Aubrey and Brock

Oh What a Beautiful Weekend!

2012-02-20T09:53:00.000-08:00

Brock and I had a FABULOUS weekend, and got to see SO many dear friends that we haven't seen in way too long! It started on Friday. We drove to Salt Lake, picked up Jared, and went to Wendy's. (Every date is good if it starts with a cheeseburger ha ha ha). Then we parked at the Trax Station and took the train down to the Energy Solutions Arena for the JAZZ GAME!!!! Woot!

It was an awesome game, and we had a total blast! Al Jefferson is my favorite player, so I bought a Jersey with his name on it to wear for the game. And he shot 34 points that night!!!!!! His season high! It was epic. The three of us were cheering, eating candy, and loving life. A wonderful Friday!

The next morning, one of my BEST friends in the world got married!! So we went up to the Salt Lake Temple for her sealing. It was just beautiful. Naturally, I cried, because I can't make it through a wedding without getting teary eyed, and I love Katie so dearly! It was great. Then they had a delicious luncheon in Bountiful, and then we went to their reception at a church house in Kearns! So we were just all over the valley! It was so beautiful though, and Katie and Rob were just beaming. I love weddings! And we got to see so many wonderful friends and catch up with so many people, it was so great! Congrats Katie and Rob!!!!!!!

That night we had fun with the little sibs (Jared and Emily), getting treats at the Gas Station, chillin' in the hot tub, and playing Dance Central late into the night! It was so fun! (My parents are on a cruise so we were staying with the kids for the weekend).

Then, on Sunday, Ricky Dowse had his homecoming talk! He just got home from Chile and gave a beautiful talk about having faith and working hard. It was great! Then they had an open house at the Dowse House, it was great. We got to see so many wonderful friends there, too, that I miss SO dearly! I was so happy :)

Someone got a picture of me, Kels, Court, and Rick... I'll post it here when I get ahold of it :)

We headed back to Logan right after that, hoping to beat the storm, and we did! We drove with Ali, and the drive went very smoothly! Made it in great time, and had a chance to just sit back and relax the rest of our Sunday evening.

So, you see, it was oh such a beautiful weekend! Reminiscing on old memories and making new ones with some of the best friends I've ever had. I just felt so grateful last night as I realized how many wonderful people I have in my life, and the experiences that have formed my life today. It was also so fun to spend time with Brock, and my family, and just get away from the world and go crazy and have fun!

Will You Be My Valentine?

2012-02-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

It's time to add mine to the cute stories posted all over blogger about Valentine's Day! First of all, in previous years, Brock ALWAYS out-smarts me on Valentine's Day and surprises me way better than I surprise him. So this year was going to be different- because I had the whole day off yesterday! And he had work and school until 5! Bwahaha. But he still got me. He snuck home and put roses and a box of chocolates in the kitchen when I wasn't looking!!! It was ADORABLE. Just look :)

But don't worry, I still had the rest of the day to get him! So here's what I did. I set up a scavenger hunt for him around the house to find all the Toy Story Valentines that would give him directions. First he had to push "play" on the ipod (which had a cute playlist I made). Then he had to go around the house, get dressed up in a nice shirt and tie I set out for him, then in the last room, he opened the door, and I was in the dress I wore to our High School Prom together, holding one of the roses he gave me, and I said, "Will You Be My Valentine?" And gave him the last Toy Story Valentine. :) I had set up the room so we could take cute pictures like we were at a dance, and then right on cue, my ipod playlist went to our "song"... "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. So we danced, and it was wonderful :) Here's a couple pics...

I know, I know... it's TOTALLY cheesy. But I decided that it's better to be cheesy and enjoy life than not be cheesy and not have any fun. So I went all out on the cheesy factor, and I'm totally proud of it :-)

Also, it's not over! I got us a Heart-shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's! And it didn't set off the smoke alarms (like last year: see here ) because we actually have a full size oven to cook it in hahaha! It was very delicious :) And then we walked to Smiths in our PJ's and got a redbox, snuggled up on the cuddle bag, and watched a movie and enjoyed WAY too much chocolate and candy ha ha ha. It was a wonderful night. I know everyone says this, but I really do feel like I am the luckiest girl in the world. I love you Brock Taylor!!!

College: Senior Memories

2012-01-31T15:31:00.000-08:00

SENIOR YEAR

Man, going back through all this, it seems to have all gone by in a blur! Crazy! Well, Senior year, my first big event was my Senior Recital. THAT was stressful. But I did it, and I did a great job, and it was a wonderful experience! By this year, I had quit Ingeo Systems and gotten a job at the USU Housing Office. By October, we realized that the RA job wasn't worth it anymore and quit that. Then I got called as Relief Society President, which was one of the best experiences of my life. I also got to be the Chamber Choir president! I planned some socials, it was fun. Emily got baptized, Jake went on a mission, we had an epic Halloween party at our tiny apartment. Right after Christmas, we went to Nicaragua!!! That was the experience of a lifetime. I still wish I could go back. New Years Day on a hot sunny beach? Thank you! That Spring I went fishing for the first time, then Heather went on a mission, then we moved into a new house (rented from Martha's cousin Neil) and started a garden! Meanwhile, I had been doing clinicals all year around the valley, and finally got my student teaching assignment. The last step to finishing college.... so crazy! I got an A in Instrumental Methods (which was a BIG deal), and finished off college classes with a bang! Then I started teaching private voice and piano lessons, and Brock decided to switch his major to Physical Therapy! So here we are, I a college graduate and Brock frantically finishing pre-requisites so he can get into school somewhere, and then we'll be moving again!

Oh, and let me apologize for my lack of mentioning the AGGIE GAMES! I went to many many, throughout my college experience. Love my aggies :) We had some very fun times at those!

All in all, I feel like I can look back on my college experience with a sigh and a smile. I can't believe I did it! I made so many friendships, learned so many things (both applicable to school and applicable to life), and I am so grateful I was able to enjoy the ride. For those of you out there still in school, remember to enjoy it. It's stressful now, but there are things you will miss when they're gone, so appreciate them. I wish I had done a little more appreciating... But I love looking back at those memories now. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education with Choral Emphasis, and I worked hard and earned it! And it was great! :)

Shout out to my Senior Year besties: Marv, Renee, Kelsey, Kajsa, Amy, Heath Bar, Milbert, ELA, Charlemaine, and Rambo. Great memories. Here are some pics of my Senior year!!!

College: Junior Memories

2012-01-31T15:08:00.000-08:00

JUNIOR YEAR

Well, I was figuring out how to be married. Live with a man, and in a tiny cinder block apartment? Okay! Haha, good old Aggie Village. It was a great year. To start it off, Steph and Jer got married! Hooray! That was fun. I was pluggin along in the music program at USU, liking it a little better every year, making friends and enjoying singing. More Music History terror, one night my girls and I actually had a sleep over at the fine arts building!!! Epic. Chambers went on tour to New York, then recorded an album called "Show Me Thy Ways." Brock and I were RA's, and I also worked at Ingeo Systems (signing my name a bajillion times every day) and Brock got a job at Westhost. We got addicted to Lost, and yes, that is an honorable mention in that year's overview ;-) We bought bikes and I re-learned how to ride one. That was an adventure. Did I mention we both got Swine Flu that year? Yeah, THAT was intense. Got better though :) We had fun holiday trips, built Franklin D. Snowsevelt, went on an anniversary trip to Lava Hot Springs, and had a blast getting familiar with the married life!

Shout out to my Junior Year besties: Heath Bar, Milbert, Leah, Amy, Tennile, Shyanne, Jessica, Amanda, Fanny and Jerm, and other friends far away who kept my sanity with phone calls and brief visits :) Photo memories from Junior year. My personal favorite from this stack: The Fighting Lassies!!!

College: Sophomore Memories

2012-01-31T14:35:00.000-08:00

SOPHOMORE YEAR

So, at the end of my Freshman Year, I was ready for a change. A new adventure. I talked to my bestie, Elise of Elise's Pieces , and she was feeling the same way. So, we decided to up and move to Logan! (Why not move to a tiny farm town away from everything you know?) haha. It was an adventure. We roomed with Lacy and Kelsey, and basically Ashli as well, even though she technically lived up the street. I love those girls to PIECES!!!

Brock came home in October, we re-fell in love (we were never technically out of it), and got engaged on Christmas. In the mean time, I had girls nights, bridal showers, roommate adventures, music history terrors, fun road trips, and loved singing in the USU Chamber Singers. I was an FHE mom for the first half and had tons of fun. It was definitely hard to transition to a new place, with no car, knowing almost no one, new school and teachers, no job... I had so much anxiety that year I still wonder how I got through it. But thanks to AMAZING friends and family, I made it! It was a CRAZY year that ended in a beautiful wedding!

Shout out to my Sophomore Year besties: Milton, Face Mask, Shlipi, Kelso, KayTay, Flaren; my Brides Maids: Fanny, Cornelius, Carls Jun, Milton, Erfa, Olc, Heath Bar, and Megh; and of course, Brocko :) Here are some photo memories!

College: Freshman Memories

2012-01-31T14:18:00.000-08:00

I've been graduated for a month now, and today I am feeling sentimental. I just realized that my college life is really over! I was always so stressed and focused on how to get out, that I never took time to think about how awesome it really was. I actually miss a lot of things about it! So this post is a tribute to my college experience.

FRESHMAN YEAR

I went to the U of U, studying Choral Music Ed. I worked at Storybook Nook, and played piano at the Grand America Hotel and at Desert Star Theater. I started a mini choir for a short while that performed at a few different places in the community. I sang in the U of U A'Cappella choir and their mini chamber choir. I took lessons from Carol Ann Allred and loved it. I also loved learning from Brady Allred in choir. I was hopelessly in love with a missionary 2500 miles away and lived for Mondays when I got to write him. I had the most amazing girls night outs ever and I will never forget those memories. To end this year, I went on an amazing trip with Steph to New York to visit Courtney. We celebrated both of our Birthdays, and it was probably my favorite Birthday ever!

I hung out with so many friends that year that I now miss so dearly. Shout out to my freshman year besties: Fanny, Carls Jun, Cornelius, Telula, Carlosa Barbosa, Jon, Tamyrtle, Mandrake, Brockasaurus, Alibert, Riffy, Ray Man, and even Fenton the frog. You guys made it one of the best years ever! Here are some photo memories:

Happy New Year!

2012-01-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

Well, now that I am a college graduate (booyah!), I have more time during the day to do things like, blog! So here I am, blogging about the holidays. A little late, but better that than never, right?

Stephanie and Jeremy Dowse (my sister and brother-in-law) came up to spend New Years with us in Logan, and it was so much fun! We had a delicious dinner of little barbecue smokeys, pineapple, rolls, gingerbread cookies, and lots and LOTS of candy! It was great. We played Clue, and Dance Central for the Kinect, and watched old home videos of me and Steph as little kids, and had a total blast!

When midnight came around, we made New Years Hats and ran around outside banging pots and pans. I swear we were the only ones in the whole neighborhood celebrating New Year's; the whole place was totally dark and silent! So we made even more noise, to make up the difference :) Here's some pictures of our extravaganza!

We brought in the new year by going around in a circle and naming a memory from 2011, something we learned, and a New Year's Resolution. We drank Martinelli's to each person's answer :) It was a lot of fun! My previous post, 2011 in Review , lists all of my favorite memories of 2011, and I have blogged throughout the year (namely in these 4: Walk By Faith , Love Yourself , Of Things That Matter Most , and Priorities ) about different things I have learned. If I were to try and sum up those things I've learned into a brief statement, I would say:

We were not sent here to Earth to be perfect, nor to have perfect lives. We were sent here to learn, prioritize, and walk by faith. Life does not always go as planned, because we need opportunities to strengthen relationships with those we love, and to turn to God. Heavenly Father loves us, and only He knows the true path to lead us back to Him. It is by patience with ourselves, love towards others, and faith in Him that we can find that path and be happy.

2011 was overall a pretty tough year, but I learned so many things that I never would have otherwise, and for that, I am grateful. Here's to new goals, new resolutions, new achievements, new starts, and wonderful friends and family. I am so blessed. Happy New Year everybody. Welcome, 2012 :)

2011 in Review

2012-01-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

JANUARY

- We started the New Year off on a warm beach in the beautiful, sunny Nicaragua!!!

FEBRUARY

- Skipped out on our night Natural Disasters class to celebrate Valentine's Day! (And almost burned down Aggie Village with our too-big-for-the-tiny-oven heart shaped pizza, then crashed a single people's dance!)

MARCH

- Brock played in a band at a Mardi Gras party at Iron Gate Grill!

- Two words: Mustache March.

APRIL

- I had a month of awesome girl's nights!
- Carleigh's Bachelorette Party
- Priesthood Session = Girls night out at Chili's
- Farewell to my Relief Society Presidency!

- We bought licenses and started to go fishing!

MAY

- I quit the Housing Office and got a job teaching private voice & piano lessons.

- We moved out of Aggie Village into a house!

- Went on a Road Trip over our Anniversary to California for Chad & Laura's wedding!

JUNE

- I took a girls road trip to Colorado!

- Said Bye to Heather for her mission, and welcomed Cam to Logan!

- Started a garden!

JULY

- Family reunions! Snowbird & Bear Lake

- Hiking, Hangin' out with Friends, Campfires, & Fireworks

AUGUST

- Camping Trip with the Fongs!

- Happy Birthday to us!!!

SEPTEMBER

- I started Student Teaching and Brock switched his Career Path to Physical Therapy!
- TRUE AGGIE NIGHT! We kissed on the A, then crowd-surfed off of it!
- Aggie Games and seeing the leaves change in the mountains
- Friday Night Lights... :-)

OCTOBER

- Oliver Crow. Scare is his middle name.

- Charlie's Birthday Bash!

- Date nights and Halloween Celebrations! Simon the Pumpkin, the Logan Pumpkin Walk, and... Scooby Dooby Doo, Where are you??

NOVEMBER

- We became Aunt and Uncle to Benjamin Bradley Schow!!!
- I finished up my student teaching with two awesome choir concerts
- Spent a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with the Thompsons :)

DECEMBER

- Aubrey graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education! HOORAY!
- We had a mini Brock & Aubrey early Christmas in Logan, then spent a wonderful week in Parker, Colorado to celebrate the holidays :)
- Eleanor Snowsevelt. Her husband, Franklin D., was built two years ago :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Walk By Faith

2011-12-28T12:40:00.000-08:00

"To find one's own personal relationship with Heavenly Father, to never doubt that he guides the details of our lives, to be able in life's conflict to say, 'Thy will be done,' is the attaining of the ability to walk by faith. This ability is something that each soul must find in his own way through the creative living - out of any and all trying experiences that may come along."

- Sister Stella Oaks (Mother of Dallin H. Oaks)

This quote is very comforting to me today as I cope with a very recent trial in my life. I was 12 weeks pregnant with our first child. Last night I began feeling some severe pain and, well I won't share the details, but after meeting with the Doctor this morning we learned that we are no longer going to have a baby this summer...

