Magnetic Matthews

Diary of a Residency Widow: Who you gonna call?

2010-09-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Last night, at 1:45am I was woken by the shrill piercing sound of an alarm. Still grogy I fumbled with the buttons on my alarm clock thinking that had to be the source of the noise even though the sound wasn't right for my alarm clock. When that didn't stop the sound I fumbled around with anything else on my nightstand that my sleepy brain thought might be the source. Again nothing worked. By this time I was becoming more alert and my brain was trying to figure out what the sound could be.

What produces an ear splitting, heart pounding tone unexpectedly in the middle of the night? The smoke detector, I concluded. I didn't smell any smoke though so I assumed it was just a dying battery. I ran down the stairs and furiously tried to get the detector off the wall, knocking down our pull-up bar and freaking out the dog in the process. I took out the battery and...the sound continued.

Could it be the other smoke alarm I wondered? That thought confused me though as the other smoke alarm hadn't had power to it for over a year. Had something happened to the wiring that resurrected the hard wired deamon smoke detector from the dead? Frantic to try anything to get the alarm to stop I grabbed the mop, raced back up the stairs and proceeded to whack the ill placed detector, located above the second step before the landing just out of reach to normal human arms (Where's Inspector Gadget when you need him?), like a pinata until it crashed to the ground and...the sound continued.

Frustrated and with panic levels rising I decided that I needed to narrow down what area of the house the sound was coming from. I ran to the kitchen and rumaged through the drawer to find the keys to the lock on our breaker box, then one at a time I started flipping switches.
Upstairs? = not it
Downstairs? = not it
Kitchen? = not it
Lighting? = not it
Washer / Dryer? = not it
Smoke? = definitely not it

I was out of ideas, on the verge of crying and my house was still screaming. So I did what any other 28 year old married woman would do. I called my mommy. Normally I would have called my husband but at that time he would either A) be busy with patients or B) be trying to catch a few winks of sleep in his 30 hour shift. I didn't think it was fair to disrupt his sleep when really there wouldn't be anything he could do, and he didn't need to worry about me freaking out at home alone.

"Hello?" mom mumbled.
"Mom, I need help," I stumbled trying to hold it together and not freak her out. I gave her a quick rundown of what was happening. "Can you hear that?"
"Hear what?" she replied.
Surprised that she couldn't hear the chaos in my house I moved around a bit trying to find a better sound sample for her, and as I did something amazing happened. I narrowed in on the source of the noise. And the culprit was...

A $2 kitchen timer with a dying battery.

Who knew that much noise could come from something so small? Apparently the manufacturers felt that the demise of the timer's battery was an urgent matter worthy of a household emergency. Afterall HOW WILL WE KNOW WHEN THE COOKIES ARE DONE!?! Or how will we be able to time the dog's bathroom break? Here we've been spending time and energy educating people on the importance of checking their smoke detectors when kitchen timers was the real epidemic.

I thanked my mom for listening, appologized for waking her up, turned all the power back on, took Buster out to go to the bathroom as all the excitement got his bladder going, and then dragged myself back to bed about 20 minutes after the whole ordeal orginally began. It felt more like an hour.

This was the second time that day in which my parents had come to my rescue. Several hours earlier my dad came by my house to help me with our new washer. The installers had hooked the hoses up wrong and what should have been a cold water rinse was a hot water rinse and vice versa. I had spent an hour working through this on my own yet my girly arms couldn't move the machine nor could I get the couplings loosened. Thanks to a great dad we got it fixed and working properly.

I guess morally of the story is if you're going to be a residency widow it helps to have people you can lean on nearby... and don't forget to check your kitchen timers people!

Diary of a Residency Widow: Bring Me a Dream

2010-08-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Sandman-
We need to talk. Over the years we have had a fairly good relationship, much better than your counterpart Mr. Alarm-Clock. I look forward to your nightly visits, yet lately on nights when my dear husband is away on call you've been consistently tardy. Don't you know it is rude to leave a lady waiting? 1am on a weeknight is unacceptable and unsustainable on a regular basis, afterall I have a dog that likes to get up early and a job to get to in the morning. Please don't tell me that you're like Santa Clause and won't come by until everyone in the family is tucked safely in bed before you come. I don't buy it and I know that you visit Buster regularly when he's home alone. We never had this problem during the years before I got married so I didn't think it would be an issue now. I'll cut you some slack since there is always going to be an adjustment period when it come to new things but I hope it is short lived or we have a long three years ahead of us. I would appreciate if you rectify this situation sooner rather than later.

Sweet Dreams,
The Residency Widow

Tales from Residency: I am Woman Hear Me Roar

2010-08-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

The intern year of residency is a trying time defined by sleep deprivation and feelings of inadequacy as they encounter new situations whilst becoming comfortable with the new level of responsibility that rests on their shoulders. They go to work each day not knowing what the shift will bring. However, one thing is for sure...they will come away with some great stories.

Nate's first stop on the intern road was obstetrics at Maricopa County Hospital. He's had to pick up a number of spanish words and phrases that they don't teach you in High School but he's on his way to fulfilling his quota of delivered babies. After one delivery they asked the father if he would like to cut the cord but apparently he wasn't quite comfortable with the idea and respectfully declined. The attending then turned to the mother and asked if she would like to instead. She emphatically responded, "HECK YES," took the scissors, bent forward and cut her own cord. Now that's the strength of a woman; taking matters into her own hands when her husband was too squeamish to do so.

I guess I still have some work to do since I still look to my husband to kill any bugs in the house.

Cooties and Cupid

2010-08-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

We've been teaching most of our Sunbeam class since they were two going on three-years-old. In the early days they didn't seem to care about the differences between boys and girls, or if they did it didn't affect them. Sure the girls would gravitate towards playing with dolls and ponies while the boys constructed guns from Lego blocks or zoomed cars across the room but they weren't bothered to be together. Lately we've sensed a change in the winds.

Our Sunbeam class is mostly boys, which on any given Sunday can mean that the girls are out numbered 4 (or sometimes even 6) to 1. Now once upon a time this wouldn't have been a problem but lately I'm hearing more complaints from the girls such as "I don't want to be the only girl," or "I don't want to sit next to a boy." One week we got lucky and had 3 girls in class. Trying to capitalize on this rarity, Nate had them sit next to each other, which proceeded to backfire as they morphed into their own little group in another world making it next to impossible to grab their attention.

On the flip side the boys, or at least most of them, are becoming more interested in the girls. A while ago I wrote about our first little Romeo, and his romanticsism is spreading. Recently one little guy, we'll refer to him as I.A., was helping us set up the classroom he started telling us about his girlfriend. When I asked him what was his girlfriend's name was, he responded, "um, um, um...[long pause]...I don't know." He has also previously mentioned in sharing time how when he gets big he wants to have a girlfriend. Not to forget the day that little girl H. joined our class he told her she was really pretty and asked her if she would come over to his house and be his girlfriend.

Little girl H has quickly become the boys favorite as they all want to sit by her. She's cute, and sweet, and blonde. Not to sound like a bitter brunette but I find it funny that even at 4 years old, the blonde gets the most attention. Her first day in our class the little boy sitting next to me leaned over and asked me what her name was. I told him her name and he then turned to her and said, "H I love you, you're my friend."

They may come on a little strong but I think it sweet how unabashed they are about their feelings. The girls on the other hand....well, maybe one day Dr. Nate will have to give everyone their cootie shot.

School's Out Forever!

2010-07-31T22:04:00.000-07:00

June 4, 2010 marked a day that was almost 8 years in the making. On June 4, 2010 Nate graduated medical school and officially became a doctor. Wooohooo!

While I missed out on the majority of his med school journey, sitting in the crowd, I was filled with pride at all the hard work and time he dedicated to this achievement. I waited patiently to capture this much anticipated event... unfortunately my timing was just a bit too good and I snapped my picture at the same time as the school photographer's flash went off. Bummer.

Luckily I was able to get this one of Nate being hooded.

With oaths taken and the speeches over, the new class of doctors was lead out of the auditorium by pipers.

The next day we all celebrated Dr. Nate at a bbq pool party at my parent's house. And what graduation party would be complete without a cannonball competition.

Although graduation may be over, Nate still isn't quite accustomed to his newly earned status and after years of telling people he's not a doctor yet it hasn't completely sunk in as a reality yet. I guess old habits are hard to break.

How much is that doggie in the window?

2010-07-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

About a month ago we said goodbye to our old family dog Yoda. As Nate and I helped my family look at listings for new furry friends Nate mentioned how he had thought about getting a dog for us to keep me company while he's gone. So after a couple weeks of thinking and looking we found this little guy.

Buster is a little beagle mix, though the jury is still out on what his mix might be. Votes have been cast for, terrier (i.e. Jack Russell), chihuahua, and pug. What ever he is, he's just dang cute and sweet. Buster was rescued by Beagles of Arizona Rescue Club from the pound since he was on the euthanasia list for being so frightened there. I can't say that I blame him, I would be too. His foster mom thought that maybe he had gotten away from his previous owners and no one came to find him. Alas their loss is our gain.

So far he's been settling in pretty well at his new home though he was our little shadow for the first couple days. He is surprisingly mellow, and very little seems to phase him; not the vacuum or the doorbell, or fireworks, or the the bunch of nieces/nephews who wanted to pet him, make him do tricks and give him treats. Though he was worn out afterwards and fell asleep after being home for five minutes.

The only things that do get him really worked up are walks (because he LOVES going for walks) and other dogs that he sees on walks presumably because he wants to go be friends (according to Nate).

He loves to cuddle and keeps trying to join us up on the couch or in bed, but we're working on that. Sunday night after playing with the nieces and nephews, I was in the bathroom getting ready for bed when Nate knocked on the door.

"Is Buster in there with you?"

"No...can't you find him?"

"No"

"Is he in his crate?"

"No."

"Is he on the spare bed?"

"No."

"Well he has to be somewhere in here."

I called his name and a few seconds later I heard his tags jingling only to see his little head pop out from under our bed. I guess if he couldn't get on the bed, he would instead go under it.

We're looking forward to having fun with this little guy for many years to come.

Ode to a House Husband

2010-06-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Over the early course of our marriage, Nate and I haven't completely stuck the typical gender roles. I've been his Sugar Momma working to bring home the bacon and for the last six weeks after finishing up med school Nate has filled in as a full time house husband. He's really spoiled me.

I came home to some tasty treats including homemade soft pretzels.

He took care of projects around the house such as building shelves to better organize our extra closet space and re-planted our herb garden.

He cleaned the house, made trips to the bank, and I don't think I had to hardly step foot in a grocery store. He even had a short stint as babysitter for our nephew, Luke, when my mother-in-law had to go out of town. After a couple weeks I was struggling to find things for him to do.

I wasn't a complete slave driver though as he managed to find time to have some fun as well. He read at least 5 books, made 4 trips to the lake, 1 trip down the Salt River, went on 1 cruise, and 1 weekend camping where he caught a personal record of 14 fish.

Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of his fish but we did get one of this whopper that I caught. The fish were definitely bitting that weekend as I also caught a personal best of 10 fish...and one dead crawdad.

As he goes off to begin his long days of residency I hope that he will fondly remember these past few weeks. While he has spoiled me in more ways than one, I have enjoyed the chance to spend so much time with my dear house-husband. He has set the bar high when the day finally comes that we switch roles and I take over as a house wife. I just hope I'll be up for the task.

Day 7: On the good ship Lib-er-ty

2010-06-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

On the final day aboard our fun ship we sailed across the ocean back to Miami. So since our last day was on the ship, I thought I'd reflect on our experiences on the ship away from the ports of call. This was our very first cruise and it's true that cruising is a great way to travel.
I definitely recommend getting a balcony room if possible. I had originally thought we would just do an interior room to save some money, and then we found the great deal we got on our balcony. I think it probably ruined me for any future cruises.

This is the view from our level of the ship, all the way down to the main floor. In our research before booking we found that many people recommended being in a room on a high floor toward the middle of the ship. I have to say this seemed pretty accurate too as we didn't feel or hear much during the night.

Would we choose Carnival again? Probably. Since it was our first cruise I don't have anything else to compare it too but they have a lot of activities and try to make your time on the ship lots of fun. One prime example of this was The Fun Hop. The cruise director kept talking up the Fun Hop as the "can't miss event" and "one of the funnest things you could do on the ship." I hate to say it but he was right. The Fun Hop was a series of team competitions that took place in various spots on the ship after dinner the night of my birthday. The whole ship was divided into teams depending on what floor your room was on. We were part of the BLUE. I was a bit skeptical about doing it but figured we could at least check it out. Well once the blue war paint went on we were all in. With the rest of the blue team, Nate and I karakoed, then we all made our way to the casino where we learned your not-so-typical line dances and watched a few of our men do a butt shaking competition, then we made our way to the night club for a dance off, and then we ended up on the main deck with the rest of the ship where we did a huge team conga line, and danced the electric slide with a couple hundred of our closest cruise mates. All the while we roamed the halls chanting war cries of "Blue there it is" (to the toon of whoop there it is) and "Olie, olie, olie! Blue, Blue, Blue!" We ended the night hoarse and with only these pictures because we were so busy having fun.

Dinner time was also fun as our waiters sang and danced for us.

And how can I forget the towel animals. We eagerly awaited coming back to our room to see what creation awaited us. It was fun to try and guess what they had made out of a few towels. Some of them I'm still not quite sure about.

Then there's the question about sea sickness. Did I get sea sick? Yes and no. I did really good for the first 2 days and then things started to move a bit more when we got into the open water and away from the shore. I'm glad that we took motion sickness patches with us just in case, then again I don't have the strongest stomach and Nate did just fine. The thing they don't warn you about is when you get off the ship. I was not prepared to continue moving for a good 4-6 days after we got home. Apparently it's fairly common and some jokingly call it Post Cruise Stress Disorder that lasts until you go on your next cruise. Thankfully I'm all better now, and we would definitely do it all again.

