This Has Gotta Be A Good Life

Eyebrow Threading

2012-02-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

My mom and my sister are here this weekend to visit, so while my sister was busy my mom and I went to the mall to hang out. Tate was with us too of course. But we passed a shop that does eyebrow threading...didn't know what the heck that was but we jumped in and asked, then I had it done...oh man was it painful! Eyebrow threading is where the girl takes some ordinary thread, twists it around, puts the end in her mouth, and yanks your hair out! It's supposed to last 4x longer than waxing does! I teared up like crazy and couldn't wait for it to be done! It only took like 5 minutes for both eyebrows, but oh man, it felt like forever! Waxing doesn't hurt that bad! My mom said it's because I'm a redhead and I have such sensitive skin, that's why it hurt. I will never go there again though! Although my eyebrows did turn out AWESOME! They seriously look so good! They're blonde, so not very noticeable, but I can sure tell a difference! I just have to keep up with it myself from now on!

It's been a month

2012-02-06T12:01:00.002-07:00

Yes it's been way too long since my last post. And I need to keep on with this blog because it's my record on life. Today I was thinking how wonderful it would be if honey looked like the "hunny" in Winnie the Pooh. I just know how delicious it would taste if it had that same color and consistency! Also, I made some New Year Stuff, or so I call it, that I never posted but I really need to work on:

exercise regularly
eat less sugar: no candy/junk
read my scriptures daily and pray personally and with family
go on at least one date with Jimmy per month
attend the temple every month
find joy in my calling and in visiting teaching
be more patient with Tate
try not to judge others too quickly/don't hold grudges
try to control my mood swings
eat healthy (lots of fruits and veggies)
control my spending

So far I've had trouble with almost ALL of these! It's a bit depressing, but starting tonight I'm going to try harder to accomplish these things.

We filed our taxes good and early this year so we received our tax return on Saturday! It was a GLORIOUS day! We also had breakfast at Jimmy's brother's house and then went shooting and then we went to Hillary and Josh Haynie's house for dinner! She is Jimmy's cousin, but I feel like we really get along, so it was so fun chatting the night away with them!

Today we went to Jimmy's parent's house for a "Super Bowl Party" even though no one cares about the super bowl except one brother-in-law..hahaha but it's a fun excuse to get together and eat lots of yummy food and play fun games and get great prizes!

This game was called "reverse limbo" and it was really fun! We got that sack down to just the flat piece on the bottom! Bonnie, Jake, Tabitha and I were the only ones able to go down that far and pick it up with our mouth! Then we did pennies, which wasn't hard at all!

Tate has been just awesome, and he's learning new words all the time and understanding what I say too! He can say "bye" now and the other day he even brought me his shoe and said "bye?" We'd been stuck at home all that day, and we usually leave the house, so I know he was feelin' it! And when I say we need to go upstairs, he goes right for the stairs! It's so great that he understands me! Not everything, but it's still great! My little man is so dang sweet! He still loves to cuddle with me, he'll just lay on my chest for a while, and it's my favorite part of the day! I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful baby!

This is from a while ago but I couldn't help but laugh my head off when I found him!

Jimmy's in school 5 days a week and working 5 days a week too! He's really busy with Physics and Trigonometry plus some other classes, but he's doing well! Hopefully he'll get done in a timely manner and we can move on with our lives!

This post totally sounds like a Christmas card but I needed to do some catching up! I don't necessarily like writing catch-up posts so I need to be more on top of this!

Christmas and New Year's 2011

2012-01-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

We just had a blast this year for Christmas! Last year was a little different because Tate was born on the 14th and we completely LOVED having him come into the world when he did, but Christmas was just kind of surpassed. We just weren't focused on that, we were focused on our new sweet addition to the family. So since Tate is a year old now and totally into toys it was so much fun to buy presents for him! Christmas is much more fun when you have kids, let me tell ya...more expensive, but I don't care, I'd rather have kids at Christmas than not.

On the 18th of December we had Christmas with Jimmy's family. We went over there for dinner and they gave us all of our presents and we gave them theirs! That was great! I love having 2 Christmases! We got a new vacuum, which we needed desperately, and I got a nice purse and some new "hooker" boots as Jimmy calls them, haha. I just think they're nice boots for church that will keep me warm!

We left for California to spend Christmas with my family this year on the 21st of December. While we were there we went to the San Diego Temple to do sealings, which was so great.

At the San Diego Temple

My mom's birthday is the 24th so my sister Andrea and I threw her a surprise party for her 50th! She was totally surprised, or so she said...haha. I actually went to my sister's sister-in-law's house to bake everything! I gave my mom an earring holder that I made all by myself! (Thank you Pinterest!) It was such a pain trying to hide everything from my mom. So no more surprise parties for me if I don't live in the same state!

This is the earring holder I made my mom

Jimmy and I made this for our parents

Christmas was just a blast! The biggest thing we got was a new SONY CAMERA! WOOHOO! It is amazing! HD! We are totally in love with it, although it's way too high quality for our computers! haha! Jimmy got a SONY DASH and I got some tan riding boots and slippers and a bunch of great stuff! We went to church, and then on Monday we went to Oceanside Beach to go SURFING! And although I had a wet suit on, I couldn't get in past my feet the water was SO dang cold! On the way there we had to pull over because my brother Lyle got sick and puked on the side of the road. And then a little later we had to pull over because my sister Andrea got sick too! Needless to say, we all were sick by the next day! Levi got sick that very night and threw up every hour. I didn't get sick till morning but I had stuff comin' out BOTH ends! (I know, TMI) but you just gotta know how bad it was! It lasted the whole day but by Wednesday morning I felt much better!

Lyle's sick face

Tate's first time at the beach

Oceanside

We were supposed to leave early that morning because Jimmy was going to go into work that night. BUT the car was giving us trouble too! So my sickness + fixing the car = no going home that early. However, things worked out where we were still able to leave on Wednesday by about noon. Too bad. I love being at my mom's house. Although it was nice to be back in my own home.

In 5 mph stop and go traffic: I would never let him do this at 80 mph!

Tate certainly got spoiled while he was there! SO MANY PEOPLE! He'd just walk right up to them and they'd pick him up and he doesn't get that much attention here! It's just me and Jimmy, and he certainly does get held a lot, but a week in California with 12 people is a lot! On Christmas day he learned his first word! BALL!! He calls everything that's spherical a ball: orange, balloon, etc. He also says "uh-oh" and "dad" and "mama." And he's quite the little walker!

SUCH A GREAT CHRISTMAS! I love this season and am so grateful for what it means! I love my Savior and try to think of Him often at this time of year! I love my family and am so thankful that we were able to go down there and spend a good long while with them!

This is the just absolute BEST face I've ever seen!

He's playing with a candy cane filled with Mike and Ike's!

Tate's First Birthday!

2011-12-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

Tate's birthday party was a success! We just had family over and one of Tate's friends came to say hello as well! I did a blue and orange color scheme with a car theme! Hence the teddy graham candy cars...haha. We had fun just hanging out and watching Tate dance to his new "laptop." It actually has really good music that I haven't gotten annoyed with yet. :)

The decor

Teddy Graham cars at stop lights

cake pops!

Tate eating a cake pop! He got sick from all the sugar everyone fed him...:(

Orange drink

The HAPPY BIRTHDAY TATE sign I made

A close-up

Food

More food

Yes, Tate and I dressed up in the colors of his party!

Grandma Wilson made this for him this summer...

Birthday gift from Mom and Dad, he also got a Cozy Coup fire truck and a color fish puzzle with pegs from Grandma and Grandpa Wilson, and a walker toy from the Buhlers.

Cupcake! He didn't blow the candle out...

Mmmm...yummy. After this he started feeding his daddy the frosting!

