Last Weekend

So last weekend was a pretty good one. 

Kolton's cousin Cody was getting married so we headed to the Rexburg temple and loved seeing them get hitched. We were so happy for both of them! 

From there we went to lunch at Millhollow (can't beat that place!) with Kirt, Sandra, Shannon, and Bear. We had a great time discussing their memories of Kolton putting a dead snake in the shower to scare Staci, and Kolton almost being run over by a pivot while in a pickup. I had a blast listening to those stories. 

From there, Kolton went to the DMV and took his written test to get his motorcycle license! He had been taking practice tests online and surprisingly I knew a lot of the answers. Or else I'm just a lucky guesser. He was pretty nervous but he passed of course. Just look at that happy face. 

From there we took a little detour which got us lost and at a dead end, but it was okay because we were deep in a discussion of the song Sk8er Boi. Because that's naturally the kind of material that two college graduates discuss. 

When we found ourselves and came to an agreement about who really ended up with the Sk8er Boi we stopped at the Lube Shop to get a F'real milkshake because they are just all the rage here in Terreton and we like to keep up on the latest trends. 

By the time we got home we had enough time to change clothes and head up to Dillon, MT for the reception on none other than....the roadbike! 

And I am just not completely sold on that thing. It was freezing, my bum was sore, the wind was whipping in my ears, my legs were cramped, and I was feeling super ornery. I was trying so hard to like it, but it just wasn't happening. 

We finally made it to the reception with a serious case of helmet hair. I had brought a comb so we went into the bathroom together (scandalous, I know) to freshen up. As luck would have it, there was a bit of a line when we exited the bathroom. together. and it was embarrassing. 

The reception was held in the spud cellar and it was super neat! They had quite the BBQ all set up and it was very delicious. We chatted with some family for a bit and then had to head home. 

So we got back on the bike and were out of there. The ride home was significantly better too! It's amazing what a good dinner can do for my attitude. It was even freezing cold, but I don't know if my bum had just gotten used to the seat or what, but it wasn't so bad. I was also deep in thought about school next year and thinking through some of my plans for what I want to do differently so that helped too. 

By the time we made it home we were frozen but it had still been a good day! I love it when Kolton and I can just hang out because it doesn't happen very often and it makes me remember why I like him so much!

Kids Say the Darndest Things

School is great.

School is fun. 

School is exhausting. 

But it's mostly just really awesome. 

 Those kids just kill me! We've had some good times together. 

Here are some of the funnier things that I can remember. 

1. One kid in particular just makes me laugh. It doesn't matter what he is saying, I think it is funny. One day we were all lined up ready to go to the library and he made a comment and I exploded into a giggling fit that I couldn't get under control. For at least two minutes. So all of the kids are in line staring at their teacher who can't quit laughing. They think I'm weird. 

2. Kolton brought his potato gun to school to show the kids and we both received the following comments: 

-"Your husband has nice rims on his pickup."

-"Wow, that's a nice chevro-let (he pronounced the 'let')

-"You guys make a cute couple."

-"You have a beautiful wife."

-"Can we go out in the field and catch the potato after you shoot it off?" (um...probably not darlings...)

3. We did a pre-test just the other day and the kids had to list 3 helping verbs. A surprising number of kids wrote things like:

 -Mowing the lawn.

-Making my bed. 

-Cleaning the house. 

etc. 

(I died laughing while grading their tests. I thought this was so cute and funny.)

4. "We just want to have FUN!" -After I told them that planning a flash mob to the Harlem Shake during the middle of class was unacceptable. (I was actually laughing really hard inside but I didn't let them know that)

5. After I told one of the kids that swinging made me motion sick he said, "Just try to think of something boring. Pretend you are in church."

6. "Wanna know somethin? I have acid reflux."

7. After I told the kids that I was keeping track of every time they got in trouble and would tell their moms about each incident one kid was just devastated. He put his head in his hands and said, "Oh no....you CAN'T tell my mom...."

Oh man, they just kill me. I'm sure there are many more, but that's all I can remember for now.

I Did It!

When I was younger people would always ask me what I was going to do with my life and I would always say, "Gradate from college" because I felt like it was what I was supposed to say. I never actually thought I would really do it. Well.....

 

I am now a diploma-in-hand graduated person! It was a beautiful day.  Even though I still feel like I just barely graduated from high school.

I was a bit annoyed because Student Teaching stretched on for two weeks after graduation, but it all turned out okay. 

