Just Like Heaven

LOVE

2010-12-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

So before Ben and I moved to lovely San Diego we had some fun last December. I can't believe I am a whole year behind on my blogging. So depressing... The only reason why I am motivated to do a post is because the guilt has finally reached its peak and I can't put it off any longer. Of course I have 11 months to catch up on after this but one day it will happen. Below is a picture of Receo and Ben. They are just too cute together!

On New Years Eve Ben and I attended a Baptist Revival with my good friend Cindy.

Here we are at the Mesa Temple enjoying the lights!

Yes I know we are huge nerds.

I love this picture!

This one is just alright.

Here is Cindy with some of her choir pals about to go onstage.

Cindy really wowed the congregation. Half way through the 1st chorus the whole place was hysterical.

She is so talented! Ben and I were blown away!!!

In January Ben's parents took us to see LOVE at the MIRAGE.

Ben really liked these swirly green things.

We enjoyed checking out City Center, but my feet did not enjoy all the walking. Perhaps I should have worn my walking shoes. I am becoming an old lady. I looked on in disbelief at all the girls wearing their monstrously tall heels while walking up and down the strip.

Ben and I checked out the new Mandarin hotel and this is the view we had from our table.

Ben ordered a diet coke as always :) I had some sort of pineapple cranberry drink which was pretty tasty. Aren't you so happy I am telling you what we had to drink?

This is Ben and me outside the theater before the show started. I am starting to look more and more like Ben's Dad everyday.

This is after the show. Trying to get out was suffocating! Everyone was invading my personal space. Ben didn't care about anything at this point. He was laying in a corner convulsing. Apparently that's what happens when you attempt to really comprehend the collective genius that is Paul, George, Ringo, and John.

I wonder if these security guards get to see the show for free working there?

Here we are outside watching the volcano show.

Pretty cool picture.

Guess who took it.

Ben's parents had this ornament and Ben wore it all night. People gave him so many compliments. He is super hip!

After the fun in Vegas, Ben and I headed for Lake Havasu. We had never been and we really wanted to see the old London bridge. As you can see from this picture, Ben was instrumental in getting the bridge moved from London to Lake Havasu City. The statue above is almost identical to how he really looks!

Here is Ben with his really sweet sunglasses (I picked them out).

I almost felt as if I was in London. I was ecstatic about the shaved ice stand beneath the bridge. I love shaved ice with ice cream and cream on top!!!

Ben was sick of me taking pictures. He started pouting like a little kid.

Luckily Ben stopped sulking and we had a fabulous dinner at this cute restaurant by the bridge.
I think I took about 30 or so pictures of the sunset as we made our way back to Phoenix. Ben begged me to stop since I was driving and we almost got into 17 accidents. Luckily I got the shot I wanted.

I Have Some Catching Up To Do

2010-05-30T21:26:00.001-07:00

"Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain. And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet when the wind comes right behind the rain." Ben is leaving to Oklahoma this week (again) for additional training, which is probably why I have this song stuck in my head. Unfortunately I only know part of the chorus. Ben is a lucky man hearing me sing the same lines over and over in my tone deaf voice. For example: last week Ben and I had Family Time and we sang a hymn together. He set the pitch and from there it just went down hill. My voice was horrible and of course he was paying extra attention to me. He kept laughing , which made me laugh. Basically we had to restart the hymn 4 times and we never made it through without laughing. I am happy his pitch is superb and he can sing like a lark. So basically this will be one of my shortest posts ever and this is just the beginning of catching up on the last 5 months. Why do I feel the need to go over everything? Well I am treating this like a journal otherwise I do not think I would ever blog. So.... far far away in a land called Arizona, and a long time ago at a time called December, Ben graduated with honors from Thunderbird with his MBA in Finance. His parents and his Grandma Velma came down and we had loads of fun!

So "It's been a while since I met you don't beat to step to step to" is what I sang to Ben tonight." The actual lyrics are: "It's been a long time we shouldn't have left you without a dope beat to step to step to, step to, step to step to, step to." Seriously this picture totally goes with this song. Can't you see all three of them breaking into a dance routine with Aaliyah right now? I can!

Right before gradumecation we showed the family around the Thunderbird campus. Velma is a doll and I love this picture of the two of them. I do not miss the cactus behind them or any cactus for that matter but I do miss the heat. Seriously I just love to sweat all the time. I wish I was there right now just sizzling all day and all night.

Is it just me or does Ben stand out as the cutest man alive?

