Love Love

So I totally love my new job. I was really worried at first because I was afraid I would not know what to do but not the case. So far, it has come naturally. The Lord has really blessed our family lately and I feel so lucky. I have passed my final class and will be graduating this semester. I will be walking in May at Utah State University. I am so happy to be finished with school and have a job.

Enough about me and on to the the rest of our family. Little Matt is getting so big. He is 13 months already and we are working on walking. He is not there yet but he is standing on his own and he will walk when you hold his hand.

Big Matt is doing great. He still in school but getting closer to graduation. He is such a dreamer and loves thinking up new businesses. He has recently come up with a great idea to help fishing lodges up in Alaska. He is hoping it will be up and running in the next couple of Months.

Now that I am working Matt and I are planning on moving out of our in-laws house and finally being on our own. I am not sure when we will move but we are planning on March for now.

Not much else has happened with us. We are still trudging along.

We wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Success

I have finally grown up and become a real contributing member of society. I am proud to say that I have recently been offered a job working for an awesome PR firm in Provo, Utah. The Walton Group Inc. is a full service PR and advertising firm. My official title is an account executive. We have great clients and do a lot of work for charities, which I love. This is the first time I get to experience the real world of PR. I have been there about 3 weeks as an intern and have been given one client to manage so far. I officially start as an employee December 1. YAY!!! I am so happy and excited to have a job.

Craziness

This last month has been so hectic with all the birthdays and Halloween. Little Matthew turned one year old and is growing so fast. Matthew can now say a few words and is trying to stand on his own. He points at things and says, "Whats that." He is really cute.We had a joint birthday with Matthew's cousin who also turned one.

I had my birthday a few days later but it seems the older one gets the less exciting it is. It was just another day to me. I had class that night but ended up skipping it and went to dinner with Matt's family.

The hunt came and gone with no success. Matt was pretty disappointed this year with everything about the hunt. The weather was bad and there were no deer anywhere.

Halloween was a lot of fun despite the rain. We dressed Little Matthew up as a monkey and took him trick or treating down Osmond lane. He was not sure what was going on but it was still fun. I also convinced Matt to dress up with me. We have been eating the candy and found out the baby loves chocolate. Not sure that is a good thing but it is funny to watch.
 

Temple Blessings

It is so awesome to see people receive the blessings of the temple with so little opportunity to go. Napa and Dipu were converts from my mission. Kami and I had the opportunity to teach Napa and her friend and watch them both be baptized. Thailand is not a high baptizing mission and the fact we even got to see it was amazing. The retention rate is also not very high and for Napa and Dipu to have stayed active as long as they have has been a miracle in my life. I never doubted them but things happen in life we can not control.

Dipu was a refugee from Nepal and I am do not know the whole story but that usually means if they go back to their country they will be killed. Dipu was a lucky one and was able to get the papers he needed to become a legal in Thailand. Napa and Dipu were married about a year after they were baptized. Since they were married they have been saving money to come to America and go to the temple. It may seem silly because they could have gone to Hong Kong but they wanted to share this special time with people they loved. Most of the people they have befriended have moved back to America. They attend the Asoke international ward and most of the members are Americans sent there by the embassy and only spend about three years there.

On October 5 Napa and Dipu received there endowments at the Oquirrh Mountain temple. It was so amazing but it was so small and intimate. They both were able to listen to the session in their languages. It defiantly strengthens my faith to know God loves his people so much he provides them with the means to keep the commandments. It was so neat to be able to meet with the sealer as well. His son had taught the temple prep class in Thailand for the couple and told his father about it. His father called and asked to be the sealer and found out when the endowment session was and came to that as well. How often does the sealer get to go through a session with the couple?

Today Napa and Dipu went to the SLC temple and were sealed for all time and eternity. They were so cute sitting on the little couch listening to the sealer. At the end the sealer told them they could kiss and it was funny because in Thailand people do not kiss in public. It is kind of taboo so Dipu gave her a kiss on the cheek and everyone giggled.

