ANNOUNCING....

So I had a nice little surprise waiting for me in my mailbox today. It was the key to the large package mailbox. As we made our way to the mailbox labeled on the key, Andrew & I racked our brains to figure out what large package we could be expecting. Upon opening the compartment and seeing my waiting package, the only words that I could say were: "I JUST GOT MY DIPLOMA!!!"

For those of you who know of the frustration that I have gone through, I imagine you will share in my excitement! Since the beginning of the year, whenever I would mention that I have a degree in child development, Andrew would correct me that I almost have that degree. However, now no one can ever say that I did not finish college.

The sense of accomplishment & completion is amazing! I never thought that this is what it would feel like to finish something so big as a college degree! For those of you who may be wondering if school is for you: if for no other reason, do it to say you did it!

Our Newest Family Member

Moving back to Vegas has been a lot of fun! Rent is less than $450, so we are saving money to buy other things. We had some friends, Taney & Alexis Kurth, who had a Toyota Tacoma that they didn't need anymore. It also overheated quickly because the radiator was busted. We took the truck off their hands for them for $1,000, and then got it fixed up for only $500! However, we did not get it entirely fixed. Taney had rear-ended someone (that's how the radiator got busted) so the front bumper is dented and sagging a little. There also wasn't room for the A/C radiator when we put the new radiator in, so we don't have any air conditioning. We drive mostly the Honda, but the truck is handy for lots of things, like: picking up our bed 2 days early, giving the missionaries rides with their bikes tossed in the back, hauling a dresser across town from my parents house, and many other amazing opportunities! It is so nice having a truck, much less a second car!

Elevated Sleeping

When we lived in St. George for 4 months, all we had to sleep on was an air mattress. When that adventure was coming to an end, Andrew promised me that, once we got our own place here in Vegas, we could get a bed. Well that promise came true yesterday! I came home earlier this week to find lvfurnituredirect.com pulled up on the computer. Andrew told me that he decided it is time that we got our bed! He said that I am so good to him & patient with him, that I deserve my bed. I am so glad that my usually complacent nature is translated as patience!
So Friday we went down to the warehouse/showroom to look at the bed that Andrew liked best from the website. When we got there, he decided that it wasn't that cool, so I got to pick my favorite bed that was on display. They told us the bed would be delivered either Saturday or Monday.
I work from 8-2 on Saturdays, so when I got off work I called Andrew to see if our bed came today. He said, "No, they didn't deliver it today." I was a little disappointed as anyone would be. When I got home, the bedroom door was closed. After a couple of minutes passed and I still hadn't gone in the bedroom, Andrew hinted at the fact that the bedroom door was in fact closed. I opened the bedroom door, and sitting in the middle of our room was OUR BED!!!! At first I accused him of lying to me, but he technically didn't because he said that the company hadn't delivered it. After calling them to find out if they would not be delivering our bed until Monday, he decided to take our Toyota Tacoma down to the warehouse and pick it up himself.
Now whenever we are home, we just chill on our bed, instead of sitting on the couch. This is the first time since we've been married that our bed is not sitting directly on the floor. I had forgotten how wonderful elevated sleeping is!

I need your input!!!

Okay faithful friends: I need your help! I have decided to start teaching private swim lessons, but I need a business name. The only one that I can come up with is Swift Swimming. Andrew says that it is too generic (& I think he's jealous that I'm using my maiden name!). Let me know if you like it or if you can think of something else. I would really appreciate it!

Trip Back East

Andrew & I just got back from traveling the country. We spent some time in Oregon with his family, drove to Pittsburgh with his friend, Greg, visited my cousins in Washington D.C. & NYC, and spent a day in Palmyra, NY! It was a great little vacation. The best part was that everything in DC is free...our kind of vacation!!! Pictures soon to come!

We also found ourselves a nice little apartment! It is in a little bit older part of Las Vegas, but older = bigger & cheaper! We move in on Tuesday, June 1. I am so excited to finally stop living out of boxes & suitcases!

Birthday Celebration!

I love birthdays! My birthday may be the catalyst for this post, but I love all birthdays! While I was at work, I had a wonderful conversation with a lady from NYC. When she found out that it was my birthday, not only did she sing 'Happy Birthday' to me, but she also gave me a new insight to birthday celebrations. She said that birthdays are an opportunity for our loved ones to celebrate that they have us! Without your birthday, you would not be here, and how wonderful it is that we can be living today!