Ben was one of the few that graduated with honors and I couldn't be more proud! He worked so hard and he seriously was the best student ever. He would study in his sleep, in the shower, driving, eating, while combing his hair, and the rest of the time he spent with me of course.

So this picture was so hard to get and it's kinda blurry but I am really proud of it! I kept zooming in and finally he looked back at us which is good because I would have been devastated if he hadn't. This picture really only means something to me because it took great patience and waiting to get it.

Most of the pictures I have of Ben's graduation are of the back of his head. Even from behind he looks strikingly unforgettable.

While he was standing there about to receive his diploma I was seriously freaking myself out. I only had one chance to get the picture of him as he was handed his diploma. Our camera does not have a fast turn around time. So I mentally calmed myself down believing I could get the best picture in the history of his graduation and this is what happened...

Bluuuurrrryyy. Most likely because I was smiling ear to ear and screaming. So proud of his astounding accomplishment.

I think Ben's parents were just as thrilled as I was! Velma his sweet Grandma I know just soaked the whole graduation in and was thrilled to see so many different cultures and backgrounds at the graduation ceremony. Thunderbird truly has a global mindset and Velma loved the flag ceremony in which a student from each country carries their flag and speaks briefly about their homeland. It is quite inspirational.

Afterward we all went down to Historic Glendale and ate at Haus Murphy's, a delectable German restaurant which we miss dearly. I especially miss their sweet mustard and Ben misses the meat loaf and cabbage roll. If you love German food this is the place to go. Also we loved the music. They have a tuba, and accordion player which is great for kids! So this pretty much sums up December. We miss the Gordons by the way and I am sad that my head is covering Diane's face in this photo. We also miss the Bradleys. Most of all we miss the horrendous heat.

Put Some South in Your Mouth!

2009-12-03T18:45:00.002-07:00

In October both Nicole and Erik had their birthdays! We joined in the fun and went with them to Benihana. It was yummy and little Owen was mesmerized (for a few minutes anyway) by the chef cooking right in front of us. Erik got heaps of shrimp since we all gave him ours. Ben is very allergic to shell fish, I am mildly allergic, and Nicole just isn't a fan.

It's funny how Ben and I will get ready to go out the door and we usually tend to match. I think its cute how Nicole and Erik seem to do the same!

Bags and Mike recently purchased a home in Gilbert and we went down to check it out. It is beautiful and I love their vaulted ceilings! Their neighborhood is adorable and we were able to ride bikes over to a nearby shopping area and watch a movie. We ate at this amazing restaurant and they had garlic fries.

Ben and I have been wanting......ok.... I have been wanting to check out the Wildlife Park ever since I heard about it. Someone from work told me how it is so much better than the Phoenix Zoo since you can see the animals way up close as compared to the Zoo where you can barely see the animals at all. So finally I convinced Ben to come with me. He is a cheap at times and didn't want to spend the money to see animals but 10 minutes after entering the park he said we should go back soon!

We first saw the kangaroos and they were adorable, they look like over grown bunnies.

They seemed to perk up a bit when we got close but then went back to relaxing.

I really enjoyed watching this monkey eat. He is adorable!

I miss seeing turtles so I loved how many different turtles they have at the park.

The baby white tigers were my favorite. It seriously took me forever to get this picture because they were moving constantly. This particular white tiger wanted to come home with me but Ben refused to let me have it. He thought we might go to jail or something if we took it home. He is just so naive at times.

We were lucky and arrived at this cage just in time for dinner. I love this Leopard. What a beauty.

It was a teary goodbye as I departed from my little white tigers. They looked away as I left. It must have been hard for them to see me go!

I am married to the most handsome man in the world, and I adore him!

This sloth seriously did not move the entire time I was in front of him which was admittedly less than one minute. Seriously isn't he just the cutest ever?

The park had plenty of ducks and swans and I really don't know why they all gravitated over to me. Ben has a different take on what took place but we all know those birds love me.

This fully grown tiger was far away at the back of his enclosure. I zoomed in as far as I could to get a picture of her sleeping. I love tigers they are gorgeous and this one didn't open her eyes because she couldn't bear to see me leave. Right after taking this picture our camera battery died, we haven't recharged the battery after using the camera on several trips. I was soooo bummed since we fed the giraffes right after and Ben was feeding one right out of his hand!

That night after the Wildlife Park, little Owen came to our place all by himself on Halloween to do some Trick or Treating. He walked all the way to our house with Ben's guitar singing to people as he went.