Video

2011-12-01T23:22:00.001-07:00

Check out Tate's new achievement here!

Amazing Answers

2011-11-30T23:22:00.001-07:00

I had an amazing experience today. Jimmy got paid today and when he gets paid it's never very much so we constantly stress about money. I've been fretting all day about how we're going to pay rent and the bills and tithing on top of that. I was thinking we should probably put off paying tithing until later, otherwise our bills would be late.

I sat down to read my scriptures like I do every day. I'm in 3 Nephi 13, and when I read verses 31-34, it completely caught my attention. It says:

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof.

Needless to say, I teared up and decided I'm definitely writing a check for tithing to give to the Bishop this Sunday. We'll make it through no matter what. The Lord has always been there for us and I know that by paying my tithing I will be blessed. We are full tithe payers, but sometimes we take a little longer to pay it. That needs to stop.

What a day

2011-11-29T23:49:00.001-07:00

Today was an exciting day in the Wilson household! MySweetBabyTate started WALKING! Yes, walking! I was sitting here at my desk when I looked over and saw him standing just a few feet away, and then he took his first steps right into my arms! It was such an exciting moment! I got all emotional and teared up! My little guy is growing so fast! He's only 11 1/2 months old for cryin' out loud! I know lots of kids have walked way sooner, but still, babies on average start walking between 12 and 14 months! By this evening, he had doubled how many steps he was taking! I've just been so excited all day! I can't wait till he wakes up in the morning and we can practice some more! He's getting so strong so fast!

(If you can't tell, I can't seem to stop talking about it!)

Anyways, today was Day 2 of Phase 2 of my Slim in 6 workout, called Ramp it Up! It's kickin' by booty, but I can feel myself getting so much stronger! Even from just yesterday, I can do more today than I could then. I feel so good about myself when I work out! Today was not such a good eating day. I had some candy AND some soda and french fries and a burger. BAD. I know. But I haven't eaten anything since 5:30, so that's good. :)

I originally started tracking my weight on July 30th and I was 212 pounds. A couple days ago I stepped on the scale and I was 199. I've been dying to break 200! Before I was pregnant with Tate, I weighed 196, still incredibly huge, especially for someone my height, but I'm getting down there again! My ultimate goal is 130, so I have quite a ginormous leap in front of me. It will take a long time, but I WILL get there!

Pictures and videos to come of MySweetBabyTate walking!

Last Day

2011-11-26T22:21:00.001-07:00

So tonight will be my last night of Phase 1 of the Slim in 6 workout! Apparently this is super old because it originally was made as a VHS tape! HAHA I've been doing this for 2 weeks now, 6 days a week! I don't workout on Sunday, 'cause well, it's Sunday, and it's nice to have a break. Although now it's becoming a habit! A must-do! I seriously can't go to bed unless I've done my workout. I've been going at it at midnight for cryin' out loud! And I'm getting so much stronger! I went from doing push-ups with just my body weight, to girlie push-ups! ( on my knees). And I'm still getting stronger! By the end of this, I know I'm going to be SUPER WOMAN STRONG! haha Anyways, I've gotta get to it right now because Tate just went to bed and it's already 10:30pm! Monday I start Phase 2, which is like 47 minutes or something instead of the 25 minutes that I'm doing right now! That will be an adjustment so we'll see how that goes! Wish me luck!

The Day After Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T10:43:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we got out our Christmas decorations and made our house look beautiful! I'm quite please with the way everything turned out. Except for the tree skirt. I attempted to make one, and I made the hole way too big and it looks ridiculous. Whatever. Maybe I'll get some more fabric and make a better one. I've seen some great ideas on Pinterest!

Notice how awful the tree skirt looks?

I made these little strings of cotton balls to make it look like snow is falling! Although Jimmy thinks it doesn't look classy. He hates it...what do you think?

We bought some garland from the dollar store, along with the bows. I made those stockings myself and I'm quite pleased with them!

This is the archway into the kitchen.

Our lamp. We put lights around this.

The nativity set my mom got us last year

We got some reindeer ears too at the dollar store. He acts like he doesn't like them but I think he secretly does...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-26T09:40:00.001-07:00

You know I haven't been very good about saying what I'm thankful for this season. Of course I've told my husband how grateful I am for him and his sacrifice of going to school AND working to provide for our family while I stay home and take care of our wonderful son. But there are just so many things and people that I'm grateful for that it's hard not to write EVERYTHING. You know, like razors and headphones and clothes and chairs to sit on. :) But here is a list I've put together of the most important things:

1. My husband and son. They are both so wonderful and life wouldn't be the same without them.

2. My parents. I'm so blessed to have such loving parents that taught me right from wrong and raised me in a way that I will always try to live up to their expectations.

3. My church. Without the gospel in my life I know we wouldn't receive the many blessings that we have been receiving, especially lately.

4. It's great that we live so close to so much family. Jimmy's family lives nearby and his extended family is in the state, too. We had Thanksgiving over at his aunt's house and so many were there! It was wonderful! Also, my brother and sister go to school at BYU so it's great to have some of my immediate family here too!

Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving. By the way, it was Tate's FIRST! He LOVED the mashed potatoes, candied yams, green bean casserole, even bits of turkey! And of course he loved being around so many people to play with him and love on him!

Great Grandpa reading to Tate...priceless!

This was a few days ago...he's outside with our pumpkins!

Jimmy's cousin Trevor made sushi...not your normal Thanksgiving food tradition, but dang it was good!

Appetizers...

Grandma with the grandkids

Me and my hubs...

Delicious bean dip

My sweet son and I

And here is the food lineup:

Aunt Denise had an old high chair she let Tate use!

Mmmm...yummy!

No pictures please...I'm eating!

Walking with Grandma and Cousin Becca!

It was a wonderful day full of food and family...what could be better?!

Yesterday

2011-11-20T23:28:00.001-07:00

Day 6 of Slim in 6 workout! I am so happy I've gone 6 whole days of doing my workout! I'm going to make it a habit so I'll HAVE to workout everyday! Of course I'm not working out today (Sunday) due to it being the Sabbath, but tomorrow will come along and I will continue! It's amazing how energetic I feel! I'm not panting (as hard, haha) as I walk up the stairs! My muscles are getting stronger and I feel so good about myself!

Also, I've been continually reading my scriptures and saying prayers every day, and that makes my day all the more better!

Today

2011-11-17T21:36:00.001-07:00

Day 4 of the Slim in 6 workout! So far so good! I'm quite proud of myself for doing 4 whole days in a row of exercise! I still need to work a little on my eating habits, but I have been eating a lot less than I usually do! And I feel stronger, so my muscles must be growing!

Also, I saw Breaking Dawn tonight at 6pm. I thought it was good! Way better than the other 3 movies, and I saw it for free, so that's even better! HA

Crazy Accomplishments

2011-11-15T17:20:00.001-07:00

Tate cut two teeth this week! AND he learned how to go down the stairs backwards! He's also getting so much better at going to sleep on his own! All this hard work is paying off!I'm tired of hearing him cry so much when he should just FALL ASLEEP! Do you know how wonderful it is to put the baby down for a nap in his crib and he's asleep within 10 minutes?! He still cries a little, but definitely not as much as he used to! He turned 11 months yesterday and he's getting stronger so he'll start walking soon! My little guy is growing up!

Hair Bun Alternative

2011-11-10T22:47:00.001-07:00

Pinterest is my new favorite hobby right now...I can go on there and get great ideas for EVERYTHING! There are so many things I wanna do now, it's going to take me a lifetime to do them all, which is what I need right now! This hairstyle is found here and it was so easy to do! Sometimes I just don't have the time or the energy to do an extravagant hairstyle, but with great tutorials to follow, I'm set to never take forever to get a cute hairstyle!

Halloween!

