond memories of those years & the people that were there with me. It was really nice to see & chat with some of the girls from back in the day :) Anyway, I just wanted to say that I love & miss all of the Burley girls (& boys)...life just keeps going & sometimes you look back & realize how many amazing people you've known & how many great experiences you've had.

Me, Jessica (Barrus) Nelson, Chelsey (Harmon) Butcher & Jess (Byington) Fenton

10 Happy Things

1. Love being with Bri...love laughing w/ him about silly things :)

2. Family...I wish I could be with them every day & I miss them more than words can express!

3. Being clean & organized. I like doing it & I love being surrounded by it.

4. My hobbies - scrapbooking, crafts, working out, learning new things, being outdoors, & of course watching my favorite movies & shows...I'm a tv person.

5. New STUFF - especially bags, purses, clothes, jewelry & getting my hair colored.

6. Food. I love cold cereal w/ yummy honey, extreme fudge moosetracks ice cream, strawberries & a million other things.

7. Making lists & crossing things off. Sometimes I write down things I've already done...just to cross them off :)

8. Sweatshirts, blankets, heaters, the sun....all things warm!

9. MEMORIES - in my mind, in pictures & scrapbooks & in conversation...I remember them often & I'm grateful for everything I've experienced in my life thus far.

10. Life. We all have our ups & downs, but I'm happy to be who I am & to have people to love.

I'm tagging Sarah... & I'll even do two for you :)

1. Dr. Pepper

2. Your darling family

Husband Tag!!

Where did you meet your husband? I was in Las Vegas for a cheer competition & he was friends with one of the other cheerleaders. He came to hang out with us one night & she practically PUSHED us at each other...her persistence paid off :) A big thanks to Becky Walker. When was your first kiss? It was that night at the La Quinta hotel....ha, we had to move fast - he was leaving on his mission in 16 days...I wouldn't have waited 2 years if I didn't know he was a good kisser ;) How long have you been married? 5 months 12 days What does he do that surprises you? He surprises me every day. Most of them are good surprises ;) One day I was sitting in church while he was still working in Iowa & low and behold he walks in and sits down next to me! He likes to pull off "big surprises" like that. I LOVE the little surprises though...one thing I love the most is how he quietly sneaks out of bed in the morning & never wakes me up until he comes in to kiss me goodbye. What is your favorite feature of his? I've never singled out one thing, but I LOVE his hands & his lips. What is his best quality? He is so giving. He is sincerely concerned about other people - their needs & their happiness. I have a lot to learn from him... Does he have a nickname for you? He just calls me babe, or Liz. At least he doesn't say "hey you!" :) What is his favorite food? Cheese. On anything & EVERYTHING. What is his favorite sport? He likes tennis & baseball...he's not the guy that watches sports on TV all the time...I really love that about him! What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We are both daydreamers & planners...we like to take drives & walks together & talk about life & our future. We love games - a favorite is Catch Phrase. We are both addicted to watching Friends late at night. We love to go new places with each other. I like to listen to him sing & play his guitar & he humors me by acting interested in my scrapbooks & craft projects. Does he have any children? Ha...no... Does he have any hidden talents? He is dang talented...can pick up at almost anything in the world. He is musical & athletic. Oh he'll love this - he can crochet :) One night when we hadn't been married very long we were getting in bed and he pulled out his string & needles from underneath the side of the bed...I almost died :) I haven't seen him pick it up since...lol, but it is kind of sweet & I stopped giving him a hard time when he told me that his nana taught him how when he was a little boy. How old is he? Almost 23... May 12th Who said I love you first? I just asked him about this & it turned into a bit of a disagreement :) This is the real conversation (you can decide for yourself):

Brian: "I'm so in love with you"

Liz: "I love you"

Brian: "I love you, too"

So, WHO SAID IT FIRST? I say he did, he says I did :) And he also tells people that I kissed him first which is a bit of an elaboration at the least. What is his favorite music? He is pretty open. He loves Jason Mraz, Damien Rice...those songs that melt my heart when he plays his guitar & sings. What is his favorite color? I don't know the answer to this question, but I don't think he does either :) What do you admire most about him? He is solid in every way. He is so committed to things he believes in and dedicated to everything he does. He puts 100% of himself into the gospel, his education, his work & our relationship. I'm so lucky to have him. Will he read this? He will if I tell him it's on here....I don't think he would ever check the blog for fun though :) I love you Bri. Thank you for all that you do & for being the man that you are. Forever & ever, BABE!

