Life in a hurry...

Well, blogging obviously hasn't been my forte in the last month. I have been keeping very busy with my new job as a teller at Wells Fargo, as well as all of the wifey types of things I try to keep on. I am also taking a class this semester that I am hoping I will even get done with because....I finally turned in my graduation papers the other day! I know, I know, I was certainly putting it off because I'm just not sure that I want to graduate....EVER, but I finally relented and will be walking in April. I only turned the papers in yesterday, and that was after a lot of prodding from my parents and Devin. They said they will still accept them; so, the whole family will be going back up to Utah on the 23 to watch me walk. The closer it comes, the less I see the need....maybe it's because I've been there, done that. It will be exciting that day though I"m sure! But I'll probably cry. I just love taking classes! It's such an easy way to swallow a bunch of knowledge in a short period of time and I just love to learn. It will be very bitter-sweet.

'Doing school' is so much more carefree than 'doing life' I suppose. I was never NEARLY as stressed in school as I can be when I'm not doing school. I guess it's just my new job as a teller. I mean, it's simple in a lot of ways, but I never thought it would be this stressful to make sure I am in balance every single day and catch fraudsters and sell things to people and work with a bunch of gossiping girls. There are some people I have really come to like there, but overall, I have heard it's one of the hardest stores at which tellers for WellsFargo work because they go above and beyond on selling things. I have balanced well every day since I've been there except two....and the reason I didn't was because I had a fraudster! grrrrr! Well he was really an exchange artist. I wasn't even supposed to be on a drawer yet because I hadn't gone to training (a whole different story in itself because had I known I wasn't supposed to be on a drawer yet, I would have told my supervisor "no") so it makes me upset that I will take the blame for it. Another girl stole someone's identity, so I've had to deal with the stresses of giving $900 extra to someone who wasn't really that person. I guess it's just because I am such an extreme perfectionist! I DO NOT want to mess up and if I do, I am VERY hard on myself.

The interesting thing is how the job has been affecting me. Devin says at various times throughout the night (while dreaming) I will yell out "JaNae, don't do that transaction!" or "50,000 accounts receivable!" lol He will try and talk to me, but I, of course, only mumble and go back to sleep. I talk about banking most every night. I just sit and think...school was never this stressful. And who would have thought I would be THIS stressed at a job like the one I have. It's not THAT hard, is it?! I must say, however, that they offer GREAT benefits and lots of discounts on things (such as 26% off our monthly sprint bill) so that will really help longterm. I have also begun my 401K and have gotten on a lot better health insurance than I had at BYU, which is VERY needful. Mostly because on my healthcare alone, Devin and I spent at least $2,000 out of our own pocket last year...and the insurance covered about $10,000. Boy are we grateful for health insurance!

Anyway, the fun stuff is that every Wednesday night, Devin and I play on a softball team together. We have a blast! I have actually done surprisingly well! I hit pretty much every time and because of my speed, I get around the bases quickly. Devin, as always, is amazing at sports! He is obviously very fast, but not only that, he completely sacrifices his body for any sport! He will probably die someday playing in a sport game! Last week, he came home literally bloodied all over his arm and a big chunk of his hand was gone. To spare you all, I have opted to not take a picture of it and put it on here, but you can take my word for it, it was GROSS! Good thing he had long sleeves to cover it up so in his words, " no one else would see and pull him out of the game because he was bleeding." He's a crazy one! I never sacrifice myself like that for a game :O) Sometimes, I feel like this though....







The whole team drinks and drinks and drinks the whole game (no wonder we haven't won ONE!) They are all guys and gals from Devin's work and they obviously love to drink. I get offered a beer every game--they apparently haven't noticed that I never accept...or they just want to be nice and make sure I feel welcome?? ANyway, they really are VERY kind people! They have been extremely welcoming and encouraging and they even think I"M good! ME! Crazy huh?!

Devin is enjoying his work as well. He is learning a lot of new things at his internship and thinks the building they are completing is AMAZING. He is gaining a lot more things to do; so, he is feeling much more useful at this point. (When we first got here, he was feeling VERY disposable...which is completely natural for a new worker who only has a semester of the Major under his belt). Now, things have definitely improved. Martin-Harris has DEFINITELY been good to us!