This was one of the best moments in my life! I was able to see people keep the promises they made at baptism and commit to spending the rest of their lives together. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Fruits of Our Labors

I loved my mission and cherish it everyday but the real blessing is being able to see someone I was able to teach be sealed for all eternity with the love of her life. Napa and Dipu are coming to Utah to receive their endowment and be sealed. They have been so strong the past 3 years and it warms my heart to see them heading in the right direction. Congrats Napa and Dipu.

Spiritual Things

Matt was looking through some of his old mission papers and he came across The King Follett Sermon. I was reading through it and it made me realize some important aspects of the gospel. I always understood about God being an exalted man but I did not know exactly where is came from. As Joseph Smith gave his sermon he explained about God and comprehending the character of God. Here are some excepts from the original.

"There are but a very few beings in the world who understand rightly the character of God. The great majority of mankind do not comprehend anything, either that which is past, or that which is to come, as it respects their relationship to God. They do not know, neither do they understand the nature of that relationship; and consequently they know but little above the brute beast, or more than to eat, drink and sleep. This is all man knows about God and His existence, unless it is given by the inspiration of the Almighty. 

If a man learns nothing more than to eat, drink and sleep, and does not comprehend any of the designs of God, the beast comprehends the same things. It eats, drinks, sleeps, and knows nothing more about God; yet it knows as much as we, unless we are able to comprehend by the inspiration of Almighty God. If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves. I want to go back to the beginning, and so lift your minds into more lofty spheres and a more exalted understanding than what the human mind generally aspires to. 

God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by His power, was to make himself visible—I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with Him, as one man talks and communes with another."

I never understood why some other religions believe in karma or being reincarnated but after reading this sermon I can see where they may have misinterpreted the true teachings. The sermon goes on to say:

 "When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave."

Life is Looking Up

Things are finally starting to turn around for me. I finally was able to get into my stats class so I should be graduating this year. I had a great interview at BYU. This does not mean I will become a BYU fan of any kind but it will be nice to work again. I should find out on Wednesday if I got the job or not. The only problem now is finding a babysitter for little Matthew if I do get the job.

Graduation in Sight?

I am so close and so far away at the same time. Anyone who has gone through their last semester of college needs to give me some advice. I am super excited but scared to death at the same time. I have no idea what I am going to do with my degree. I know what I want to do but I need experience first. It seems all the jobs I apply for require experience but how do you get real experience when you have never used your degree before? I have only done one year of internship stuff and that is not always enough. Help ease my stress and let me know how to cope with being a real person.

2 Years and Going Strong.

Matt and I had a wonderful anniversary. Matt had the day off from work so we spent the morning car shopping. Matt (on his own) decided it would be better to have a more family friendly car, so we went from dealership to dealership looking for a truck.

The first place we went tried to scam us but of course we saw right through it. I hate it when car salesmen try to tell you there is no other deal like this and it is once in a life time. There is always another deal out there. The guy told us we could get a lot for the trade in on the mustang but the price of the car never went down. After we left there we went home to blue book the truck to see what it was really worth. He was trying to sell us this used truck for 6,000 more than the suggested retail.

Next we went to Ken Garff and they were super nice and friendly. They did not try to pressure us into something we really did not want. Unfortunately we did not find the truck we wanted. We looked at a few more places but then finally we found her at the Larry H. Miller truck dealership. She is a 2007 Ford F150 Lariat edition, four-door super crew, stone gray and leather seats.

Everything that day did not go perfectly because when we decided we wanted to buy the truck it was already 5:00 and the guy told us he could get us out in 15 minutes and we believed him. We had a dinner reservation at 6:30 and I still had to get ready. The Anniversary in was still 15 to 20 minutes from where we were. We finally left the dealership at 6:15. We did call and had our reservations changed to 7:45.

We checked into the hotel and quickly took showers and got ready. We did not even get to enjoy the room because we were in such a hurry.

We ate dinner at a restaurant in Cottonwood Heights called Tuscany. It was super fancy and more expensive than we were expecting. But the dealership said they would pay for our dinner since they made us late. It was the best dinner I have ever had. Matt ate a 53 dollar rib-eye steak. That does not include the salad. I had the ravioli and it was so delicious. The overall bill was 130 dollars with the tip and the valet parking. A funny side note: Matt and I dressed up all fancy and when we walked in no one else was dressed up. Most people were in business casual attire. We did not care because it made us feel good to be all dolled up for once.

