The Cute Short Couple!

We've moved!

2009-09-13T20:12:00.001-07:00

That's why you haven't seen a post for a while! We found a great little 3 bedroom apartment in Provo, and we moved in just yesterday. We are still getting everything situated, and once we do, we will have pictues! :) I will miss where we were living, but at the same time, it is really nice to be in the place we are. We are halfway between both sets of parents, we are closer to work, and it's a little bit bigger for us. It's a great starter place.
I honestly expected Jewel to freak out for the first couple of days. She is just fine! She is just like she was in our last place! I'm so happy about that. She was my biggest worry in this move.
We would be so ungrateful if we didn't thank Don and Kathie for letting us live in their basement for as long as we did. They are amazing people, and I'm so glad that I've had the lucky opportunity to have them as my in laws.
Well, back to putting things away! I will hopefully post pictures before the end of the week! :)

UPDATE!!!!

2009-08-03T11:22:00.003-07:00

So, it's been a while since I have posted, so I thought I should update!

Work is still going good for Caleb and I. We are doing well, and are finally catching up with everything and feeling like we don't have to stress about money like we used to. We still stress about it, but not nearly as much.

Over the weekend of the 24th, I went to Kuna, ID for Rendi's baby shower. It was so relaxing for me! Lots of riding in the car with my parents, lots of family, and some games. We found out the Krystal doesn't like Trivial Pursuit. The baby shower was great, and Caleb and I are so excited for Alan, Rendi, and the boys to welcome "Yoda" into their family. I also got to finish Austenlad. GREAT BOOK!!! It's a short read, (only about 200 pages) and it keeps your interest.

Saturday was my birthday, and we had a great day. We went to Iggy's for lunch with my parents, because they give you an ice cream sunday without singing to you. :) After that we went and saw the new Harry Potter movie, and it was good. I was disappointed in certain things, but all in all, still a great movie, and will be in our collection.

After that, we went home, and got some food ready to bbq. We had a couple of my close friends over, and we had a great time. A few weren't able to make it, but I still love them!

I've come to realize that I'm not a huge fan of birthdays. When it comes to birthdays, you can be more easily let down by people. I had a great birthday, and I would never say anything different. I just think that will always be an excuse to get out of town now. :) We went out of town last year, and it was fun. I kind of wish we would have done that again this year. Oh well. There is always next year!

Hope you are all doing well!

It's so nice!

2009-07-21T07:27:00.002-07:00

It's nice to have enough money to cover the bills, have a little fun, and put some away in savings! The idea of savings is my favorite because we have been living so tight for so long! Soon we will have enough saved up to have a place closer to where we work! Things finally feel like they are falling into place like they should!

So much fun!

2009-07-13T19:37:00.003-07:00

Ok, so Caleb is LOVING being back in a truck! He has never been happier! He is in a really nice truck, and he really likes the guys he's working with. He is happy to be working, and he comes home from work happy! That's all that really matters to me.

I really like the people that I work with too! They are all so nice! I'm starting to get the hang of my job, and I'm really liking it! I will be the Account Manager for the majority of the Wide Format accounts, which means I'll be working mostly with banners and signs. Lots of materials to learn, but I will manage I think.

I hope that my dear friend Carrie won't be mad at me for sharing this story, but it made my day! Carrie is big into couponing, and is helping me learn the ropes. Anyway, she was coming around to everyone's desks asking them "Do you like milk?? Because you can get a coupon ....." and she proceeded to give the details to everyone. She was just so cheery and bubbly about it, that it just made me smile! Carrie! I adore you!

All in all, things are going pretty well for us! I'm so grateful for our many blessings! The Lord has truly blessed us with wonderful family, amazing friends, and great jobs! Our cups runneth over!

GREAT NEWS!!!

2009-07-08T07:01:00.001-07:00

CALEB AND I BOTH GOT JOBS!!!! Caleb got hired on with Gray Trucking and started Tuesday. I got hired on at Alexander's Print Advantage, and started Wednesday. We are so grateful for all of the love and support of our friends and family! We wanted to share our good news with you!

4th of July Festivities! (Warning, lots of pictures!)

2009-07-05T10:12:00.005-07:00

Ok, so Caleb and I FINALLY took our first camping trip together in the 2 1/2 years we have been together! This trip was a lot of firsts! To start off, this was both of our first times setting up a tent. We did need a little help because of our short arms, but we got it up safely!

We went camping up on Skyline above Fairview, and we had a blast!

Caleb learned a lot more about all the toys that the guys had there, and now I am really going to be broke when we are both working! ;)

The view by our campsite was GORGEOUS! We really enjoyed it, and will be going back to this site!

We went on our first mini mud bogging trip while we were up there! We have become big fans!

Chad and Monica were with us on this trip, and they decided to get down and dirty with us!

Here's their truck!

And here is our jeep, just on the way down!

Here's how it looked when we got back!

We definately got dirty!

Friday night, Chad and Monica hit a deer on the way back up to our campsite. They had gone into town to pick up a couple of things. Here's the damage...

After we got home on Saturday, we went to lunch with Mom and Dad E. They were nice enough to kitty sit for us, and we are truly grateful!

That night, we went over to Carrie and Nate's house, and we did some fireworks and had some snacks! It was a blast!

All and all, we really had a pretty good 4th! Camping was great, and we will be going camping again soon! Hope you all had a great one too!

Happy Birthday!

2009-06-25T13:23:00.005-07:00

I need to take a minute, and say Happy Birthday to two of my favorite people! First, Happy Birthday Mom! Even though I didn't get to share your big landmark birthday with you, I was thinking about you all day, and I'm so glad that you are my mom! YaY for being Forever 24! :)
Also, Happy Birthday Tyler! You have always been a great big brother, and I couldn't have asked for a better, or mor protective one. Thank you for always being willing to do crazy things for me. (Hence the reason I chose this picture.) I love you and miss you so much! Happy 26th!

Dear Friends and Family,

2009-06-20T14:24:00.002-07:00

I just wanted to let you all know that I have decided to take a long break from doing hair. I'm starting to feel burned out doing it, and I don't want to feel that way forever. I have a couple of other career dreams that I would like to chase before I get started having my family. I am looking at going back to school to go into psychology, or going into being a wedding planner. The wedding planner line is the one that I'm looking most seriously at.
I still will be doing hair for friends and family. I just won't be working in a salon for a while. I will be done at my current salon in a week. I am very excited for my new adventures! So, if anyone knows of any work in Utah County, please let me know! I have great receptionist skills! :)

Night Out

2009-06-07T21:12:00.004-07:00

So, we had some friends invite us over for a romantic night out

after our major event fell through.

Monica and Chad had us over to their place for dinner and games.

We got all dressed up and had a good time.

My mom is amazing! She helped me make the dress that I wore that night. (Okay, so mom did most of the work because the pattern ended up being trickier than it looked.)

Bottom line: It was a fun night, and I have an amazing mom! Thanks Monica and Mom!

New Moon Trailer

2009-06-01T14:41:00.002-07:00

Ok, I have to admit first, that I am a geek. I set the MTV Movie Awards to record JUST so that I could see the premier of the New Moon trailer. I am SO excited for this movie now! I had to watch the trailer like 4 times last night, and I've watched it twice today. I'm nit picking it. (Again, refer to the opening geek comment!) I'm excited that they finally have the proper person in the makeup department. Everyone looks how they should now. The Special effects are great in this one too! Very realistic! Check out the trailer! It's ALL OVER youtube!

Enduring

2009-05-31T10:22:00.002-07:00

So, lately I have been thinking a whole lot about enduring. As most of you know, Caleb has been out of work for 7 months. We are really lucky in the fact that he qualifies for unemployment. Cobra was too expensive, and so we haven't had health insurance for the last 7 months. It's been tough, because that means we pay in full all of our prescriptions. It puts a financial strain on us, and I wish I could change it. It's very likely we are just going to pick up our own policy, because we never know when this will happen again, and I really hate being without insurance. Also, my work is starting to slow down a little bit. It's harder now for me to make up the difference of what Caleb was making. Luckily we have eliminated a bunch of debt we had, 1,500 dollars worth of what we have anyway. We are both looking for work. I'm only in my salon for 3 days a week right now, because it cuts my expenses back about 200 dollars, to help make up the difference. If anyone hears of anything, part time or full time in Utah County, please please let us know.
Back to enduring. I know that I can endure a lot of things that I never thought I could by this point in my life. Medical problems and much more that I won't go into. I know that without Caleb and without the Savior, I'm not sure I could have endured things as well as I have, and I'm grateful for that every day. I also have a great support system in my family and friends.
Thank you all. We love you!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-29T12:19:00.006-07:00

So, over Memorial Day weekend, we went to good ole' Burley to visit Grandma and Grandpa Bell. Aunt Melba decided to come down and join us too! It was good to see her! It had been about 2 years since I had seen her, and it was great to get in some dumb luck and learn Dominoes, (which I am now addicted too! Thanks Melba!)

The real reason for the trip up there, was to get their sprinkler system finished. We did part of it last year. But there was still TONS to do! There was lots of help! Larry, Alan, David, Caleb, Skylar, Kerry, and Dad got it all done! YaY!

We had the most help from the lovely Ditch Witch run by Alan!

Grandpa couldn't help but to get off the porch and help no matter how much we tried to

convince him otherwise.

And here's the peanut gallery providing the food and drinks for the day!

Although we did have Larry take a time out from digging...

..and have him help out in the kitchen! Love the Apron!

Then on Sunday after church, we decided to go out to Shoshone Falls near Twin Falls. Rendi and Alan went around Mothers Day, and it was great, so we decided to go. Sadly the water was running low that day, but it was still really pretty!

The one drawback to the day was that it was freezing! The wind really picked up through that canyon, and we were all doing everything we could to stay warm!

*Note Larry's Hair! Proof of the wind!*

Larry and Louise also brought their new little baby Mollie on the trip! It was really nice to have her there, because it kept me from thinking of Jewel! She's a doll and it was great to puppy sit while they were busy helping out.

It really was a fun trip! We really need to get together more as a family, when we can just enjoy being together without all the extra work! :)

Hope to see you all soon, especially those who weren't there!