I about died when I told my kids that I was graduating that day. In the morning class most of the kids were like, "Wait, you're in college?" Totally oblivious. 

In the afternoon class when I announced my big news the kids broke out in a round of applause. It was the cutest and sweetest thing ever and made me feel so loved and maybe a little teary-eyed...kinda like this man below when I ran into him in the hallway. 

It was so fun that I got to graduate with my favorite Bitters. Love those people. 

 

School has been such a crazy wing-dinger for me so I am sure glad to be done with it! I started out at BYU and just loved every second of it. When we got married and I transferred I spent many months homesick for that campus, my friends, and the beautiful weather. 

However, BYU-I also has a special little place in my heart. From the first day on campus when I wandered around in the dumping snow with Kolton's handmade map in my hands, to all the (mostly) dreaded group projects (some actually did turn out pretty okay), to some seriously amazing professors who really inspired me, to two summers spent in summer school and driving back and forth from Rexburg every day, to the loaf of bread and honey butter I ate every day I was on campus on my special couch, it's all been lumped into a really great experience.

 I know I'll miss being on campus and listening to lectures. I really was so blessed to have such amazing teachers that really inspired me to do my best and who were the best examples to me of what a good teacher should be. I loved listening to them talk and share ideas and the discussion we would get into during class. 

Homework on the other hand...I was pretty happy to kiss that one goodbye. 

Through all the struggles and stressing and crying and laughing and everything else, it's all over!

And it was a happy, happy day! 

finally satisfied

so kolton bought a pickup a few years ago.

three to be exact.

and he's just never been real happy with it. well, the looks of it anyway.

i've heard him tick off on his fingers all the things he wants to do to it countless times.

so many times that i could list all the improvements "needed" if i was so inclined.

and at the very top of the list: new rims.

well, guess what.

his dream was finally realized in the form of four boxes stacked by our garage door.

it was kolton's graduation present from both sets of parents. and even though he went back and forth on what exactly to spend his gift money on (seriously, he was driving me crazy! i'd get excited about a tv or an ipad and start planning accordingly and he'd change his mind) once he made up his mind there was no going back.

and we are both happy because he got exactly what he wanted and i no longer have to hear the pickup improvement discourse.

he even went so far to declare it the "happiest day of his life."

hmmm....

the fourth

Even though the Fourth of July was quite a long time ago I still feel the need to record our activities. For future generations, ya know?

Anyway.

We went back and forth ten million times on what exactly our plans were for the fourth. Kolton was done with hay so that wasn't messing up our plans, but me going to school sure was.

We finally ended up going with Kolton's family on a Razr ride up to Packsaddle Lake.  And we had so much fun!

At the very last minute I packed our swimsuits as a precaution. I thought we'd be doing a lot of Razr riding and very little (if any at all) swimming. But it was so dang dusty that we just stayed at the lake, had a nice little picnic, and swam.

We were so dirty after the ride to the lake. I don't know if you can see it, but our faces were filthy.

The kidlings had a nice time playing in the dirt and freezing water.

                                                   Taven

Lily wasn't loving the water

                                               Madison was!

There was even a rope swing and "diving board" for the big kids to play on.

Teagan on the "diving board"

Kolton was being a bit too brave for my liking.

Tyson

                                                         Ethan

And I stayed in character and was a big ole wanny like usual. I did finally go off the rope swing but it took four minutes of persuasion and crying and wanny-ing before I finally just did it. We have video proof of the whole ordeal unfortunately. My voice gets high pitched and shaky when I'm scared to death. I was begging Kolton to just go before me (even though he'd been four times already) and it finally took Bear standing behind me and letting me know that the only way I was getting off that log was by way of rope swing for me to cowboy up.

I was near tears at this point while trying to convince Kolton to just let me climb down. It doesn't look that scary, but it WAS! for me at least. no one else really seemed to have any trouble with it.

                                         

After that near death experience it was about time to head home. So we packed up and headed out of there getting equally as dirty on the way home.

We even got to see the fireworks. iIm like a little kid when it comes to fireworks and let Kolton know that there was no way I was missing out on the fireworks. So on the way home we were leaving the gas station and saw a little Rexburg show going on so we pulled off to the side of the road and watched for about ten minutes before heading home. I got my firework fix to top off a perfect fourth.

he did it!

The moment we have been waiting for has finally come and gone.

Kolton graduated!

It was a beautiful day.

I just have to brag about him a little since he would never brag about himself.