We returned to the hotel at about 10:00 and by then I am exhausted. Matt and I cuddled and just enjoyed each others company. We finally decided to go to bed around 11:30, so we turned off the TV and tried to go to sleep. The room next to us was playing their rap music so loud it sounded like it was coming from the speakers in our room. At first we thought it was coming from outside but when Matt went in the hall way he say there door was cracked open and some inappropriate noises were coming from inside. They must have been trying to hide what there were doing behind the music. We did call down to the desk and had them turn down the music. Overall it was a great night and anniversary.

Just Gets Worse

I do not understand why colleges make people take classes that are just not needed. I have been in college for 5 years now and should be graduated but I still have to take a math class. I am not sure why I have to take it if I have made it this far in life without needing it. I would have had it all completed but in Utah if you do not take a math class for more than one year then you have to retake the math placement test. What a waste of my time.

So Frustrated

I have been having a hard time lately living with the in-laws. They are great people and are so wonderful for letting us live with them rent free. I always have a babysitter when I need one but it is still hard. Matt has a car we are paying off so it is impossible for us to afford an apartment right now. I think I am going to go crazy. Just as wishful thinking, I have been looking around for apartments/town homes to rent or buy. I was looking on KSL.com and found a great deal. It is a 2 bedroom 2 bath town home in American Fork for 68,000. Something we could really afford with the help of my parents. They told Matt and I they would help us buy our first place just like they did with my brother. So I called my mom and talked to her about it and she agreed it was a great deal but they could not fork over the money right now. She said if we could wait till the end of September or beginning of October they would have the cash. This is such a great deal and I just do not want to pass it up. Me and patience are not the best of friends.

"Paul declared to the Hebrews, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”"

I know I need to have patience but it seems as though everyone else is being blessed and we are stuck. Stuck in a rut and can not get out. Sometimes I just wish life was not so hard.

Now I am trying to find a job and see if we can make something work. I have applied at a few places and now I am just waiting to hear back. The hardest thing is I will have to put Little Matt in daycare or find a babysitter. They are so expensive these days and I always told myself I would never put my child into daycare. I guess when you are poor you just have to do what you have to do.

Road Trips

It feels like Matt and I would never get to take a road trip together this summer. We have done a lot together but nothing that lasted more than one night. For our anniversary we are going to the Anniversary Inn in Salt Lake City. It looks like it will be a great get away because the rooms are themed. It is not just another hotel but every room is different. We are going to stay in the Enchanted Forest room.

In September we are going to Moab with my parents and some of their friends. We are having a couples trip and I am sure we are the youngest couple going. My dad is bringing 4-wheelers and a off road vehicle called a Joiner. I have only been to Moab once when I was in high school and we did not have anything but bicycles.

After that trip Matt and I are going to Arizona with some friends of ours. We are going to stay in my parents condo and hopefully take out the jet skis. If not that then we will take the jeep out and just have a good time. My Parents bought this place in Lake Havasu about a year ago and we have only been able to go down once. So this will be a nice chance to go when the weather is still nice.

School Stress

This year is going to be the most stressful year of my school career. I have one class to take to graduate and I am not sure if I can even get into the class. I have to take the math placement again and pass it to make it into 1050. I am only two questions away from passing. I want to graduate but I have such a hard time with math. If I can just get this out of the way I will be on my way to a real career.

It scares me to think I will have to be a real person and get a real job but I think I am ready for it. I really want a job in sports so if anyone has a connection to a university looking for people I can always use a job. I eventually want to work for a professional sports team or a D1 school. Staying around Utah would be ideal but I am willing to go anywhere at this point.

Embarrassing

I just had to tell everyone about my shopping trip today. I decided to check out the Win Co Foods in Orem because I have heard it is cheaper than Walmart. Yes I am cheap. So I shopped and found some really good deals on baby food and cereal. I probably had 50 or 60 dollars worth of food in my cart when I went to the check out. The cashier just finished ringing me up so, I swiped my credit card and the machine said, "debit or check". I was very confused but I asked the cashier if they took credit cards. And to my surprise they do not. Of course I do not have a debit or check with me. It was pretty embarrassing having gotten all that stuff just to leave it with the cashier. They said they would hold it for me but I decided it would be easier to just go to Harmon's. Win Co really is cheaper but almost not worth the drive to Orem.