Digging the Trench

2009-05-12T15:21:00.004-07:00

So yesterday, Caleb and I spent most of the day helping Dad dig a trench so that they were hooked up to the city's pressurized irrigation. It was tough work! I forgot how hard it was to dig trenches, especially at our house with all the tree roots and rocks!

As Caleb was digging we came across this...

and had to dig it out.

We decided that it was Fred Flinstone's Bowling Ball, that

had been buried in my parents front yard

for who knows how long!

Now I want to go bowling...

Bees Game

2009-05-05T11:57:00.002-07:00

So, Jodie sent me a text yesterday at about 4:30, asking if Caleb and I wanted to go to the Bees game with her and her little family! Caleb was beside himself! He's been begging me to go to a baseball game for weeks now. So we got ready and went to Salt Lake, parked in the VIP parking, and went up to her works suite to enjoy the game!

Caleb and I enjoying the 7th inning stretch

Kinsley enjoying a cup in Jodie's lap
The view from the suite we were in

Jodie and Kinsley

Ah, Baseball! One of those sports you just have to love! We had a great time,

and can't wait to go to another game!

A Weekend with Friends

2009-04-26T10:09:00.003-07:00

So, Friday was Carrie and Nate's Annual Kite Flying BBQ. It was cold, but quite fun. Great kite flying weather! But really, we enjoyed ourselves. It was really nice to spend time with everyone there. Good food and good times. Carrie and Nate had invited us over to there place for a movie after the bbq, because they still wanted to catch up more. Well, we didn't ever get around to a movie unless you talking about us watching a few clips from Britan's Got Talent on Youtube! :) Carrie has turned me on to couponing, and I think I can really save a ton of money with it.

Then on Saturday, it was my cousin's wife to be's bridal shower. Emily is great, and we had a good time being up there with family and friends. It was really nice to see Grandma and Rendi too.

Then mom and I went and saw Hannah Montana, the movie. Caleb had said he didn't really want to go, so mom took me. It was really quite cute! I'm a sap and I cried. I love the realationship that they portray between her and her dad. It reminds me a lot of the relationship I have with my daddy. I hope and pray that my kids have that kind of a relationship with Caleb and I both.

Travis and Amy got a hold of us, and let us know that they had just moved back. They wanted to go country dancing that night, and invited us along. It was just like old times. You would hardly know that they had been down in Arizona for 2 years. We really enjoyed dancing and being able to catch up with them. We are going to do what we can to see them more often!

I've got a feeling...

2009-04-14T08:27:00.003-07:00

...that our kids are going to be like this with their daddy too!

All Good Kitties Go to Heaven Too...

2009-04-06T21:12:00.003-07:00

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 18 ½ years that we have had our Tigger at home now. I still remember the day that we brought him home. One of the Rasband girls was babysitting us, I think it was Jennie. Mom came through the door with this little tiny cat, that was so small you would think it was a rat more than a cat. I took him into my bedroom, and decided to name him Tigger, after my favorite Disney Character with stripes. I can't believe I still remember that sometimes, but my life changed forever the day we brought him home.

He was so sensitive to the emotional needs of our family. He could tell when anything was bothering anyone. He would just come into the room, give a gentle little meow, and come over to you when you were upset. He would let me just cry into his fur, and vent my frustrations to him over boys, arguments with my family, and just feeling left out during those crutial growing up years. He was the best listener, and the best pet a kid could ask for.

I put Tig through a lot when I was little, but he tolerated it, and always showed me love. I miss him so much already, and I will never replace him in my heart, because he is family. And thus ends my Ode to Tigger...

California Trip!

2009-03-18T05:25:00.006-07:00

So, we left Utah at 5am Wednesday morning, and were on our way. We could both barely sleep, so we had to make sure we were going to stay awake! Once it was light outside, the drive was great, but we were past Beaver by the time it was light. The drive was beautiful! I forget how pretty the drive is getting into Nevada.

My cute hubby focused on the road while we were still in Utah,

check out the snow we left behind us!

Ok, so the only other time I had ever been to In-N-Out burger, I wasn't eating hamburgers. I didn't eat hamburgers for a long time because of a bad experience when I was a kid. So, I'm cheesy, and I had to take a picture of me eating my first In-N-Out Burger. It was tasty.

Ok, so the asphalt between Barstow and Bakersfield has a stretch where it's red! I thought I was so cool, I took a picture. It's hard to tell with the picture, but it's all good.

Bakersfield was very different from what I thought it would be. It was pretty big. Mainly, it was bigger than I thought it would be. It's not a bad place necessarily. Grandma Kate's house where we were staying was beautiful. We got in around 3pm Cali time, and just kinda relaxed and drove around a little that first night.

Thursday, we decided to drive down into L.A. We figured since we were that close we might as well make a trip down!

He's so cute when he's driving!

I got bored on the drive down.

Our first stop was the L.A. Temple. I forgot how pretty it was! The area where it is, you'd think the grounds were going to be really noisy, but it really wasn't! It was like there was a soundproof shield around the grounds! It was great!

After that, we went driving around L.A. We were told that we should go to Sprinkles, but the line was too long. So we just kept driving around, and we got lost. But we just kept driving, and enjoyed the sites.

Then we went out to Claremont to visit some of Caleb's mission companions! We really had a blast there. It was really fun to see Bennett and Michelle again. We hadn't seen them since the wedding. It was fun to meet Drew and Alicia! They are amazing, and I wish we lived closer to both couples. We went to In-N-Out and got to visit with them for a while. Bennett and Michelle needed to call it an early night, but Drew and Alicia wanted to treat us to a local ice cream place called 21 choices. It was really tasty. Then they took us on a walking tour of Claremont. The more we spent time there, the more we felt at home there. We are considering whether we should stay in Utah or not right now. We'll see though.

Friday we did lots of driving around, and spent some more time with Grandma. It was really fun to run around and see where Caleb grew up, and where he used to spend a lot of his time. That night we went to the Bakersfield Condors hockey game. It was a total coincidence that when we were out there, they were playing the Utah Grizzlies. We met up with Devonn and Carla and their sweet boys. The game was a blast! Condors won 6-4!

Us at the game

Caleb and Devonn

The game

Us towards the end of the game.

Also while we were at the game, we ran into Caleb's siblings Jeff and Jennifer! It was nice to see them! After the game Jennifer and her family invited us over to play rock band! We really need a wii! We loved it! Apparently I'm great on the drums! Caleb did great on guitar and bass both!

Saturday we stuck to Bakersfield again. We ran to this place out in Rosedale calle Cost Plus World Market. I love that place! I could have bought almost the whole store! They have such beautiful stuff. It's like Pier 1, but cheaper! I will be frequenting that store!

We also went over to the mall, because they have stores in California that they don't have in Utah. I really loved Sephora. I could have spent all day there. I didn't of course, because Caleb was so entirely bored!

Saturday night we went to a local ice cream soda shoppe called Dewars. It was probably the best ice cream I've ever had. (Yes, I know I lost my sugar point, but it was so worth it!) We decided that we have to go at least once any time we are in Bakersfield, so if you are ever in the area, hit up Dewars!

What was left of my ice cream sundae

Sunday we went to church in the ward where Caleb spent most of his life. It was really great. I love how the church is the same no matter where you go. When we got home, we got some alone time with Grandma! We had a good time with her watching movies and playing with the dogs, Freeman and Lady. We also ran by where Grandpa Larry was buried. I'm sad I never got to meet him. Caleb had a rough time being there, and it's understandable.

Amanda and Larry had us over for Sunday dinner and it was really nice. Caleb and I loved the shredded beef tacos they made for us. We also just got a chance to sit and visit with them, and it was a good time. Caleb and I feel closer to them now.

Monday we decided to drive to Pismo Beach, because it's been SO LONG since either of us had been to the beach! We really enjoyed our day out there! If you ever are there, stop by Hot Shots and eat! It was good food!

Excited for the Beach!

It really was perfect weather!

I loved this sign!

We had so much fun in the water! He got me wet the punk!

Yeah, we're cheesy! What are you gonna do about it??

Sporting my new shirt on the way back to Bakersfield!

Amanda and the kids met us at Dewars one last time, and it was tasty once again! Caleb ordered a Black and White! I'll have to get that next time!

I was sad to come home, but we had a great time out there. I missed Jewel of course, and she's been hovering around us ever since we got home, because I think she's scared we are going to leave like that again. Not for a while, but we plan on going back to Cali soon.

Ok, we're leaving Wednesday!

2009-03-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

So, California came sooner than we originally planned, but we are so excited! We're going to see lots of family and Caleb's friends that live out there. It's going to be a blast! I'm ready to get out of Utah for a bit. It's been since Ty and Kimie got married that I've left the state other than to Burley, and it feels like Utah a lot! It will be way nice! I'll have tons of pics when we get back! See y'all later!

We're getting out of town!

2009-02-28T20:57:00.003-07:00

So, we got our tax refund money now, and we decided to FINALLY go to Bakersfield, CA where Caleb grew up! We're going in a couple of weeks, and it will be great! I can't wait to go and enjoy the sun! We are going to hit the beach while we are that close though! That will be nice. I haven't been to the beach in a long while. I've got 10 lbs before I will be bathing suit ready, but I'm excited regardless!

In other news, Caleb still hasn't found work, and I'm doing what I can to keep busy at the salon! Jewel is active as ever, and doing great.

We were watching The Princess Bride earlier this week, and we got to thinking. We realized, that they just don't make movies like they used to. Most of the movies that become classics now are action flicks, that can be too intense for younger children. My parents let us watch The Princess Bride when we were young, because they had edited the parts they thought were too intense for us. (Just most of the R.O.U.S. fight, and parts of the sword fight at the end.) I wish people would start making movies like that again. It would be great!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T10:03:00.002-07:00

So, I'm finally taking the time to blog about our Valentine's Day! I had the day off work, so we got to spend all day together.

Caleb has a meeting he goes to every Saturday morning, and I go with him when I'm not working, so we decided to share the love and buy doughnuts for all the guys! A few didn't show up, so one of the guys got to take the extras home, because the last thing we need hanging around our house right now are doughnuts!

