Good memory: The day we stole a couch

mission accomplished

 My sister and I have long been avid collectors of free things. When we were little we would rip out the cards in my mother’s romance novels and we would subscribe her to the “book of the month club” because it came with free gifts. Little did we realize my mother would later have to deal with canceling all of these subscriptions. All we care about was the free stuff.

Our lifelong passion for the free can be culminated into one event: The day we stole the couch.

One Sunday morning as our family was headed to church, we noticed the most beautiful couch sitting across the street from our house with a sign proclaiming, “ Free For the Taking.” In the backseat of our van I looked at my sister. She looked at me. I mouthed, “Sunday School?” She nodded her agreement. We knew my mother would never let us have it. BUT WE HAD TO HAVE IT.

It had to be mine.

All through the first hour of church my heart beat fast. I schemed. I plotted. I couldn’t focus on religion at a time like this! There was a couch to be covertly placed somewhere in the basement where my mother wouldn’t notice. My first thought was my room. Of course it wouldn’t fit. I already had two easy chairs I had gotten for free from other instances like this. My sister’s room was right across from my parents. It couldn’t go there either. They would spot it in a minute. I sat there, filled with fear that someone had already picked up our gorgeous couch while I was helplessly stuck under adult supervision.

Finally—Youth Sunday School. Nobody would know we were gone. Our teacher was too overwhelmed with other more obnoxious young worshippers to notice we were missing. My sister met me at the door. We cantered in our high heels along the sidewalk, bustling in our Sunday best until we arrived home. There was no time to change, we would have to do this in skirts. Yes! The couch was still there. Still mine. Still as beautiful as ever. We only had an hour to get this in the house.

Yup.That's how I felt.

Getting it across the street was easy enough. Getting it in the door was harder. Getting it down the stairs was hardest. As we were struggling to get it through the narrow stairway, my thigh became wedged between the couch and the wall. I was stuck fast for several minutes while dear sister finished her laughter. Tears were shed (from glee on her part and pain on mine). I felt like Winnie the Pooh, when he gets stuck in the hole and Rabbit turns his read end into a wall decor. I would spend the rest of my life on the stairs. At least I could spend it with my new free couch.

Minutes more of pushing and pulling and finally I budged. The clock was ticking. My stupid thigh had really strained our time limit. Where were we going to put this thing? My sister suggested we cover it in a sheet. Maybe Mom will think it is a pile of boxes shaped like a couch with a sheet over it? Good enough.

As we walked back to church, the gravity of the situation sank in. Each step got heavier and heavier. Our mom was going to kill us. That couch would once again become homeless, living on the street like some abandoned puppy with Victorian accents.

We knew there was only one thing to do. Go to our Bishop and confess our wrong doing. Maybe if my mom found out from him we would be in less trouble? It was worth a shot. We saw him from across the foyer. I burst into tears. (I was already emotionally compromised from my Winnie the Pooh moment). We begged him not to leave us alone with our mother. He looked bewildered. He said he would watch out for us, but I think it was only to get me to stop bawling.

That's me on the left. Tara in the middle. Taylor on the right.

The instant my mother saw us she knew. Actually she said the moment she saw the free couch on the street she knew it would end up on in her basement. She promised the Bishop that she wouldn’t hurt us. Then he walked away. As she led us to our pew for the last hour of church, she threatened us with her eyes. We knew the moment we left the sanctuary of the chapel that we would be in for it. I kept replaying scenes of the Hunchback of Notre Dame in my mind, except I was the beautiful gypsy and my sister was the hunchback. For fun I also pretended my brother was a gargoyle. We would spend the rest of our days in this chapel, living off of discarded cheerios left by children. “Sanctuary! Sanctuary!” 

When we got home my mother told us we could keep the couch if we put the broken rocking loveseat out in the street. It was a hard choice but clearly the new couch was superior to old Rocky. Yet again, while in church clothes, my sister and I moved a piece of furniture. I was very careful about where my thighs were this time.

It was hard to leave Rocky in the street. But it was for a higher cause. We ran inside and sat on our prize. We spied from a window a few hours later as a truck stopped and took Rocky home. Rest in peace Rocky.