I had a good meltdown, lots of tears last night and this morning. Brock was able to give me a blessing last night that filled us both with an overwhelming feeling of peace. I know without a doubt that my Father in Heaven is looking out for us and he knows what is best. For whatever reason, this is an experience that needed to happen in our lives in order to strengthen our faith. I am positive that it will serve as a strength to me later in my life. It is definitely painful, but we have felt much strength from our loving and supportive family. I know that there are thousands of families in the world who have gone through this painful experience, and my heart goes out to all of them.

We would greatly appreciate any prayers in our behalf, and we want to thank everyone who has shown so much kindness and love to us both during pregnancy and now as we struggle through this new turn in our lives. I have confidence that we will eventually be blessed with children, and that this is just a trial along the way to help us "attain the ability to walk by faith."

Scooby Dooby Doo, Where Are You?

2011-11-23T10:24:00.001-08:00

Let me just tell you how fun our Halloween was. We spent the weekend in Salt Lake with the Thompsons, and we had so much fun! We went Disc Golfing, relaxed, watched Casper, saw Steph, Jake, and Emily perform in "Freaky Fridays," aaaand threw an awesome Halloween Party!!!

My mom and I baked and cooked all day Saturday in preparation. We didn't have a whole ton of people, just some close friends and family, but it was so much fun! Look at some of those AWESOME treats!!!

That's right! Spider Oreo cookies, Halloween shaped Jello Jigglers, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies, and Root Beer brew with Dry Ice!!! We are so awesome!!! :-)

Now, let me show you our fantastic costumes! Stephanie and Courtney had the BEST idea in the world.... Scooby Doo characters!!!!!! I got to be Scooby, and Brock was Shaggy, Steph and Jer were Daphne and Fred, and Court was Velma :) It was so fun! And Nicole had the perfect costume to be our Villain!!!

We played Mafia and Murder in the Dark, and towards the end we had more friends come!!! Cam came after the Ute Blackout game (a Ute Fan is always an acceptable outfit), and then Katie and her new fiancee Rob, and Jesi and Trent! It was so fun to see all of these wonderful friends and family that I love so dearly. Happy Halloween!

Student Teaching and Pre-Physical Therapy

2011-11-23T09:51:00.001-08:00

So, you can always tell how busy I am in life by how often I blog... Haven't been here in almost 2 months! The good news is, I'm almost done!!! 3 weeks left of my college experience, and I have never been so excited to be done!!! Here's a summary of what Brock and Aubrey have been up to this semester:

Right before school started, Brock decided to change his career path from Business to Physical Therapy. So, he is now finishing up his undergrad in Management Information Systems, while also taking allll of the PT prerequisites! Not to mention working 30 hours a week as the Sales Team Lead at Westhost. Needless to say, he is busy. But, he's on his way to a 4.0 this semester, and I am so proud of him! The final plan is to apply for Physical Therapy school in August, and while waiting to hear about acceptance in 2012-2013, he'll finish up the last few business classes. So he'll graduate spring of 2013 and go right into Grad School somewhere! Our top schools right now, in order of preference, are: University of Utah, Northern Arizona University, University of Nebraska, and University of Montana: Missoula.

Obviously, we'll go wherever we're accepted, but hoping for U of U :-) Guess we'll find out in a year! I'm so proud of Brock for his hard work in changing his whole field of study and making it happen! He's awesome!

This semester I have been Student Teaching the choirs at North Cache Jr. High and Sky View High School. It's kinda crazy being at two schools, driving back and forth; we also have choirs at lunch and after school, so, it's crazy! I love it, though. It is so great to finally be putting to practice everything that I have learned the past 4 years. I also get along really well with my cooperating teacher, so that makes it even better! I am also teaching 15 private voice and piano students every week in the evenings, so... I am SO busy! I'm basically just always tired. So that's why I'm excited to be done. At the same time, I would not trade this semester for anything. I am finally doing what I LOVE, and I just get to sing all day long! I have learned so much from this experience, and I am so grateful that I was able to make it through and graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education!!! Woohoo!!! The hard work has finally paid off and I am so grateful for everything I have learned!

Last week we had both final concerts; the High School on Tuesday and the Jr. High on Thursday. I was so proud of my kids! They worked their little booties off for those concerts and they performed their very best. It was so wonderful to be able to conduct a choir on stage and help those kids perform and share their talents with their family and friends. My parents and Emily came up on Tuesday to see the concert, and it was so fun to see them! It was a great ending to the trimester. Here's a picture of me and my cute teacher right after the concert:

Now I just need to make it through until December 9th, and then I will get to enjoy Christmas Break like never before--- there will be no school to return to this time! Crazy!!!

Anyway, that's what's been going on in the life of the Taylors. Life is crazy, but we are happy and in love and just doing our best to make it through everything. Happy Thanksgiving Break!!!!

Truth.

2011-10-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend was LDS General Conference. We had two days chucked full of amazing servants of the Lord telling us what we can do to improve our lives. My highlights:

- Social Media?! A theme throughout all of the talks! We have these amazing tools for connecting and reaching out to people; it's easier than it's ever been. Twitter, Facebook, Texting, Email, Video Chat, Mormon.org, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Blogs... We should use them to spread the amazing joy of the Gospel to others. Service and missionary work has never been so convenient! Yay for the church being up with the times in technology!

- Stand constant and fearless. I noticed a huge theme about the growing chasm between the standards of the world and the standards of the Lord. We cannot stay in luke-warm water, in between the good and the bad. We must make a decision to stand for what is right and resist the temptations that surround us. Then we must have the courage and charity to share our knowledge and happiness with others.

- Families are Forever. I have always loved the emphasis our church places on the family, and it was definitely reiterated in conference this weekend. We must make our family a top priority, and cut out other things in our lives that get in the way of that priority.

- Busy does not equal productive. This talk was very special to me because this is what I have been striving to embrace for the past year. It has been my goal to change my life so that I prioritize what is most important, and cut out the unnecessary extra responsibilities that always creep up. We should allow ourselves enough time to be well rested, enjoy family bonding time, grow closer to the Savior, and listen to spiritual promptings. Sometimes we may have to cut out other responsibilities to make room for that, but I know from personal recent experience that it is so very worth it.

Those are the main things I took from conference. Wasn't it wonderful? Feel free to leave comments of your highlights of General Conference, I'd love to hear! I am so very grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God and receives modern revelation to guide us and help us in our every day lives. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and that he personally knows and loves each one of us. I am grateful to have the scriptures as such a wonderful tool to invite the spirit and peace into my life at any given moment. I love the power of music and the wonderful spirit that hymns bring as we praise the Lord through song. I am so grateful that I get to be with my husband, Brock, for eternity and for this wonderful church that supports us on our journey. My name is Aubrey, and I'm blessed to be a Mormon!

September 11th

2011-09-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:

'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,

A home and a country should leave us no more!

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

My name is Aubrey, I live in Logan, Utah, and I remember. I remember September 11th, 2001. And I am proud and grateful to be a citizen of the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Love Yourself.

2011-09-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a perspective to consider, and some quick words of wisdom to ponder on.

We all work so hard to love others; to have compassion on them; to forgive them. Why? Because they are all children of God and have their own challenges and deserve to be respected and loved. That compassion and charity is a great thing to strive for. Now, have you ever turned that around to yourself? You are a child of God. You have trials and challenges every day, and you are not perfect. Do you respect and love yourself? Do you forgive yourself when you make mistakes? Do you look past your flaws, your extra few pounds, your occasional mood swings, your dirty dishes in the sink, your less-than-perfect grades, your split ends in your hair that you just keep putting in a bun, your freezer/box dinners that you didn't have time to make fancy, your impossibly high-set expectations of yourself that you just don't fulfill.... Do you look past all that and see the beautiful person inside that is just trying to do the best he/she can? You deserve to be happy. You deserve to slow down and enjoy the blessings of life. You are NOT expected to be perfect. Sit down and relax, and remember what's most important to you. Just as you constantly strive to love your neighbor, love yourself. Exactly the way you are!

Happy Sunday!

Missionaries

2011-09-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

So, Brock and I have a lot of close family and friends that are out serving LDS missions right now. I just spent all morning writing to them, and I got to thinking. I was telling my little brother that I am so happy for him that he's out serving, and that my whole life I always wanted to be a missionary, but that the Lord had a different plan for me that was just as wonderful.... his name is Brock :-)

And I kind of feel like I got to serve my own mission, here in Logan. Right when I turned 21, the standard age for a Sister Missionary, I got called as the Relief Society President in my ward. I served in that calling for 9 months, until Brock and I felt that it was the right time to move into a new place. I learned so much from that calling, and I am so grateful that I had that opportunity! And now I have a calling in the Primary, with the music, and with Activity Days! And I feel like this is the second part of my mission. I am a firm believer in the organization of Activity Days. One of my best friends in the world joined the church because of that organization, back when we were really young. I had her over to play, and Activity Days started so I invited her to join. It turns out that we learned to sing a song in Sacrament at that activity. So I invited my friend to come to that as well, since she had learned the song. It was that moment that led her to continue coming to church, and eventually getting baptized. Now she is married in the temple and has a beautiful family. She inspires me every day!

And I feel so blessed to now have that opportunity again, to influence the lives of these young girls in Activity Days! I know that it is where I am supposed to be right now, and I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given to serve. And I am so grateful for all of the people out there who are serving full time missions, who inspire me every day and remind me what's most important.

We don't have to be out in a foreign land, set apart as full time missionaries, wearing the badge, to be missionaries and do the wonderful work of the Lord. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we covenant every week to take that name upon us. We are wearing the badge, and it's important to remember that and to be an example of the believers. Every day we can find ways to serve others and bring people closer to Christ. And maybe one day, Brock and I can serve a full time mission together... but until then, here's to member missionary work! :-)

Sunburns and Smoke Smells

2011-08-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

That's what you get when you go camping. And it is so worth it! This weekend, Brock and I went camping with our great friends, Chad and Laura Fong. It was so much fun! We went up Logan canyon, right by Tony Grove. We left Thursday and got back today (Sunday) and we did a ton of stuff in those few days!

Friday was our fishing day. We went to the lake pretty much all day. The afternoon was, well, unsuccessful. We took turns going out on the Fongs' little raft, and the rest of the time fished from shore. No luck, but it was still fun! Then we decided to drive down to Garden City for Raspberry Shakes! Soooo delicious! Then we went back to the lake when it was a little later in the evening, and wabam! Each of us caught a fish! And for Laura and me, that was our very first ever! So we celebrated. And took pictures. Look how awesome we are :)

Oh yeah. We caught those :) Don't make fun of my cheesy smile- I was just that excited! Haha. Then we had a delicious barbecue, some s'mores, and went to bed. That night there was a CRAZY thunderstorm! Kept us up a good portion of the night.... it was way cool though. Then Saturday was our beach day! We drove to North Beach of Bear Lake and partied! Laid out, played in the water, threw a football around, relaxed, it was blissful. And I got terribly sunburnt. But it was great! Then, we ate at the Ranch Hand! If you haven't heard of the Ranch Hand, you must try it. It's this awesome restaurant in Montpelier, Idaho. So delicious! Then, our stomachs fully satisfied, we decided to go check out Paris Springs. (Yes, there is a Paris in Idaho. Coolest place on Earth! Hahaha, small small small town. Love it.) Anyway, the springs are gorgeous. Water coming out of nowhere, right on the mountainside. And so clean you can drink it right out of the ground! Look how beautiful!!

We had a blast. Then we went back to camp and had a dutch oven dinner! Yummmm. Then relaxed around the camp fire (isn't that always the best part of camping?) and went to bed. This morning we woke up, had french toast, cleaned up, and headed home. The trip TOTALLY rocked! I am so grateful for wonderful friends and beautiful nature that Heavenly Father has blessed us with. It was so nice to just take a weekend to go enjoy the beauty of the mountains. Definitely a good trip :)

The Day Has Come

2011-08-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

The age 21, is the perfect age. You're really in your prime! Young, fun, of age, it's great. It was a great year. And now, yesterday happened, and I am no longer 21 years old. Did you know, that 21 is considered the final age in your stages of childhood development? So, until yesterday, I was still a child! And now I'm OLD! Haha. The day has come, and I have completed 22 years of my life :-) Let me show you how we celebrated, and said farewell to my childhood.

On Saturday, Brock took me to Bear Lake! It was so much fun! The water was super high so there wasn't much beach, but the water was pretty warm and so beautiful!

Then, we went and ate dinner at Chuck-A-Rama! Not the greatest, and we felt disgusting afterwards haha, but we tried it! And it was way fun :) Then Cam came with us to the Logan Zoo! It was a blast!

Then, Sunday night was a WONDERFUL surprise from two of the most wonderful girls in the world! Emily and Meredith brought me a Birthday cake!!! Chocolate peanut butter, with Hagrid writing! It was the sweetest thing in the world!!!

Look at that cute cake! It was soooo delicious! Anyway, then on Monday (my actual birthday), Brock went to work and I went to teach. And then look what I came home to!!!!

A beautiful rose, and all of my favorite candies!!! My husband is the cutest man in the world! So thoughtful and kind. I loved it! And then, to top it off..... We did a SLIP N' SLIDE!!!!! Best thing in the whole world!!!!!!!

So, it was a really good day :) Weekend, actually! Farewell, Aubrey's childhood. Haha, thank you everyone who made it wonderful!

It's a Zucchini!!!

2011-08-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

I harvested my very first vegetable today. From my very first garden ever. And it feels, OH so good! And there are many more to come.

Everyone be proud of me!!! :-)

Of Things That Matter Most

2011-08-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

So, Day 29 is put a picture of yourself as a child. Haha, Day 18 was put a picture of you 10 years ago, which for me and Brock = Childhood. So, on to, Day 30! Oh my goodness this 30 days of randomness has come to an end!

And the topic is.... Something you learned about yourself in the last 30 days.

Well, counting back to Day One, this "30 Days" actually took me 114 days. So I have learned that there are other things to do in life besides blogging? hahaha. Just kidding. We have had a great last 114 days. This summer has rocked! And I will tell you something I have learned this summer.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a wonderful talk last year entitled, "Of Things That Matter Most". It really hit home to me. My whole life I have always been "go-go-go" nonstop. Always finding ways to keep myself as busy as possible. Always ALWAYS stressed. I was falling into the category Uchtdorf said of people who "think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives." I heard the talk, thought it was great, but I didn't change anything right away. I was scared of changing and I didn't know how. Hence, I still kept busy.

