Thankful...

I just want to list a few of the many things I am thankful for, since it is Thanksgiving weekend after all:

1. My amazingly patient, loving, selfless, kind, nonjudgmental husband
2. The gospel
3. The temples
4. The scriptures
5. My awesome family
6. Opportunity to go to graduate school
7. Place to live
8. Jobs
9. Food
10. Good health

Now, time for my favorite month of the year. December! Christmas and my birthday, how fun! ;)




P.S. We are drinking sparkling cider in case it looks suspicious. Ha ha.

"Al-oween" Party

The 6th annual "Al-oween" party was a hit! A big thanks to Dan and Cindi Witt for letting us use their basement and to all of our friends who helped out. I look forward to Al-oween every single year. It is so fun to be with all of our friends and family. Thank you everyone for dressing up! Here are some pictures from the party:

Al and I went as Clark Kent and Lois Lane:




Our amazing family and friends:











Doughnut Eating Contest:












Looking forward to next year's party already. :)

Update

So I never think that anything really significant or amazing is happening in my life, so much so that I need to blog about it. Today I realized though, that if my attitude continues this way, I may never write on my blog again. Besides, one of my New Years Resolutions (I know, I try not to make them either) was to blog once a week. Nothing fancy- just an update on the lives of Al and myself. So here is the update for last week...

My mom, sister, and I went to Phoenix, Arizona to visit my uncle Brad. We had an amazing time! The weather was in the high 90's and we just laid by the pool all day long. They have an amazing house with a large swimming pool, so everytime we go visit it feels like we're at a spa. They bring us Crystal Light lemonade with fresh lemons they grew in their yard. They make amazing food for every meal, play fun music on their stereo while we lounge by the pool, and make us feel like celebrities. We definitely get the star treatment! Unfortunately, for Al, it was girl's weekend and he wasn't invited. I did miss him dearly. Sometime he has to come to Phoenix to get the royal treatment himself.

Also last Monday, May 9th, my sister and I started graduate school at Westminster College. We are both getting our Master of Art in teaching, with a k-8 teaching license. It's fun having her with me in every class. We have an instant "study buddy" and partner for everything. We had a paper due the first day of class. Got it back- DON'T ask how I did. HOWEVER, we all did poorly and get to resubmit them. The teacher just wanted to get an idea of how we write. I'm on my third or fourth draft after editing and hoping the final version I turn in on Wednesday will blow her socks off! I really want to get straight A's. I don't know what happened in k-12, but I feel like they did not teach English very well. I would even include my undergrad in that statement. I did well on my undergrad papers...grad school is just a whole different level. It's okay though. I'm up for the challenge!

Lastly, Alan had a softball game tonight. They lost, but he played well. He hit a ball into a whole by the fence and got a home run! The other team couldn't get the ball (or catch it for that matter) to get him out. Therefore, nice job baby! Home run!

Oh, and lastly, my sister is getting married! August 13th, 2011 in Salt Lake City. She is marrying a guy named Devin Lanier. He makes her SO happy. If you want to see two people completely in-love and on cloud 9, hang out with them. It's like they're in their own world- no one else exists. I'm happy for them. They should soak this up now because this phase doesn't last. I don't mean that in a bad way sweetie (Al). I love Al more today, now that we've been married for 4 1/2 years, than I did on our wedding day. I think marriage is the best thing that has ever happened to me. It takes effort on both sides, but I love being married to Alan. He is such a blessing in my life. I love you baby! Thanks for putting up with me and being patient with me. XOXO. To everyone else reading this, go tell your spouse how much you love them, appreciate them, and give them a BIG kiss. Be the kind of spouse that is loving, forgiving, and selfless. Focus on making your spouse happy- don't think about yourself. Not trying to preach- just my thoughts...

These pictures are from February, 2011. We went to CA to celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary. Al and I went to our favorite restaurant in Newport Beach, CA, "The Rusty Pelican."

Christmas 2010

Mili is the daughter I've never had and hope and pray I get one day. I love her so much. We have so much fun together. She even has Alan wrapped around her finger. For Christmas this year she told her mom, Sharissa, what she wanted to buy Alan and Me. She chose this AWESOME Lulu Lemon workout jacket which I LOVE! She has amazing taste. I saw this jacket in California and really wanted it, but it was too expensive. How amazing is it that Mili chose it for me without knowing! She also bought me these heart bowls because she told her mom that she didn't think I had any to make cookies with. Ha ha. She and I love to bake.

For Alan, she was determined to get him a FOOD BASKET. She had her mind made up that Alan wanted a basket with food in it. As if that wasn't funny enough, she wanted to fill the basket with salad, carrots, sushi and soy sauce. Sharissa tried to gently persuade her in another direction by telling her that Alan might not like that kind of food. To this she replied, "That's because he doesn't have any. He'd like it if he'd tried it." She is too funny! In the end though, she chose this remote control pillow.

Alan and I bought her everything princess. She is obsessed with the Disney princesses. Her favorites are Belle and Ariel. We got her some princess puzzles, Belle and Ariel pajamas, a kitty statue (another obsession), a Belle look and find book, Beauty and the Beast read a-long book, and I made her the pink and brown skirt in the picture. She picked out the fabric and I sewed it for her in my sewing class. It's only my second project so it isn't perfect, but she doesn't seem to notice it. She loves it because it twirls so well- it's like a princess skirt. ;)

Alan and I also went to Washington for Christmas with my family this year. There are too many pictures to post all of them so that is why I only posted the group shot. It was also my aunt and uncle's 25th wedding anniversary celebration, my birthday December 27th, and my sister went through the Portland, OR temple to receive her endowments. Super busy and so fun to be with family.