Oh, hello there!

I have been wanting to get back to writing for a while now, but haven't really been able to find the time, or the inspiration. It looks like it has been about two years since my last post, and I don't even know if anybody remembers me, or my blog. If not, that's okay. I just need some sort of simple outlet.

Anyway, since my last post, Tyler graduated and got a job, AND, we had a baby girl! Charly was born on February 2nd of this year, and our world has completely changed. I guess that makes me a "Mommy Blogger" now. Is that even a thing still? I'm not sure.

I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband and baby, and I just want to share a little piece of our world!

Catching Up!

Hello! I know it has been a while... and I'm not going to promise that I'll write more often, because let's be honest, I never follow through with that. Today I'm writing mostly just for me, because I feel like writing. I'm not sure what to write about though. I guess I could give a little update on what's been going on for us in the last year...

• Tyler is still in Physical Therapy school. He graduates this coming May though, and I am SO excited! There is a light at the end of the tunnel. It's so crazy to think that I have known him for six years now, and he has been in school the entire time. I've been out of school for as long as I was in school. It blows my mind that I've been graduated for 3 years...
• I am currently not working... I had a bad stroke of luck at the beginning of this month and lost my job, so I'm currently trying my hardest to find something! 
• I'm still doing CrossFit, and I'm loving it! It's so amazing to see what my body can do, and it's really cool to get faster and stronger. Plus, I have made some amazing friends at my gym!
• I'm rereading the Harry Potter series, and you guys, it's so good! This isn't the first time that I've reread them, but I feel like they just get better and better each time. I could write a whole blog post just about Harry Potter, and I'm only in book 2 right now.
• We are going to Puerto Rico in two weeks for vacation! Tyler's sister and her family live there, so we are going to go see them and have some fun for Tyler's last fall break, ever (from school anyway)! I'm hoping that I can get some really cool pictures, because it looks SO dreamy!

Some other fun things to note: We got a new niece in June, I went to Lava Hot Springs with my family in June  (Tyler had to work), we celebrated our FIFTH wedding anniversary on July 7th, Tyler's 27th birthday on July 12th, and my 25th birthday on July 25th! Really, things are super exciting around here!

Oh yeah, we also went for a hike this summer to Elephant Rock in Bountiful... see:

Mostly we're still just doing the same old thing around here! But, we have fun, and that's all that matters! Now, I need to go make some banana bread, and maybe clean my apartment... Have a happy Tuesday!

It's beginning to look a lot like ... Halloween!

 ToYou guys! I made a craft! A Halloween craft! And I love it! You see, I don't have very many Halloween decorations, mostly because I don't have many places to put them, or store them, but I do enjoy getting them out every year. Last year I found this cute decoration on Pinterest, but didn't get around to making it until this year! It's super easy, so I don't know if it REALLY counts as a craft, because anybody could do it. I should've taken pictures of the process, but I didn't. Want to see what I made??

Here's how it happened:

1. I went to Walmart to buy my supplies. (Yarn and styrofoam cones. I borrowed some Elmer's glue and yarn from my mom too)

2. During the USU vs. BYU football game (GO AGGIES!) I glued a circle of white paper to the bottom of each cone so the foam wouldn't flake everywhere. 

3. Then, I put a line of elmer's glue all around the bottom for the yarn to stick  to. 

4. Then I just wound yellow yarn around and around and around until it looked like the base of a candy corn! Once I got to that point I just put some more glue on the cone to finish that section. 

5. I did the same thing with the Orange yarn. You just keep winding yarn until you think it looks good. 

6. The white tip was probably the hardest part. I covered the tip with glue, and put strips of yarn across the top until I couldn't see the cone underneath. I really only had to do one layer really carefully. Then I just wound the white yarn around like I did the other sections, but to finish it off this time, I think I tied a little knot, then hid the end of the yarn underneath other strands. There's probably a better way to finish it, so you can just do what you like. 

Now, for some pictures of my candy corns with my other decorations!!

Sorry that one is a little blurry...

My favorite holiday shelf! If you want the Pinterest directions, you can go here!

What crafts have you made lately?? 

Happy Friday!

Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips

So, Tyler and I have a thing for chips. We seriously love them. We really have to try to get a bag to last a week. Anyway, We have seen the Kroger Doritos (we call them faux-ritos) lately, and have wondered how they compare, because they are obviously cheaper, and we are all about cheaper. 

The verdict: they just aren't very good. I mean, they are still chips, but if what you REALLY want is a Dorito, then you should probably just get the real thing. 

Because I'm sure you were all curious about Faux-ritos. 

Happy Tuesday!

Butterfinger Muddy Buddies!

Hi friends! Lately (for the past two years) I've been a bit of an absent blogger. You see, I was working at a job that gave me a MASSIVE writer's block. I thought about writing all the time, but I couldn't ever get myself to sit down and write, and if I did sit down I couldn't ever get the right words out. Super frustrating. 

BUT... That leads me to this: I got a new job! I have a lot to do at work, and on not trying to sit and write all day every day, so my writer's block is slowly going away! Makes me happy! 

So what's new with me? Besides my new job and 5 minute commute? Not a whole lot, actually...

Tyler is still going to school. Sometimes it feels like he will be in school for forever. I think he feels that way too though, so I'm not alone. We are both beyond ready to be done with the school phase of life. Only about a year and a half left... We can do this! 

In the meantime, I'm just working, crossfitting, and making yummy treats like these:

Butterfinger muddy buddies!

You should probably try these muddy buddies. They are amazing!

I hope you all have a good Monday! And a good rest of the week! I'll try and do something fun and take pictures so I have exciting stuff to tell you about!

The Handwritten Post!

I sure hope you can read my handwriting. Let me know if you can't. Anyway, happy Friday!

I made a decision!

Remember the post about my hair? The one where I was trying to decide if I should cut my hair or not? Well, I finally made a decision! See:

Just a before and after! It's a bit different, but I like it! Sometimes I really miss the long hair, just because I really like ponytails, but change is good! 

The rest of Christmas!

Okay, where did I leave off? Oh, yes, Christmas! Don't worry, this post will be MUCH shorter. Before I start, I just want to say that Tyler took his bike on a test ride yesterday, and judging from his smile when he got back, he really liked it. I think his words were "It's like riding on air!" 

Christmas Day was great! We actually got to have a Christmas morning at our own house, and it was lovely. I woke up at 6:00, but managed to wait a whole 45 minutes to wake Tyler up. I did pretty much all of the Christmas shopping this year (Amazon makes it way too easy to order stuff) and I must say, I did pretty good!

Oh, but guess what?? I got a KitchenAid from Tyler's parents!!!! 

(Tyler got me a KitchenAid attachment for Christmas that is pretty much the best thing ever!)

I love it! I'm so thankful for families and for all that they do for us, and for their examples. I couldn't ask for better people to spend life with. 

Can I just say one more thing? TGIF!!! 

The great (early) Christmas surprise!

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and New Year's! I know we did! I just want to tell you a Christmas story real quick before I forget... 

This year I was just real excited for Christmas! As soon as Thanksgiving was over I was in full-on Christmas mode. Mostly because Tyler's biggest present had already been ordered! (The present is really from my parents, I just picked it out. Thanks Mom and Dad!!) You see, Tyler and I have never really done surprises for each other, so this was a new experience. I'm not good at keeping secrets from him. 

Unfortunately, a week before Christmas I realized that I ordered the big present too early, and the 30-day return period would be OVER before Christmas even got here. How could I have not realized this sooner?? I started freaking out... What if he wanted to exchange it? There was only one solution...

EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT!!! 

I was slightly disappointed because the present didn't make it until Christmas morning, but as soon as it was time to open it I couldn't hardly contain my excitement. All along Tyler thought it was a gift for both of us... He was wrong...

It was a new road bike for him!! (the picture is after we opened it... I don't think I have taken a picture of the actual bike) 

Tyler was very surprised, and it just made me so so happy! I will say though, it was quite a relief to not have to keep that secret for the extra week.

I will tell you about the rest of our Christmas VERY soon. 😀

Did you have any fun surprises this year?

I NEED your help!