And this summer, I decided to change that. I decided that life is too short to rush through it. I decided to follow President Uchtdorf's advice that "there is more to life than increasing its speed...focus on the things that matter most." And I taught myself how to relax. I quit my unnecessary second job. I put a cap on how many piano and voice students I would accept. I organized my schedule so that free time for myself was always part of it. I made a list of what was most important to me and scheduled out my time to prioritize them. My priorities became:

Be a good wife
Be a good member of the church
Be happy, stress-free, and relaxed (AKA Aubrey time)
Be a good daughter/sister/family member
Be a good home-maker
Be a good friend
Be a good teacher

I devoted a little bit of time every day to each of those roles in my life, because I decided that in my life, that was what mattered most. And I will tell you, and Brock will tell you, I am a changed woman! I feel so good! And I want to share this advice with the world! We are never required to run faster than we are able. This life is about learning and being happy. I am so grateful for this opportunity I took this summer to self-reflect and really decide what is most important to me in this world. I am fully, genuinely, happy. And virtually stress-free. Whoever is reading this, I invite you to join me in the club! Take a leap of faith and de-stress your life. I promise it's worth it. It's scary, but it's worth it. You can do it!

The Fray

2011-08-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Day 27 is put a picture of your family. I already did that a couple months ago, with an entire post about the members of our family and how amazing they are. If you want to read that, here it is: Family. Isn't It About, Time?

In the mean time, let's move on to Day 28! Which is, your favorite musician. I would have to say that by far the band that Brock and I both like the best is The Fray. We have our own other favorites, like Carrie Underwood, and Led Zeppelin, but for both of us, The Fray is always in our top 3! So we'll say it's them. They're awesome. And I have never heard a song by them that I don't love! We went to their live concert our first summer married. We also danced to one of their songs at our wedding. Here's the music video for it... gives me chills every time. Enjoy!

Views, Perspective, Self Esteem, Priorities

2011-08-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

Day 26 is write how you think other people view you.

But I think, who cares? I mean, obviously we hope that people enjoy our company and see the good in us. And we always strive to be kind and serve and make people feel good and important. But the question "how do others view you" just doesn't seem healthy at all. For one, you'll never really know. And for two, all that matters is how you view yourself and how you are in the eyes of the Lord.

Depending on the views of other people is natural. It's a human instinct to want to be loved and looked up to; and to seek affirmation from the people around you. But I have recently learned some very important things about the way you should view life, and I think this question provides a great opportunity for me to share that with everyone!

One realization I've had is that nobody is perfect. I know, I know, it's obvious and everybody knows that. But yet, even though we all know that, we often still expect it of ourselves and others. It is in our culture to "strive for perfection." However, there is a fine line between striving for perfection and expecting perfection. We should always strive for perfection; we should recognize our weaknesses and work to become better every day. However, to expect perfection or get down on ourselves when we're not is blasphemous. Perfection is impossible to achieve in this life. If any of us were perfect, we wouldn't be here. That dividing line is crucial to the way we view ourselves and our lives. And it's also a line that so many people struggle to recognize. That is why so many people harshly judge others and themselves. Everyone should just accept that we are all here, humans, brothers and sisters. We were all sent here for the same purpose, but not to live the same lives. We are all unique and therefore have to find our own way of improving our lives and finding happiness. Everyone messes up. Everyone also does good. Everyone has emotion. Everyone loves someone. If we all could remember those things, everyone would also be happy.

So, instead of ever thinking about what other people think of me, I have decided instead to focus on how I think about others. Am I loving them? Am I serving them? Am I having compassion on them when they are struggling?

And then the other crucial thing to do is prioritize. Figure out what is most important to you, and what is less important to you. Make time for the important things, and you will be happy. I did that this summer; I wrote down my priorities in life: the kind of person I want to be, the things that are important to me, and the time I needed to devote to those things to keep them important. And I feel so happy. I am content with my life and confident that I am heading in the right direction. I am striving for perfection, but I do not expect it of myself. And I am comfortable with that, because that is all I can do.

The Bucket List.

2011-08-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

Day 25: Ten Things You Want To Do Before You Die.

Well, this makes ya think a little, it's kinda hard! But here are ten of the things Brock and Aubrey want to do together before we die :)

1. Raise a family

2. Go on a mission together

3. Retire comfortably

4. Open a Physical Therapy Clinic

5. Have a music business

6. Tour Europe

7. Go fishing in Alaska

8. Record a piano/guitar/singing album together

9. Let our children know and enjoy Disneyland

10. Never get so caught up in the world that we forget what's most important; which is to prioritize our family always and make memories that last forever, no matter where we are or what we do!

Cornelius Sponge.

2011-08-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

Day 24: The last Random Act of Kindness You Encountered.

Sometimes the best acts of kindness are the most simple things. My best friend, Courtney Smith, called me today. And it was so needed and totally made my day. I love talking to her! And I always feel inspired by her. She is so sweet and so wise and I just love her outlook on life! Love you Court, thanks for being so amazing!

Really random thing that makes me happy: Going into the New York Candy Shop and taking goofy pictures when everyone around looks at you like an idiot.

Hermana Taylor!

2011-07-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

Day 23: The last thing that made you cry.

I'll be honest, I cried a little writing Brock's sister, Heather, on her mission today. I miss that girl so much! She is one of our best friends and the three of us were just always together before she left and I love her to pieces!!! She is going to Arcadia, California, Spanish Speaking. And she will be amazing!

Love you Hermana Taylor!!!

Jack. The Beagle.

2011-07-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

Day 22: Talk about the cuteness of your pet.....?

Well, we don't have a pet. However, the Taylors have a dog named Jack. And he can be considered Brock's pet, because he kinda grew up with him. He is an awesome dog. He is a beagle, and we love him to pieces. He is super hyper, and always wants your food. So whenever you are in the kitchen, he'll follow you around wagging his tail! But if you give him some, then he'll never leave you alone for the rest of your days! Haha he's cute though. I will tell you a story of one of my first experiences with Jack.

We were staying with the Taylors, hangin out downstairs. Suddenly, Jack comes downstairs.... He was supposed to already be downstairs.... uh oh. So we went up to the bedroom we were staying in, and I had left the door open (apparently that's a mistake!). My backpack, which had been zipped shut, mind you, was open, and I had one of those candy santa tubes with reeses chocolates inside it. I hadn't even opened it yet. But Jack opened my backpack, took out my candy, ate every single reeses cup, left the wrappers everywhere, and peed on the bed. Hahahaha.... it was interesting. Lesson learned, don't leave the doors open when you're not in the rooms. Oh man. Talented, sneaky dog. But we love him :) Sadly, I don't have a picture of him. But here's a picture of a beagle, in case you don't know what a beagle looks like.

Yup, that's about what Jack looks like! (Photo found on google). He is crazy, but he's a super loyal dog and so cute. One day, I want a beagle. And then I really can talk about the cuteness of my own pet :) Woot!

Battle Wounds!

2011-07-31T14:34:00.000-07:00

Day 21: Explain how you got your scars.

Well, I have a scar on my foot. Its name is Oscar. It came from a surgery I had on my foot. And the day after the Doctor took my stitches out, it opened up again. So it healed as an open wound. And now I have a giant circle scar on my foot. It's actually pretty cool! And shiny (you know how scars are sometimes shiny when they're deep). Haha, I am proud of my battle wound.

Brock has a cool scar on his head. When he was in Nicaragua, he was messing around with some other missionary, who accidentally pushed Brock backward into the corner of the church. He cracked his head wide open! It was gushing blood, but Brock wasn't about to go to the hospital in that city because it was, well, not the greatest. So he applied pressure with a towel until the bleeding stopped. It was a thick deep wound. Then, he bought some SUPER GLUE. And he held his head shut and made his companion cover it with super glue! And it held! Whoa! Haha so his scar has a way cooler story than mine. I can only see it when I'm cutting his hair, but it's pretty cool :-)

There's our scar stories! :-)

My Regret.

2011-07-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

Well I have slacked off on my 30 days of randomness... As it has definitely been like a hundred days or something since I started them! So here's a few more!

Day 20 is a regret you have. My regret is....

Ever taking a single bite of those blasted delicious, addicting garden salsa sun chips!!! Seriously, so good. And totally my weakness. I will eat half the bag in one sitting if you give them to me. Terrible :-)

Our Summer Happenings

2011-07-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

Oh what do you do in the summer time??? :) Isn't summer the greatest? This summer has been really busy with teaching, working, school, moving, family, and friends; but it has been a blast!!

Here are some of the fun things we've been up to so far.

1. To start off the summer, we went on a trip to California for Chad and Laura Fong's wedding. It was also our 2 year anniversary :) I already blogged about that if you wanna read more! It was super fun!

2. I already posted pictures of our garden; that alone has taken a ton of work! We moved in May from our little Aggie Village apartment (sad to say goodbye to the friends, neighbors, and ward, but not too sad to leave the apartment). It has been a huge upgrade and so fun to finally have a house! Goodbye Aggie Village!

2. Brock's sister Heather left on her mission to Arcadia, California, and his brother Cam moved out to Logan, all in one week! So we had the Taylors staying with us and it was definitely a crazy week but it was so much fun!

3. We went to Bear Lake for the 4th of July with the Taylors, and then up to Snowbird to visit the Thompsons. Two family reunions right in a row, and it was oh so fun! We went swimming, fishing, camping, hiking, relaxing in the sun... Total blast :)

4. I went to Colorado to visit the Taylors... Sadly Brock wasn't able to come because of work and school, so we made a girls trip out of it. It was a total blast!!! I love these girlies!

5. The rest of our summer time has been spent hanging out with wonderful friends that I love SO dearly! We've roasted marshmallows and starbursts, played games, cooked meals, gone on walks... all the fun things you do in the summer with friends. Loving it!

6. Plus, Logan may be awful in the winter, but you just can't beat Cache Valley summers! We are so blessed and we are just loving life, grateful for the amazing blessings we have together :)

My New Hobby

2011-07-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

So, I noticed that since I quit my job at the Housing Office, I have completely stopped blogging! Hahaha, kinda sad. But actually, I have been super busy! We moved at the end of May into an adorable little house. Brock's cousin and brother are living in our basement, and we are having so much fun!

I do have to tell ya, when we first moved in the house was kind of a nightmare. The people before us did not take care of it at ALL! It was awful! So we did some super hard core cleaning projects to get it looking and feeling homey, and now we absolutely LOVE it!

My favorite accomplishment of all the projects is the garden. I need to personally thank everyone who helped me with it, because before this project, I didn't know the first thing about gardening! Like, I honestly did not even know how to plant a flower! That bad! But I was determined to learn :) So let me show you what we've done. Here are the "before" pictures. The back yard garden and the front flower garden.

So after tilling, weeding, digging, raking, watering, and sweating.... we turned those pictures into these!!!

I am now taking care of tomatoes, carrots, corn, pumpkin, zucchini, strawberries, and lots of beautiful flowers! Everyone be proud! And thank you, family and friends, for helping me out so much! Yay for gardening and having a house!

2-Year Anniversary!

2011-05-19T06:34:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! We've made it two years! ;) Brock and I were married and sealed for time & all eternity on May 15th, 2009, and got to celebrate our two year anniversary last weekend. It was so fun!

Brock's best friend, Chad Fong, got married on Saturday (May 14th) to Laura Gingrich. She is from L.A., California, so naturally she won the battle of where to get married (the LA temple!). Chad asked Brock to be the best man at the wedding, so we got to go on a trip to California for our anniversary! It was a pretty quick trip, but super fun.

Brock had to work Thursday morning, so we left for St. George at noon that day. The night before, we splurged at Wal Mart for fun and (somewhat) healthy snacks to take on the road. That made the drive more pleasant ;) So we switched off driving, listened to music, and had a blast. We got to St. George around 6, and the weather was beautiful! So we checked in at the hotel and decided to walk to Denny's (a walk was needed after such a long drive). Then we just walked around shopping for a bit, went back and went swimming at the hotel.

Then we watched our wedding video together before going to bed. I make sure we at LEAST watch it once a year together in celebration of our anniversary :) It is so fun to have, and to look back on that wonderful day!

That is us, just arriving in St. George after a long drive!

So we got up early the next morning, ate breakfast, and headed off to LA! Traffic was pretty good the whole trip except for in Vegas and LA (figures, right?). Anyway, I'm driving white-knuckled in the middle of a Las Vegas freeway, when we start hearing a faint and fast thug. It sounded like a helicopter at first, until the car started shaking. Oh, great. So I blinker, let off the gas, and slowly pull over to the side of the freeway. Yup, flat tire. VERY flat tire. So Brock took the drivers seat and slowly limped the car off to the exit where we could find a place to park (and not die changing a tire on a Vegas highway!).

We got out, pulled out the spare, and, well, it was flat. Very flat. Completely unusable. How's that for a Friday the 13th story?! Stuck in Vegas with a flat tire and a flat spare. However, we were actually extremely blessed. A nice guy pulled over and asked if we were okay, and generously gave us directions to a car shop within walking distance where we could get some air in the tire and then drive the car somewhere to get new ones. We thanked him and took our spare down the street. The people were super nice and filled up our spare for free! So we took it back, and right as we got back to the car, two men pulled up in a car and parked behind us.

They told us their friend (the guy who stopped to give us directions) had sent them to help us! He couldn't stay because he was late to work, so when he got to work he sent two friends over to help us out! I couldn't believe how nice all these people were, and so willing to help! They changed our tire for us, didn't even let Brock help, and then told us the best place to find a tire shop. Haha, I guess the guy that stopped to give us directions grew up in Northern Utah, so he told his friends they had to go help us because we were from Utah! Super funny. Awesome people. We were very grateful.

So we drove the car over to Ted Wiems tire & auto, where we got two new back tires on our car (it was about time, really). We went to eat at In-n-Out Burger, and then once again were on our way! It was such an amazing blessing that that whole fiasco happened where it did; because after Vegas there is a four-hour drive in an empty desert with absolutely nothing around. Heavenly Father took care of us, and sent people to help us, and we were extremely grateful.

Anyway, so we had a two hour detour in Vegas, and got to our hotel in Valencia, CA around 4:00 PM. We relaxed in the hotel for a bit, then went and found a Target to buy Chad & Laura's gift, and a couple other grocery things we had forgotten. By then we were tired, hungry, and totally sick of driving, so we ordered Domino's Pizza to be brought to our room! Woohoo! So we sat on the bed eating pizza and watching movies. So much fun :)

We went and sat in the hot tub that night and there were two other couples that were there as well. They struck up conversation with us, and we all sat and talked for over an hour! Turns out one of the couples, from Arizona, just got married a year ago, but they have 3-year-old triplets together! Can you imagine?! I've heard of triplets, but I don't think I've actually met anyone that had them before. Haha, so they were telling us all their stories with their three babies, and how nice this weekend vacation was to get away for a bit. It was super fun to talk to them; we met so many awesome nice people on our trip!

Anyway, so the next morning was the wedding. They got sealed in the LA temple, and it was absolutely beautiful. We walked around taking pictures for a couple hours afterwards, and then Brock and I took off for the beach! We went to Santa Monica Pier- the famous beach that like every beach movie is filmed at. It was beautiful! We left the sand to go eat lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. It was delicious!!! Pretty expensive for not a whole lot of food, but the taste and experience was totally worth it. We told our server it was our Anniversary, so she pretended it was Brock's Birthday so that she could give us free ice cream ;) it was so cute! Then we walked along the beach with our feet in the ocean, it was so beautiful! There is just something peaceful about beaches. I wish I lived closer to one!

