Latest Happenings

We have been so busy getting ready for Christmas. We decorated our tree just after Thanksgiving and started listening to Christmas music so I've really been in the spirit. I've also been excited because Garrick and I have the BEST gifts to give away this year! We have been scheming for months on what to get everyone in the family (Get excited everyone!)

We had Bethany visiting with us this last week and it was great! We split her with Garrick's brothers and sisters so at times it felt like a funny custody battle! We had so much fun though, we cut snowflakes, made sugar cookies, and went to see the lights at temple square. Bethany even got to come to lab with me and help out with my science!

A Busy Week

Life is so good; Garrick and I are so happy together! We have started fishing and playing tennis, trying to get in the last bit of summer before the snow. I must say that I am a pretty lucky fisherman and have caught several trout. We have had such a fun filled week. On Tuesday we had dinner with one of my best friends (since elementary school!) and caught up on eachothers lives. Then on Wednesday we went for sushi for another friends birthday. The place was amazing...Red Ginger if anyone is interested. Last night I got to go to my cousins bridal shower! It was so much fun to catch up with Garrick's sisters and cousins. Tonight is a Halloween party with friends from our ward. Busy busy! It's been a great week though, and not over yet! Pictures of the Halloween party will have to be in the next post!

More Updates

I noticed it's been WAY too long since I posted so here is the update:

I passed my prelims! I'm an official graduate student and the oral exam is over! It was stressful, but I got a new suit jacket out of it that I LOVE (Garrick is such a great husband!) and now it's over! I'm back in the lab working away and not in the library.

I read All the King's Men, which was an excellent book and might be one of my new favorites. I also read The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, which is an awful book that I do not recommend (too dark for me...also too much like a CSI crime show).

I decided to try a pickle (I HATE pickles, but did not ever remember tasting one). I still don't like them. They tasted like vinegar and cucumber, which is all they are, and I think I'll go on giving all my pickles to Garrick!

Garrick convinced me to start using my driver when I golf and I got quite good at the driving range. Next time we go golfing I think I'll actually get 200 yards out of it!

That's all the updates and fun stories! I'll try not to go as long between posts!

Our pet bunny

Garrick and I are having so much fun at our house! There is a cute bunny that lives outside in our bushes. We have seen him a couple times, but then we decided to feed him our extra veggies that are going bad. We put a huge pile of spinach out there (we bought a Costco load of spinach...impossible to eat it all) and when we went outside the next morning he was sitting on top of it eating! It was so cute that Garrick took a picture. We finally have a pet!

Very Quick Update!

Well, lots has happened since I last posted, Christmas and New Years especially! We spent Christmas in Bakersfield and it was so relaxing and fun. We got to spend time with Garrick's family. We also learned how to make tamales from his Grandma. They were so yummy! We loved them so much we bought a steamer at Ikea so we can make them again. after getting home we jumped right back into our routine. I'm working and Garrick commutes to school. Taking down our Christmas decorations was so sad, it meant that our vacation was over and it was back to work!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a huge hit! We had Garrick's family over at my parents house and it was so much fun! The turkey turned out quite nice (Thanks Martha Stewart!) and it was great to spend time with family. My mom is so cute and decorated the house and tables, everything looked so festive. She also got fleece for everyone to make a blanket after dinner. It was a fun idea, we got to talk and watch A Christmas Story. My blanket has cute hearts on it and Garrick's a golf blanket. They are perfect! The best part of the whole Thanksgiving is that a week later I'm still eating leftovers!

Not only did I get to see Garrick's family on Thanksgiving, but they came over to our house and we cut snowflakes, drank hot chocolate, and went to see the Joseph Smith movie and the lights on Temple Square. It was great to see them and I can't wait to see them all again in a few weeks!

The Primary Program

Our ward did the primary program last week, and since Garrick is a primary teacher he got a part. The program was amazing! We only have 10 kids in the ward but they were so great. The program was about families being together forever. The singing was so fun, they knew the songs so well (Garrick couldn't sing, he said that he would be too many octaves lower then the kids!)

I'm so excited for the Hoildays! My stuffing was not the best this weekend, I'll be trying again soon, but in the meantime I've been listening to Christmas music. Garrick and I started buying Christmas decorations this week. We now have some ornaments for our tree! I was inspired because we watched Elf, one of the best Christmas movies off all time! We also picked names for the Smith family gift exchange...I got a pretty good one and did not even have to cheat! I just love Christmas!

Also I just figured out how to upload pictures, this one is the night we got engaged, I was really just excited to post something!