Easter Fun!

For a number of past years, the Easter holiday has been, shall we say uneventful. My parents' stopped giving us Easter baskets years ago (not that I need the candy) and I'd occassionally dye some eggs or go to the Easter Pageant but that was about it. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy the chance to reflect upon the death and resurrection of Christ (aka the true meaning of Easter) but it seems like everything is more eventful when there are kiddos around.
The Thursday before Easter we went to the Easter Pageant at the Mesa Temple with my family, Nate's parents, my brother and sister-in-law and their three daughters. As is tradition with the Easter Pageant we all got there early to claim some seats, ate our dinner picnic style and cuddled up to wait for dark when the pageant would start. I can remember doing something like this since I was in Young Women's going to the pageant for the first time, though I have to admit the cuddling is much better now that I have a hubby. As we waited for the pageant to start, my nieces pulled out sheets of paper and walked around asking the ushers/cast members for their autographs. They were so excited to come back with their sheets full of signatures from Follower of Christ, Unwise Virgin, Roman Guard, etc.

On Saturday we went for a hike at Peralta Pass with my niece Kaylee who was staying with us for the weekend. I had never hiked Peralta before but the weather was perfect as it was cool and had just finished raining earlier in the day. I loved seeing the trail all clean, green and glistening with rain drops, though I had to admit some desert plants give off an interesting odor when they are wet. We couldn't quite peg what plant it was but all along the trail something kept giving off an odor that bordered on clean/fresh and musty/revolting.

On Easter Sunday we went to Nate's parent's house for dinner and an egg hunt. My nieces looked adorable in their matching Easter dresses their mom made, complete with white hats. Aaaahh, I aspire to be that creative.

The kids all waited patiently as we hid the eggs. I spotted my nephew Ryan sitting all by himself far away on the side of the curb waiting for the hunt to start. Didn't we hid those eggs well? The funniest one was a metallic green egg that must have blended in with the grass because we sat back and watched almost all of the kids run by it several times before I pointed it out to one of them.

3 Months and 100 Days

Wow time really does fly by. A few weeks ago we passed over the 3 month mark and now we've hit 100 days as husband and wife. I know it's just a drop in the bucket compared to many other married couples out there and to the time we have ahead of us but it's still fun to sit back at look at the beginnings of our marriage and how we are progressing as spouses. Sometimes I look at Nate in awe and go "you're my husband," or "holy crap we're MARRIED!" It's all in a good way though.
As newlyweds we get the usual question of "how's married life? is it everything you thought it would be?" And I would have to reply with a resounding YES!
~We've become accustomed to sharing a bed and really like it.
~We haven't gotten into any fights over toilet seats, clothes, or dishes (I know eventually we'll have a fight though I don't know what it will be about, probably something silly like a word during Scrabble).
~We already complete each others' sentances and figure by the time we're old we'll have mastered the art of telepathy and will no longer need to talk. However, we are aware that just because there's a 90% chance we are thinking the same thing we can't assume we're thinking the same thing because inevitably making that assumption will get one of us in trouble.
~We love spending time together and have yet to get tired of each other. We can spend all weekend together and still be bummed to go our seperate ways Monday morning for 8 hours. I wonder how we survived all the times while dating when we'd go our seperate ways at the end of the evening for days and even weeks on end.
~I've become an aunt twice in addition to inheriting 8 other nieces and nephews when we got married. That's an adjustment in itself since I'm the oldest in my family and haven't had a lot of kiddos around for a long time.
~Upon the birth of my new nephews we have been, as expected, getting the questions of "When are you guys going to have one?" "Are you getting the baby fever/flutters/on-the-brain/etc?" "You guys are next." And whenever I get sick, even if it's just a cough, someone suggests it's because I'm pregnant. Nope, sorry to bust the bubble but we're not there yet. If anything going to the hospital to visit my sisters-in-law after delivery makes me realize that I'm not quite ready for child-birth and motherhood just yet. Having new babies around will be good to help me get more comfortable with the whole baby thing but for now this sugar mamma has to continue to bring home the bacon and fry it up.
~We're still trying to find our way in our new ward. Everyone is very nice, but it's different being the new kid on the block, especially since I can be a little shy around new people. I know it's just a matter of time before we get used to it and eventually find some new "married friends." We both try hard to not loose all of our single friends but it is funny how the dynamic changes a bit.
Overall the transition's gone really smoothe and we're having a lot of fun getting to know each other as husband and wife. I'm not under any kind of impression that we're "perfect" but it's difficult to think of many ways in which it could get better. I guess only time will tell. As one of Nate's uncle's wrote in our guest book, "It's only an enternity."

Prophets, puzzles, and pie.

Last weekend was General Conference and I always enjoy the opportunity to be uplifted. I love how every 6 months were blessed with the chance to listen to apostles and prophets and how if we go with open hearts we can receive personal revelation about our lives as well as the direction of the world around us. Plus who doesn't relish in the opportunity to roll out of bed 5 minutes before church starts to watch it while wearing your pj's in the comfort of your own home. This was our first General Conference together and while we don't have any little folks running around that we have to keep entertained/focused, we do have to keep ourselves awake. Usually I do pretty well but there is something particularly soothing about the music, the speakers voices, and being in the comfort of your home that will inevitably put me to sleep for a bit during at least one session. So to combat General Conference Sleeping Sickness, Nate suggested a we work on a puzzle while watching conference. So he picked up a 1000 piece photocollage Snoopy puzzle, which we did manage to complete by the time the weekend was over. Though I think my head was swimming with images of Charlie Brown and Sally for a day or two; I got to know their various expressions very well.

On Sunday we went to dinner at my parents' house where they had invited the missionaries in their ward to join us. It was fun to all pile in the dining room and pass around plates of roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and rolls. It almost felt like a mini Thanksgiving holiday.

Then for desert we were treated to Marie Callendar's Chocolate Silk pie. Yum Yum! That Marie has a good thing going on. Overall it was a very enjoyable and rejuvenating weekend.