So then we went back and got ready for the reception, which was awesome. They served a full delicious dinner, including pasta, meat, salad, breadsticks, and dessert! Holy cow! And they had it in a backyard that was incredible! Full on swimming pool that was decorated and set up like a pond, surrounded by fake red rock and flowers floating in the water. Then they had a full-length basketball court that they turned into a dance floor. It was awesome, and Chad and Laura were beautiful, and I am just so happy for them! We snuck out with the bridesmaids and groomsmen and decorated the car :P hahaha and then said goodbye to them. Here's a picture of the happy couple:

We went back to the hotel, totally exhausted, and went right to sleep!! Woke up early Sunday morning and drove home! We stopped for gas in Vegas and in St. George, and then Brock decided to see how far he could get without switching me or stopping for gas. Turns out, we made it allllll the way to Logan! Our car, Louetta, the 2005 Honda Accord, was a trooper! 420 miles, non stop from the bottom to the top of the state of Utah :) We were very proud. It was epic.

Anyway, now we are back home in Logan town, and packing up to move this weekend into a little house by the Temple. It has sure been a crazy May, and continues to be! But it's all good things, and we are so grateful for all of these wonderful opportunities we've been blessed with! Happy two years, and here's to year number three!!! :-)

Day Nineteen

2011-05-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

Your Favorite Quote.

I have lots, but here's a good one. I've had this posted up on my wall where I can see it frequently for 3 years. I love it:

"Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you!"

- Christian D. Larson

Day Eighteen

2011-05-18T14:30:00.001-07:00

A photo of you 10 years ago:

Yup, those basically define our childhoods ;)

Day Seventeen

2011-05-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

A Youtube Video.

Love this one. I promise as you watch it, you will laugh.

Brilliant. Utterly brilliant.

Day Sixteen

2011-05-07T00:19:00.000-07:00

In light of Mother's Day tomorrow, I am going to change this topic to celebrate that.

Here is a picture of my beautiful Mom!

Francine Faerber Thompson. I just love her SO much! And on this Mother's Day weekend I just want to post my appreciation and gratitude for everything she does for me. She is always happy, patient, loving, kind, cheerful, strong, beautiful, and fun to be around. She brings a smile to the face of every person she sees. I have learned so much from her and I hope one day I can have some of the amazing qualities she has. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful Mother, and I'm grateful for Mother's Day, giving us a chance to really remember how wonderful Mom's are!

I love you Mom!!!!

Day Fifteen

2011-05-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Something I ate today.

CEREAL!!!!!

Brock's favorite cereal- He mixes together....

And My favorite cereal... I mix together:

Or, I will do Cocoa Roos with my Honey Nut Scooters. But today, it was Honey Graham Squares :)

Confession, I am totally addicted to cereal. I seriously hate days when I don't get to eat it, and I will NEVER let us run out of milk. If we do, it's the end of the world. Hahaha. Hooray for Cereal!

Day Fourteen

2011-05-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

Someone who fascinates you and why.

J. K. Rowling fascinates me. It fascinates me how her mind works! She created this entire other world, making it seem totally realistic, to the very detail of the names of what coins they use! I seriously think she is brilliant. And the way that she tied every single detail together so perfectly in the very last book, making it end at Hogwarts even though they weren't there anymore, and twisting and surprising along the way, but ending it so beautifully, is amazing to me. I am not a writer, nor a book critic, but I have never read anything more brilliant in my life!

Day Thirteen

2011-05-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

5 famous attractive guys.

Okay, I'll admit it. My "celebrity crushes" are.....

1. James Marsden. AKA Prince Edward. (from Enchanted)

2. David Boreanaz. AKA Agent Boothe (from Bones)

3. Chad Michael Murray. AKA Lucas Scott (from One Tree Hill)

4. Channing Tatum. AKA John (from Dear John)

5. Matthew Fox. AKA Jack (from LOST)

So there ya go! I did it! And for good measure, here's number one!

Brock S. Taylor. Will probably be famous some day ;)

Day Twelve

2011-05-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

Your highs and lows of the past year.

Hmm. I seriously sat here trying to think of any significant "lows" we had this past year, and honestly couldn't think of any! We have been so blessed and had such a fabulous year. So I'm going to say, Highlights of the past year! :-)

May 2010 - May 2011 (Year 2 of Brock and Aubrey's marriage)

- We went to Lava Hot Springs for our 2nd Anniversary!

- Brock got promoted twice in his job and is doing super well!

- Aubrey was the Relief Society President for the entire school year.

- Brock was given the "Rising Star" award for his company at the Christmas Party

- Aubrey had her Senior Voice Recital in November

- We went to the beautiful exotic Nicaragua over New Years and it was incredible!

- Brock performed in a band for a couple of shows at the Iron Gate Grill

- Aubrey began teaching private piano/voice lessons - currently at 19 students!!

- Jake Thompson left on a mission, Emily Thompson got baptized, and Heather Taylor got a mission call!

- We have had fun camping, playing sports, fishing, eating ice cream, playing video games, throwing parties, going on bike rides, exploring in the canyons- off-roading in the truck and hiking, rodeos and demo derbys, and playing with family!

It's been a great year two and we're excited for the adventures that lie ahead!

Day Eleven

2011-05-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

Somewhere you would like to move or visit.

Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Hoping to end up there some day :-)

Day Ten

2011-05-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Bullet your whole day.

5:00 AM Brock woke up
6:00 AM Brock started work
7:00 AM Aubrey woke up
8:00 AM Aubrey started work
12:00 PM Aubrey gets off work
1:00 PM Brock gets off work
2:30 PM Brock has a Final
5:00 PM Brock and Aubrey have an optional Final that we're not going to take :)
5:00 PM We'll probably make fish for dinner instead of taking a final
6:30 PM Aubrey has a piano/voice recital to go to for her new students
Rest of the night.... Studying.

Welcome to Finals week! At least it's sunny today!

Hahaha, that was a boring post. So here's a laffy taffy joke to spice it up.

Q: What do you call a fish with no eyes?

Anyone? Anyone?

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Wait for it.
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A: FSH!!!!!!

Hahahaha. My favorite joke ever. Happy today!

Day Nine

2011-04-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Put your Itunes on Shuffle and name the first ten songs that come up!

1. Born to Fly - Sara Evans

2. If I Never Knew You - Pocahontas

3. Check Yes Juliet - We the Kings

4. Every Time We Touch - Cascada

5. White Christmas - Mormon Youth Orchestra

6. My Alien - Simple Plan

7. Oh Come, All Ye Faithful - Mormon Youth Orchestra (weird to get two of those, I don't even have very many of their songs!)

8. Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder

9. Please Shine - We Shot the Moon

10. Tangled - Maroon 5

Hm. I have lots of random wide variety of music!

Day Eight

2011-04-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

Something you miss.

Aubrey: My girls!!

Brock: The Mission!

Day Seven

2011-04-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

Bible Verse.

I'm gonna change that to a scripture verse. When Brock was leaving on his mission, we were both having a really hard time with it. Before he left, my Seminary group came up with the scripture theme D&C 68:6. It reads:

"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come."

We both found comfort from that scripture, and it is still my very favorite one. He put that as his scripture on his missionary plaque, and at the end of every single letter, we would tell each other, "Good Cheer, No Fear!"

Kinda cheesy, I know, but it was awesome, and comforted us a whole lot throughout those two years. I love the scriptures and am so grateful for the blessing they are in my life!

Day Six

2011-04-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

A place you've travelled to.

Yes, we've been there. The beautiful Nicaragua. Brock served his mission there, and this past December we took a nine day trip to that beautiful amazing country and it was the most wonderful trip of my life! If you want to hear about our trip, I blogged about it.... a long blog.... Search my 9 days of Nicaragua posts :) Hooray!

Day Five

2011-04-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

A picture of something that makes you happy!

Brock and I both love music. I play the piano, he plays guitar, we both sing, and we love jamming out together! It is a wonderful part of our relationship and it really does make us so happy!

Day Four

2011-04-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

A song to match your mood.

Hmmm. "I Feel Good!" James Brown :)

Day Three

2011-04-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

Your Parents!

Krey and Francine Thompson. Live in Murray, Utah. They have 5 children, and Aubrey is number 2.

Martha and Scott Taylor. Live in Parker, Colorado. They have 4 children, and Brock is number 2.

We love our parents SO much! :) :) :)

Day Two

2011-04-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

Your First Love.

What a coincidence! It was each other! ;) hahaha. Here's a picture of us when we were dating in High School. It was taken at Brock's graduation (I sang in the choir- that's the reason for the odd black dress). Hooray!

Day One!

2011-04-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

Recent Photo:

This was taken a couple weeks ago when we went exploring in a park in Providence, UT. It was so fun!

15 Facts about Aubrey and Brock:

1. We went to Jr. High and High School together. Bonneville Vikings and Cottonwood Colts!

2. Brock went to prom two times in High School: once with Aubrey's sister, and once with Aubrey! :P

3. We hooked up in Madrigals, Brock's senior year and Aubrey's Jr. year, and dated for a year.

4. Brock served a mission in Nicaragua from September, 2006 to October, 2008. We wrote back and forth every single week for 25 months :)

5. We got married on May 15th, 2009. Goin' on 2 years!

6. Brock was a Registered Professional Disc Golfer in High School.

7. Aubrey was a pianist for Desert Star's Dinner Theater and the Grand America Hotel.

8. We both love to sing, play, and write music. We have recordings of it, and Aubrey is publishing some books of her songs.

9. Both of our dream place to live right now is in Parker, Colorado. We have weighed pros and cons with SLC, Logan, Oregon, Seattle, and St. George, and both of us just see Parker as the best situation! Hopefully one day we're there!

10. We're both in school at USU. Aubrey's studying Choral Music Education, going to graduate December 2011. Brock is studying Management Information Systems, going to graduate December 2012.

11. We are moving into the main floor of a little house by the temple next month and we're so excited!

12. In High School, we determined that if we ever got married we would name our first son Carson Brock Taylor. Cheesy, I know :) but we are still set on that name and planning on it, whenever that time comes!

13. A little over a year ago, we decided to watch the first episode of Lost. Well, that turned into the first season, which turned into the entire series (6 seasons), which we finished just four days before the series finale played on TV.... just over one month later!!! And then we pre-ordered the entire series and own it all on DVD. Love it!

14. Aubrey's all time favorite book: the Harry Potter Series. Brock's all time favorite book: Where the Red Fern Grows. I think that says something about our personalities... I am totally cliche, and Brock is not! hahaha :)

15. We are the happiest and most in love couple in the world! :D

30 Days of Randomness

2011-04-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

So, my good friend Rachel started a "30 Days of Randomness" on her blog. I thought that looked so fun! And it's a great way to get to know yourself and think of good memories. So I'm gonna do a 30 Days of Randomness for Aubrey and Brock! This will be fun to find what we have in common and stuff. Here's the list:

Day 1: Introduction, recent picture of yourself, 15 interesting facts

Day 2: Your first love

Day 3: Your parents

Day 4: A song to match your mood

Day 5: A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 6: A place you've travelled to

Day 7: Bible verse

Day 8: Something you miss

Day 9: Put your ipod on shuffle, first 10 songs that come up

Day 10: Bullet your whole day

Day 11: Somewhere you would like to move or visit

Day 12: Your highs and lows of this past year

Day 13: Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous and you find attractive

Day 14: Someone who fascinates you and why

Day 15: A photo of something you ate today

Day 16: A letter to someone who has hurt you lately

Day 17: A youtube video

Day 18: A photo of you ten years ago

Day 19: Your favorite quote

Day 20: A regret you have

Day 21: Explain how you got your scars

Day 22: Talk about the cuteness of your pet

Day 23: The last thing that made you cry

Day 24: Talk about the last random act of kindness you encountered

Day 25: Ten things you want to do before you die

Day 26: How do you think others view you

Day 27: Picture of your family

Day 28: Your favorite musician and why

Day 29: A photo of you as a child

Day 30: Something you learned (if anything) about yourself in the last 30 days

Mustache March

2011-04-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Brock, along with a bunch of friends at his work, decided to participate in "Mustache March." He grew a full on mustache/goatee! He doesn't grow much facial hair, but here's a picture :-)

Yes, I made him do a mug shot hahaha. That was about 3 weeks of growing it out! And then he shaved the beard...

Haha, I called him, "Paco." Not a bad mustache, eh? And then......

Ah, thank goodness it's "After-Shave April!" :-)

Changes.

2011-03-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

Changes. Life is full of them. In my mind, there are three kinds of changes that happen in life: changes for good, changes for bad, and changes that make absolutely no difference whatsoever. However, I also believe that no matter which category a change fits into, it can be twisted and turned to fit whichever category you want it to be.

Change scares me... it always has. I'm never very good at adjusting to new things, and even if they are changes for the good, I get nervous for them!

Brock and I have lots of changes coming up in the next couple of months... lots. Like, life, in two months, will be totally different than it is right now! I believe that all of those changes easily can fit into the "for good" category, and even though I am terrified inside, I am so excited for what our near future holds!

Number one: We are moving!!! Look at this house:

That is where we are going to live! We are renting the upstairs. It has a fireplace, a dishwasher, open-close cupboards, a yard, a driveway, counterspace in the bathroom, a walk-in closet.... basically everything we have been deprived of since we got married ;) And I am sooo excited!

This contributes to Number Two: Joining a new ward. I love the USU 19th Ward with all my heart. Every single member of that ward is amazing and has touched my life and Brock and I have had a fantastic experience there. It will be so sad to leave. But, we are joining a family ward, which I am so excited for! There will be old people, and youth, and a big primary, and I'm sure it will be so fun!

Number Three: I will be done with classes!!! Forever. No more college classes. I still have to student teach, but I will never have to take another class in college again! Woooot! I cannot wait for that moment!

Number Four: Teaching Lessons. I am going to be taking on a bunch of new piano and voice students this summer, and I am so excited! This will be something I can do for a long time, even when I'm a mom and stuff. And it pays way better than little secretary jobs I'm used to having, for less hours! I feel so blessed for this opportunity and I am so excited to get started!

Number Five: We will be in Logan without Heather. What?! That has never happened before! She is going on a mission and I am going to write her allll the time. But I will miss her dearly.

Changes are a part of life, and I am so excited for our future! No matter how many things change, I will always have two constants: My Savior, and My Husband. That is really all that matters. I am so grateful for the wonderful life I have been blessed with. Now I just need summer to come so we can get started!!! :-)

Chores.

2011-03-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

I think Brock and I came to a new break-through in our marriage today!

We had been observing that Saturdays were becoming more and more of a nuissance and we always tended to be annoyed at each other every time Saturday came around. So today, we sat down and decided we had to figure something out to stop this trend... and we learned a lot about each other in our little chat!

