end-of-april resolutions.

i've been on a bit of an ambitious kick recently.

i gave myself my day to be sad and mopey about zachary being gone and

now it is time to get some things done with all of this time on my hands.

i have tried to set a few goals for myself to make the days go by quicker.

so far, they have done the trick extremely well.

i feel really lame admitting this, but we have been in our house for over

2 weeks and i still haven't put everything away from the move.

our house is a disaster.

and of course, the dishwasher just had to break right in the middle of it

all, so that definitely doesn't help my cause.

so my first goal is to get this room:

and this room:

in proper living condition. {don't judge}
right now i feel like i live in a pig sty!
not only do i want to clean them, but i also want to paint/decorate them too.
i'm thinking of a black, gray, and yellow color scheme for our bedroom.
any ideas on how to do it?

goal number 2: read my scriptures everyday.

zachary and i would read scriptures every night right before bed.

he was always been the one that would remember to do it and has taught me

so much in our relationship about gospel things.

he definitely can bring the Spirit into our home faster than

you can say "the church is true".

well, now that he's not here, it's time to put on my big girls pants and

take it upon myself to keep the Spirit in our home while he is away.

i love the scriptures and i love the comfort that i can receive from them.

goal numero tres: visit my brother and sister-in-law.

for a few months now, i've known that they were moving to texas.

they sold pest control in houston last year and that was their plan this year as well.

i've been planning on making the 7 hour trip to see them and have been

quite excited about it actually.

then i found out last week that instead of pest control, he will be selling

security systems and not only will they be moving to texas, but they will

be moving to austin, tx which is only 3 and 1/2 hours from me!!

i was ecstatic when i found out!

i definitely miss my family a lot while being out here, so having them close for

at least the summer will be a huge blessing!

goal #4: become a water safety instructor {aka swimming lessons teacher}

i have been a lifeguard before, so when i got an e-mail last month saying

that the red cross is going to be offering certification classes this summer,

i jumped right on it!

apparently del rio didn't offer swimming lessons to kids last summer because

they didn't have any qualified instructors in the area.

hopefully, this means that i will be one of few so i can get a lot of hours in and be

able to earn some extra cash for me and my honey. {while of course soaking up some extra rays!}

goal #5: lose 5 lbs.
i have been trying really hard to be sure to workout everyday.
the last three days have been awesome!
i get out of bed feeling pumped and ready to go.
as soon as i hit the gym, i feel a burst of energy and can get a
really good workout in.
i know myself though, and i know that this doesn't last long usually.
do you have any tricks to keep yourself motivated?

along with this, everything i have read has told me that it's not
just the working out alone that will shed the pounds.
it is also making sure that you burn more calories than you consume.
well,  i want to introduce you to "my fitness pal":

zachary and i have been using this for about a month and we love it!
i've lost 4 or 5 pounds using it already!
it takes into account your gender, your current weight, how much
you want to lose per week, your activity level, etc. and it tells
you how many net calories you should be consuming per day.

it has over 700,00 foods in its database.
i haven't ever had a problem finding a food that i've eaten.
and it gives you all of the nutrition facts for it as well.

it also keeps an organized running total of how many calories you

have consumed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as snacks.



it's hard at first to remember to keep up on it, but it becomes a lot

easier after a while because it remembers the foods that you have already

eaten, so entering in the information takes two seconds.

the nice thing for those of you with smart phones, is it is a free app,

so it can be with you wherever you go!

those of you that don't have a smart phone can just log onto to

myfitnesspal.com and it works basically the same.

some people think that counting calories is for weirdos and people that

are obsessed with their bodies.

don't worry, i used to think like that too.

but now i've realized that it's not just about wanting to lose weight, it's

about just plain being healthy!

and last, but not least...goal #6: plant our flower garden.

or better yet, plant a yard.

our yard, was basically dead when we moved in.

i wish i had some before and after pics for you.

after having the sprinklers on it everyday now, we have made

some serious progress, but it still needs a lot of work.

my only problem is, i know nothing about gardening or lawn care.

i want to spread some extra grass seed, get the flowers planted, and

maybe do some extra landscaping around our trees to add personality.

i wanted to plant a vegetable garden, but i think it's too hot for that now.

i have no idea what i am doing, so hopefully everything lives!

my plan is to finish all of these things before the big man comes home.

i may have bitten off more than i can chew, but at least it keeps me busy.

i'll keep you posted on what i accomplish!