Then we went home, and made a lovely lunch of Top Ramen. So much love! :) Then we spent the afternoon cuddling on the couch watching lovey movies. Well, first we finished watching my Valentine's present that I got early. I love the sitcom Reba, and Caleb got me the newest season out. I'm just waiting on the last one now. So we finished the last couple of episodes, and then we watched A Walk to Remember, because I hadn't made Caleb watch that one with me yet. To his surprise he liked it. He hated Charly, so I thought he wouldn't like this.

Then we decided to splurge a little bit and go to our favorite Mexican Restaurant for dinner. It's cheap dinner, so it's hard to argue with on our budget. They were giving out Fried Ice Cream to everyone at the restaurant, so we both tried it. We both weren't crazy about it, but now we can say that we've had it! :)

We finished of the night going Country Dancing in Pleasant Grove, where we kind of met. We showed up early to help out, so that we could get in for free! (Can't argue with Free!) We spent the night dancing away, and it was wonderful! Towards the end of the time we were there, they played our song, "I Cross My Heart" by George Strait. This moment was absolutely perfect! It was just like on our wedding day. He was singing to me, and nothing else in the room mattered. That moment was all about Caleb and I. Everyone else in the room was a blur. It's just like the movies. I couldn't have asked for a better end to our night!

Then we went home, and cuddled up in bed. I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's! He topped it all off by giving me a darling Snoopy card, and wrote a very sweet note in it! As the song so cutely states..."I could not ask for more."

Love is in the Air...

2009-02-08T14:50:00.003-07:00

Last night Caleb and I took my tip money from that day, and did something that we haven't done in months....WE WENT COUNTRY DANCING!!! As we were there, I was reminded of all the reasons that I fell in love with Caleb. When we are dancing, he gives me my favorite smiles, and he gets and extra twinkle in his eye. It's like there's no one else in the room. I love it. He's not the best dancer I've ever danced with, but he is DEFINATELY my favorite! He so considerate of me when we are there, it's really nice.

Our life is truly full of love and laughter, despite everything that is going on around us. I always know that Caleb loves me, and he makes me laugh on a daily basis. I honestly wouldn't trade him for anything on this earth. He does so much that I don't thank him enough for. I will do better as his wife and remember to thank him.

When I met Caleb, my life absolutely changed for the better, despite all the crap that we have been through. I can say we have been through hell and back together. I would never wish anything of that on anyone. If I would have gone through that with any other person, I honestly would have gotten out while I had the chance. Caleb is amazing, and I'm so lucky to have his love and support. I dont know what I would do without him in my life.

There are so many different thins that I love about him. I think I will make a small list.
1. I love how much he loves me.
2. I love his hugs, and the comfort that they give.
3. I love that he's short, because it makes him the perfect height.
4. I love his kisses.
5. I love his sense of humor.
6. I love that he loves animals.
7. I love that he likes to cuddle with me.
8. I love that he loves what he does for work, even though I don't understand it much.
9. I love that he helps me with the dishes.
10. I love that he is working so hard to get back to the temple, and to provide a good living for us and our future family.

Happy Valentine's Day Caleb, I love you so much!

One year

2009-02-01T11:28:00.002-07:00

So, it's been one year since I made the switch to my current salon. I have to say, I'm very happy with the switch I made. I love the people I work with, and I love the atmosphere of this salon! I also like that it is much closer to my current home. Driving to American Fork every day was just too financially straining. I did really enjoy the people that I worked with at my last salon, and I actually miss working with them.
Metropolitan Salon is great and beautiful. We have just undergone a facelift, and the salon looks amazing! Everyone is energized with the new look, and everything is great! I really love what I do for work, and I wouldn't want to change professions any time soon. I'm hoping to make a little more money this year, but we will see!

A Weekend of Family

2009-01-25T16:35:00.004-07:00

So, we had a very nice weekend! Saturday night, we got to spend a good share of it with the Bell side of our family, and it was a lot of fun. We played lots of games, had tacos, and got to catch up with family. Autumn was here with her family, and I haven't seen them in over 4 years, so it was nice to visit with them

I finally got to meet this little guy,

And he loved me SO MUCH, that he did this

on my pants! Gotta love the little guy!

We also had the chance to see my dad play the Wii. It was quite entertaining!

I think they should get one! :)

Before I tell the next part, I should remind people, (or tell them if they don't know) that Caleb was adopted by his parents when he was 27 days old.

We found out on Friday night that Caleb has 2 half sisters. One of them found him on Facebook, and added him as a friend, and wants to get to know him. Caleb is excited and curious to get to know her, so we will keep you posted on what's going on with that. Right now he's not wanting to meet them or anything, but he would like to know a little more about his birth family for geneology puropses.

Peanut Blart and Jelly

2009-01-18T10:25:00.002-07:00

So, Friday night Caleb and I decided we wanted to go out, and our friend Reggie joined us. We ate at Subway, (trying to keep healthy, and the new 9 grain bread is really tasty!) and then we went to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop. It is HILARIOUS!!! They didn't show all of the funniest parts of the movie like they do in a lot of commercials for those kinds of movies. We had so much fun! It's not a movie that's going to change your life by any means, but it's definately a good laugh. It's rated PG, so it's not raunchy or anything either. That I really enjoyed! This movie was written and produced by Kevin James and Adam Sandler. It is great!

On another note, I've been down with sickness this week. Now that I'm better, poor Caleb is sick. He was so attentive and sweet to take care of me like he did, and now I've gotten him sick, and I'm so sad about it! He's just gonna sleep a lot so that he can get better.

Hope you are all doing well! Go see the movie for a good laugh!

Sorry so long!

2009-01-12T20:57:00.003-07:00

Things have been so crazy in the last few weeks! It's definately time to catch up!

So, Christmas was good for us! We spent Christmas Eve with the Ellison clan and got to see how everyone was doing on the challenge. Everyone is doing well from what I saw! Christmas Day was perfect. We just got each other a couple of little things, and called it good. My parents gave Caleb a box full of things he loves, and I got a Cricut! It was a great little Christmas!

We rang in the new year at Gen and Mike's house. They are always such great hosts! We really enjoy spending time with them! Caleb had been sick, and was finally starting to feel better by then, so it was really nice! Lots of seven layer dip and tacos!

So, with the weight loss challenge, Caleb has lost about 13 and I've lost 27 so far. We are really excited! We are getting healthy, and that's what we really wanted. I like that most of my pants aren't fitting as well now, but at the same time I hate it, because we can't afford for me to get a new pair yet. :) Oh well! I'm just going to have to get really good at altering all of my clothes!

This last Thursday my Mother in Law Kathie had knee replacement surgery. She's been in the hospital until this morning, so we have been going back and forth a lot! I'm happy to say that she is doing really well right now. It's still going to be a long road to perfect recovery, but she is doing great for the fact she only had surgery 5 days ago!

Love you all to bits! I'll be better about this! I promise!

I'm dreaming of a White....

2008-12-22T09:53:00.002-07:00

Oh, wait! It doesn't look like I'm going to have to dream about it! It's been snowing quite a bit in the last couple of weeks, and it's snowing as I write this! It's looking very likely that we will have a white christmas this year!
So, it's time to update people! Caleb's toe is doing better. Still a little tender, but it's not black and blue, or swollen anymore! We have been crazy busy trying to get Christmas together. With little money, we have been able to think a lot more about why we love Christmas. Yes, gifts are nice, and being able to spoil people you usually can't is always a plus. But really, our favorite part of Christmas is being able to see our families. We get to spend time with most of the Ellison's on Christmas Eve, with the Mickey's that are here on Christmas Day, and then we get to see the Bell's on the 29th for Grandpa's birthday! That's the most important part of the holidays to us, so we wanted to let you all know that we love you, and if we don't get to see you this year, we are still thinking of you!
So, while Caleb's dad was still in town, we exchanged one of our gifts last night. I got him The Tales of Beatle the Bard by J.K Rowling. (Harry Potter is what got Caleb to love reading, so I thought he would enjoy the short read.) Caleb got me Josh Groban's Noel. My mom burned me a copy last year and I listened to it until it was so scratched that you couldn't even hear Little Drummer Boy anymore, so Caleb bought me my own copy. He's so sweet!
We hope you all have happy holidays! We will try to post more, but life gets so crazy, it may be another catch up post!

Ok, time to catch up...

2008-12-12T23:23:00.004-07:00

To start off, Caleb is still looking for work! It's getting really frustrating for him because he will call back not long after he puts in an application, and they will have already filled the position. Oh well, here's to hoping something works out soon!

Next, Caleb let me play with his hair a little, and we got him a new style. What do you think?

I like it personally, but I know it's not everyone's taste

So, on Tuesday, Caleb and I were both at home in the morning, I was getting ready to go to work, and he was going to go get in the shower and start his day. Well, I decided to chase him, and this is what happened.

Yes, that is a broken pinky toe you are looking at. I still feel so awful about it!

Last night, Caleb and I, along with my father in law Don, had the chance to attend the dress rehersal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert! It was amazingly beautiful! They sang so many great Christmas songs, and they had amazing guests. They had Edward Herrmann(Richard on Gilmore Girls, FDR in Annie, the snobby husband to Goldie Hawn in Overboard) as a narrator, and their guest singer was Brian David Mitchell (Singing voice from The Prince of Egypt's song Through Heaven's Eyes) who both did amazing things! It was truly a wonderful experience, and I have to thank my parents for handing over their tickets to us when they found out they couldn't go! I really wish they could of. It was so great!

And last but not least, Mom requested a new picture to hang in the living room, so my good friend Nate, who takes all of our lovely pictures except for our wedding ones, took us out for another picture excursion, and here are the pictures from it. Enjoy!

Hope you are all doing well!

A year ago yesterday...

2008-12-02T10:27:00.006-07:00

I married the most wonderful man! He's my best friend, and he is so good to me. He makes me laugh every day, and he takes care of me and lets me know how much he loves me. We are getting close to our goal of being able to go to the temple. Hopefully only a few more months! But, I still wouldn't trade being married to Caleb for anything in the world. Here are some pics just for fun!