I Love Summer

I love summer and being outside!!! I also love being in the water even if there is no boat involved. My friend Melanie called me the other day and asked me if I wanted to go float the Provo River with her and her husband. Of course I did but what I did not know was how cold the water was going to be. The one day in the summer when the temperature was below 80. If it is scorching hot the water does not seem as bad but when the wind is blowing and it is only 75 degrees, floating the river is just not as fun. It took us about 45 minutes to get down the river and at first it kinda sucked but once we became numb it was fun.

We celebrated the 4th of July the same night by having a fmaily barbecue and watching the Stadium of Fire at BYU. It was a disappointment because the show was not as long or as exciting as years past.On the real 4th we decided to go to the ranch with some mission friends. We left Sunday night after church and had a nice dinner. We ate elk steaks with potato salad and beans. Matt makes amazing steaks! We had a nice little camp fire and roasted marshmallows and ate dutch oven peach cobbler. The next morning we shot guns and played around on the four-wheelers. No one got hurt thank gooodness.

Family ride.Brent Call and girlfriend Ashley

Nate MartinKelly BarcusMatthew G. getting ready for the guns.

In the end we had a great 4th of July. We are so grateful to live in a free country and are thankful for those serving in the armed forces.

Cody Wyoming

Most of the month of June I have spent up in Cody Wyoming. The first time I came I was only there for a week and, little Matthew and I were able to spend time with the grandparents. We missed Big Matthew a lot but being able to work and take in a little extra money made it work it. Then I was home for a week then went back to Cody with out little Matthew or his dad and it was hard. I was gone for two weeks working with my dad. While I was gone the baby went from scooting to crawling and his first tooth came in. I am sad I missed it but Matt and I could really use the money.

My dad owns his own asphalt paving company so, the work is hard but it is nice being outside. I have worked harder in two weeks than I have in the last 18 months or since I found out I was pregnant. I love running equipment and shoveling asphalt.Being home is a lot of fun and I just wished Matt could have shared the experience with me. I spent most of my free time with two of my best friends. They are really the only friends I have left in Cody. Annie married my best friend from high school and soon became my best friend too. She works at the movie theater and took me to a few movies.

The last few days in Wyoming are spent at the lake. My mom has been itching for a camping trip so, my dad took her camping on the Friday before I left. Matt and the baby and his brother also came up on Friday to go to the lake with us but they did not make it until 12:45 am. It seemed like forever since I had seen them. We were going to take the jet skis out but one of them was broken so we took one out and played. It was fun but could have been better. The weather was kind of crappy in the morning and did not clear up till about noon.Sunday we went to church at the student ward in Powell Wyoming. My dad had to speak so the whole family went to support him. The rest of the day was spent taking naps and making cupcakes.
Monday was the long trip home with two cars. Matt's 16-year-old brother drove the mustang most of the way but I would not let him drive by himself on I-80. It is such a dangerous road.

Now we are home just relaxing and spending time with the baby.

Funny Story

When I am home I always get caught up on all the gossip so I have to share this funny story. My mom and dads best friends are really funny people. They have been married for twenty something years and love each other very much, but when they get mad at each other they really hold a grudge. We are going to call them Jack and Jill.

Jack and Jill own their own business and work together and are together 24/7. This will help in understanding what happened.

On Sunday they got into a little tiff about using a certain brand of eye drops. Nothing big but they were annoyed with each other all day. Jack was annoyed enough to leave church early and go home and pout. It did not stop there. Monday roles around and they are still annoyed with each other. So Jill decided to stay home and do work from there while Jack went to the shop to work. Jill had to go to the shop the drop off some papers and found out her husband was not there. The shop was swamped and they really needed Jacks help. Jill went home to see if she could find him and, to her surprise, he was there spraying weeds. She informed him that the shop really needed his help. He was not in the mood to be nagged. He mouthed off to her and she did the same. Jack snapped and was really upset. Jill told Jack to take his perfect little ass and put it in his perfect truck and hook up to his perfect trailer and take a perfect little trip. SO he did. He has been gone since Monday afternoon. My mom and dad and Jill have been worried because he will not answer his phone. Thursday he sent my mom a text saying he was fine but had spent the morning in the ER. He did not say why or what had happened and that was it. Today is Friday and still no word.