Our prize

Years later my gargoyle brother sat on our stunning couch and wisely pontificated these words: “Couches last a long time, if you know what you are doing.” One day I hope to needle point those words on a throw pillow. Here’s to you, you intoxicatingly exquisite sofa. I raise a can of Shasta in your honor. You were worth the emotional and physical pain.

I can't wait

for summertime so I can spend all my time hanging out with this guy.

 I love Jake!

Grown up furniture

Jake and I have been trying to make our house look nice. Maybe we will actually have people over some time.

New couch! came with matching love seat, chair, and ottoman.

New Rug

book nook--probably can't tell due to poor picture quality but all the books are organized by color

 We have more plans as we save up and make time-- We want to wallpaper our guest room, paint the kitchen yellow, and figure out what in the heck to do with our bright green laundry room ( its the bad kind of bright green)

Flowbee

Did you know it is possible to cut and vacuum your hair at the same time? Jake's mother has been using this baby for years.

That's right. Just hook it up to your vacuum as an attachment and go to town! Here are Jake's before and after pictures. 

 My angel baby looks great. Thanks flowbee! ( and thanks to Jake's dad for doing the actual vacuuming of his head.)
I love visiting Hagerman.

March madness has nothing to do with basketball...

I realize I am not the best at blogging, but I certainly love to read other blogs. Sometimes it really is hard to live far away from family and friends but I feel closer to everyone when I take a few minutes to read some of their blogs.
This last month had been super stressful--by the time spring break rolled around all I could do is melt into a puddle and watch food network in my pajamas.(that is not all I did. It is all I wanted to do though). In faculty meeting a few weeks ago my principal said that March Madness has nothing to do with basketball--everyone goes crazy and everything can go wrong!
In the month of March some interesting things happened:
-I was injured at work and had to wear my arm in a sling for a while. Thankfully the bruises have cleared up and I have minimal scarring.
-my whole entire family came up to Idaho Falls for my birthday. 7 people in a 2 bedroom house. It was so great to have everyone here. We all went and did a session at the temple and played games all night at my house.
-I participated in march madness for the first time ever. I had one of my special needs students help me fill my bracket out. He picked Villa nova for the championship. I never even knew Villa nova existed. My total score for the bracket was in the low twenties. At least I know who to turn to if I need help keeping score when I golf!

My "new" dresser.

-Jake refinished our whole bedroom set. It was all old ugly second hand furniture with dings and scratches so he painted them a dark red to match our wedding quilt. I love it! He also made me a vanity. It's great to finally have a place to stash all of my stuff without trying to fit it under the old 1930's bathroom cupboard.
-I survived a case of h1n1. I literally slept for 3 days in a row. Feeling much better now!

I am so excited for summer! It feels like this will be the first year in my life that I won't be heart broken to be away from school. Expect many blogs about gardening, home improvement and travel. Just kidding. I will be spending my summer in my basement, playing angry birds and re-reading Harry potter. :-)

Good week

Things are going pretty well. My dad sent me a text a few weeks ago telling me to believe in the law of averages--things even out. For every bad thing that happens, something good will happen.
We had a chance to visit Jake's grandparents this last Sunday when we were in Hagerman and she had a post it on her fridge in her neat cursive that said,  "If it isn't a happy ending, maybe the story isn't over."


I've been thinking about those two sayings a lot. Don't I just have the best family? Sometimes I have tough days, sometimes I have wonderful days.
 Here are some big and little things in my life that make me happy:

--I had a chance to reconnect to one of my best friends from college recently. It was so great to see Suzi, Ty and their baby girl.
--Jake and I recently received a refund check from the hospital because they overcharged! We went and spent it on a new furniture set. It may be a bit big for our living, but it is ridiculous fun to sit on a brand new couch (not from D.I.)
--My sister Tara got her mission call to Brazil. She leaves in June. I'm glad I get to keep her for a few more months. We are going through the temple with her on Saturday.
--I have the cutest students. If I am stressed from paperwork, mean people, or amount of organizing I still have to do, I just go and sit with one of them and play with them. Its amazing how wonderful they can make you feel! I love them SO much. It is the best.
--We decided to clean our house out and finally unpack the last of the boxes. We have a VERY clean guest room and bathroom. That means visitors are welcome any time!!
--I am still madly in love with Netflix.
--It is starting to get warmer. Today they said it was going to snow, but all it did was rain a little.
--I found a leopard print snuggie on clearance for 4 dollars. It has pockets!
--Jake's sister Jodi is having a girl in June. her name is Gracie and I can't wait to see her. 


