2008

What can I say, it was a great year! I started out the year living in Utah with Erica. I had a job that I loved, super awesome friends, and an amazing boyfriend. I saw some friends get married and some having babies. Watched the Tarheels have an awesome year then get crushed in the final four. I found some old friends, planned to attend my high school reunion and then decided to skip it. I lost a friend. I moved to California and couldn't bare to say goodbye to certain friends. I got a new last name and a license with a decent picture. I missed my sister everyday and became even more homesick for the south! Realized California is even worse than I thought. I found the people here are pretty much like Texans but way harder to understand because they love California. I got a new job in a business I would have never thought I'd work in. I even improved my fake laugh!

I have set a few resolutions like learning Spanish and having FHE every week. I am still trying to get all these wifey jobs down pat. I need to set a schedule so I can get everything done that I need to. I want to keep in touch better with the people that matter to me. For the past few years I have honestly thought that I have been a better person with each "Happy New Year" I shouted so I hope to keep going that way. The funny thing is that most of my dearest friends lived around me when I was the worst I've ever been. Now that I feel like I am a half way decent person y'all live so far away. I never thought I'd end up so far from home. I guess the adventure continues!!

Time & All Eternity

Over the Thanksgiving holiday Gracie and Aurelio were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on Erica's birthday. :) Sam and I escorted them as they took out their endowments in the LA Temple two weeks earlier. We were there when Aurelio recieved the Melchizedek priesthood on Sam's birthday. We were also there when Gracie miscarried. Needless to say this has been an emotional couple of months for them.

I have never been to a sealing of someone who is actually my family. I have been to several sealings of my adoptive family like Meghan, Lacey, Lyndsay and some friends from my mission. I have also never been to the sealing of a family. It was one of the best days of my life.

Since I was the only one with her during her endowment I took one for the team and held baby Gracie in the nursery as Gracie and Aurelio were sealed. I heard that what I missed was amazing but what I witnessed was incredible. There was a presence in the room that I can't quite describe. The spirit was so strong and I could feel my heart pounding. I was trying to keep it to just letting tears stream down my face instead of the loud sobbing I was holding in. :) To see my father in law place little Gracie's hand on the alter over her parent's hands, what can I say, I will never forget how I felt.

I feel so extremely blessed to be a member of the Lord's church. What would life be like without the promise of an eternal family? I can't even imagine a Heaven where I am not still married to my sweetheart Sam. I cannot comprehend a till death do us part. I am grateful for my Savior for His Atonement that can heal every pain we could ever feel. I am grateful to the Prophet Joseph Smith who brought forth the restoration. I love knowing that so many of my dearest friends enjoy the blessings of the temple. I look forward to the day when other members of my family and friends can experience this great joy.

My cup runneth over!

One year ago

Engraved in my wedding band is 11/17/07. It was the day Sam and I finally met face to face after about two months of talking on the phone. It was day of our first kiss. And even though he didn't ask me to be his girlfriend until January it was the day he completely lost interest in the other girls he was dating, or so he says. :) This was the first picture we took together. This was just an hour or two after I picked him up at the SLC airport. On the ride there I was so nervous I thought I was going to puke! He tried his best to help me relax but when our hands barely touched I almost floated off the ground!

We went to Chilli's for our first date and afterwards we watched Elf and snuggled up on the couch. That's when I started to calm down. I didn't want the night to end. When I dropped him off he gave me an awkward hug because we were in the car and got out. I then got out of the car because I wanted a real hug but Sam thought I wanted a kiss. We hugged, there were stars and a super bright moon. Then he looked at me and said, "Come here." He pulled me close for the bestest, softest, sweetest, most amazing and romantic kiss I ever had!

Happy one year Kiss-a-versary babe! Te amo con todo mi corazon!

Evil, thy name is Bowflex!

This piece of machinery is my nemesis, the Bowflex Tread Climber! When Sam works out he walks on this and then also uses a weight lifting Bowflex. In recent years I have lost some weight but I am not done by any means. I just got a little distracted by falling in love, getting married, and moving to Cali.

Anyway, my dear sweet husband loves to squish and squeeze my fat and make fat squeezing noises. I'll say it's more of a musical hug on my "loveable" areas. He loves it for some strange reason. To be honest, I have put on a few pounds since getting married, not as many as my fat squishing husband, but a few. So I decided it is time to get back to work.

With my mind made up I put on shorts and sneakers and headed downstairs. The Tread Climber is in the living room. I thought to myself that I would walk while we were watching the Lakers game. Sam walks on it for 20 minutes, no sweat. How is only twenty minutes going to help me lose weight? I'll start at 30 minutes.

Sam shows me how to work it and I begin.

Time 0:05 Got water, got a towel, ready to go!

Time 0:12 Man, this is hard. I say to Sam, "Babe, why do I have to push?"

Time 0:27 Sam says to me, "How's it goin, baby?" I respond, "This is not as easy as it looks."

Time 1:45 Breathing gets harder, in through my nose out through my mouth.

Time 3:37 I say to Sam, "Babe, I am not going to be able to do this for 30 minutes." He says, "No baby, only 20 minutes."

Time 5:06 I cannot focus on the game only the pain in my legs. Breathing getting harder, chest starting to burn.

Time 6:58 Sam says, "How's it goin, baby?" Lungs on fire!! I'll stop at 10 minutes, I can make it to 10 minutes. What's the score? Can't tell vision is also blurred.

Time 8:12 I'm not gonna make it, my lung is going to pop out of my chest! Is this timer slower than normal? My legs feel like jello. Check and make sure the safety key is in so if I fall this devil contraption can't eat me.

Time 9:42 Sam says, "How's it goin, baby?" This is what death must feel like. Lungs burning, legs numb, double vision, inability to hear anything but the screaming inside my head.

I made it to 10 minutes but it took me a good half hour to recover. Then Sam showed me how to set it to just be a Treadmill. I went through 10 minutes of Hell when I could have had a nice 30 minute walk?!?! I did another ten minutes, this time on a setting for a normal person!

I hate exercising, maybe I'll just stay fat!