2011-11-02T14:32:00.002-06:00

Well Halloween was just so awesome! We dressed up quite a bit this month and got some good use out of our costumes! We went to a party with some friends of ours on the 15th, then the Ward Trunk or Treat was on the 28th and Tate dressed up for Mommy School on Monday and so did all his friends! They were all so cute! And then Monday night we went to be with Jimmy's family and went Trick or Treating around their neighborhood!

These are from the trunk or treat:

Kissing zombies! hahaha

Tate's spoils from the trunk or treat! He didn't get to eat any though. Mommy ate it all...ha

And here he is with all his little friends! This was quite an ordeal, as you can tell, a couple of these little dudes weren't too happy! heehee

He dressed up as a cuddly lion on Halloween Day.

Jimmy even took work off so he could be with us on Tate's first Halloween!

Becca and Tate: Cousins!

I did a Pippy Longstocking thing on Halloween.

The Lion is on all fours! SO CUTE!

And once again enjoying his spoils! He did get to eat a sucker!

Pumpkin Patch!

2011-10-27T22:22:00.001-06:00

On Monday we went as a family to the pumpkin patch right here in Springville on 400 S (Jaker's Jack 'o' Lanterns). It was so fun to take Tate to see the animals and the pumpkins! He didn't seem to care much, but it's still fun to take pictures!

This one is my absolute favorite! I just set it as my desktop background! How completely adorable are these guys?!! Seriously!!

Fun at Grammy and Grandpa's!

2011-10-27T22:15:00.002-06:00

So I got an phone on Sunday evening from my dear sweet mother telling me of her plan to bring my sister Tabitha and I to California to visit...obviously I would bring Tate...that's who they really want to see! Since Jimmy and I only have one car and my brother Levi had things going on here in Utah, my mom rented us a car and paid for the gas to get there! It was absolutely amazing! And even though the drive down was awful because we got stuck in traffic for 2 hours before we even got to Payson and Tate was sick and whiney the whole way, it was so fun to see my mom and dad and for them and my little brothers to see my son, who's grown so much since they last saw him! (The drive home wasn't so terrible, Tate was much better behaved and we got home in 8 1/2 hours! AMAZING! Here are some highlights of our trip!

Grammy bought Tate a chew toy! HAHAHA

And some other fun toys!

My red brother Lyle...this is how he was born...don't laugh....

Yummy table...

*sniff sniff....he takes after his mother!

(just kidding about Lyle, he just has school spirit is all...haha)

Mean People

2011-10-27T00:06:00.000-06:00

So I was going on a walk with Tate and we were walking across Main Street when as soon as we got the sidewalk the car that was waiting for us turned the corner and the woman inside yelled, "REDHEAD!!!" It was a really mean voice, like, "Why the heck do you have red hair?" or "You don't deserve to live because you have red hair!" Plus it was extra hurtful because kids used to call me that in elementary school. No wonder I never like having red hair and freckles. Now I know that I am beautiful and my red hair is amazing and people tell me all the time that they've paid big bucks to get their hair my color. And everywhere I go people tell me how totally adorable my son is with his red curly hair!

That woman must have been in a bad mood, but why take it out on me and my red hair? If she's so against redheads I wonder how she is against a different race...

She's just jealous because she had dirty brown hair and she was in an oversized sweatshirt and she was jealous of me in my cute new pea coat and my cute baby...

I was still hurt...

Plus when I got home some stupid kid knocked on my door and ran off. He/she didn't even leave me a treat...

It was a night of mean people...

our most recent family picture!

2011-10-13T15:06:00.002-06:00

my little skateboarder

2011-10-13T15:05:00.001-06:00

The weekend of General Conference, we went over to the in-laws house for dinner to celebrate Jimmy's birthday, along with his siblings Sarah and Danny, who are twins. The brothers got the skateboard out, put Tate on it, and sent it on its way. HE LOVED IT!

Dance Party

2011-10-10T18:27:00.001-06:00

Today after I picked up Jimmy from school and got home I made us some delicious sandwiches with potato salad and grapes. After lunch Jimmy put on some fun music and we all danced together! I had such a fun time that I just HAVE to blog about it and remember this great day! Tate had such a blast dancing with his daddy, laughing his head off!

Also, for dinner I made chicken soup and garlic and cheese biscuits, and let me tell you, they were dee-vine! Courtesy of jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com, my absolute favorite recipe blog EVER! Seriously, every recipe I've made from there turns out just awesome! Since it's starting to get all cold here in Utah, I've been in the mood for soups and hot beverages! You can ask Jimmy, but seriously everything I make comes from this blog! LOVE IT!

Jimmy's 24th Birthday Bash!

2011-10-08T23:39:00.000-06:00

Thursday night I went over to my husband's Aunt and Uncle's house: Todd and Janeen. Todd is an amazing cake decorator and he taught me how to handle fondant and to make amazing things! Since Jimmy is really into computer's and operating systems, we came up with this!

This is the ubuntu logo, which is an operating system that Jimmy really likes.

His named spelled out as computer keys!

This mouse craftily done by Uncle Todd!

His birthday bash tonight was a success and all his family from the area came around, including my brother and sister. We had hot dogs, homemade potato salad made by Yours Truly, which was so delish, also chips and soda and veggies and CAKE! YAY! Here are some snapshots of the fun night! We held it in a great park here in Springville.

He loved the cake!

this feels like a christmas letter

2011-10-06T19:01:00.002-06:00

Isn't it funny the stories you hear from strangers? Isn't it funny what people are willing to talk about with perfect strangers? Tate and I went to walmart today and as we were standing in line an old man noticed Tate's red hair and LOVED it of course! He commented on it and then told me how when he was little he was put in an orphanage and how he almost died from not having a mother to love him and care for him in the way that a mother should. I thought how sad that was! So now he makes it a point to talk to all the little babies that he's able to. As we left he told me to take good care of Tate. Of course I'm going to give me son the love and care that he needs.

Another crazy thing about today: It rained like crazy this morning, when I walked out of walmart it was snowing, and by this afternoon the sun was out. Stupid weather.

I forgot to mention that I babysit two little girls twice a week. Sadie Ostler on Thursdays and Fridays and Auna Harrison on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I've been watching Sadie for over a year now and I just got Auna about a month ago or so...it's been fun and the money sure is good for us. Plus it's nice for Tate to have kids to play with. He gets excited when he sees the girls come over!

General Conference was this weekend and it was just great! I remember being young and hating sitting through so many hours of Conference but now it's just so amazing to hear the words from the prophets! President Monson himself is just so full of the Spirit but so easy and fun to listen too as well!

Jimmy's birthday was on the 4th and since I was babysitting that day we stayed home but he works until midnight so when he walked through the door I had his presents laid out and his birthday cake lit and the house decorated a little. We celebrated together that night. This weekend I'm throwing him a big party with all his family that lives in the area (if the weather is nice) and that should be fun!

Tate is just crazy! He "creeps" or scoots on the floor to get where he wants too but he can also pull himself up to a standing position holding onto something and walk along it! He is getting so strong and I wouldn't be surprised if he started walking before he turns a year old! He's asleep right now and can I just say how ADORABLE he is when he sleeps! SO CUTE!

This is an old picture, but whatever...

I'm still doing fine with my healthy eating. I don't eat as much as I used to, and definitely not so much JUNK! I've been good to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day and I was walking a distance every day, until this infernal weather descended down upon us! I'm contemplating getting a gym membership so I can exercise out of the weather.

I got called to be a nursery worker in church. Yay.

Here we Go!