Here a just a few things are make me a little stressed:
--Jake's doctor told him to try going low carb for a while. I said I would do it with him. bummer.
--I am still working close to 60 hours a week(sometimes more). Sometimes I leave while it is dark and don't come home til it's dark.
--I don't think Steven Tyler is doing a good job as a judge for Idol.
--Tara is leaving me!
--Its cold in Idaho.
-- State testing. Boo.
--Being the boss of 11 adults older than me. It is hard to come in young and not as experienced and to take control of people who don't want to do all that you ask.

I would post a picture of my new furniture but its on my Ipod and Jake is playing angry birds.

Surgery--a holiday tradition?

The bottom picture is of his bone tumor--COOL! (its the white blob in the bottom left corner)

Jake has made an annual tradition this time of year for hospital visits. Last year around this time he had lithotripsy for a kidney stone. Yesterday he went under the knife to fix his nose. He had four procedures altogether, and I can't remember the official procedure names, but he had his nasal passage(deviated septum) straightened out, a bone tumor (not as scary as it sounds) in his sinus removed, a tonsillectomy for his tonsils that were growing back, and some reconstruction on his nose done.

Jake's Medication Schedule

Drugs!

He is certainly in a world of hurt. Jake is currently on 8 medications for recovery. I made him a spreadsheet of times to take each one with directions. His nose was cauterized, so there isn't much bleeding, but he has a little bandage under his nose that makes him look very cute. He won't let me post a picture of it though.

Our wonderful neighbors brought us dinner last night, so we haven't had to leave the house since we came home. It has been great. Thank heavens for Netflix!

I am the kind of person that lives for downtime like this. I am so glad I get to be here with him just hanging out. And he shares his pudding with me.

What I learned on my summer vacation

1. Life is not like Mario Kart, and I have the destroyed fender and headlight to prove it.

2. When you have a wii, your spare time plans itself.

3. Zuchinni is a crazy plant. One day it is dying, the next it is exploding.

4. Boise deserves to be the capitol of Idaho, simply because it is where my awesome 3 year old niece lives. And they have a pretty good zoo.

5. When you go on 11 road trips to see family in one summer, you gain an appreciation for audiobooks. We had a lot of fun listening to Fablehaven, Harry Potter, and the Da Vinci Code.

6. My cousin Trevor is going to be an amazing missionary in New Zealand. We are going to miss him so much, but we are excited for him.

7. You can fit 9 people in a 2 bedroom house, as long as someone is willing to sleep on the kitchen floor with their head under the table. We loved having the Beckstead Family visit us!

8. Being married to Jake is just as fun as it was 2 years ago.

9. Camping is the best when you have a crazy Uncle Nick as your camp host! Blow Out camp ground in Palisades is one of the most beautiful places in Idaho. And ice cream really does taste better when it is in a square shape.

10. Jake is a girl's camp hero--he carried a heavy 13 year old girl up a big hill "princess style" when she "twisted" her ankle.

11. Sometimes hubcaps like to stay at girls camp after you leave.

12. We have all sorts of cool distant relatives around here that we got to meet an a Reynold's fmaily reunion in Ashton, Idaho.

13. I prefer my regular students to the ones I had in summer school who have the "My daddy can buy my grade" mentality.

14. Cub scouts are FUN!

15. Blogging should happen more often. As much as I snoop and read, I should be doing more of it.

Back to school!

Somehow, the Lord will always make sure you are on the right path. Even if that means he surprises you extra money to get you where you need to be. I have been receiving impressions that I needed to continue on with my schooling, and wasn't quite sure how to go about it. A few weeks ago we received a check in the exact amount needed to pay for school and go out to dinner. So we did just that. After a lovely trip to the salad bar, I enrolled in an online program to pursue two teaching certificates. At the same time, a coworker of mine did as well. And I found out another of my coworkers had recently finished the program. So not only did the Lord provide me with the means to go to school, but he also gave me a study buddy and a mentor! 