Thanksgiving and Twilight

2008-11-28T09:41:00.002-07:00

So, I'm going to start with the less cheesy subject! Don't fall over in shock, but I made most of Thanksgiving dinner yesterday! I'm so proud of myself! I'm not the most amazing cook ever, but I did fairly well for myself! I even made the best pumpkin pie my husband has ever had. (At least that's what he told me. Who knows if that's really the truth...) But needless to say, I was exhausted after! It's really exhausting to do most of it on your own. I did have some guidance on how to do things from my mother in law, minus the pie. That was all grandma's guidance! Everything turned out great.
Ok, so I think this is fairly funny. We went to see Twilight last Saturday with our friends Carrie and Nate, and I liked it. It was enjoyable, but I wish they had a bigger budget, so that they could get the authors vision on certain things like the Cullens house. But the funniest thing was, CALEB LOVES IT!!! I had to drag him basically kicking and screaming to go see it, and he loved it so much, that on Wednesday night we had some cash, and he wanted to go and see it again! I didn't mind. I actually think I liked it a lot better the second time I saw it, because I wasn't being nit picky about the things from the book. Caleb hasn't read them, so he just loved the movie. I think my favorite people from the movie were Charlie (Bella's Dad) and Emmett (Edwards Vampire "Brother") They made me crack up! I thought they were perfectly cast.

Still looking....

2008-11-25T21:25:00.002-07:00

Caleb still hasn't found a new job. It's beginning to get a little stressful for us. He goes out every day and applies everywhere. We just are running out of places to go. To help in the meantime, I have decided to start selling Avon for some extra income. Avon no longer has territories, so feel free to order from me online and have it shipped directly to you. My website is www.youravon.com/smickey and I'm actually suprised how much I like their products. Their makeup doesn't irritate my sensitive skin, and lasts longer than some of my expensive stuff. Check it out!

My parents are in Brazil visiting their new grandbaby, and I'm so jealous! One, it's warm. Two, I want to meet William. Three, I miss them all. Four, I'm in dire need of a real vacation. Five, I really want to meet William. (Wait, did I already mention that?) :)

This last Sunday, we had a Thanksgiving Dinner with some of the family on my mom's side that I don't get to see often. It was really fun to get to see them and visit with them a little. It's sad that they only live a little over an hour away and I hardly see them. I also got to see Chanda and Daniel, and I haven't seen them in 3 years at least. It was awesome to see them.

Gratitude

2008-11-16T20:40:00.006-07:00

So, I've been thinking a lot lately for the things that I am greatful for, since Thanksgiving is coming up. I've decided to list a few things that I am thankful for.

1. My Honey: Caleb is so amazing to me. Even when we have nothing, he finds a way to take care of me. He loves me to an extent that I don't feel I deserve. He is amazing in so many ways, and I am truly so lucky to have him.

2. My Famliy, especially my Brazilians: Even though I'm so far from my siblings, I am so greatful to have such loving and caring ones. They are amazing. I'm also blessed with the most giving parents I could have ever asked for! They truly give me so much, and have for so long. They truly have been an amazing blessing in my life.

3. My In Laws - I hear of so many people who don't get along with their in laws, and it makes me feel so blessed. My in laws are amazing! They treat me as one of their own children, and sometimes would tell me that they would trade me for Caleb. (Totally joking of course) They raised Caleb so well. They are so wonderful. My sister in law Amanda is also wonderful. It's nice to know that I will have someone to talk to at family functions besides Caleb and his parents. Her kids are so much fun too. I love when we get to visit with them!

4. My Job - I am so blessed to be able to do something that I love so much, and be able to make money at it. Being a hairdresser is so rewarding every day! The salon I work in is full of wonderful people who make me feel like a better stylist every day that I'm there. It's such a blessing.

5. My kitten - I know it sounds silly, but she is like my child! She is so playful and so loving, she just brings a joy into my life that I can't really describe, but my mom, my mom-in-law and Rendi I know can understand. Picking her that day at the shelter was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I wish you all a wonderful holiday, and hope you remeber what you are thankful for!

Lay off and Jewel spayed.

2008-11-11T10:27:00.002-07:00

So, It's been too long since I've posted. We've been a little crazy, so please forgive me. Well, 'tis the season of construction layoff. With the state of the economy, layoff came earlier for Caleb this year. Now we are on the job hunt for him again. We aren't picky about what he does for right now, we just need to be able to pay the bills. If anyone hears of anything in the area of Utah County, please let us know. The only thing I will say, is Caleb isn't terribly comfortable with computers. He's talked to several places each day, but no luck in this last week.

On to what happened yesterday. We took our little Jewel to get spayed. I hated leaving her at the vet. She had a look of terror when we left the room and she stayed, and then I heard her little tiny meow, and it took everything I had in me not to cry. When we picked her up, the second they brought her in the room, she came right to me, and wouldn't leave my side for most of the evening. She was so drugged up that she couldn't even walk straight. She's such a trooper though. She slept through most of the night, right in between Caleb and I, I think to make sure we weren't going to leave her again. But, I'm proud to say she is acting like herself this morning, and everything is back to normal.

Hope you are all doing well!

Ellison Healthy Lifestyle Update

2008-11-02T21:15:00.002-07:00

I promised to keep people posted, and we are doing great! I'm loosing weight pretty steadily, and Caleb has lost some. We feel like we are getting healthy, and that's the goal! Getting active, and eating right feels good! I encourage everyone to take some small steps to get on track!

Baby William is here!

2008-10-28T09:52:00.002-07:00

Ty and Kimie called my mom this morning, and their baby arrived at about 8:30 our time! Kimie and William are doing great! William Brady Hataba Ellison weighed 7lb and is 17 inches long! We are so excited to have him here! Ty said they were going to try to have pics on the blog later today! This is my first niece or nephew that I'll get to see through the beginning. I missed out on a lot with Ricardo, and I don't want to miss out with this nephew! I'm so excited!

It's under $3!!!

2008-10-23T17:35:00.002-07:00

FINALLY!!! Fuel is under $3 again! It's sad that I'm so excited about it, but I even saw fuel for $2.87 on the way home today! It's financially really been helping Caleb and I since fuel started going down so quick. We haven't felt like we've needed to use our credit cards, (which is ideal in our economy!) I just need to talk to the credit card companies and see if I can get our interest rates lowered, because apparently they are doing that! :) They would rather lower the interest rate and have people pay, then have people not pay at all! We'll see how that goes. Anyhow. I can't express how excited I am to see fuel going down to a remotely reasonable rate! It still has a way to go before I will be jumping up and down too much! :)

Thanks Kristin!

2008-10-20T12:32:00.003-07:00

Krisitn Tagged me, so here we go!

8 favorite TV shows
1. Gilmore Girls
2. Reba
3. Biggest Loser
4. Tim Gunn's Guide to Style
5. Tabatha's Salon Takeover
6. Shear Genius
7. What Not to Wear
8. The Today Show

8 Favorite Restraunts
1. Pizza Factory
2. Chili's
3. Los 3 Amigos (good cheap mexican)
4. Sizzler
5. TGI Fridays
6. Applebees
7. Chadders
8. IHOP

8 things that happened yesterday
1. Got a blessing, because I was struggling with my breathing at 2am (Don't worry! It was just my asthma!)
2. Got some sleep
3. Woke up with the flu minus the throwing up
4. Lounged on the couch
5. Watched Biggest Loser
6. Started feeling better
7. Got a visit from the home teachers, because they found out I was sick
8. Went to bed early, because Caleb started to feel yucky.

8 things to look forward to
1. Learning to cook healthier meals
2. My 1 year anniversary!
3. Trip down to California
4. Spoiling my kitten Jewel after she gets spayed :S
5. Christmas
6. Halloween
7. Losing all this weight
8.Thanksgiving

8 things I love about fall
1. ALL THE COLORS!!
2. The smell in the air
3. The cooler weather
4. Thanksgiving
5. Snuggling with a blanket
6. Wearing pants so I don't have to shave my legs as much :)
7. Pulling out the hot chocolate machine!
8. Getting to be an aunt again! :D (Hurry baby William!)

8 things on my wishlist
1. Loose 70 lbs
2. organize my life
3. Pray and read my scriptures daily
4. Traveling the world
5. Get out of debt
6. Get a house!
7. Saving more money
8. LOOSE WEIGHT!!! Did I mention that already? ;)

8 people I am tagging...since I can't tag Krisin back!
1. Catherine
2. Amanda J
3. Stretch and Annie
4. Krystal
5. Meggie
6. Lisa P.
7. Ty & Kimie
8. Anyone else who wants to do it! :D

Way to go....to Idaho!

2008-10-20T12:11:00.003-07:00

So, Caleb and I took Friday off work, and went to Burley to see Grandma and Grandpa B.! We hadn't been since Memorial Day last year, so it was long over due. My parents went as well. The boys finished the stop and waste for the sprinkler system, and the girls sorted pictures. We had a lot of fun sorting pictures though. We found some classic pictures, and pictures of myself that I hadn't seen in years. (Ty and I on the day he left on his mission, us with Snoopy and Charlie Brown at Knotts Berry Farm...) It really was great! We may go back for thanksgiving...we just have to see what is going on with the family!

Taged!

2008-10-14T15:16:00.002-07:00

Jewel playing with her sock toy from Caleb's mom

The rules:

Go to your 6th photo folder

Pull the 6th picture

Post it!

You read this, you're tagged!

BYU vs. New Mexico

2008-10-12T17:18:00.003-07:00

So, yesterday Caleb and I got to go to the BYU game. It was FREEZING COLD!!! No rain or snow, but it was cold! We had a total blast! BYU definately could have played better, but it was a fun game. The last quarter made up for the first boring three. Josh (aka Man Shrek) came with us since my Cougar loving daddy couldn't because he was working. Missed you daddy!

In the 4th quarter when the game was fun!
Reminded me of high school and my older brother Ty
Aren't we tender??
The boys
He is just so dang cute!

Hope you enjoyed our pictures! My legs are still hurting from all the water I drank and the amount of times I had to do the stairs!

Ellison Healthy Lifestyle Challenge!

2008-10-05T21:45:00.003-07:00

Ok, so we are starting our biggest loser challenge again, and Caleb and I signed up. We weren't that disciplined the first time around after the first couple of weeks. We really want to be healthy, so we are going to stick with it this time. It runs through Presidents day, and I would like to loose at least 35 lbs by then, maybe more. Caleb's goal is to loose about the same amount. We have lots of work to do, and we will get there! We will stick with it, and we will keep you all posted! :)

Dead Battery = Shala Is Not An Idiot!