2011-09-21T19:04:00.001-06:00

So last night I made some delicious healthy food! Apple, Parsnips, and Sweet Potatoes (roasted in the oven), chicken, corn on the cob, and sliced tomatoes (with olive oil, lemon juice, and cilantro, something I learned in Chile!) This morning I had a smoothie with kale, spinach, and fruit. For lunch I made a salad with homemade mustard vinaigrette dressing and an apple. Dinner was bruschetta on sourdough slices. (I ate very little bread). We bought a ton a vegetables at WinCo yesterday and I've found some great websites with healthy recipes so so far so good! I'm feeling good and hopefully soon I'll see some drop in my weight!

Day 5

2011-09-20T13:03:00.002-06:00

All right so change of plans...I joined the reboot community at jointhereboot.com and it said I shouldn't be juice fasting if I'm nursing. However, these last few days have really gotten me motivated to continue to eat healthy! The website has a bunch of healthy recipes that I can cook and I'm going to try them out. So here's to changing my lifestyle. I am going to continue to drink vegetable juice daily, it just won't be the only thing I consume. My meals will be packed full of fruits and veggies and if I buy noodles, only whole wheat. No more white flour! I am going to do this!

Day 2

2011-09-17T20:53:00.000-06:00

And I though last night was hard...Today was AWFUL! It sucks so bad not eating anything but vegetable juice! And it's not even very good! The fruit juice is delicious though! Earlier today some friends from my mission got together at a Chilean restaurant for some delicious food! I went to see people, but when I got there, I was SO SO tempted by the smell and the food that everyone else had ordered! I tried to order a salad, but they said they didn't have any. LAME! So I had water with lemon. When this is all over I'm definitely going back for some of that yummy stuff! I went to Sunflower Farmer's Market today for produce, it cost me $41, but I bought a ton of it. Also, since this feat is so expensive, I think that Jimmy and I are going to do it at separate times. When I'm done with my juice fast he can start his. I may just go for 10-15 days. I don't think I'll make it to 30, and definitely not 60! I did eat some trail mix today, but not very much and nuts are okay to eat anyways...

p.s. I have had to pee constantly today so it must be cleaning me out!

THIS IS IT! Day 1

2011-09-16T14:23:00.001-06:00

All right this is it, I'm doing it. Today is the day my husband and I started our juice fast. We are going to only drink vegetable juice for the next 10 days. I'm going to go longer than 10 days though, probably at least 30. I am so tired of being fat and unhealthy. I'm sick of being out a breath when I climb my 15 stairs, and I want a new lifestyle. After this juice fast we are going to turn our lives around and be active, eat good foods and stay HEALTHY! We watched a documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, where this man, Joe Cross did this juice fast for 60 days! He lost like 87 pounds or something and got his act together. No more junk food! I want my next pregnancy to be easy and I want to be a cute mom! Not a fat mom! I know I can do it! So I will be doing updates regularly on here about how things are going!

This morning I wasn't aware that we were going to start this TODAY! So I had a smoothie for breakfast (spinach, frozen fruit, banana, orange juice) then I got a doughnut and some chocolate milk later.) But after I picked Jimmy up from school we went to Costco to get toilet paper and ended up buying a juicer as well, then we went over to Smith's and bough some fresh produce. I think I'll go to the Farmer's Market tomorrow though and see what their prices are like. This is going to be a somewhat expensive venture, but it will be worth it in the end. BuyLow has great prices every Wednesday, it's like 1/2 off produce there, so I'll look into that one as well.

Our new juicer! Complete with instructional dvd and recipe book!

Starting weight: 207 pounds (I know, AWFUL! And I'm like 5'3" so it's worse!) I also just did the dishes, hence the water on my shirt!

So much Progress in so little time

2011-09-12T22:04:00.001-06:00

My little tater tot is pulling himself up and standing against things! He picks up food and puts it in his mouth and he's just doing awesome. Today was his 9 month appointment and he's doing awesome developmentally. He's 19 pounds 9 oz and 27 1/2" long. Although on our scale he was 20.5 pounds. Whatever, scales are all so different. He's such a happy baby and the joy of our lives!

Stairs

2011-09-06T15:37:00.003-06:00

Today I came down the stairs to find my 8 1/2 month old climbing the stairs! I can't believe how strong he's getting and how fast he's growing up! He's pulling himself up and standing against things and it's just amazing! I get so excited when he accomplishes these little steps but I also feel like he's not going to be a baby much longer!

Some thoughts

2011-08-24T00:45:00.001-06:00

I feel really good right now...I don't know why....maybe it's a feeling of accomplishment. I was pretty productive today (meaning Tuesday the 23rd. I'm writing this after midnight), Even though I got up at 9:45am I've taken care of Tate, deep cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed and picked up my home. I even sewed a dress! Not just today, but it's really close to being finished, and I started on Sunday night. Yesterday Jimmy cleaned the stove off so my kitchen feels good. Tomorrow should be productive too, since my parents are coming to visit! My little sister Tabitha is coming to Provo to go to school at BYU, so they're dropping her off and staying with me until Saturday morning. I have meals planned and the shopping done, all except for a few vegetables and stuff that I will purchase tomorrow. A friend of mine came over tonight to hang out and talk and she offered me a job babysitting her daughter next year for a nice sum of money that will help us tremendously. I feel like the Lord is answering my prayers and helping us financially, as a result of our keeping the commandments.

I feel so grateful for my little home and my little family. I had been feeling like there is just so much stuff that I want and that I feel like I will never get. My wonderful husband told me I need to change my attitude or I will never be happy. He's completely right. I need to be grateful and happy for what I have now. I have an amazing husband who is an amazing father to our son. Tate is such a good baby and has blessed my life so much. I can't imagine my life any better than having him in my life. It feels so good to have a little spirit that needs me and depends so much on me. I love being the one he wants when he's sad or hurt, I love taking care of him and making the pain go away. I love the word "mother." It has such a beautiful ring to it and I can't wait until my son calls me "Mommy."

I love my life. And even though there are struggles and hard times, I need remember how happy I am and that we are blessed immensely by the Lord.

2 Years and Still Goin'!

2011-08-21T21:44:00.000-06:00

My wonderful husband and I celebrated 2 years of marriage today! Well, we actually celebrated yesterday since today is Sunday! But we had a wonderful day spent together and the man even gave me 18 red roses! What a dear! Really though, that's rare for him so it was wonderful to get some flowers! It wasn't too much of a surprise because I told him he better get some for me, he believes flowers are a waste of money because they die in a few days anyways. But I don't care, I love them!

He also got me a SEWING MACHINE! And now that I have it, I'm going to develop my new hobby and make some stuff! WOOHOO!

As is tradition, we went to get some delicious sushi for dinner! It just so happens that Jimmy took me to sushi on our very first date, with me complaining about it of course because I had never tried it before. But lo and behold, I LOVED IT! So we had sushi again the day we got engaged and on our anniversaries ever since. (The whole 2 that we've had :) But it's been a wonderful 2 years and we're so happy together and we're so happy to have Tate in our lives! I did well in choosing a husband for me and a father for my children. I love him so much and I'm so grateful to have him.

And Another One!

2011-08-21T21:33:00.000-06:00

Tate got his second tooth! He cut two teeth within 3 days of each other! I haven't gotten a good look at them due to his excessive movement every time I try to see them! But I can certainly feel them! This is all I got for a picture while trying to show off his teeth!

The Shirt Dress

2011-08-21T21:30:00.000-06:00

Here is the dress that I made with the help of my good friend Merrick White! It wasn't terribly easy, but not terribly hard either! It turned out pretty good for being the first thing I have ever sewn in my life! I just bought some more fabric and I'm going to attempt at a second dress on my own for pictures with my little family!

Tate's New Achievement!