Well I certainly have my testimony of paying tithing now!!!!

This program is super exciting. I work at my own pace, but I know that I can finish this by August.

When I finish this program, I will be certified to teach special education at any grade level, as well as any exceptional student. I will also receive my elementary education teaching certificate.

I have had a really rough time lately. I am so glad to see 2009 go. I know that sometimes everyone has to experience adversity, but I think I forgot that.  I was so prideful and angry that I had trials that many people go through. And my suffering helped no one because I was bitter. Only when I realized that did things start to get better.  I have always been given what I need, and that is so much better than what I wanted.

I am a lucky girl. I love my family. I love my husband. I love my job. I love my students. I love my friends (even those I seemed to have lost touch with.) I love the gospel! What else could matter in life?

New Job

A few days before Christmas, I started to feel a little burned out as a sub. For anyone who was unaware, I have been enjoying the footloose and fancy free occupation as a substitute teacher since September.  I got to meet so many neat people who I have learned a lot from, and I loved teaching and getting to know so many students. My favorite aspect of being a sub was the fact that I was often requested to sub at Jake's school! I even got to work directly with him on a few days.

Anyways, as much as I liked it, I didn't have health insurance, nor did I love dealing with some of the nastiest school secretaries to walk this planet. I got to meet some really nice ones, but some were demons. That is what really made me feel burned out. Day after day of working with the glittery eyed beasts who sit behind the front desk just waiting to make you feel like you are less than a human being tends to make a girl tired.

So I have been applying for any openings in the school district where I could settle down and have a little mailbox in the teacher's room of my own. That's all I wanted.

I have interviewed far and wide without much luck (the teaching market is glutted with new, fresh faced college graduates) and a few days after new years, I got an unexpected job offer for a job that I had really wanted.  So, the first week of January I started training at Lincoln alternative high school to work in a new program for students who can't quite handle normal high school. I work in a computer lab with a program that offers about 100 different high school classes, all completely online. I work with three other amazing teachers and we are quite the team. My responsibility lies over creating and evaluating the effectiveness of each class. So when things are quiet I will go through a few lessons of Art, or U.S. history, or P.E., or anything. Just yesterday I created an economics class.  I am also in charge of community service. Some kids have the chance to earn an elective credit through doing hours of community service and I get to help set that up.  It is fun to see them excited about serving others.

The kids I teach are not what others would consider bright stars of this generation. There are students who have parole officers I keep in constant contact with. There are teenage parents who attend around babysitting schedules. There are students just months younger than I who have not been to school since they were 14. And you know what? I adore them. A few days ago we had our  first group of students finish a class. I am so proud of each and every one of them and I know they are brilliant. I am honored to be their teacher.  I will fight for them, and I will make sure that I help them go as far as they want to. Yesterday a kid asked me to help him start looking at college requirements. My heart is full. I am fulfilled. 

They recently did a news story on this new program. http://www.kidk.com/news/82003832.html

I'll be home for Christmas

I don't have much to say today. It is my favorite day of the year, Christmas Eve Eve. I made that up when I was 8 and I still think it's clever.
I just want to say thank you today, to all my family and friends. I may not talk about it much online, but you all have sure been there for me through some dark times this year. Thank you so much. I really do love you all.
This year we are spending the holidays in Hagerman. It will be my first Christmas away from home, and my family has all tried so hard to make it special. Mom and Dad made sure I had lots of presents to open and they loaded our car up when we left after spending Thanksgiving in Utah. Tara has given me all the support in the world, as well as someone who I can complain to. Every one needs one of those.
What has been the most special to me this year most of all at Christmas is that my amazing brother and sister in law came up to see me and Jake last weekend. It was like our very own holiday and I had so much fun. It will be a memory I cherish forever, and it made my first Christmas away from home so much easier to bear. Thank you Brooke and Taylor. You'll never know how much it meant to me to have you here. Love you all! Merry Christmas!

Conference Weekend

Many people apologize when they don't blog for a long time, but I don't think I will. That would mean I'm assuming people actually read my blog.

But I will, for the sake of connecting the last blog to this one in a matter of time frames, highlight each month and a little of what has been happening.