Other than school, work, and hanging out with our families, Devin and I eat crepes (MMMM! MMMM!!), eat ice cream, eat REAL food, and watch American Idol and Survivor--Guess which one goes with which person! Devin has been an EXTREME help around the house because I've been so busy with working and stuff. Last week, for the first time since we've been married, he took COMPLETE initiative and did ALL of the laundry without me even knowing it! I was utterly shocked! What a good man, eh? He's taken a lot of stress off of me, which I appreciate, and we are enjoying being here. Devin has also been up to the Valley of fire and some bird sanctuary (which has hopefully been enough nature for him to suffice for now) and so I'll put a few pictures up of that.--scratch that, I can't find the camera...so I'll put it up later.

Anyway, that's a slight update on us at the moment. I really want to get taking some pictures, so I'll try my best in the near future! Have a fabulous day!

Pics of our cute little boy!!!!

I'm sure all of you are quite inquisitive as to what the title means here but do not fear--or get excited. I thought I had some pictures to put up from last night of our little boy, but turns out it was only a dream...a very REAL dream! It almost scared me. Here's what it was about:

One day, Devin and I were going to the store and he said "wait a minute, let me go get the baby." I was like "what baby?!" I could have sworn maybe we were watching someone else's kid, but then, to my surprise, it was our very own son. He was an eight month year old at this point. Come to find out, we had had a child, but for some reason in the first few weeks of his birth, I completely forgot about him! (ha ha, I'm laughing in my head right now...cuz like this would really happen to anyone). I guess my brain had gone on auto-pilot. I breast-fed him every time he needed it, but didn't pay any attention to him other than that....weird thing is, I NEVER remembered breast-feeding him.

Ok so, on this day that I realized we had a child, Devin was getting really frustrated because after I realized he was EIGHT MONTHS, I KNEW we needed to start getting him on solid foods (I'm pretty sure this dream came about because Shelise is getting Hudson on solids); so, I began to go shopping to get him solid foods (they had some CRAZY cool foods in this dream) but I couldn't find any of the cereal. We went to two stores to find the cereal and finally I just ended up getting some cream-of-wheat type of substance. The other problem is that Devin had never gone and bought our boy a car seat. He got some hand-me-down one from SOMEWHERE...except it was one of those booster seats for a five year old, NOT an eight month old. We went to another store to buy a car seat but Devin was not happy about it because he didn't want to spend the money, and he said he had been taking care of the boy just fine up until this point without me. I am not entirely sure how that happened, because I am quite sure he has No idea what to do with a child ALL of the time (even though he is pretty good with children). Anyway, I had just been on auto-pilot with this kid. After going to talk to a therapist, we realized that the reason I had done this was because in the first three weeks of his birth, he didn't interact or socialize with me at all, so something in my brain told me he wasn't real. (lol again) He wasn't really very social at this point either, because he hadn't really ever interacted with anyone (we were living in Provo, not around our family). It was quite a weird dream, and very real...so kinda scary!

These kinds of things sometimes make me wonder about our reality. I took a philosophy class long ago where we discussed our perceptions of reality and how we know they are real. I guess this just made me think of it all over again. Anyway, sorry no pics! I really thought I was going to be able to put some up of our cute little boy! :O)

Soon, I will put some pics up of our new apartment. It is so big compared to our other one that I don't think I would ever be able to fill it! The kitchen is HUGE (my mom laughs at this, because it really isn't...it's just that our other one is SOOO tiny!) Anyway, I'll get those up soon!

Oh and Happy New Year!!!

I hope that all of you have had a great start to this new year! Hopefully, we can all make goals of turning more to Christ and emulating His life more! Also, may all of your other new years resolutions come true! (Work hard, be strong....and I will be too!!!) HAPPY, HAPPY New Year!

Still here...

I haven't disappeared! But I also haven't been that great at taking pictures lately...

We went down to Las Vegas for the Christmas/New Years season! It was so much fun to be with the families! We had a GREAT time! Our families were EXTREMELY generous to us both because they know we are poor college students doing everything we can! We really were SHOCKED! We are always so blessed by both of our families, but they really went above and beyond this time! We each got quite a bit of SPENDING money! CRAZY! ha ha ha....they also got us a lot of the tiny things that we can't always afford. Our grandparents were also very generous...as usual~ :O) We love them all VERY much!