2011-08-14T17:04:00.000-06:00

My little guy is 8 months old today, and on Friday I discovered that his first tooth is pokin' through! It's the bottom front left tooth if you're looking at him. Jimmy was working but Tate and I went to Jimmy's aunt's house for ice cream sundaes and Tate was drinking out of a glass cup. I heard a clinking sound when he was biting it (he doesn't quite grasp the concept of drinking out of a cup, he just bites the rim) but I didn't think anything of it. A little while later, after I fed him, I put my finger in his mouth and he bit on it and I felt a tooth! The kiddo is growing up...sniff. He hasn't learned to crawl yet but he scoots everywhere! I need to buy a gate already because I don't like him scooting on the kitchen floor. He doesn't stop talking either! It's really funny to hear him make up new sounds or learn a new trick to do with him mouth! We love our little tater tot!

New hobby!

2011-08-14T16:58:00.000-06:00

So a friend of mine has been getting me going on a shirt dress! I am learning how to sew! And I am so excited! In 3 1/2 hours I measured and cut the waistband and ties, and sewed them all together! Next steps are to sew the skirt and the shirt to it! I'm really excited to have a new hobby and something to do with my time here at home. Although I do have Tate to look after, I get tired of not accomplishing something. I need to do something with my time other than watch TV and do dishes. I've also had a desire to learn how to decorate cakes. Don't ask me why, I've just always thought it was cool. Plus those cake decorating shows on TV make me wish I was that talented! My husband has an uncle who can do that so he's going to teach me sometime. I'm thinking I may want to take a sewing class, but I'm not sure yet. I don't really even know the basics of sewing so an intro class would probably be a good start for me. I will post pictures of my finished dress later this week!

Eye Catastrophe

2011-07-29T13:14:00.000-06:00

So the day after we got back from Nauvoo my eyes totally freaked out and turned red, sensitive, and are now just plain painful. I can't wear my contact and I look like a boring librarian lady with my glasses on. (By the way, I dyed my hair and my eyebrows brown last night, so don't mind the dark eyebrows, they will fade...heehee, (another post to come))

This has happened twice before, when I moved from California to go back to school in Idaho. It must be the climate change from a more humid climate to a very dry climate. So I went to the eye doctor today and he gave me some miracle eye drops that will heal me! Sometimes I wish Christ was still here to heal us of our pains and afflictions. Everything just takes so long to heal. It would certainly speed things up. I don't mean to be funny or disrespectful to our Savior, but it just popped into my head how amazing it would be to have Him here on earth with us. But we do have the priesthood, which is just as powerful, and I am SO grateful for that.

Fun Outside

2011-07-29T13:01:00.000-06:00

My sweet Tate has had a little cold for a few days and on Wednesday he just had a horrible day with not feeling good. He was needy, clingy, and cried every time I would leave his sight. All that is not normal for him. However, my Jimmy suggested me to take him outside. HE LOVED IT! He would seriously just sit there and stare at the stuff outside: the trees, the people, the grass. He even cried when I took him inside.

He found the grass and wouldn't stop putting it in his mouth!

My happy boy...

He also had fun on my folding chair, and kept moving around into different positions, trying to get comfortable...

I was thinking the other day how blessed we are to have him. He was unexpected. We hadn't planned to have a baby so soon after we got married. We wanted to wait a year and a half or so, but now we can't imagine our lives without him. I hope he knows how much he is loved by his parents and everyone around him. I can't go in public without someone saying what an adorable redhead he is! I'm quite proud, can you tell?!!

I am just feeling grateful today I guess. I have an amazing husband and a wonderful son, and I wouldn't want my life any other way.

RENDEZVOUS IN OLD NAUVOO!

2011-07-27T09:50:00.016-06:00

Nauvoo was absolutely amazing, and being there with my family made it so much better! I love seeing the sights and the old buildings and how they make stuff and lived back then. We got there Thursday night about midnight and Friday morning we did a temple session in that beautiful temple that has so much history. Then we went down Mulholland Street and visited the shops, bought fudge from the Fudge Factory and bought frozen custard from Annie's Custard. My mom bought Tate a Nauvoo T-shirt and a little missionary name tag. We had dinner with the extended family, because we were there for a reunion with my mom's family. There were tons of shows going on when we were there, which is why we went at the end of JULY! The first one we saw was called Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo, and it was awesome! I love musicals! We went swimming in the pool at the hotel that night.

On Saturday we walked down Main Street in Old Nauvoo and saw the Browning Gunsmith Shop and how they made guns. We visited the Scovil Bakery and learned about how Brother Scovil catered for the Cultural Hall and we even got free cookies! Then we went to the Family Living Center and learned how to make candles and bread and flax and wool. Then we went to the show High Hopes and Riverboats and that was awesome. We went back to the hotel and ate dinner with the family. The Nauvoo Pageant was that night and it was raining when we got there so we got pretty soaked. At least it was warm outside when it rained though and not freezing cold. It let up quickly though and the weather felt so much nicer after that. The pageant was just amazing and the spirit was so strong. It went along with the saying, "When you're here, we're here." It was great to thing that their spirits live on in this place when we come here and think of those pioneers.

In front of the Family Living Center by a wagon

An outhouse behind the Scovil Bakery

Sunday morning we went to church and there were so many people there! It was Pioneer Day after all. We left after sacrament meeting and took pictures by the temple. I love that temple! Afterwards we drove over to Carthage and visited the jail and that was great too except for the massive amount of people on the tour. There was no time to linger and feel the spirit. Then we took naps when we got home and had dinner. We played games with the family all night. Good old tradition.

The room where Joseph Smith, John Taylor, Willard Richards, and Hyrum Smith stayed while imprisoned.

The window that Joseph Smith fell out of when he was shot

Tate, Landon, Matthew, Levi, Logan, Tabitha and Me after the tour

The upper window is the one that Joseph Smith fell out of

Monday morning we got up early to go on the wagon ride through the historic sites of Old Nauvoo. We got to see the home of Joseph Smith and the Red Brick Store and lots of other home, too: Lucy Mack Smith, Patty Sessions the midwife, Orson Pratt, John Taylor, etc. Then we went to Parley Street to see the Blacksmith and we saw how to make wagon wheels and horseshoes. The Elder made on right there and gave it it Levi because his birthday is closest to the Elder's. However, we all got Prairie Diamond Rings made of horseshoe nails and bent to fit your finger. In the pioneer days they couldn't afford real diamonds so the men would give their women this engagement ring. I even got one for Tate. Then we went down to Main Street to visit the Tinsmith, the boot maker, John Taylor's home, the general store and post office, and the printing press. We also went to the Brickmaker and received complimentary bricks that say Old Nauvoo on them. We went swimming after lunch in the Mighty Mississippi! It was dirty and felt like warm pee but now I can say that I swam in the great Mississip! Jimmy swam too while my mom watched Tate. The kids went and did baptisms for the dead while I stayed with Tate and Jimmy went to help out as priesthood. At 7 we went to the show Sunset by the Mississippi. It was a variety show with lots of different skits and musical numbers. It was superb and by far my favorite show! We then ate dinner with the whole family and had FHE with them. I played the piano and my dad gave a lesson about Search, Ponder, and Pray. We played a game called The Talent you didn't know you had. People's names were drawn an then they had to draw a talent to do, so that was fun. Tate got super tired so I had to take him back to the room and get him to sleep.

The Mansion House, where Joseph Smith lived and housed many Saints

Inside the home of John Taylor. That rocking horse is the actual rocking horse of his son. When they left Nauvoo, his son cried all the time and couldn't be consoled. They figured out that he had left this treasured rocking horse behind. So John Taylor came back amidst the mobs and got it for his son.

No hair to hold on to, just ears.

Shoeing my sister Andrea

Our Prairie Diamond Rings!