And I tag anybody who wants to do this one...it's a fun one!

Trip to BURLEY

Two weekends ago I went home to Burley (I don't know if Burley will ever stop being "home") and surprised my mom for her birthday. Brian was gone on a work trip to New Mexico and even though I missed him it turned out to be a well timed trip. Sarah & I spent some time making cards with our cricuts, I ran errands with my mom, we went through a session at the temple & were even able to seal my grandparents together & their children to them. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I went to my cousin Megan's bridal shower & we had a big family dinner with the Belliston side. I had a sleepover with Addie - who for a 3 year old takes up way more than her fair share of the bed! And on Sunday we did the whole "happy birthday" thing for mom who turned 39 (again :)). I absolutely LOVE my family & I love being with them.

Ali fits right in the family....she was jumping out of mom's arms to get to the chocolate cake...we've all done that at some point :)

Me with two of my favorite girls! Coloring with Adds

House shopping is stressful so Mark helped me build a house for Brian & I instead :)

DATE NIGHTS

Bri & I have been going on at least one date night a week. We usually go to dinner & then do something else fun...some weeks we go on more than one date, but I really like our date nights. We know it won't be as easy to do all of these things when we have kids, even though we still plan on trying :) Anyway, we have a ton of fun with each other & here are some recent pics.

Just headed to see Bride Wars.

The jumbo cookie we made because I was sick of scooping little balls :)

(it turned out AMAZING!)

Sumo wrestling... I've fallen & I can't get up.

BYU Gymnastics meet w/ Katy & Amanda

(Brian was there too...it was technically date night!)

It's more important to be nice...