Kolton has worked so hard in his schooling. Pretty sure he hasn't got anything below an A- since the second grade. When we were first married (since we've been married for so long...) I came to resent his diligence toward his schoolwork. I had a relatively easy semester and he had one of his hardest. in between Organic Chemistry, Physics, and other classes he was always locked in the back room of our apartment doing homework.

I was always rarin' to do some fun stuff since we were finally together after lots of long distance stuff, but he just always had homework!

This is not to say we never did anything fun, he just spent a LOT of time in that back room at his desk

and many more hours on campus study, study, studying for hours and hours. While he always did well, he definitely worked hard for it.

I always tease him about how worried he gets about his grades and certain assignments. There were so many times he would come home from the testing center extremely put out because he was just sure he had failed his test.

Sure enough, he never did and usually ended up as the top scorer. That big nerd! He was always the student that everyone else groans at when the teacher announces there will be no curving because someone got 100%.

Anyway, all of this work and studying and solitude and stressing finally paid off this weekend when my dear kolton had

not one,

not two,

but THREE asterisks by his name in the graduation program.

He graduated suma cum laude and was in the top 1% of his class.

Wow.

My dad was so proud of him. Everyone that he's seen since then, he's had to tell them about the three asterisks thing.

I was a proud little wifey as well (and mostly relieved that I don't have to deal with his stressed-outed-ness anymore).

kolton and jordan were great russian and other subject study buddies.

the gang. it was so fun that most of them got to graduate together!

Right after receiving his diploma. I wanted to get the "perfect picture" here, but of course you know how that goes. my camera shut off as soon as they called his name, so this is as good as i got. ah well...

the hansen gang...minus teagan

with the in-laws. this is probably the only time my dad let go of his program all night.

us.

and my death grip on the diploma.

oh happy day!



things that crack me up lately

Do you ever have those moments where you are in a solemn place (or maybe a not-so-solemn place, but definitely somewhere where it would be considered socially unacceptable to burst out laughing for no reason) and you remember something funny that happened the day before, a month before, or five years before, and this memory just slays you and it takes all your willpower to hold in your laughter?

I do.

Quite frequently.
I'm going to share these stories with you, but I have to warn you. I think they're the you-had-to-be-there kind of stories.
Nonetheless....

One of these memories is from back in high school. My not-so-trusty car was getting fixed and I was stuck with an old pink/magenta-ish Nissan to drive while my car was getting fixed.

My friends affectionately named the car "The Ghetto Hoe" and I instantly became the coolest girl in school...still trying to figure out the connection there.
As you can see from the lovely picture, everyone wanted a turn to drive the ghetto hoe.
I got in trouble a few times when my parents saw the ghetto hoe driving down the highway Jayci-less.
This was West Jefferson High School and I didn't exactly lock my car...or take the keys out of the ignition, So peeps would just hop in and take it for a spin.
When I got my real car back, I got a lot of questions about what had happened to the ghetto hoe.
Unfortunately her speedometer had issues (as in, it didn't work at all) so she made me a little nervous to drive.
Honestly, I don't even know where she is now, but maybe I can talk Kolton into taking us for a spin sometime.

Memory number two is also from high school. My senior year I somehow got the defective locker.
Defective as in there was no lock.
Defective as in there was no lock, and there was a giant hole in my locker door where the missing lock would have been.
iIdidn't mind so much. It beat having to remember a combination.
About halfway through the year, I was joking with Coach K. about my locker. I mentioned my calculus teacher and how when she had issued us those fancy graphing calculators at the beginning of the year she had warned us that if we lost our calculator for any reason, we owed the school 100 dolla bills ya'll.
In my joking sesh with Coach K. I mentioned that I hoped someone would steal my calculator so I could blame it on the school because my locker had no lock.
The next day I arrived at school, swung my locker open, and just stared inside in confusion.
My locker was empty.
All my books, tablets, pencils, and all the other junk was just...gone.
Everything except my fancy graphing calculator.
It was sitting all by its lonesome on the locker shelf.

It took me a minute to process all of this, but when it finally did make it all the way through my brain, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Sure enough, when I snuck into Coach K.'s room, there were all my books, tablets, pencils, and other junk in a box beside his desk. (by other junk, I mean a cooking pot, a juice mixer, a raincoat, etc.)
So for the rest of the year my locker stayed empty and between classes I would run to Coach K.'s room to my other locker.
We got a lot of laughs out of this prank, he especially found all my extra junk strange.
In my yearbook he signed,
"I knew I should have turned you in when I found "pot" in your locker"
Oh my, those really were the bad ole days, man.

