There are places I'll remember

We met at the Ivy where I was living for the semester. He walked in the door and I knew... nope.. I had no clue I would marry him haha. But I'm sure glad I did.

Our first kiss was in a potato field! And we are not ashamed. It was windy then, and windy when we took this picture. Always. Windy.  

When we were "dating" he told me to jump through this tire outside of his apartment. So I did. From then on I was known as "circus girl". 

 And then we were sealed in the LDS Rexburg temple! 

 This is the front of our very first apartment in Rexburg. 

 The alley way on the side of the building. Our apartment's windows were right by the fire escape. There would be kids screaming and smoking weed right below so we would yell at them haha. 

 This is the back of Fongs and was right across from our windows. We would smell that pork fried rice all day and ended up going probably once a week if not more. 

Our cute tiny apartment we lived in last. Best place we lived in Rexburg except for those darn spiders. We've confused so many people with where we live because the address is 271 and 1/2. It's like platform 9 3/4. You have to be a wizard to enter within. 

 This is the church building we went to every Sunday. The Primary will always have our hearts! 

We graduated at the same time from BYUI! I with my bachelors and him with his associates.

I'm so happy I was born and grew up in Rexburg. and I am SO happy Paul and I met there. It's a place that will always have our hearts. It's bitter sweet leaving and now living in St. George but so exciting knowing that St. George will hold just as many memories for us! 

This Turned Into a Critter Ramble

I can't believe how fast we got our home put together! It only took us a couple days to clean, unpack, and semi decorate the kitchen and living room. I am loving the open-ness of this place and how white the walls are (I love white walls). Everything is so clean and the breeze coming through the windows is so nice. I've squashed two spiders since living here which is nothing compared to our last place. I haven't seen one hobo here, woohoo! Hobo Spiders that is. I've seen a few real hobos actually. Anyways I consider myself a real spider squasher pro now. As long as they aren't speedy and they don't try to fly in my hair or something.

Speaking of gross crawling things, St. George has these sick, siiiiiiiiiiiiickkkk giant old man bugs. They literally look like old grandpas to me but not the cute kind. I can't squish those because they make this horrible crunchy noise and it triggers my gag reflex. I've found two in the garage and one outside. Paul takes care of those while I shut my eyes and plug my ears. Oh I found the biggest roly poly I've ever seen this morning in the garage too! I didn't squish it but picked it up between two pieces of cardboard and let him go far away from the house. I'm all about saving the cute bugs.

I'm still getting used to the little lizards that run around. I'm scared I'm going to find one in the house one of these days and then who knows what I'll do! Paul works all day so if that happens I will most definitely be calling our nice maintenance guy to come take care of the situation. It's not that I think they will hurt me, I just know that if I try to catch the thing it will get caught in my hair or something and then I'd probably end up smashing it and hurting myself while doing so. Or worse, have it get in my mouth somehow. (Have you seen parent trap? Yeah, I'm not about to go down that route) Better to let someone else with short hair deal with it.

This post was meant to be a little update on everything but just turned into critter ramblings. Which is totally fine, I need to release my critter stress somewhere.

Pioneer Park

Paul and I spent our Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Park and it was so fun! We originally drove up there to take a picture of the Dixie rock but never did because 1. It started raining and 2. We forgot. Totally fine though because the area behind it is amazing and so much fun. When we go back we'll go on a weekday and during the morning because Sunday afternoon was full of kids yelling like tarzan and couples making out. But it was still cool. :)

The only picture I got of Paul! 

On top of the Dixie rock. Is that what they call it here? I don't know. 

It started raining and I was hoping little animals would join me in this tiny cave for shelter! 

So far loving St. George! It's amazing how much it feels like home already. 

Seriously, I couldn't have done it without you. Even through some pretty lame times you both have always managed to make me laugh uncontrollably. You both as well as others in the program have truly been a blessing to me and I am SO thankful for your examples to me. Okay now I'm going to go eat some cheesecake (Liz thanks for always making me crave it) now because I seriously don't know how to deal with not seeing you guys practically every day. COME TO ST. G and see me soon!

We're In!

Soo.. We got the apartment! We honestly can't believe it still. On Tuesday we got the call from our manager and he finally said those sweet, sweet words.. "We're in!" We immediately packed up our car and started our drive to St George haha. We weren't going to take any chances and we needed to sign that contract ASAP. We got there the following morning (Wednesday) and went through the whole contract, signed it, and got our keys! As soon as we figured out all apartment stuff Paul quickly changed and headed to a job interview! He got the job and will be a bookkeeper for a new accounting company! It all feels like a dream because so many great things were happening at once.

 We're taking visitors now that we have three bedrooms! 

Right after Pauls interview.. haha 

We toured Dixie State University where Paul will complete his Bachelors. HE IS DIXIE.

Our view from our front door! Whaaaat! 

We are so grateful for all that we have accomplished over the past crazy months. We know It wasn't possible without our Heavenly Fathers help. The stress has been unbelievable but we know that when something proves to be hard, it usually means you're doing the right thing (Thanks Joel R. for the inspiration). The quote "May we ever choose the harder right, instead of the easier wrong" by President Thomas S. Monson goes hand in hand with our situation, I think. 

"Hey! We Bought you Dinner!"

With our move to St. George, Paul and I realize we have been so blessed with specific people Heavenly Father has put into our path to help us and make our loads lighter. We are so thankful. Paul and I have challenged ourselves to be more Christ like and look for more ways to serve others around us. Serving others can be difficult for some, especially if you are an introvert (both Paul and I). It would be so much easier to just keep to ourselves. But would that bring us any happiness? "There are so many people in need whom we could be thinking about instead of ourselves.. There are so many ways we could be serving. We have no time to become absorbed in ourselves."-Dieter F. Uchtdorf. We understand that we can have an impact on others and can be a light to those around us. Even if it is awkward or weird we would rather be those things and know that we are doing something good for another person.

