It's That Time of Year....

Merry Christmas!

Well, here we are almost near the end of another year. It is hard to believe that 2014 is right around the corner!

While this year has been fairly quiet for the both of us it has also been a little chaotic. Here is just a few highlights of our year...

I graduated from UCMT in May and again in August when I completed the Master body worker program. I have been working at Massage Envy as a Licensed Massage Therapist since June and love working with the clients that I have. 

We made a few adventures to the zoo this year. One of the highlights was being able to see the Lego display of various animals. The picture that you see is one of those creations. It is life size and has way to many white Legos for me to remember the exact number...needless to say it was a big number!!!

We also ventured out, with some really awesome friends, to the Salt Lake County fair or whatever its technical name is. This was both fun and a let down since it rained most of the day and made things a little soggy to really enjoy it. Here you see our view from atop the Ferris wheel looking over the damp surroundings. Hopefully if we go next year, it won't be near as wet. 

A big thing for us this year, was this bad boy. Yes, we bought a car (because, well leasing wasn't exactly an option due to mileage). We love the Honda CR-V and it has already come in handy with Mark's and mine schedules. Plus, I don't have to walk to work anymore which is a good thing because right after we bought it, the weather got nasty and cold and wet...I digress. Having this vehicle makes it easier to take trips (it has cruise control!!!!) and to allow myself to take my massages on the go because my table will fit in the back! Now, the only problem is, we fight over who gets to drive it...

A few months ago, Mark and I decided that we would make it a goal to attend the temple at least once a week. We had been great at this until the holidays hit, not to mention a few of the temples have been closed for maintenance and cleaning til the end of the year. One day we decided that we would go. It was on a Monday and most of the temples around here are closed, except for a select few like Salt Lake and Provo. Well, we decided that we would hit up the Provo temple and do a session. We drove all the way down there just to find out it was closed for maintenance and cleaning too! So since we were all dressed up and no where to go so to say, we decided we would go and look at a few of the temples the church was building. The picture above is of the Payson temple. It looks like it will be beautiful when it is completed. Aren't most of them beautiful though? We also stopped by the Provo Center Temple that day as well.

(not my picture. credit to www.heraldextra.com)

But the trip wasn't a complete bust, I did get my first visit to an actual  Krispy Kreme store. Yeah, there is something to be said about a freshly made, warm off the belt Krispy Kreme doughnut. YUMMY!

Guess who got a new calling in church? Mark did. OK so maybe it wasn't to the nursery (I just liked the meme) but he did help the bishop get tithing settlement done because he is now the Executive Secretary! That is right folks, he went from the frying pan (ward mission leader) to the fire and been roasting there for about a month give or take. He seems to be enjoying it, even though it does take up a little bit more of his time but I am excited for him! As for me, they have me playing the organ of all things. I know hell has frozen over...

One of the funnest things we have done this year was going to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This was my second time seeing them live and Mark's first. We had amazing seats and enjoyed just feeling and seeing the awesomeness that is TSO. If you haven't seen one of their shows in person, you need to go if you have the opportunity to. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. 

This was also the first year we had a tree. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but to me it was. It ushered in the spirit of the season and allowed us to really start our own Christmas traditions that we want to carry on for our kids. 

But among the trips and adventures and Christmas, I believe the biggest highlight of the year has been the celebration of our one year anniversary. Can you believe it has been one year already! It seems like an eternity and yet both of us are still alive (we haven't killed each other yet)! 

Needless to say the year has been filled with its ups and downs, mostly ups though and we are looking forward to an equally exciting 2014. Thank you all for the love and support you all have shown us this past year. We love you all!

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...

Yikes! It look like the dark side had won us over. I can't believe that it has almost been a year since our last update. I need to be better at this...is there such a thing as a mid year/end of summer new resolution? Hmm, that might be a bad idea since I would probably break it within  5 minutes. But in all seriousness, I need to do better since both Mark and I have family and friends in other places than Utah that we often don't get to see or hear from (Facebook can only do so much and then if you like me, you get distracted by other things).

So, let's see if I can update all of you fabulous people what has been going on in our lives:

Work and School. 

Yup, that is pretty much it. Boring, right? Maybe..depends on how you look at it...

I might have been doing nothing over that past, say 10 months, but going to school. However, in May I graduated from UCMT's Professional program and became a Licensed Massage Therapist in the state of Utah. I am now hired on as LMT for our local Massage Envy working four days a week. During my employment with ME, I have also been doing the Master Bodyworker program at UCMT and graduated with honors the beginning of August. I don't think that I would have been able to do any of that without the support from Mark, who has been working his butt off while I have been busy with school, and all of you. 