Devin got me a hair straightener (among other things). The cool thing about this particular straightener is that the guy who sold it to us showed me something REALLY neat that I can do with it! It does the most beautiful and permanent curls in my hair! It is really remarkable because my hair DOES NOT curl....at least not without TONS of hair product and a professional hair stylist doing it. My hair is SOOO straight! So why did I get a straightener?! Because of the way it does those curls!!!! I did my hair on New Year's Eve in those curls. It took me a bit to get the hang of it, but I only put mousse and hair sprayed it afterward. With only THAT, it stayed in my hair through all of our New Years celebrations, wind, AND sleeping on it....and it STILL stayed the WHOLE NEXT day! It was truly meant to be for me. I am glad to have it! I didn't take a picture (because I was way too busy to take ANY pictures this vacation), but I promise I will put one on next time I do those curls! :O)

I'm not quite sure what Devin's favorite gift was, but he got a handsome new suit from my parents and a Vince Young Texas Longhorns Jersey. He was sure surprised to have grandparents who were so generous! He looks so handsome in his new suit and has some neat new things to play with!

We had a fantastic time spending time with our families. On Christmas Eve we always go to my grandparents and eat a big meal and play some games. The grandparents always surprise us with fun things to play in order to get our presents from them! This year, we played concentration. When we finally made a match, we got the gift listed in that match! It was a TON of fun!

Devin had a chance to go to the Las Vegas Bowl! WOW what an ending, huh?!?! I missed the last TWENTY FIVE seconds!!!! What a bummer...the TiVo went out...:O( It was exciting to see the "miracle" of the night though! I'm glad Devin could be there!

Other than that, we relaxed a bunch by watching movies, going to movies, playing sports, watching JaNae's soccer tournament, celebrating holidays, putting together puzzles, eating, and practicing musical numbers.

JaNae and I did a musical number in church on Sunday and it turned out GREAT! I was SOOO glad that JaNae actually participated because she was so nervous! She is a beautiful violinist but has never really played for other people. She stopped playing for several years but then agreed to play the violin while I sang. I couldn't have been more pleased! It was wonderful to be alongside her!

She is also a talented photographer with her new expensive camera she got for Christmas. She took great pictures of the Leavitt/Truman/Mayer family. They all looked SO cute and it was a lot of fun to be there and participate in that!

After the fun vacation, it was time for us to return home...and that's where we are now! We are preparing to leave for Devin's internship in Las Vegas on January 16th. I am doing a MAJOR dejunking of our house just to get it all ready for us to be gone for a few months. We have decided to keep our apartment because we are moving into the *FREE* corporate apartment that is fully furnished (thank heaven) down in Vegas. Devin will be well paid, but I have yet to find a job. I have applied to a few places, but I am figuring it may be hard to get a decent job for only 3 1/2 months. We shall see! (If any of you know anyone looking for someone like me, let me know! :O)) Anyway, the house cleaning is taking MUCH longer than I really thought it would. We are SERIOUSLY deep cleaning though....and somewhat unfortunately, we are those kind of sentimental people that save EVERYTHING because we just KNOW we will need it eventually. ha ha Our rule is that if we haven't used it in the last 4 months (and it's something that SHOULD be used) we need to throw it out or give it to DI. So far, we are doing pretty well with that! We are really clean in our house and it always looks clean, but we just get that clutter built up over time. You wouldn't really know it, because I hide it so well--ha ha--but it is there and won't be soon! I am WAY excited about that! Plus, we'll close the apartment all up for our months away and I won't have anything to worry about when I get back except for finding a job and graduating! Exciting things...sorry no pictures! Hope all of your holidays were WONDERFUL and full of fun with family!

Oh P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!!

We hope that Grandpa Larson had a very HAPPY Birthday! We love him and are so grateful for him! Thanks for everything Grandpa!

Christmas Date!

So, Devin and I went on our date tonight to Salt Lake City!! First, we went to a basketball game for BYU vs. Michigan State. We had TERRIBLE seats that truly give me a headache, so I didn't end up watching most of the game. Devin was still able to enjoy it. I have been really sick lately though because of the antibiotics I've been on, so it just didn't sit well with me. I ended up reading some talks I wanted to get caught up on for teaching in RS. We lost...