We figured out that Brock hates cleaning on Saturdays because he feels like Saturday is his only day where he can sit and relax from all of his million responsibilities. However, I always saw Saturday as an opportunity to finally have some time to catch up on all the cleaning and everything that I didn't have time to do during the week! So we were always annoyed at each other because he felt like I was nagging him to clean and keeping him from ever relaxing, and I felt like he was just watching TV and not wanting to help me.

So we came up with a brilliant solution! And I'm going to share this with you so that if any of you are having a similar problem you'll have an idea of how to fix it too!

When I'm a mom and staying at home all day, I'm gonna take on the house keeping responsibilities while he is at work. However, until then, we are both in school and working and have other responsibilities so we decided we need to split it all up. At our family night on Sunday nights, we're gonna make a list of the chores that we each need to do that week, and we'll have until Thursday night to get them done. Then, if they're not done on Friday, we can't go on our Friday night date until we do them. This makes it so we never feel overwhelmed by too many chores because we'll know exactly what we need to do and when to do them, and our house will be clean without stress! It also makes it so we can both relax on Saturday because we'll already have that stuff done- and therefore, we'll have happier, non-annoyed at each other, Saturdays!

So he's gonna be in charge of laundry (which I hate), I'm gonna be in charge of dishes (which he hates), and we're both gonna clean during the week to make weekends even better. Yay for teamwork and communication and problem solving and happy marriages! :-)

Family. Isn't it about, time?

2011-03-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

Anyone remember those commercials? With the cheesy music and the little family videos? So funny!

Well, this post doesn't really have anything to do with those commercials, it just seemed like a fitting title :) This post is a tribute to family and how much I love them and how much fun we have with them!

The first to name is Heather Taylor. I love her so much. And she is my saving grace in this Logan Town. We text every day, and play at least twice a week, and I love it every time. She comes over and always brings happiness! And she helps me clean- which is embarrassing to me but I sincerely appreciate it! And she always has fun ideas for us to do. And she designed the covers for my books, which was fantastic. And she Zumbas with me, and sings with me, and dances with me, and eats chocolate with me, and plays video games with me, and watches Bones with me, and is hyper with me..... the list goes on :) I consider her one of my very truest best friends and I am so grateful to have her as a sister!

Heather is going to Wisconsin this week and I am going to miss her dearly. But that brings me to my next point! Meghan and Brad Schow. They live in Wisconsin right now and I only see them like once or twice a year. But they are two incredible people that I look up to soooo much! They are two people you could turn to for advice about anything! And they are so thoughtful and hardworking and talented and brilliant and responsible and logical and clever and spiritual and always so fun to be around! I miss them so much and I love them both dearly!

Then there is Stephanie and Jeremy Dowse. They live in Sugarhouse, UT right now. We always have so much fun every time we get together! They are crazy and goofy and adorable and kind and hard working and loving and, they just bring me joy all the time! I love talking to both of them and spending time with them and joking with them and, they're just amazing people! And they are so perfect together. Their love story is probably the most amazing thing I've ever heard. Love them!

Jacob Thompson. Elder Jacob Thompson, I should say, as he is serving on an LDS mission right now in Roseville, California. He is someone you can always count on and trust, and he is rock solid in everything he decided to do. Steadfast and immovable, that is Jake. I used to tease him sometimes about being boring or working too hard, but I honestly admire him for how straight he keeps his priorities. Little brother example to me! Plus he's always so happy to see me and I can always count on him to join me whenever I want to make music! He's an amazing guy and I know he is an amazing missionary!

Then there's Cambo Rambo- Cameron Taylor. I love that kid! Count on him for a fun time all the time. We don't get to see him very often but when we do it's a total blast! Plus, he's moving to Logan this summer and we are STOKED! We're gonna play sports and video games and stay up late and party! Plus Cam is someone who is always so easy to talk to. He is mature beyond his years! And it shows in conversations you have with him. I love Cam to pieces and am so excited to live by him this year!

Another fun brother that you can always count on for laughs is Jared J. Thompson. He's a goof ball teenager that you just can't help but love! He has a hilarious sense of humor and can be totally crazy, but he's also one of the sweetest kids you'll ever meet! He's always happy to see us and is so fun to be around! I always look forward to spending time with him because I know it will be a blast no matter what we do! He is talented and spunky and fun and I just love him muchisimo!!!

The youngen of the family is Emily K. Thompson. She has a personality all her own, and she owns it! She is 8 years old and so adorable! We always have fun doing hair and makeup together; it's a blast. She's always happy to see us and every time we see her she has some crazy new idea she's thought up- probably one of the most creative little girls I've ever met! But I am so proud of her and it's amazing to see how grown up she is getting. I love her so much!

Now the parentals!

Krey and Francine Thompson. How can you combine all that you want to say to the amazing people who raised you into one tiny paragraph? It's impossible. So I'll just say this: they are amazing and I am so grateful I was born into their family. They taught me everything I know about the gospel and life and music and love and I could never thank them enough for everything they have done and continue to do for me and Brock! I love them with all my heart; they are truly amazing!

Scott and Martha Taylor- I am also eternally grateful for them. Not only for raising my husband to be the amazing man he is, but also for accepting me into their family with open arms! I really do feel like they are my other set of parents and I am so grateful for the love and support I feel from them every day! They are two amazing people that I fully look up to and hope to be like some day! Love them!

Honorable mentions.

Two people who are basically part of the family.

Courtney Smith. I grew up with her. She's my sister at heart and always will be. Don't worry, she's like traveling the world right now... I think she's in China or something... haha but I just love her. She has always had that independent, adventurous spirit and I am so proud of her for fulfilling her dreams! And I'm also grateful to her every day for the amazing friend she has been to me. I love our talks and our memories, and I love that even though we see each other once a year we get together and it's like we were never apart! That to me proves a true friendship.

Meredith Nigh. My other Logan buddy, and totally part of our Logan Family. She is an amazing person and I am so glad that I have gotten to know her! And because of her conjoined at the hip with my lovely Heather, I have gotten to spend a lot of time with her and I really think she is incredible! I love spending time with her and chatting with her and, she's shy but once you crack her shell a bit she is soooo fun! I will never forget our girls nights of her and Heather with Mario Kart and Pizza and Pirates and Cinnamon Rolls and Dancing and (once again the list goes on), I just love that girl to pieces!

Also, shout out to all of our extended family- aunts, uncles, and cousins, that bring us joy all the time! Especially Charlie Folsom who has been playing with us lately and it is SO fun. Yay!

So there. Those are the people that every day help make Brock and Aubrey's life the wonderful way that it is! I really don't think enough can ever be said about the amazingness that is family. I am truly grateful for each of these people in my life and I could never repay them for the things they have done for me. I love my husband and I love that we get to be together forever and, I just love life! Woohoo! :)

The Day of St. Valentine

2011-02-24T16:21:00.000-08:00

Wikipedia Says:

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs, Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

And I say, Hooray!

Some people don't like Valentine's Day, but I am a sucker for cheesiness, and this holiday gives me the perfect excuse to be cheesy! Plus I have the best husband ever, so that helps. And we totally had the funnest Valentine's Day ever!

The Saturday before it, we were in Salt Lake so we went on a group date with my parents and Steph and Jer to the Braza Grill! It was so fun! It's kind of expensive so I wouldn't recommend going very often, but if you've never been you definitely need to give it a try! It was delicious!

Then Monday we had an evening class but decided to skip it so that we could spend the evening together :) So on my lunch break on Monday I put little pink Valentine notes all over the apartment for him to find. I felt so sneaky and cute! Come to find out, he was way more sneaky than me! We normally have a class at the same time from 2:30 to 3:30 so we always just go home together after it on Mondays. So after class I called him just like I always do and he came and picked me up just like he always does. We stopped and got Papa Murphy's heart shaped pizza on our way home (yum!) and when I walked in I realized I so was not the sneaky one!

Brock had skipped class and when I called him he came and got me from home! And he dipped Chocolate covered strawberries for me and bought me a rose and a box of delicious chocolates and a chocolate truffle and wrote me a letter! And put it all out on the table with a bottle of sparkling cider. So cute!!! I melted. Then I hurried and got out the gift I got him.... A Gabriel Iglesias DVD and Mt Dew Pajama Pants! Haha he loved it :) It was so fun!

Then we put the pizza in the oven and turned on Galaxy Quest. I had bought him that movie for Christmas but he was reluctant to watch it because the cover looked weird. Hello! It's the best movie ever! So I convinced him to watch it with me for Valentine's Day :) Yay! So about 5 minutes into the movie we started smelling a very odd smell.... I jumped up just in time to see the oven smoking!!! Yikes! So I turned it off, opened it up and got the pizza out... Then the smoke alarm went off so we had to open all the doors and fan everything out and it smelled like burning for two days in our tiny apartment!! It was so funny. So here's what happened. We have a tiny oven, and the pizza barely fit inside but the edges of the paper thing had to touch the edges. Naive as I am, I thought that would be fine! But no, we about needed to use a fire extinguisher! Hahaha. So only the very edges of the pizza got burned so we transferred it to a cookie sheet, cut off the burnt spots, and then it cooked fine. That crazy ordeal just made Valentine's Day that much more memorable! :)

Anyway, then we finished the movie while eating delicious pizza. He totally liked Galaxy Quest. I won :) Haha then we danced in our living room to some cute songs, went clothes shopping for a while, and then went to bed. It was such a fun day! And Brock totally won the cute award. I was so proud of him and grateful to be married to such a wonderful husband. I love you Babe!

Nicaragua!!! Day 9

2011-02-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

The phone alarm went off the next morning, and there we were in the Best Western Hotel for our final hours in Nicaragua. I have to admit, I cried a little as we packed everything up. It had been the most perfect trip of my life. I really did love every second of it! So we went and ate breakfast (gallo pinto- divine!) and walked around a bit, soaking up the sun.

Then we checked out and took a taxi to the airport. Fanny (the girl from Matagalpa that wasn't there when we were) called and wanted to meet us at the airport because she was in Managua! So we were very excited and after we checked our bags we went and met her in the front area of the airport. She was such a sweetheart! Brock said she was one of his most solid converts. Even though her family didn't want her to get baptized, she put her foot down, told them she knew it was true, and that she was joining the church. I could see that strong headed spirit she had when we met her. I liked her a lot!

As we said bye to her and were about to go through security, I remembered something I had forgotten: my travel pillow! Brock bought me one of those nice Brookstone U-shaped pillows for the plane rides to help with motion sickness and help me sleep on the plane. It worked wonders on the way there, and I carried it all over that country just so I could have it on the way home! And then in the very last hour I left it!!! Luckily, the Best Western is directly across the street from the airport, and their taxi was just pulling up dropping other people off at the airport. So after I convinced Brock that I really really wanted my pillow, he went over to the taxi guy and asked if he'd take us back. Since he was heading there anyway he didn't even charge us. We went back and talked to the hotel guy who said that Housekeeping was in our room right now!

So we rushed over there and the room was already clean. But the housekeeping lady was in the next room! So Brock asked her if she had seen a blue U-shaped pillow while she was cleaning (I was really hoping she had otherwise I would have been WAY embarrassed). She smiled and pulled out a plastic bag where she had put my pillow! Yay!!! I thanked her graciously and we were off! (Good thing we got to the airport way early... again!). Since our bags were already checked at the airport, we decided to be daring and just book it across the Managua Highway. I was pretty much terrified but trusting Brock. We waited for a break and then ran! Haha that was an adrenaline rush! If I haven't explained it before, the Nicaragua streets are CRAZY! There are almost no traffic laws and people (even buses) are constantly weaving in and out around each other. It's intense. There were a few times on our trip that I was legitimately afraid for our lives! Haha, but we survived :)

And there we were, back at the airport! We went through security and had about an hour and a half to spare before boarding our flight. The only food place on the gate side of the airport was Subway! So that's what we got. And the lady working there spoke English! Okay so here is embarrassing story number two of the day. I ordered, and then Brock ordered in Spanish. As he was about to pay, I was like, "Oh wait! Ask her if I can have a water!" She looked at me all weird, and handed me a water bottle. Duh! I had already forgotten she spoke English! I was so used to having Brock translate everything for me that it was just second nature to do it again! I apologized, trying to explain that to her... really hoping she didn't take offense! Hahaha it was embarrassing :)

Anyway, then we ate our Subway (not quite as good as in the US but not bad!) and explored the airport a little bit. They had all this crazy expensive stuff there! It was so weird after seeing everything on the streets so cheap haha I guess they can always charge more at the airport! Anyway, finally it was time to board. I took my dramamine, took one last look at the beautiful Nicaragua, and then got on the plane. As we took off Brock was pointing out to me all the lakes and volcanoes. It was so cool to look at them and see how much we traveled all over that country! Brock said that in 9 days we saw more of Nicaragua than most Nicaraguans ever see. We really did go everywhere! It was a lot of walking and driving, but so worth every bit of it!

And then, before we knew it, we were home. Back in the freezing winter of Utah. It was a very bitter sweet moment as we walked into our little apartment. Finally home, and not really able to decide if I wanted to be or not. I could have stayed in Nicaragua forever- the friendly laid back atmosphere, the warm sunshine, the delicious food, the humidity, the beautiful plants... It was the perfect adventure and so worth every second of it! It really did give me some new perspectives on life and I will never forget what I learned there. Nicaragua was a huge piece of Brock's life and I am so happy that I finally got to share it with him. Maybe one day we'll be able to go back again, and maybe not. But if not, we will treasure the memories of those 9 days forever.

Nicaragua!!! Day 8

2011-02-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

Our last full day in the beautiful Nicaragua. We woke up around 8:30 and packed everything up. We had just run out of Bug Spray. My shoes (brand new air walks bought specifically for the trip) were in terrible condition and definitely needed to be thrown away. We were both a little solemn in packing up because we knew it meant we ending our amazing trip that we've been looking forward to since the day he left on his mission. So we checked out of the hotel, walked over to the bus terminal and got on the first bus back to Managua.

A little over two hours later, we pulled into Managua and got a taxi back to the Best Western Hotel. We checked in and it all kind of felt like a dream! It was the same guy that was there when we very first arrived in Nicaragua. It was like so much had happened in that short amount of time, but then there we were back at the beginning! I was definitely better able to communicate than I was when I first got there though!

So we got settled in our room, then went out to explore the hotel grounds. Brock pointed out to me all the different plants and trees that made the country so green and lovely. Then we found the coconut trees! There were a bunch of them out by the swimming pool! I have never seen a real coconut fresh off a tree. It was so cool! So Brock went over to the maintenance man and asked him if he could cut one down for us because I'd never had coconut juice before! The man smiled, got out his big long metal stick, and walked over to the coconut trees. He got one down, and then said that wasn't big enough for me so he found an even bigger one and cut it down for us! Then he whipped out his machete and sliced it open for me! It was so cool! He handed it to me and Brock told me to drink it.