Day 6: Darlin' it's better down where it's wetter

2010-06-07T19:08:00.000-07:00

Our final port of call was Grand Turk which is part of the Turks and Caicos. The island apparently isn't as grand as its name would lead you to believe. With the Carnival Liberty's 3,300 passengers and 1,000 crew we out numbered the island's 4,000 inhabitants. Our cruise director, Noonan, informed us that the island could be ours to over throw if we wanted to. So imagine what it must have been like on a day when not one but two cruise ships rolled into town. For a period of 6 hours, Grand Turk tripled its population.

Since Grand Turk has a reputation of great snorkeling, including a 7,000 foot drop off, we decided this would be a great place to take a peak at what goes on under the sea. In typical male fashion, Nate really wanted to take our snorkeling to the next level. Why just snorkel the old fashioned way when you can POWER SNORKEL? So equipped with our snorkel gear and our personal propellers (with top speeds of 3 mph), we got to devotin' some full time to floatin' under the sea.

Such wonderful things surround you, what more are you lookin' for?

Down here all the fish is happy, as off the waves they roll.

We got no troubles, life is the bubbles, under the sea.

With our handy propellers we were able to cover a lot of ground during our trip. Some people in our group, however, were questionable drivers and kept bumping into us or getting in the way. On the way back in we passed over a big bed of these prickly fellers.

Sea urchins! As we past over them I kept pulling my knees up to avoid grazing them. Our dinner friends weren't quite as lucky as Steve somehow ended up stepping on one. In typical island fashion, after Jill had spent 10 minutes trying to pull them out of the bottom of his foot, our guide said, "No worries mon, just leave 'em alone and they'll come out on their own in a few days." Somehow we weren't completely convinced or comforted by that but there wasn't anything else to do.

After snorkeling, with not much available within walking distance to see, we found a spot on the beach. All that power had left Nate tuckered out. Out in the sun they slave away? I guess not.

Back aboard the ship we hunkered down for our last day at sea as we made our way back to Miami.

Day 5: Feliz Cumple Anos

2010-06-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

The fifth day of our cruise fell on my birthday and we spent the day in Puerto Rico. For my Puerto Rican birthday we wandered through Old San Juan visiting the forts and doing a little bit of shopping. In all I think we walked about 5 miles all over the city.

At the recommendation of my aunt who loves Puerto Rico, our first stop was to El Morro. El Morro is a cool old fort, with great views of the ocean, which was originally built to guard the entrance to San Juan Bay and defend Puerto Rico against enemies at sea.

The fort had just a few stairs, and no elevator.

Wandering around the fort put Nate in a swashbuckling mood.

That was later over come by his lazy surfer side.

One of the things I enjoyed most about Old San Juan was the architecture. Each building had it's own character and vibrant colors were every where. It makes the cookie cutter stucco homes seem a bit boring back home.

We loved our day in Puerto Rico but it was just too short to see everything Puerto Rico had to offer. One day I hope we get to go back.

Day 4: Up Where the Air is Clear

2010-05-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

After a day at sea, we woke up in the Virgin Islands. St. Thomas to be exact. Here we signed up to do something I've wanted to try for years. PARASAILING!!! As we waited for our scheduled departure we decided to browse some of the shops nearby in search of a sun hat for me. How about this one? Just a wee bit understated don't you think? We need something a bit bigger.

Then it was time to make our way to the boat for our parasailing trip. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit nervous. Our trip was a tandem ride so Nate and I got to ride together, and what do you know we were the first one's up.

The part I had been most worried about was how it was going to feel as we lifted off. I half expected my stomach to end up in my feet but I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was as the parachute just smoothly took us into the air.

The views of the water and the island were beautiful. While the boat bounced along the choppy seas below we floated in the air and took in the sites around us.

Then it was time to come down.It was a great ride and I can finally check that one off my bucket list.

After parasailing we made our way downtown to do a little shopping. Then with a few hours to spare we decided to grab a taxi cab and go to the beach. At the recommendation of our parasailing guide, we instructed the cab driver to take us to Sapphire Beach versus Meagan's Bay which is apparently more popular with the tourists. Our parasailing guru had assured us that it wasn't really any farther than Meagan's, maybe a 15 minute cab ride. A half hour later we arrived at Sapphire Beach after getting a nice scenic ride of the island.

We enjoyed playing at Sapphire Beach but as the minutes ticked by, my anxiety about missing the ship grew as we were much farther away than we had originally anticipated. With about an hour to spare we caught a taxi to take us back to the pier.

Our cab driver, while willing, was obviously not thrilled about taking 2 people all the way across the island and he tried flagging down a few other cabs to see if he could find someone else to take us. The first cab was packed full, the second empty, the third was just right...sort of. While the third cab (which actually turned out to be a tour group) looked pretty full, he managed to convince the driver/guide, Sunny, to squeeze us in. Literally. On separate rows, sandwiched between several cushiony ladies, Nate and I prepared for one crazy ride. At speeds of probably up to 50 miles per hour, Sunny zipped through the rolling, and winding two lane mountain road that circled the island. With no seat belts and no real doors on the cab, we all gripped the rails in front of us. White knuckles all around, and we all gasped as he narrowly missed pedestrians. Then came the traffic jam. We sat and waited as time ticked by. After what seemed like forever, Sunny had waited long enough and proceeded to do a 6 point u-turn to turn the big cab/bus around on the two lane mountain road to go the other direction. Free of the bonds of traffic, Sunny zoomed the other direction. "I've never got anyone back late yet," he assured over the speaker. "He's been driving like this all day," said the lady seated next to me. Somehow that didn't make me any less nervous. Sure enough we made it to the ship in one piece and no pedestrians harmed with about fifteen minutes to spare. Plus we came away with a ride equally as memorable as our one earlier in the sky. Nate attests that he's been on some roller coasters that weren't nearly as exciting as Sunny's drive. So if you ever make it to St. Thomas and are looking for a good tour, check out Sunny Liston. It will be an experience you'll never forget.

Day 2 & 3: The Fun Begins

2010-05-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

The first stop on our trip was Carnival's private island, Half Moon Cay, in the Bahamas. In the words of our Cruise Director, Noonan, this private paradise was ours to enjoy. We took advantage of the time to just relax and recover more from our busy travel day the day prior, while we enjoyed the sun, and the water...

Or both at the same time.

The water was clear and a bit cool to the point that we eased our way in the water inch by inch as our bodies adjusted to the "refreshing temperature." Once we got into the water and away from the shore we had the perfect spot to people watch. From our vantage point, Nate gathered more empirical evidence for his increasingly accurate hypothesis that there are only two groups of people who do not look ridiculous dancing...women and minorities. The beach at Half Moon Cay seemed to be no different.

Shortly thereafter as I was enjoying floating in the water, Nate decided to embark on some impromptu treasure hunting. (FLASHBACK) Earlier that morning as we got ready to leave the ship for the day, I decided it would be best if I left my wedding ring in our room safe. I asked Nate if he wanted to do the same, and he told me, "No, it's not going to come off, and even IF it happened to, it wouldn't be as big a loss as if we were to loose yours." (FlASHFORWARD) I heard Nate call my name and I looked over to see him motioning me to come to him. "I feel like such an idiot," he said when I stopped next to him. "I lost my ring. I went down to do a handstand and it just slipped off my finger here in the sand." As panicked thoughts of "I warned you," swirled through my head, we scanned the beach for kind people with idle snorkel gear. Luckily old married couples are sympathetic to a panicked wife concerned with her husband's wedding ring becoming buried treasure. The old guy even came out to help search. Even more luckily, with the mask Nate was able to find his ring on the first dive, or this could have been the first and last happy picture of us that day.

Later we waved goodbye to Halfmoon Cay and wouldn't step foot on land again for another 41 hours as the next day we were sailing the open ocean.

During our day at sea we played Scattergories, and watched the ice carving demonstration for the ice sculpture that would be displayed at the infamous late night buffet.

We also watched "The Game of Love," which was basically a spin off of the Newlywed game as Noonan pulled a couple of newlyweds (married less than 24 hours), some oldie weds (celebrating their 50th anniversary), and a couple smack dab in the middle. From this game we learned that A) the wife is always right even when the husband has a different answer and witnesses to back up his claim, and B) you can always embarrass your kids/grandchildren/parents by making out on stage and confessing the craziest place you ever "got down to business time" (wink, wink) in front of a theater of strangers.

That night the sea rocked us in our seats and in our sleep as we sailed on towards St. Thomas.

Day 1: Come Sail Away

2010-05-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

Our cruise vacation started Friday night at 10:30pm as we boarded our red eye flight to JFK airport in New York where we would catch our 8am flight to Miami. I've never taken a red eye flight before and I'd probably have to think really hard about it before we did it again, but at the time it was our best option to make it across the continental US in time for the cruise departure, without incurring the extra cost of a hotel room. The late night flight, paired with the time change made for a very long travel day. Nevertheless, we made it on the ship with no problems and may have taken the opportunity to catch up on a few Zzz's, after we checked out the lunch buffet.

It was a cloudy day as we waved good bye to Miami and set sail for the Caribbean. But that didn't dampen the spirits aboard the ship as soon the deck was busy with people doing the electric slide and the Cupid shuffle, and every five minutes some server was trying to offer us an alcoholic beverage. I guess there's a reason Carnival's called "The Fun Ship."

Once we were given the all clear that our room was ready we escaped the noise of the party for the serenity of our balcony and watched the ocean roll by in peace.

That night we met our dinning table. I have to admit I was a bit nervous to find out who we were assigned to eat with. Would they be nice? Would we have anything in common to talk about or would we sit there in awkward silence? Would we they think we were cool? It was high school all over again. We ended up sitting with one other couple, Steve and Jill from Long Island, who were about our age and had been dating for about 9 months. Over the course of the week, we ended up seeing them quite a bit on and off the ship.

April What?

2010-05-19T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well May is quickly drawing to and end, but wait, what happened to April? If you're going by our blog...apparently... April didn't exist. Or at least not much that was fun/news/picture worthy happened, May however will be much different. Nate finished up his last rotation as a med student and is now a dedicated house husband until he starts his residency in June. During the month and a half that he has off we are trying to get in as much fun stuff as we can before I give him over to Scottsdale Healthcare and become a residency widow. Our big adventure was our Caribbean cruise extravaganza aboard the Carnival Liberty. During our week long cruise we visited the Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, and Puerto Rico. Since we got back, and after the world finally stopped moving (5 days later) I've been trying to get all our pictures ready to post. Without further adieu, I'm starting a series of posts on our days aboard the Carnival Liberty.

What's in a name?

2010-03-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

It came to my attention after my last post that every cool car has to have a name, and then I realized that I forgot to mention the RAV's name. Names are important (just ask any parent), so we batted around a number of ideas and hopefully came up with a good one. Since the car is blue we thought that would be a good place to start.

Given Avatar's recently popularity we considered Na'vi...but it sounded to similar to Nuvi our Garmin GPS.

So what about Smurfette? Cute and fun, maybe good for a mini cooper but it didn't quite fit. The RAV isn't prissy car and Smurfette just seemed too delicate and flighty.

The RAV is fast, strong, sleek and pretty. So with that in mind we came up with Mystique. What do you think? Do you see a resemblance? Never mind the fact that the character Mystique is a villain, the car doesn't fit in that respect (despite what some people may say about Toyota these days). I think the name fits the RAV pretty well, and apparently we're going with a Marvel theme in our house as Nate has taken to calling the Saturn the Silver Surfer.

Farewell

2010-03-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

This last week Nate said good bye to an old friend. The two of them had a lot of good years together and he was always reliable until he recently left Nate stranded on his way home. With that we decided that it was time to let the old friend go, and so we said good bye to the '98 Malibu with it's 153,000 miles.

Appropriately it was a rainy day when Nate cleaned out his car to get it ready to turn in.

The next day we came home with a shiny new 2010 Toyota RAV4 V6. We've been looking at this car for almost a year and it was finally the right time. So far we love our new friend and have already broken her in with a trip to the Superstition Mountains. We look forward to having a lot of adventures with her down the road.

Game-Set-Match

2010-03-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

About six months ago we started on a journey. A journey that would decide the next three years of our life and the next step in Nate's career. It was the journey to get into a residency program. We looked at all our options here in the Valley, and thoughtfully considered other possibilities elsewhere that might be good for our family. There were a few trips for Nate to go to interviews, and numerous dinners where we played the schmooze game, a game which I've never particularly enjoyed.

Then came the time for decisions. After much pondering and discussion, Nate set his list of preferred programs and then we waited as it was out of our hands. We counted down the days and we waited for the day when we would find out where he would match. Today the waiting finally paid off. Today we found out that Nate will be part of the 2013 class at the Scottsdale Healthcare Family Medicine Residency Program. HIS #1 CHOICE!!!

We're so excited that he's going to be at Scottsdale, and so relieved to finally know where we'll be for the next three years and know it means we don't have to move. I find it funny how both of us have come full circle in our jobs. After 3.5 years I'm back working for my old boss and he's back working at Scottsdale Healthcare where he used to work as a health unit coordinator.

I think this calls for a celebration.

Hello March

2010-03-03T13:54:00.000-08:00

From the looks of things, I'm turning into one of THOSE kinds of blog posters. The kind that go weeks without a peep. Well the good news behind my radio silence is it's because I GOT A JOB. Yep I'm a bonafide working woman again. Even though currently it is still "part time" I've been busier lately then I was at my full time job, thus the blog has become slightly neglected. Sorry. It's amazing how much you can find to do when you're not tethered to a computer 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.

I'm both excited and sometimes a bit nervous about the new job. It will a melding of both of my past two jobs with also new layers of responsibility and knowledge areas that I know very little about. Agricultural land use, say what?! Running a small office? Whew, this is going to be interesting.

It is also going to be interesting to work with one of my old bosses again. Doug was one of my first bosses out of college, and now after several years and much discussion, our paths have finally crossed again. While I've been anticipating this opportunity for a couple years, it's amazing how all the pieces have coalesced right when we needed them to. I think someone out there just may be looking after us.

That's really the biggest development February had to offer which is alright because the next few months will have enough changes to come.