-the wife

oops?

i've heard some crazy stories of how military wives can react to their husbands leaving. they lay in bed all morning, crying at any thought of him. after pulling themselves together, they stumble across some sentimental keepsake that was given to them right after their wedding, that on normal days wouldn't even be given a second thought about, but today, it sends them into another episode of tears and tissues because it was a gift from him. they end up locking themselves in their house all day long, wanting nothing to do with the ouside world, while eating junk food and watching chick flicks that end up making them cry even harder. after all of their tears are dried up, it's finally time to go to sleep. they lock the doors, turn out the lights, and crawl into bed, only to be saddened by the fact that he isn't there to cuddle the night away with. which then...ends in more tears.

did i act like this after zachary left yesterday? of course not. did i act like a milder, slightly more controlled version of this? maybe.

all i know is there was a lot of candy eaten:

a lot of time spent wearing zachary's clothes:

loads of snuggling with this guy: {which happens to be sprayed with zachary's cologne.}



and many tears shed. but let's be honest people...as much as i really do miss my husband and i never thought that it would be this hard to be without him {i'm lame, i know} i think the real reason for all of this drama was my subconscious trying to cope with this haircut:

somewhere between the tears and the junk food, my funny little brain thought it would be cool to go all out and change up my hair by getting front bangs and cutting it a little shorter. for some reason, i thought it would make zachary being gone a little easier. no worries, it didn't. instead i am left still husbandless and looking like a boy.

-the wife

happy easters!

this has been one of the best easters yet!
partly because it is my first one spent with my husband!
we went shopping on friday and got stuff for each other's easter baskets.
we may have gone a little overboard, but that just means that we love each other. right?

zachary was really sweet with his.
i've been wanting things to decorate our house with, so he got me a cute
little black sign that says "laugh". i love it.
everyday, i struggle with the fact that my purse is falling apart, but i feel like
 my wallet is too big to want to carry around by itself.
so he got me a new purse with a wallet built in.
it was so thoughtful!
he gave me a bunch of candies as well along with a 12 pack of fanta zero {yum!} and
some other items that i don't feel are appropriate to talk about on this blog. ;)
he was very kind in picking out my stuff.
i feel like he knows me oh so well!
i got him a stone pizza cutter that he has been wanting for a while,
along with some slippers {his feet are always cold}, a new shirt that he is going to
look smokin' in, the movie baby mama {so freaking funny!} and a
bunch of his favorite candies.
i felt like we were five for how excited we were about seeing our baskets.

i was given another easter surprise yesterday when i got a call from someone
asking me to teach relief society in church today.
yes, i have only been to this ward once.
i was terrified!
i barely even know anybody there.
it sure doesn't help when i am the youngest person in the room either.
i felt like i was surrounded by spiritual giants!
when all was said and done, i felt like it went alright.
at least i used up enough time!
my lesson was on this talk.
it's amazing.
you should most definitely read it.

zachary did an amazing job at preparing the best easter dinner in the world!

{don't mind our sorry excuse for a kitchen table...we are working on that}

it consisted of the most incredible roast, rolls, and veggies.
did i mention that i love it when he cooks? because i do.

we then got a little creative and attempted to make these little beauties:

i've posted a step by step tutorial on how to make them on this blog.
we spent the rest of our night just loving being together.
oh, i did cut zachary's hair!

i felt like it didn't turn out half bad either!
we spent a lot of time watching lost and eating ranch popcorn while snuggling,
trying not to think about the dreadful day that is tomorrow.

in all of this, i loved being able to take a moment and realize why we have easter.
what the whole meaning of easter is.
it is to remember the resurrection of our Savior and Redeemer.
the man that suffered for our sins.
that died for us.
that rose again after three days.
i am grateful for Jesus Christ and that He made it possible for us to live
with our Father in Heaven again.
may we all share our gratitude this day.

happy easters from us:

-the wife

obsession

lately, i have noticed a few things that are ever present in our lives.
4 to be specific.
a couple of them are harmless, a couple of them i'm not so sure about.
the first one being: paper towels.
i know this sounds stupid, but really, we both can't stop using them.
case in point...we bought this 8 roll pack last monday:

we used 5 rolls in eight days!!
i don't know what our problem is, but it's like we get in the kitchen and
we can't stop using them!
i feel like after it's been used once, it's contaminated.
plus i hate trying to dry my hands on a towel that is already wet.

obsession #2: diet sodas.
fanta zero of the orange variety to be exact.

i never grew up with diet soda.
it was always you eat the crappy stuff or you don't.
no in between.
zachary and i have been trying really hard lately to be healthy though.
a regular 12 oz. can of fanta orange has 160 calories in it.
160 calories...big whoop right?
well, i can eat an entire breakfast for about that much that isn't jam
packed with sugar and actually fills me up.
this discovery of diet soda has proved to be a profitable one.
and i almost can't even taste the fake sugar anymore!

number three: lost

i know, i know, we are way behind in the world.
while we are just beginning this crazy rollercoaster and sometimes even
losing sleep over it, everyone else in the world has ridden the ride,
gotten off and hated it from what i've heard, and some have even
watched it for a second or third time!
we saw it in the laughlin library though and couldn't pass it up.
so far i am appalled at all of the gore, but the storyline is so
captivating that after each episode, i am left wanting more.
just so you know, claire had her baby and boone just died.
i hope shannon realizes what she had, that little hoe.