I was nervous at first, not even really knowing how to drink out of the small hole in the middle of this giant coconut! So I put my mouth over it and drank. I was totally surprised by the taste and apparently I made a face about it too because they both laughed at me! It was really good though! If you've never had real coconut juice, it's very interesting. It had a little bit of sweetness, but it was quite tart too. Obviously it didn't have any artificial sweeteners or anything in it, so it was just plain fruit juice! It was good though! And I couldn't believe how much was in there! Brock and I shared it and I wanted to keep the coconut forever! Haha but of course I couldn't bring it home, so I threw it away, thankful for that memorable moment!

Haha so then we went and got our swimsuits on and headed out to the pool! We were the only ones in there the whole time we were swimming! It was so fun! That's right folks- January 4th, swimming outside and basking in the hot sun next to coconut trees! That's not something I've ever done before! It was a blast! And then we laid out for a while- my hopeless attempt to get a tan- relaxed, and then went back and changed. We wanted to go grocery shopping so that we could bring Galletas Chiky home to our family and friends! Those cookies are AMAZING! They're kind of like graham crackers with chocolate on the bottom, but thicker. Probably my favorite thing ever.

So the hotel taxi man agreed to take us to the store, wait for us, and then take us back to the hotel. It was so nice of him! So we went and bought fruit drinks, frutini candies, bon bon lollipops, some coconut cookies, and lots and lots of galletas chiky! We went back to the hotel fully stocked with all things tasty from Nicaragua :)

Then we ate dinner at the hotel (they have a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner). It was really good! They were a very Americanized hotel (obviously- haha they're the Best Western!) and they cooked like it! We got an Italian style meal, but got Nicaraguan fried plantanes (kind of like potato chips) to eat with it. It cost about the same as an American restaurant would, too, but it was really tasty! So then we went back to the room and relaxed, watching TV. They had channels in English! It was a miracle! Haha so we watched "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader" it was really funny!

Then we decided to take one last walk around the hotel grounds to soak up as much Nicaragua warmth as we could before we had to go back to reality and winter. We walked around exploring for a while, then sat outside gazing at the beautiful Nicaragua stars, chatting about how amazing our trip was. It was very relaxing and peaceful.

Nicaragua!!! Day 7

2011-02-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

So we got up the next morning (Monday) around 7:30, feelin good besides our itchy bug bites. We went downstairs and had a delicious breakfast with eggs, rice and beans, toast, and fresh fruit. I was so excited to try papaya for the first time!.... and it was gross. Nope. Don't recommend it. But they did have bananas and pineapple which were both very delicious :)

Anyway, then we went out into the city to do some shopping! It was so fun to see all the different stores. Matagalpa is one of the more ritzy places in Nicaragua and you could tell by what the people wore and how the stores were. However, Brock knew about a particular tie shop that he wanted to visit. So we walked over there and he was right- they had AMAZING deals on ties! Good quality ties. We bought 15 ties for 30 bucks! Woot!!! Fabulous. Then we went to a souvenir shop and I got some T-shirts and a cool Nicaragua thing to hang on our wall at home. It was way fun! Then we headed back to finish packing and check out of the hotel.

So we did just that, and called a taxi to meet us at the hotel so we wouldn't have to drag our luggage all the way down the hill. He came and then we went to the bus terminal to prepare for our longest travel day of all! We caught an Express bus to take us from Matagalpa to Managua- a 2 1/2 hour drive. However, there were not enough seats for everyone on the bus... So they got out buckets! And we all sat on buckets in the aisle for the whole trip! It was so funny! I got to sit by a cute couple who had just bought a new puppy- and man was that puppy adorable! They had it in a little box and he was just as happy as can be. I melted, and now I want a puppy :)

Haha so anyway, we had to get off a little bit early because our connecting route went by about half an hour outside of Managua so it would save us quite a bit of time by not having to go all the way to Managua and back track. So we got off, but the guys had tied our bags really tight to the top of the bus and it took them FOREVER to get them down! It was funny, the bus driver kept almost driving away because he thought they were done but they weren't. So when we finally got our bags we had to run across the busy street (that was so scary) and wait on the other side for the connecting bus to take us out to Juigalpa (which would be another 2 hour drive). So we waited for probably ten minutes in the hot sun, having no idea when the bus was going to come! I just kept reminding myself that it was still saving us time even though we were waiting :) And then it came and stopped for us and once again was the hurried yelling directions at us of what to do and I was just frazzled as can be! But we got on okay and man was that bus crowded! Apparently that's the worst time of day to travel because it's by far the busiest. Haha, I believe it. We were standing and totally packed up next to each other like Sardines!

And off we went, on the long hot and squishy bus ride. Brock laughed in my ear and said that I am now getting the REAL Nicaragua experience! Haha it was fun :) There was a little girl standing in front of me and just staring... It was so cute. By this point in our trip I was used to everyone staring at me because I'm white with blonde hair and blue eyes. Not very many people have seen someone like me, especially in some of these smaller poorer cities. It was funny because the adults would know to look away when I caught them staring, but the little kids didn't. They just kept looking at me in awe hahaha it was so cute! So I said "Hola!" and she smiled shyly and said "hola" back. It was adorable :)

So the bus ride kept going and I was doing fine, until we stopped and a bunch of sales people got on. Then it was just annoying. They literally were pushing through the bus when it was already impossible to take a single step! Selling bread and drinks and random things. I was getting pushed on to this woman with a sleeping child in her arms and I had zero control over it! It was so annoying! And it happened like three times! I was like, seriously people! I don't mind when they do it on a not crowded bus, but when we already can't move and they just push through us, it was irksome. Haha but apparently that's also part of the culture so no one else really seemed to mind at all! It was so interesting!

Anyway, towards the end, we finally got a seat as more people got off, so I was finally able to relax a bit. Man, that was a long trip :) But I'm totally glad it happened because, like Brock said, I got the full Nicaraguan experience! And after a long, stressful, and sweaty trip we made it to Juigalpa! We got off at the stop and took a taxi to the Hotel La Quinta.

Now that was more like a Nicaragua style hotel! The other ones we stayed in were more Americanized, clean and well-kept. This one, well, was less that way. The bed was hard. The floor was not clean (I think I even found some old gum smashed into it), and the shower was something I decided to avoid for that night :) But it did still have a flushing toilet, clean sheets, and running water! That's all ya need right? Haha and it had a TV too! It was old and fuzzy and the channel buttons only went one direction, but it worked :) Once again- full Nicaragua experience! Most people in that country have even less than that so I didn't even think to complain at all. Plus- it was only $15.00 for the night! Woohoo!

Anyway, so we brought our stuff in and then wanted to head out to Santo Tomas (even more driving). Santo Tomas was Brock's very first area. He never actually served in Juigalpa, but we just stayed there because there's not hotels in Santo Tomas. So we convinced a taxi guy to drive us out there because the next bus was going to be way too late.

One thing I loved about that area of the country is how country-like it was! There were cowboys on horses herding cows and sheep all over the place. It was definitely a small town feel with super friendly people. I told Brock it was like the Logan, UT of Nicaragua. Still had city things, but definitely a country feel (and smell). I liked it!

So when we got to Santo Tomas we had our Taxi driver take us to the LDS Church. When he dropped us off, Brock was way confused. Apparently they had made a new church building since he was last here! Haha so we walked around searching for a while til he figured out where we were and then we headed over to the home of la familia Orozco Plata! This family was Brock's 3rd baptism ever! They were all still super active in the church and so happy to see him!

We sat there visiting with them for a while and then they made us a delicious meal called Nacatamales! It was AMAZING! I guess that's what their family does for a business... sell home made nacatamales. It's like, a burrito type thing with pork, cheese, and delicious sauces! I can't even describe it. But it was delicious. And they were all worried I wasn't gonna like it! But holy cow I downed that thing! And they were all so happy- it was cute :)

And then it started to rain! I don't know if I've described Nicaraguan houses yet. They are all connected like in one big building and each individual home has a front and back door and it's just kind of a long hallway. All the roofs are made of tin and they don't completely enclose the home. They cover it all and the way they're slanted keeps the rain outside but there's openings above the walls. It's really interesting! So when the rain started to come it was really loud on those tin roofs! We were there like a month after the rainy season ended so this was not a bad storm at all. Compared to Utah it was a pretty good sized rain storm but compared to Nicaragua I guess it was just some light sprinkles haha. It was really cool to see though! And it didn't last very long. So when it was over we thanked that wonderful family and set out to go see Edwin!

Edwin was Brock's very first baptism. It happened on November 26th, 2006 (the one year anniversary of our first kiss! I know, I know, so cheesy ;) ), a week after he had gotten to Nicaragua. We knocked on their door and the family welcomed us in. We sat and visited for a while, and the mom sent her daughter to go buy crackers and soda pop for us! What? I was blown away! But once again, that is their culture! You come to their house, they welcome you and feed you. It was so nice of them! We couldn't stay long with them though because it was starting to get dark and we still had to get back to Juigalpa.

So we said bye and then started hurrying to the bus stop. Oh no- it was ahead of us! So we took off running as fast as we could go but we weren't going to make it! A taxi driver pulled up laughing at us and told us to let him take us to the bus. Phew! That saved us! We caught the bus just in time! And then it was dark, and we rode back to Juigalpa to go to sleep. It had been a long day of lots of traveling but it was so worth it to see those cities and meet those people!

Nicaragua!!! Day 6

2011-02-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

So, 3:30 AM rolls around and the alarm goes off. We nudge each other a bit trying to wake each other up before we finally both crawled out of bed sleepily. Yup. We had a 4:30 AM bus to catch to take us on a 3 hour drive to Matagalpa! So we got up and finished packing and headed out, when we ran into a very odd problem. We were locked inside the hotel. The only exit was through the lobby (yes, we wandered around to see if that was true), and that door was locked. We had told the guys that we were going to be leaving at this time, so what was up?! So I started knocking.... and voila! A sleepy eyed man came to the door. Pretty sure he was sleeping in there hahaha :) But he let us into the lobby and checked us out of our room. Then the security guard helped us find a taxi to the bus terminal; that hotel was pretty nice and they had really good service. I was grateful!

So anyway, we got to the bus terminal and there was one big old fashioned school bus waiting for us! We had to go so early for a couple of reasons. One, this was the only route that went straight from Leon to Matagalpa. The other ones all stopped in Managua which would have added another 2 hours to our trip. Two, we wanted to make it to church in Matagalpa and that started at 9 AM. So it was early, but it was worth it! And the bus ride was actually really beautiful! Brock let me sit by the window and it was so cool to look up at all the stars! There's no inversion there like we have in Logan so the sky was beautifully clear and the stars were so bright! And then we got to see the sun rise! Matagalpa is in the mountains so it made that even prettier. So I actually didn't mind the drive at all! And when we got there a little before 8 the sun was already high in the sky.

We took a taxi to our hotel, which was way up high in the mountains, and kind of secluded from the rest of the city. It was so pretty! There were flowers and plants EVERYWHERE and you could just look out over the beautiful city of Matagalpa and see the mountains and trees and cathedrals and buildings and, I just loved it! So we checked in (awesome that they'd let us check in at 8 AM, haha, that doesn't happen in the US!) and had just enough time to get ready and head to church.

We walked down the long rocky hill to the city and headed over to the church (it actually only ended up being like a 15 minute walk). It was a really nice church building too! So we sat down in the chapel and Brock was greeted by a bunch of different people who were thrilled to see him. He just made a big difference everywhere in that country! Seriously there were people everywhere who just loved him! It was really fun to meet them all!

Anyway, so it was fast and testimony meeting and even though I couldn't understand what people were saying I definitely still felt the spirit. My favorite part was the hymns, though. They didn't have a pianist so they just had the leader get up there and sing really loud (REALLY loud) and everyone else just followed and sang with her. It was really cool! Haha you could tell when there were some less-known hymns.... because they all sang it all wrong and it was so funny! Haha but they sang with heart and I loved it.

Then it was time for Sunday School, and there I met a really sweet girl that speaks English! Hallelujah! So after the lesson I asked if I could sit by her in Relief Society. She of course said yes and throughout the whole thing she was translating what was going on. It was so sweet of her! And there was another couple there that day that were also visiting from the states. I guess they had met in Guatemala and he's from Seattle and she's from Nicaragua. So they were visiting her family for the holidays. We talked with them for a while and they invited us to eat lunch with their family! So we all took a taxi over to the house and sat and visited while the mom prepared the food. The kid from Seattle broke out his guitar and he and Brock took turns playing songs- it was way fun! And the food was delicious! We had chicken and vegetables and bread and an incredible fruit drink! (Have I mentioned the Nicaraguan fruit drinks yet? They are to DIE for! So amazing!)

So we thanked them and then went out to visit other families. I remembered Brock had told me that his legs had gotten rock solid when he was in Matagalpa.... and I quickly understood why. There were SO many hills! Everywhere! And they were super steep! I was dying! Haha with the sun beating down and climbing all these crazy hills I was just exhausted! But we visited with a family that Brock had baptized that had now also been through the temple. They are super solid in the church and it was so neat to hear them talk about their experiences and see how much the church has blessed their lives. It was worth the death climb up to their house :)

Then we went back to the hotel to rest for a bit before we set out to visit some more people. Only then did I realize what I had forgotten that morning. Bug spray. Oi. And so had Brock. And I had three ginormous bites on my arm, and two on my leg, and another little one on my other arm. But I was luckier than Brock... He not only got mosquito bites, but he got a flea! Yup. Miserable. That's what Nicaragua will do to you if you go 3 hours without insect repellent. Be warned.

Anyway, so we sprayed ourselves with spray, and some anti-itch stuff that totally didn't work, and relaxed a bit. Then we got a phone call from Fanny's mom! (Brock baptized Fanny and her brother; the rest of their family aren't members but they still became really good friends with Brock and his companion). Fanny was in Managua going to school, but her mom still wanted us to come see her so we set out back down the hill. We caught a taxi up to the top of another giant hill and then went on a little hike to get to the house. When we got there she had clothes hung up to dry on clothes lines - it once again reminded me how blessed we are here! I complain ruthlessly about doing laundry here, but these people wash their clothes in rivers and hang them to dry. Humbling, definitely.

Anyway, so Fanny's mom walked out and shook our hands, very excited to see us. She welcomed us into her home where she showed us pictures of her family and the things they'd been up to the past couple of years. Then she made us delicious fresh squeezed orange juice (once again, the most amazing fruit drink I have ever had!). It was really fun to visit with her. She was another one who understood that I can't speak and so she took time to speak slower to me, which was much appreciated!

So then we went back down the hill and had to stop by a store and get some bread for dinner. Then it got dark so we took a taxi back to the hotel and relaxed, flipping through channels on the TV. We found Harry Potter again! Still in Spanish, of course, but I'm pretty sure I know those movies well enough that I knew exactly what was being said anyway :) (embarrassing confession of my love for Harry Potter!)