After the game we grabbed a little bite to eat and then headed off to temple square to see the lights. Devin nor I ever actually REMEMBER seeing them; so we wanted to have a chance to go before we headed back to Vegas. It was really FREEZING, but the falling snow made it even that much more beautiful! They had lots of beautiful lights and various nativities. Here are some pictures of Devin and I at the nativities and outside lights. I really wish Devin would have remembered to take off his hood, but that's ok...he's still my handsome :O)!!


As we were walking around, Devin said "I feel like we should be singing Christmas carols or something" and so, we did! And YES, he actually did sing--though quietly because he was slightly embarrassed that no one else was singing! It was pretty fun!


















Here is the reflection pond. It had tons of different candles floating on top of it! I couldn't QUITE capture it on the camera, but it was REALLY COOL!!!
We also captured one with the peaks of the Salt Lake Temple...if you look closely, you can see the snow falling down....so pretty! (Not me, the snow :O))

After we looked around outside, we went to the North Visitors Center, which is my favorite one! I believe it is also Devin's favorite, but he just loves Temple Square in general. We were able to see the Christus, which is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous and breathtaking EVERY TIME you see it! We also saw a short film on the Saviors birth. I am continually in awe as I read and learn more of the birth of Jesus at how Mary and Joseph conducted themselves throughout the whole ordeal. It is truly amazing how they were able to keep their hopes up and how beautifully it all occurred. Joseph took such good care of Mary and Mary had such undaunted faith! It is truly indicative as to why they were chosen to be Christ's earthly parents. It was just a short film, but you can feel so much about what they really went through during that short time before Christ was born....and then how many people it affected immediately after. I am truly so grateful! This one is one of my fav's!

We spent a bit of time after that going around and viewing a lot of the short films that they have there at the visitor's center. We especially liked to view the ones on family (and children) and the church's welfare program. What inspired leaders we have!

This picture is of us at a tree in the visitor's center....




As we were walking away, Devin said that one day he would like to have a bit of money saved so that we could stay at one of the hotels around temple square. Then we could spend all day there and into the night viewing all of the videos at the visitors centers, go to several sessions at the Salt Lake Temple, and do some of our family history and stuff. I think that would be A TON of fun! Hopefully, we can get a chance to do everything on Temple Square someday. For now, this has to suffice. We have had a chance before to do a live session at the Salt Lake Temple before though. It was really neat to see it live....it's just even that more real somehow. It makes you think differently. Anyway, here is one last picture before I sign off! It was one of my favorites because it has the lights and the temple in the background! Have a wonderful Christmas full of service this season (if I don't get to say it sometime before Christmas)!! Love you all!

Tagged Thrice! :O)

I am supposed to write 6 quirky things about me and 6 things I'm thankful for....the last six will be easy....I don't feel very quirky...lol! yeah right!

Quirky Six:

1) Whenever I pop a blackhead--mine or someone else's--I chomp my teeth once or twice. No idea why?!?! Craziness really...My friend noticed it in high school and I have tried, with complete failure I might add, to quit that addiction.

2) I, like Shelise, type words I am hearing. I try to keep up with my professors at school. Most of the time I can, but I get REALLY upset when I make mistakes...and believe me, I KNOW when I've messed up--I can see the keyboard right in front of me for heaven's sake!! I also play the piano whenever I hear piano music. At church, you can literally see me playing my legs like a piano whenever there is a hymn being played or someone is playing a special musical number!

3) I like to poke people if I want attention. In high school, it was Shelise (and it would DRIVE her NUTS if I touched her arms at all) and now it's Devin. For some reason, I just get an energy HIGH and need to be listened to or get some of my energy out. Poor Devin...Sometimes he is trying to sleep and I just keep poking him because I need some attention! It's not actually that I ENJOY poking people....it's just the only outlet I have for whatever I need to get out. :O)

4) My most recent quirk is that EVERY TIME I am going to the bathroom lately, I have to stop and think "Is this real?!" I, for some odd reason or another, have been having weird dreams; so, before I start to tinkle, I stop and ask myself if I am REALLY awake or not....

5) Sometimes I just have to URGE to call one of my parents. I don't have anything specific to say or anything, I just HAVE to call them. It's like my security blanket or something. I just have to make sure they're ok!