April: Jake starts working as a substitute and decides that he will one day pursue a degree in Elementary Ed and Special Needs. Taci finds out that the district who guaranteed her a job no longer has the budget to keep her next year so she starts looking for a new teaching position.

We traveled down to Utah for conference and attend Jake's second missionary reunion.

May: Job searching is hard and scary! They travel to Utah frequently for interviews with no luck.

This is not a good year for hiring someone in the social sciences like history and geography.

As the school year winds down and the weather warms up, we get excited for summer. Jake packs all of our camping stuff together in a bin so we can "camp at a moment's notice" (his exact words).

June: Taci works at a science summer camp for kids at the local community college and has tons of fun! She enjoys teaching kids about the rock cycle and dirt and dinosaurs so much that she decides to pursue a second teaching certificate in science education.

Jake finally convinces Taci that they need to camp. We went up past Ashton Idaho to Warm River and spent a weekend getting eaten by bugs and trying not to drown in the rain, all the while having a blast.

Jake got offered a full time job at an elementary school working with autistic kindergarten and 1st grade kids.

July: Taci and Jake go camping again with Jake's parents for the 4th of July. Camping is fun just by yourselves, but it is great when you have someone who owns 4 wheelers with you. Taci learned to drive a 4 wheeler, and we had some great campfire cookin' from Jake's mom.

August: We spend their first anniversary with Taci's family in DISNEYLAND for a week! Taci's parents took us as a late college graduation present for Taci and just because they love Jake. Tara came along and made sure everyone stayed un-grumpy in lines and the hot sunshine.

We went to the beach and everyone got fried in the sun and Jake tried to body surf while we watched.

We also spend a few days in Utah during which we had a chance to see Taylor and Brooke's new apartment and kitten. Sure love that Hector and Helen.

At the end of August Jake started his new job and loves it! He works with some incredible people in his classroom who are all very experienced in the special needs field and have given him great advice and adores each kid in there.

Jake and Taci spent a weekend with Jake's sister Jodi and her husband Dallan in Soda Springs and watched her sing in sacrament meeting. She has such a beautiful voice and we always love spending time with them.

September: Was the busiest and craziest month yet! Jake turned 23 and we spent a weekend with his family. Both his sisters and his niece Ella were at his parents and it was fun to see everyone.

Taci's cousin Brady stopped in for dinner during his business trip through the area and we had fun spending time with him!

Jake and Taci decided one day to move to a new apartment, so we went and looked around to see what we could find. We come across a little house that was renting out the upstairs and when we saw that all utilities are paid, it has an extra room, and it is only 75 dollars more than our other smaller place, we snatched it up. In a matter of three days we were completely moved in with the help of good friends and family. It is a few blocks away from Jake's school and we are excited to be in a new ward.

Molly and Brandon, our very good friends in Rexburg, took us out for Jake's birthday and we had so much fun hanging out with them!

Taci started substitute teaching and so far has really enjoyed it. She has learned so much and is excited to do this until she finds a more permanent position.

October: Well, here we are again, six months and another conference with Taci's family down in Utah. A lot, yet just a little in the face of eternity, has happened, and we are still doing wonderfully. We love being in a new place and we are so happy with our jobs where we are learning every day.

We are excited (mostly Taci) for Halloween so Jake can dress up at school. We (Taci) has decided he is going as a nerd, with the suspenders and taped glasses. We (mostly Jake) are also so excited with the halloween candy in bulk at winco.

The next few months will bring us both starting night classes and trying to survive the winter without a crazy heating bill. We are going to have Thanksgiving with Taci's family and Christmas with Jake's, and in between we are happy staying home and spending our weekends together. We are so happy to have the same work hours and the same employer with the same days off! Jake is a flourishing cook who is keeping Taci chubby and in turn she isn't burning as much stuff as she used to, and her biscuits get better every time.

Good News, She's Dead!

The wicked witch I mean of course.

In order to start this blog I have to rewind a year ago when my mother went on choir tour with Tara and fell in love with Wicked. She came home and bought the cd and made us put it on her Ipod and would go around humming popular.

Then she heard the big news: Wicked was coming to Salt Lake City. Right then and there, she vowed to enrich all those around her with the chance of a lifetime. She bought herself and my father season tickets to all the plays coming this year, and bought over a thousand dollars worth of tickets for whomever she knew that wanted to get in on this business.