Puppy Love and Light Bulbs

2010-02-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

I've always said that the funnest part of teaching Sunbeams was the fact that we could continue to wath our little nursery kids grow and their personalities develop. Well we now have a little Romeo on our hands. A few weeks ago I noticed one little boy, we'll call him E, being very midful of one of the girls in our class. He sat next to her and throughout the lesson he had his arm across the back of her chair. She hasn't been back to class since then, but our little Romeo surfaced again this week, putting his attention on another girl in class. During sharing time we noticed E stroking the girl's hair, then he sat next to her in class and put his arm around her and stuck close to her side during our walk. He was so gentle, so kind and so protective. I had to chuckle at the glimpse of this little man in a 3 year old form. He'll be a real catch some day.

One of our challenges is getting our kids to sing, especially when the whole primary is learning a song that they have never heard before. To reinforce music leader's teaching in sharing time, Nate had the idea that we would play a recording of the song during the first few minutes of class while they ate their snacks. As the music played on little girl commented how they were singing the same song next door. She then looked over at the table, and you could almost see the mental gears working and then a light bulb moment... "hey, it's coming from there," as she pointed to the small speakers.

Someone's in the Kitchen

2010-01-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

Becoming unemployed has given me the time to do a few projects that I have wanted to do but haven't had the time to previously. Let's face it, I have to find ways to keep myself busy, and day time TV isn't very good. The biggest project I decided to take on was painting my kitchen cabinets.

I've thought about this project for months, bringing home paint numerous paint swatches to try and decide on a color. I had the hardest time deciding on a look that would go the rest of the decor. Then I found it, the color I thought would tie it all together and I couldn't wait to get started. With 13 cabinet doors, and 10 drawers I figured the kitchen was small enough to complete in a couple days. I was wrong. Everything about this project took twice as long as I thought it would. Emptying out the cabinets and drawers; cleaning off everything, sanding, and priming.

Finally we could paint.

Almost a full week after starting, everything was done and ready to be put back together. With the addition of a few knobs and pulls, the kitchen is complete and I love it. I think I've had my fill of painting projects for the year though.

Movin on up!

2010-01-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

You may remember this post where I talked about the graduation of our senior nursery. After church on the final Sunday of 2009, we had an unexpected discussion with the our bishopric's second counselor and we were asked if we would be willing to move on with our senior nursery and become Sunbeam teachers. Finding no good reason to say no, we agreed realizing the challenge and the patience we would need in the weeks ahead. Three weeks in the transition has gone about how we expected as we try to keep their interest, and them in their seats.

On their first Sunday in primary they received their own paper back copy of the Book of Mormon in a fabric carrying pouch. They were all excited to receive their own scriptures. "My dad's going to be so proud of me," exclaimed on little boy. Once they discovered that there were also pictures inside everyone want to find the picture of Jesus in their copy. "I can't find my Jesus!" They were also thrilled to find pictures of "pirates," also known as Lehi and his family on the boat to the Americas. In the coming weeks hopefully we will find ways to teach them about the gospel and that we will find joy in the calling.

How do you measure a year?

2010-01-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 365 days of laughter. 52 weeks of fun. 12 months of love. 2 nights spent apart. 0 regrets. On December 30, 2009 Nate and I celebrated our FIRST wedding anniversary. In some ways it feels like the time has just flown by, and in others it seems like the years we were apart were so long ago.

For our anniversary we skipped gifts and spent two nights at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs resort in North Phoenix, taking advantage of their dining package which gave us $100 in dining certificates to spend during our time there. We ate some delectable food including flat iron steak, creamy sundried tomato and artichoke risotto, warm lava brownie, and a heavenly creme brulee the size of a salad plate topped with fresh berries. After the business and stress of the holidays it was a gift just to get away from everything and spend some time together. Over the next year we will have changes and challenges as I hope to start a new job and Nate will begin his residency. It is often said that the first year of marriage can be the hardest, if this is true then I can only imagine the years of happiness that are before us. As the card on my flowers stated, "one down, 79 more to go."

Day 23: You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch

2009-12-23T14:49:00.000-08:00

I know I have slacked a little bit on my goal to do 25 days of Christmas posts, but the last few days our Christmas mojo took a bit of a beating. On Friday afternoon, a week before Christmas, I got layed off from my job. It did not surprise me that they needed to make cuts since business has been slow for a very long time, but nonetheless it came as a big shock. I have felt the fear of getting layed off for most of this year, but since it had been months from the last round of cuts, my department only had two employees, and everyone believes business will begin to improve in 2010, I thought I was in the clear. I had survived! Apparently I was wrong. Friday afternoon brought words like severance, Cobra, termination, and I cleaned out my desk of 3.5 years where only hours earlier I ate treats from the office holiday desert party.

The days following the layoff have been a bit of a daze in dealing with the reality of being unemployed. Since I turned 16 I have always had a job with the exception of a month when I waited for a new job to start. Growing up my dad always had a job. I have always left a two weeks notice, and I've never been fired.

There have, however, been some bright spots. I get to spend the entire week with my husband who is on vacation from school. I'll have the chance to work on a number of projects around the house that I haven't had time for. I'll have time to bake. I haven't been very happy at my job for a long time and now I get the chance to find something else I'll enjoy more. Most of all it has been a great example of the importance of provident living. The preparations and habits we put in place have greatly lessened, though not completely removed, the stress of the situation, and since we faithfully pay our tithing, I know things will turn around soon. Six months from now we will look back on this and know it all happened for the best. Now I just hope that with Christmas Eve upon us, we can find a way to revive the holiday spirit.

Day 20: Where Are You Christmas

2009-12-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

By, Nate
One story that continues to float around my family starts with shopping with my parents for Christmas presents. Early on when we were younger, my parents made a decent effort to keep our presents a secret from us, so they could only shop for whoever wasn’t there at the store with them.

One particular trip to the store, I was hanging on the cart, trying to help my dad find all of the things he had on his list of things to get. We were walking down an isle and he suddenly grabbed a stereo boombox and put it in the cart. Curiosity immediately got the best of me and I HAD to ask who it was for; he told me it was for my older brother.

What he may or may not have known, was that my brothers and I had an information sharing agreement, so after getting home I told him that he would be expecting a new stereo under the tree. So imagine his surprise when after all the fury had ended Christmas morning and all the presents were unwrapped and there was no stereo anywhere.

I tried to do the honorable thing, and pulled my dad aside and asked him where the stereo was. He and my mom looked at each other, and both said, “Oops.” They then explained that they had accidentally forgotten the stereo and it was still hidden…..and that it wasn’t actually for him, but for me. I didn’t know what to say. Just goes to show you what happens when there are secret combinations at work at Christmas time.

Day 19: Nuttin for Christmas

2009-12-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

Part of the Christmas spirit is sharing with those around us who are in need. During my years in the YSA program, my ward partnered up with the Spanish speaking ward that met in our building to find a few families to help provide Christmas for them. For a Family Home Evening before Christmas we'd wrap up all the presents and make cards. The generosity of the single adults amazed me, one year we even had the ability to provide a few bikes for the kids.

Similarly my family has frequently made it a holiday tradition to share our many blessings with those around us. We would almost always pull tags from the Christmas Angel tree at school or church. Another year I can remember having a single mother whom my dad knew and her couple kids over to the house for Christmas dinner and we had a few presents for them. In recent years my parents have, with the help of their Bishop, picked a few families in their ward that could use a helping hand and then anonymously deliver a pre-loaded Visa gift card along with a treat at their home.

I appreciate the example of generosity and love that my parents have provided me. It has taught me much over the years to watch them look out for the welfare of others. I hope that I can continue this example with my own family one day to show gratitude for the many blessings we receive.

Day 18: Jolly Old St Nicholas

2009-12-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

By, Nate

I think that I can contribute to my wife's effort to have 25 days of Christmas memories in here. One of my favorite memories of Christmas was the year I decided to leave a little snack for Santa. This was no ordinary snack...it was chocolates.
Let me explain. Every year, my family would cover the kitchen table in plastic, melt down about 50 pounds of chocolate, and make various kinds of truffles, nut clusters, haystacks, Turtles, peanut butter cups, peanut brittle, you name it we made it. We would then use these as Christmas presents for all of our family friends and relatives.
So on Christmas Eve, I got an assortment of chocolates set out for my offering to Santa (on the advice of my father there were a large amount of Turtles involved, his favorite). I set these out, and left a cup right next to the plate. Being the conscientious kid that I was, I didn't leave any milk out, but I did leave a note explaining to Santa that the chocolates were his, and where he could find the refrigerator and where the milk was within the refrigerator.
The next morning, when I awoke, to my surprise the chocolates were actually gone! I looked in the cup, and there was a milk ring at the bottom! He had actually eaten them! He had found the milk! I looked at the note that I had left him and there was a message from him thanking me for the snack. I remember having this note on the corkboard in my room for years afterwards, until one day that I noticed a similarity between Santa's handwriting and my Dad's. But I will always remember that I honestly thought that I had fed Santa.

Day 17: Home for the Holidays

2009-12-17T14:00:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of our trip to Utah, by far, was time we got to spend with family in a way that we haven't done in quite a while. We saw numerous cousins and their spouses/fiances whom we haven't met before. The timing of our visit also worked out perfectly that we were able to attend the missionary homecoming talk of my cousin Ryan. Seeing the little boy I mostly remember up on the stand as a 6'4" return missionary was quite a change. Back at my aunt's house, the house was full of food, people, and conversation. It was reminiscent of our family gatherings of yore only instead of playing hide and seek we discussed politics, law, sports, and cousin Jessica's pharmacology/toxicology research. My how times have changed. Little kids are now adults but remain family and thus always a little bit of home.

Day 16: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2009-12-16T16:22:00.000-08:00

When we arrived in Utah we didn't have many firm plans on what we wanted to do other than see the Christmas lights at Temple Square. This was a must for our trip. I can remember getting bundled up to go see the lights when I was little, Tyler, however, was too young and does not. Of course a lot has changed at Temple Square since then. When I went to see the lights there was no Conference Center, and the temple was separated from the Joseph Smith Memorial building by a road not a square of gardens and fountains. Some things never change though...

the temple and the lights look beautiful...

it is a popular event with lots of people...

it gets a little cold out.

Day 15: Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2009-12-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I received a notice in my email about Southwest Airlines' super sale on airfare. Shortly after I also received an email from my mother. "Did you see this? How about a trip to SLC as part of your Christmas gift?" The next thing I knew it was all planned out, the family was going on a weekend trip to Utah for our big Christmas event. It was the closest thing to a White Christmas that our family had experienced in ages, and the trip was just long enough that we left enjoying the snow instead of loathing it.

During the trip I had the chance to share with Nate a few of the things I loved when we lived in Utah. We drove down my old street and pointed out all the old houses we used to know then we drove by our old house, which looked pretty good for being as old as I am. Then we made our way to Lostwood Drive, where we stayed with Grandpa and Ellen. Ironically Ellen's house is two doors up from the house my Grandpa and Grandma lived in from the time I was about 7 or 8 up until after Grandma passed away. It felt strange to drive up the street and see an unfamiliar car pull into the drive way. Here we were on the same street, but not the same house, where many memories were made. Several days later I'm still trying to get my brain to compute this odd twist.

Saturday morning Ellen made us breakfast. A never ending breakfast. Apparently the cook at Hotel Jackson takes tips from the rodizio style of service, only there's no stopping. The plates refill faster than you can say no, or even when you do say no it doesn't matter, more food ends up on your plate. "Just one more piece," is Ellen's mantra. We found the only way to get the flow of food to stop was to quickly take our plates off the table, rinse them and put them in the dishwasher. Hmmm, maybe this is really all a ploy to get the dishes done.

After breakfast, Nate and I took a walk, after all we needed to work off the loaf of french toast we had just consumed and Ellen had a ham dinner planned for later in the afternoon. We walked down the hill to Dimple Dell recreation area where I had spent many an afternoon walking with my aunts and cousins when I was younger. Surrounded by mountains, the snow covered trails were quiet except for the sounds of a few birds and the barren trees creaking in the wind. I think we could have stayed out there for hours more though we got back to the house just in time to stop the search party (my mom and Tyler) from heading out.

Another fond memory of my visits to my grandparents' house was playing Foosball with my cousins. Whatever my grandparents paid for this table they definitely got their money's worth as it has provided hours of entertainment for...oh... probably 20 years. When I caught a glimpse of the table in the basement during our tour of the house I knew some serious game time would be involved. After a good amount of research the rankings are thus...

Nate v Jenny=fairly even match up. I think Nate came out on top overall but by a very narrow margin.

Matthews v Jacksons=Here the Matthews' teamwork comes out just too hard to beat. Tyler would tell you that Dad was more of a handicap.

Matthews v Tyler=Tough battle but Matthews edges out a win once again.

Tyler v Any Single Person= Tyler all the way as the ball speeds into the goal faster than one person can react. He puts all he has into the game and has the blister on his thumb to prove it.

Hours of family fun for everyone.

Day 13: Oh Come All Ye Faithful

2009-12-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

Last year Christmas was extra special. Five days after Christmas Nate and I got married, and two days before I went through the Mesa temple to receive my endowments. What a wonderful gift to be able to experience the temple for the first time days before we celebrate Christ's birth. The day was great as we had the feeling of happiness and peace that the temple brings. I admit there were a few nerves but I was surrounded by the love of friends and family. It felt like a early mini Christmas dinner as we gathered back at my parents' home afterwards. Food covered the kitchen island. Everyone gathered around the kitchen and dining tables to enjoy good food and even better company. I feel so blessed to have family and friends that enjoy spending time together.

Day 12: Snoopy's Christmas

2009-12-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

As anyone who has had them knows, pets are just furry members of the family, and since they're members of family, in our house, they celebrate Christmas too. Now my family has only had two dogs, but my mom always made sure they had something new and special on Christmas day. They even have their own paw shaped stocking. Their gifts are usually small; a new stuffed toy which will be unstuffed by the end of the day, a bone and some treats. The dogs always know that something special is going on and will pester my mom until they get their gift too. Then they are content, even if toys and treats go ignored. Everybody needs a little love and attention on Christmas.