6) I break out in dance all the time! I just love to dance....it's usually weird dance moves though, and Devin and I laugh at me :O) I'm such a weirdo!

Thankfuls!:

1)A magnificent year of learning and growth. Can I just say that I have never learned so much about life in my life as I have in the last year?! I'm sure that will drastically change when I have kid. Anyway, I just love to learn. From the sciences, to families, to spiritual things, to politics, there is always some way to grow and something to benefit from! I can honestly say I am sad to graduate from college. I know it won't be an ending to my learning new things, but I know it is one of the last opportunities for me to truly increase my knowledge this quickly and easily. Everything is just so accessible. Also, I always want to grow and better myself. I know that the only way that can truly happen is because of Jesus Christ; so that leads me to my next one.
2)Jesus Christ. There is no one better! :O) I know that is easily said, but I truly marvel at what an example He is to all of us. The way he conducted His life on earth is truly remarkable!! Being married has changed a lot of my perspective, and I can't put it into words, but it really is a miracle that he was able to control His thoughts and words and actions SO PERFECTLY. I can't imagine being able to think and act as I should every moment of every day....and so, I am EXTREMELY grateful for His perfect life and for the Atonement. I know there isn't any other way. I know that if we turn to Him and use that Atonement, we can be changed, in our hearts, and be molded into what the Lord would have us be. What a marvelous thing!! I am so deeply grateful and blessed to have a Savior who loves ME!
3)My husband. He's so handsome :O) PLUS, he is a great example to me of a humble person who is willing to submit to the Lord's will and to change himself each day to be a better man. And each day he is! He is ALWAYS working, always trying, and always setting goals and accomplishing them. He is such a helper, too! Each day he does the dishes--which I hate--and doesn't complain a wink. We truly are best friends and always strive to be equal partners drawing close to the Lord. He's fun to cuddle with and keeps me warm (and this is a BIG DEAL to me because my feet and hands are always FREEZING, but he is so willing to sit on my feet and warm my hands so that I am comfortable). And he's a good lover...not to mention a GREAT masseuse!!!
4)My parents. I have never been so grateful for my parents as I have been since I've been married. I think it was just because I was such an unappreciative spoiled brat! I am so grateful for the way they have raised me. It has made it so much easier for me to live a productive and enjoyable life! They taught me how to deal with emotions, how to solve problems, how to strive for a good education, how to work, how to save money, how to interact with people, how to love people, and most importantly, how to draw close to and love the Lord with all my heart! They were wonderful examples of dedication and service to the Lord because they always fulfilled their callings as diligently as possible! They also had daily--and even hourly--conversations with me about the gospel and about Jesus Christ. They were always examples of striving to live the principles of the gospel and helped me to be the person I am today. I know I am not perfect, but I am grateful that they taught me that I am a daughter of God and should be valued as such and that everyone else in the world is too (either a son or daughter, I should say). I learned to value people and look at things from their perspective and that has been so very important to me in my life! I just could not be ANYWHERE I am today without them and I am EXTREMELY grateful for their sacrifice and willingness to do what was needed for our family.
5)My siblings. I swear, I just feel closer and closer to them each day. I love them all for their own special personalities, talents, and abilities. They are always so kind and forgiving. I know that I did not always treat them as I should have, but I am certainly grateful for the relationships we have developed as of late. Trevor is on a mission and I have NEVER seen someone SO willing or SO happy to serve. He is a great example to me and is so good with people. JaNae takes on so many things. She has so many talents in so many areas. She is compassionate, funny, good at sports and music, a hard worker, and the list could go on. Dallin is so intelligent and ready to learn. He is the one in our family who is more quiet...and sometimes that can be a REALLY admirable quality among all of us. Anyway, they are each WONDERFUL and cherished in their own special ways.
6)Prayer. I LOVE to know that at any moment (and believe me, there are TONS of moments when this happens), I can just talk to my Heavenly Father. He is a great listener and at ANY time when I am feeling low, happy, or somehow empty, He is truly the one who helps me feel whole and complete. I always need someone to talk to and I am grateful He taught us about prayer so that we can talk with Him daily, momently, and always!