Then Brock took me over to one of the balconies of the hotel and we looked over the city. He put his arm around me and asked if I remembered when he called me from Nicaragua when his parents were there to pick him up. Hello- of course I remembered! It was like THE most exciting moment ever. Anyway, in that phone call he said that he was looking over the beautiful city of Matagalpa and that he wanted to take me there some day. And there we were, finally together in Nicaragua and looking at the beautiful night sky in the mountainous Matagalpa. It was a wonderful moment that I won't forget :)

Nicaragua!!! Day 5

2011-02-10T14:40:00.000-08:00

The next morning we got up around 7:30 AM to head to the beach! We took a taxi out to what's called Poneloya. Oh my gosh that beach was amazing. We got there early so we were almost the only ones there. Bet you can't say you've spent January 1st on a hot and sunny beach! Hahaha, it was amazing. I felt like I was in a dream. The ocean water was warm and beautiful, and there was nothing but soft sand for miles along it. There was no seaweed or rocks to get all over your feet. Just sand. And I laid out in the sun, basking in the beautiful humid warmth and listening to the huge waves. It was an amazing morning. We went for a walk, collected some sea shells, played in the ocean and.... my flip flop broke. Yup. The Nicaraguan Ocean broke my flip flop. Don't you hate that?

So as we were heading back I felt so silly... Trying to walk when your flip flop isn't attached is virtually impossible. And as if I didn't get enough stares as it is! Hahaha but the people were friendly and just smiled at me as I walked.... really really slowly.... with my broken shoe :) It was pretty funny. Our ride home was pretty funny too. Have you ever seen those big trucks that just have open backs with a tarp covering it? Well in Nicaragua, they pack those full of people and give them rides for cheap prices. So we got to ride in one! Luckily it was pretty early in the morning still so we were pretty much the only ones riding it back from the Beach. It was a windy ride! But fun. And I was so happy after that beautiful beach day :)

So then we went back and showered and got ready to head out to Chinandega! We took a taxi to the bus terminal (isn't it funny that they call it a terminal?) and caught a bus to Chinandega. As we got off at our destination, Brock pointed out to me a place called "On the Run." He said he loved this place for two reasons. One- it had Americanized food that was pretty tasty. Two- it was very well air-conditioned, and Chinandega is the very hottest city in the country!

I quickly realized that, too! We were there at the coldest time of the year (but the temperature only fluctuates about 10-15 degrees year round) and it was SO hot there! Walking around in that hot sun was very draining. I felt for the poor missionaries who had to do that all day every day :) But off we went! We walked over to Patricia's house. We had told her we were coming and she told us she was soooo excited! She was going to have a delicious lunch ready for us and everything! But when we got to her house, sadly, no one was there! And as we were waiting at the door (it's so funny- instead of knocking on the doors people just yell "Buenas!" and they come answer! I love it and so badly want to do that here some time!) after knocking and yelling "Buenas," we saw missionaries walking up the street! How fun- our third set of missionaries we got to see! And I got to speak English to them!

I guess they were supposed to be eating lunch with us at Patricia's. But she was definitely not home. So we walked with the Elders over to another house around the corner- this was the place they were supposed to go for lunch if their other appointments bailed. So we went and greeted the family (Brock knew them too) and there was like 8 missionaries in there! So we sat and visited with them for a while, and found out that Patricia had had a family emergency and had to leave town. I was bummed I didn't get to meet her!

So we said bye to that family and the missionaries, and went back to On the Run to eat lunch. As we were standing in line, I told Brock I wanted to order our food. Yup, I finally got up the courage! So when we got to the cashier, I started talking and the girl started laughing at me! Rude!!! Haha so I laughed too and sheepishly finished my order then made Brock do everything else. I was embarrassed. Hahaha oh well, I guess I probably did sound pretty funny. I was proud of me though!

Anyway, so we bought chicken sandwiches and I bought us each a Snicker's bar too (Nicaragua doesn't really have chocolate so it was very exciting to find american candy!). Then we ate, and it was delicious. Then Brock called Wilbur, the other person we were planning on visiting in Chinandega. They decided we should meet at the church, so off we went!

We walked to the church (did I mention how hot it was there?!) and Wilbur let us in. He works for maintenance for the church so he had keys. He was there with his cute wife and adorable little boy. We sat and chatted in the chapel for a while and it was so fun! They are an adorable family! Brock and Wilbur had a nice long conversation and I was sitting next to Carla... trying to have a conversation :) I actually didn't do too bad! We had a very basic conversation telling each other about where we're from and how many people are in our family, etc. That's about all I knew how to say, but it was good practice! She was very sweet and understanding and she spoke very slowly and clearly to me. Most of them didn't understand the concept of talking slow and they would always think they were slowing down but to me it was still super fast and sloppy hahaha. So it was refreshing talking to Carla :) She was very sweet.

Anyway, so then we decided to just go back to Leon and relax the rest of the evening. We caught a bus and headed back! We walked around down town, and I bought new flip flops to replace my broken ones! Then Brock bought some gallo pinto from the street (they wrapped it in banana leaves- how cool is that?) and I decided to just eat some cereal from the store for dinner. So we headed back to the hotel with our dinner and ate and watched Harry Potter in Spanish. Brock went out to go buy more minutes for the cell phone and I just went to sleep. It had been a wonderful day, and we had a very early morning ahead!

Nicaragua!!! Day 4

2011-02-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

So the next morning we got up early and checked out of the hotel. Happy New Year's Eve! We took a taxi to the bus terminal and headed back to Managua. From there, we had to catch another bus to Leon. And man were those lines long! Apparently downtown Leon is like a huge party town and they have a crazy celebration on New Years so everyone was heading out there. We stood in line FOREVER. I did buy cute sunglasses from a guy on the street though! They're white, and I like them :) Haha and we made some friends with the other people in line. In fact, at one point one girl was sick of standing in line. She went over to one of the Jinotepe buses who had no customers (because everyone was going to Leon) and offered him a deal. She asked him, if she were able to find enough people to fill their bus and pay a little extra money, if they would change their route for the day and take us to Leon. They got excited and agreed. They had been sitting there all morning with no one to take to Jinotepe.

So she came back over to us (we were holding her place in line) and told us the deal. She counted out 15 people out of the middle of the line, and we all dashed over to the Jinotepe bus. It was all very confusing to me because I couldn't understand anything they were saying! She put me in the front middle seat right next to the driver (who wasn't in the bus yet)... And Brock had to sit in the back. It was pretty funny. The driver opened the door and starting yelling at me for something... No idea what he was saying so I started pointing stupidly at different things, trying to figure out what he wanted. Finally, after frustrating him significantly, I figured out he wanted the little seat cushion he had on his seat. He was probably thinking, "that stupid annoying gringa" hahaha. I was embarrassed :)

Then, we had been sitting there packed in the little Express Bus for a few minutes and were just about to leave, when all of a sudden everyone got disappointed and started getting off the bus. They ushered to me to do the same and I was just so confused. Brock finally explained to me that the police were gonna take away the bus driver's license if he took a Jinotepe Bus to Leon. Dangit!!! Hahaha, it was a fun adventure though :) And a clever idea by that girl standing next to us!

So anyway, we got BACK in line for the bus to Leon, and eventually got on the bus. I hated getting on and off public transportation... Everyone was always so rushed and yelling and crazy and I had no idea what was going on! I got on the bus and was standing there all uncertain when I finally realized one of the guys was talking to me! And then he said in broken English, "Sit down, Please!" Hahaha I just smiled hugely and thanked him! It was really funny. Brock said, "Well, you're definitely getting the whole Nicaragua experience!" Hahaha. Yeah, I told you already that the people are way laid back and chill, but the streets are not. They are CRAZY! It was so funny!

Anyway, so then we had another 1 1/2 hour bus ride to Leon, and took a taxi to "Hotel Austria," which is right next to Downtown. It was a beautiful hotel! Definitely my favorite one. And it had air conditioning :) Hallelujah! Hahaha. And the bathroom was pretty clean (which is definitely a bonus)! So we put our stuff down there, turned the A/C on full blast, and headed out into the city.

Leon is one of the most well-known cities in Nicaragua, and it is definitely touristy. There were white people there! It was so weird! Haha a lot of them were from Germany though, so a lot of them still didn't speak English. It was still exciting to not be the obvious most tall and white person around (well, next to Brock of course). So we walked around, took pictures, and had fun. Downtown is built around this GIANT cathedral, the biggest in Central America in fact. It is huge! They have cathedrals all over the country, but this one is especially significant. And they have Mass there all the time; like multiple times a day. We walked in and saw one and it was really cool!

So we went shopping a bit then headed back to the hotel to call Brock's friends. We got a hold of Yasser, who was the ward mission leader when Brock was there. It turns out he was working at a shoe store right next to where we had been walking around! So we went back out there and visited with him for a while. He was super cool! Then we took a taxi to another neighborhood farther away from downtown Leon. We walked down a dirt road, and I was a little nervous about the dogs everywhere, but once again survived them ;) Haha and we got to the home of La Familia Palma. When we first got there their mom wasn't home; it was just the cute kids and their pets: A parrot, a rabbit, and two dogs! We visited with them for a while and gave them Starbursts (Nicaraguans love American candy hahaha). It was so funny because they fed the Starburst to the Parrot and he loved it! Haha so we sat and laughed with them.

Then I met their older sister, who greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. That is another Nicaraguan custom that I think is so cool! Except half the time I didn't expect it so people would try to do it to me but I'd forget to lean in and then it was just awkward because I would laugh and apologize but not be able to explain that I'm not used to that so I forgot, and, anyway. That's just a side note that's funny because it created awkward situations for me :) They're all chill and understanding though so nobody cared. Anyway, then I found out that that girl was leaving to go be with her fiancee! They were planning to travel to Guatemala to get sealed in the temple. How exciting! And then their mom got home so we sat and chatted for a long time. She is such a sweet lady!

Let me tell you a story about this family... And I hope I tell it right because it's amazing. Brock met them when not all of them were members of the church, and none of them were active. After he and his companion worked with them a lot, eventually they all joined the church and gained very strong testimonies. However, their dad was very sick. He had a brain cancer that was just getting worse all the time. Brock had a hard time leaving them because they got really close and he didn't know what would happen to their dad. Well, when Brock and I went back, we found out that their dad had passed away last year. But we also found out that they saved up every penny they had to go to the temple and get sealed before that happened. And they did it. So now they have their Sealing certificate framed on their wall, and because of the Gospel in their lives they get to be together again with their entire family. It was a wonderful experience to be there and listen to her tell us that story. Even though I couldn't directly understand very much of it, I could see the twinkle in her eye and her strong testimony just shining through. I am so grateful I got to meet them and really see how much missionary work changes lives. It was a wonderful experience.

So after that we headed back to Leon to find some dinner. On our way back we ran into some more missionaries! Yes!! I got to speak English again :) They were super nice and we chatted for a while with them. They told us the best places to go eat, so that's where we went. They have this place in Nicaragua called Pollo Tip-Top! It's pretty much just like KFC; very Americanized, and it was delicious! We got it "to go" and went back to our hotel to eat and relax. Lots of walking = really tired. It was a really nice evening.

Around 8:00 PM we decided to go out and see the party in Leon. We walked around, bought some cute jewelry, got some delicious ice cream, and took some pictures. I have to tell you about this funny New Years tradition that Nicaraguans have. Everyone builds a dummy of an old man. A stuffed dummy. And at midnight, they burn him. It symbolizes the dying of an old year and welcoming in the new one. It is so funny! But everyone everyone everyone had old man dummies sitting out ready to burn! I was laughing so hard. It was an awesome night.

Nicaragua!!! Day 3

2011-02-07T09:31:00.001-08:00

And we did just that. We got up early the next day, and headed over to Diriamba to see Lester! He actually wasn't home, but we called him and he was like, "Stay there I'm gonna come right now!" Haha, he was super excited to see us :) So while we were waiting for him to get off work we went and visited another beautiful family in Diriamba. They were super nice! And one girl had a brand new 17 day old baby.... She let me hold it and I melted! Haha, even though I couldn't participate in the conversation much, I was very content just holding that little girl! She was so beautiful!

Anyway, so we took a picture with that family, then took a molto (a cool little 3-wheeled contraption... kind of like what Nacho Libre drives when he's going into the city :) ) back to Lester's house and visited with him for a while. He's actually learning English! And speaks really well! So I was able to communicate which was very refreshing! Haha then we went back to Masatepe to eat lunch with the Castellons again. Seriously, they fed us 3 delicious meals. It was so sweet of them! Then one of Brock's companions from Nicaragua, Elder Mendoza, came over! We dropped Kelly off at a babysitter's and headed for the Volcano!!!!

Did I mention yet that Nicaragua is like called the land of many lakes and volcanoes? They have them EVERYWHERE! But the most famous one is the Masaya volcano. It is still active, but very calm. They actually have a Visitor's Center/Museum halfway up it, and a parking lot at the top of it! It's the only active volcano in the world that you can just drive all the way up to the top. But we decided to hike! Haha so we took a bus to the base and began our trek! The scenery was beautiful and there were tons of random patches of huge volcanic rock! It was so cool!

So forever later, we made it to the Visitor's Center. We walked around, took pictures, bought post cards, bought water bottles, etc. So then I thought we were almost there. So we left again. And we walked. And walked. And walked.... and walked..... And then Norman said we're about halfway! And we were all like WHAT?! And terribly exhausted! Hahaha so, we did the next logical thing to do. Hitchhike! I was like, uh... what? So this truck drove by and they all stuck out their thumbs. He pulled over and yes, we climbed into the bed of the truck and rode the rest of the way up the mountaint to the mouth of the giant volcano. It was crazy!

So we got to the top and looked down inside. You could smell the sulfur, feel the heat, hear the rumbling, see the steam..... Looking into an active volcano! The whole time I was like, "Okay, don't think of Dante's Peak. DON'T think of Dante's Peak." Hahaha it was kinda scary! But there were quite a few tourists up there so I felt pretty safe. We took a million pictures and it was so cool! Not to mention the view out over Nicaragua- that was pretty too! From the top of a volcano! Hahaha :) So after spending like 45 minutes or so at the top of the volcano, that same truck driver let us ride all the way back down too. He was super nice!

So then Mendoza went home, but we still wanted to go see a beautiful crater lake called Catarina. It took us a while to find some buses and by the time we made it out there it was pretty dark. But we finally got there and got to look over the beautiful lake. In my opinion, there are not very many things in life more beautiful than a calm lake on a summery night just reflecting the moon and stars. It was breathtaking. I could have sat there staring at it forever! But we did have to get back :) So we headed back and got a taxi. Saying bye to the Castellons was really hard- they were some of Brock's very closest friends in Nicaragua. Who knows if we'll see them again? Hopefully. They really are wonderful people that I will definitely never forget!

So then the taxi took us back to Jinotepe and we realized we were super hungry! So we walked over to a little Pizza place that was across from our Hotel. K, funniest thing ever! Apparently, no one outside the US knows how to eat pizza. Every single person in the restaurant was using a fork and knife! What? Hahaha it was so funny to watch. At least they have pizza though. And it was pretty good too! Nothing like Papa John's, but definitely tasty! We ordered big ham and cheese calzones. Delicious :)

Then we went back to the hotel and crashed. Instantly asleep! Haha it had been a long and tiring day, but also a wonderful one!