Whenever I remember those two (and many other) little incidents they without fail put a smile on my face.
I love it!

a quarter of a century

That's a long time isn't it?
A looong time.
Don't you think that would be a long time to be alive?
Me too.

I've been trying to explain that to Kolton ever since he turned 25 almost a month ago.
bBut goll, 25 is lookin so far so good!

I started off the birthday week by doing a little online shopping. I love that concept. I could do my shopping right in the comfort of my own home. In my pajamas. And then I spent the rest of the week stopping myself every time I was about to make a comment about his presents.

We're not real exciting around here, but I did actually wrap the presents this year...the presents that arrived anyway. Some of the online purchases were about three days too late.

Later that day I went to a baby shower while Kolton chilled in the car and went to Walmart. Then my parents treated us to Jakers. Kolton got the seafood buffet and I might have helped him eat some of it...I'm a sucker for crab legs.

Then we raced home from Idaho Falls trying to make it to a movie. We were a little late, So we ended up going to "We Bought a Zoo." I thought it was the cutest movie, even if it was a one-time kind of show. I got teary eyed which never happens during movies. Kolton enjoyed it until the kid sitting behind him spit some chewed up popcorn on the back of his neck. That kind of ruined it for him.

Then we went out for ice cream and bought ourselves a two and a half gallon box of ice cream that we're still eatin on.

On Sunday we had some friends over. The Pearsons, Allens, and Tyson. We visited and shared some of our ice cream. Not very much though, cuz we didn't want them to eat it all.

All in all, it was a pretty good birthday weekend. Good eatin, good company, and a good way to celebrate 25 years of livin. (even if he does only look like he's 18) I even got a picture albeit poor quality, of the occasion.

Love you honey! Here's to 25 more years!

this is not a story about bad parenting

Even though it may seem like it.

This is a story about one of my favorite childhood memories.

The story begins with last weekend. We went to Ethan's state wrestling tournament in Pocatello. (still working on the wrestling fan thing).

Now we need some background....

Two years ago

 Kolton gave me, for my birthday, a homemade gift certificate that stated he would take me to my favorite restaurant, Mama Inez, anytime I wanted. 

Ten years ago

 The restaurant Mama Inez closed in Idaho Falls. The only available location was in Pocatello.

Thirteen years ago

I decided Mama Inez was my favorite restaurant. My family would go there ALL the time. It was in the older part of town and a little shady-ish, but nine year olds don't think about that kind of stuff. All I could think about was the squeaky front door, the slight smell of smokers in the air (this was a result of the tables around the outside perimeter of the inside  of the restaurant being the "smoker friendly" tables...we never sat there.) Where we did sit was always in the middle of the room, always at the same table. We didn't even need to look at the menu because we knew exactly what we wanted.

We got the same thing every time we went there.

My dad would order the crab and shrimp monterrey, and my mom and the kids (Tylee, Brody, and I) would share a crab and shrimp nacho.

Every time.

The whole family would share one large plate of steaming, saucy, cheesy, crab and shrimp nachos.

Twelve years ago

My parents were invited to a wedding. It was an outdoor wedding and they didn't want three pesky kids running around wreaking havoc. My sister Addi had just been born, was deemed not too pesky for the wedding, and was allowed to go with my parents.

My parents didn't know what to do with the three of us, and then they stumbled upon a brilliant idea.

Sure enough, they drove to the old part of town and dropped us three off at good ole Mama Inez. (I'm pretty sure I was no older than nine) they handed us some cash, told us to order the usual, and said they'd see us in about three weeks (they wish!)

So that's what we did.

Tylee, Brody, and I waltzed ourselves into the restaurant not thinking anything of it (except the three weeks thing. we didn't know for sure what to think about that) We sat at our usual table and waited for the waitress to come around.

Being the oldest, I put in our order (one large plate of crab and shrimp nachos) and the waitress only gave me a bit of a funny look. After she walked away, we decided that we would pretend we were three rich orphans so we faked a snooty accent as we worked our way through those nachos. (the only regret we had is that I forgot to say "hold the onions", otherwise, they were delicious as usual)

After we finished up our meal, we paid and then walked out the door. We walked down to the movie theatre that was probably about three blocks away, bought our tickets and enjoyed the movie while we waited for our parents to come get us.

