Moving up to Utah (12/27-29/10)

Who would have ever guessed that either of us would ever end up in Utah?  Well here we are finding ourselves making the move so Nathan could attend BYU and so we could spread our independent wings a bit.  We borrowed G.pa Andersen's truck and the Calls trailer, packed up everything that we owned and headed up to Utah Monday afternoon.  We got there late Monday night and unloaded it all.  Tuesday morning we started to unpack and then jumped back in the truck to head back down to Vegas.  There we dropped off the truck and trailer, picked up our cute little Nissan, said our real goodbyes and took off once again to our new home in Provo, Utah.  Lots of time in the car and tired bums but we made it and we were happy.  Getting up to Utah early allowed us sometime to get moved in before school stole Nathan away from me!

The Andersen's and the Rass's all were there to help us pack up :)

BRING ON THE MOVE!!

 Nathan's first time driving in the snow!!  He did great!
and we had fun being silly with each other...wait...Liz and Nathan being silly...never...

 I finally get my own kitchen! haha, YEAH!!

Welcome to the mess of moving...can anyone relate?

Also, Nathan finally got a bit a free time and so he got to play with his cars and fix them up a bit. Thanks to Sandy, our neighbor in Vegas, Nathan got another RC car :) He loved messing around with it and like I said, finally having enough free time to get to play with his big-boy toys 

We are living in Grandma and Grandpa Rasmussen's house.  It's beautiful and such a  huge blessing (...utility bills for an entire house aren't).  We are loving Utah and excited for the change!  We have WONDERFUL neighbors, are close to family, and are feeling more and more at home all the time!  I couldn't be happier up here

Trip to Las Vegas

Taking a trip down to Las Vegas for Nathan to go out shooting with Dad Andersen and I could go to a workshop where I got to see my good friend Allison Stewart (who was my cooperating teacher) and visit my wonderful Andersen and Rasmussen Families...for some reason I always forgot to get pictures with the Andersens and it makes me sad :(  Here are some pictures from the Rass's.  Whit and I went running together and got to sit out on the back porch, swinging in the swing and talking just like we love to!  I absolutely adore my little sister; she's one of my heros and I wish I could be more like her, always so loving and kind and selfless!  She makes me laugh and brightens my day!!  Amazing Woman!!

 

Dad Ras was tender with his Daddy.  It was hard to see Grandpa Ras doing so pourly but from the update we've gotten recently he is looking and acting much better!  That makes us all smile. Mom Ras is a ROCK STAR!!!  She is always caring for Grandma and Grandpa and is the perfect model of charity.  She is so selfless!  I know that it isn't easy to care for them but she does and with a smile on her face.  She is the most incredible example to me of Christ-like love!  "They did such a wonderful job as parents, and raise the wonderful man that's now my husband.  How could I not care for them?!"  She has such a great attitude!  I love my Mommy!

I love my Family!  Grandma and Grandpa have been such wonderful examples to me of how to love and serve.  I want to be like them in many ways.  Nathan and I are sure grateful to be able to rent and take care of their beautiful home; it's such a blessing to us and we hope its a blessing to them as well

Valentine's Day/6 Month Anniversary

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY and 6 MONTH ANNIVERSARY!!

For Valentines Nathan took me to an authentic Italian Restaurant down on Center Street named Gloria's Little Italy!  It cost us an arm and a leg ma era buonissimo!!  It was fun to go out and do something a little fancy!  I had Capellini Letizia which is spaghetti noodles with pesto sauce with chicken and veggies and Nathan had a Salome Dish.  We had so much fun laughing and being together :)  Bad news is that we lost Nathan's cell phone and hoodie that night...bummer!

 Lady and the Tramp reenactment!!

So this morning I was trying to make Valentines treats for all our neighbors and I just got caught doing too many things at the same time.  I over cooked the granola, the burnt the chocolate to dip the Buckeyes in, and I forgot to grease the pan for the Cream Cheese Delights...Plus I was late to work and we were trying to get all our stuff together for our taxes...crazy day but it ended up just perfect!  We got to be with each other and fall even more in love :* Isn't it wonderful that we can love each other more and more every day!  The Lord has blessed us so much!!  We feel like the Happiest people in the world!!!!  

