One Year Down

March 2, 2013 marked the big one year for marriage for Brad and I. It sounds so cliche but really, where did the time go?? Marriage took some adjusting too, I was the individual who was scared of the unknown and scared of committing to anyone. However, it has been the biggest blessing of my life. I am learning things that I never felt like I had to learn before.. I am serving more and I'm learning to be more domestic! 2012 was amazing because I bit the bullet and I trusted myself and God something that I struggle with from time to time. Some highlights for me was going to the Temple for the first time, buying a house, getting married, going to Cabo, getting a new job, getting a new car, watching Prison Break/Office/Arrested Development regularly, going to sleep next to my Best Friend nightly, getting our calling to be Primary Teachers, hanging out with friends, weekend date nights etc etc... I love Brad because, he works really hard at work and school, he makes me laugh daily, he treats me with respect and shows me how much he cares for me, he is selfless and loving, he helps me want to be a better person, he is loyal and trustworthy and he will do anything for me. 2013 already seems promising for us.. 2nd year here we go!

Our Anniversary was low key this year because we are saving up for our big Spain trip for the summer. We decided to stay a night at The Buttes in Phoenix and I wish we could've stayed for the whole week. That night after getting off of work we packed a little bag for our night stay and made our way down to the Top of the Rock, a restaurant at the Buttes. We dined outside on a perfect  night and ate a pretty decent meal of steak and potatoes. I think our favorite part of the meal was feeding a stray cat that kept staring at us and inching toward us with every piece of food I threw. After dinner we went to get our key to our room and they upgraded us to a better/nicer suite. We were thrilled and rushed inside to get into our swimsuits and relax in their amazing pool and spa. After swimming we went back and ordered dessert from room service.. Brad got the creme brulee and I got a mini peanut butter pie. The next day we had to get up early for breakfast and leave to Brad's work party at the park. It was a busy weekend and I was really sad to leave the hotel room! Next adventure.. Spain!

Trevor's Homecoming

February 26, 2013 was the date that Trevor was supposed to return home from his mission in Chile. My Dad got an email the night before from Trevor saying that their flight got delayed and they missed the next flight they were supposed to be on. With that said he told my dad that they wouldn't be home until the next day (the 27th). We are all pretty bummed out but held on to our excitement throughout the day and it carried with us until the next day. Brad and I worked a half day and then met up with Kevin and Nicole to carpool. We all drove together in their car and met up with the rest of the family at the airport. We waited and even got worried we may not have been at the right place. We tried to keep our jitters and anxiety under control as we got into position to hold up our beloved "We Love Trevor" Banner.Within just minutes we see people pouring out of the terminal and then as soon as Melissa shouted and started to cry we knew he was walking toward us. He had the biggest grin on, dirt on his clothes and he was glowing! He loved his mission and the people and he was an amazing missionary. He is such an example to our family and I know that he will be successful at anything he does. That night we had a big Mexican feast and it felt as if he never even left home. I am so thankful for him and for missionary work. I love the gospel!

The Month of Birthdays and Love

February is my favorite month of the year. It's my favorite month because, we get to celebrate Valentine's Day, It's the month Arizona became a state (my birth state) and I was born this month as well as my Brad. Since Valentine's Day landed on a week day we didn't do too much. All I wanted to do was relax and that's basically what we did. I came home to a cute chef who made me steak and potatoes and sweet potato fries, we watched the new episode of The Office (which is one of our favorite shows) and went straight to bed. It was relaxing and sweet. He made a sweet sign for me and gave me flowers and I gave him some chocolates and a card. As for celebrating Brad's birthday I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but all I know is that it had to be better than last year (I took him to the movies and that was it.. I was busy that day, okay?)! So it became clear to me that I wanted to surprise him and that I did. I sent a mass text earlier on in the week and told them to meet at Sam and Vicki's house for the big surprise. The Saturday before his birthday was the big surprise and I told Brad that his parents wanted to take us out for our birthdays that night. I wanted it to be believable so I had Vicki call him to tell him that she wanted us to meet at the parents around 7:30PM. As we walked in we saw Geoff Garner laying on the kitchen floor. Brad later told us that he thought it was his dad having a heart attack!! He walked up closer to him and realized it was his friend.. then he turned around and the group was behind him and they shouted surprise! Brad's reaction made it aware to me that I had successfully surprised him and I made his birthday that much more memorable. I had Ned's subs and IBC cream soda and root beer in glass bottles with chips and dip and I bought some cheesecake for dessert. He loved it and loved his friends being there in support. We ate and mingled, sang Happy Birthday and even played Brad's favorite game.. Balderdash. It was a success!! On his actual birthday we went out to Joe's BBQ for his free meal and then I took him to the mall where he bought some shoes. Oh and on the Friday before his little surprise party I took him to Brazilian Bull, which is a Brazilian restaurant that he had been wanting to try. For my birthday I also went shopping and the day of my birthday Brad surprised me with a few things such as a shoe rack, a pedicure and a portable blue tooth shower head so I can listen to my jamz in the shower and all around the house. That night  I chose to go to Liberty Market for dinner and get the famous Salt River Bar.. mmmmm the best! Not to mention I got the best birthday present around..my brother Trevor got to come home a little bit earlier which happened to be two days after my birthday. It was supposed to be the 26th but since his flight got delayed he missed his flight and wasn't able to come home until the 27th. Love this month of mine (and my husband's too)!