He was too exhausted to sing to us and requested that we not tell his parents what he was up to that night.

Ben traveled to San Francisco with classmates from Thunderbird to attend a finance symposium (I was very jealous of course).

Ben actually took some pictures this time (he usually forgets the camera) and I was happy he remembered.

Ben had fun, learned some new stuff, and was able to see an old friend so the trip was officially a success.

Ben was happy to come home since he missed me so bad, and of course he left me cute notes all around the house like he always does before he leaves town! He is so romantic! Soon after Ben got home from San Francisco I left for a work trip along with two co-workers (Tami and Marga) to Memphis, TN! We had class every day but we also did a lot of sight seeing. We arrived on Sunday and went strait to Graceland from the airport.

Unfortunately our taxi driver was completely insane! He was arguing with the dispatcher as we waited for him in the van.

From what we could understand with his thick accent, the drive was too short and he didn't think it was worth driving out from where he was to take us such a short distance.

After he stopped arguing with the dispatcher he got into the taxi and the only thing he said to us was, "Graceland... 17 dollars." That was it. He didn't say welcome to Memphis or where are you ladies from. Nothing he just floored it and we were off.

Tami, Marga and I were all on the middle seat inside the taxi van with no seat belts and he was swerving in and out between cars. We were all so scared!

We even started laughing nervously since we didn't know what to do. I remember finally telling him that we weren't in a hurry and he didn't need to drive so fast, but I think it came out as a nervous whisper.

He seemed to not care for any pedestrian or car on the road.

Luckily we came to a more residential area where there were more frequent stop lights and he seemed to slow down a bit.

We were in the middle of a block when the light ahead turned yellow. He tapped the brakes and then he stepped on it. I looked ahead in disbelief and then I looked at Tami and asked her if he was going to go through the red light. Tami looked at me in horror and said I don't see him stopping. I couldn't believe my eyes as the light turned red and we just sped along.

It was well over 10 seconds before he ran the red light and we all screamed a little. I wanted to call Ben during this madness. I felt that it might be the last time he would hear my voice.

A minute later we were at Graceland. We didn't say anything as we got out of the taxi and Marga paid the driver. I should have taken a picture but I was just happy to be alive.

I remember looking over at Tami and she said, "We almost saw Elvis in person! Literally we could have met him today!"

Luckily we didn't have any other crazy cab drivers after that one and I will never get in a cab again if the taxi driver does not look sane.

Graceland was awesome! But the downstairs rooms were very dusty and poorly kept. There was dust and spider webs everywhere.

This room was my favorite. I loved the texture of the ceiling and walls.

We all took naps in the living room on the furry furniture.

Behind the house was a small recording studio.

The entire house was beautiful but the ceilings were fairly. I always pictured the house being much larger. It felt like a miniature mansion.

Much of The King's land was sold but the backyard is still very spacious.

In a building beside the house there are walls and walls of Elvis memorabilia.

Another building housed more Elvis memorabilia and awards he won over the years.

It's incredible how much Elvis accomplished in so little time!

On the tour you walk around with head sets while the Elvis history is narrated to you. I was surprised how much Elvis gave back to Memphis. He was quite the philanthropist.

He was a very gracious and giving man and it was wonderful to hear about all of the people he served!

After Graceland we checked out Beale Street and the old trolley cars which a great means of transportation.

Beale Street has some interesting characters and I am happy I was not sight seeing alone.

Our first night there we ate at the Blues City Cafe and the ribs where yummy! I had ribs almost every day. The barbecue sauce in Memphis is amazing!

I love this place and would recommend it to anyone!

Memphis has a lot of rich history and the buildings there are quite old.

We were able to take a carriage ride with this gentleman and he told us great stories about Memphis and about Elvis. He was raised there and we aren't sure if everything he told us is 100% accurate but we learned a lot and had fun.

The horse was so sweet and the carriage was beautiful.

This little guy did not move the entire time, he took up most of the seat and we made sure he didn't fall off when we were on a steep incline.

Do you recognize this building? We were told that it was used for filming in a Ghost Busters movie (Ben was unable to confirm that and is convinced that it's a lie). Our carriage driver/guide told us how supposedly 3 days before Elvis died he was eating at the restaurant located in the bottom of this building. He noticed a very worn out waitress and she reminded him of his mother. That night after her shift she went out to the parking lot where he surprisingly gave her the keys to his Cadillac. She got teary eyed and he told her that her troubles were behind her. Then he proceeded to walk 2 miles before he could get to an area where they had taxi service. That was the last anyone in town saw Elvis. You don't hear too often about famous musicians giving away their cars because a struggling waitress reminds them of their mother.