We just LOVE being married!!!

Thanksgiving!

This last Thanksgiving was spent up in Utah, staying with Uncle Jeff and Aunt Monique whom we love oh so much!  Their house was beautiful and the company was even better!  I enjoyed getting to know my extended family better - I am one lucky girl to be blessed with the incredible family I have!

Halloween 2010

Halloween is a fun holiday and is one of my favorites because I get to dress up and have since I can remember.  Even in college when I'd be one of the only ones.  Just fun to feel like a kid and get all fancied or sillied up :)  For Halloween this year (Nathan and I had only been married a little over 2 months) we drove up   to the Provo/Springville area to visit Becca's family but mostly to check out BYU and see if we wanted to have Nathan transfer up there once I had finished my student teaching and graduated down in Las Vegas.  We enjoyed out trip with the Laings but didn't really feel anything good or bad about making the move up to Utah...that answer and decision would come later.

 Yummy French toast for breakfast but not just any french toast, WITCHES FINGER!!  You cut off the crusts, shape into long knarly looking witches fingers.  Nice touch of the finger nail by putting red die on slivered almonds and then placing them on the end of each finger.  Dip in syrup.  It made breakfast fun, especially when the little ones wouldn't eat them at first because they were "gross looking."  Its so fun to have kiddos around!

 A picture of the whole gang

(*loving Kolby in his big boys)

 Nathan and some of his new nieces and nephews. 

(Marrying into my family he became and instant uncle of 14!)  

What a lucky Nathan!  

What lucky Kiddos!!

 Me and Mr. Kolby Rolby

with smiles on our faces bright and early in the morning.

 My handsome hubby's a Super Hero! 

LeGrand had this rad yellow chemical protectant suit from when he worked at UPS that we found in the crawlspace.  Adding a red cape did the trick and off he went to save the day!

 When we went trick-or-treating around the block this huge 

yellow blob of a thing tackled me in the grass...you've got to be careful on Halloween night.  

Things lurk in the dark awaiting the opportune moment to pounce! 

Each year, for Halloween, the Laings have chosen a group Halloween costume theme.  Some examples of what they have been are the Incredibles, Peter Pan, Snow White, cheer leaders/football players and Harry Potter. This year it was decided to all be Jedi's from one of the best movie series of all times STAR WARS. 

The Laing Jedi family: LeGrando Calrissian, Chubecca, Master Brayden, Princess Leia (Addy), Sophidala and Kolby Skywalker. 

 Damsel in Distress and her Hero!

 On our way home we stopped by Kolob canyon right as the sun was setting.  It was beautiful with the shadows and brilliant red and white colored rocks.  I love that while we drive places we can pull off just to look, explore, and discover beautiful things along the way.  Thank you Nathan for always being up to and usually being the one who suggests doing them. 

 "Love is like the sun coming out of the clouds

and warming your soul."

- Author Unknown -

 Another stop on the way home was the St. George temple where Mom and Dad Andersen were married not just for this life but forever.  The knowledge that families can be together forever is the absolute most beautiful knowledge that I know of and it's not something that I'm hoping, it's something I KNOW.  How sweet to always be with those I love most in this entire world and never lose them.  I'm standing next to the most important person out of all those individuals!  I love my Husband and we get to keep each other forever!

This is me and 2 students of mine from Silvestri JH where I did my secondary student teaching in choir.  Man I love those kids, Mrs. Diss and Mrs D'Franco!  Me and some girls decorated the door for a Halloween door decorating competition...but didn't win :(  Still, they did a cute job and we had fun laughing while we did it.

Life Together

Family

I sure love my family! They have been some of the very most influential people in my life and helped me become who I am today!  I am grateful that I am part of a family that is so loving.  The Rasmussens are the coolest, what can I say!  Along with that I must add that I feel I couldn't be more lucky to have married into the AMAZING family I did! I am so thankful for the Andersens and how much I feel at home and loved! Heavenly Father sure loves me, Wow!

