A Happy Anniversary!

Last Wednesday, Jared and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. It is hard to believe that it has already been a year, but at the same time, it feels like we have been together much longer. I am so grateful for my wonderful husband and for our eternal marriage. I love him so much and I am so happy that we will be together forever!
Jared had finals last week, so we had to celebrate the big day in two parts. On Wednesday, we ordered dinner and just hung out at home. On Friday, we went to Texas Roadhouse and had dinner. Our waitress was really nice and surprised us with a free hot fudge sundae to celebrate. We then finished doing our Christmas shopping. It was a great anniversary and I can't wait for the many more to come!

Jared and the beautiful roses he got for me.

The happy couple!

All Is Well

We are still doing really well here in Iceburg (as it is very affectionately called). Jared has been really busy trying to finish up the Fall semester, and will probably get straight A's again! I am so proud of him for all of his hard work and dedication. He has so much going on and he is handling it all without any complaints.
I am still nannying, which I will do as long as I can. I also got my seasonal job at H&R Block back, which I will start in January. This will hopefully ease some of the pressure on Jared after our baby comes.
Speaking of babies, everything is still going well with Mr. Peanut. I went in for my 6 month check-up and our little boy is still healthy and big. I have also been doing SO much better. It seems like I am getting bigger every day, and I am so thankful for comfy maternity pants! I finally have an appetite and I am making up for being so sick by eating all of the time (right in time for holiday treats, hooray!).
This year, we are going to Boise for Christmas, and I can't wait! I am so excited to get out of Rexburg for a few days and just relax. This will be our first trip in a long time that doesn't include us having to be somewhere. We are going just to enjoy time with family and friends at our own pace. It is going to be great!

Here is a picture of our Christmas tree. It is our first one ever and every time I look at it, it makes me so happy. I am planning on leaving it up as long as Jared will let me!

A Great Birthday

Today is my birthday and it has been wonderful! Jared has gone out of his way to make sure this birthday was the best ever, and he definitely succeeded. On Friday night, he told me that we were going to West Yellowstone, MT until Sunday. He had arranged with my mom for us to stay in their time-share there, so we drove up for the weekend. It was great! The condo was really nice and we really enjoyed just spending time together and getting away from Rexburg for the weekend without having anything to do. Yellowstone is closed until the middle of December, so there wasn't a whole lot to do in town, but we still had so much fun!

The kitchen in our condo.

Jared having a face-off with a bison statue.

When we got back to Rexburg on Sunday, we went over to Jared's parents' house and had an amazing dinner. Mary Ann made some delicious lasagna and garlic bread, and then we had the most incredible cake. It was four layers of chocolate with a whipped, cream cheese frosting in between each layer and all over the outside. It was all so good! (I didn't take pictures of the cake because we ate it too fast.) While we were there, Jared gave me my presents. I got some much-needed maternity clothes, the new Pearl Jam cd, and Twilight on Blu-Ray. I was so excited for all of it. He is so good to me! After dinner, the Woodruffs came over and gave me some really cute baby clothes, and then the Kunzs came over and visited for a little bit.

As if all of that weren't enough, there was even more celebration today! I went to work, and Angie and the kids had decorated their house with a banner and balloons. They also gave me an Applebees gift card and a really cute baby book. She is the best boss and such a great mom! Later, she had the two-year-old call me and sing "Happy Birthday" on my voicemail. It was really cute. When I got home, Jared had flowers for me and a little surprise that made me laugh so hard. There were also flowers from my friends, Lex and Vanessa. I also got a really thoughtful card from my dad and some really sweet gifts from my mom. I am so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life! I love you all and I thank Heavenly Father for you every night. Thank you for making my birthday the best one ever!

Time to Shop!

We had a great trip to the doctor today! We got to see our little baby moving around and got to check on everything and get tons of pictures. We also discovered that we are having a BOY! We are both so excited! I am ready to go out and buy tons of little boy stuff and Jared is ready to go buy toys and "test them out" to make sure they are fun enough for our little guy.
I was really nervous at first because the nurse tried to look right away, but his little legs were in the way. I started to worry that we would have to wait 20 more weeks to find out what he was, even though it was nearly impossible to wait the first 20 weeks! After she took pictures of his head, spine, heart, legs, feet, and almost everything else, the baby moved around enough so we could FINALLY tell what he was. I think Jared went into a little bit of shock and I couldn't stop grinning!
We are SO excited to have a "Mr. Peanut" now and even more excited that he seems really healthy. He is a pretty big boy (14 oz already!) and he still has a great heartbeat (139 bpm). We just continue to pray that everything keeps going well and are now going to start preparing for the moment when we finally get to meet him. Hooray!