2008-09-27T11:37:00.003-07:00

So, I get a phone call from Caleb yesterday saying that he couldn't get the Jeep to start, it seemed like the battery was dead. I told him to jump the battery and get home so we could try to figure out what was going on. He took my car with the battery from the Jeep down to AutoZone, to test it to see if it was the battery or the alternator, because everyone was trying to tell him it was the alternator. Other than the battery dying, the car didn't have any signs of a dead alternator. (I've been the driver of two different vehicles when the alternator has gone out.) The battery was totally fried needless to say, and the guy at AutoZone taught Caleb a way to test at home with a new battery to see if the alternator was dead. Caleb did the test, and the alternator wasn't the problem.
Then we went to our weekly "trucker coffee" where we go hang with Caleb's trucker friends, and get a soda or a hot chocolate while they drink their coffee. All the guys there like to think they know everything about cars. They were all trying to tell him his alternator was still bad. I knew that it wasn't, but none of these men wanted to trust my knowledge or listen to me. So, just to prove to them that I knew what I was talking about, Caleb took the alternator into AutoZone and had them test it, and it was perfectly fine.
The lesson here is, just because I'm a woman, doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to cars. I'll admit that I don't know a lot about them, but what I do know, I know for pretty darn sure!

Playing with Prissy and Adventures in Grass

2008-09-21T19:12:00.002-07:00

So, Jewel and my mother in law's dog Prissy are about the same size now. Jewel snuck upstairs one day, and they started playing, so we brought them downstairs away from the other dogs, so that they could play without the other dogs getting in the way. They had a blast, and didn't get too rough with each other.

After that play time, we took Jewel outside for the first time. She really didn't like the feel of grass. She thought it felt weird. She even stuck her tongue out about it, (look closely at the first picture.) She quickly scurried onto the patio, and hasn't loved grass yet.

Hope you enjoyed our pictures and stories! She's gotten so big it's crazy!

Happy Birthday Grandma E!

2008-09-19T21:55:00.002-07:00

We just wanted to give her a little shout out letting her know how much we appreciate her and love her! She's great, and we wouldn't trade her for the world!

Sunday Dinner at Our House!

2008-09-16T11:28:00.002-07:00

So, our usual thing on sundays is to go up to my parents house and have sunday dinner with them, so we see them at least once a week. For a change, they came down to our little place! It was really nice! We just had a very simple baked potato bar, but it was still really nice.
Jewel loved spending time with them, and my mom tried to make Jewel cuddle with her. Sadly for mom, we have a very independent kitten, and she only cuddles when she is tired.
We also sat and watched our wedding video with them. Yeah, they were there, and filmed it, and edited it, but it was still fun to watch it with them. They didn't usually get to hear our commentating on it when they had watched it before. They got to learn a little more about my husband and it was really nice.
Hopefully we will be able to have them over for dinner more! I like to cook!

Funny Story

2008-09-09T10:02:00.002-07:00

So, I'm laying in bed this morning, and the cat lays on our bed at night. All the sudden, Jewel is meowing at me, walking all over my face, and using her claws to PULL THE COMFORTER AND SHEETS DOWN! She was trying to kick me out of the bed so she could lay in it! She is so stinking smart. She's also figured out when I'm awake, my eyes are open. So now she will gently wake me up by pawing my eyeballs! She's such a stinker sometimes, but she's so adorable the rest of the time, that it's hard not to love her! She's gotten really big so fast! I'll post new pics soon! :) I just wanted to share that story. I woke up laughing my head off because of it.

Help Me!

2008-09-05T07:52:00.003-07:00

So, here's the deal. I needed a new headshot for my website. (http://www.shalamickey.com/) I need something that looks professional, and makes me look like I know what I'm doing! I put my top five pictures on here, so let me know which one is your favorite. Thanks!

Shout out for Sparkpeople!

2008-09-04T09:30:00.002-07:00

So, I am an avid fan of sparkpeople.com! It helps me track my calories eaten, calories burned, and basically gives me someone to report to on being fit! I'm down 3.6 lbs in the 2 weeks I've been doing it again, and I feel a lot better about myself since I started doing it again. My goal is to loose about 2 lbs a week. That's a healthy amout to loose, and it's easier to keep of the slower it comes off. Anyone who wants to join, it's completely free, and a great way to stay on track! Find me if you decide to do it!

Penny Pinching

2008-08-28T09:06:00.002-07:00

So, Caleb and I are really shooting to eliminate as much debt as we can by the end of the year, so I'm the coupon clipping, penny pinching wife. It gets tough sometimes, because it feels like we can never catch up. As soon as we pay down a credit card a little, some car trouble happens and we have to use it. Or the groceries cost more than we expected. We have been a lot better to not eat out as much and things, but we just hang at home most of the time and make our meals. We use minimal gas, (Gas is still $3.87 here, for my fam in Cali and Idaho) and do everything we can. I don't know what else to do. Any other suggestions?

All Good Dogs Go To Heaven...

2008-08-21T21:22:00.002-07:00

Today, my parents had to put our Sanka down. We had him for 14 wonderful years, and he filled our life with so much fun and so much joy as kids. I still remember the day Tyler brought him home from the horse pasture. Our bunny Gandolf had died a day or two before, and we really wanted another pet. We had our Tigger, but it wasn't the same. We kept him in the yard until our parents got home. Sanka's big brown eyes won over mom, and we got to keep him...as long as we didn't name him Killer. :) He tore up the yard yes, but that doesn't change how much we loved him, or anything of the sort. I'll miss his cute face in the backyard when I go to visit.
Really, we know now that he doesn't hurt, so this is the best thing for him. I just can't wait to run into him in the after life, and run and play with him again, just like the day we brought him home.

Miss you already dear friend. I couldn't have asked for a better dog. And there ends my Ode to Sanka.

For all you Twitch lovers...

2008-08-20T09:10:00.002-07:00

I got really into So You Think You Can Dance this year, and was really rooting for Twitch to win. Joshua was deserving, yes, but I was still rooting for Twitch in my heart. So, as I mentioned in my last post, Angela was here last weekend. She hadn't seen Hairspray yet, and so we sat and watched it. As we were watching the last number in the movie, the guy that Amber (Brittany Snow) is checking out in the last number....is a clean shaven Twitch! He has auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance the year before they filmed Hairspray, and the coreographer is associated with the show, and cast him! We were FREAKING OUT when we realized it was him! Caleb being the loving husband he is, just stared and laughed at us. Check it out! He stands out to us....but that's because we know who he is too. We think he is a better dancer now than he was then. :D

New Friends

2008-08-19T07:39:00.002-07:00

So, this last weekend my friend Angela came to stay with us. Jewel took to her just like she took to me when we first got her. She would just cuddle up to Angela like she was me. They played a lot, and she just loved her. She meowed and cried when Angela left. So here is the picture I took when they were relaxing on the couch!

Wide Open Spaces

2008-08-16T10:17:00.002-07:00

So, I've been thinking that I wanted to rearrange the furniture in our living room for quite a while now, and finally last night, we did it. By doing that, the room feels twice as big, and we are able to enjoy the space now.
Jewel is loving the new open space. She gets to run and play without an obstacle course now. She has grown like a weed since we got her. She's twice as big, and weighs 3.5 lbs. She's still a runt, but we love her. We have also started to allow her to go out back after the dogs have been taken in the house for the night. She's not so sure how she feels about grass, but she loves to chase Caleb on the patio.

Family In Town

2008-08-12T14:00:00.002-07:00

So, for a little over a week now, we have had the privelidge of having Caleb's sister and her children out here! It's been really nice to spend some time with them. We were able to do some shopping, and just spend time together. We've also had some really great discussions that we have all benefited from. I love that part of being with family. There are always some good discussions to have. All the kids have their birthdays in August, so we got to spoil the kids as much as we could while they have been here. We will miss them when they leave in the morning.

Logan Trip

2008-08-05T18:04:00.007-07:00

So, our runaway weekend took us to the lovely Logan, in which we coincidentally drove past Alan and Rendi's old house, which is up for sale... We had lots of fun, and we have tons of pictures to share with you!

My Angie at Angie's Diner!
Goofy face!
Outside the Anniversary Inn
Birthday Dessert at Iggy's
The coolest tub ever! The putting green!

Lunch at Fredrico's! He likes it!Me too!

The water comes out of the snake's mouths! Sweet!

The sweet paint job in the 2nd room!

Aww! Handsome hubby!

So, that was our trip! We did a lot of loafing, and I read breaking dawn! It was good. I was disappointed in a couple of things, but it's all good. Hope you liked our pics!

We're Running Away!

2008-07-31T13:16:00.002-07:00

Bye Y'all! We're running away for the weekend, and we aren't taking our phones!!! We have both been in dire need of a quiet vacation away. So, we're finally taking one. Pictures will follow once we get back!

Book Worm and Pictures!

2008-07-24T18:17:00.003-07:00

So, I have been a total bookworm! 5 1/2 books in 3 weeks! Here's the list:

The Peacegiver

Twilight Series(Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse)

Eat, Pray, Love

and the 1/2 is The Holy Secret

First, The Peacegiver and The Holy Secret. They both have the same author, and they are excellent spiritual books. I recommend them to everyone.

I re read the whole Twilight series, because the last book in the series, Breaking Dawn, comes out next week. So, I wanted to refresh everything.

Eat, Pray Love is one of those Oprah books, and everyone was telling me that it was interesting. I found it intriguing in places, and absolutely boring in others. I'm not sure if I would recommend it to others.

So, I told you there would be pictures, so here we go!

Her favorite place to sleep

Her favorite place to hang out.

What happens when Daddy gets home first!

Day off!

2008-07-19T16:37:00.002-07:00

So, I had been beginning to feel a little burnt out at work, so I took today off, and had a really nice day. I got things done around the house, got my lesson planned for tomorrow, (Yes, I teach 10 sunbeams (3-4 year olds) every sunday,) and got to go do what my mom asked me to do. They asked Caleb and I to go up and spend some time with Tigger so he doesn't get so lonely. Then we went and ran a couple of other errands we needed to on the way home. It's just been a really nice day! I've been able to destress and spend time with my husband! Its been great!