When I talked to Jill she said this happens about once a year because they spend so much time together that sometimes they just need some space. He will eventually come back and all will be well again.

Summer Fun

It has been a while since my last post and so much has happened. The baby has grown and is becoming a little man. Matt and I have a lot of plans for the summer and hope we can actually do some of the things we have planned.

Swinging at the Park

So far this summer I have gone home and visited my family. I took the mustang and the baby with me. He did really good on the way up but on the way back he was really fussy. On my trip I helped my dad with work and realized how much I love laying asphalt. I forgot how hard it was to do it when you are out of shape. Being a stay at home mom had really taken its tole on me. Grandma Greer was able to play with Little Matt for a week and try to teach him how to crawl. While I was home I found out my brother and his wife are trying to have a baby. This will be number three. My nephew Dado man was calling Matt his brother and did not want to give him up. Big Matt had to stay home and work. When I told Dade he was not coming he was very disappointed.

When I came home from Wyoming Matt and I went and had dinner at an amazing barbecue restaurant (Pat's) in Salt Lake City. Then we went and visited with some old friends of mine and played cards all night. The next night after church We went camping with some friends of ours from here in Provo. It was a lot of fun but Matt was wacked in the face with a tree. He and Jordan were moving trees out of the road that had fallen over night. One of the trees slipped and Matt was in the wrong place. It almost knocked him out. He was lucky he had sunglasses on because he may have lost an eye.

First Camping Trip

We only camped for one night then came home to do laundry and clean up. On Tuesday morning we had a primary service project we had to go to at a park near our house. The kids did such a great job picking up trash.

Anyone who knows Matt knows how much he hates sitting around so, on Tuesday went fishing at Deer Creek Reservoir. It was not very good fishing but we both caught one.

Brown Trout

Now everything is back to normal except I am going back to Wyoming on Monday to help my dad some more. I will be gone for three weeks this time. Matt is going to keep the baby with him for half of the time then he is going to visit me and we will switch.

The only bad part of the summer so far is that our washer pooped out on us and now we are sharing with the in-laws. It is not too bad as long as I get it done in the morning. Other than that everything is great and we are having a lot of fun.

The update on Little Matt is that he is learning to crawl and becoming a real handful. He is such a smart little guy. He loves to cuddle and play. He is sitting up on his own and reaching for everything. He loves to eat and does not seem to be picky.

Baby Milestones

Little Matthew is growing so fast and getting so big. He has been rolling over from back to front for about 3 weeks now. He is also talking more and I think he is trying to say words but it may just be wishful thinking. The little worm is scooting on the floor but not crawling yet but I do not think it is very far off. The only bad think he has started doing is whining when he does not get his way. He really wants to eat people food but he needs teeth still. Here are some pictures to show how much he has grown.

Little Matts first trip to the Ranch

So many changes

The last month or so has been so crazy with school, the baby and every thing else in our life. My in-laws have let a very distant cousin, Kathrine, from Germany live with them (and us because we live with them too) until she got married. She was here about a month and now she has been married about four days. Her family is now staying here for a week or so until the reception is over. They are good people. Kathrine's dad is a famous opera singer in Germany and her mom sells jewelry on a TV show like HSN.

While Kathrine was here we did celebrate her 30th birthday with her.

Well, other than them staying here, Matt, I and the baby have all been sick. I caught a really bad head cold that turned into a sinus infection. No fun!!!! Because I was sick I got behind in my homework and for the last few days I have been trying to catch up.

The baby is getting more adorable everyday. He is now trying to crawl but is mostly just scoots and usually goes backwards. He has started reaching for his toys a lot. Not just grabbing at stuff but really reaching with both hands stretched out. He is also laughing at everything we do. Matt bought a new backpack to carry him around in Little Matt loves it. He really likes going places with us. It makes it easier than trying to carry him in his car seat.