Mark has still been working at the same place but is looking at different career opportunities within the company which can open a great deal of doors for the both of us. We will have to keep ya all updated on what happens since I am sure it will mean big changes for us. 

Oh yeah, we also celebrated our 1st anniversary this past weekend. Well, celebrated as well as we could since we both were to work but I ended up getting sick the morning of (thanks to a killer migraine that knocked me flat on my butt...). Needless to say, it was not how either of us imagined spending our first wedding anniversary but it was definitely memorable.  Here's to hoping for many, many more to come...although, can we leave the sick part out??? 

So that folks, has really been our life this far, hoping for more crazy adventures coming our way soon (that don't involve work or school).

Things Just Got Crazier

Yup they sure have. I know I haven't updated this for about a month or so but that is because life has just been that hectic for us!

Mark and I have settled into our new home and have been enjoying the extra room we have that was absent in the apartment that we were in before. The only thing that I think would disrupt that would be when we get my stuff from Idaho down here. Then we might have to re-settle back into normality but that is just a slight dent in out lives. 

So since the move things have been going full steam ahead for me. School started up in the first part of October and it seems I have been going non stop since then! I am enjoying it although I have found myself struggling with the "stance" to get really into deep tissue massage. Your body mechanics are different in terms of bending more in the legs and leaning vs. pushing all while trying to adjust to a lower table height. Although it is because of school that I am the proud owner of a new espresso brown colored massage table. It has been nice to be able to practice the techniques I have learned and Mark certainly has been great at volunteering himself for practice (I bet it has nothing to do with getting a free full body massage *wink*).

There is just SO much information to learn but I am really excited and interested in learning it. UCMT has three 10 week terms and we are already half over with the first. Two classes a day for four days and each class is 3.5 hours long and then come the first of December I start working in the student clinic for my internship to get the hours needed for certification/licensing. We shall see how that goes but already I have passed my first 3 classes with A's and can now give a 50 minute full body Swedish Massage and a full 50 minute Reflexology session. I am also now CPR/First Aid certified as well! Then by the middle of December I will be able to give a 50 minute full body deep tissue massage along with a full 50 minute acupressure session. EXCITING!!! However, I haven't quite sold Mark on the acupressure part (since it deals a lot with a persons Chi or energy) as he seems sort of skeptic about the whole thing. 

If life couldn't get any crazier for me, I was just called to be a primary teacher over the 4/5 year olds and last week was my first week teaching. It was funny because the primary president had me coming in two weeks ago so I could get to know the kids and let the kids become familiar with me and I was pretty much thrown under the bus my first day! I guess it is a tradition that if you are new, you get to stand up and introduce yourself to everyone and tell them a little bit about you and then it is "open season." The kids get to ask you anything they want (within in reason of course). Talk about being put on the spot! I got the usual questions about my favorite colors and foods but a few of the questions threw me for a loop such as if I liked sports..specifically if I was blue or red (I guess its a  HUGE deal on whether you like BYU (blue) or Univeristy of Utah (red) down here) needless to say I was rescued by the bishop that said I was a Bengal. LOL it was a lot of fun but I was sort of sweating it, just a little. LOL.

Mark just keeps reminding me that I wanted a calling and that I will be great at it. I have to laugh because the primary president told him he was more than welcome to come help me teach and we were kinda sure they would release him from ward mission leader and have him recalled as a team teacher with me but that didn't happen. Mark said he was a little relieved for that because he isn't sure he could handle the kids since he really hadn't had much experience being in primary let alone with younger kids to which I replied it would be good practice for you. Yeah, he didn't find the humor in that. 

Life just keeps us going and with the holidays fast approaching (seems like Christmas comes earlier each year) I am sure our lives will get just a little bit more hectic but we are grateful to have each other and the support and love from family and friends to help us survive. We Love and Miss you all!

Crazy, Crazy, Crazy!

I know it has been a while since I have sat down and actually blogged. It has been kinda of crazy in our little world that I don't really know where to start! I guess picking up where we left off from the last post. That being said, we had left you hanging with the big announcement that Mark and I were pregnant. Yes, your eyes read that right. However, a few weeks ago we ended up in the ER because there was a great chance that we were in the process of miscarrying. A blood test four days later confirmed what we had expected. We were sad at first but have come to accept it and hope that one day the opportunity will come again.

If that wasn't crazy enough, the next day after our lovely morning at the ER, we moved. We had moved out of the apartment complex that we were previously living in and pretty much moved across the street. The best part of this (and Mark will probably give me crap for saying this) is that we are still in the same ward as we were before. This time, we are actually IN the physical ward boundaries. Kinda makes us feel like we are in the loop of things happening in the ward. 