I was also tagged to tell 7 weird/random facts about myself (boy oh boy, you just get to know all about me today, don't you?!)
1) My entire family can ride the unicycle except for me. I have been "learning" for years, but have never actually jumped on board whole-heartedly!
2) I LOVE my bed! :O) I love being all cuddled up and warm. If it didn't ultimately give me headaches and prevent me from getting everything else done that I enjoy, I would probably stay there quite often!
3) I drink really weird. BOTH my husband AND Dallin (my younger brother) have mentioned this several times and make fun of me for it. I like kinda circle up my lower lip and bring in my upper lip and gulp it down so it won't touch my upper lip. I think it's because I've always been a milk drinker and so it's my way of preventing a milk mustache. I don't like being dirty...which leads me to the next one...
4) I have a serious phobia of GERMS! In fact, so much so that no matter the cost of our monthly laundry, I HAVE to use a different towel to dry myself every day. I also wash my hands a TON each day....not just during normal things, but especially while I'm cooking. I think my record has been 20 times in one hour period of time. My hands are almost always dry and crackling.
5) I can't drink soda....sad, but true. It gives me HORRIBLE stomach aches and I end up losing all of my food.
6) I am trying to turn the raccoon in the backyard into my pet dog. Every since I lost Scruffy, I have been searching for something! ha ha....it's going to take A LOT longer to train (considering it's wild) but if we continue to live here in Provo, I will make sure to get him loving us! He already comes and sits at the window for food several times each night.
7) I always think I have cancer.

Anyway, let's see....I tag Tara, Becca, and Cristi for any of the above....

Birthday Bash (and a little more proof)

Here is more proof of the below post (Animal Adorer). Yes, this is ACTUALLY a raccoon INSIDE MY HOUSE!! ha ha. Devin just couldn't help it...he HAD to string slices of bread into my home so that the raccoons would enter...

And this is him so happy and holding ever so still so that they will continue to come in the house.
Tonight, Devin and I brought my sister-in-law, Kristin, to a place called Color Me Mine for her birthday. She is very artistic and creative, so we thought this would be a special thing to do for her birthday. She really seemed to enjoy it! Surprisingly, Devin did too! (Here, Kristin is laughing at something funny Devin is doing)














When you get there, you pick out a pre-made piece of pottery and you pick colors and paint it however you want. Kristin painted a "studly man" mug (with RAGING biceps) and Devin and I painted a snowman plate thing (so we can try to get more decorations for Christmas). It was a lot of fun for us to do together and a great activity to do for Kristin's birthday. Happy Birthday Kristin!!!

Animal Adorer

So, Devin absolutely LOVES the mountains and the animals you can find therein. I decided that I should put a few pictures up of him that depict his love for animals. First and foremost, I have put some pictures up of our honeymoon spot. We went to a little bed and breakfast in the Zion area and it was beautiful and SO MUCH FUN!!! Here is a picture Devin got of me because he wanted me to see how close I could get to the deer (in the background). Needless to say, I was too loud and a lot worse at it than he was, so I broke out in laughter.

Devin likes to feed the raccoons that live outside our apartment, so we have a pile up of gross food and leftovers that Devin leaves out for them right outside of our back door. Then, he waits patiently for them to return so he can watch them. There is a momma with 4 babies that come to feed nightly at around 8 or 8:30 PM. Here is Devin at the door watching as one raccoon comes up for a bite...

He also loves to go into the mountains behind our apartment for a good hike and nature's beauty. He likes to think and ponder about various things while he's up there, and it is definitely something he needs from time to time so that he can rejuvenate himself and participate in his own recreation. Being outdoors with the animals and nature is truly his first love. Here he is at the top of the mountain. He was literally "in the clouds" with this day and hike.
(Yeah, not necessarily a GREAT shot of him...not many of these ARE great shots, but we were hiking and honeymooning...not caring about our appearance until a year later when we are actually sharing the pictures with people)

A few weekends ago, Devin took his dad and brothers up the mountain and ran into some moose. They were even fighting and stuff. Here is some video you can hopefully appreciate as much as Devin. Seeing bull moose is definitely a treat if you have never had the opportunity. Plus, it is pretty difficult to find them. (Hint: Turn up the volume and listen very carefully to the excitement and determination in Devin's voice :O)


The very last thing I will put are pictures from two separate trips we went on last year. One of them was on our way out of town from Vegas to Dallas, Texas. We saw a whole herd of big-horned sheep. There are pictures of that.