Present day

Every time I think of that little outing I get this grin on my face. It's so funny because we didn't think anything of it! We were at Mama Inez so we didn't have a care in the world! Oh it just cracks me up.

Every time.

So last week at the wrestling match, I remembered the coupon, and the restaurant, and most especially, the crab and shrimp nachos so I informed Kolton that if I had to sit at a wrestling match all day I wouldn't make a peep if he would just take me to Mama Inez. It took a little convincing, but he finally agreed.

After the wrestling match was over, we were ready to head out. Kolton's family decided to eat with us, and I got a little embarrassed. Mama Inez isn't real fancy-kinda trashy (my 20 year old self can see that now) but they insisted, so we all got to experience a little piece of my childhood.

I don't think they enjoyed that piece of my childhood half as much as I did...but they can't say I didn't warn them! :)


We sat down to order and I got a big ole grin on my face as I told the waitress I wanted the crab and shrimp nachos.
The grin only got bigger once she set that gigantic, steaming, saucy, cheesy plate of seafoodness and tortilla chips in front of me.

I was in heaven.

As I was raving about it the whole way home, Kolton had to mention that maybe iIonly like that place because of my memories associated with it. (he thinks he's a psychologist)
He might be right.
But it doesn't make any difference.
I'm counting down the days till we can make it down to Pocatello again.

absent

Christmas was wonderful, like always

And I got spoiled, like always.

I love Christmas for everything, but one thing that iIhave always loved are the Christmas secrets/surprises. 

I love going shopping and finding all sorts of fun things and I especially love giving surprises, things that haven't been hinted at but that I just know they will love. 

I had a few of these surprises forKkolton and it was KILLING me! It is so hard for me to keep a secret from that man. Somehow I did it, but there were so many times that I was going to mention or bring up something I had bought him but hadn't given him yet. 

I also loved spending all sorts of time with our families over the break. 

For the first few days we were out of school we really didn't know what to do with ourselves. 

Really. 

We seriously sat around and looked at each other for three days. After being so busy finishing up school it was nice to have a break, but a person can only sit in an apartment for so long. We were so happy to head out to Monteview to visit our families and to have something to do.

We split our time between Island Park and Monteview and it was just grand. I absolutely love being in Island Park. It's just so relaxing and it feels so remote and away from the rest of the world. We loved being there and in Monteview. Monteview is probably my second favorite place in the world...I know, I know. But it just feels like home (probably because it is).

We also spent inordinate amounts of time playing Wackee Six, Golf, Wizard, Scum, and watching all the new card tricks Kolton learned during the time he had nothing better to do.

All in all, it was a fabulous and much needed break (also much too short). We loved spending time with our families, staying up way too late (anything past 10), and chowing down on anything and everything. I have even been a little homesick for Christmas Break since it ended. 

Now we're back to the grindstone.

Correction: I am back to the grindstone. Kolton has a total of one class and one internship this semester, which adds up to a lot of down time for him.

But it's all good. and I'll try to be better at keeping up now that I'm on a regular schedule.

But that's not a promise.  

 

can i just tell you.

1. how very much i hate cleaning out lunchboxes.

i gag.

violently.

i may even hate it worse than taking out the garbage.

but that one's a toss up.

basically i just hate anything that has to do with sticking my face in the near proximity of something that is smelly/old/moldy/grossness

2. how very much i've loved september thus far.

yesterday i was out doing yard work and it dawned on me that it was the perfect fall day.

the weather was cool yet warm. (yes, it's possible)

there was a slight little breeze.

i was crunching through leaves in my yard

and i could hear the sounds of the grain harvest.

holy cow, i just loved it!

and it made me so excited to pull out all my sweaters (oh, how i've missed them).

i love fall.

I am addicted...

To books on tape.

Seriously, whoever thought of that idea is a hero in my book.

It all started when I was driving back and forth from Provo every weekend to see my lover boy.

The radio got real old real quick and I just flipped through station after station trying to find something I could stand, let alone listen to, for the four+ hours I was stuck in the car.

Ppeaking of which, I had a really awesome weekend routine down by the end of the semester. I'd pack up before class, go to class, run all the way home from class {that got me a few funny looks}, bid my roommates goodbye, jump in the car, and head straight for one of three things {or sometimes all three}

1. Jamba Juice where I'd get a Pumpkin Smash smoothie {tastes just like punkin pie. so awesome}

2. IN-N-OUT where I'd get myself a burger, some fries, and sometimes a strawberry milkshake to munch on for the ride home.