The horseshoe that our tour guide made right in front of us

Happy

On Tuesday we left for St. Louis and met up with one of my dad's employees. His dad has some really sweet cars that we got to see and take pictures of. We went to lunch with him and his wife and then went to see the St. Louis Arch! It was way huge and really cool but we only stayed for about 5 minutes because we had to catch our flight. That was a total waste though because we sat on that stupid plane for an hour and 20 minutes without A/C! It was AWFUL! My poor Tate was so done with that trip he was having trouble towards the end of the plane ride. But we finally made it home last night and it is so good to be home! The West is so much nicer than over there in the East! I LOVE DRY HEAT! And I hate humidity! But the weather in Illinois wasn't as bad as I had expected. I really was expecting the absolute worst, so that made it better.

Nice car

The St. Louis Arch

Trying to put Tate asleep on the plane

Tate is 4 months old!

2011-04-20T23:19:00.002-06:00

Tate just had his 4 month appointment this week and he is doing awesome! He weighs 15 lbs. 10 oz. and he's 25 3/4" long! He's talking like crazy and started laughing! We love to see this little boy smile, he's the joy of our lives and we just can't stop staring at him! We're really excited about our trips this summer and that Tate will get to see places other than home! He's learned to lock his knees and can stand with us holding his hands! Today I put him in the exersaucer and he moved his little legs around and turned to look at the toys! He made a full circle! It's amazing!

I finally put pictures up in our apartment! We haven't been able to before now because the walls are made of brick and concrete. But Jimmy was able to drill in some screws and now our house looks more like a home! We had just taken professional pictures of him and he was AMAZING! He smiled in every picture and he was so patient! How did I get so blessed?

New Goal!

2011-04-11T18:04:00.002-06:00

My mom and I have started to lose weight together. I've gained about 55 pounds or so since I got home from my mission, and it's gotta go! The ultimate goal is to lose 70 pounds, but for right now, 20 pounds by the end of May. I now go to a website called myfitnesspal.com, and it's amazing! It's counts my calories and tells me how much I should lose in how much time, and it tracks my exercise and everything. Today I could finally go out walking since the weather turned beautiful! Hopefully it stays that way and I can work up to running so I can get in good shape. It's really depressing being so fat, and I need to feel better about myself. I have another friend doing it with me too, so we're gonna do this! MOTIVATION!

Update on Tate!

2011-04-10T23:09:00.005-06:00

Well our beautiful little boy will be four months old this week! He was blessed by his daddy in February and we had lots of family here! It was a blast! He's been such an amazing baby! I couldn't ask for a better one! This little guy started sleeping through the night at 2 1/2 months and this week it's been 8 and 9 hour nights! It makes me so happy! I LOVE TO SLEEP! He's gaining weight like crazy, already he weighs 15 pounds! We're going next week for his 4 month appointment and the poor little guy has to get more shots! He laughed for real for the first time on March 31st, and then he did a couple more times a few days later! He'd been kind of cough-laughing before that, and he still does that, but we really want to get him to laugh more!

Jimmy got a new job at a data center babysitting servers, working from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. and we love it! He gets to spend a lot of time with Tate and I and when he's gone I'm sleeping most of the time, so I don't even notice he's gone! It works out perfect with his school schedule too, now he doesn't have to worry about getting classes on just Tuesday and Thursday, he has all day to take classes. I wish he would be done soon, but he has another 4 years or so before he graduates! I'm a stay at home mom now, just making sure Tate is taken care of, you know. Tate and I have actually been to work with Jimmy twice now, just hanging out with him. His job is so lax, he works completely by himself and we have so much fun together!

Jimmy built me a desktop computer, as my laptop is about to kick the bucket. So we bought a long folding table from Costco to put both computers on, and it's nice to be together while we're on the computers. I joined a book club with my ward and it's been great getting to know the girls and to have something new to read every month as well. I've been feeling a little school-deprived. I want to go back to college already, and I've only been graduated a year!

Also, I want to learn to sew. I'm going to buy a sewing machine and get on that. I just can't sew. And I want to learn how to cut boys hair so I don't have to take my boys to the barber every time they need a haircut!

Can I just say how amazing my husband is?! He definitely does his part as a father to our son. He'll get up with him in the night, he changes his diapers, feeds him when I can't, takes care of him while I nap, bathes him, and is just an amazing help to me and an amazing dad to Tate! That boy loves to be with his dad! I am so blessed to have such an amazing little family! I can't imagine my life being any different!

Tate is here!

2010-12-25T11:36:00.002-07:00

Well our little guy finally came into the world! Tate James Wilson was born on December 14th, 2010 at 10:28pm and weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz, 21 inches long! He's so perfect! He has beautiful dark red hair and big brown eyes! He doesn't get any better! I was induced on Monday the 13th because of some drops in his heart rate during a non-stress test. It was a very long labor, and the epidural didn't work so well...so I felt quite a bit! His head was coming out sideways so it was stuck and I was pushing for over 3 hours! Finally the doctor came in and used the forceps, and after 2 pushes he was out! She really got down to business! Jimmy was right there with me of course and he was so supportive and just amazing! You don't get a better husband! We weren't able to leave the hospital until Friday the 17th because of Tate's low blood sugar and his jaundice. It was absolutely terrible. They took him away right after he was born and I didn't get him back until Thursday, then they took him away again to put him under the bililights, and the whole 3 days we were in the hospital after he was born were torturous. I've never cried so much or so hard.

But he's home now! We came home about a week ago, and he's doing well! He sleeps all the time of course, and poops and eats...but he's still so much fun! Jimmy is the best dad ever, and he certainly takes part in taking care of Tate: getting up with him in the night, changing his diapers, calming him down.

Tate is such a wonderful Christmas present, we are so grateful that he's finally here! And I'm not pregnant anymore! I feel so limber and skinny now! We love our son and are so grateful that the Lord has entrusted him to us to take care of in this life.

We hope all have a very Merry Christmas!

fun things

2010-09-08T19:08:00.004-06:00

all right now it's about time i updated this thing. we are so excited that we are having a little boy! we already have a name picked out for him and everything, and we just can't wait for him to get here! his name will be tate james wilson! so far my pregnancy hasn't been very fun and to tell the truth, i despise being pregnant! but the end result is amazing, i know.

here is a profile of our little squish at his 20 week ultrasound

i'm 24 weeks pregnant now and i started feeling him move around on August 23rd. now that i know he's moving i can feel him all the time, and i love knowing there's a little someone inside me that is all mine! (and jimmy's of course, heehee)

we moved to springville, utah about a month and a half ago, on July 29th. we LOVE out new place! it's at a complex called the cottages and it's 2 stories with brand-new carpet and paint and counter tops and some other stuff i'm sure. it's a perfect place for us and we're excited to bring our little boy home here. currently i am not working but i finished my internship and should receive my diploma soon. i am babysitting a little one-year-old named Sadie and she is just the cutest thing! she has red hair and blue eyes and she looks like she could be mine, but she's not unfortunately! haha

my siblings andrea and levi came back up here for school and it's really nice to have my own family close by. i love my in-laws, but i miss my family. they live in california and i haven't been home since last christmas, and i won't be back there until thanksgiving. it's a little depressing, and if we had the money i would be down there every month!

I LOVE MY HUSBAND! we celebrated our one year anniversary on august 21st and since we're a bit low on funds we just had dinner and a movie. It was a great night though and i'm more in love with him than ever! he's going to be an amazing daddy, too!

so tonight i made spaghetti, but instead of putting ground beef into the sauce, i used beef stew meat, which was quite tasty. i've had it for a while and don't intend to ever make beef stew, so i decided to utilize it! however, while i'm thinking that jimmy is going to like a little twist with his spaghetti, he hates it! he said it's not the taste, it's just different so it threw him off. the texture was weird or something. well, i can't expect him to like everything i make. so much for experimenting.

what's on the way?