Being Parents

2008-07-15T08:46:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I have to say this before I continue. I know that Caleb and I aren't parents of a baby, but we still feel like parents to our little Jewel.
With that being said, this week has been very different. We really enjoy having our little girl with us, but she keeps us up late, is getting into everything, and is just a rambunxious little thing! She is a little cuddle bug though. She'll rest on my chest so she can hear my heartbeat and play with my hair. She is definately daddy's girl when it comes time for us to go to bed. She won't stay next to me. She deliberately goes onto his side of the bed and cuddles up to him, which I get a tad jealous of. She is already a little begger too! I made the mistake of giving her a tiny taste of milk like the second day we had her home, and now we have to shut her up in the bathroom when we eat or she will get all over in our food. She succeeded once, and that was enough. I just know even more now that we want some time before we have children. We are plenty young, and we won't have to worry about a time crunch.

Everyone....Meet Jewel!

2008-07-09T07:47:00.004-07:00

Caleb and I are the proud parents of a two month old little kitten. He finally gave in to me and let me get a pet! YaY! She is very rambunxious and loves to cuddle. We adopted her through the Lost Paws Shelter, and she is a new joy in our life. She is still very curious, so we have to keep an eye on her. She is currently running all around my desk at home. We are so happy to have her. Caleb didn't sleep well last night because he was worried about her. I know even more now that he will be a great dad when we decide to have kids. Here are some more pictures of her. She is still very tiny. She was the runt of her litter, but we love her anyway. Enjoy!

Family Night

2008-07-01T09:45:00.002-07:00

Last night was really nice for Caleb and I. We spent the night at home doing laundry, and just enjoying our time together. We've been running and running and running for so long, that it was just nice to sit and do practically nothing. (We were doing laundry, so we can't say we were doing nothing.) Today is our 7 month anniversary, and it was just nice to spend last night together. I can only hope that we get to do the same tonight, minus the laundry part! ;)

A Trip Back to the Old Days!

2008-06-26T09:30:00.002-07:00

So, last night Caleb and I decided that we wanted to go country dancing. We hadn't gone forever, and without country dancing, we wouldn't have met. So we went and really enjoyed ourselves. It reminded me of when we were dating and engaged and we would go all the time. People would stare at us because we were so used to how each other moved. Caleb saw and old girlfriend there and caught up with her, and I got hit on. The poor guy comes up to me asking me to dance, and I said sure, because Caleb and I have enough trust for each other that we dont worry when things like that happen. The guy asked if I came with someone, and I told him I came with my husband. He was really embarassed. But, we saw him hitting it off later with Calebs old girlfriend, so its all good! After that, we went and got a slice of pie for old times sake, and went home. It's so nice to relive those times, because it takes me back to why I fell in love with him in the first place.

Happy Birthday Bev and Ty!

2008-06-25T08:54:00.002-07:00

I only felt it was appropriate to recognize two people we care about so much, my mom and my brother. Mom's birthday was yesterday. Dad was gone on woodbadge training camp all this week, so we took mom out to dinner to wish her a happy birthday! It was really nice to just sit and chat. We went to a little mexican restaurant in Provo and had a good time. The jukebox was broken, so we got to hear the songs we picked twice! It was really fun.
Tyler's birthday is tomorrow, and even though he's thousands of miles away, we wanted to wish him a happy birthday and let him know how much we care about him. We love him to bits and miss him and his adorable family like crazy! Mom and Dad are going to be in Brazil for Rico's birthday this year, and we really wish we could go.
So in short, Happy Birthday Mom and Ty! We love you!

Off Roading

2008-06-21T17:32:00.002-07:00

So, Caleb and I have had our friends that love to go off roading ask us constantly to go with them. We had them look at our jeep and see if we were even safe in doing so. We found out that this particular jeep had never been taken off road. The skid plate wasn't touched at all. So, we finally caved and went yesterday with some other newlywed friends of mine. They went in their jeep and we followed them. They guided us through it, and we had a blast. They were good to turn around when we weren't sure about it, because we don't have any sort of lift on our jeep. So, what we have decided is that we need new tires, a small lift, (no more than 2 inches so it is still safe on the normal roads,) and lockers. But, Caleb was so excited to get the Jeep in the mud! We had a blast and plan on doing more.

Support

2008-06-18T15:40:00.002-07:00

I've realized something lately. The support system you have around you is key. Without the support of my husband and my other family members and close friends, I would have totally sunk. It's a long story, but Caleb and I have been through hell and back together. We both feel that the support of the other helped us get through it. Just recently Caleb and I have had to rely on our support system to get us through some tough times. I guess what I'm getting at, is thanks to Bev, Jim, Don, and Kathie, for all their love and support of us and helping us. We would have been drowning without them. Love you guys!

Happy Mother's/Father's Day to Us!

2008-06-14T09:50:00.002-07:00

So Caleb and I used the money we were going to spend on mothers day and fathers day and got us new phones. The speakers were blown in our previous phones, and they were really beat up, plus we were up for renewals on them. So, we got the LG Rumor Slider phone. (The ones that are kind of like a sidekick, with the keyboard that comes out to the side.) We really enjoy them, and it's great! YaY us!

Job Change and Class

2008-06-10T16:14:00.003-07:00

So, things weren't really working at Liberty for Caleb. He didn't like the hours, and the way the guy was running the company was really hard on Caleb. Frank at Sunroc called Caleb back, and he's going back to Sunroc tomorrow. He's pretty excited to be going back. It's steadier hours and the benefits kick in sooner.
Yesterday, I spent the day at a hands on cutting class with Phillip Wilson, the third best hairdresser in the world. It was phenomenal to be in the same room as him. This hands on class was wonderful, but extremely difficult at the same time. This man broke down every barrier that I was taught in school in a matter of hours. It was a very emotional day. At one point during the day, he came over by me, gave me a hug from behind and told me that I was an amazing hairdresser. On comes the waterworks! I should back up and explain a little more first. In the first two salons I was in, I didn't have people telling me I was a good stylist. It was the exact opposite. So finally being appreciated, especially by someone as world renound as him, made me feel that I'm really in the right profession. It was a phenomenal day. I will never look at hair the same.

Hot Dog Boats

2008-06-05T09:54:00.002-07:00

A friend showed me how to make these, and Caleb is absolutely loving them whenever I make them, so I decided to share what they are.
So, essentially what it is, is a hot dog split down the middle filled with mashed potatoes and cheese. ( Slightly a spin off of a hot dog you would get in Brazil!) I like a little ketchup on mine, personally. They are quick and easy. We use the instant potato flakes,(Idahoan prefered, with a little extra butter and a little garlic salt) you fill the hot dogs with the potatoes, top them off with cheese, and put them in the oven until the cheese on top is melted, and the hot dogs are warmed through. You can put them on a bun if you want. We like them both ways.

6 MONTHS!!!!!

2008-06-01T19:35:00.002-07:00

Happy Anniversary to Caleb and I! We have now been married for six months. Wow how the time flies. We spent the day together, and really enjoyed it. We went to church, and got a new bishopric. Then, we went up to my parents house, and had a very lovely meal with them, and spent some time up there. Then, we went on a long drive. We were going to drive the Alpine Loop up through American Fork Canyon, but it's not open yet. So we turned around, and drove the very long way home with the top off the Jeep, and were just able to spend some time together. Then we came home, watched one of our TV shows, and just enjoyed each others company. I keep saying this, but I am really so lucky to have found a man as wonderful as Caleb. He takes care of me, he works really hard, and tolerates me. I'm so glad he hasn't gotten sick of me in the year and a half we have been together. I only hope I can continue to be a good wife for him.

BIggest Loser Update

2008-05-29T14:37:00.003-07:00

I just realized I haven't done an update for a little bit. We have been struggling a little bit, but our schedule has changed a lot with Caleb's new job. We are adjusting, and starting to do a little better. I've now lost a total of 7 lbs, and Caleb has still only lost the one. I've been working a little harder at it than he has, but he's been more active. It's just a matter of time for him. He just wants to be healthier more than anything.
Caleb has really been enjoying his new job. Not so much the hours, but he loves the work. I like that he stays pretty close, and he likes that he's not going in circles like he was when he was doing dirt work. All in all, things are on the up and up for us. I have a happy husband, and we are excited to see what this summer brings us. Hopefully a trip to Idaho and a trip to California, along with camping on certain weekends that are slow at the salon.

Memorial Day!

2008-05-27T09:09:00.003-07:00

So, Caleb didn't have to work yesterday, so we got to spend the holiday together. He snuck out of bed before I woke up, and ran downtown to Gandolfo's (sandwich shop with the best breakfast sandwiches) and brought back breakfast to me in bed. It was really cute.

Then we went up to my parents house, and we got lunch from Chili's, and then went and saw Prince Caspian with my dad. Mom wanted to wait at home for Scottie's email, which didn't come sadly. I'm sure we'll get one today. The movie was pretty good. It gets pretty intense a couple of times. I would see it again, and most likely buy it. My dad and I were talking about it, and the story line almost has a restoration kind of story line to it. It was very interesting. I think people should see it at least once.

After that, we went over to Grandma Ellison's house. We decided to help her plant her flowers and have a barbeque with the rest of the family. It went by really fast, and we all had a really good time. We hope you all had a wonderful memorial day too!

JET CARS!!!!

2008-05-25T15:40:00.004-07:00

So, we like racing, and we especially love the jet cars! These cars basically have a jet engine hooked onto the back of them. It's crazy fun to watch! If you ever get a chance to go, do it. Our friends Steve and Eva go to this every year. It's great. It sounds like cannons are going off when they backfire, and it's awesome. We are going to make a habit of going. The heat was intense too. We had a total blast.

Today at church, it was so good. We really had an excellent spiritual day! All of the lessons tied into each other and it was powerful. Hope you all enjoyed your sunday!

What to do, what to do...

2008-05-23T09:40:00.003-07:00

So, Caleb started with Liberty yesterday, and he's so happy. He loves it! But, he's having to leave between two and four in the morning on most days, and I have a hard time sleeping when there's no one there. Granted, I'm almost 23 and should be fine to sleep by myself in our place, but I know that our landlords are gone too...so that leaves this really big, nice house completely empty besides me in the middle of the night, and I don't do so well with that. I hear Caleb lock the door and everything when he leaves, but I still don't feel safe. I'm considering getting a pet so I'm not alone, and I have something to blame the noises in the house on so I feel safer. Any suggestions?