3. The gas station. Me and that Chevron became mighty good friends that semester. I came to know the cashier that worked there and he came to recognize me as the loser that went home every weekend.

And since I was already in the gas station, I may as well pick out some treats! My favorite road-trippin- it- home treats were those sour patch watermelon things, or these Lifesaver berry ring sour gummy things.

It was an awesome routine if only because of all the food.

I digress....

So after I'd go about this routine and jump back into the car with all my goodies, it was a long drive all by my lonesome.

Then, one weekend I went to visit my grandparents to say goodbye before I was headed back to Provo and my grandpa lent me a book on tape to listen to.

The addiction was born.

I loved the idea that I could be reading and driving at the same time. {it really is awesome}

Now I make the hour drive to Rexburg twice a week. Luckily, I remembered the lesson I'd learned on my Provo drives so I went through my mom's stack of books on tape and when I had depeleted those, I headed down to my local library.

I forgot about how great local libraries can be.

You go, check out books, and you can read all you want without paying a cent!

It's beautiful, really.

Luckily I discovered that this local library also had hundreds of books on tape.

I'll tell you what, I was in heaven right there.

So for the last four months, every week or two or three {depending on how long that book was} I've gone into the library and picked out a new book to listen to.

It's made the two hour drive {round trip} much more enjoyable.

And I feel like I've learned so much!

That sounds nerdy, but it's true.

I listened to the biography of John Nash, the inspiration for the movie A Beautiful Mind.

I listened to my first Louis L'Amour book and actually liked it.

I learned about the "Hole-in-the-Rock pioneers" in the book The Undaunted.

I've listened to many inspiring books about how to be a better person {I probably need a few more of those}

and I even listened to one of those sappy Mormon mystery/romance novels.

I've really come to enjoy the drives to Rexburg because with a book in my cd player, they don't seem nearly so long or boring or full of sagebrush because my mind is somewhere far away.

things i love lately

1.  Two words for you.

Soft Scrub.

This stuff worked a major miracle on my kitchen sink.

Ever since we moved into this house I have been disgusted with the state of my kitchen sink. It's white porcelain and every little stain would show up. And plus, there was a bunch of nasty crusted on junk that no matter how hard I scrubbed would NOT come off.

So I invested in a little Soft Scrub, laid it on thick, and let it work it's magic. I'll tell ya, I became a believer. After just a tiny bit of scrubbing, the junk I for sure thought was permanent lifted right off. I should have taken before and after pictures. And I should have also invested in rubber gloves because the plastic sacks I had covering my hands didn't really do the trick. My hands were burning, but my sink was finally sparkling.

It was a fair trade.

2. Biore Pore Strips.

I always watched those makeover movies where they put those fancy little beauty strips on your nose, but I didn't know that they actually made them...or better yet, that they actually worked. These things work some magic. Seriously.

If I was Oprah and had my own talk show and could give away free gifts to everyone in the audience.

I would give them these. Just so you know.

3. Cardigans

Why, oh why has it taken me twenty years to discover cardigans? I have a wish list of cardi's I would buy including this little beauty...

h&m baby. I just discovered this little treasure of a store.

4. on a less materialistic note...

the new additions to our the Hansen side of the family.

Tyson the missionary got home last week and Calvin Barrett Godfrey joined us just yesterday. I went to visit the sweet bebe and his parents in the hospital today and he was just darling.

I already love that little guy.

But do I have pictures of any of these big events....of course not. That would require that I actually grow a brain and function like a normal person.

Sometimes I can really connect with the plight of the scarecrow....

If I only had a brain...



a few things i've learned about my husband.

1. He's got one handsome smile

So the other morning Kolton jumped up out of bed with his alarm and was in an uncharacteristically (is that a word?) good mood for having just woken up. I would know because I was still trying to sleep and he was bouncin around and I wasn't really succeeding. I was also surprised at the good mood because he was headed off for his orthodontist appointment which is kind of a tense subject between the two of us.

I am always, always, always nagging Kolton about his braces. he's been going in to the office every two weeks in order to speed up the process but each deadline they've given him has passed and he's still got em on! Before every appointment I would coach him and ask him what questions he was going to ask the doc about what he needed to do to just get them off already. As a matter of fact, we'd just had one of these conversations the night before Kolton bounced me up out of bed.

So he skipped out the door and was gone.

Three hours later I was looking at the clock and couldn't believe he wasn't home yet. So like the psycho freakazoid I am, I started running through all of the worst possible scenarios. But when I finally texted him he let me know that he had just been out to pick up some parts.