Here is an experience I never want to forget. It makes me laugh just thinking about it.

Paul and I took a quick trip to St. George to sign our apartment contract (yessss... that story another time). So we realized at 8pm that our homework was due online at 10 so we ran over to the nearest McDonalds to steal their internet for a little bit. So we ran in and looked around to find a table. It was pretty empty but I noticed (how could we not notice) this guy with really long dark hair, head down, in a wheel chair, and was blaring (literally so loud) screamo music from his phone. First impression=not so great.

We found a table and started on our homework. oh but this guys music! It was SO loud and I couldn't concentrate at all. I wanted to look back at him and give him my stink eye but forced myself not to. I couldn't help but think, "what is wrong with this guy? and why doesn't he have a pair of headphones?" Over Avril lavigne's horribly sad music I heard the McDonalds worker ask the guy if he was going to buy anything. He said he didn't have any money and wondered if the worker was going to kick him out. The McDonalds worker was super nice and didn't (even though I was thinking in my head to pleeeeease get this guy out of here).

Okay so we finally got our homework done and were walking out. As we were walking to the door the guy looked up at us. Paul gave him a nod and I gave him an awkward smile (I was a little nervous). We drove out of the parking lot and started talking about this really weird guy. Paul randomly was like, "Should we get him something to eat?" and then it was like uh yes we need to do this.

We decided to go through the drive through, order him a meal and tell the workers to give it to him... SLOWEST MCDONALDS ON EARTH. We were like, "Oh my heck, hurry up! He's going to be gone by the time we get to the second window!" and sure enough... he was gone. What the heck was I going to do with this whole McDonalds meal and neither of us were even hungry? AND THEN we saw him wheeling himself down the side walk. and I freaked out for a second because I really wanted to run out and tell him to stop and that we bought him some dinner but I was like no. it's dark. and scary. and I don't know this guy. and what if I get eaten. and then I flung myself out the door (Our car is still in line by the way) and ran towards this stranger. There was a big hill of rocks that I climbed  and jumped over a few bushes to get to the side walk.

"Excuse me!" ... No answer... "Excuse meee!!!" ...Still no answer... "EXCUSE ME!!!" Yeah no answer. And I'm like running after this strange guy and he's pretty fast on his wheel chair! and finally I yell, "HEY! WE BOUGHT YOU DINNER!" and he finallllyy turns around and sees me and is wondering why this crazy girl is chasing after him. I told him again that we bought him dinner and I quickly explained that we wanted to give it to him without him knowing it was us but he left and we still wanted to give it to him.. and at this point I'm wondering what in the world am I doing. and then he looked up at me with the kindest eyes and a huge smile and said, "Oh my God, thank you. Thank you!" I immediately felt horrible for being so mad about his music being so flipping loud.

We got him his food and he was SO thankful and SO kind. He told me his name and said he comes to this McDonalds sometimes. I told him that we would probably see him again sometime because we come to steal their Internet and he was like, "Hey I do too!" haha.

Paul and I are laughing so hard while I write this because the whole thing was just so weird and we are so awkward haha. But we are SO happy we chose to do something out of our comfort zone. When I got back in the car after talking with this guy, we couldn't stop laughing and smiling. The whole thing made us SO happy.

"The happiest people are those who lose themselves in the service of others." -Gordan B. Hinckley

Apartments and Prayers

We took a reallllly last minute trip to St George last week to figure out our apartment situation. It's SO hard to find anywhere decent to live in St. George through the internet so when we happened to stumble upon a certain neighborhood with the cutest little town homes we got to work. I think I've called the landlord over 10 times (I'm not being annoying I promise.. well at least I hope not!) and have been very persistent. Before we knew it, the Landlord was telling us he needed to meet us in person and have us go over all the paper work in his office. We didn't even hesitate thinking about driving the long 7 hour drive from Rexburg as soon as possible. We want this place that much. 

When we finally got into St. George we quickly drove around the neighborhood to see everything in person. It's seriously perfect. The town homes are right next to the Virgin River and Paul had a little hay day when he saw how perfect the water was for skim boarding. It's even located next to a Dinosaur Museum for goodness sake! But it's not just the town home or the location or the landlord (Or the dinos) that is pretty perfect... The price is just what we need to get started in St George. I don't know if you've seen the prices for apartments these days but sheesh... 

So we met with the Landlord and felt like he really liked us. He gave us (A LOT) of hope that we would be able to move in the first of April. The Landlord had to check just a few final things and said he would let us know when everything was taken care of. We left feeling suuuper good and suuuuper excited to move in. 

So here we are back in Rexburg, a week later, and as anxious as ever. We haven't heard much of anything and I'm seriously dying and so stressed that we won't get in for some reason. I keep telling myself that there is no way we will not get it! But it's still so hard! It's taken a huge leap of faith to make the (scary) decision to leave home town and move to St. George where we know nothing. 

Since Paul and I have been married I KNOW without a doubt that our Heavenly Father has been mindful of where we have lived. We have been so blessed with each living space we've had. I know know know Heavenly Father will answer our prayers whether it be through this particular place or somewhere else (although I am really really praying that it's in God's favor that it's this place). Through this whole process the words "I'll go where you want me to go" have been on repeat. Through faith, Paul and I will be directed to go where he wants us to go and I'll be happy wherever that be. 

(So yeah. But let's still pray hard it's this particular place. :))