Nicaragua!!! Day 2

2011-02-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

We got up early and ate a delicious breakfast! Gallo Pinto is a wonderful thing. It is essentially rice and beans, but they make it so well! And the Best Western had this delicious cream stuff to put with it... YUM! They also had cereal, which is basically one of my main food groups. I was overjoyed to see it! So I had a bowl of that to top off my gallo pinto, and then we were off!

We took a hotel taxi to the Bus terminal. Man was that an adventure! The minute we stepped out of the car we were flocked by Nicaraguans yelling strange words at me.... "Jinotepe Jinotepe Jinotepe! Leon Leon Leon! Masatepe! Juigalpa!" Aaaah! Little did I know these were bus drivers and they were wondering where we were headed and letting us know which routes they drove. I was completely frazzled and I just looked around at Brock and pointed at him... ready to dive back into the car and hide. He told them to go away and turned and saw someone he knew! So I was half hiding behind him as he started talking with his old friend who happened to be a bus driver on the route to Jinotepe! Brock took my hand because I had NO idea what was going on and led me onto one of many old-fashioned buses. I was hesitant to let the men take my bag because I had no idea who anyone was. But they took good care of it at the front of the bus :)

As we waited for it to leave, I observed many different people walking around to all the buses and standing at the windows trying to sell snacks, drinks, and jewelry. And some people were just begging for money. It turns out this behavior is extremely common and totally normal in this country. I was fascinated! So then the bus left and we had about an hour and a half drive to where our hotel was in Jinotepe; it was called "Hotel Casa Mateo." We checked in and hauled our luggage up the stairs to our room. It was kind of a cool hotel! We had a balcony, and the main area was outside. They had a bunch of pet parrots that were super loud... at least they were pretty! Haha it was fun :)

So then we went and walked around the city of Jinotepe for a bit, got Nicaraguan money out of an ATM, went grocery shopping, and bought a cell phone. The streets in Nicaragua are always just packed with people selling different things. No one needs a business license there so they just make stuff and sell it. It was cool to see! I bought a cute Orange and White purse for 4 dollars :) Love it! Then we took stuff back to the hotel and caught a bus out to Masatepe where we would start visiting people!

The first family we visited was the Castellons: Norman, Sabrina, and their adorable little daughter, Kelly. We sat and visited for a while, (well, they did. I sat playing with Kelly and trying to practice the tiny amount of Spanish I knew!) and then they fed us an amazing lunch! Then we went to visit a bunch of other families all around Masatepe. Walking around the country that first couple of days was interesting. I will admit it, I was kind of terrified. Haha, I loved it and it was incredible, and by the third and fourth days I was WAY more comfortable there, but those first two days I was clinging to Brock's hand constantly. And I was a total mute. Speaking a little Spanish here and there in the States does not go very far in a Spanish-speaking country! Haha and there were wild dogs all over the place that I was just terrified of! I would jump every time I saw one! But then I realized that they usually just mind their own business and leave people alone if they don't feel threatened. It is just a very different culture and atmosphere there and I was uncomfortable at first just because I wasn't used to it. But it didn't take me very long to realize how wonderful it is and to really love all the people there!

One thing I quickly learned about the people in Nicaragua is that they are not nearly as stressed and fast paced as we are here. Everyone was home, relaxing on chairs just chatting away! Everyone we visited had as much time for us as we had for them, and were very happy to have us in their home. I wish we were more like that here. Whenever someone comes over unexpected in Utah, it's like, okay stand in the doorway and talk for a second. Then you're done and you say Bye. But it wasn't that way at all! I think a more relaxed life style is healthy! Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, even though I could hardly communicate with them at all!

Another thing I noticed about them is that they really know what's important. They don't have a whole lot of luxuries. Most of them don't have cars, there's only sometimes running water, and their homes are small. But they are so happy. They have food, they have their family, and they have the gospel. And they are completely content with just that! It makes you rethink your priorities when you see such a wonderfully happy people who have so little. I was definitely humbled.

Anyway, so after walking around Masatepe visiting people we headed back to Norman's house. On our way there we saw some missionaries! Haha they were kind of weirded out when we called out to them and wanted to talk to them, but then Brock told them he used to be a missionary, they were excited. It was fun to see them! We actually saw missionaries in almost all of the areas we went to; it was really cool!

So then we went back to Norman's and they fed us a delicious dinner! I was blown away with how nice they were and excited to have us. They were so sweet. We brought Kelly some hand-me-down clothes from my little sister, and she LOVED them! We gave her a little Cinderella dress and some cute purple PJ's. She tried them on and was posing for pictures.... it was so adorable!

After dinner we went back to Jinotepe to the hotel. The sun pretty consistently rises around 6 and sets around 6 every day, and the streets are not very well lit at night. So since we're two tall white people walking around, we decided we kinda stick out a little much and it was safest to not be out much after dark. So we were in the hotel pretty early every night, which was good because we got plenty of sleep even though we were getting up really early every morning!

Nicaragua!!! Day 1

2011-02-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

When I started this post, I had no idea how long it would be! So uh, I decided to break it into pieces because it's currently 15 pages long and I'm about half done.... Oops! Haha have fun reading!

So, on December 28th, 2010, my mom drove Brock and me to the Salt Lake airport where we would begin our journey on the most amazing trip I've ever been on! We got there around 11:00 so we could be 2 hours early, and it's a good thing; because, since there was a layover, we were given two boarding passes. I, being the space case that I am, looked at the gate for our flight out of Texas. Not the one out of Salt Lake. We walked FOREVER to the farthest corner of the airport to Gate E, exploring as we went and talking about how we'd never been in this part of the airport before! So I turned to Brock and asked, "Letter E, which number?" So he checked, and responded, "Gate B!!!"

Hahaha. Yeah. That's what started our trip. Good thing he was the one guiding our directions the rest of the time! So we walked all the way back, through that cool part of the airport that we had never seen before. Ate some lunch, and boarded our flight! Dramamine saved my life. I was sleepy for the whole flight, but the turbulence didn't bother me at all! Thank you modern medicine!

So then we had a short layover in Texas; enough time to eat dinner at Subway and board our flight. The Texas airport is hilarious! There's all these carts driving around giving people rides and the drivers are so funny! There was this one big black guy that had an especially loud voice: "Excuse the cart Please!" Over and over and over- sounded almost like a drill sargeant! And then another guy just kept yelling "Cart!" over and over. It was so funny to watch! Brock and I were laughing our heads off. They were aggressive too! I almost got hit by one! Haha it was funny :) Anyway, as we were boarding, some kid turned to me and said, "Hey, are you from Logan?" I was wearing my Aggie shirt. Gotta represent, right? So I told him yes and he got excited- "So am I!" Then the kid he was with turned his head and so did Brock and they both said "whoa!"

Haha, yeah it was a kid that served in Nicaragua with Brock. How crazy is that?! We were on the same flight as another Elder from Utah, both going back to visit the mission! It's a pretty small world! So we got on the flight and took off. The airplane showed us the movie "Salt." That show is so intense!! They better make a sequel for that cliff hanger. Anyway, they also fed us cheeseburgers.... I don't recommend airplane food. Good call on eating before we left :)

Anyway, as our plane was landing Brock pointed out to me all the different city lights as we passed over Mexico and Honduras and into Nicaragua. It was amazing! And I just got so excited! We landed just before midnight (one hour time difference- felt like 1 AM) in the beautiful Nicaragua! We got off, went through customs (tedious) and there we were! We were actually lucky to see Brock's friend because he had arranged for a member to come and pick them up from the airport! So he gave us a ride as well so that we didn't have to find a taxi! That was nice. We stayed at a Best Western Hotel just across the street from the airport.

Even late at night, I could tell how beautiful that country is. It was so humid and green and I definitely noticed what Brock calls "the Nicaraguan smell." Slight hint of burning, but also filled with lots of different trees and plants. It felt welcoming.

So anyway, we checked in to the hotel and the man spoke English! Thank goodness! I quickly learned that that is rare in Nicaragua... and my Spanish is nothing to be proud of! But with Brock as my translater, I got by just fine! When we got into our room Brock explained the key important things to be aware of in this country: don't walk around bare foot, wear flip flops in the shower, spray bug spray right away, and don't drink the tap water. Good things to never forget if you ever go to Nicaragua!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

Highlights of 2010:

January:
- Franklin D. Snowsevelt
- Bought Dundie the truck and got rid of Billy the giant!
- Brock started working at Westhost

February:

- Bought new couches!

- Valentine's Day and chocolate covered strawberries!

March:

- Spring Break: Flying Kites, LOST, New Bikes!

April:

- MASA Easter Egg Hunt!

May:

- Happy 1st Anniversary! Trip to Lava Hot Springs!

- Trip to Bear Lake!

June:

- Demo Derby!

- Lacy and Brenton's Wedding!

July:

- 4th of July and Camping Trip!

August:

- Our Birthdays!!!

September:

- Jake's Temple Session!

October:

- Amazing Halloween Party!

November:

-Thanksgiving in Colorado!

- Aubrey's Senior Recital!

December:

- Christmas in Salt Lake!

-NICARAGUA!!!

Christmas Time is FINALLY here!

2010-12-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it! School's out, finals are over, and Christmas is in 5 days!!! After a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend (don't worry, we survived the blizzard and winter storms) in Colorado, we had to finish 3 more brutally busy weeks of studying and performing and homework and stress. And now it's done! With the bit of extra free time, here is what we did:

Friday night we celebrated the end of school with a delicious dinner at Texas Roadhouse (with the gift card from the Taylors- Thank you!!!). Then we went shopping! We have a tradition of having a mini Christmas just the two of us the week before Christmas where we go to Wal Mart and stuff each others stockings. It's so fun. So we did just that! Went to Wal Mart, separated, and bought a bunch of goodies to surprise each other with. Then we went home and stuffed the stockings and wrapped the gifts and hid them. Then we drank hot chocolate and watched the "Christmas Classics" Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Went to bed and Saturday morning we had Christmas!!! And now I am feeling gross because of how much chocolate I ate hahaha. But it was so much fun.

Then Saturday afternoon I had a piano recital for my adorable student, Cali. I asked Dani to come play a couple songs and Brock and I each performed as well so that Cali wouldn't be the only one. It was a short recital but it turned out really well! And Cali did a fantastic job! Then we played games with Colby and Leslie (Ticket to Ride. Anyone? Love it!) and finished off the night with a delicious dinner at Cafe Rio. We are frequent diners there. :)

And we've also been having a Bones marathon. What else can you do when there's no homework? It's a blast. We recommend the series, definitely. And now Christmas is 5 days away and we are so excited to spend it with family and friends! And then.... well let's just say my next post will be all about the exotic and beautiful NICARAGUA!!!! We are going. Officially. Flying out on December 28th, flying home January 5th. It will be hot, sunny, and beautiful and we are SO excited for this opportunity! Merry Christmas everyone! I hope your holiday is fantastic!!!

Relief, Gratitude, and Love :)

2010-11-16T21:08:00.001-08:00

So, I had my Senior Voice Recital last night! The biggest moment in my entire college experience.... All that stress and hard work and it's finally done! And it actually went really well! I performed works in Italian, German, French, Latin, and English; I've been working towards this for 3 1/2 years and I am SO relieved that it is finally done!

Relieved, and grateful! I had so many amazing friends and family there supporting me... I was absolutely blown away with love and gratitude as I looked into the audience at all of those people that I just love so much! It made the whole night worthwhile and my performance that much more enjoyable... and I cannot find words to express how happy it made me. I was almost in tears and totally overwhelmed with the love I felt from those people. Last night was a night I will never forget and I can't thank everyone enough for all they did to help and support me. I feel so blessed and I am just so grateful!

Here are a few pictures. When I get the videos put together I will post them on YouTube. It was a wonderful night :)

Megh and Brad sent me roses and Brock bought me flowers. My parents and grandparents prepared this beautiful refreshment table with that adorable cake! I received so many sweet cards and gifts and I am just so thankful!

Hmmm... Update?

2010-11-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we have not blogged since September of 2009. So, here's to setting a new goal of blogging! Haha, we will see how it goes.

Um, we're just loving life and super busy! Brock is a Sales Team Lead at a web hosting company called WestHost and I am a receptionist at the USU Main Housing Office. We're both in school full time and livin it up in Logan Town! We are super excited for the Holiday Season!

Look how fun Halloween was:

Yes, we had a blast! I love family so so much! We watched a cool movie called "Abandoned," which none of us had heard of before, but it turned out really good! I recommend RedBox exploring; it is so interesting what is out there in that movie world that we never knew about!

We also ate Papa John's pizza. I will reveal our secret favorite "create your own" pizza that Brock and I created and order every time! Are you ready?

Large Pizza with: grilled chicken, bacon, and green peppers!

Try it. You won't regret it. Jeremy had this weird thing against green peppers... that was until he tried this pizza we created. It was DELICIOUS! Now you all know our delicious secret so go and love it :)

Happy Holidays!

Movie Marathons!

2009-09-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

Brock and Aubrey (and usually Heather joins too) have loved our movie marathons!!! We have watched:

X-Men 1,2,3, and Wolverine

Harry Potter 1-6

Bourne Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum

Star Wars 1-6

We are currently having a Lord of the Rings movie marathon.

Our next one will be Ocean's 11, 12, and 13

Probably followed by an Adam Sandler Marathon.

And then we'll find more. Hooray for movies! These marathons usually entail late night staying up with Kettle Corn and Diet Mountain Dew :) And we usually watch other movies in between :)So much fun! Yay!

Wedding Plans!!!

2009-03-28T22:54:00.000-07:00

Yay we are getting so excited, May 15 is coming just around the corner and we are soooo ready! So, I'm gonna blog some of our plans :)

Temple: Salt Lake

Luncheon: Buca di Beppo

Reception: The Atrium at Western Gardens

Open House: The Eldredge's home in Parker, Colorado

Photographers: Engagements - Heather Taylor, Bridals - Elise Frederickson, Wedding - Stephanie Wood with Wood Photography

Videographer: Darron Schmidt with Final Touch

Florist: Heather, Cutler is her maiden name :)

Caterer: Scoopology

Registry: Target and Wal Mart (However, Wal Mart is being dumb and only allows us to register online... Lame!)

Colors: Burgundy and Silver

Dress: White Taffeta, simple train, beading across middle with burgundy ribbon - from Fairy Godmother's Bridal

Flowers: Black Magic Roses, possible Stephanotis flowers or silver eucalyptis to accent

Cake: "Country Dots Square," 3 layers (so pretty!) Flavors: top- almond poppy with bavarian cream filling; middle- snickerdoodle with cream cheese filling; bottom- white with dulce de leche filling. Buttercream frosting!

Honeymoon: 1 week in Solana Beach, California!!!

And here are some fun pictures :)

The ring:

Engagement Pic:

Bridal Pic:

There's the update! :D we're just happy and in love!

Engaged!

2009-01-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, we got engaged on December 25, 2008 :) Getting married on May 15, 2009! YAY!!!