Day 11: Want a plane that loops the loop, Me, I want a hula hoop

2009-12-11T11:46:00.000-08:00

Over the years we have given and received numerous gifts. Shirts, ties, coats, shoes, skates, perfume, and toys galore, but of all the gifts there are just a few that are truly memorable and stick with you through the years. For some it may be their Red Rider beebee gun with a compass in the stock, for me it was my blue dollhouse. I know there are better pictures out there but I searched and searched and this was the only one I could find. This blue dollhouse was a complete surprise for me. I don't remember asking for a dollhouse, but there it was Christmas morning; a true labor of love. My dad built this dollhouse with his own two hands. The story goes that over the weeks leading up to Christmas, my dad and a neighbor got together and built dollhouses for their daughters. After work they would meet in a cold garage, and over dinner of pizza and soda, the sawed, sanded, glued, and painted two blue dollhouses. I loved this dollhouse and over the years my mom and I decorated it. We used little spare pieces of linoleum for the kitchen, scrap carpet for the family room, and one day there were plans for wallpaper.

After I grew to old to play with Barbies, I continued to hold on to the dollhouse with the idea that one day my daughter would enjoy playing with it. It moved to different spots in my parents' house and eventually got stored in the garage where, sadly, one day it went missing. We're not really sure when or how, but one day I asked about it and we couldn't find it anywhere. The theory goes that one day while the garage was open some one came by and took it. My heart broke to hear that it was gone, and I think my dad felt the same. Perhaps one day I could convince him to build a new one for his future granddaughter, should we be so lucky.

Day 10: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies

2009-12-10T13:31:00.000-08:00

A holiday staple of every school age child is the school play. In fourth grade my teachers decided to put on a rendition of The Nutcracker. I can be pretty shy when it comes to preforming in public and would much rather be part of the supporting cast. Instead I ended up with a part as a sugar plum fairy, I'm pretty sure that Chari put me up to it. I am not a dancer. I never took ballet and only had a few tap classes. I feel fairly confident in saying this was my first and only time dressed in a tutu and it was in public no less. This picture, taken shortly before we took our places on stage, captures my feelings perfectly.

Terror, butterflies in my stomach, if I don't breathe maybe I'll pass out and wont have to go on stage. Luckily all went well and I didn't fall off stage, though I've never put on a tutu again.

Day 9: Deck the Halls

2009-12-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

One day during Christmas break, while I played outside with some friends from the neighborhood we some how came up with the idea to decorate the Christmas tree that was lying by the side of our house. Christmas Day had passed and the tree was just sitting there, drying out, until the tree pickup team came by. I can't remember the context that resulted in our tree decorating but I'm guessing it was some sort of make believe house type game.

We got everyone involved, including our younger siblings, and started gathering up a bunch of toys from our backyard sandbox. Pretty soon the tree gleemed with trucks and cars of all shapes and sizes. The whole process kept us entertained for what seemed like hours. My mom thought it was quite creative and funny despite the mess.

Day 8: Oh Tannenbaum!

2009-12-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

Last weekened we went out to find our Christmas tree. Not long ago, my brother in law, Cris, asked Nate and I if we were interested in taking a day trip to cut down a Christmas tree. I haven't had a real tree in ages and since my current fake tree is older than most people's shoes, plus the fact that this is our first tree, I thought it would be fun to take Cris up on his offer and perhaps start our own tree tradition. Saturday morning we got up bright (or should I say dark) and early to make the 4 hour drive past Show Low and past Sunrise ski resort, to the cutting fields. Outside the protection of the car it was a cold blustery day and my orginal plans to snap a quick Christmas card photo were unfortunately squashed. Looking chilly and rosy is one thing, blown away is another.

We walked, and walked, and walked all over the field in all directions. At each tree we considered I jokingly asked Nate if that one "spoke to him." After a bit of redneck ice skating, and some moments of contemplation we decided on two trees. Since we needed one more we drove further down the road and found a spot that was more protected from the wind. Here we found our tree and in it a little extra surprise... a bird's nest, carefully crafted but long since abandoned.

Loaded up on firs we made the drive back to the Valley, where after a nice warm bowl of homemade chili we got to work decorating the tree. Looks like we are officially decked out for the holiday.

Day 7: Do you hear what I hear?

2009-12-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

Years ago my mom switched from real Christmas trees to a fake one in order to help my dad out with his allergies. Before that, however, the trip to the tree lot was a yearly adventure. Walking through the rows and rows of trees, my mom would search for THE perfect one for us to take home. The perfect tree was a Noble Fir with sturdy, full, evenly spaced branches. She had to find the tree that "spoke" to her. The tree that said, "I'm yours, take me home." As a kid sometimes it felt like we searched for hours, but when we got the tree home, and mom worked her decorating magic, it really was the perfect tree. This last weekend as we looked for our own tree, I found myself asking Nate if the one we were looking at "spoke to him."

Day 6: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

2009-12-06T14:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a joyous season, unfortunately not all holiday memories are happy ones. Christmas Day 2007 started out like most Christmases do with a warm breakfast and presents. Later that day as we prepared for dinner and entertained some family friends the phone rang. The caller id showed that it was Grandpa calling, and expecting it to be the customary Christmas phone call my dad answered with a jovial, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" "Zelda passed away," Grandpa replied. As if all the air was sucked out of a balloon, the room and the spirit deflated as faces fell and conversations stopped.

My Grandpa's second wife, he married Zelda shortly after the death of my Grandma several years prior. Zelda was a strong, vivacious, woman who grew up on a farm, enjoyed hiking and playing acoustic guitar with her brothers, drove an SUV, took her vitamins and always ate her vegetables. That morning as they prepared to make the drive across the Salt Lake Valley to my Aunt Patty's house in Draper she complained of having a incredibly bad headache and feeling cold. Grandpa suggested they lie down for a bit before they had to leave. He tucked her under the blanket, and that was it, a while later she was gone. An anyeurism. Graciously quick but painfully unexpected.

At home we went into planning mode. When was the funeral scheduled for? How were we going to get there? Would Dad be able to get off work to go? At the same time my heart broke for Grandpa who yet again faced the challenge of burying a beloved companion and was alone once more. Knowing how difficult the solitude was for him before he remarried, we pondered how he was going to deal with this pain. Here's where the true spirit of Christmas comes in. Grandpa was enveloped and uplifted by the arms of a multitued of friends, family, and a Savior who all love him deeply. As for Zelda, well, I think she and my Grandma are good friends on the other side comparing notes on what it was like married to Earl, and who knows maybe, just maybe, they got right to work for six months later Grandpa married Ellen. What can I say, Grandpa's an adorable, loveable, ladies man.

Day 5: Here We Come a Wassailing

2009-12-05T21:55:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago I spent Christmas Eve with the family of the guy I was dating at the time. It was really the first time I had seen Christmas first hand with another family. After dinner we gathered around the tree to open up presents. Once we finished with presents it was time to strike a chorus. In the corner of the living room sat a small electric keyboard and a song book tattered from years of use. With everyone crowding together to see the words, we all picked some of our favorite Christmas songs to sing. I admit I felt a little embarrassed since I don't particularly enjoy singing infront of other people. It didn't matter how tone deaf or off key they sang, or if we messed up the words, or if dad really didn't know how to play the song on the keyboard, everyone enjoyed the tradition and the time with their family.

Day 4: Up on the Housetop

2009-12-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

I am naturally curious, ok some may call it nosey. I don't do it maliciously, and I have learned to control it over the years, but when I get tipped off that something is going on I want to know what it's about. I guess I need that sense of control. When I was 8 years old, something, I don't remember what, made me suspicious about Santa. I suspected that Jolly Ole Saint Nick, the portly old fellow with rosy cheeks, 8 (9 if you count Rudolph) tiny reindeer and a sleigh full of toys, was actually a man and a women I call Mom and Dad. Dun, dun, duunnnn!

I was determined to confirm or refute my suspicions, so on Christmas Eve in our little apartment, after my dad tucked me in bed, I didn't fall asleep. Even a while later when my dad quietly checked on me, I pretended to be asleep. I quietly lay in bed, listening to what was going on outside my bedroom. Then I heard it. I heard my dad go out our front door multiple time; I heard the rustle of plastic shopping bags, the squeak of scotch tape, and the hiss of scissors slicing paper. I slid out of bed, carefully walked over to my bedroom door, and ever so slowly turned the door knob to crack the door open a very tiny bit. I peered through the crack and that's when I saw it. Mom and Dad wrapping presents and putting them under the tree. I KNEW IT!! Feeling thrilled at my discovery I quietly closed the door and walked over to the the desk in my room where previously that evening I had placed a small piece of paper and a pencil. I guess I had figured I would need to write my discovery down so that I wouldn't forget it, think it was a dream, or needed to provide proof to my friends. "Santa is Mom and Dad," I wrote and slid the paper under a pile of other stuff, after all I couldn't let THEM see it.

The next morning we got up, opened our stockings, and waited for the Christmas music so that we could open presents. While we opened presents I didn't let on that I knew. I couldn't spoil the fun for everyone (see I told you I wasn't malicious), and I was content to quietly know the truth. I can't recall how many years it was before I finally told my parents that I knew, I'm not even completely sure I've told them this story of how I found out (sorry Mom and Dad). So I guess the moral of the story is I'm sneaky and I'm nosey which is a dangerous combination for surprises. It is a good thing my husband is good at hiding stuff around the house, but it's also a little bit of torture.

Day 3: Tis the Season to be Jolly

2009-12-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

Coming to Arizona removed us from all of our extended family thus we lost a lot of our big family gatherings requiring us to start our own family activities. Every year we go out as a family to one big Christmas event. We have seen The Nutcracker ballet, ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo, A Christmas Carol at Herberger Theater, Michael McLean's The Forgotten Carols at the Orpheum, and Las Noches de las Luminarias at The Desert Botanical Garden just to name a few. When the big night of our family outing arrives, we get dressed up and head out for dinner before going to the event.
I can't really say which outing has been my favorite as they each have something special. I will say that we only went to the ballet once while the others have had repeat years. I am particularly excited for this year's event; this one is going to be big and probably will rank as my favorite for quite a while. I'll save that discussion for another day.

Day 2: Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go

2009-12-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

When we lived in Utah we had a lot of extended family close by. Out of the four kids in my dad's family, 3 of us lived on the same street with grandma and grandpa just 10-15 minutes away. With so much family together, holidays were always a big to do. On Christmas Eve we would all gather at my grandparents' house and exchange gifts with the cousins who's names we had drawn. We'd open their gifts along with the one's from grandma and grandpa, which somehow made the waiting for the next morning's splendor a bit easier. After we moved away we continued the tradition of opening one gift, usually grandma and grandpa's, on Christmas Eve.

In addition to opening the gifts we would frequently have Christmas Crackers. For those not familiar with crackers, these are not of the Ritz or Chicken-in-a-Biscuit type but rather are brightly colored paper tubes that when the ends are pulled they snap (or crack) apart to reveal a paper crown and a small prize. The crackers are a UK and Canadian tradition for after we moved to Arizona we couldn't find crackers until a few years ago. Sadly the prizes of the few I've had aren't nearly as good as the ones I remember, or maybe I need to just keep trying to find the good stuff.

25 Days of Christmas

2009-12-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

It seems like just yesterday I was decorating for Halloween and now Christmas is 25 days away. Amazingly Nate and I are just about done with our Christmas shopping when historically I don't think I would have even started by this time. I believe I'm converted to early shopping from now on though because it is a nice feeling knowing that in the coming weeks I can enjoy the festivities without trying to combat the mall parking lot and busy stores. The older I get the less patience I have for massive shopping days.

In the spirit of enjoying the days leading up to Christmas and inspired by ABC Family's 25 days of Christmas, I'm going to do (or at least try to) my own 25 days of Christmas memories and traditions.

Day 1: I heard the bells on Christmas day

Growing up, every Christmas morning we'd wake up to find our stockings filled and layed carefully next to our beds, but we could not open them yet. When everyone woke up we would pile on to my parents' bed, still in our pj's, and open our wrapped stocking stuffers together. The bottom of the stocking would always be filled with M&M's, other chocolate goodies, and an orange or tangerine.
After we finished with the stockings it was time for presents...BUT...we had to wait in my parents' bedroom as my dad went out to really set the atmosphere. He'd turn on the Christmas lights and music, get the chairs situated, and stand ready with his camera. Many years I remember opening presents to the sounds of Mannheim Steamroller.

As a kid, waiting the few minutes for dad was torture as the anticipation built.
Only when dad was all set and gave us the go ahead could we come out into the living room to see the glittering tree with presents spilling from underneath it.

They grow up so fast

2009-12-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

December is here and 2009 quickly draws to a close bringing with it the graduation of our senior nursery class to primary. In order to help ease the transition, over the past few weeks we've transported our little gaggle down the hall for Sharing Time to sing and listen to the lesson with the rest of Junior Primary. Some days go better than others. One day upon catching a glimpse at freedom they organized a mass jail break and made it to the opposite side of the building before Nate caught up with them. Each of them adjust to the new experience in their own individual way. For some the piano is "too loud." Others who are normally vibrant and out going become shy, reserved, and just want to go back to their class. Many have sibilings or parents in other primary classes which provides a new source of distraction. As a primary teacher/leader you must get used to only having 10% of the group's attention at all times.

I have enjoyed getting to know this group of kids and watch their personalities develop. We will miss many of them, others...well...we're willing to share their vivacious spirit with other primary leaders. This last week we combined the junior and senior nursery into one class since many were gone for the Thanksgiving holiday and we noticed a striking disparity between the two age groups. While the younger ones quietly played in the corner together taking turns with toys, the older ones were a melee of trucks and cars zooming the length of the room. How will we deal with the quiet? Though I doubt it will last long as the cycle will inevitably continue. They will grow, feel more comfortable around us and find their voice. They will experience the struggles of potty training. They will go from happenstance playmates to friends; then we will send them off from the world of puzzles, snacks, toys and bubbles to the world of Sharing Time and loud pianos to find their way as Sunbeams.