One night we ate at the Flying Fish. It was amazing!

I had salmon and really good banana pie!

That night we went to the Orpheum Theater and saw Cirque Dreams Holidaze. It was insane what the performers could do!

The Orpheum was rebuilt in the early 1900's and has a lot of character.

Two days before we left we were able to see Sun Studio (The original site of Sun Records) where Elvis made his first recordings!

Marion Keisker was the one who discovered Elvis first and helped Sam Phillips to "see the light" which took over a year.

We were able to enter the studio and pose with this mic which Elvis actually used!

The studio hasn't been remodeled since Elvis and other artists like Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins recorded there. Ben is EXTREMELY jealous that I was able to visit such a truly sacred place without him. He loves music history and has always wanted to visit the studio.

The original tiles still cover the walls and our tour guide let us know they are definitely not changing the room for years to come.

I thought this old Pepsi machine was cute. It sat just outside the recording room.

I think this picture of Elvis looks a lot like Ben when he sings. Seriously it does kinda look like Ben.

This picture has Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.

I bought Ben a t-shirt from Sun Records and he was very appreciative. He really wishes he could have come and while I was in Memphis I found hidden stock card with sweet little notes from Ben telling me how much he missed me and loves me. I love being married!

We took the trolley all the way around town and saw the Mississippi river which was very wide and the sunset was beautiful!

I really liked this old building and I love all the old signs and advertisements on the building.

Along Beale street there are several music notes with famous musicians from Memphis.

For our last night in Memphis we ate at BB Kings and the ribs there were amazing!!!!

We enjoyed the great music and I fell in love with the ribs! The beans are also quite tasty.

Last year for Thanksgiving Ben's parents came down and we took them to Sedona!

It is so beautiful and we enjoyed walking around to see the fall colors.

We ate at The Barking Frog and had the best Turkey dinner ever with yummy onion bell soup, smashed potatoes, corn bread stuffing, your choice of meat and wonderful rolls!

This year since we couldn't be with family we decided to go to The Barking Frog again. It of course was amazing and we were lucky to have Bags join us. Her boyfriend Mike who is a fire fighter had to work and we missed his company!

We got to walk around this cute hotel where people every year decorate the different buildings with a holiday theme. Notice how Ben is wearing the same shirt he wore last year for Thanksgiving. (I just noticed that :)

Ben loves Charlie Brown and when we saw the Great Pumpkin this year he was such a happy camper!

Mele Kalikmaka! I miss Kauai!

I used to play Super Mario 3 for hours when I was 12 and 13. Ben thinks I am a nerd.

Ben was a little gassy after dinner so I thought this picture was fitting.

It was nice to see fall leaves since in Phoenix we don't see any variety in leaf color.

I liked this one since it was all about the 80's.

This particular area of the hotel is called Utah which we totally love!

Sponge Bob was so excited to see us!

We had some hot chocolate with him...

We played drums and he developed quite a crush on Bags but she let him down easy.

Ben and I rented Up this weekend and I fell in love with it. It is so darling!

Now we are getting ready for Ben's graduation coming up next week. My my my how time flies. I am so grateful for my loving family, friends, and my amazing Husband!

Duck Duck Goo

2009-10-04T17:46:00.001-07:00

August started out with a bang! I left some clothes in the trunk of my car to take to the Goodwill and I kept forgetting to drop them off. After leaving the clothes in my trunk for a couple of weeks, some clepto decided that they really needed them. I was leaving for work when I found a broken car window and an empty trunk. Ben luckily was there to help call the police, clean glass and comfort me since I was a sobbing mess.

The thieves decided to smash my driver side window.

I could have driven to work sitting on glass and made it to the office on time, but I elected to wait

Speedy glass came to our rescue and 3 hours later I was at work!

I am very grateful my car was not stolen because that happens quite a bit here in the ghetto. Did I mention my car just went over the 100,000 mile mark?! What a sweet ride.

The day before our Anniversary I came home to these beauties!

Ben did such a good job and I later found out he had to call 6 different flower shops to find some Gerber daisies!

I of course was very appreciative and melted when he sang to me while strumming his guitar! I love being married to my best friend! Someone at work the other day was admiring my picture of Ben at my desk and asked me how I got so lucky! I didn't have a good response since I have no idea. I utterly adore my husband and I think he is the sweetest, and happiest part of my life!