This is a picture of his cute little foot! (Probably the one he kicks me with all of the time.)


This is the proof that he is a boy. There is an arrow pointing to his little peepee (as my mom calls it).

This is a picture of his face. He still looks a little like an alien, but so cute!


This last picture is of him laying with his arms over his face. The nurse needed a few more shots of some things and kept poking my belly to get him to move. I think he was getting tired of the photo shoot and just covered his face.

So Excited!

The countdown is on! We only have six more days until my next doctor's appointment, which means only six more days until we (hopefully) find out what we are having. I am so excited! There is still time to get any guesses in, too!

Peanut Update

I went to the doctor yesterday and everything is still great with baby Peanut. It has a very strong heartbeat (144 bpm!) and I have finally started to feel better, too, which has been wonderful! We have an ultrasound appointment scheduled for November 9, and we should find out the sex then. I keep trying to guess what it is, but I know it will be what I least expect, so I am mostly focusing on keeping us both healthy. We are both so excited and can hardly wait for baby Peanut to finally get here!
I am curious to see what everyone else thinks Peanut is (boy or girl) so feel free to post your guess.

Camping

Last week, the kids I nanny all had the flu, so I had the whole week off. It was really nice to have a break and rest and use what little energy I had to clean my own house. Also, Jared only has one class on Fridays, and it isn't until 3pm, so we decided to go camping on Thursday night and come back Friday afternoon.
We went to a great place right outside of Driggs, ID at the base of the Tetons. It was beautiful and the weather was really nice. We got to the campground (I am pregnant, after all) and pulled in to a nice spot that was near the bathrooms, but not too close. We built a fire and drank hot cocoa and sat and talked for a little bit, but I got tired pretty fast, so we decided to go to bed.
For some reason, I was terrified of bears the whole time we were out there, which I think started to annoy Jared a little. Every time there was any kind of noise, he would say, "That was just a pine cone falling from a tree, not a bear." I felt bad, because I am usually a pretty happy camper, but for some reason, I was being ridiculously paranoid.
The most exciting thing that happened was at about 2am, we were both woken up by this horrible, bleating screaming. After my heart stopped pounding, I listened closer and it was cows! There was a herd of cows scattered all around the outside of the campground and they were lost in the dark and crying to each other, ALL NIGHT. Needless to say, we did get a little sleep and we still had a lot of fun. The weather is supposed to drop about 30 degrees on Wednesday, so I think we went just in time. The next time we go, it will probably be with our little baby!

Here are a couple of pictures of our camp-out:

This is our camp site. I forgot to take pictures, so the tent was already taken down.


Here is my handsome hubby!

One of my favorites!

September

We have had a wonderful month! Jared started school on the 10th and has been very busy trying to get another 4.0. On top of school, he is also working two jobs, so he hardly has any free time. I admire his dedication and focus and I am so grateful for him.
We also had a house full of guests this weekend, which was really nice. My mom and Glenn came on Friday night to visit us for the weekend. On Saturday night, Lex and Vanessa came and stayed with us too. We went to dinner and played Scattegories and then watched a movie. It was so fun!
On Saturday morning, Jared and I went to the doctor for my monthly checkup. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat which was really exciting, and the doctor said that everything is going really well. He also said that I should start feeling better, which I can't wait for! My mom and I went shopping and bought a couple of little baby things, which just made me more excited for Peanut. I can't wait to be a mom!

Our little Peanut

We are having a baby!! We have known for about a month, but waited to tell everyone until we had been to the doctor and made sure everything was ok. We went to the doctor yesterday and everything was great! I am healthy and our baby is too. I am due on March 29 and we should find out what it is at the end of October.
I also had an ultrasound and we got our first picture of our baby. As you can tell, it looks like a peanut, so that is what we are calling it until we find out what it is. Also, during the ultrasound, as the nurse was taking pictures of Peanut, she pointed out its face and it started moving its little arms. Jared was so excited because our baby "waved" at us. It was a really great doctor visit! It was nice for me because it was reassuring to see that everything is fine with Peanut, and it was good for Jared because it made him "feel like a dad." We are both so excited and can't believe how lucky we are.


This is Peanut lying on its side facing the camera.

Life is Good!