#4 addiction: ranch popcorn.
this is where the more harmful obsession that i was talking about comes in.
i just mentioned that zachary and i are trying to be healthier.
well this little snack right here, throws that goal right out the window!
i had this stuff for the first time when i was probably 15 or 16 thanks to this girl.
i was obsessed with it then too and then i just kind of forgot about it.
well the other day, i was grocery shopping and saw the stuff for it
and thought i'd try it out again.
zachary refused it at first, but after one bite, we are now both hooked.
in fact today {as we were watching lost} we ate an entire bowl.
that may not sound that bad because it's not.
the bad part is, that we made another batch and ate all of that too!
you have to try it at least once before you say you don't like it.
all you need is this:

1/2 cup popcorn kernels.
enough melted butter to your liking. {in my opinion, the more the better}
ranch seasoning to taste.

pop the popcorn, pour the butter, shake the seasoning.
as simple as that.
let me know what you think!

the first step in overcoming addiction is admittance.
here is our admittance.
don't judge.

-the wife

flashback.

let me take you back to april 10, 2010:

it was a rather warm day for spring in cache valley, utah.

i was here with my family, visiting my grandma in paradise.

{yes, that is the name of a town. and yes, it is just as heavenly as the name suggests.}

i woke up that morning so excited/nervous for this day.

i showered and got ready and tried my best to look perfect.

why do you ask?

i was going on a date.

i had butterflies that were as big as the moon.

i wasn't sure what to expect from this guy.

i had actually heard a couple weeks before that he was interested in another

girl, but i secretly hoped and prayed that he'd drop her like a hot potato.

i was already twitterpated over him.

we met at the mall. {romantic right?}

he took me to a cute little toy store where we picked out the coolest

kite that we could find. {a shark...awesome!}

we spent an hour or so at the park trying to fly the thing, but that is nearly

impossible to do when there is no wind.

so we gave up and did something cooler.

he took me on a motorcycle ride.

it was dreamy.

being able to wrap my arms around him was like heaven on earth.

he took me up logan canyon and we hiked to this weird little concrete building.

we stayed up there for hours talking and laughing.

we hadn't even been together for a day and i felt like i'd known him my whole life!

then our stomachs began to growl.

we pulled ourselves away from bliss and hit up the cutest thai restaurant that

you ever did see.

he was so charming as he taught me how to write my name in cambodian

on our plastic table cloth.

we topped off the night playing cards.

the loser had to make a trip to ephraim.

i won.

that was the first of many trips to ephraim for him actually.

and now a year later, i never thought i'd be lucky enough to be married to this boy.

yes, that's right.

this "boy" happens to be my cute zachary.

i can still remember that date like it was yesterday.

i'm bringing all of this up because this last sunday marked the one year anniversary of

that life changing date. {i know sunday was forever ago, but i haven't had internet this whole week!}

in celebration, we went on a date on saturday that just might have exceeded the

awesomeness of that first one.

we started it off by going to the san antonio LDS temple.

this temple was beautiful!

i loved the waterfall out front.

it was the perfect start to a wonderful day! 

next we went to dinner at a thai restaurant.

we decided to make this a tradition for every april 10th.

i had the best curry that i have ever had in my life here.
and you can't have dinner without dessert.

we went to tcby and got frozen yogurt!

fyi: cotton candy yogurt + sour gummy worms = heaven

if there is one thing that zachary and i are addicted to, it would be frozen yogurt.

while living in salt lake, we went there every day for a week!

it will get you hooked.

last, but not least, we were able to go to the spurs/jazz game!

we searched literally everywhere we could think of for jazz shirts in san antonio.

we had actually called around the week before and were told that a store in the mall

had them, but when we showed up they acted like we were crazy.

so we got creative and made our own t-shirts.

we were pretty proud.

we got a lot of weird looks.

i'm not sure if it was because of the ghetto shirts or because we were the only

jazz fans in the entire arena.

i would cheer when we made a basket and it was so quiet, that for

a split second, my heart stopped because i thought i was doing something wrong!

it was a lot of fun though.

to top off the night, we stayed at randolph afb.

we called to make a reservation and the only room they had

left was a v.i.p. suite.

darn... {not!}

we helped ourselves to all the drinks we wanted.

it's crazy how fast time flies, but i'm grateful that i will

always have zachary as a constant in my life.

here's to you babe.

thanks for a year of pure joy.