And then it dawned on me.

Five minutes later, he walks in the door and I just stood there and looked at him and waited for him to smile. When he finally did...

Dang! did those pearly whites look good!

I could not believe that he had tricked me and surprised me and that I had had no idea! That little nasty....

2. He's very cultured

On Memorial Day I went with Kolton in the truck up to Dillon, Montana (no holidays/days off for a farmer). For the last year or so Kolton has been talking up the taco bus in Dillon. He says they have the best tacos he has ever eaten and that he is going to take me there someday. Well that someday finally came on that momentous Memorial Day. We ate at the taco bus (my first ever taco bus!) and it was pretty alright. Maybe not the best tacos I've ever eaten, but considering that they were made in the back half of a school bus...they were pretty good. 

3. He's methodical. extremely so. 

The other night we planted a garden. Ever since moving into this house I have been so excited to plant a garden. Gardening at my house is a relaxing thing. You go out, stick some seeds in the ground, water it, pull weeds with your shorts hiked up so you can get a suntan, and in the fall you harvest it. Sounds fun, no?

I found out real fast that gardening with Kolton is serious business. He insisted we plant all sorts of stuff that I have no idea what to do with, he grabbed a nifty planter tool from his mom to ensure that each of our seeds were placed the correct distance apart, he grabbed a tape measure (yes folks, an actual tape measure) to ensure that each of our rows were the correct distance apart, and he planted one row in the time I did three.

in other words...

He completely sucked all the fun out of gardening.

BUT.

Hopefully his insane-ness will help us to actually grow something.

4. I take back the cultured thing...

For one of my classes I have to attend two musical performances. I had procrastinated (of course) so the day before it was due I somehow found that there was a BYU-I Symphony Orchestra performing that night. Somehow (I have no idea how) I convinced Kolton to come with me. We show up to the concert hall and as we're walking in Kolton starts asking if I reallly have to stay for the whole thing or if maybe we could leave just a little early.

That's when I knew it would be a long night.

Halfway into the second song ( is that the correct term?) I look over and he's slouched in his chair with his head down and his eyes closed.

The last song had four movements and by the third he turned his pleading eyes on me begging me to allow him to be put out of his misery.

I showed no compassion for his plight and informed him that we weren't leaving until it was over.

As soon as the audience stood up to applaud, he grabbed me and we were outta there. Probably a better descriptor of this would be that he's a sport.

5. He's a nature-lover

The other night I was cooking dinner when Kolton called me to come outside and see the nest he had found. It was a killdeer nest and Kolton quickly informed me that when you get close to the nest the mama bird will run in the opposite direction and pretend to be hurt so the predator will go after her instead. I was quite impressed by his knowledge but not impressed by the way he kept taunting the bird watching her squawk and run around on the ground faking a broken wing.

He's also taken up quite the interest of driving around in the evening searching for any sign of small animals. Unfortunately, this also includes raising the gun to his sights and blasting the animal (usually a groundsquirrel) right out of it's hole. He gets a lot of enjoyment out of this activity.

What a guy.

The last (almost) six months have been great, And I'm sure you can see why.

3 things

1. First, and most importantly......

My boyfriend's back!

He's been up in Dillon, MT planting potatoes but we finally saw each other on Saturday night.
And it's good to have him back. I was not enjoying sleeping all by myself in our creaky house.

2. Yesterday while we were getting ready for church, Kolton was entertained by watching me fall off the bed.
I was putting my shoes on and swung my leg up to strap my tootsie in, but I overestimated my swing, lost my balance, and as Kolton describes it, "With eyes as big as saucers and flailing arms," fell onto the floor.
To add insult to injury, Kolton didn't even try to help me. As he saw me falling he took one tiny step forward in an attempt to grab me and then realized how much funnier it would be if I actually fell, so he stopped himself short and just watched the accident unfold.
And got quite a kick out of it too, I might add.

3. I was entertained yesterday by hearing Kolton's foot get caught in a mouse trap. He was washing his hands in the bathroom when I hear a "SNAP!" and then a second later. "ARGGGHHHH!"
Oh, it was so. funny.

Goll, do we love each other or what!?

Bully!

I just had to quickly share this story because I got such a kick out of it.

Last night we both got home a little late and zonked out. Pretty soon I'm awakened from my sleep from something being pulled out from under me. I look over and Kolton is sitting up in bed and has a hold on my pillow. He gives it a big yank out from under me, sets it on his side of the bed, turns over and is out.