Things have been going really great lately, and I have a feeling they will just be getting better!

Jared finished school yesterday and probably got a 4.0 for the semester. I am so proud of him! He has worked so hard this semester and he really earned it.

We both have really fun jobs that are looking like they will be permanent. I am nannying for a family here and I love it! The kids are great and we have been having so much fun together. They are an 8-year-old boy, a 6-year-old girl, and a 2 year-old boy. They are all really active (re: exhausting) which means there is hardly ever a quiet moment. I am so happy to have this job!
Also, Jared and I will be working together at The Craze Fun Zone, which is a new fun center that friends of the family just opened. There is laser tag, blacklight mini-golf, arcade games, and a restaurant. It has been really great helping them work on it and finally seeing everything fall into place.

So, last Thursday, I was having a pretty hard day. I was feeling really depressed about a bunch of things, and for some reason, I just couldn't shake it. I was out running errands and I had to find the UPS store, but I had no idea where it was. I pulled in the back of a shopping center so I could circle around and see if one of those stores was it.

As I pulled behind the stores, I saw a dumpster full of mannequin bodies. Instantly, the perfect solution to my bad mood popped in my head: I was going to play a prank on Jared! I was on the phone with my dad and I told him what I was doing and we both started laughing.

When I got home, I called Jared (who was at work) and told him to make sure that he called me before he came home. Then, I put the mannequin on the bed and covered it up with a blanket, so it looked like I was sleeping. Then, I waited...


When Jared finally called, I had about 10 minutes before he got home. I made sure that it looked believable, then I hid in the room across from ours, and waited...

Jared came in, and when he didn't see me in the living room, he went right into our bedroom. He saw the lump and started talking to it, because he thought it was me. Then, he lifted up the blanket and saw the mannequin and turned around and yelled, "Honey!" To me, it was so funny, and I still laugh about it! Sorry the pictures are blurry, but it kind of gives you a visual.






Later that night, Jared took me out on a date. At the movie theater here, they have an arcade, a bowling alley, and a pizzaria. On Thursdays, they have a special for students, so we were able to do unlimited bowling while we waited for the movie, and then we had pizza, sodas, and ice cream, all for only $22. It is a great deal, and we had a lot of fun watching Terminator Salvation. Jared is the best and I am so grateful for him!

The snow does melt in Rexburg!

Since my last post was over a month ago, I thought I would let everyone know that we are still alive and well in Rexburg. We have been busy with so many every-day things and before I knew it, May was over. I am so excited that it is finally getting warmer. I am definitely a warm-weather gal, and I have noticed that my mood and outlook on life have improved considerably (much to Jared's delight). We have been taking advantage of the sunshine by spending lots of time outside. There is a bike path that goes by our house that we ride our bikes on every chance we get. We are also planning to go canoeing this weekend and have a couple of camping trips planned for later in the summer.


Last weekend, we went to Grandma & Grandpa Rasmussen's for a family reunion. It was really nice to see everyone again and spend time catching up. Sunday was Grandma's birthday and as we sang "Happy Birthday" to her, a storm blew the power out. We didn't realize it until after she blew out her candles and we all had a good laugh about it as we sat around by candlelight. I don't remember the last time the power went out, so I really enjoyed it. (Although it was kind of weird taking a flashlight into the bathroom.) Overall, it was a very memorable weekend and we had a lot of fun.

This is Trinity, my youngest cousin. She is four and the CUTEST little girl. She says the funniest things all of the time and has this tiny, squeaky little voice which makes it that much funn













Also while we were in Utah, we took the opportunity to go do work at the Provo Temple. It was so beautiful inside and I was so happy we got to go. I love going to the temple and feeling so close to my Heavenly Father, and I love how it brings Jared and me closer together. It is a wonderful place and I look forward to going every chance we get.






Another cool thing that has happened is that Jared's dad, Kevin, got called to be the Bishop of their ward. He was very nervous before he got set apart yesterday, but we reminded him that Heavenly Father knows what he is doing and these things don't happen by accident. He is a wonderful man and I know he will do great things for their ward.

We have internet!

One of the difficult things about moving is that you have to get all of your utilities transferred. Everything went smoothly this time, except with our internet. We have lived here for almost a month and the internet company just now got around to connecting us. I feel like I have been dislocated from the rest of the world for the last three weeks! It is crazy how dependent on technology we can get. The good news to all of this is that we got some free stuff from the internet company for our troubles, so I guess it wasn't all bad.
We are doing really well now. Jared has started school and is loving it. He is studying to be a Hospital Administrator, which I think is the perfect job for him. He is working really hard and learning lots, but is still very careful to give me attention as well. He is a wonderful husband and I am so lucky to be with him forever!