-the wife

at a standstill.

for over two years now, i have been dead set on becoming a pharmacist.

i love math and science, but i don't do blood.

pharmacy falls nicely under both these stipulations.

along with that, every pharmacy employee has told me that the working hours

are fantastic. {huge plus if wanting to raise a family one day}

and i will be honest, the pay for a pharmacist isn't one bit bad either. 

but now...i'm kind of starting to have my doubts as to whether or not i should

keep pursuing this goal of mine.

i'm struggling to find a program that is possible for me to do online and

i'd be lying if i said i wasn't nervous to hold people's lives in my hands everyday.

i feel pretty lame to have been out of high school for nearly three years and

now i am basically back to square one.

i want to do something that i am passionate about.

something that will make me be excited to go to work!

something i can actually see myself doing...

the problem is, finding that something.

i've stooped as low as taking those tacky "which degree is right for you" quizzes and

googling "the perfect career", but surprisingly {or not surprisingly} they did nothing.

i guess what i am wondering here, is how did you pick your career?

how did you find the one degree that you knew would fit you like a glove?

i'm willing to accept all the advice i can get...

-the wife

an overflow of reflection.

i had a dream last night.

in this dream, i walked into a room and i saw my friend feleicia.

feleicia is on an lds mission right now, so i was very confused as to why she was here.

she told me that she came back early because she wanted to

catch up and talk and see how i was doing.

as we began our conversation, in walked two more of my friends, shandi and stephanie.

they are on missions as well, so i was shocked!

they said that they were given permission to take a break from their missions

because they wanted to come see me too.

i told them about my wedding and how i couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. 

i showed them pictures and said over and over how i wish they could have been there.

i talked about moving to alabama and how scared i was, but what a
rewarding experience it ended up being.

i told them how much i miss them and that we needed to have a girls' night soon!

and then i woke up.

sometimes there are dreams that you wake up from and you don't think twice about.

it's easy to forget about them and move on with your day.

this wasn't one of those dreams.

i woke up feeling almost sad over how much i miss my friends.

not just feleicia, shandi, and stephanie, but lacey, emily, kaitlyn,

jena, amie, and alyssa too.

this isn't meant to be a "woe-is-me" kind of post.

i do miss them a lot, but i am here to tell you why i miss them really.

these are some of the most incredible girls you could ever meet in your life.

i have known these 9 girls since i was 11 or 12 years old.

we have been stuck together like glue since.

sure, we have had our fair share of drama.

what group of girls hasn't?

but i can't begin to tell you all the memories i have of decorating each other's

lockers after school for a birthday.

or going to pollies brainfreeze and staying for hours talking and laughing.

or all the basketball/football games we've been to together.

or trying to watch a movie, but ending up talking the entire time instead.

or going to california for spring break and still wondering how we made it back alive.

these girls are a huge part of my history, of my life.

it hit me harder than ever this morning, how much they really mean to me.

we have graduated junior high, high school, and college together and i have

seen them go on to do great things.

4 of these 9 girls are currently going to school to receive their bachelor's.

i know a lot of women who stop after they get their associate's.

sometimes even before then!

they are smart and motivated and will be a great asset in their career someday.

the other 5, are currently serving lds missions.

nobody is forcing them to do this.

they made this choice and a righteous one at that.

i am grateful for their examples in wanting to spread the gospel to the world.

my point in sharing all of this, is to tell you how deeply humbled i am to have been

blessed with such wonderful people in my life.

elder jeffery r. holland said in a talk once, "...not all angels are from the other
side of the veil. some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day."

these girls have been angels in my life.

i firmly believe that we were meant to be friends for a reason and there is a
purpose in us in being close for this long.

i am grateful for each one of them and the impact that they have had on me.

i can't say that my dream was sent from God as an inspiring message to help me realize 

how blessed i am, because i also had a dream that zachary and i rode horses to
salt lake city...certainly not your idea of something that is heaven sent.

whatever the source though, whether it be God or randomly firing neurons, i do feel His

love each and every day to having been given the angels in my life that i call friends.

   

-the wife

a taste of heaven.

picture this:

you are sitting with your husband watching t.v. and you get an overwhelmingly
intense craving for a candy bar. {this seems to happen to me quite often}
so you go to the front desk of the hotel that you have been staying in
for eight freaking days now {boo!} and check out your options.

*payday, reeses, kit-kat, snickers, zero bar, twix, almond joy, etc.*

there are so many kinds, which one do you pick?
uh, hello...pick the zero bar!
despite the fact that they have been around for almost 100 years,

i just had one of these babies for the first time in my life.

let me tell you...it was like heaven in my mouth!

i don't think there is anything better than a

caramel/almond/peanut nougat covered in white fudge.

go ahead.

try one.

it's calling your name.

you know you want to.

and just a piece of advice: it is delightfully scrumptious when frozen.

-the wife