So on your next birthday, refrain from thinking that you are another year older. Instead, think about how blessed you are to have lived another year with those people that you love and that love you!

To everyone who I may not get a chance to tell you 'Happy Birthday' on your birthday:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Move #2 in 2010

For the second time this year already, we are moving. We are only moving from the west side of St. George, bordering Santa Clara, to the east side of St. George, bordering Washington City, but we still have to pack up everything. However, we are only going to be living in this new place for one month. So move #3 will be coming shortly. Right now is the time that I am so very thankful that Andrew is a minimalist! I have spent 1 hour so far packing, and I already have the closet & bathroom packed, as well as 1/3 of the kitchen. All I have left to pack is our food and 1/2 of our dishes, and the bedroom. Packing up the bedroom consists of deflating the air matress and packing the sheets.

I cannot wait for the day that we know we will be some place long enough to get a real bed! A real bed that consists of a matress and a box spring, as well as a head & foot board! Hopefully that day will come soon!!!

Palm Trees & Swans!

This weekend was pretty eventful and fun!

On Saturday, Andrew helped one of the guys from work plant a palm tree in their front yard. We did get some pictures of them transfering the tree from the truck to the hole, which was pretty entertaining to watch! Hopefully we will be able to get some of those from them at some point! After they were done with Bryan's tree, they started talking to the guy across the street. He had been planning on getting a palm tree, but he didn't want to dig the hole, so he paid Andrew 50 bucks to dig the hole for him! Now Andrew's back is very sore! Poor guy; except he is $50 richer!

Sunday after church, we went to feed the ducks, but we decided to go to a different pond on the golf course. Last week as we drove by this pond, we noticed there were swans there! When we got to the pond yesterday, the swan was chillin' on the golf course across the pond from us. When it realized that we were feeding the ducks it came flying over. It's wingspan was amazing, and it was so graceful! When it landed, it was like it was waterskiing! It was really neat! Unfortunately, our camera was out of batteries! We plan on going back to that pond this Sunday. Hopefully we will be able to get a picture of it flying! I have never seen a swan before, and I never thought that I would see one in St. George, UT of all places!!!

Locked Out

Last night was pretty eventful...I locked the keys in the car! I was at the grocery store, and apparently they can't help you get back into your car because people have broken into other people's cars that way! Also, the police can't help you unless a little kid is trapped inside because people have sued the police for scratching their paint job or window while trying to open the car. A locksmith charges $59 and gets pissed if you tell him your going to see if any other lock smith is closer and cheaper. I finally called Andrew at work, and luckily one of the guys at the office has AAA roadside assitance. However, they were not going to be able to get to the store until 9 or 10, which would mean I was stuck at the store for 2 1/2 hours. Thankfully I had the number of a lady in the ward who came to pick me up and give me a ride home. However, when I got home, I could not get the front door unlocked! Since we have a garage door opener, that's how we always get in the house. So this kind, patient lady waited for almost 5 minutes while I was trying to get into the house. She came to help me unlock the door, and my only problem was that I was turning the key the wrong way!

*SIGH*

I felt like such an idiot last night, to say the least! I did the one thing that Andrew is always telling me not to do (in his own words): "This is our only key to the car, so whatever you do, do NOT lock the keys in the car!" WOW! I totally blew that one!

No Regrets

A young father in our ward died last week. He had a 6-month old baby. Andrew learned in Elder's Quorom (Priesthood) that this young father was probably one of the less-active members in the Church. Andrew told me that in Priesthood, they talked for a little while about always being prepared. Have we done all that we can do? As visiting and home teachers, have we visited our families, especially the less-active members? We never know when someone is going to leave this life.

We watched the movie "Love Happens" over the weekend. The guy had lived for 5 years with the feeling that he had killed his wife in a car accident that happened during an argument about paint colors. I know it has been said before, but we need to treat the ones we love like we really love them.

It is one thing to have regrets like never owning a helicopter. But hopefully, whenever it is our time to leave this life and join our family that has gone before us, we will not have spiritual regrets.