My mom always told me (like I'm sure many of your moms did), "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice." And while it's not surprising how much dignity the leaders of the LDS church have, it's always refreshing to see them stand firmly, but respectfully for our beliefs. I read this article on the blog of a friend and I thought I would pass it on and take the opportunity to express my gratitude for the examples of wonderful church leaders with never ending patience and tolerance. I could definitely take a few lessons in those departments. The article is relatively short and it's worth reading if you have a few minutes. I especially like the concluding paragraph...so true. The Publicity Dilemma SALT LAKE CITY 9 March 2009 Like other large faith groups, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometimes finds itself on the receiving end of attention from Hollywood or Broadway, television series or books, and the news media. Sometimes depictions of the Church and its people are quite accurate. Sometimes the images are false or play to stereotypes. Occasionally, they are in appallingly bad taste.As Catholics, Jews and Muslims have known for centuries, such attention is inevitable once an institution or faith group reaches a size or prominence sufficient to attract notice. Yet Latter-day Saints – sometimes known as Mormons - still wonder whether and how they should respond when news or entertainment media insensitively trivialize or misrepresent sacred beliefs or practices.Church members are about to face that question again. Before the first season of the HBO series Big Love aired more than two years ago, the show’s creators and HBO executives assured the Church that the series wouldn’t be about Mormons. However, Internet references to Big Love indicate that more and more Mormon themes are now being woven into the show and that the characters are often unsympathetic figures who come across as narrow and self-righteous. And according to TV Guide, it now seems the show’s writers are to depict what they understand to be sacred temple ceremonies.Certainly Church members are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding. Last week some Church members began e-mail chains calling for cancellations of subscriptions to AOL, which, like HBO, is owned by Time Warner. Certainly such a boycott by hundreds of thousands of computer-savvy Latter-day Saints could have an economic impact on the company. Individual Latter-day Saints have the right to take such actions if they choose.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an institution does not call for boycotts. Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series. As Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Robert D. Hales of the Council of the Twelve Apostles have both said recently, when expressing themselves in the public arena, Latter-day Saints should conduct themselves with dignity and thoughtfulness.Not only is this the model that Jesus Christ taught and demonstrated in his own life, but it also reflects the reality of the strength and maturity of Church members today. As someone recently said, “This isn’t 1830, and there aren’t just six of us anymore.” In other words, with a global membership of thirteen and a half million there is no need to feel defensive when the Church is moving forward so rapidly. The Church’s strength is in its faithful members in 170-plus countries, and there is no evidence that extreme misrepresentations in the media that appeal only to a narrow audience have any long-term negative effect on the Church. Examples: During the Mitt Romney election campaign for the presidency of the United States, commentator Lawrence O’Donnell hurled abuse at the Church in a television moment that became known among many Church members as “the O’Donnell rant.” Today, his statements are remembered only as a testament to intolerance and ignorance. They had no effect on the Church that can be measured. When the comedy writers for South Park produced a gross portrayal of Church history, individual Church members no doubt felt uncomfortable. But once again it inflicted no perceptible or lasting damage to a church that is growing by at least a quarter of a million new members every year. When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions. In recent months, some gay activists have barraged the media with accusations about “hateful” attitudes of Latter-day Saints in supporting Proposition 8 in California, which maintained the traditional definition of marriage. They even organized a protest march around the Salt Lake Temple. Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful. Meanwhile, missionary work and Church members in California remain as robust and vibrant as ever, and support for the Church has come from many unexpected quarters — including some former critics and other churches. Now comes another series of Big Love, and despite earlier assurances from HBO it once again blurs the distinctions between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the show’s fictional non-Mormon characters and their practices. Such things say much more about the insensitivities of writers, producers and TV executives than they say about Latter-day Saints. If the Church allowed critics and opponents to choose the ground on which its battles are fought, it would risk being distracted from the focus and mission it has pursued successfully for nearly 180 years. Instead, the Church itself will determine its own course as it continues to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Jillian!! YEAH!

I'm not going to retract my last post, but I will admit that it's refreshing to see Jason and Molly so happy together. Anyway, they are old news now and I'm so excited for Jillian...what an adorable person!! And - I really do hope Melissa is moving on and doing amazing because I really think she deserves all the best in life...and it really hasn't been delivering for her. So now I feel obligated to justify my insane love for this show and I can't find any suitable words. I'll admit, good justification probably doesn't exist - I just love it, I just do :) I hope you all don't think I'm pathetic and living my life vicariously through my television. If you do think that - you would be so kind if you would just not tell me :)

Bachelor UPSET

Well, I'm upset - not as upset as MELISSA though! 1st) I LOVE Melissa and was never crazy about Molly. 2nd) Jason has some issues with indecision 3rd) W-O-W. WOW. And the real kicker... *dumping the girl you previously proposed to on national television, on national television* I agree with Jimmy Kimmel (in saying this to Jason), "I hope you get married and it all works out beautifully for you, but I'm pretty confident that you won't." Oh...poor Jason, too bad you acted like a dip, but hey - at least you followed your heart (the second time). And for the record, I officially nominate Melissa or Jillian as the next Bachelorette.

Home Sweet Home...MAYBE!