At the time I was dating a cutesy fellow named Jacob, and I said I was in.

Fast forward to thursday night, where Jake and I, Tara and our cousin Trevor, Brooke and Taylor, Aunt Kristin and Uncle Ryan, and Uncle Brad and Aunt Rae all met up in front of the Capitol Theater and sat together to see the show.

As we were going in, Jake noticed Elder Perry next to us showing his ticket to the ticket lady.

Wow! How neat was that!

Then, as we were sitting down, we saw Elder Uchtdorf( I don't know if I spelled that right) going to his seat. Then my Uncle Ryan noticed in front of us a very familiar bald spot belonging to the Prophet!

We were in good company that night!

The show was incredible. Everyone loved it!

For anyone who hasn't had a chance to see it or listen to the music, I hope they get the chance! Its a great story and it has an interesting message. And if the prophet approves, then I guess I can't say anything better about it.

Thank you mom for getting us tickets! You are very "Popular" with all of us.

Saturday outing

A few weeks ago, Jake and I loaded the truck up with blankets, our mini cooler, treats, and music and took a mini road trip out to Swan Valley, and the Palisades Reservior. For those of you familiar with eastern Idaho geography, we took highway 26 straight east out of Idaho Falls for about an hour past Ririe. It was so fun!


The was lake entirely frozen over, and we saw ice fishers and snowmobilers out on the lake! After eating lunch on a scenic overlook point, We drove back into town to explore. I HAD to go to the Dam Store, even if it was a silly little convenience store.



I love small Idaho towns and thier Cheek.


Jake suprised me with one last stop at an ice cream store, which is famous for their homemade square icecream. My mint chocolate was so good!

Goosed by a Goose

I have recently taken it upon myself to be the sole provider for the ducks and geese on the river by the Temple, since they get ignored in the winter. I hoard old bread until I can find time to hope on over there, since I only live a few blocks away.
Today though, was not the simple, happy experience I usually expect. The geese were the only interested party when I pulled out my old hamburger buns and were so hungry that they came right up to me. There I was, screaming my head off as I was rushed by a group of huge "THHH!"ing geese, while Jake laughed from a few yards away. They backed me against a tree and I started bawling, while my supposed knight in shining armor looked on and giggled with glee.

Later, now that I am home, warm, and most of my tears have dried, I can nearly reflect with even temperedness.
Jake and I have been discovering and falling in love with Idaho Falls a little more every day. We live in the historic downtown district and there is so much to do, even as a broke couple! There are walking tours, the ducks (obviously), and the most amazing library! We go there a lot. It is in a beautiful three story building, with a Koi pond and a super cool children's section. The best part is that it is in walking distance-not that I'll walk :)

I LOVE my job. I get to teach part time in the morning in a second grade classroom, and in the afternoons I head up the after school reading program for students who struggle to read. Every day I come home with new stories for Jake.
Jake, in the meantime, is still looking for a job, but has a few good leads. He just took the qualifying exam to be a census interviewer, and we're waiting on a call from them. In the meantime, he has become head chef and has skills far surpassing mine. He is so great. He also is studying up to take his EMT test so he can finally have his certificate.

We just go called to team teach the sunbeams in our ward. I'm glad Jake is with me, because all the little three year old boys ADORE him. We have a good time and work very hard to help the kids with the transition from nursery to primary. Now, if only they could make sharing time interesting to a mother-missing three and a half year old.

We're loving doing great, we love and miss our friends and fam, and we couldn't be happier!

Turkey Pot Pie! ( and a new job)

This morning I had an interview with the principal of an elementary school around here, and about 30 seconds in she offered me a job as an aide for the 6th grade teachers. I also get recess duty!
In addition, I am the new head of the after school intervention program for title 1 students who struggle to read.
We are so lucky, because this literally fell in our laps. When I posted my resume on the district's web site I got a phone call from the school about an hour after.
The principal and I talked for along time, and she said that if something opens next year I could even get teaching position--even if I don't have all the qualifications to do elementary school, the district offers programs to help me become a highly qualified teachers. So, who knows? I have a lot of options ahead of me in the next little while.