2010-05-25T22:08:00.006-06:00

all right, so it's about time i updated our blog. we have had some exciting news! we're having a baby! yaa-hoo! we don't know what it is yet of course cuz i'm only 9 weeks along, but so far things are good! we moved to orem, ut at the end of april, and got a nice 2 bedroom top floor of a house. however, we've gotta move again because no kids are allowed at this place and the landlord is kicking us out...bummer. so we have some apartment searching to do.

i started my internship at First Choice Home Health and Hospice on May 3rd and i have to do 25 hours a week for 12 weeks! yikes! it's a lot of work, and i don't know that i'm learning very much, but at least i'll get my diploma as soon as this summer is over. it sucks workin' so hard for no money!

this pregnancy is not good for me. i've been feeling sick! and tired and uncomfortable! hopefully it goes away real soon. my wonderful husband has really been amazing. he takes good care of me and puts up with all my crap and he makes sure the dishes are done! he's perfect for me!

my birthday came up recently and i had a great day! i had to work, unfortunately, but that night jimmy put together a party at his parent's house for me and the next night he took me to my favorite restaurant: Macaroni Grill! i love that place! he even told them it was my birthday to get that amazing chocolate cake for free! i love it!

Hearts, Cars and Relocation

2010-02-26T16:23:00.004-07:00

Our '97 Toyota Camry

Well we bought the car we wanted! It was so nice of that man to hold it for us. We bought it on the 12th of February, the same day we received the check from the insurance. And that same night we drove to Utah for the 3-day weekend and Valentine's Day. The money that the insurance gave us covered the car and the taxes on it, so we owe nothing and didn't have to pay out-of-pocket. We've enjoyed having the car because it has great gas mileage, it's smooth, and Toyota's are really reliable. (Except right now they're having some issues...bummer)

Valentine's Day was wonderful. My husband got me flowers, chocolates, and a heated blanket, which has been SO nice in this cold weather. We went to a movie and to my favorite restaurant, Macaroni Grill. We drove up a hill and looked out over the city, which was beautiful. Jimmy is such a good man and he loves me so much, I'm so grateful to have him. I gave him gifts of socks, t-shirts, and a Blu-ray DVD remote for our player, so now it works!

I'm getting really excited for graduation, but I'm still looking for an internship. I'm going to make a lot of calls on Monday to some nearby hospices and nursing homes in Orem, UT, where we'll be living. We're moving on April 29th and we're excited to go and be closer to family!

Recent Addiction

2010-02-10T20:48:00.003-07:00

I've become quite addicted to video games lately. Namely, Call of Duty 3 and Halo 2. Great shooter games for sure! Jimmy and i beat Halo 2 this week. It was a great sense of accomplishment. You know, video games aren't all bad. By playing I acquire a good sense of direction and it is always keeping my mind thinking and strategizing. I also played Call of Duty 3 and beat that all by myself a couple of weeks ago! I'm taking a Young Adult Literature class, and we were reading a book about WWII, so I figured playing the video game would connect me to the book better. It did. I am now obsessed with WWII and am very interested in learning all about it. I also watched just about every WWII movie out there. It's great fun. I'm here alone a lot because Jimmy's working, so when my homework is done (or I don't feel like doing it) I play some video games! I know, I'm weird. I'm a girl and i like video games. Whatever.

New News

2010-02-09T20:14:00.003-07:00

Well lately things have been kinda crazy. About 2 1/2 weeks ago I got in a car accident. I wasn't hurt, but my blazer sure was! BUMMER! Some girl ran a stop sign, I didn't have one, so she slammed right into me. So we've (I should say I'VE because Jimmy hasn't done anything) had to deal with the insurance trying to get our money. They claimed it as a total loss and taking the car away from us. However, I've done some looking around for a new car and found a green '97 Toyota Camry in good condition. It's a nice car with great gas mileage and less miles on it than the blazer. So I'm happy. As soon as I get my money so I can pay for the car will I not be stressed anymore. This is driving me crazy. The nice man selling the car to us is holding it for us until we get the money. So nice of him. Other than that, I'm still looking for an internship and stressing about that as well. I really want to leave Rexburg, so hopefully I'll find an internship in Provo. Pray for me if you read this. I am very blessed by my Heavenly Father. I know He watches out for me constantly, and I'm very grateful to Him for protecting me.

White White Winter

2010-01-12T20:25:00.002-07:00

Well we're back here in Rexburg for my last semester. Only 3 more months until I graduate! I had quite a scare last week when I met with my counselor and he told me I was missing just one more 3-credit class! I ran around campus all day trying to talk to teachers to let me add classes, and oh man, it was crazy! I got my work-out for that day! I sent a couple of e-mails as well and guess what?!! They let me add those classes and now I'm set! Unfortunately, one of them is at 8am twice a week! It's brutal I tell you, brutal! Classes this semester: Race and Ethnic Relations, Case Studies, Organizational Behavior, Young Adult Literature, and Shakespeare. 14 credits total. I had an aerobics class, but I had to drop it to add the Org class. Bummer, I know, it was a good work-out. But I turned in my graduation application and it looks like I'm all set! I need an internship for the summertime still though. Hopefully I can find one soon. As for Jimmy, he's doing computer stuff and he set up something so that I can play super marioworld on the xbox, so that's pretty sweet! Of course I don't understand what he does, but it's cool!

presents, games and fights...sigh...Christmas

2009-12-25T23:55:00.003-07:00

What a wonderful Christmas Day! I helped my parents wrap presents last night and the kids got me up this morning! Jimmy and I got a new SONY BRAVIA TV!!! It's a 46" and now we can get rid of our big retro box TV (even though Jimmy really likes it, and it has served us well.) I also got shoes and a shirt and perfume and a kitchen thermometer that I really needed and an earring holder as well! Jimmy got good stuff too, stuff that he really needed, like jeans and shoes and shirts and stuff. It was wonderful eating sausage souffle and muffins, with lots of fruit, as is tradition. It was great being with family all day, watching movies on our new tv and playing new Wii games and checking out the PS3 that the little brothers got. Also playing Apples to Apples and Bananagrams and fighting over who's right or not! I really love my family, and I am so blessed to have them and to be with them during this wonderful time of year.

Our Christmas Letter

2009-12-04T22:08:00.003-07:00

Well this year has been very eventful. I (Samantha) got home from my mission in Concepcion, Chile on December 28^th, 2008, so it’s almost been a year! Woohoo!! I was very blessed to find a job within a week and a half in California, even in this economy! My mom and I took a trip to Kansas to get the van my parents bought from my granddad (that’s who we buy all our cars from) and we drove it across the countryside. For some reason we felt we should go to a wedding of a friend of ours in Utah and lo and behold, there was my Romeo, (the brother of the one getting married). So from then on we started dating and I went off to school in Idaho (BYUI) and we saw each other every couple of weeks. We got married on August 21^st, 2009, which of course was a perfect day! Our reception was AMAZING and I didn’t want to leave it because I was having such a blast! But we left, of course. Our honeymoon was spent 3 nights in Ontario, California in a hotel and then on a cruise for 4 days to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. It was fantastic except that Jimmy didn’t like the 4-wheeler we rented to see the town in Mexico. Haha I was driving. We then got to take a trip to Arizona for our 2^nd reception and it was great to see the people there as well! After that we moved to Rexburg so I can finish school. I’ll graduate in April 2010 majoring in Communications and I can’t wait! I’m so ready to be done with school! I’ve been in school since 1991 and I’m ready to be done! I interviewed for an internship and got it! It’s in Idaho Falls at the Regional Medical Center there working in Human Resources. It’s exactly what I want to do.

Jimmy and I plan to move to Provo so he can start/finish school at BYU. Education is important, you know. So I’ll be the breadwinner for a while. He’s doing a great job now providing for us. He suffers, poor guy. He works at a call center dialing the phones and asking people to take surveys. So if you ever get a call to take a survey, ask if it’s Jimmy and then take it! Heehee There’s not much work around here so we’re very grateful that we have something to pay the bills. I don’t have a job right now, I’m taking 18 credits this semester and it’s crazy!