We have been house shopping this week. EVERYONE we talk to has opinions and MOST of them are somewhat, if not completely, contradicting to each other :) I know many of you have done the house shopping thing and I just want to know how you survived. We might have to just give up all together. One of my favorite things is all of the abbreviations...HOA, P&I, MMI, yd, WAR and the list goes on and on...so how hard is it to just say "homeowners association" instead of "HOA"? There was one particular agent that had abbreviations for 3 out of 5 words in each sentence...I'm pretty sure he sits at home each night and makes a list of ten new ones to use the next day. He even abbreviated the areas in Utah - P.G. (Pleasant Grove) S.F. (Spanish Fork) A.F. (American Fork). We are not from around here so its a little unnerving for P.G. to be clicking when he is already 2 topics and 10 abbreviations ahead of me. Not to mention all of the comparisons that need to be made with standard features vs. upgrades, square footage, locations, and once again the list goes on and on. This morning I have been on the Internet googling a wide variety of real estate jargon. And I guess the truth is that when it all comes down to it - I'll never really understand the differences in the efficiency of furnaces or the measurements of exterior walls, or the meanings of all of the abbreviations, but HOPEFULLY Brian and I will be able to make an educated and sound decision one way or the other (with the help and opinions of more informed people :)) But in the meantime...here are two of our front runners.

Pheasant Meadow, Orem

Pebblewood, American Fork

WISH US LUCK!

Where is the VITAMIN C?

Does anyone else have the cold that just keeps coming around? It's official - this bug LOVES me. I consider myself a generally healthy person...I eat well, I bundle up when I go out, I wash my hands frequently, and I take my vitamins! And this is no ordinary cold...it's the intense head cold with the sinus headaches, the long nights of sleep at a 90 degree angle, the constant companionship of the afrin bottle, and the teary eye look that compels complete strangers to ask if there is something wrong :) So anyway...I found this picture today and I thought...maybe I don't just have the bug anymore...maybe I have BECOME THE BUG!

Top 10

Because it has been so long and I have so many things that I could blog I've decided to do a top 10 list for everything that has happened since October...here it goes in somewhat chronological order. 1. HALLOWEEN ...it was awesome - and here is why...

Nice witches, of course! 2. BIRTHDAY - #23!!! I'm not going to post a picture for this...there are only 2 of me from the entire day because when mom is in charge of the camera and the grandkids are around...well, they just steal focus :) It was a great day though...we went to Burley and Brian got me a present every day for my "birthday week"...that's my boy! I just LOVE birthdays!! 3. MY FAVORITE PEOPLE I am very blessed. My best friends are my husband, my mom, and my sister Sarah...here's to you three - I LOVE YOU! (for the record...I love the rest of my family too :)

4. HOLIDAYS We traveled non-stop from our wedding in October to Brian starting school in January. It was a blast. We spent the Holidays in Burley, Boise, and had an Island Park Christmas at Papa's cabin!

Lots of Snow... Me & Rachel in Island Park The Front of the CabinThe Girls...."Hello?"

Christmas at the Bellistons Oh...and I got my long-awaited cricut expression for Christmas!!! I don't think I would have EVER bought it for myself, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! 5.HOBBIES I keep changing little things around the apartment and I have to post updates...I love decorating and there is always something to improve or something to change :) And I just love houses. On Sunday afternoons Brian and I go for drives and look at houses. We found our dream house the other day. We'll go back and take a pic so we can post it at some point...for now, our cozy little apartment!

6. FUN We really try to get out and do some things - here are some recent highlights... *Body Worlds - I don't know if anyone got a chance to see this in SLC, but it was incredible! The human body is truly an amazing thing and we should all be grateful for ours. Thanks for taking us Dad and Mom! *Shooting - We went to a range with some of Brian's family one afternoon and did a little target practice...I'm really not half bad...and I think shooting is a ton of fun! * John Schmidt Concert - Brian really loves his music and wanted to go so we did...it was REALLY entertaining...music and comedy! * Tumbling - We are both tumblers, which isn't something we can just do on a daily basis, but we went to a rec gym one night with a group of people and played around...Brian blows me out of the water, but I try to hold my own. 7. VISITORS We have really enjoyed our company. Everyone has been so good to come and see us...or come to Utah for another reason, and then see us while they are here :) *The Hemsley clan came down for a weekend and we went shopping at IKEA & Cabelas, to the aquarium, ate at the Mayan, and played wii...it was SO good to see them.