My List

2008-05-22T09:41:00.002-07:00

Things I Love about Caleb:
1. He is just so dang cute!
2. He is so spiritual
3. He loves me just as much as I love him
4. He makes me laugh everyday.
5. He will do the dishes for me, because he knows I hate them.
6. His honesty.
7. He calls during the day, just to say hi.
8. He's a sweetheart.
9. He thinks my flaws are cute.
10. He thinks I'm pretty no matter what I weigh
11. He's very easy to live with
12. How passionate he is about life
13. That he likes silly older TV shows
14. He loves his job
15. He's the perfect height to kiss
16. He's loyal
17. He likes to go to church with me
18. He'll just talk with me while we eat dinner at the table.
19. Even when my cooking is gross, he eats it.
20. He's dedicated to what he's doing
21. His dad was his best man at our wedding
22. That he likes to hold my hand
23. When he comes up behind me and puts his arms around my stomach and walks with me.
24. When he strokes my face
25. His eyes
26. How cute he looks when he's sleeping
27. He likes to cuddle with me
28. He's sensitive to people's needs
29. He's not afraid to cry in front of me
30. He gets excited over little things.
31. He always has a pen in his pocket
32. His laugh
33. His smile
34. The way he looks at me
35. The way I fit in his arms
36. He takes care of me
37. He works so hard
38. His hugs
39. He's such a good kisser
40. So many more things if I went on, you would all get bored.

Caleb is so good to me, and I couldn't be happier married to anyone else.

YaY!

2008-05-21T10:09:00.002-07:00

Caleb is officially hired on with Liberty Transport! He'll start tomorrow or monday. They are waiting for a part on his truck. That's what will determine when he will start. It's good money, and he loves driving! I don't really understand it to be honest, but it makes him happy. Anything that makes my husband happy, makes me happy.
I woke up this morning not feeling very good, and Caleb was such a sweetheart. I knew I needed to go to the store for a couple of essentials today, so he got up early and went to the store before he went into work, and just took care of me before he left, and has been checking in on me every so often throughout the day. I really am the luckiest woman in the world. He's so good to me. I only hope that wives everywhere get as lucky as me.

Biggest Loser Week 1 Results

2008-05-20T09:32:00.003-07:00

So week one went fairly well for both of us. We both lost weight! Funny thing is, I lost more than Caleb, which isn't usually the case because guys can drop weight easier than gals. Caleb lost one pound, and I lost four. I was a little stricter with it than he was though. We are both going to work hard this week now that most of the temptations are gone from the house! ;) But we are both feeling a whole lot better now that we are eating a little better and getting a little more active, which is the goal with all of this!
Also, we got news this morning of what Tyler and Kimie are having....despite what we all though...IT'S A BOY!!!!! We are so excited for them! Last they talked, they had already decided on a name. I believe it's William. So, just passing it along. You can offer congratulations to them on Kimie's blog, which the link is in my buddy list! YaY! I'm going to have another nephew!

Rescue, Relief, and Racing!

2008-05-17T09:20:00.004-07:00

Ok, so Caleb and I got home late Thursday night, and we hadn't gotten the mail yet. I sent Caleb out to get the mail, because we have one of those communal mail boxes where you open them with a key and everything. A few minutes go by, and Caleb comes tearing in the house. I asked him what was wrong, and there was a cat that had gotten stuck in those plastic grid construction fences. (The house across the street from us is still being built.) So he asks me to come out and help him cut this little kitty free. I held the flashlight, and helped him find where he needed to cut the plastic. The poor little kitty was so tired by then he didn't fight us at all, and we talked all nice to it to help it know that we weren't going to hurt it. There are a lot of people in our neighborhood who let their cats roam at night, and we were pretty sure this little one had gotten in a cat fight and was trying to run away and got caught in the fence the way it was all caught up. Anyway, so we get the cat free, and we don't know who to call. We called county dispatch to see what we could do. They sent an officer over to make sure the cat didn't need to be euthanized (spelling on that?? I dunno) and then had us take it to the animal shelter. So, thanks to my tender hearted husband, we saved a little kitty, and made sure it would be safe for the night.

Friday started off with good news. It looks like Caleb has gotten a different trucking job that will pay him a little better! :D We are really excited. As long as everything checks out, he will be starting on Wednesday! It's at a local trucking outfit that runs 98% of their loads in state, which means Caleb will be home most nights! I like this idea! :D I'm just glad that my husband is happy with his work. I don't like when he comes home and he's had a not so good day at work. He's sad and there isn't much I can do to cheer him up. He's excited to get driving again.

We spent the rest of Friday out at Miller Sportspark in Tooele watching the races! It was a lot of fun! I hadn't ever gone to the races. Caleb and his dad like to go to the drag races in Vegas every year, so he's seen some of this. The track at Miller Sportspark isn't just the typical round track like you are used to seeing on Nascar. There are all sorts of sharp twists and turns in this track. It's really cool! Apparently Nascar is looking into making it one of their regular stops because it's such a difficult track. It's 3 miles around the perimiter. It's crazy big! If you ever get a chance to go out and watch, do it! We just watched practices and still had a blast.

We ended Friday with a movie. We went and saw Ironman! It was really quite good! We were really surprised! It was a bit intense, because it very much has a war tone to it. But if you go in knowing that, you can really enjoy it. I personally think it would be too intense for little ones.

Lunch Date

2008-05-13T13:03:00.002-07:00

So, Caleb didn't have to be into work until 2 today, so he came up and suprised me at work, and we went to Training Table and got lunch. It was really cute, because he knows that I miss him on days like today. I go to work before he does, and he doesn't get home until somewhere between 10 and 12 at night. He really just wanted to come take me to lunch so that we felt like we spent some time together. It's cute! My husband is adorable. He's really good to me.
All the places Caleb has applied at so far have fallen through, but he's still trying. He gets really discouraged sometimes. I just do what I can to help him get through it, and hope and pray that something works out for him. Anything is better than $8.50 an hour at this point.

Biggest Loser: Ellison Style

2008-05-12T10:05:00.002-07:00

My family all wants to get healthier. So, Caleb and I are jumping on our biggest loser challenge. We're going to get active, watch what we eat, and set goals. This challenge is going to go through labor day. I have pretty lofty goals for myself, but I'm going to work hard to get there. We've limited the amount of weight loss in a week to 5 lbs. If I lost 5 lbs every week, I would loose 80 lbs. My goal isn't to loose that much. I think I would look funny that skinny. My goal is to loose 50, and to be able to run 3 miles by September 1. I'm excited. I'm not sure what Caleb set his goals are. But we're limiting things like soda and sugary treats, and adding fruits and veggies. We are willing to share the challenge with anyone who wants to join in. Let us know!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T13:28:00.002-07:00

I want to start off my saying Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and future mothers out there. I love Mother's day because it's a day to celebrate women and all the hard work that they do for their families, churches, and communities.
Scottie had a chance to call our parents, and he's been transfered. He's now in Neosho, Missouri. His companion is from Spanish Fork, and we think his family goes to church in the same building as Caleb and I. Scott is loving it, and surviving the tornados! :) It was so nice to know that he's so happy out in his mission. He sends his love to everyone!

Suprise!

2008-05-10T21:04:00.003-07:00

So, I was really bored with my hair, and really wanted to change it. My boss Mike suggested that we keep it dark but put some "micro reds" in my hair, and I said why not. We did it, I made the change, and I like it. I really think that we will eventually mellow out the reds, make them more of a burgandy... but for now its fun.
Caleb's working hard at putting out applications, and hopefully we hear from one of the companies soon. We really want to go with Kenny Seng or Burningham. They are both really good companies, and have a lot to offer for Caleb to open doors down the road for a more permanent position.
We love you all! Keep us in your prayers, as we do all of you!

Good news is gone...:(

2008-05-07T16:20:00.002-07:00

Caleb got a call from his boss at Sunroc today, letting him know that it ends up he isn't going to be able to hire him back on at this time. It ends up that Clyde Company (who owns Sunroc) just pulled most of their work. His boss has to lay off 12 guys that he had already hired back. If anyone knows any local trucking companies that are hiring, let us know. Now we still don't have insurance, and we are wondering how we are going to make this work.

Birthday at Treasure Island

2008-05-06T16:40:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Caleb....back on March 26th.... OOPS!!!! Well, here are a couple of pics of the trip. We went and stayed at the Anniversary Inn in the (surprise) Treasure Island room! This inn is so cool! It's all themed rooms! Next time you need to stay in Salt Lake for a night, try it out! We are definately fans!

So Sorry Everyone!

2008-05-06T16:27:00.002-07:00

We are such slackers when it comes to this! But, there is good news! Caleb got his job back! He's back at Sunroc as of Monday, which means double the pay, and I have insurance again! Yay! He's so excited to be driving again. He hasn't wanted to go to work since he found out they want him back, but we would miss out on quite a bit of money, so he's dealing for now. :) Other than that, nothing too exciting is going on for us. We are just living on a tight budget because we are trying to eliminate debt and save money so we can have a house soon! Hope everyone is doing well! Love y'all!

We got a letter!

2008-03-10T20:16:00.002-07:00

We got a letter from Scottie today! He really sounds like he's doing well, and he gets along great with his companion from our rival school. He talked about how his district feels like a family and Elder Beck feels more like a brother than a companion. I was really worried he was going to be shy and not going to get to know these guys. It's really nice to hear that he is being himself.
He also mentioned that he felt the spirit of his dear friend that passed away this last summer in a car accident. When I read that, it was really powerful, because Scott had mentioned that he thought Travis would be there to help him throughout his mission when he first passed away. It's just nice that the Lord is really talking care of him.
Well, we are going to send him a silly book and a letter, to keep him in good spirits, and we'll see what he says later!
We are doing great by the way! Work is going well and Sunroc should be calling Caleb any day.

Farewell

2008-03-09T20:13:00.002-07:00

So, Scottie went into the MTC on this last wednesday. We got a letter Saturday. He's doing really well. I think we will hear lots of good things from his mission. He's at the MTC, so feel free to write him! We are doing well, enjoying friends and enjoying eachother!

We're so sorry! But we have good news to share!