A Crazy Two Weeks...

As you can probably guess, we have had a crazy two weeks! There have been so many changes, I don't know where to start. The biggest change is that we moved to a new apartment. It is so much better than the one we were living in, and it happens to be cheaper, too. It is so big, that I don't have things to put in all of the cupboards, and I finally have a dishwasher! Hooray! We moved in last weekend, which was pretty stressful. I had to work at H&R Block for half of Saturday, so Jared and his family did a majority of the work. When we got to our new house, we realized that the previous tenants hadn't really cleaned, so there was about two years of dirt and grime everywhere. Luckily, Jared's family is incredible and my fabulous mother-in-law, Mary Ann, offered to clean and spent over seven hours cleaning the house from top to bottom, while the rest of us tried to move eveything over. We are so blessed to have family so close! I love our new house and I am so happy to live there. We have an AMAZING view of the Rexburg Temple out our front window, and I just feel so lucky to have found this great apartment.
Another change is that Jared quit his job at the call center and was offered a job with a family friend to do some contracting work. Jared is really excited to be working full time and not have to deal with crazy people on the phone anymore. He also is interviewing for a tutoring position for one of his professors. This would be great, because he will basically get paid to do his homework, so I really hope he gets it!
I also got another part-time job working for the school district doing the Junior High after school program. It is alot of fun and it is probably the best job I have ever had! I work with some of the coolest kids and I love going to work every day.
Overall, we are doing really well. I am so happy with all of the new changes that have been occuring and I can't wait to see what the spring will bring!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Amazing Recipes

For Christmas, Jared's mom gave us the best cookbook I have ever used. Every single thing I have made has turned out to be delicious. It is called the Mormon Pantry: Family Dinner Cookbook by Debbie G. Harman. I have seen it at Deseret Book and I highly recommend it to everyone. It is smartly organized and has some great quotes in it as well. I also like it because most of the recipes use ingredients that you already have in your cupboard. I have included the recipe for Brown Sugar Muffins, which has become one of my absolute favorites. They are delicious!



Brown Sugar Muffins
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
~Cream butter, brown sugar, and eggs together. If desired, chop raisins and walnuts and stir into creamed mixture. Add soda and salt and mix well. Stir in milk and vanilla. Add flour and stir just until moist. Pour into greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. It makes about 20 muffins.

*I added a Tablespoon of vanilla, instead of a teaspoon, and it turned out delicious. If you like vanilla, I suggest that.

I also would recommend the Fruit Smoothies recipe (pg. 89), the Soft Carmel Popcorn (pg. 78), and the Sweet Hot Kettle Corn (pg. 79).

A Fun Weekend

Last Thursday, Jared and I drove over to Boise to visit our families. It was great seeing everyone and catching up with our family and friends. I missed everyone so much!
On Friday night, we went with Vanessa and the Nampa Institute to a Steelheads hockey game. Jared had a lot of fun, but I discovered that I think hockey is kind of boring. Jared's brother, C.J., went with us, and I think he felt the same as me. The only fun parts were when they scored a goal or got into a fight! It was a pretty good game though. The Steelheads scored a winning goal with 0.5 seconds left in the game. I will admit that it was pretty exciting and I even cheered!


Jared and me at the Steelheads game. This was his "ridiculous" face.

A view of the ice.


We also had a lot of fun just hanging out at my mom's. C.J. came over and we played a TON of games and just talked alot. We also went to Tucanos for lunch. It is this delicious Brazillian grill that serves all the meat you can eat. Since Jared and C.J. both went on their missions to Brazil, they both had a ton of fun. Every time a waiter brought more food, Jared would grin because he was so happy to have real Brazillian food again. Also, some of the waiters were RMs from Brazil and spoke Portugese, so Jared also had fun speaking Portugese again. I also love hearing it and I am starting to understand it better. (Which is good, because sometimes Jared and his brothers will speak in Portugese to each other, and now I can tell what they are saying. No more secrets! Haha!)
Overall, we had a great weekend. It was nice to get away from Rexburg for awhile and enjoy some time with our family and friends. Hopefully, we will be able to do it again soon!

We are so blessed!