Ringin' in the new year!

This year we rang in the new year La Jolla beach house style and I loved every minute of it. Brad and I drove up after work and stayed for just a few days but made it worth our time. We got in some family time, beach time, Seaport Village time, relaxing time etc etc. Can you believe that AZ was more cold than it was on the beach? It was perfect weather and I loved ringing in the New Year with the Mr. He makes me laugh daily and I am looking forward to 2013's events... ahem.. our birthdays, our one year Anniversary, Trevor coming home, babies from sisters and friends and our biggest adventure yet (since we have been married).. Spain!!  2013 Is going to be a good one.

Christmas 2012

 

Christmas came and went with a blink of an eye and I'm still sadly missing the Christmas lights and good cheer that comes with the holiday. Brad and I enjoyed our first holiday season as a married couple together and we are lucky enough to be able to enjoy them together for the rest of our lives. I bought him a gun (not my idea) and he surprised me with the cutest J.Crew flats and a large map. I didn't take any pictures like I should have during Christmas Eve/Christmas day but these pictures are from Brad's annual Christmas Feast. This was the second one I have been invited too and although I thought it was kind of silly at first, I really have come to look forward to the little event. Who doesn't love getting together with friends and eating until your belly is full? One more thing to look forward to during the holiday season. This was one of the busiest holiday seasons yet, but I sure do love this time of year even if I hate myself for being the last minute shopper. Oh well, better luck this year!

November 2012

November is always a month where people really stop and think about the many things we are blessed with and what we are truly grateful for. To name a few, I'm really thankful for my loving husband, family, friends, the gospel, my home, missionaries, my health, my husband's health, the job that we have, our education etc etc I can take all day writing things down that I am grateful for, there's just too many to count!! This month we were able to go to the Sun's game with our friends Alex, Blake, TJ and Lauren. Even though we sat in different sections we still had a great time and shared many laughs over dinner at Cibo. Makayla and I have started hiking back in October but since then we have been going every once in a while (we need to start back up again). We hiked Camelback and almost passed out a few times on the way..I love her and I am so thankful for my cute little hiking buddy. On Thanksgiving day we went to the Sherwood's for a nice, big lunch and hung out there for a bit before driving to my dad's for round two. We ate until we popped..so so full! Our first Thanksgiving as a married couple was a success and I'm so grateful that I get to spend every holiday with him. Sometimes I still can't believe that I actually made the choice to get married...I really have surprised myself with this one! Love him and everything that he does for me.

Halloween 2012

In honor of the new Batman movie, Brad and I decided to dress up as Bane and Catwoman. I found my costume in the kids section of Target and Brad got his mask online. For Bane's outfit he borrowed a life vest to go under his Goodwill trench coat. Just like the past year, we went to visit our familes..Owen as Mr. T and Nixon as a baby monkey were the cutest little cousins..We then met up with some friends and hit up Chipotle for our "Boorito". It was pretty laid back, but so much fun. Oh, and Brad is the biggest Halloween nerdy I have ever met. He loves it and he made me listen to the Monster Mash more than what I have heard in a lifetime. I do love my silly husband.