Home again, home again

2009-11-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

Nate came home safe and sound from his trip to Portland. I enjoy having my buddy back to warm my side of the bed before I get in, plus he brought me these...

from Voodoo Doughnut.

This quirky independent doughnut shop has been featured on a number of food and travel shows. I've wanted to go there for a while should I have the chance to visit Portland again one day, so you can imagine my disappointment when we decided it would not be practical for me to join Nate on his trip. Luckily that disappointment was erased as my sweet husband carefully wrapped up the doughnuts in their white paper bag, stowed them away in his backpack, and flew them home. That is true love right there.

Let me tell you the bacon maple bar, while strange looking, is mouthwateringly delicious. Crisp thick bacon with just a hint of smoke, not-too-sweet maple glaze, and soft fresh yeasty dough, it's like a breakfast platter in your hand. As Nate told me about his trip I devoured my delectable treat only to realize after the fact that I hadn't taken a picture of it. Thankfully Voodoo Doughnut and the internet filled in where I fell short.

I guess in the end time apart wont be so bad as we appreciate our time together that much more...plus there's the possibility of goodies. Wonder what he could bring me back from Tucson?

I'm all alone, there's no one here beside me

2009-11-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

My husband left me yesterday.

It's only for 42 hours but regardless he's gone. He's off galavanting through the streets of Portland, meandering the mountains and coast line, eating yummy Tilamook factory ice cream and squeaky cheese, while I'm here. Home. Alone. For the first time since we got married. Sure he's worked a few late shifts at the hospital, but he always came home that night.

It's funny how quickly we develop a routine and how odd it feels when that routine is disturbed. Surely dinner can't be over, Nate hasn't come home and who is going to do the dishes? Surely it can't be time for bed, who's going to kiss me goodnight, tuck me in, and keep me warm? Yes it is time (and don't call me Shirley).

Lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, all my senses felt heightened. The house seemed dark, too dark. The silence sounded too quiet making all pops and creaks magnified. Even the normal sounds of my digestive system sounded amplified to startling levels. Nights like these make me wish we had a dog, or a gun, alas the mega Mag light will have to suffice.

To enjoy my 42 hours of ME time, I did make myself a treat of some of my neglected food friends. Lemon dill baked halibut (Nate dislikes things from the sea), and a sauteed vegetable medley of grape tomatoes (the only good tomato for Nate is a processed one) and cremini mushrooms (there's usually not much fungus among us). Deliciouso! A meal so nice I think I'll make it twice.

Over the years I'll get used to the nights apart as we enter residency and nights on call will take their spot in our routine. I get a second shot at this whole alone thing in a few weeks when he goes to Tucson. I think fish, Mag light and I will become fast friends, though never fully comparing to or replacing my best friend, I still prefer him over anything any day.

All you need is...

2009-11-04T22:34:00.001-08:00

Love for...

Cheesesteaks!

Reading Terminal Market

Liberty

Valley Forge

Architecture

and pumpkins!

Thanks Philadelphia we had a great time.

Now this is the story...

2009-10-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

Oh in West Philadelphia, born and raised...

on a playground is where I spent most of my days...

chilling out, maxing, relaxing...

all cool..

and all shootin some b-ball outside of the school, when a couple of guys who were up to no good started makin trouble in my neighborhood. I got in one little fight and my mom got scared and said, "you're movin' with your autie and uncle in Bel Air."

I drove up to the house round 7 or 8, and I yelled to the cabbie "you home smell ya lata!"...

Looked at my kingdom and I was finally there to sit on my throne as the prince of Bel Air.

We're in Philly

2009-10-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Some of the trees got my memo about fall colors...a number of others didn't, plus we have the beginning of a nor'easter storm is on its way.

She's Crafty

2009-10-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Before I got married, while I lived by myself, I got a little stingy about decorating for the holidays. I didn't see the point of going through the effort of pulling out all the decorations for just me. Thus I was scrooge of Valentine's Day, Halloween, and (GASP) even a Christmas. If you know my mother, you know the care and joy she has in decorating her house. A crafty and artistic woman by nature, there was always something being bought, sawed, painted or glued for the holiday season. My lack of crafty decoration nears sacrilige and I'm a bit surprised my mother hasn't disowned me for it.

Seeing the error of my ways, this year for Halloween I decided to try and make appropriate reprimands. Michael's has been my second home and Martha my muse. For weeks the spare room served as a staging area with bags of goodies waiting to emerge come October. I had my initiation with Modge Podge (Nate thought I was making up words until I showed him the bottle). I bought an exacto knife. I let Home Depot do the sawing but I did the sanding and painting. I even got in touch with my digital crafter to decorate the blog, which surprisingly took more time than regular crafts since I'm inexperienced at all the goodness that Photoshop Elements has to offer.

Hopefully all the work is reparition enough for my years of inactivity. Now for a headstart on Christmas.

Finally Fall

2009-09-29T14:42:00.000-07:00

FALL IS CREEPING into the Valley of the Sun, and I have to admit it's one of my favorite times here in Arizona. The first inclings of fall signal the light at the end of the tunnel, the coming sweet reward for enduring the refiner's fire of summer. Respite is on its way. The sweet summer treats of strawberries, cherries, and melons disappear from grocery store and are replaced by pumpkins, apples, pomegranates and squashes of all different shapes and colors.

Fall in Arizona means double digit temperatures, lower electric bills, open windows and fresh air. Fall in Arizona means coming out of summer hibernation and enjoying the outdoors again with bike rides, hikes, and nights relaxing on the back patio. Fall in Arizona means ASU football and letting the kids go trick-or-treating without wearing a big jacket to keep warm.

There's only one thing I miss about fall that we don't get much of in the valley, changing leaves. To find evidence of autumn leaves you have to head North, and even then it doesn't quite compare to the autumn leaves elsewhere. This is one thing I'm earnestly looking forward to in our upcoming trip to Philadelphia. So listen up Philly trees, you have 2 weeks before I get there and I expect to see a full fall spectacular. Rich reds, bright oranges and golden yellows, the WORKS! I don't know when I'll ever make it back out your way thus making this possibly a once in a lifetime trip. Don't be shy or modest, show me what you're working with.

Mom's Secret Recipes

2009-09-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

MY MEMORIES of growing up are filled with recollections involving my mom's home cooking. Dishes that evoke memories of home, comfort, and family celebrations. Recipes that come from the tattered pages of Relief Society collaborations of wards past, or old recipe cards stained from years of use. It is only natural that after leaving the nest and building one's own family, you would want to learn how to make these cherished morsels so that you could continue to enjoy them and share the experience with your new family. However, it seems that they never come out "quite how mama made them." Some may say that's because Mom's put that extra bit of love into everything they make. Nay, NAY! It is because they leave out key ingredients, steps, or give you the wrong recipe entirely. I give you,

EXHIBIT A: Potato Soup
I loved my mom's potato soup. We ate it on cold days, warm days, sick days, or just because days. One day last year I had a sudden craving for THE potato soup and emailed my mom for the recipe. I made it and was sorely disappointed in the result.

Me: Are you sure those proportions were right on the recipe you gave me? It came out much more watery than I remember.
Mom: Let me look...that is a lot of water but this isn't the recipe I use.
Me: But I asked for YOUR recipe.

EXHIBIT B: Several other soup recipes

Mom: Oh I don't have a recipe for that, I just add the ingredients till it tastes right, but I can tell you what's in it.

EXHIBIT C: Peach Cobbler
This recipe has 5 ingredients, and my mom said it's a very easy recipe, which on the surface it is.

(After looking at the recipe) Me: Mom doesn't this have nutmeg in it? There are no spices listed here.
Mom: Oh yeah! The recipe doesn't call for it but I usually add some cause I like the taste. I should probably right that down, huh.

The first time I made this peach cobbler I got half way done when I realized there was no cooking time listed, merely "bake until brown." I put it in the oven, I watched, and removed when it had a Golden brown color on the top. The cobbler looked beautiful but scooping into it revealed uncooked mushiness.

This week I made a second attempt at the "very easy" cobbler and let it cook until it was good and brown, the edges bordering on burning. As it cooled, it collapsed, apparently still not quite done. "Chef Ramsay would kick me out for my cobbler," I sighed. At least it still tasted good.
Maybe mom has a magic oven, either that or mine is plotting against me.

Say hello to my little friend!

2009-09-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

His name is...

I spent numerous days and hours researching and looking for this little guy but he's finally here. Our relationship is fairly new and he is kind of complicated to figure out but we're working on it. Buttons, menus, and options, Oh MY!

I think Rebel and I will have a lot of fun though. He's sleek and sly, and probably sees things better than I do with his 12 megapixels. For sure he sees better than his predecessor, tiny 5 megapixel Coolpix.

We've known each other about 2 weeks and I'm already becoming attached and protective. I'll share him with others but give the motherly look of "drop him and you're dead."

We wish you could all come with us on our numerous adventures, but you may just have to let Rebel tell you about it when we return.

Row, a float float, 3 girls in a boat

2009-09-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

Summer is starting to come to an end, but before we pack away the wake-boards, board shorts, and tow rope we took our nieces out for their very FIRST trip on a "motorboat."

CASSIE was fearless. With her fiery red hair whipping around her, or covering her face, she tackled boating head on. It wasn't long before she asked when we were going water skiing and if she could ride the tube alone.

DESIREE was equally adventurous and brought us a touch of beach glam with her wispy white cover up and blond locks.

AUDREY was cautious. She periodically warned us about towing her sisters too fast on the tube, and emphatically stood her ground about not getting in the water past dangling her feet in off the back of the boat. Word on the street is though that she's considering going on the tube next time with her dad.

2009-09-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

Everything you need to head out into the world...

Do the Can Can!

2009-09-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

Today my mom and I got together to do a bunch of canning, including...

This was only my second time doing any kind of canning, and my first with these items. But all the work was fun to prep, and pack...

and wait, to get these beauties!

Slowly but surely we're building up our food storage with some tasty vitals. Now how soon can I crack open a jar/bag/can eat it?

And, wow, does anyone see what I see?

Mawage is what bwings us togetha

2009-08-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

August brought us the gift of marriage for a few of our loved ones.

My "brother from another mother," Taylor to Patricia, and my niece Kaylee to Ben.

Both had 8 week engagements (crazy kids).

Both made me feel old. I've known Taylor since he was little, and I'm just getting used to having nieces let alone one that's old enough to get married.

Both got sealed in the temple for time and all eternity (yay!). They were the first weddings that I attended since marrying Nate, and I joked that we had to go so that we could find out what we actually agreed to. I think it will take a few more sealings (and studying) before I fully grasp everything we promised.

Both beautiful days were made possible through the hard work of family and friends setting up, decorating, cooking, cutting, serving, and cleaning. While tiring, at the end of the day I did enjoy the chance to help provide service for them so they could enjoy their wedding. I also felt very blessed for the way we were able to do our wedding.

Both are young newlyweds/students starting out from scratch. This made me very grateful for the blessings we've had in our beginnings as we gave a lot of stuff away because we didn't have the space or the need. Though we had to wait a while longer than many of those around us, I wouldn't trade the blessings that came from waiting.

Only one had little babies for us to play with...

Put a ring on it!

2009-08-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend my niece Kaylee is getting married and it got me thinking about what I was doing last year. About this time last year I made the BIGGEST (and best) decision of my life. I decided to marry my soul mate, Nate. We went about things a little backwards and decided to get married (even scheduled the sealing at the temple) before we told friends/family or had a ring. Nate and I were hanging out on the couch late one evening when he drowsily said, "I wish I could stay here forever." Nothing more was said on the matter until we spoke on the phone the next evening.

Nate: "Do you remember what I said last night?"
Me: "You mean about wanting to stay here forever?"
Nate: "Yeah. What do you think about that?"
Me: "I think I like that idea"

Later followed by many mutual shocked and exhilerated exclamations of "holy crap we're getting married...wow this is really happening...did we really just decide what I think we decided, etc."

In the few weeks that followed, Nate took on the arduous (and sneaky) process of procurring a ring and I started scouring the internet brainstorming ideas for our wedding. As the days and weeks ticked by I admitedly got a bit antsy. The time of Nate's departure for two months of rotations out of the valley was fast approaching and our scheduled wedding date was 4 months away yet we hadn't made our enagement public.

As our last hurrah before Nate's 2 month hiatus we previously planned a trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain. I had never been before but had always wanted to go. Unfortunately the camera batteries died right as we got to the theme park but the day was filled with fun, thrills, lines, lemonade, screams of fear/delight, and ended with nausea (apparently 3 immediate back-to-back rides don't agree with me). For the rest of the evening everytime I closed my eyes the world pitched and rolled.

The next morning, before beginning the journey home we stopped at Santa Monica beach. After all you can't go to California, be that close to the water, and not go to the beach. We walked along the water, sat on the sand and people watched, then returned to the car to get our picnic lunch that we ate while watching a small group of people doing some sort of break dance acrobatics. After lunch we walked along the pier and decided to take a ride on the ferris wheel.

Now I want to pause here to say I had thought that our trip to California would be an opportune time for him to propose, to the point that during our morning on the beach I had been carefully scoping out his pockets for any incling of a box (I should have known he wouldn't be so obvious). When I saw none I figured it wouldn't happen that day and decided to just enjoy our time together. So in this picture I was....

I turned back to see him trying to get on one knee in the little gondola as he fished a little pouch out of his pocket, and pulled out my beautiful ring. Shocked and thrilled I started kissing him immediately, interupting whatever words he had prepared. I still remember the little sign in our gondola that warned against any "inappropriate" activity because everything was on camera, and I felt slightly embarrassed as we traveled to the bottom of the ferris wheel tightly embraced and kissing in front of the whole audience of people waiting in line. Nevertheless I wasn't going to stop for a group of strangers. That little ferris wheel on the pier will always have a special place in our hearts!

2009-08-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

What's a girl to do when she's going to be spending a Friday night at home alone? She stops by Trader Joe's on her way home and buys herself a bouquet called...