I start feeling bad because I thought I had stolen his pillow and he was stealing it back.

No.

I look over on my side of the bed and don't see anything. So I lean over to his side of the bed and sure enough, his pillow is on the floor near the foot of the bed.

So I lean over him to grab his pillow and he wakes up and is all sorts of confused.

"Here is YOUR pillow, now give me back MINE" I say and he hands it over.

We're both snoozing away seconds later.

This morning we talked about it and got quite a good laugh about it. He didn't remember anything except for when I woke him up and handed him his pillow.

So funny. 

it's meant to be baby.

So get this.

 I got out of my last class a titch early (like half an hour to be exact) but I hung around for a minute and chatted with my friend about an assignment.

Then, I was leaving the library (where my class is located) and debated about going down the stairs and out the doors.

One look at the blustery wind outside changed my mind.

So instead I decided to walk across the skybridge, through the Manwaring, and then brave the nasty weather (seriously, what is with this awful wind lately!?)

As I'm walking across the skybridge (which is pretty neat, just so you know) I was fiddling with my umbrella when I look up see none other than this handsome man

Yeah, the guy I'm married to.

And then this happened.

Okay.

Not really.

But wouldn't that have been neat?

What actually happened is he got quite a kick out of my shocked expression and then we talked for a minute before he had to run to class.

When we got home that night I started talking about how funny it was that I ran into him (first time that's ever happened) and how random it was that he had finished eating lunch at exactly the same time I decided to leave my class.

And that if either of us had decided to stay a minute longer or stop by the drinking fountain, we wouldn't have seen each other.

My only response to the incident was...

"It's meant to be, baby."

the week before the day before yesterday

A really, really awesome thing happened.

This cute lil couple

got sealed for forever and ever and ever and ever.

and I got to be there.

What a sweet experience it was to be in the temple with them as they knelt across the altar and were sealed for time and all eternity.

I am so happy for them and just love them both a whole lot.

It was so wonderful to see them and be a part of their special day.

the day before yesterday

See this pretty girl?

She's my sister.

and I love her.

A lot.

I just have to brag about her a little bit.

Ty is about the most determined person I have ever met. When she decides she's going to do something, she does it.

And she always does her very best.

nothing less.

Even though I tease her a little bit (okay, so a lot) about her insane running habits, I have to admit, I admire her for it.

Rain or shine, snow or below zero degree weather, she laces up her running shoes and off she goes.

She's got some serious mileage on those babies.

Along with her determination, is her desire for perfection.

This wasn't always fun back in the day when we played Barbies. she would spend more time dressing the Barbies, doing their hair, or setting up than actually playing. 

But now this need for perfection shines through in her schoolwork. She gets A's in all her classes, and more importantly, A's on her pre-cal tests.

(Something I didn't even know what possible)

She's got a strong will. Ain't nobody gonna tell her what to do. She's not exactly the subservient little sister I always hoped for. But that's okay...I guess.

She's also tough. incredibly tough. She's dealt with things no 17 year old girl should have to. but she's made it. And she's still going strong.

Because that's just the kind of person she is.

This weekend I got to see her shine on stage as she participated in Jr. Miss. She did so well! All her hard work, her fun personality, her good qualities, and accomplishments shone through and she was just lovely.

Good job little Ty/Tylee Toad!

Love you lots!!

yesterday: part 2 of 2

Just so you know, the rest of the day went about a billion times better. I mean, really-could it have gotten any worse?

We invited a big group of friends over to play games and it was so much fun!

Two of the couples were Kolton's old roommates and their wives.

Zach and Sara, Mckay and Ashley

and the other two couples were our friends from Terreton

Andra and Marshall, Steve and Joanna

Yes, that is a total of 10 people in our small living room, but everyone seemed to fit okay...I think.

We played Scum (one of our favorite games) and Catch Phrase (one of my favorite games)

I dominated in Scum like I never have before, and the girls dominated in Catch Phrase as per usual.

When everyone left, and the door closed behind them I was a little bit sad. I was sad to see everyone leave and the evening end. (isn't that kind of silly?)

I just wanted to call out the door for everyone to come back.

But I didn't of course. It was getting late and our neighbors were probably bothered by our rowdy-ness. (Catch Phrase always gets a little intense)

I just felt like everyone had gotten along so well and that it was SO much fun. (did I already say that?)

We're probably gonna have to do that again soon.