White Leaf

On my daily walk around the block, I found something that I have never seen before. Laying in the dead yellowish-brown grass was a white leaf. This leaf was as white as freshly fallen snow. If I was in Rexburg, I would not have ever seen this time of year, but here in St. George, snow-white on the ground is an unusual sight. The leaf is mostly destroyed, but it stayed in one spot for so long that the sun bleached every last bit of color out of it!

I will hopefully post a picture of it soon, but have you ever seen a white leaf before?

French Bread

You would think that French Bread would be harder or more complicated than regular bread, right? Well, let me tell you how suprisingly easy it really is!

You don't have to worry about letting the yeast rise seperately in the warm water.

The dough does not have to rise and be punched down a million times.

You can pretty much just throw the ingredients together, put the formed dough loaves in the fridge over night, wake up and toss it in the oven to bake!

And then you have fresh French Bread for breakfast!

How amazing and easy is that?!

The main reason that I decided to make French bread is because I really wanted to make some bread, but I have no bread pans! All you need to bake French bread is a cookie sheet, and I have 1 of those!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Sunday is the best day for Valentine's to fall on. Besides 3 hours of church, we had the rest of the day to spend together with no other obligations to worry about. It was so nice! Andrew got me some pretty yellow roses, a bag of Resse's, and sparkling grape juice. I made him his favorite meal: hamburger stroganoff. For dessert we had Grapefruit Meringue. This was a new experiment for me. Here is a link to the recipe:

Grapefruit Meringue

And a picture is worth a thousand words, right?!



I also made the best sugar cookies, ever! The recipe is supposedly the recipe for the big Grandma's sugar cookies. You know, the one's with the pink icing. Unfortunately, I didn't have any food coloring, so my icing is just white, cream cheese frosting. They are the best sugar cookies ever! Here's the recipe:

Sour Cream Cookie Recipe

In Bowl Add:
2 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Margarine
2 Eggs

In Separate Bowl:
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Baking Soda
(dissolve baking soda in sour cream before adding to rest of ingredients)

Add:
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Baking Powder
about 4 Cups Flour (Or enough to make batter stiff)

This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies
Chill dough over night
Bake - 350
10 min.

You should really try it...they are AMAZING!!!

St. George

We have now moved up to St. George, UT where Andrew & I are both working for a CPA firm. Andrew loves doing taxes and figuring them out. I have been working at the front desk. It is lots of fun to see all the people who come in! We are renting a 3-bedroom house, but we have no furniture! If you remember,when we were in Rexburg, we were sleeping on a mattress that was on the floor. Well, it's gotten worse! We took that original mattress back to the DI in Rexburg. We are now sleeping on an air-mattress!!! It is crazy, but just another one of our adventures! We have gone down to Vegas every weekend since we moved up here. I guess we haven't found anything to do up here when we don't have to go to work! Andrew is hesitant to make friends, because then we won't want to leave St. George! But we haven't really decided what we are doing when our jobs are done on April 15th! I guess if we don't have any friends here, that just makes our decision easier!

We miss all of our friends up in Rexburg! If any of you want to come down for this long weekend coming up, we've got a couple of spare bedrooms(but no beds)! Just give us a call!

Andrew took the GMAT a couple of weeks ago. He got a 700/800, which puts him in the 90th percentile! To get into BYU, one of the top accounting programs in the nation, he had to score a 630, so he blew the GMAT out of the water! Way to go, Andrew!!! (Round of Applause, if you will!)

I hope that everyone is doing well, and I enjoy reading all of your blogs to keep up on what is going on! We miss everyone and send you all our love!

Viva Las Vegas!!!

First order of business: Happy Birthday Elvis Presley! (Now get his Viva Las Vegas song stuck in your head...)

We have been in Vegas since graduation on Dec. 18th. It is crazy to think that I never have to take a full load of college classes again! I am pretty excited! We spent Christmas & New Years with my family here in Vegas, and we are now getting ready to move to St. George, where we will be starting our jobs on Jan. 18th. Not much else has happened. Just chillin in Vegas, but enjoying the warm, warm weather! It is nice to be in Vegas while the rest of the country is freezing their butts off! Well I guess that is all I really have to say for now.
I hope that everyone had a fabulous holiday season! I look forward to all the adventures 2010 holds!!!