Matthew and grandma helping with Eric's eagle project.

Matt just realized today that he has to have all of his math homework done and turned in by the end of the week. He has an online math class so he does all his homework and then send it in. He can not take his tests until the teacher grades and send it all back. It ends up taking about two weeks. By the time he gets them back the semester will be about over and only have a few days to take the test.

I have been stressing out about being done with school. It is weird to think I will no longer be taking classes or even be a student. I could be a forever student if I did not have to worry about money. I am actually afraid to have a real job and put my schooling to use. I do have to take one math class and it is my vice. I hate math so much and it kills me that I have gone this long and never needed it or even used it. I will not let it keep me from graduating!

On a lighter note, Matt and I have adopted some cute little ducklings for Easter. They are so cute but very messy. We bought two black ducks and one white pekin duck. I am not sure what to name them but I was thinking Huey, Duey and Luey? When they are all grown up we are going to let them go at a city pond or on the river. They are already recognizing me and sorta starting to follow me around. They do not like it when I pick them up but I think they know I am the hand that feeds them.

The Ducks enjoying bath time.

My brother in-law has recently received his mission call and we are so excited for him. I think I am the most excited out of everyone in the family. More than Brett. He is going the the Stockholm Sweden mission. I can not even imagine learning Swedish but then again I learned Thai.

Las Vegas

Matt and I took our first trip to Vegas last weekend and it was great. We stayed in style at the Super 8 behind the strip. It was not as bad as it could have been. At least the sheets were clean. We got to Vegas at about 9:00pm and started looking for something to eat. We figured everything would be open late due to it being a city that stays up all night. We were wrong. the only buffet open was at the Bellagio and it was 40 or 50 dollars a person. Not worth it for a buffet, so we walked around till we found the grungiest place on the strip. It was not a buffet but a food court next to the beer pong tournament.

The next day we went and watched a NASCAR race and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was great but then the weather started to change and we thought it was going to rain. The race was half over and if it rained they would call the race so we decided to leave. We were positive it was going to rain but to our surprise it did not and my parents said it turned out to be a great race. At least we beat most of the traffic. After the race we went to the Pawn Stars store on the strip. We were very disappointed because the store was not as seen on TV. The Old Man was not there to make it worth it. Now it was time to eat so again we went on the search for a place to eat. What ever happened to the cheap buffets Vegas was known for? We ended up at the end of the strip at the Excalibur buffet. They charged us 20 dollars a person for a Golden Corral quality buffet. On the way out I saw a stand selling pearls and of course I stopped. The guy working there asked if I wanted anything and I said I was just looking. He got real snooty with and Matt almost hit him. He was sassing me for no reason, but I think he was having a bad day. The rest of the night was spent walking around the MGM, Luxor, and M&M World.

The last day was Sunday so we did not do too much but walk around. We looked in the NY NY and Coke place. We had had enough of Vegas and decided to go home. When you don't drink or gamble Vegas is not as fun. I personally do not enjoy watching drunk people act like idiots and I really missed my baby.

Visiting Mom and Dad

I went home this last week to visit my family and show off my handsome baby. I always think that when I go home I will want to stay but it is not my home anymore. I like visiting but after a week I was ready to come back to Utah. After living in Utah and seeing how much different the people here are makes me not want to leave. I always told my self I did not want to live in Utah but I really enjoy the smoke free and mostly alcohol free living. I mean I do not have to deal with drunk people or worrying about my baby sucking in second hand smoke.

For example my father and I had to go to Billings Montana to have my moms car serviced and we also did a little shopping. We were walking into a store when we see this lady holding a small child of one or two and another child about 3 walking next to her. In her hand she has a cigarette and is smoking it like nothing is wrong. She had no regard for her child. I almost said something to her but I did not want to embarrass my dad or her in front of her kids.

That kind of behavior makes me so angry. How can people not care about their family and increase their chances of cancer without their consent.

The best part of going to visit my family is getting to snowmobile again. I really miss doing it every week. I used to be good and now I get tired after one or two hours. My dad has not really been going as much either. It may be his age or not having anyone to go with.

For me I am happy being a Utard. I may not have any luxuries but I have my husband and child and that is what makes me happy.