I know that seems like a lot of changes that have been going on. Yet, that isn't all that has been going on the last few weeks for us. For the pass week, my brother has been down at the University of Utah Hospital to be monitored during seizures so that the doctors can maybe finally figure out the cause and a treatment for him since he has suffered them for many, many years. So while he was down here Mark and I have been visiting with them since he was sort of confined to a hospital via an eeg machine.  

While my brother was up in the hospital I started school at the Utah College of Massage Therapy. Wow, already it has been crammed full of information and it is only the second week. Classes have included the basics of Massage Therapy, Anatomy and Physiology, First Aid/CPR, and Reflexology...oh yeah and there is several others that will be starting in the next few weeks. I am sure to be busy studying and practicing. Already I have talked Mark into being my guinea pig as I practice the techniques that we will cover. Although, I don't think that he objected to much at that thought. Hey, it's a free massage! Needless to say the next 7.5 months will be chaotic but rewarding for me as I forward with this endeavor. 

As for Mark, he is still doing good and working many hours at his work. I have to say I am lucky that he is allowing me to stay home and the opportunity to go to school while he works to support us. As crazy as life has and will continue to be for us, we are sure there will be many adventures ahead...we just got to sit back, and make the most of what comes our way. 

Surprising Adventures!

The last week or so has been eventful for us here, but in a good way. Here is what has happened:

Last week was a big long week for Mark and his work. Apple's unveiling of the launch date of their new iphone caused his place of business  to go into over drive since they were down a few people. Because of this, Mark ended up working his day off (thanks to it landing on the pre sale day) making 6 straight days of work. Along with the following week (or rather this week) being long as well. 

This is where Mark was really sweet and surprised me by taking me to One Sweet Slice cupcake shop (the recent winners of Food Network's Cupcake Wars...and yes they were that good). His reason behind it was because we probably wouldn't be able to spend much time together in the following weeks (between work and packing). To top that off we ended up at The Pie which was just across the street. Yeah, I was in heaven...yummy cupcakes and yummy pizza and great company. Life couldn't get any better. Or could it?

Yup that is right to sweeten the deal, Mark told me that we could come up to Poky and visit my mom and family. Which was nice because I was really kind of missing them and my "little" Bailey. Even though it was just a weekend trip (up Saturday night and back Sunday night) it meant a lot to me and I am sure to my family. 

To make this week even more we finally got keys to the new place and we can finally start packing. There isn't much here that needs a to be packed so with any luck the moving in part will go smooth and easy. I fear the worst part will be moving my stuff down since we will have to have a U-haul and I have some heavy items. Not that it will be too bad just a little time consuming cause I have a lot of stuff....

But that wasn't the only surprise that we had...

Picture isn't that great...sorry

Yup, we are pregnant and expecting (hopefully)! I surprised Mark on the Thursday that we had the cupcakes. Even though it was a light line there was still a line. So we talked and decided that we would wait and test again once we were back from Idaho and once again we had another more definite line so just to make extra sure, we tested again and for a third time we had another positive!  We get to go in to the OB/GYN in October for our first appointment. 

Adventures at the Salt Lake Temple

Let me just start out by saying this was the first time that I have been inside of the Salt Lake Temple. I have been on the temple grounds several times through out my life but never inside. 

Friday night, Mark proposed to me that we should go and do a temple session after he got off work on Saturday. I was like OK, yeah I guess we could (to be honest I was feeling more like staying in...I guess that is the time when I should be going to the temple the most). Now, since we live just south of SLC we are within minutes of several LDS temples. Sort of overwhelming in a way for the non Utah native/resident for a few years. 

Now for those who don't know about temple sessions or have never gone, they can be a bit lengthy which is what I told Mark so he was like, OK we will go to the Salt Lake Temple where it isn't as long.  Plus, it would give me an opportunity to see the temple up close at night and also see State Street again. This also meant that I had to take Mark to work since it was for obvious reasons. It would have been stupid for him to get off work (he works in downtown SLC), pick me up, and then turn right around and go back to downtown SLC. So just in case you were wondering, yes, I did survive and no it didn't kill me to drive alone down here. 

So we get downtown by the temple and were lucky enough that we didn't need to have validation for parking in the parking garage (how sweet was that?). So we get parked, under the Conference Center and because we forgot that the grounds/street on the outside of Temple Square was being worked on, we couldn't just go and cross the street, we had to go up to the corner and over. Which coming out from the temple allowed me to get this shot of it (with the annex in the middle...would have been sweet with out that there but it worked)

 This picture was taken from the Conference Center. I have to say it was definitely a different experience going through a live session, I would elaborate further but because of the sacredness of the Temple and the ceremony itself I shouldn't talk about it, at least in such an open space. Needless to say...yeah it was different. 