I have a major dilemma... it's called hair. You see, I never know what to do with my hair. Pretty much, it either goes up into a ponytail, or, I leave it down. I always see these people with long hair with the pretty curls and think "Oh, I want my hair to look like that!" but my hair doesn't curl. Well, it curls, but it doesn't stay that way for very long at all, and it takes forever to curl it. So then, I'll see people with these really cute short haircuts, and I'm like "Oh! I love that!" but then that would require me to actually do my hair! I know, right?! Plus, when you have short hair, if you want it to stay short you have to keep getting it cut. You see, when it comes to all of this maintenance stuff, I'm horrible. I haven't had a haircut since the beginning of February. Before that, I'm pretty sure it had been over a year. I just really hate spending money. So, I have this habit of chopping my hair really short (because I don't know what else to do) and then growing it out for a while until I get sick of it, and then I chop it again.

Am I the only one in this vicious cycle?? It sure seems like it. Everybody else has this really cute hair that they curl, or they put in buns, or do other fun stuff. And I'm over here like "hey, at least it's in a ponytail today!"

I'll cut to the chase though. I need your help deciding what to do with my hair. This is what it looks like now:

This is what it looks like when I cut it short (Please excuse the stiff arms):

This is what it looks like about shoulder length, and what it looked like in February:

Also, I should mention that bangs are out of the question... I can't stand them on myself. Also, I probably won't do anything drastic to the color, because you know, if I color it then I have to worry about roots and stuff... Anyway, it just feels so plain right now. So, the question here... to cut it, or not to cut it? If yes, how should I do it? Let me know.

Thanks for your help!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I am grateful for my...

Family: for always being such good examples, for supporting me, and for some of the best memories. 

Friends: for giving me somebody to talk to, and for being able to make me laugh. 

Job: for the people I've been able to meet, the things I've been able to experience, and for the opportunity to support my family. 

Body: for being strong and able to do more than I ever thought was possible. 

Traditions: for the opportunity to be with family or friends and to become closer. 

Tyler: for everything-the strength, the support, the laughs, the hugs when things are happy or sad, for always encouraging me to push myself and to be better. Thank you for being perfect for me!

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Hashtags!

So, the other night Tyler and I were watching the American Music Awards. I wanted to see what crazy thing Miley was going to do... I thought she sounded awful. And the giant cat that cried diamonds? WEIRD. ANYWAY... Tyler and I started talking in hashtags (because Tyler saw a hashtag on the screen). If you want to know how these conversations worked, watch the Jimmy Fallon video below. Or watch it just because it's really funny.

A sample conversation from bed last night...

K: hashtagIwantchipsandsalsa

T: hashtagweonlyhavehotsalsa

K: hashtagIhavemildatwork

T: hashtagIlikecheesewithmychips

T: hashtaglikechipsandcheese

K: hashtagbeandipsoundsgood

T: hashtagdoritos

K: hadhtagbeandipondoritos?

T: hashtagOMNOM!

Okay, so writing that out makes it sound really dumb... But we had fun. 

What was your last hashtag?

#HappyThanksgiving!

What should I post about?

Hello again! I know it has been a long time, but life is pretty routine around here... not a whole lot of excitement. So, I was just wondering, what do YOU want to read about? Maybe I'll tell you what we've been up to for the past couple of months, and then let you decide.

So, in May, Tyler started the Physical Therapy program at the University of Utah. He loves the program, which makes me SO happy! I'm still working at Hill AFB, writing for the environmental cleanup program. I'm seriously so grateful that I have a job!

The thing that I have been enjoying most lately though is CrossFit. I started in May, and I love what it is doing for me! I also ran the Top of Utah half marathon in August, and am running a 10k on Thanksgiving! Nothing too exciting, but it keeps me busy!

Okay, so your choices for blog topics are...
1. What Tyler and I do on weekends (You know, when we do something besides watch a movie at home)
2. Crossfit (But you know, the funny stories, not just the lame workout stuff...)
3. Things I cook (Tyler says... "I like things you cook"...you know, for when I do cook)
4. Funny things that happen in bed (Like the things Tyler says/does while he is asleep)
5. All of the above...? (Because I can't come up with anything else right now...)

Let me know what kinds of things you want to read! Otherwise, I'm NEVER going to post! Also, for Halloween, we went as Mr. Incredible and ElastiGirl! I hope you have an INCREDIBLE week!
  

Oh hey!

