Sista Sista (and you other folks)

So I was being all sentimental while working the computer labs (It is the day of love after all) when I stumbled upon Karl and my engagement pictures! It was super fun to look back. I also stumbled upon my sister's engagements (check them out here). Can I just say my sister is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!! I remember thinking, when she was in high school and I was just a little Junior High kid, how pretty she was! And still is. I'm so happy for her and her new lover Jake. They are the cutest couple ever:) Here is a shout out to some people I'm missing terribly right now (a.k.a my familia) and want to tell them how much I love them through this bloggity blog (which I realize is a lot lamer than a phone call, but people, just love me).

Shake (Shae and Jake): You two are beyond awesome! From day one you two have been so great together. I love how much fun you two have with each other and how you're always the life of the party:)


Talon (spoken in a French accent) and Nicolie: Man I miss you guys like CRAZY! I can't even tell you how many times I've passed West Stadium Villa and wished I could pull over to come visit. I miss sleep overs in your apartment and fun chit chats with you guys. Love you guys! Come back soon k:)



Addie Girl: I love your cute little face, the way you squeal and get the cutest smile on your face when you're excited, and pretty much love the little miracle baby you are. I miss you! Come visit your Aunt Tara. I have some new jokes for ya:)


G: Can I just say writing you emails every week is one of the highlights of my life right now! I love finding jokes to send to you and I completely love that you are enjoying them. You've always been awesome at humoring my lameness. You are being an awesome missionary and serving the Lord right now in Iceland and I'm so proud of you for that! I can't wait to have you back though. Can I just say we are gonna party hardy it up in Logan!


Parental Units: I honestly don't have words to tell you how much you mean to me. I can't begin to list all of the things you two do for me on a constant basis. Thanks for picking up the phone whenever you see my number just so this daughter of yours can go on and on and on about the same things. Thanks for supporting Karl and I with school and all of our future dreams and plans. Thanks for being incredible examples of the righteous parents I hope to emulate someday. Dad, thank you for retelling me the jokes I tell you. You will always be my favorite comedic sidekick. Mom, thanks for being a craft making machine and always inspiring me to attempt creativity and try new things. You rock! I love you both to the moon and back!
Karl my love: I know I get to see you everyday (thank you thank you thank you eternal marriage), but I couldn't leave you out of this post. I love that everyday we get to learn and grow together. I love that despite my imperfections, you still love me. I love how excited you get when I pick up chips and salsa at the store, the way you have to make sure our sheets are perfectly straight before you can go to sleep, how you laugh hysterically when we watch the office, and mostly how you are an incredible example to me of following the Savior. I love you forever and for always:)


My wonderful in-laws: I'm so lucky that we live so close to you! Thanks for supporting Karl and I with everything we are doing. Thanks for sharing with us all of your fun plans and dreams for your future and letting us share ours with you. Thank you thank you thank you for feeding us every Sunday (I know Karl still loves his mom's cooking:). Thank you both for being incredible examples of patience, love and righteousness.


Tori and Garrick: Can I just say you two are the funnest couple I have ever met! I love your game of scaring each other, and how you two are so not afraid to speak your mind to each other. I am so excited for you two to be sealed for time and eternity in the temple in just a few weeks! Love you guys.



Emily!!!: You are so so so much fun! I love running into you on campus. You always make me smile. I am completely in awe of your love of running and am excited to run those 9 miles with you (most likely behind you) this July. You are truly so much fun to be around and I love that I get to be your sister-in-law.



Troy (Brent): Seriously, you are the funniest person ever. Favorite memory: the first Sunday I came to hangout with your family and you told Karl and me jokes for three hours straight. I don't know if I've ever been more entertained:) Thanks for being so happy and nice to people. You are a pretty awesome 16 year old soon to be licensed driver!


Dash: Oh puppy, I miss your puppy face. Can I just say that you are the most hilarious dog in da world! Love your furry chin!

Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day. And don't forget share with the people you love how very much you love them.

Valentine's Day

I'm not very good at being crafty, but I love that I got to try a couple projects for Valentine's Day and I think they went alright!

I copied this tutorial for the wreath.


I copied this tutorial for the letters. I didn't follow it exactly because frankly we're poor and I didn't want to go yarn crazy so I modified it a bit but I think it still worked out.

I'm getting excited to celebrate Valentine's Day with Karl. I love him more and more everyday. I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through this past year and half without him. It's hard to imagine what life was like without getting to wake up every morning and have him smile at me or be able to break down in front of him and have him hold me until I can compose myself again. I love love. I love that even though we both have to work until midnight on the real Valentine's Day, we are making our own rules and celebrating on Wednesday because we're married and we can make up our own rules because we want to!

I feel really lucky that Karl even noticed me in that math class. I still remember telling my mom about the cute guy in math class even before he talked to me on the bus (which happened only a few short weeks after that phone call to my mom thankfully:)
Even this morning when I was loving how cute he is when he's all sleepy and disoriented, I kept thinking that I can't believe how lucky I am to be married to him! I still have to pinch myself sometimes to make sure I'm not dreaming. Sorry for the sappy lovey doveyness, but when I don't get to see him for a long time (which is basically like if I have to go more than five hours without seeing him) I miss him lots and these musings about how much I love and miss him today is what's occupying my thoughts right now. Just in case I didn't say it enough already, I love this guy:)

(In Arizona last summer. Loving those palm trees.)

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was very fun for Karl and I!

We both joke that this is the first year we wouldn't have a traumatic or awkward Valentine's experience. Karl has a very entertaining story about last Valentine's day involving cheez-its and a 6 hour car ride:) I'll spare him and not tell the details, but both of us were very glad to get to spend the day with our eternal Valentine.

Karl picked me up after I got off work and then we headed to the Blue Bird for dinner, which just happened to be where we went to dinner on our first official date. The Bluebird was hopping with a slightly more 'mature' crowd. I saw that the Blue Bird was having a Valentine's Buffet in place of taking orders. Well, my husband wasn't to thrilled with that idea so after we were seated we decided to call over to Chili's and eat there instead. We were in a lazy mood and wanted to be served instead of serve ourselves. Plus, that Chili's chips and salsa is super super super delicious and I started craving those chips as soon as we thought of Chili's as plan B.

So we sneakily left the Blue Bird, which still served the purpose of fulfilling our sentimental mood, and headed to Chili's where we had a delicious dinner. Then, we were going to go to the store and buy apples for our treat because I am addicted to fruit and on the date that I broke up with Karl on (longish story, but it was actually one of the most fun dates we have been on. I had some issues.) I asked him if we could have fruit for the treat, but since being married I have grown a gynormous sweet tooth so we went to Lee's and got a big tub of vanilla ice cream, hard shell chocolate sauce, frozen strawberries, and ice cream cones instead. Eating that ice cream while watching episodes of The West Wing at home was so delicious and relaxing.

All in all, it was a funny, relaxing, great day with the man I love. He helps me laugh at life and at myself. He has taught me so much about working hard for the things that matter most. And I can't get over that light in his eyes when he smiles or talks about the things he believes and wants to accomplish with me. I am crazy about the guy so sorry about my mushiness, or not so sorry. It's mushy, sentimental, and most importantly the way I feel so there ya have it.

I hope you guys enjoyed a day of love and laughter with the people you care about! Here is an awesome talk by Elder Holland that made me have a better understanding of Christ Like love called How Do I Love Thee? I'm posting the video so you can all watch. It is a wonderful talk all about the love of our Savior. I hope you all enjoy and happy Valentine's week!