Sew Fun!

Well, I guess it is time for another post. It has been so long. For Christmas, my mother-in-law gave me a sewing machine. I have not sewed since I was in middle school but a friend of mine also got a sewing machine for Christmas. We decided one day we were going to give it a shot. In Young Womens, we made these little tote bags out of place mats and ribbon and I thought they were so cute. So, we figured we will start small and easy, then ease our way into more difficult things. I don't think they turned out half bad! Next project: Curtains. Lots and lots of curtains.

Sedona

Over the 4th of July Marshall and I went up north to Sedona.





























It is significantly cooler up north and absolutely beautiful. You are actually in the mountains. Sedona is a pretty small town but has lots of things to do. We ate dinner at a nice restaurant and then just hung out around town. Unfortunately, I got a huge headache so we went to bed early. The next morning we drove up the canyon and found a nice hiking spot. We hiked for a couple hours, ate some lunch and then headed back home. All in all, it was a fun weekend.

Colorado

It has been a little while since I have updated this so I thought it was about time. This is our first summer in Arizona and it hasn't really been that bad. I do hear that is has been a pretty mild summer this year, so if it gets worse than this, I don't know if I can handle it. We have gotten out of the state as much as possible though. Our first trip was the end of May. Marshall had just finished finals so we went to Colorado for a week. We went to a Rockies game, fishing, hiking, movies, saw friends, spent time with the niece and nephew and of course the fam. It was great to get away from our normal routine of work and school and see everyone. My mom has all the pics from fishing and all the cute kiddos so you are stuck with a picture of us at the Rockies game ( which is not a great one).




So I was going to put all our vacations in one post but apparently I totally suck at blogging so here comes a few new posts. I have been on this computer for a long time and am getting frustrated. I will add the rest later today or tomorrow...I need a break from this right now.

My nephew is such a stud!

We welcome Tucker Allen Douglas into our family. He is so dang cute. What a great gift family is. I am still in awe every time a new little member of the family comes.

Recharged

The last couple weeks I have had some great experiences that really reminded me of just how blessed I am. I have an amazing husband who works so hard to try to be the best he can be. I have a great job that allows be to not only pay the bills but meet a lot of great people. I have a great house giving me a roof over my head and home giving me a place I belong. I enjoy the blessings of knowing the truth which I know I take for granted. Marshall and I have amazing extended families that provide love and support for both of us. And we have so much more.
I have been thinking a lot of myself and different trials I am experiencing and what a breath of fresh air it is to just think about the blessings I have. Life really is an amazing journey and I am grateful to be apart of it. Life is great!

Our Visitors

Well I can't figure our how to move this stupid picture so it is out of order. I really need some more instruction on how to blog properly. Anyway, this is Kylee and I petting the goats at the petting zoo.

My Cousin Courtney, her husband Quinton and daughter Kylee came to visit us for a few days. We had so much fun and really enjoyed the company. Courtney and I got to spend some time together and go to a chick flick, Dear John. I know Marshall appreciated that, but I had a great time having a little girls night. We also got to go to the zoo, swimming, a duck pond. Marshall and I got to babysit Kylee while Courtney and Quinton went to a Suns game. They also got to experience In N Out and I think that was a good experience for them.



My cousin and I. Isn't her little belly cute? Expecting number 2 in September.


Kylee is ready to see all the animals

The Phoenix Zoo was actually a pretty good zoo. They had lots of different animals and a Lot of things to do. I was impressed.

Thank you Courtney and Quinton for coming to visit us. You are missed. Anyone else who wants to come visit is more than welcome! We have a room waiting for you.

The House

Upstairs Loft

The Living Room
Imagine the wall with the mirror the same color as the pillows
The Dining Room

The Kitchen

The Entry Way

We have finally got the major projects done on the house. We are so blessed and so happy to be in this home. Marshall and I love it and can't wait to have visitors. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Home Owners At Last!

Well, the day has finally come. This has been quite a process and quite a journey but looking back on it all, it all worked out for the best....As it always does. Anyway, a brief history of this house. It is the second house we have gone through the whole process with. The first one we ended up losing after putting a few months effort into it. Then we found this house and it ended up being cheaper and in a little better location. We ended up closing on this house 2 weeks late and giving us only 2 weeks (because our apartment contract ends on Jan 23rd) to paint the whole interior, recarpet, put in appliances, pack and clean our entire apartment, and move everything into the new house with me working 5-6 days a week and Marshall as a full time med student. Needless to say, the last few weeks have been extremely stressful for us and to be honest, this whole process has not been fun!! Marshall and I have not slept well in weeks. Now, this craziness is over and now everything else just needs to go as planned next week with the painters and carpet people. Now, Marshall and I are owners of a 4 bed, 3 bath, 2200 sq ft home!!!!! Everyone needs to come and visit us now!!! Here is a picture of the outside. More pictures to come...before and after pictures.