It made for a great experience over all and really helped Mark set up for his lesson on Sunday about the Fall of Adam and Eve. Yet that wasn't all of our adventures.

Monday around 5:30 pm the power decided to go out due to a fairly strong thunderstorm. Now I like thunderstorms as well as the next person, but only when I am not alone. The apartment we are in gets dark quick and where we had no candles and apparently no flashlights, yeah I was a little jumpy you could say because I am still not accustomed to all the sounds and people around the complex. The power was out til around 10 pm...the good thing is we have candles (and they smell yummy) so that when this happens again, I/we will have some light to see with. This whole adventure with the power going out made me realize that we were not prepared as well as we should be. So you can be sure that we will start getting supplies together like more candles and flashlights with extra batteries and some other items. 

OOOHHHH YEAH, I almost forgot to tell you, Friday Mark and I signed the lease papers for the new basement apartment we have been wanting! Not sure when the official move in date will be (the owners are finishing up some small items) but hopefully by the end of the month we will be out of the apartments that we are in which we both will be grateful for. We will still be in the same ward that we are currently in so that I guess is a plus. Although I am not the new kid in town anymore...a few other couples have moved in since I moved in here almost a month ago. Sigh...what new adventures will be in store for us this week?

Sunday Adventures

Let me just preface this post by saying that even though it was Sunday spending time with Mark and just having fun exploring new things in SLC was probably one of the greatest days I think we have had since we have been married.

The day started off with a fairly good three hour block of church. Even though it was fast and testimony meeting it was still pretty good. Of course, for me anyway, it could have been because we ended up sitting behind this family with 3 adorable but funny/entertaining kids.

This post I am afraid is going to start sounding like a play by play of the day...I don't mean it to be! We will see what I can do to keep it somewhat interesting. Did you ever have one of those days that you  just feel like you need to get away from where you are? Well I felt Mark and I needed to get away and so when I proposed the idea he agreed. 

Oh yeah! If you didn't see it on Facebook, Mark and I have found THE BEST PIZZA on the planet. OK that might be a stretch but oh my gosh it was YUMMY. I don't know what they do with their crusts but oh it is to die for! 

Welcome to the best pizza "dive" in SLC! The Pie Pizzaria!

Yes, it is underground BELOW a pharmacy on the campus on University of Utah. I guess you can quickly get some asprin to help in the event of a heart attack because yeah, the food is just that good and meaty!

The wall mural and the entrance to the place. You have to go down the stairs and around the light post and walk next to the stairs to get in. All the graffiti that you see bordering the mural? Yeah it continues into the restaurant. 

http://entertainment.sltrib.com/restaurants/view/pie_pizzeria_the_salt_lake_city
The above pic is the inside but must have been during the day because it was not this light when we were in there.
 The inside was lit by those little candles that you see in restaurants, you know the little red ones? The ambiance is way casual, family friends but the atmosphere is slightly loud which is OK because you will be to busy stuffing your face with food. 

Sorry for the horrible pictures. You can see the glow from the candle so you can tell how dark it is. I would have used the flash but when I did it lit up the whole place and I really didn't want that much attention. The top pic is their garlic cheese pull apart. Basically it is a pizza crust stuffed with cheese. and then sliced up in strips. MUST HAVE!
The bottom pic was obviously our pizza, the Pie Combo. We should have ordered a small pizza cause Mark and I were full enough of the cheese bread that we were only able to really eat a slice, but it was YUMMY. I can't say that enough. This place has won a lot of awards for having the best pizza in the area.

So after dinner we decided that we would hang out around the Gateway Mall and the Clark Planetarium.

http://www.weddingmapper.com/plan/vendor/attractions_entertainment/gateway_mall/44196

http://www.digistardomes.org/worldlist/indexp2.html

While we were there we caught the movie of The Dark Knight Rises on IMAX. Mark had seen the movie before and I had yet to see it but it was the first time that we had both watched it on an IMAX screen. It was loud, in your face, body shaking experience but it was AWESOME!

Then we headed home since it was going on midnight. We took State Street all the way home. This has to be and really always has been my favorite view in Utah. Driving up or away from the Capitol building at night. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wyojones/5564606719/

All and all it was a great night and both Mark and I told each other that we will have to definitely do this again. It really was nice to spend the time together, getting out of the apartment and away from everything!