*Brian's parents came a few weekends ago to go to the concert with us. *Jon and Allie have been through a few times...to play a little catch phrase! ;) *My mom came and we held her hostage for 5 days :) Sorry Mom...we just love you so much. *And my good friend Katy is coming this weekend! Thanks for visiting...we love you all. 8. VALENTINES If you haven't figured it out...I love presents...I don't buy a lot things unless I can consider them as a "present" so when I have a chance I go a little overboard. I bought myself 2 Valentines presents in January, but I WAS good enough to give them to Brian to give to me :) I bought Brian 3 presents as well and he surpised me with a great pair of sweats...like I said - a little bit overboard, but at least I don't just buy stuff all the time! Hope everyone had a great VALENTINES! 9. C.A.L.I.F.O.R.N.I.A. We are moving to Cali this summer...it was between Denver and Fresno and the decision has been made. I'm excited because Brian is excited, but I'll miss Minnesota and some of the girls! Here's a pic from last summer when we went to Nauvoo.

10. WORK I'm a working woman! I'm working as a server at the Olive Garden and I just started Mary Kay. Serving is a job...it's quick cash. Mary Kay is something I'm starting because I LOVE their product and I can do it on the side. It is nice to bring in a little money though :)

Wow...

I'm officially the worlds worst blogger. I don't post anything for months and then I feel so inclined to post months worth of life at once :) (you can't just leave gaps!!!) I started this blog as something that I can save for Brian and I to look back at down the road...but it's possible that I'm trying to do TOO much to document my average and somewhat uneventful life. I currently have 9 completed scrapbooks, an up-to-date autobiography, a full-blown facebook page, a journal, and an attempted blog :) I'll be honest with you - my life is great (I personally love it!) but it's probably not at an adequate interest level for everyone else to be so well published :) My declaration with this post is that my blog will probably never be the most entertaining part of your day, or a 'must see/must read'. And my confession is that I will more than likely follow a cycle of not posting anything for months followed by an influx of out-of-date posts because of my lack of commitment to one single medium of self documentation...but anyway...be prepared for a lot of posts to follow this throughout the next few days....and after that - don't worry about seeing much from me for a while :)

Wedding Day Bliss

It was so COLD...the coldest weekend in October. If you live in the Magic Valley you might remember it as the weekend with the big snow storm :) We still got married...and we still took hours of video and pictures outside of the temple! So the entire day was made possible by so many amazing people...Sweetheart Manor...Keith and Diane Bevan are fantastic. Our family...especially our parents for being them. And of course, Sarah, the mastermind behind so much of the day and my best friend. Here are some of our faves as far as pictures go.

Randomness!

Here is some of what we do with our free time...

Hike to the Y: We were not prepared for this. We expected a leisurely walk...it's not. Where shorts - take water - and be prepared for a mile uphill :) And yes...my face is bright red. Drywall Pros: Because Brian and I aren't doing a lot really productive things these days we agreed to help his uncle drywall his basement. Brian had done it before and I was brand new to the job, but we did a walk in closet, a bedroom, and a hall in a mere 12 hours. We each tried to put screws through our hands - good thing that we are both up to date on all of our shots!

Hair Cut!

Brian has been traveling a lot lately. His hair has been less than a priority and he DOESN'T like it when it gets too long. My mom had a haircut kit in her closet and we had free time so I cut his hair... It's not a professional job, but it isn't bad. I was proud of myself and Brian got to see just how domesticated I can be :)

CANADA!

In November we visited Brian's mission in Calgary, Alberta. We spent most of our time with people he got close to on his mission - converts, members, and missionaries. We went to a farewell fireside for one of his favorite companions, Shaun Drage. We also went to the Cardston temple, the site for the new temple in Calgary and to the olympic park where the Jamaican bobsled team made history (you have to love Cool Runnings!). We watched skeleton sledding while we were there which is incredible...and crazy...I would never do that. Fun stuff!!