Christmas 2009...

Christmas this year was celebrated in California. Marshall's little brother Garrett got home from his mission to Paris, France right before Christmas and most of the family was able to be there right after Christmas. Terina, we missed you. It is always great to spend the holidays with family. I miss being so close to family like we were in Utah where we were able to get together often. Marshall gave me the new Gerald Lund book The Undaunted, we got a gift card to IKEA, I got a new Cricut Cartridge, chocolate from France (YUM), Marshall got a paper shredder and a new Laker shirt, and a few other little things. It was great. Happy New Year everyone!

Phoenix Suns Game

My boss had a bunch of tickets to the Phoenix Suns game so Marshall and I went and it was really fun. We were pretty far up there but it ended up they weren't bad seats. It was a good game. The half time show was a guy with one arm that juggled all these different things. It was really cool to watch. Anyway, enjoy some more pictures.

Thanksgiving in Colorado

So I know I have been terrible at keeping this thing up so I am trying to play catch up. We went to Colorado for Thanksgiving this year and were able to spend a whole week there. It was great to be there with family and be able to just relax. It was also fun to see my new little niece, Savanna. She is so dang cute. Thanksgiving dinner was great, as always, and we stuffed ourselves. After dinner we went to the Bronco's game. That was a ton of fun. It was both mine and Marshall's first time at a NFL game. We sat right in front of the speakers so when they played the music it was really loud. My dad just couldn't take it any longer so he stuffed tissue in his ears for the whole game. It was so funny. Above are some pictures of the game and Savanna.

99 Things

99 Things

The object is to copy & paste the list of "99 things" to your blog & bold the things you've done!!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland..does disneyworld count?
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class once
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Have been published
81. Visited the Redwoods
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

The busy month of September

Well, this month has just been crazy. Lately, I have been working like crazy. I have worked over 40 hours this week and that will continue for a few more weeks. I haven't worked 40 hours a week for a LONG time and this is exhausting. It really has been a blessing though and I am grateful for my job.

Marshall and I have been looking at houses the last month or so as well. That has been a fun yet stressful experience. We have looked at many homes and have gone back and forth on what we want. We finally found one we like and have put an offer on the home. Now we are in the process of really checking everything out and making sure it is what we want. We are both very excited and very nervous about the whole process but really feel like it is the way to go.

Marshall has been kicking butt in school but that is no surprise. He really is loving it and gets so excited when he learns new things. Now I get to hear him explain everything in medical terms. For example, we were eating dinner the other night and he just had to explain all the different things that were going on with my food. I don't even know what he was describing. I told him then, I just realized I married a big nerd. haha He responded, "you didn't marry no dummy."

Anyway, life is great in the big AZ and when we get into a house, we are ready for any and all visitors!!

Dodger Game!!

Marshall finally got to go to a Dodger game this year. He has been waiting until we moved here to go. We woke up on Labor Day and Marshall saw that there was a game so we bought tickets and went. It was actually pretty cool. It was the first time I had ever been to a baseball game on an indoor field. It was crazy hot in Phoenix but very comfortable in the stadium. Thank goodness for air conditioning!! We also got some pretty nice seats for cheap. We were sitting 8 rows up on the third base line. Good news too. The Dodgers won!

All is well

I think we are finally all settled. I have been buying the less important things little by little to finish everything up. This makes Marshall feel better. I just bought our bedspread and I think that was pretty much the last thing I needed to buy.
After much searching and a few interviews I have accepted a job. It will be nice because I will be working full-time most weeks. My schedule is going to be pretty weird I think. I don't really have a set schedule and I am working between 2 offices that are owned by the same person so I pretty much will be going where I am needed. I am very grateful to have a job though and Marshall and I have been extremely blessed. I am just amazed at how everything has just fallen into place.
Marshall is loving school. He comes home so excited about what he has learned that day! He is also doing very well. He got an A on his first test!! He definitely is studying a lot and he hasn't even started all of his classes. They are easing the students into it this year. School started 2 weeks earlier this year than it has in the past. For these first 2 weeks he has only had a couple classes and then they add the rest on. It has been nice because Marshall has been home more but I know that will change once he starts taking all his classes. He started his Anatomy lab and he actually is dissecting the cadavers. Very interesting.
We are starting to look more seriously into buying a house. We have found a few online and driven buy them. This week I am going to call a Real Estate Agent and try to meet with her and get the ball rolling. Exciting times!

the front entrance

The living room

The living room

The Kitchen

The dining room