The other trip was our honeymoon to Zion. We took a hike up to Angel's Landing. If you don't know about this hike, you should. Several people die while hiking it EACH YEAR (if you don't believe me, read the sign).






It is very steep and also has very narrow passageways to the very large "Angel's Landing." If you fall, you die...that's all there is to it. There are pictures to kinda try and demonstrate how high it was as well as pictures about the fun Devin has with it! It's a good thing that I go rock climbing and LOVE the adrenaline rush! If not, this would not have been a good hike to go on. There are chains with which to "hang on for dear life." I didn't use those much, cuz it was wide enough for me...but Devin got a little nervous. One time, I ACTUALLY almost tripped off, but caught myself on the chains, so I guess it's a good thing they are there or else I wouldn't have been married in this life for long. Anyway, enjoy!

Here is a picture of the narrow passageway to get to the top of Angel's Landing. You can see some people crossing it toward the bottom.



Here I am at the top of the passageway coming from Angel's Landing. You can see a little bit of the chains used to get to the bottom. Devin is at the beginning of the hike. You can see Angel's Landing above him.


















The last pictures are us at the top with the view and the height of it all included.

Halloween Haunting

Well...it's been a while! I have lots of catching up to do because my internet hasn't been working very well for the last week. That means, I just do the bare minimum online at school--which always ends up being schoolwork instead of fun things! :O)

We began the Halloween spirit in our home on Monday night. I LOVE Halloween, so I'm usually a lot more involved, however, the lack of money and time equals little preparation time. Monday night, however, was my excitement! I did my traditional eating out of pumpkins dinner. I made chili, cornbread, and bought apple juice and pumpkin bread (Great Harvest's is THE BEST!). Devin and I invited a few couples from the ward to join in on the fun. We use those little pumpkins that are normally used for making pumpkin pie or bread or something and carve the centers out. Then you bake them a bit and use them as bowls for the chili! It is a really fun tradition for me. Devin gave our family home evening lesson on the Holy "Ghost." We got a little creative, but it was a SERIOUS lesson, I swear! ha ha I didn't get any pictures because I completely forgot, but I LOVE that tradition, so I had to tell everyone about it! We had a blast!

I had a soccer game Halloween night and we won 5-4! Woohoo! I feel like I did extra well. I am getting a lot better at soccer and a lot less afraid of going after the ball. I had an assist (meaning, I passed the ball to the person who kicked in the goal) and was hit so hard by one girl that I went flying backwards and she got a foul called--yeah, I'm kinda sore now. I am getting aggressive! ha ha...it's fun for me considering a lot of the tension I've had over the last few months. I really love--and NEED--to go play!

Anyway, for the extra fun stuff (cuz it includes pictures)...

After my game Devin and I came home and got ready to go to a homemade haunted house and my friend Jessica Gillespie's Halloween party. Here are the fabulous pictures we took at home (Devin picked what I was going to be, so I got to pick what HE was going to be).







Don't we just look so into character?! ha ha

And again...

This was fun because we had it be our date night in the middle of the week instead of during the weekend.

The haunted house we went to was, like I said, homemade.... It wasn't the least bit scary, which was good because Devin got to experience his favorite part of Halloween, and I didn't have to get really scared. The people who did it had A TON of props and have apparently been doing it for years. Their neighbors do "Thriller" performances each year, too! It's just right in their home in Orem! Seems like a pretty fun family tradition for them! Here is a picture we took together next to one of their props...We finally made it to Jessica's party...just in time for the end of it and cleaning up. We just sat and pigged out on all of the leftover food. Treats at Halloween time are my very favorite...

Jess was nice enough to take a picture of us on our way out. This is one of my favorites of us.

Anyway, this part is for Tara....

I am accomplishing my goals of taking more pictures now, simply because of the blog. The FUNNY part, however, is that Devin has now gotten involved. I had my camera in hand and he said "Now you can take pictures of us to put on your blog." HA! He can join the Blogger Father s club! lol! Just thought you'd find that funny.

Hope everyone had a FABULOUS Happy Halloween! Good luck on the rest of the holidays and just so you're all aware, they are already playing Christmas music on 106.5! Gotta love it!