Greatest Possession

Nathan and I were married in the Las Vegas temple on August 14th of this year.  When we were married we received a packet from the temple.  Inside were many things such as The Family: A Proclamation to the World, The Living Christ, our marriage license and many more things.  One of which was a printout of this quote which has become on of my very most favorite quotes.  I love the counsel it gives.  It is true! Many couples don't apply these principles but I have seen many that have and I have seen the blessings.  Nathan and I strive to live these and we see and feel the difference in our marriage.  Satan wants to destroy marriages.  We must do all we can to fight against his efforts.  We will win if we hold to the rod.  Something Brandi told me a few months ago has always stayed with me.  (its not a direct quote but this is what I remember and think about a lot!!) "if you miss one morning prayer as a couple or individually Satan has just broken in and starts working.  Little things start to annoy you and the spirit starts to go away. But when you hold fast, don't let anything get in the way, pray and read together, praying every day for love and protection from pride, greed, the evils of the world the spirit comes into your marriage and you are strong.  DON'T MISS A DAY!! NOT ONE DAY!!!"

"I could wish for you nothing better than a good marriage, a happy marriage, a marriage fruitful in the sweet and satisfying things of life. Your marriage will not be excellent if it is marred with argument, if it is filled with disrespect one for another, if there is any lack of loyalty or devotion to one another.  Cherish your spouse as the greatest possession of your life and treat him or her accordingly.  Make it your constant goal to add to the happiness and comfort of your companion.  Never permit yourself to let down in your affection, or your respect, or your faith in one another.  Be excellent in every way."
-President Gordan B. Hinckley (Ensign, Sept 1999)

My Man

I am so lucky to be married to the man of my dreams!  Nathan treats me like his princess and so tenderly loves me!  I could never thank him enough for all the care he gives me.  You know what is wonderful, when you don't want to leave each others side.  When you have a blast doing whatever (it could be anything from cleaning the house to grocery shopping to laying in bed talking each others ears off Saturday mornings).  I could spend every hour with him and never get sick of him.  He has me laughing everyday and turning to puddy in him arms.

This weekend I wasn't feeling so hot but Nathan was right there trying to cheer me up and taking care of me.  He gave me a massage, I got a hot bath, he put me to bed, he got me cranberry juice (my favorite), and made lunches for us.  I'm grateful for a worthy husband who can give me blessings and will forever bless our family.  Nathan places me first.  He leads our family worthily and helps us stay on track so that we can receive the full blessings and joy of the gospel.  He helps me be my best self.  He tells me I'm beautiful.  He makes time for me even with a full load in school and working part time.  He treats me like a princess and I pray that I can give him a fraction of that love back in return that he is constantly giving me.  I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THE MOST WONDERFUL HUSBAND IN THE WORLD!!

Whitney's First Dance

Whitney called me "so what are you doing this Saturday?"  Yes, believe it or not this, my little sister, who I had tried to get her to let me do her hair and make-up since we were little kids called me up an asked me to come do her hair for the Homecoming dance (her first one)!!  I was thrilled! I love playing with her gorgeous hair and she is already so beautiful!!  So I went over and just had a ball!  Of course there she is all beautiful and stunning at the end and there I am...still in my running clothes...looking less than beautiful. 

 So a statement that Whitney and I hear all the time is "Oh my gosh, you two look exactly the same!!" even though I am 8 years older than she is!!!  Okay, so I'll just start taking that as a compliment seeing that I am now getting a little older (cough, cough 24).  So seeing that everyone thinks we look the same we decided to play a trick on Whitney's blind date to Homecoming...remember I look like trash cause I had run that morning with Nathan and had just come right over after that.  We schemed that when he came to pick Whitney up I would walk out instead.  He had told Whitney that they were going to be going swimming.  So after he knocked and came inside I came around the corner then with a surprised look on my face I said "I thought you said we were going swimming?!"  You should have seen the look on this kids face, he was so uncomfortable and had no clue what to say to me, in sweat clothes with my hair pulled back, no make-up on and him in his nice suit! Haha, It was awesome!  Whitney then stepped out and boy was he relieved!

She's such a good girl!  The man who gets her one day is going to be so ridiculously lucky!!