Jimmy got home from his mission in Mesa, Arizona on November 4^th, 2008 and he’s doing okay, he doesn’t really like Rexburg because of the “no jobs” thing, but he likes to be with me so that’s good! He loves computers and is always working on new stuff. He set up the computer to show up on the TV somehow so we can watch Hulu on the TV instead of the computer. It’s pretty cool, and I don’t understand it, but he likes to explain it so I listen.

On a more serious note, we both love this time of year when we get to spend time with family and think of our Savior Jesus Christ and what His coming into the world has done for us. We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We love you!

Sincerely,

Jimmy and Samantha Wilson

Thanksgiving Week

2009-12-01T20:30:00.002-07:00

Wow what a great long break! I needed that... Jimmy and I spent the week at his parents house in Spanish Fork, UT and the food was great and the shopping was great too! I am completely finished with all of my Christmas shopping! I've bought for everyone I'm supposed to buy for! Woohoo!! My mom-in-law got me a Christmas Tree and I just put it up! It's so cute and I even put all the presents I have for everyone under that little tree! Well it's not THAT little, it's 6 feet! It's perfect for our apartment, I even found a spot for it.

This week I have to take 3 major spanish tests to get credit for those 3 classes, and I'm totally stressing out about it! I've been studying like crazy but I'm afraid I'm going to miss something! I have to get that credit for sure or I'll either have to take that class in the winter or I can't graduate in April!!

Jimmy has been working from 3-10 every day and I miss him a lot. I definitely get a lot of homework done, but I like his company. But of course, we need to the money, especially since we're taking 2 weeks off for Christmas! Ya-hoo!

Today we donated plasma and we watched The Grinch while we were there. It's such a good movie. I'm totally getting in the Christmas Spirit and it's fun! I hope everyone has a holly jolly Christmas!!

practice practice practice

2009-11-21T19:43:00.004-07:00

I read my friend Jessica's blog and really liked her idea of dedicating a poem. We happen to be taking the same class so I had to find a poem to take to class as well, even though we didn't even share them! Anyways, this poem is for my mom, cause she was just like this through all those years of violin and piano lessons:

PRACTICE

Since Mama bought this stupid horn

I hate the day that I was born

‘Cause nothing makes me more forlorn

Than practice practice practice.

Other guys are playing ball

But Mama doesn’t care at all,

She’s going to drive me up the wall

With practice practice practice.

I deserve to go to jail

For murdering this B-flat scale

And sounding like a dying whale

From practice practice practice.

I tried to tell her I’m not bright

So I could practice half the night

Forever and not get it right,

Why practice practice practice?

But nothing helps, not even tears,

I’m doomed to play this horn for years

With Mama yelling in my ears,

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!

~David L. Harrison

Sometimes they try to make you feel good

2009-11-21T19:38:00.003-07:00

This morning I tried to make cinnamon rolls from the recipe book that I received from my mother who received it from the Windsor Ward Relief Society back in who-knows-when. There were many to choose from, but I decided to use the one that called for the the least amount of milk and yeast, since those are the things I'm low on right now. Well, as it is, there is still a whole pan of cinnamon rolls on the stove, yet to be eaten, which very well may not be. My husband says they're delicious, but I don't believe him. I KILLED THE YEAST!!! The water was too hot, and I don't have a thermometer to find out the temperature! What a disaster! It was, however, the first time I have ever tried to make cinnamon rolls, and it may just very well be my last...

Giving Thanks

2009-11-16T19:48:00.007-07:00

So I thought I'd take up some room to say how grateful I am for many things. I love my family so much and I am so grateful for everything they do. My wonderful husband who loves me no matter what and puts up with me and all of my...stuff. Both of our families are so wonderful and have helped us out so much. Being newly married is difficult and they've done so much for us. I'm happy to have a roof over my head and a nice bed and a car and washer and dryer. I'm grateful that my family and friends are safe and protected. I'm thankful I go to a good university, and especially thankful that I'll be graduating soon. My husband has a job, as little as it may pay, it's a job and I'm so grateful for that. I'm grateful that nice weather has held out so long this year. Usually snow comes a lot sooner!

But mostly I'm grateful to my Savior Jesus Christ and his suffering for me. His Atonement I know was hard and I know he suffered

for my sins. Thanks to Him I am able to repent of any wrongs I commit. Thanks to Him I have everything I have. My Heavenly Father blesses me in so many ways. He watches over my family and I and makes sure we are taken care of. I know that if we do as He commands and obey His prophets, we will be blessed and we will always have the necessities of life. I know my Heavenly Father loves me and knows me and that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to be with me always.

I love this time of

the year and its time of reflection over the past year and my life. This year has been great. I got home from my mission, got a job right away, even in this awful economy, went on a trip with my mom, found my husband while I was there, went to school in the summer, got married during the break, back at school again, and get

ting good grades! Soon we'll be in Utah celebrating Thanksgiving with family and then school will soon be over. What a wonderful year and life that I have! Thanks to family, friends, and Jesus Christ.

Jimmy's Contribution

2009-11-14T19:08:00.001-07:00

Jimmy would like those of you who read this blog to check out his instructable links: http://www.instructables.com/id/Dont-pay-for-that-High-priced-new-stuff-Get-i/

http://www.instructables.com/id/USB-Car-Charger-1/

He loves to build things and fix things. He's a genius at it too!

My Bro is Back!

2009-11-13T16:50:00.001-07:00

My brother Levi got home from his mission on October 28th, and it was great to have him come up to Idaho to see me! He looks great and we still have as much fun as we always do! We went to the ice caves and went skating and just hung out together! Of course my mom came and my two youngest brothers. It was nice having my family come and see me in my first home as a newlywed.

The New Life

2009-11-13T16:43:00.001-07:00

Well married life is fun, but hard sometimes. We both got haircuts after our honeymoon. We moved into an apartment complex called The Village and we really like it. It comes complete with washer and dryer! (a must) It snowed yesterday and the snow is still on the ground! It's a sign! Winter is here! BUMMER! I don't like the cold much, but we live in Rexburg, for cryin' out loud! That's just how it is up here. I'm getting excited for Thanksgiving. I haven't celebrated Thanksgiving since 2006 because of my mission! So I'm grateful for the good food! All I had in Chile was chocolate milk and cookies. Mmmmm.....

The Honeymoon

2009-11-13T16:30:00.001-07:00

Mexico was a blast, we rented a 4-wheeler and saw the city and we bought cool souvenirs as well! Jimmy didn't like the 4-wheeler much though, it was his first time and I was driving! heehee It was fun to talk in spanish with all the Mexicans though!

We went on a cruise to Mexico for our honeymoon and it was great! I was still swayin' to the waves for 2 days after we got off the ship! The food was great, and unlimited, which I always love! We stayed the first 3 nights of our honeymoon in a hotel in Ontario, CAlifornia before the cruise, and we found a street sign with our last name on it!

From the Beginning...

2009-11-13T15:55:00.001-07:00

We were married August 21st, 2009 in the San Diego Temple. We met at mutual 6 years ago but of course I wasn't interested then. However, we met up after we served our missions and then we knew it was inevitable. We had to get married after just 2 months of dating over the phone! His family moved to Utah while he was on his mission, so that's why we dated over the phone. I was in California working at the time. We had an awesome 50s themed reception that was something my mom came up with, and we loved our wedding day and reception! It was such a blast I didn't even want to leave! (we did of course) We currently live in Rexburg, ID now because I'm finishing up my degree in Communications. When I graduate we'll move to Provo, UT so Jimmy can get his degree (in 4 years! AHHH!) Oh well, it's necessary! Married life is great, I love being with him always!