Discovering NieNie

2009-08-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

I live under a rock.

For a while now I've seen "I read NieNie" buttons on a few blogs that I stalk. I really didn't pay them much notice, figuring it was someone's crafty or scrapbook blog/shop. Then this week I saw NieNie listed on my friend Chari's blog roll. Knowing Chari has good taste, I clicked. I read. I cried. Then I remembered I was in my cube and tried to pull myself together so as to not raise suspicions.

For those that might be my neighbors under my rock, NieNie Dialogues are written by Stephanie Nielson, a mother of four, who was in a plane crash near St. Johns this time last year. The crash resulted in the death of the pilot (and their friend) and life threatening injuries to Stephanie and her husband, Christian. Christian was burned over 30% of his body, Stephanie burned over 80% and was kept in a drug induced coma for several months.

I'm "with it" enough to have read about the crash last year but I had no clue about her blog, which she started years ago and has continued after. Reading it is truly inspiring, touching, and heart-wrenching. As I mentioned earlier, I cried. I cried at the pain. I cried at her strength. I cried at the love that is so apparent in the relationships with her family, friends, and husband (the last being the type that great novelist write of). I cried at her beautiful writing and photos that show us the beauty in every day life all around us, even in the littlest things. Life is beautiful. Her photos alone are the final straw in what has been my growing desire for a DSLR camera.

I guess I'm saying that I'm officially a NieNie fan, I've even added a button. I'll just have to be sure that I keep a full box of Kleenex at my desk.

One good thing about being slow at work...

2009-08-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

You can take a half day, meet your family at the lake with hardly any other boats around...

and have a few good face plants.

Mini Mob Mentality

2009-08-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

I am more and more convinced that kids operate on a mob mentality. Inevitably if one kid has something or starts doing something it won't be long before the rest of the group picks it up. The mob was in full force this last Sunday from the get go. It started with one little boy busted out a little chorus of "Move it, Move it," and it wasn't long before a "Move it, Move it" wave was moving around the table, complete with both fists raised and punched into the air.

Next during the lesson, I was talking about how they are all children of god and pulled out a picture of a group of kids. One little boy ran up and pointed to a boy in the picture and exclaimed, "THAT'S ME!" Sure enough the rest of the kids all swarmed to the front and started pointing out kids in the picture and saying "THAT'S ME!" Nate pointed to a little african girl in the picture and said "That's Me!" I don't think the kids got that one.

Lastly while the kids were coloring I had to help one little girl in the restroom leaving Nate alone with 6 kids equipped with crayons. One boy decided to draw on Nate's sleeve, everyone thought it was funny, and before Nate could act quick enough he became a living art canvas casualty. Lesson learned, kids can sense a shift in the balance of power and will take the opportunity to strike swiftly.

I find it funny that boys seem to universally turn anything into some sort of weapon (gun, lightsaber, etc.). One little boy created a rifle out of blocks and I was really impressed by his engineering of how he built it; so much so that when 2 other boys asked me to build them one I kept looking over to copy his design. Then the biggest boy in the room (aka my husband) had to top them all with this little number...

I guess they never grow up.

Stay safe from the monster!

2009-08-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

A few months ago Nate and I were called to be nursery workers at our ward. While I was a little nervous at first, and some Sundays we're just trying to survive 2 hours of chaos, I have come to enjoy the time that we spend with the little kiddos. We don't have kids of our own yet but for 2 hours each Sunday of every other month we get to spend time with their sweet, though sometimes ornery, spirits. For a while now I've been thinking that I should keep note of some of the funny things they say/do.

A few weeks ago the lesson was on baptism and Nate was explaining how you get dressed in a suit that's all white.

Little Girl-"I want a purple or pink one!"

Nate-"They only come in white."

Little Girl-"How about black?!"

This last Sunday, during Toy Time, I was seated on the floor playing blocks with a very mild-mannered quiet girl named Shelby. I was in the midst of trying to build a bunny rabbit out of blocks (Shelby's request) when she quietly exclaimed something to the effect of "Oh good I'm safe from the monster." She went on to tell me how I was safe and so were William and Wyatt who were playing nearby. I was slightly confused but played along figuring it was some kind of imaginary game when maybe 5 minutes later the older brother (about 5 or 6 years old) of one of the other nursery girls who had come in to visit/play passed by us. Shelby playfully gasped, "the monster came close to me," and it dawned on me that the older boy was "the monster." I still don't know why he was the monster as I never saw him do or say anything mean to her, let alone really acknowledge her at all, nevertheless for the rest of nursery we had to stay safe from "the monster." Even at the end when one of the other nursery workers asked if I could take over blowing bubbles for her, Shelby sweetly said no because the monster was over there and I had to stay where I was to "stay safe." It's nice to have 3 year olds looking out for your safety.

Back on the board

2009-07-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I've posted, but July has been kinds of slow for us and there really hasn't been much to report. This past Saturday though we finally made it out to the lake for the first time this year. We had made plans several previous times to go on a lake trip but all of our plans were thwarted. One weekend my mom and I ended up getting sick. Another time we got out to the lake, waited in the overflow for a while, got the boat backed down the launch ramp and then the boat wouldn't start.
This weekend it was perfect. Despite it being Saturday, the boat traffic was light and the water was calm. Nate and I strapped on the wakeboards and hit the water. It was fun to see how our recent workout program has helped our endurance.

After wearing ourselves out on the boards for a while we took a break and Nate got a chance to take the captain's chair and drive us around the lake.

The we pumped up the tube, Tyler's favorite. I decided to pass on the tube this time since the last few times I'd ridden the tube I felt really hurt the next day, plus I'd taken a pretty good faceplant on the wakeboard that had popped me out of my boots earlier.
Nate got whipped around....

Tyler hung on for dear life...

Even my mom took a ride.

Everyone had fun playing on the water and hopefully it's not another year before we get back out there.

Reunited

2009-06-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

Then...

...And now.

Last weekend we had a mini reunion with my best friends from high school. I've known these girls since I was 15. We've graduated high school and college together, we've seen each other get married and have kids. We've been together as teenagers and adults seeing the good and the bad. Until I got sisters in law, they were the closest thing I had to sisters and even though we have our own lives and go months, even years, without seeing each other I still consider them some of my closest friends. It never fails that when any of us get together the time will be filled with laughter.
On June 5 we got together with our families and had a bbq. It was the first time that all of us had been together for a year (I think we had everyone at McKenna's shower). True to form we laughed till our cheeks and our stomaches hurt, and it was way past our bedtimes. We had a great time catching up on all sorts of stories, many of which included labor and parenting so we didn't have much to contribute then but we had lots to learn.
Thanks girls for a great night and we look forward to doing it again real soon.

In the beginning

2009-05-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Today marks the one year anniversary of our first date (of round 2). Nate and I waxed nostalgic thinking back to that first date and how much has happened in the year since then, and seeing as I haven't written anything about our beginnings here or in my personal journal I thought now would be a good time while the details are fresh in my mind, sorry if it's kind of long.

Nate and I met in January 2007 through a LDS singles website. Though a number of friends had urged me to try the online scene I was strongly opposed until that year I decided to give it a try as part of a New Year's Resolution. My dear friend Stefani helped me put together a profile and Nate was one of the first people I clicked with. We really connected well and had fun talking a lot online before we finally met. We went out a couple of times and, well, our second date was kind of a flop for both of us. Shortly thereafter I left on vacation to Paris, he got busy with year end exams and started dating someone else, and we ended up falling out of touch. I figured it had run it's course and that I'd never hear from him again.

Flash forward 9-10 months later (which seems like a lifetime)and we were unexpectedly thrown back into each others lives again thanks to the power of Instant Messager. I was dating someone at the time and Nate had just gotten out of a relationship so we talked often as friends while I tried to pass the time at work. During our time talking I found myself wishing I had the connection and communication that Nate and I shared with my boyfriend at the time. Not long after that realization, my boyfriend unexpectedly ended our relationship. I was heartbroken and in the aftermath the following day at work I found myself desperately wanting to talk to Nate, and sure enough he was there. From then on our relationship quickly grew closer, though it would take another 3 weeks before we finally saw each other again since he was swamped with finals.

Saturday, May 17th finally arrived and I made the long trek out to Glendale dressed in my new outfit feeling full of nerves and excitement. It had been a long time since I'd felt this way about a first date, and yes we considered it a second first date since it had been over a year since we'd last seen each other. 45 minutes later when I arrived at his apartment, Nate took me on a tour of his school campus and then we headed off to Texas Roadhouse for dinner (Nate's traditional post final treat). After dinner we returned to his apartment for a mini Office marathon, then he suggested we go do some geocaching at a few sites nearby. This was my first time geocaching and I felt a little silly scouring the locations looking for the little treasures as Nate stood back and watched since he already knew where they all were.

The time came for me to go home and for some reason (it must have been construction related) I decided to take the I-17 home from the 101 in Glendale. Much to my surprise, I discovered after entering the ramp for north and southbound split that the southbound ramp was closed thus forcing me to go north. I either missed the sign completely or I had a subconcious desire to go to Flagstaff. To my further dismay I quickly found that the first couple exits off the freeway were closed and I had to go several miles in the wrong direction before I could get turned around. Once I finally got driving in the right direction it was late and I just wanted to get home. As I passed through Phoenix I spotted something strange a short distance ahead of me in the lane I was in. As I got closer I realized what it was, two lone road flares smack dab in the middle of the road, no stranded cars around, no other flares were leading to the shoulder. I quickly looked in my rearview and passenger side mirrors only to find several cars beside me leaving me with the only choice of going over the flares since there was no room for me to change lanes. I figured I was going fast enough that no harm would come to my car, nevertheless I drove the rest of the way home with my window down constantly checking for burning smells (which were there slightly) and watching my heat gauges convinced that my car was going to blow up right there on the freeway. I finally managed to make it home in one piece though this wasn't the only time we experienced car related mishaps while dating, including getting my car locked in a parking garage and Nate's battery exploding on the freeway.

From then on we tried to see each other as much as possible, which much to our suprise never seemed to be more than 2 weeks. It didn't take us long before we both independently of the other realized that if we took the best parts of all of our previous relationships we'd have each other, and the rest is history.

Birthday Hanukkah

2009-05-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

A few years ago my roommates and I instituted the practice of Birthday Hanukkah. The practice came out of the observation that birthday festivities seem to stretch out beyond one's actual birthdate. Between different groups of friends and family outtings, the celebration usually lasts about a week. Now I imagine as I get older birthday hanukkah will gradually shrink as my friends and I get more involved in married life and raising families but at least for now the week long celebration continues and I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Friday, May 1st
After work I met up with Nate and my family at the Desert Botanical Gardens to see the Chihuly glass exhibit they've had going on for a while now. I've been wanting to go since it got there but hadn't had a chance and with it leaving at the end of May we figured we'd better get on it. For those that aren't familiar with Chihuly he does huge blown glass installations throughout the world. He takes a lot of care to make and place pieces that really fit in and play off of the natural surroundings. Here are some of my favorite shots.

After we got done wandering around the gardens we went to Macayo's for a birthday dinner with my family. Since my birthday is on Cinco de Mayo it's only fitting that I celebrate with Mexican food.

Sunday, May 3rd
This was our Sunday to cook dinner for Nate's family, which can be an event in and of its self. On any given Sunday we can have between 15-20 people (including kids) at dinner. It can be a fun challenge since I like to cook but it is definitely a change cooking for that many people. This Sunday was also special because we celebrated my brother-in-law Danny's birthday (May 4th) and mine. My mother-in-law made each of us a cake (mine was chocolate of course) and we opened presents. My favorite had to be the card from my mother-in-law with a $50 bill inside but not because of the money. Upon seeing it my niece Audrey pointed and started laughing hysterically..."Haha, you got a DOLLAR! Haha." I didn't have the heart to tell her it was more than $1 so yep Audrey I got a dollar.
This particular Sunday was also fun because my parents came over to join us for dinner. It's fun to have the two families enjoy spending time together and get along. I had to laugh because twice my nephew Ryan mistook my dad for Pappa Matthews. The first time Ryan came running in from playing outside and dog-piled my dad who was sitting on the floor. It left dad a little surprised, and Ryan a little embarrassed but we all got a good laugh. About an hour later after we had finished having cake, Ryan came running in again and gave my dad a big huge around the legs only to realize moments later that it wasn't Grandpa. What a cutie!

Tuesday, May 5th
This one deserves a post of its own since my hubby's so cute.

Wednesday, May 6th
On Wednesday my friend Chrissy and I went to Cafe Rio (Yay! more Mexican). Chrissy's birthday was in the first part of April and I had been trying to take her out for weeks, so it was a joint birthday celebration.

Friday, May 8th
On Friday evening Nate and I went miniture golfing. This was our third time going since we first started dating and our score had been at one win each, so this game would put one of us ahead of the other. I started out with a few excellent holes, including a hole in one, that put me way ahead of Nate but things can change in the blink of an eye and after a few bad holes I fell behind and was never able to regain my ground. He beat me by 8 strokes.

Saturday, May 9th
On Saturday I had the chance to have a girl date with my good friend McKenna while my mom played grandma and watched her daughter Anna. It was nice to have some girl time, see a good chick flick, and chat over dinner.

It was a busy week but a great time to celebrate with friends and family.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

2009-05-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

This year was my and Nate's first time really celebrating our birthdays together. Nate was being very sneaky and would not give me any details about what he had in store for my birthday despite several poor attempts on my part to extract some bit of information from him.
The day started out with finding a card that he slipped into my purse before he left for work. I always love getting little notes from him and wish I could return the favor more but he doesn't have a purse (thankfully) and usually leaves before I do. Then I had a lovely bouquet of purple flowers delivered to my office. I mean what girl doesn't like getting flowers at the office?
When I arrived home this is what was awaiting me on our back patio.

Nate had picked up take out from my favorite Italian restaurant, Mardenely's (aka Rigatony's old Mesa location)and served me a candelight dinner of crusty bread, antipasto salad, and baked ziti. Yummy!