2008-03-01T16:46:00.003-07:00

We have been awful about blogging lately! Life got really crazy and we kept forgetting to share things.
So, to start off, I love the new salon that I'm in! Metropolitan is the kind of salon I always thought I would be in. I finally feel like I fit in with the people that I work with, and I made more money in this slow month that I did busting my butt at either of my other salons. I know it will just get better from here!
Next, we purchased a Jeep Wrangler Sport. We made money of the trade in of Caleb's car, so we are in a better financial position now.
Caleb also should be getting back with Sunroc any day now. They're hiring back other workers, and his boss let us know about 3 weeks ago that it would be 3 to 4 weeks when he would be getting hired back!
And last, but definately not least, Tyler, Kimie, and Rico had some news to share! I'll post the link so you can go see for yourself!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oXBcqflqZYE

Loafers Weekend

2008-01-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

So, Caleb and I both didn't work Saturday, so we just had the chance to loaf around the house, and just be with each other. We really did a whole lot of nothing. It was really nice. We don't get to do this often. I feel like a waste of space at the same time. We did get laundry done, and the bathroom cleaned though, so we weren't a total waste. But, I have gotten Caleb addicted to one of my favorite shows of all time! We've been watching the dvd's between football games. ;)

So, I've got news...

2008-01-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

I'm starting at a new salon on February 1st! I will be working at Metropolitan Salon in Provo, and I will be working on a booth rent which means after I pay rent...the money all goes to ME!!! I'm finally becoming a grown up and taking the plunge into the business world! I'm really excited! Tyler (my brother) is helping me set up a website for me to showcase what I do. I'm so entirely excited! If you would like to see where I will be working, check out www.metropolitansalon.com! Love y'all! If you don't think you can follow me to Provo, call me and I'll refer you to someone great and pass along the information of what I do on you so that they will be able to cater to your needs better!

Haircuts, New Job, Mission Call, Christmas, and New Years! WoW!

2007-12-31T17:31:00.000-07:00

That's a lot to cover! Well, I went for it. I cut my hair. It's back to just above my shoulders, and I'm loving it! I feel like I do my hair again! For a long while it wasn't feeling that way at all. I would just pull it back everyday and not do anything with it. Now, I'm forced to do it because it looks silly pulled back! :D
Caleb did find a job! I can't remember if I mentioned this. We are happy with it for now.
My younger brother got his mission call! He's going to the Tulsa Oklahoma mission! We are so happy for him. I know that he was a little bummed when he opened it and it wasn't foreign, but he's grown very excited for his mission and I feel he will really love it! It's right in the bible belt, so it won't be easy, but it will be worth it because he's a tough kid with a good heart. I know more than one person will be touched by his spirit while he's there.
Christmas was so wonderful! We really enjoyed all of it! He surprised me with a diamond necklace, and I suprised him with an electric razor! We also got each other movies, and pajamas, and kitchen appliances! :) (we just used our registries for Christmas this year! How handy is that?) We went and played Disney Scene it with my family and had dinner. It was really different, but really good at the same time, because we can start our own traditions, like going back to sleep after you open presents! ;)
Happy New Year in a few hours! We're just going to hang here with a couple of close friends, eat food and watch movies, nothing too fancy! Well, I have a dirty house, and guests coming soon! I'd better be going!

Sick Days

2007-12-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Saturday, I woke up to throwing up. I was sick and had to call into work and not go in. I threw up most of the morning, and then slept a good share of the day. I know it wasn't food poisoning, because I was achy and I had a slight fever. Caleb was really good to me and took care of me. He drew me a bath, and made me food, and bought me Sprite, and all the things a good husband does when his wife is sick.
Well, we woke up this morning, and just after breakfast, Caleb threw up. I feel so bad because I think I got him sick. He's toughing it out at work today, and I feel awful. He says he hasn't thrown up other than the one time, so who knows. I hope he keeps feeling better. I'm going to need to disinfect the whole house...again! We can't keep getting sick!

Pictures and Good News!

2007-12-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

We'll start with the good news! CALEB GOT A JOB!!!!! YaY!! He'll be working at a car dealership not too far from where I work so we can drive together and save gas money! It ended up working out well for us.

Also, today we got our wedding photos back! We are really happy with them! I hope you all enjoy my favorites!

Snowy day

2007-12-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

Today was a rough day. The weather was awful, and I was working today. It took me an hour to get home, and it was a really long, stressful day at work. Caleb and I had had a disagreement earlier about something, and so when I came home tonight, Caleb had shoveled the walk where I would park and walk into the house, had dinner almost ready, and he had made me hot chocolate. He is truly a sweetheart and I'm so lucky to have him. He takes care of me and loves me.

We've been going through a little bit of a rough time the last couple of days. Caleb got his lay off from work, so we are frantically trying to get him another job just so we can stay afloat. (Sadly, we can't live off of what I make.) It's been a bit tough, but we can get through it because we have been through much worse, and we also have lots of love and support around us.

Tree Time!

2007-12-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

So tonight, we put up our Christmas tree! Hand me down tree, hand me down ornaments of course. We think it turned out pretty good though. Caleb loves Snoopy, so we have a Snoopy/Peanuts tree! We like it. It's a pre lit tree, with snow on it! (The snow may look cool, but it's a TOTAL MESS!) It's fun to do things like decorate for Christmas and make dinner, and go shopping. It's really nice to have someone to share those things with!

It's Official

2007-12-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

I had my first emotional breakdown as a wife last night. I'm not going to get into the details of why. All that matters is the wonderful man I married took good care of me, and it made me appreciate him more. He just held me, let me cry, and talked some sense into me. He really knows me better than anyone, and last night just made me love him so much more. I know that we will be able to get through anything. Our engagement was tough, and we faced so many trials. It made us stronger and closer as a couple and solidified to us that we can get through anything.

WoW!

2007-12-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

The last week has been a wonderful whirlwind of happiness for us. On December 1, I married the man I love. He became my sweet, adoring husband, and I became his loving wife. We were married at 4 pm and The Bungalow. It was a beautiful ceremony. Short and to the point. It felt like we waited so long for something so short. But it was well worth the wait. ;) I really think waiting made it even more special for us. When I was walking down the isle next to my loving father, I was staring at this adorable man who loves me so entirely, I was overwhelmed with emotions. I was doing everything in my power to not stop from crying, screaming for joy, or fainting. I've never been happier in my life. I have to admit that I did cry when I said "I do"! There isn't a word in the english language to describe the joy that I felt in that moment. I felt every emotion humanly possible. I wouldn't trade that moment for anything on this whole wide world. We had our family and good friends there to share in our happiness. Caleb looked so handsome. I'm truly a lucky woman. I gave him a little surprise at our ceremony. Our song is "I Cross My Heart" by George Strait, so I engraved his ring with "I Cross My Heart! Love, Shala." He loved it. We danced, we ate cake, and we had a great day. It was nothing other than perfect.

Then we drove to Salt Lake City and stayed in the Grand America Hotel. The room was set up all perfect! Roses, treats, Martenelli's....it was so nice to be pampered. We really loved our stay there. We ordered room service, were lazy, went to Sunday Brunch, (which was phenomenal! Anyone should go and have it!) and wandered Temple Square. It was really nice to go there since that's where Caleb proposed. It almsot made everything come full circle. It truly was perfect.

Now, I'm a wife! I really like it so far! Grocery Shopping, making dinner, its all really fun! I love it! My favorite part is the fact that we don't have to say goodbye at the end of the night. That was really getting old! :D

One Week!

2007-11-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

The wedding is a week away! Holy cow!! It's finally here! I can hardly believe it! We've been so busy that it's snuck up on us! It will be so nice to finally be able to be together all the time and not have to drive home at night. That's the worst part of this engaged state of life. Things are so good for us. We are so happy! We hope that you all will share in our wonderful day!

Happy Turkey Day!

2007-11-22T23:40:00.000-07:00

So, today was the first Thanksgiving Caleb and I have been a couple. But today took me back to last Thanksgiving. I had met Caleb 2 days before, and then I went to Idaho. I got back in town that night, and I decided to go dancing. One of my ex's called wanting to go (making the evening somewhat awkward) and I went. Caleb was there, and we got to talk more. I was starting to see at least a good friendship out of him, and potential for more. Then our friend Reggie invited us to his house for pie. We all say yes, and I realize that Caleb was going to drive himself. So, I offer to give him a ride to Reggie's and we have a great time. I dropped flirty hints to Caleb, and he asked me for my number that night. It was a good night. I love the fact that he and I have certain memories with holidays. We can always remember them.
Today was good. We had dinner with his family, and we are starting to get settled in our place too. It's so fun! I can't wait until the whole saying goodbye at night thing is over, because he makes me laugh so much that I never want to leave his company.

So it's sinking in now...

2007-11-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

We've got 16 days left to go, and its sinking in now. We started moving some of our things into our new place, and we are starting to actually feel it coming. We've been engaged so long that it's always felt so far away! Now it's finally here! YaY! Caleb called me his wife one time, and it felt so right, and so cool. I love the fact that I get to be a wife and a mother now. For a long time I never really felt that I would get a chance to be on this road in life. I was determined that I was destined to be the next Sheri Dew. Wonderful woman who just never found the right man. Then Caleb came into my life, and has changed everything in the best way possible. I would never want to change how things have turned out for us. He tells me that I'm the best thing that came out of him moving to Utah, and that makes me feel really good, because he's had a lot of wonderful things happen to him since he moved here. He's in a career now, and he's happy at his job. Yeah, there are frustrating things, but he really likes it. He's in a great ward with a wonderful bishop. He's got some really great friends here too. True friends that will stick with him no matter what. But I'm so excited to spend the rest of my life with this wonderful man. He's truly the most wonderful man I could have asked for in a husband. He's always looking out for my well being and for others too.

Friends

2007-11-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

We have the most supporting group of friends we could have ever asked for. They truly have been amazing through all the good and the bad of this last year. It's so funny, I was talking to a good friend today, and the support they were giving Caleb and I overwhelmed me so much. I was literally crying, because of the support of this individual. Each and every one of our friends have had a turn in doing that. They are all phenomenal and inspiring. Our families are just as supportive. We are truly such lucky people to have so many people who love and care about us. I'm going to start crying again. We can never thank you all enough for everything you do!
With All Our Love,
The Mickeys