One of the first times talking to Stephen on the phone after he got back from his mission and we were still a state apart (hiding in the kitchen from the cameras trying to capture the huge grin I couldn't get off my face when I realized it was him calling)
May 19, 2007
Oh my!
Wedding dress shopping: 
December 27, 2007
Trick to avoid getting it all over your face:
have a really big mouth and open it wide!! ;)
Due Date: June 24, 2009
Holly's sleepy reply as she snuggles down deeper into the covers: "Thanks, you too, honey"
Wait a minute...
What happened to the rest of September, October, and November? Not to mention December!
The weather dropped 40 degrees two weeks ago, and my sweet husband's body/brain is confused. I've been trying to figure out why he's been running around with all of the giddy anticipation that December brings and whistling or listening to Christmas music around the house, when "Merry Christmas!" popped out of his mouth the other night. We realized that this is what Mesa feels like when it's almost Christmas, and this is his first experience with a real Fall season! Poor thing has a long time to wait, but I'm going to encourage this fun holiday mood as long as I can! :) (Besides, he's going to Love fall.) :)
We have discovered the D.I. in American Fork to be a treasure trove of goodness. :)
During a birthday dinner, it's a tradition in our family to go around the table and express one thing you have appreciated about the birthday boy/girl that year. So, let's just imagine we're sitting around the table, and it's my turn, because today is my dear Papa's BIRTHDAY!!
Watch-care & ...to stay awake and keep a vigil, to spend time observing something closely, to guard and to observe... Watchcare is caring for the spiritual and temporal welfare of those in your stewardship...are willing to "bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort."
You watch over your family - to be with and strengthen them. (D&C 20:53).
Thank you for taking care of us!We know how much you love us, Dad. We can see it in all you do. I hope that some day I'll be able to better show you in that way, too.
I LOVE YOU, DAD!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
My goodness, life can just get so fun and crazy. :) After two months, Stephen and I decided that the apartment we were living in was not the most ideal for our situation, so we started scouting out a possible change in address. We worked and worked to find somewhere within our ward boundaries (because we absolutely LOVED our ward), but alas and alack - no luck! With the new school year quickly approaching, we were very blessed with an answer to weeks of prayers and fasting that resulted in some fast-paced changes. The surprise two weeks ago -- we needed to move!
Tuesday morning, we decided to try to find a place in Wymount Terrace (the BYU on-campus married housing).
Tuesday evening we signed a contract.
Wednesday morning, I began packing and at 11:45 posted a brief listing for our old basement apartment (christened the "Hobbit Hole" by our dear brother, Marc)
Within minutes, happy young couples were at the door wanting to see the apartment (luckily Stephen had just returned), so we dashed around trying to quickly get our home ready for this impromptu open house - laughing the hardest when Stephen scooped up the freshly cleaned load of laundry off the bed and started stuffing it into a pillow case as fast as he could. :)
After fourteen applicants turned in their forms and more were still calling, I quickly deleted the post and ran outside to yank out the for sale sign. I suppose I should have known there would be a great interest for married housing so close to campus after our own weeks of searching, but I had no idea it would all happen so quickly! And some of their stories seemed so desperate - like the engaged couple who were getting married in a few days, then coming straight to Utah - still with no place to live! Luckily, it was our landlord who had to decide who would get the apartment and not us!
Within a few hours, the decision was made and our contract was transfered to the new tenants - which meant we needed to be packed up and moved out in two days...ack!
Luckily, we are blessed with INCREDIBLE friends who jumped to our aid the next day. Montana lifted and carried and climbed the entire afternoon and evening, and Darrel and Jessica sacrificed many laborious hours for us - despite the fact that they had family in town! I want to be as selfless as that! We are so thankful for their help - it wouldn't have been possible without them and many blessings!
Amidst all of this, we were house sitting for our cousins for two weeks in Highland - about 30 minutes away.
One blessing after another, and on Saturday morning, we swept and vaccumed one last time and turned in our keys - officially moved out! Truthfully, although those days were a bit grueling and miraculous, I think one of the hardest things about moving was saying our surprise goodbye to our wonderful ward on Sunday. Stephen has been serving in the Elder's Quorum Presidency and I've been serving as the ward choir director and primary/nursery music leader, and we have LOVED getting to know these dear brothers and sisters! I love when a ward truly feels like a family, and we're so grateful for the friendships, memories, and growth we've experienced with them. We hope and pray the friendships will continue!
However, I'm so grateful that with all of the tears I shed that day, none were accompanied by feelings of regret or "what have we done?!". We're so sad to leave, but so excited for our new apartment! We moved from a basement with one tiny window by the ceiling in each room to the third floor and BIG picture windows! The view out of each one is beautiful, and I'm in love with light! The first thing we do when we walk out of our bedroom in the morning is go look out all of the big windows and grin at all of the sun coming in. :)
And one of the absolute BEST parts is....we will be living next door to my sister and her husband! And when I say next door, I mean you open our door, walk three or four steps, and you are at her door. We signed up for our apartments at the same time, and I am so excited for you to come in the Fall, Heidi!!!
While we're unpacking and getting settled at a good clip, I'm afraid I still haven't crossed over the computer cord, so pictures will be coming soon. :) Whew - back to unpacking!
So, my sister has little counters on her blog that track when her friends add anything new to their blogs...and my face scrunched up when I saw that mine reports a hefty two months! My goodness! Granted, for a good portion of that time we were without internet, but excuses aside, I do believe it is high time for some updates around here! I've been looking over my pictures and feel a bit of a loss as to know where to even begin....so how about this weekend! :)
Happy Anniversary, my dear husband! 6 month anniversary, that is. :) I was shocked this last week when I realized we'd be married for 1/2 of a 
year on Friday! I guess it's true that time flies when you're having fun! :) Well, our dear Stephen is turning into a very sweet romantic, and he's been secretly planning a big date for the last two weeks (the kind of secretly that means every single day you talk about how excited you are for this thing that you won't tell , no matter how hard your wife tries to get it out of you). :)
On the way to the restaurant, the date got off to a perfect start as I listened over the phone while my dearest, sweetest little brother opened his mission call!!! Our wonderful Aaron will be serving in the New York New York North mission - reporting October 8th of this year! We're so excited and proud of him!!!
After a DELICIOUS dinner at Macaroni Grill (quickly becoming a personal favor
ite of mine) where I had this Parmesan-crusted chicken salad (yum!!), we started driving up Provo Canyon. It was such a beautiful day, and I was just a happy little duck with my camera.
Any trip that involves going up the canyon is bound to be a good one. I still didn't know where we were going, but rediscovered that taking big gulps of woodsy air is a good cure for just about anything.
After a winding drive up a narrow road with little peaks of a view through the trees to tease us, we arrived at a BEAUTIFUL spot Stephen had scouted out previously to watch the sunset over the valley. I officially recommend this exact activity in this very spot to EVERYBODY. You know cameras can never really do it justice, but here are a few little shots...
It was just so pretty, some deer came out of the trees to join us. I thought it was so neat to see nature enjoying nature and wondered if they thought the same thing of us sitting there...
Oh, and I cut my hair! Almost ten inches! Whew!
It may be hard to tell in the picture, but yes, a boneified gray hair! There are actually a few hidden around in there. But now we know he's going to have the pretty, soft, snow white kind of hair. It's just a cute head. :)
But there's no denying that this is one of the cutest movies I've seen in a long time! It's so nice to be able to sit through a movie with a sweet story and enjoy every minute of it - without worrying about inappropriate humor or material. We loved it! I'm thinkin' this one is going to find it's way to the Johnson's shelf some day... :)