Oh, hey there! Remember me? I've been thinking about you lots lately. Time has just flown by at warp speed! Here are a few things that have happened since I last posted in January:

Tyler got into the UofU Physical Therapy Program

Tyler graduated from USU

We moved to Bountiful

I started going to Crossfit

I have been training for the Top of Utah half marathon (kind of)

We celebrated our 3rd anniversary

Tyler turned 25

I turned 23

Tyler finished his first semester of PT school

Needless to say, we have been pretty busy lately. We are so blessed to have many amazing opportunities. Anyway, to break back into the blogging world I will leave you with pictures of our new(ish) apartment, and other fun pictures I have on my phone. 

(I'm on my phone and can't tell if this picture is blurry...you get the general idea though)

Other fun things we've been doing:

Eating shave ice!

Classing up our apartment with Duck Dynasty posters...

Getting new shoes...

Handstands...

...and just enjoying our time together! 

I'm really going to try and blog again soon, I've missed you!

What have you been doing lately? Let's catch up!

"Like on Vacay? Let's all go!"

You know that point you get to, you know the one where you wait so long to blog, then when you go to blog you can't come up with anything to say? Yep, totally how I feel right now. So, here's what has happened since we hiked to the wind caves, since we went to Oregon and Maui, and since I started my job...

• I have been driving A LOT...
• Tyler has been applying to Physical Therapy schools
• I ran a 10k on Thanksgiving
• We went to Baltimore and Washington D.C.
• We had an awesome Christmas with our families
• Spent New Years' Eve with friends
• ...AND we are managing to stay warm in the sub-zero temperatures in Logan!

Oh, more about the Baltimore/Washington D.C. trip? Okay! We went on this adventure because Tyler had an interview with a school in Baltimore, and we decided to make the most of it! Here are some pictures, because that is the easiest way to talk about the trip.They are pretty out of order, and I don't really feel like fixing it, so... sorry...

One night we were walking around Baltimore, and everything closed SUPER early, so we decided we would go find this Holocaust Memorial.

 The first thing we did after getting to DC was walk to Georgetown. It was just a quick 1 mile walk across the river, and I had heard great things about Georgetown Cupcake... The stairs pictured above were super steep and long. I think I actually took a little break halfway up. Then I started to feel bad because there was a guy running up the stairs past us... oops.

 Basically heaven-on-earth... Georgetown Cupcake! We went two different times, and on Saturday night we had to wait in line for about 30-45 minutes. Completely insane! Totally worth it though.

 While Tyler was at his interview in Baltimore, I went to the National Aquarium! I thought this was a crazy looking fish, so I took a picture. Yay. Tyler thinks it is a cool fish, that's why I'm posting it.

I feel like the Washington Monument is pretty self-explanatory. We walked around to all of the monuments at night, which was pretty cool. Especially since we didn't have to fight a lot of crowds.

 The Thomas Jefferson Memorial

 A small part of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

 Ford's Theatre. We didn't get to go inside because there was a performance that day, but we did get to go into the house across the street. 

 Library of Congress

 The White House (obviously)

Tomb of the Unknowns

Tower made out of all of the books written about Lincoln.

The BEST pizza I have ever had! It's called "We, the Pizza"

 The Eastern Market

World War II Memorial

 Lincoln Memorial

 The bed Lincoln died in.

Map of the Metro.

Giant Octopus at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. They don't let you use flash photography while taking pictures of the octopus because it scares him and would make him ink.

 A really old building on Georgetown University's campus. I felt really out of place there.

This is the Washington Monument in Baltimore.

We went to Fort McHenry on our last day in Baltimore.

 We even got to help change the flag. We were the only people there, so we had the whole place to ourselves.

This is on the 27th floor of the Baltimore World Trade Center. Here's a fun fact: It is the tallest pentagon-shaped building in the world.

...and last, but not least, a view of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore.

I'm sorry about the jumbled mess of pictures ... the whole trip is kind of blur in my mind too. Except for the cupcakes, I remember those perfectly. I think it is safe to say that 2012 was the year of traveling for us, and I loved it! 

Maybe I'll post more in 2013. But just maybe. I guess I will have to let you know where Tyler ends up going for PT school! This will be a very exciting year for us!