In the meantime, I have such a wonderfully supportive husband that took me grocery shopping with a happy face, and has been full of congratulations all day. This evening we worked together to make a turkey pot pie, which is sizzling in the oven right now as I type and Jake watches t.v.
It smells good and I am super excited!

We are doing so great out on our own, with great friends (thanks for dinner Molly) and wonderful parents to call on the phone for advice.

Candy House

For our very first Christmas, we decided to not get a tree, since we'll be at my parent's anyways. But we started other good traditions like hanging lights and Jake got to decorate his very first candy house.

It took forever! We literally spent hours covered in frosting and playing with candy. I got the best candy because we went to the bulk section of winco and bought just a few cents worth of all sorts of stuff. ( The lady checking us out thought we were very wierd for buying 8 cents worth of apple rings.)

Anyways, we are all moved in to our little apartment and the first week has been wonderful. Our next door neighbors have a sign in their window that has a gun and underneath it says "protected by the second amendment". Oh how I love Idaho.

It's getting pretty cold, but that is what sweaters and extra blankets are for right?

Case closed

This is why I love that boy of mine.

As I lay here in bed contemplating my untimely demise,

my dear husband arrives home from work.

He made a special stop on the way and picked up a very fuzzy red bathrobe he saw me eyeing, (ok, really I was pawing) at walmart for me to suffer and die in.

Or to get better in.

I Love my Jake!

Case of the Hypochondriac

I came home from school early today because I lost my voice. I consulted the charts in our "family medical guide" that Jake bought at an estate sale and according to it, I either have a cold, strep throat, laryngitits, tuberculosis, or a tumor in my throat.
I'll play it safe and say that it is either of the last two.
In that case, I am prepared to die, I just have a few goodbyes and plans to set in motion.
Here is a list of my demands:
First off, ABSOLUTELY no primary songs at the funeral.
I require at least 8 varieties of funeral potatoes, and a sampler of assorted chocolate cakes to be served at the luncheon.
Every one who comes to the funeral has to bring something to eat, like one big, sad potluck.
No pink shall be worn, even on little girl babies. Yellow may be acceptable. Check with me on the outfit before you put em in it.
I would like to be buried with my favorite pillow, you know, the squishy one in the green pillowcase.
Finally, everyone has to be nice to Jake. I'm sure he will be really stressed out.

As for goodbyes, I would like to recognize my grumpy cat one last time. Cleo, I may have fancied Taylor's cat Hector at one time or another, but honestly, I've always been on your side. Thanks for the fluffity puffity times.
Also, my ipod. I don't know what I would have done without you all those times I wanted to keep listening to my audiobook but had to go some where and could just discreetly cart you along.
Finally, my nieghbor, I'm not sure which one, who has the car alarm that goes off every night. I won't miss you very much.

Well, I'm glad I got this one last blog in before I went. I really think the nyquil is starting to kick in.

IF, almost here!

Jake and I went up to Idaho Falls a few weekends ago and found ourselves a hole to camp out in.
It's actually a great tiny little apartment near the temple with hardwood floors and a big kitchen.
I have gone a little crazy in my search for the perfect curtains, and can't wait to move in.
We are heading up there December 1st, just in time to start decorating for Christmas.
Unfortunately, Jake says I can't have my starter puppy yet, but in the meantime, we are checking out some really great pet rocks.

Halloween was so much fun! At school I dressed up as Hermione, poofy hair and all. My favorite part of the whole day was my group of male students who dressed as Disney Princesses all being in my class at the same time. (Jasmine was a little disturbing)
We also drove up to Soda Springs and spent the night at Jake's sisters cute new house and had mummy hotdogs--almost like pigs in a blanket but with a breadstick wrapped around a hotdog and mustard dot eyes instead. Jake's sister Jodi and her Husband Dallin only live about an hour and a half away from our new digs, so we are way excited to spend more time with them and their Schnoodle Alfonzo (Half Shitzu half poodle).

A few weekends before that, Jake's entire family came down from Idaho for his cousin's wedding. The day before we all went to frightmares, and I managed to talk Jake into wearing matching orange sweaters with me. It was so fun.

To sum it all up, I am having a great time being a Zollinger.
Life is good and only getting better!