After dinner it was present time. After rifiling throught the tissue paper I pulled out of the gift bag our Garmin GPS unit, and a yellow brick with longitudinal coordinates attached. I had to go geocaching for my present.

So we hopped in the car and I led the way. Upon reaching the specified location I searched around and found...another yellow brick with coordinates attached. After a few more searches that led me to his dad's print shop and the old Matta's restaurant (the site of our very first date) each time finding another yellow brick, I was led back home to our back patio where Nate had hid a green (supposed to be emerald) envelope. Inside were two tickets to Wicked at Gammage in July.

Now I'm not a big Broadway musical fanatic but I did like the book and The Wizard of Oz was my favorite movie when I was growing up. I think I practically wore the VHS tape out, I owned red sparkly shoes, and I had a small battery operated dog I named Toto that I carried around in a basket.

I thought I did pretty good with his birthday but I think he just raised the bar.

Easter Fun!

2009-04-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-04-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

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.

Jenny Get Your Gun

2009-03-30T08:41:00.001-07:00

So here is something new, this is Nate actually doing a post on here. I just have to brag about my girl. Last weekend my family went out into the desert to shoot our guns and basically just to make some noise. Well, Jenny had never shot a gun before at all, so my family was excited to see how she would do (I was very interested). We got out there and by her second shot she was putting holes in all of the bottles that we had set up. The picture here is her with my dad's SKS assault riffle going to town on some poor helpless targets. So anyone thinking about breaking in to the house is going to have to think twice.

Honeymoon take 2!

2009-03-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

As most of you know (or if you read this post) Nate and I were sick for the duration of our honeymoon. We had talked about maybe taking a second honeymoon later this year or after Nate graduates but then we got an unexpected surprise. During a conversation with the doctor Nate was rotating with in February, it came out how we had gone to San Diego and gotten sick. The doctor then told Nate that as far as he was concerned his rotation was done on Tuesday (instead of Friday) and that if he didn't go somewhere he'd fail. Well we couldn't let Nate fail his rotation, so I looked around and found us a great 3 nights for the price of 2 deal in Sedona. It had been a good 10-15 years since I'd been to Sedona and with it only 2 hours away it was a perfect opportunity for make-up mini-moon.
The weather was perfect and it we had a great time enjoying the beautiful scenery of Sedona. We went hiking at Soldier's Pass and saw the giant sink hole Devil's Kitchen.

We drove up to see Snoopy Rock.

Hiked around the base of Cathedral Rock.

Hung out and relaxed by Oak Creek.

And walked around Tlaquepaque, where it was my turn to try on a goofy hat (maybe this will be a trend of ours).

After we had our fill of Sedona we took a drive up to Flagstaff to visit Nate's sister Jana and her family. There was still some snow on the ground and after lunch we found a spot to pull off for a impromptu snowball fight. I wasn't quick enough to get a picture of that though. Overall it was great to get away for a few days and enjoy some time with just the two of us away from work/school, the housework, and all the illness we've had for the past 2 months. A husband, a wife and the beautiful outdoors, how can it get much better than that?

Valentine's Day

2009-03-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

Ok I know this is a little bit late but I wanted to document how sweet my husband is. In all my years I've only had 2 good Valentine's Days (one of which being this year), so historically it's been more S.A.D. (Singles Awareness Day) than a day of love. I woke up Saturday morning to a dozen red roses next to our bed and even though I didn't get a picture of them before they started dying, they were beautiful to wake up to. Nate gave me a very sweet card and then went downstairs to make me/us waffles for breakfast. I had to laugh when he told me he was going to make waffles because I had had the thought of making him waffles for breakfast. We often end up thinking the same thing and this time he beat me to it.
For my gift he got me an herb garden and I absolutely swooned over it. It was so thoughtful as I had wanted to start another herb garden since it's warming up. He'd been planning it for weeks and even consulted my mom on what kind of herbs would be good to plant. I love the mental image I have of him picking out the plants and potting them for me the day before while I was at work. He can be wonderfully sneaky sometimes.

That evening we decided to use a gift certificate Nate's sister Ellen had given him for his birthday and went to dinner at Romeo's Euro Cafe in downtown Gilbert. The restaurant is fairly small but they have a huge menu and the portions are big enough to share or take the rest home for a second meal. Also should you go and get a salad with your dinner, I definitely recommend the feta dressing, YUMMY!

Overall it was a fun day with my hubby and I'm glad to have retired from S.A.D.

Stepping back in time

2009-03-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Nate and I went to the Renaissance Festival during their opening weekend when we could both get in for the price of one. I hadn't been to the festival for years and it was amazing to see how much it's grown, at least from what I remember.

The last time I went I was much younger and remember seeing Ded Bob perform on this little stage made out of 2x4's. One of my favorite old memories about the Renaissance Festival doesn't even come from my trip but rather from the aftermath of my friend Chari's trip with her family. After seeing the candlemaking and wax hand demonstrations, Chari thought this would be a great thing to try at home and somehow got her hands on a candle dipping kit. We spent an afternoon dipping candles in a variety of colored wax, then Chari got the idea that we should make wax molds of our hands and got out a larger container for the hot wax and a bowl of cold water. I remember thinking at the time that sticking my whole hand into a container of hot wax probably wasn't a good idea, but I went along with it anyway and while I remember it being uncomfortably hot to begin with it remarkably it worked. I walked away unscathed and with a mold of my fist that I believe I still have packed away today.

This year's trip was fun and memorable but not nearly as dangerous. We walked around, looked at the different shops, and watched the knight's joust all the while reveling in the great opportunity for people watching the festival provides. We also managed to catch two of Nate's favorite shows, Ded Bob and London Broil (a trio of comedic jugglers).

And what trip to the Renaissance Festival would be complete without gnawing on a big turkey leg.

Where have we been?

2009-01-30T13:36:00.000-08:00

Well it's official, we have been married for a whole month and we haven't killed each other yet. Just kidding, we love married life but we have definitely been keeping busy. The last few weeks have mostly been spent moving Nate's stuff into the house, combining my stuff and his stuff, buying new stuff to replace worn out old stuff that we might not have gotten from the wedding, and finding places for this new stuff which has resulted in reorganizing every room in the house. I love my house and I feel very blessed that I bought it when I did so that we could have somewhere nice to live but I think it almost would have been easier if we were starting fresh in a new house. For the last few months my (now our) house has been in a cylcical wave of clutter/boxes and disorganization. From wedding stuff, to my roommate moving out, to new stuff and my hubby moving in. There have definitely been days where the mess felt overwhelming and I didn't think it would ever get put back together again. Luckily it appears there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We're nearly there and then our house will be better (and more organized) than it's ever been. We can rest assured we've done our part to try to help the economy or at the very least we've kept trashmen employed.

Sadly this is not the only stack of boxes, we made at least 3 or 4 trips like this. On the plus side I do have a nice pile of stuff to take to DI.

In other news, Nate turned 28 on January 21st! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY STUD! Hope the next 27 are even better than the last.

P.S. If you or someone you know gave us an Oneida pizza stone please step forward. :) There was no card, or it may have fallen off, and I want to make sure we get everyone thanked.

Honeymoonin

2009-01-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

For our honeymoon Nate and I went to San Diego. We only had a short amount of time before Nate had to be back for his rotations so we wanted to go somewhere where traveling wouldn't take up a ton of time, plus it is December/January and anywhere with no snow is a plus for me. So we rented a cute little 2 room beach cottage in Mission Bay and drove over the day after our wedding, aka New Years Eve.

After dinner we took a walk around the bay to take in the views and maybe see some NYE fireworks, but alas there were none. So we went home and curled up in front of the fireplace to watch a movie.

And that's when we got a very unwelcome and mean spirited visitor...The Stomach Flu!! It hit me first and got Nate a day later. My sweet husband braved the drunken streets of New Year's Eve somewhere between 1:30-3am (I'm a little fuzzy on when that happened) to get me some pepto bismol in an effort to give me some relief. Needless to say a mean case of the stomach flu was never part of our dream honeymoon but we were still able to do a few fun things.

We went whale watching, and it was really cold. We have a tendancy to underestimate the weather a bit. We were dressed in jeans and sweaters/sweatshirts while the rest of the people had heavy jackets, mittens and hats. We did manage to see one whale, and we followed him for quite a while.

We also took a trip to see the San Diego temple, since I had never seen it before.

Our other splurge was to take a dinner cruise on our final night in San Diego. Considering the angry state of our digestive system, we'd thought about canceling but could not get a clear answer from anyone as to if we'd be able to get a refund since the manager was out until Monday. So rather than lose the money we got dressed up and went. It was still cold but we were a little more prepared. The cruise was fun and the skyline was beautiful all lit up. The food was really good and I think had we been feeling better we would have enjoyed it a lot more. Regardless it was better than the steady diet of pepto, saltine crackers, and gatorade that we'd been surviving on for a few days.

Before heading for home on Sunday we stopped at Old Towne to walk around for a bit. This has always been a family tradition of mine on trips to San Diego. Normally we get breakfast of chorizo and eggs at Cafe Coyote and then get a batch of fresh handmade tortillas to nosh on during the drive home. Sadly neither of these looked, sounded, or smelled appetizing in our current state, though Nate did give San Diego 2 thumbs up!

I think we'll wait and try a second honeymoon later this year or when Nate finishes school.

To Eternity And Beyond

2009-01-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

WE DID IT!! On Tuesday, December 30th, 2008, Nate and I were sealed together for time and all eternity as husband and wife. What a blessing it is to know that we have the opportunity to be together forever.

Looking back at the pictures, the day really did go beautifully but it wasn't with out a few stressful points. When we told people we were getting married on a Tuesday we got a lot of crazy looks. No one gets married on a Tuesday. Even when we scheduled our sealing with the temple we were the only one's scheduled, so we expected everything to go easy breezy as we drove over to the temple Tuesday morning. Much to our surprise, as we pulled up the place was a beehive of activity. The parking lots were completely full and there were a number of other cars circling for a spot. We gave up hunting for a spot and ended up parking in the dirt lot Northwest of the temple. We scurried over with all our bags in tow since we were now 5 minutes late and arrived huffing and puffing as we tried to catch our breath. Not exactly how I pictured the start of my wedding day. When we got settled we found out that they had 80 missionaries there that morning for some sort of zone conference and 10...16...18 (the number kept growing with each person we talked to) weddings scheduled. Guess we weren't so crazy after all, we were trendsetters.

Dressed, ready, and miraculously back on schedule we waited for our ceremony to start. We waited, and waited. The other couples around us were all taken in and we continued to wait, when we overheard that the couple before us was scheduled to start over a half hour before, they barely got into the room about 5 minutes before we were scheduled to go. Our ceremony was short but beautiful and sweet. It was such a blessing to be surrounded by so many of our loved ones.

A few other hiccups happened that put our morning events further behind and as Nate and I reflected on the morning we realized that everything that had happened was stuff that was out of our hands. We had planned everything to the "t" and almost every step of the way that morning we hit a bump. My dad in all his fatherly wisdom suggested that maybe we were being taught a lesson that you can plan everything perfectly but life still happens. I think we're still learning this lesson to this day.
In the end the wedding and the reception were beautiful. It might not have happened exactly how I pictured but it was still wonderful. Our friends and family were great in the amazing love and support they gave us in pulling the whole thing off. We were surrounded by loved ones young and old, reunited with people we haven't seen for far too long, and everyone had a good time (at least that's what it looks like in pictures). In the end we're now husband and wife together forever.

P.S. Check back "soon" for a slideshow of more wedding pictures. Our photographer Bob Kaufman took so many beautiful pictures it's taking me a while to put them all together.

No Mob Veto

2008-12-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

So I actually swipped this post idea from my friends the Birches but I thought it was worth mentioning over here for those that don't know/visit their blog.
Check out this article, Prop 8 Backlash Is "An Outrage That Must Stop", published on the Church's newroom regarding an ad in The New York Times. If you follow the link in the article you can add your name to the list.
Standing up for your beliefs and free speech go beyond casting our vote and letting things be once the decision has been made. It's standing firm in the face of opposition in the aftermath. For me this is a further witness to how important this issue and the fight to protect families is. It is a further testament to Heavenly Father's hand in all things as those that are with us are greater than those that stand against us.

Bridal Shower Bonanza

2008-12-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I had my bridal shower. It was a really fun afternoon with family and friends celebrating my upcoming wedding (4 weeks exactly from today). Here are some of the highlights.

We went with the theme Sugar and Spice to celebrate the naughty and nice aspect of bridal showers. We held the shower at my parent's house in Chandler and asked my mom to handle the decorating, which if you know my mom, she was thoroughly excited. The whole thing looked lovely and the pictures don't do it justice.

Several of my friends pitched in together to pull the whole thing off and they did a great job. Thanks again ladies, you're the best!

I'm not really to fond of the real cheesy bridal shower games (i.e. toilet paper wedding dress) so I kind of put the posh on a lot of games but the one I was adamant about doing was the question/answer video one where for every answer we didn't get right I had to chew a piece of gum.

It was really entertaining and everyone had a good laugh. I'm not quite sure what question we were laughing at here but I'm guessing it was the question to Nate of "When did you first know it was right to say 'I love you'?" Nate's answer..."When she said it first."

8 pieces of gum later and they tried to get me to blow a bubble. Needless to say I don't want any Double Bubble for a while. YUCK!

And what's a bridal shower without presents!!! Here are some of the PG rated pics. I got plenty of things for Nate and I to enjoy together **wink, wink** but for some reason I'm not to hip on the idea of posting pictures of me with lingerie all on the Internet. My future mother in law and sisters in law had the cute idea of "showering" me with cash. I was a little confused when I opened the bag and saw an umbrella, thank goodness they were there to tell me to open it up.

Thank you to everyone who came by it was great to see you and we look forward to hopefully seeing you again in 4 weeks. Invitations went out last week so if you didn't get yours let me know.

It's November?