Lazy people

Everyone knows Matt and I are poor college students but yet there are people so lazy they have to steal from us. We were sitting at the Rumbi Grill in Provo yesterday when Matt received a call. It was the credit card company asking us if we had made a purchase for 400 dollars in Vegas. Some loser got the information for one of our credit cards and tried to use it to buy booze at CVS pharmacy. We do not know how they got it because we both have our cards and have not shopped in Vegas lately. Lucky for us the card was declined. Not that we did not have the money but our card does no allow us to charge that much at one time. I am so peeved about it because people are so dishonest and lazy. GET A JOB LOSER!!! Stop trying to ruin other peoples lives.

Cooking

Recently Rene and I have come to an agreement for me to help make dinner three times a week. It is the least I can do living in their house for free. Lately I have just been making food I know how to make or read from a cook book but tonight Rene and I went to lady in our wards house to learn how to make tamales. I am not a fan of tamales but I do like knowing how to make a wide variety of foods. We made a dozen tamales each and I just hope Matt will eat them because I do not think I will. The lady teaching us has at least 10 cookbooks published. She must know what she is doing. She has this class every month where she teaches us a new recipe. Next month we are making healthy meatballs for spaghetti. I do not care if they are healthy but I do want to know how to make meatballs. I figure I can substitute the turkey for elk.

The Bee's Knees

Since Christmas Matt and I have been extremely busy with the baby, school, and work. Matt's job is very tiring because, unlike his other job, he is always doing something. We both thought he would have more time to do a little homework but this hospital is a little stricter than the one in Logan. Matt is kind of like a dispatcher for the housekeepers. The nurses discharge someone and it is his job to assign a housekeeper to clean it. He also has to make sure they are always working. They have no down time because if they do not have rooms to clean they have busy work.

As for me, I have been staying home with the baby and trying to keep up with school. I am taking 12 credits in order to graduate. It has not been to bad yet but I am afraid I may have bitten off more than I can chew.

The baby is doing great. He is growing and straining my back every time I pick him up. He is only 11 pounds but he gets heavy. He still does not sleep all the way through the night but he is getting better. He only gets up one or two times to eat. It is hard because those of you who know me know I do not do well getting up when I am really tired. Matt helps out by getting up once and then I usually get up the second time.

Matt and I are all moved in to his parents basement. I has been really good but sometimes I feel stuck. I am home alone most of the day and I tell my self I am going to accomplish something but I almost never get around to it. I will start doing something then the baby will cry and I will have to hold him or feed him. It is ok but I feel like a slacker. I would go out an do stuff but we are trying to save money and when I go out I always spend money. Rene (Matt's mom) and I decided that I could help her out and make dinner three times a week. She works as a vice principle and does not get home until after six most nights. It gives me a chance cook new things. I have really been enjoying it thus far.

Fireworks

The holidays were great!! Matt and I had a great Christmas break in Arizona. We spent the holiday riding four-wheelers and shopping. Havasu is so pretty and I can not wait to go back. The whole city is a big playground. If we wanted we could have rode the four-wheelers all around town. There is no grass, just dirt everywhere. The town also has the old London Bridge. It is pretty neat because they actually moved it from London to Arizona. I guess it was sinking and the Brits were going to tear it down so some rich guy bought it and had it sent to Havasu.

Matt was so sweet and bought me a Garmin because he knows I am not good at getting around on my own and we did just move to Provo. The baby had a great time too, I think. He is not able to tell me yet. He was very spoiled over the holiday by his grandparents on both sides. He got new clothes and toys.

The New Year was really fun as well. Matt and I invited a high school friend and his wife to come and shoot fireworks off. Matt's brothers are crazy and spent tons of money on all sorts of fireworks. It ended up being a great show. Baby Matt even had a great time. Of course he did not make it until midnight but I think he tried. I was not sure I was going to make it either but since we had company I stayed up. This year is going to be a great one because I will be graduating after this semester and will hopefully find a job. Then, Matt will be able to go to school full time and get done sooner.


On the first we went out to dinner with the whole family. Tiffany (Sister in-law) had her 27th birthday. We ended up going to Texas Roadhouse and as always it was great. They have the best prime rib around.