While things are not as great as we would like, (are they ever?!) we have been doing so much better. Jared has been working more and he is still liking working at the call center. I, on the other hand, have been working less, which I will admit (although I feel bad about it) is really nice. I never thought I would get to be a stay at home wife, but here I am. I have done more crafts and baking in the last month than in my entire life. While this is not a bad thing, I do feel like I should be contributing more and sitting around making stuff less. But, for some reason, I still have not been able to get a full time job. I have applied EVERYWHERE, but have not had any luck. I can only think that the Lord is trying to teach me patience and humility, and I feel like it has been working. I do know that He is always looking out for me, because he loves me.

We have also had a great testimony strengthener on the importance of tithing. Whatever money we have made, we have paid tithing on. I know that because of this, we have been blessed. We basically have paid all of our bills with no jobs. Just when we thought we wouldn't have enough money for something, there is a means to pay for it arriving at the last minute. I talked to Lori a couple of weeks ago and she asked me how we were living off such a minuscule income and I said, "Magic." Although it isn't magic, it is amazing that with all of the people in the world, Heavenly Father still is able to look out for me and know what I need, and as long as I continue to obey all of His commandments, he will continue to do so. I am so grateful for such a loving Heavenly Father and for the blessings that come from paying tithing.

I still am having so much fun being married. I love Jared so much and he is so wonderful! I am so lucky to have him forever! However, I am getting bored being by myself all of the time, which has led me to one of three conclusions:
1. We need a baby
2. We need a dog
3. I need to find more craft projects

I Have Been Tagged...

The Rules:
1. Go to your documents/pictures.
2. Go to your 6th file.
3. Go to your 6th picture.
4. Blog about it.
5. Tag 6 people to do the same.
6. Here we go...



This picture is of Jared doing the Triple Jump when he was in high school at the State Track Championships. In this picture he is actually in the middle of running down the runway, right before he jumps. He won this event and was the State Champion in 2005 with a jump of 44ft. 1 3/4 in. (with a torn hamstring, which he always reminds me of.)
I love this picture because I think Jared was so cute when he was in high school. (P.S.~I still think he is cute!) He has such a babyface, so I call him "Baby Jared" when I see pictures of him before his mission.

I tag..

1. Vanessa

2. Dad

3. Danila

4. Ronda

5. Taryn

6. Amanda

Thanks Brittany!

It's About Time For Another Post!

Almost every time I talk to my dad, he insists on bringing up the fact that I have not posted anything on my blog for quite some time. I have a good reason for this- we haven't really done anything worth writing about. That said, here is a quick update of what we have been up to since my last posting:

~Jared had a birthday on February 3. He is now 22!
~I have been working very part time at H&R Block, just for the tax season.
~Jared is starting work at the Rexburg Opinion Center. Not the most exciting job, but money is money and he is such a wonderful man for doing it.
~My mom and Glenn came to visit us this last weekend. While there is not much to do here, we still managed to have a great time!
~We have watched countless movies, made dozens of treats, and have gained about 10 pounds each. This has also led to us going to the gym every day.

Something else that has happened, which I am really excited about, is that we have decided to move. We have realized that there is not a lot of opportunity here, so we have started looking elsewhere. I have applied to several places where I can actually use my degree and Jared will be able to transfer to. We plan on moving as soon as I get offered a permanent position somewhere. So, if anyone knows of any good recreation jobs out there, please let me know!

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Pics From Our Photographer

Here are some of my favorite pics from our wedding photographer, Whitney. She did an amazing job!

Even more wedding pics...

We have a TON of wedding pics, so I thought I would keep sharing them so everyone gets a chance to see them.

Our decorated car.

~We went for a limo ride after the temple and before the luncheon. I foolishly gave our keys to my dad so he could make sure our car got to the luncheon. When we came out of the luncheon, our car had mysteriously been decorated! Strangely enough, the cans were tied to the bumper with some knots that looked like my dad's handiwork. I'll admit, it was pretty smart to decorate the car in the middle of the day; we didn't have time to get it washed, so we were stuck driving it around all day!

Our ring ceremony.

~Because not all of our families could attend the temple sealing ceremony, we had a ring ceremony for everyone. We exchanged rings and our bishop gave us some really good advice:

*Don't take offense

*Remember that your spouse loves you and only wants what's best for you.

He is an awesome bishop!

Cutting the cake.

My dance with my dad. We have been practicing this one for years!

~I cried through the whole thing.




Our "silly" wedding party shot.