2008-11-05T16:09:00.000-08:00

So I looked at my last post and realized it has been a while since I've given everyone an update, so here's what we've been up to. Halloween was a little quiet for us this year. We don't have any kiddos to dress up and take out trick-or-treating so I don't have any cute pictures. Neither Nate nor I really wanted to go to a big party with 100+ people so while we brainstormed lots of costume ideas, with no where to wear them to I didn't see much point in spending the money to put something together. We'll do better next year I promise. While on the surface it might sound like we were bums, we did have fun on Halloween as we spent time with our friends the Gardners. McKenna made us some awesome lasagna for dinner and we played Scene It which Nate and I won though I won't say by how much.

Speaking of dinner, I'm well on my way to getting myself banned from the kitchen. Now that's not a comment on my cooking as I have decent culinary skills and feel fairly comfortable in the kitchen. Though you might not know it since I've recently had 3 minor kitchen related injuries. First, I recently made some potato soup and while I was pouring the remainder into a Tupperware container a small amount splashed up and hit me on the very outside corner of my eyelid. It was still a little warm so I woke up the next morning with a slightly swollen eye. Secondly, a few nights later I was getting some milk out of the fridge and my roommate and I both had gallons of milk in the shelf in the door. It was a little bit of a snug fit and as I pulled my gallon out I managed to knock her gallon and the whole shelf out of the fridge. I have great aim because her full gallon landed right on my foot with the cap hitting me directly on a vein, giving me a nice bruise. Lastly I decided to try my hand at enchiladas last weekend and was chopping up a jalapeno. I took care to scoop out all the seeds into the sink but I must have picked an especially spicy jalapeno because by the time I was all done with everything the tops of my fingers, not the tips, were on fire and my lips were burning though I hadn't taken a taste. Nate's come to the conclusion that my food tastes good because I literally put a little bit of me into everything. Despite his veiled threats to remove me from the kitchen, I'm determined not to let my hubby go hungry and will continue to diligently hone my cooking skills. It was just an extra reason for him to come home though as I was literally falling apart with out him.

Which leads me into the announcement that Nate is officially back in the Valley and actually has moved all of his stuff from his apartment in Glendale into his parents' house in Mesa. It's so nice to have him be that close so that one of us doesn't have to drive an hour (or more) to see each other. We can actually act like a true engaged couple and see each other almost every day. YAY!!! It's also nice to know that we will never have to be that far apart for that long again, we made it through. Ironically anyone notice what's gone on with gas prices in the last couple weeks. Having Nate close by has also helped kick wedding planning back into high gear. I/we got a lot of big things done early on and then the last month has been relatively calm. I have a sneaking suspicion that that's all over as we're heading into that realm where the wedding seems far away but it really isn't. We are under 60 days!! But in the last week we've gotten a lot accomplished. We planned out our wedding cake, we've secured a place for the luncheon, and we finished up our engagement photos. Now I don't want to ruin the surprise but I thought I could put a up one of the ones we're probably not using for the invitations.

Here we are heading off into our happily ever after.

And here's a short video that Nate's brother, Danny, took. The voice in the background is Nate's dad, and no Nate's comment has nothing to do with my weight.

Show Low Retreat

2008-10-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

As some of you know Nate has been in Show Low for the past 2 1/2 weeks (only 8 days left) doing a rural medicine rotation. This past weekend his family made a trip up there to go camping and we figured it would be a good time for me to visit and have his dad take some engagement photos (I can't believe it's that time already). I left work a little early on Friday and was a woman on a mission making the trip from Mesa to Show Low via Payson in 2.5 hours (take that Google maps with your inflated 4 hour estimate). I really did enjoy the drive with my loud music, windows rolled down enjoying the cool autumn mountain air, and my supply of diet coke (hallelujah for QT) but I was really glad to finally get there and see my man. It's amazing how quickly you grow to miss someone when previously you were quite able to live 26 years without them.

The plan was to have our mini photo shoot Saturday since his family was returning home sometime Sunday morning. Mother Nature, however, had a different plan all together. All day Saturday was cloudy, windy, cold, rainy and yes even a few bouts of hail. Despite having to postpone our photo plans we had a lot of fun with plan B as it evolved throughout the day.

We took a drive to visit the spots for pictures that Nate had been scouting out over the past few weeks:

We hung out by the lake for a bit and Nate tried to see if the fish were biting:

Which they were, kinda. Here's Nate doing an "intraoperative hookectomy."

And I showed off my infinite grace by falling off the rock.

And we watched movies in his family's trailer:

By Sunday morning the clouds had cleared but in their place we got cooler temperatures of about 40 degrees in the morning and a high of 54 by the afternoon. Not wanting to waste our opportunity at clear, sunny skies we decided to brave the cold and get some photos in. I don't want to spoil the fun so I won't post any of those yet. After we finished with photos, and his family broke camp to head for home, Nate and I made the short drive up to Sunrise and took a ride up the ski lift.

The views were beautiful but we were freezing despite our jackets, sweaters, and jeans. We should have known we were in trouble when we saw people in line practically dressed for winter with their scarfs, earmuffs, and mittens. Luckily it wasn't anything some cuddling up and hot chocolate couldn't fix.

So I can attest that fall is alive and well in the high country. Ironically enough the weather is forecasted to be in the 70's and sunny this weekend. ={

Thanking My Lucky Stars

2008-10-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me how we can look back at the events of our lives and see how the seemingly meaningless or frustrating times really do all come together for our good. I can do this with all sorts of areas of my life but today my attention is drawn to the work realm.

Today I got a phone call from one of my bosses at my previous job. We've kept in touch from time to time over the past 2 years since I left but this phone call was particularly interesting for my previous job was at a subsidary of AIG. I'm not sure if you all have kept up on the news lately but things have not been going well for AIG as they essentially were taken over by the government and they are now selling many of the portions/subsidaries that aren't part of the primary insurance buisness that will remain. Two of the divisions I worked for are a part of this firesale therefore they don't know how much longer they will all have jobs. So after 17 years with the company that had been around for 20, my former boss is in the unlucky position of having to find a new job. Lucky star #1=I left AIG when I did.

Lucky star #2 is also job related as shortly after I started at my current job 2 years ago things got a little "hairy" and there was a period of time where I wasn't sure if I was going to need to find another job. Luckily everything has turned out fine and I'm still here but for quite a while I was searching for other options. I applied and interviewed with a number of commercial real estate lenders, developers, etc. for jobs that I was perfectly qualfied for. Alas time after time nothing came through and I was throughly frustrated but felt deep inside that I was being told it wasn't my time to leave and I should stay put. Thank goodness I listened because with the current state of the industry I know companies have had to cut back and I would have been the first to go.

I am so greatful for a Heavenly Father who has an understanding of the bigger plan, truly does have my best interests at heart and knows what's good for me better than I do. As was mentioned in this last conference, it doesn't mean things are going to be easy (I hope you know, we had a hard time) but if you're prepared, ask for guidance and then listen He will not let you go astray and you will be put in the places where you need to be.

Camelback

2008-10-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

Last time Nate was in town we were up for a physical challenge and decided to try our hand at Camelback Mountain. Nate's hiked Camelback a number of times and ever since we started dating we've talked about going hiking when it cooled down enough. Apparently we were tired of waiting because that Saturday was actually forecasted to be about 100 degrees, but we got up early and went anyways.

I've always liked hiking but this was my first time doing Camelback and I have to admit it had been at least a year (possibly more) since I'd done a decent hike. I've heard that the steep climbs of Camelback can make the trip more challenging than you'd expect so I knew that I'd need to get some kind of energy in me before we started. I was running a little behind that morning and had the brilliant idea of drinking a bunch of Carnation Instant Breakfast as Nate was on his way to pick me up, afterall it has carbs and some protein, perfect idea right? Wrong. Let's just say a stomach full of milk and a hike on a warm day (it was still before noon so it wasn't hot yet) are a bad mix. Needless to say it didn't take too long before I was not feeling well. I was really torn about listening to my gut and turning around or pushing through it and finishing the hike. I knew Nate wanted to finish the hike and I really didn't want to wuss out. Let's just say I love my fiance! Seeing my struggle, both emotionally with wanting to continue on and physically for not feeling like I could, he made the decision to turn around. I love him for knowing when to push me farther and when to help me at the times when I'm too stubborn for my own good. I love him for put my physical well being ahead of his personal desires. I love him for not thinking I'm a wimp.

So here's to my first trip on Camelback. I didn't make it as far as I wanted but never fear, now that I've got a reliable hiking buddy I'll be back and next time it's personal.

Making a List, Checking it Twice!

2008-10-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

No I'm not taking a part time job as Santa Clause, but I do feel like I'm asking everyone else to play the part as recently Nate and I took a couple days and started our gift registry. Yes you read that right, "a couple days" and "start." Ok really we started 2 registries at 2 seperate stores but still. Over all we had a lot of fun but you (or at least I) can only make so many decisions before my head wants to explode. 300 vs 400 vs 500 thread count. Sateen vs all cotton. Stainless steel vs non-stick. This pattern of flatwear vs that pattern of flatwear. Dirt devil vs hoover. And they want how much for that????? I know that people want to give us presents to congratulate us on our wedding and start us out on our new life together but I still had a little bit of inner turmoil as I felt greedy asking for all this stuff. We're kind of in an interesting spot seeing as we've both been on our own for a while but we have a number of items that need to be replaced that were either hand-me-downs from roommates past (sorry Stef the avocado green toaster is reaching the end of it's days) or cheep college stuff (anyone interested in a $5 set of plastic cooking utensils? No, how about a $2 strainer?).

So as we work on perfecting our registry I'm curious, in looking back what was your favorite gift you received for your wedding? And/or what was one thing you didn't register for but really wished you had after the fact?

Time for Geritol?

2008-09-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

Getting older is a stealthy process. It's not an quick change like cutting your hair or getting a tan. It quietly sneaks up on you day by day, year by year, until one day you look in the mirror and gasp "when did that happen?"

Now I still feel young, in fact sometimes it takes me back a bit to realize I'm an a adult. In some ways I still think of myself as a young whipper-snapper romping through high school and college with the rest of the gang, but maybe a wiser version of that self. The other night, however, I had a harrowing experience that made me face head on the fact that I'm "getting older." Brace yourselves, I found a true bright white hair.

This was no little sprout of a hair either; rather this hair was a good 6 inches long. I just stared at it for several minutes wondering "where did that come from?" and "how did I, my hairdresser, and Nate not see that?" Obviously this little guy had been around for a while. This isn't meant to sound like "woe is me," I actually laughed about it for a while since obviously this was inevitable and apparently 26 is no longer a spring chicken. It got me thinking, however, about what the things to come, the person I'm going to be (or at least hope to be), the adventures Nate and I will have as we get old and wrinkly together, and most importantly....dye or not to dye, that is the question. Right now I'm thinking not and that I'll make the attempt to age gracefully. Sure that could all change several years down the road when I'm facing more than one white hair, after all we know he will be back for revenge and he's bringing back up. Over the years though I've lost interest in "artificial enhancement." I don't like fake nails, fake tans, or fake hair. Not that there's anything wrong with those things for those of you who do, I just don't like it for me. I don't have the patience to devote the time and money to the constant up keep. So I'm content and embrace nails that aren't all perfectly the same shape, white skin and hair that's a slightly different color at the roots and the end. Who knows maybe I'm over analyzing this and Nate will be right, it's planning the wedding that's giving me grey hair.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

2008-09-24T15:28:00.001-07:00

If I didn't say it enough THANK YOU! everyone for your comments and suggestions for caterers. It's been a big help. For those of you who posted your email address for me to contact you to get mailing addresses, I have removed your comment. Not that I didn't love your comments (it actually pained me a little to hit 'delete') I just didn't want your email addresses floating around for anyone to see, I care about you that much. This just means that you will have to come back from time to time and leave more comments. See how I worked that? :) Hopefully by now you got my email back to you and we're officially now in contact.

HELP!

2008-09-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

Alright everyone I need some help. We are having some trouble finding a caterer for our wedding reception and I'm curious if any one has some recommendations. We've tried about 5 or 6 caterers and so far are coming up empty. The professional catering companies haven't returned our calls and the individuals referred by friends all have sold their business and don't do it any longer. We have a few last things to try but my mom almost feels like we're getting prompted to do the food ourselves, which for me is the last thing I wanted to do. We've had a number of people offer to help out that evening with serving but I always wanted my reception to be an event where friends and family could come and have fun, not be put to work. I'm so greatful that we have so many people that are willing to help, and maybe I shouldn't turn down their offer/opportunity to do service but it just seems like such a large task for us to take on ourselves. Add to that the stress of coordinating, preparing, storing the food and renting equipment to keep it warm and I'm really just dreading going down the DIY road. All the rest of the planning has gone remarkable smoothe and I guess it was just too good to think we weren't going to have any hiccups. This really is the last big thing we have to nail down and I'm so surprised it's been this difficult.

We're Here!

2008-09-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

That's right I've entered the world of blogging. A while back I observed that in this digital age, blogging appears to be a new rite of passage. I've had a number of friends encourage me to start a blog but I abstained because it seemed like the correct order of things was get married, have kids, start a blog (ok the order of the last two could be switched). I really didn't think that people would want to read the tales of my singlehood, I mean seriously who wants to hear about bad dates and roommates. So I've been lurking in the shadows, "blog-stalking" you all (yes I'm probably one of those annoynmous people you've felt following you) reveling in your fun stories and wistfully waiting for the day when I could join you, but now I'm out in the open, ready to face the blog head on. No I don't have any kids, and I'm not married yet (so I'm still officially a Jackson not a Matthews), but I am ENGAGED! Yay! Most of you have already heard the news but there are a number of you out there who haven't, mostly because I have lost contact with you over the years. Hopefully we'll be able remedy that now.
I've heard through the grapevine that it can sometimes be hard to keep posts interesting with out kids and the cute stories that come from watching them grow up. Even Nate recently asked me what I would blog about and my answer was "I don't know." So I'll try my best to keep things interesting and maybe flex my writing muscles as they've waned a little since graduating college (working with numbers all day will do that to you). It will also take me a little bit of time to get the page all jazzed up and learn the tips/tricks but have patience I will get there. Don't tell anyone but I have some slow time at work to fill. :)