Later that night we went miniature golfing with Jeremy and Joan! They are quite a fun pair. Even though we started golfing after eight o'clock, we were all drenched in sweat after 10 minutes. It was a very hot night. The difficult course tested our golfing skills and Ben emerged victorious!

Joan and I needed to use the restrooms and seriously could not stop laughing as went through these diseased rubber mats to find an unclean porcelain bowl. For some reason, where the doors should have been, there were long black, car wash style curtain strips which offered minimal privacy. So while we sat there, at any moment someone could have seen us taking care of our business. Luckily no one came in while we used the two stalls available. We tried our best not to get our hair tangled in the car wash mats of the doorway. This restroom... I mean car wash/nightmare was so disgusting. Joan in this picture is using a paper towel to hold back what should be a door but is actually an invasion of privacy.

This picture was taken after completing the golf course. We were so happy to get out of there! The course is beautifully done but it just wasn't the best night to go. It was still above 100 degrees outside when we left the course at 9:00. Luckily we cooled off in the car and had delicious ice cream waiting at home.

The next day was Sunday August 16th, 2009 which is the day we got hitched one year ago! We taught our Sunbeams that morning, had a cozy romantic afternoon together followed by the best dinner ever! We had Sloppy Joes (this recipe is yummy), corn on the cob, and salad! I made the best dessert which Ben ate over the course of 5 days. (he loves lemon bars and I let him have all of them :)!) After dinner we danced to our reception soundtrack and we opened little gifts we got each other.

Ben seriously made my evening with his sexy guitar playing!

Ben of course was delighted to find a veritable novel inside the card I made for him :)

Ben loves HARIBO Gummy Bears more than anything and I found a 3 pound bag which made his day!

I was still excited about the Gerber Daisies Ben got me the previous day!

These flowers were so beautiful and luckily they lasted a whole week.

Ben with his yummy Lemon Bars.

Isn't Ben adorable?

A few days later, after Ben's finals I took the day off work and we went hiking. We thought since we were up in Sedona it would be a little cooler, but we were wrong. I took this picture of Ben while I stood in the shade which was very sparse. I told Ben I needed to get him at the right angle but I really just wanted to spend more time in the shade. Being in the sun was brutal!

Does this picture show you how hot it was? No... well believe it; we were hiking in the middle of the day and it was over a 100 degrees.

This is where after hiking miles and miles... okay maybe we hadn't gone one mile yet but we... well I... was exhausted and I ate these red berries for strength! (not really)

This is where we rested for quite some time, the shade and wind felt so nice!

This is the stairway Ben built while I rested in the shade :)

I have the hottest husband ever!!! So hot!!!

This is Ben and I standing on Devils Gate!

Ben was jumping around like a mountain goat, and I was only able to get a few pictures between his leaps.

While on top of the mountain at Devils Gate the wind was so nice that even under the sun I wasn't dying. I really like this picture, it was so breathtaking.

Ben leaped back and forth over this cliff, no biggie. (actually he didn't)

I decided to show Ben I could fly, and believe me he was impressed.

This is looking at the Devils gate from the side so you can see being on top is not so scary and it is actually fairly wide.

This looks like what I am sitting on could easily break but it really feels safe.

This is another model pose of my hot husband!

Ben became sick after a while from all those red berries we ate.

The ground below was quite far!

We really loved this hike, and would recommend it to anyone!

A week or so later Ben and I, along with the Bradley clan, went up to Prescott for the afternoon to get out of the heat. We ate at this fun little restaurant.

Erik took a quick nap on Ben's shoulder.

Ben and Erik love each other.

Little Owen got to snack as we all waited for our lunch!

Owen here is telling us to take out the nasty waitress who treated us badly.

Ben was able to balance a spoon on his nose!

We walked around in the rain until we found some good old fashioned ice cream! Then it was time to head back.

Owen took it easy and looked hip in his sunglasses!

The next week we were with our Sunbeams again in a familiar circle.

This is Emily letting us know we need to play Duck, Duck Goose every week... or else...

Aren't these kids cute?

These kids love playing "Dut, Dut Goo" with Ben!

Before Jeremy and Joan moved to Deleware after graduation from Thunderbird this Summer we went to our favorite restaurant Siam Thai! We sure miss them! Luckily Bags was able to join us for the food. Both boys were in matching shirts (unplanned). It was hilarious when they came to our house and Ben and Jeremy where in the same shirts. Ben misses Jeremy but gets along somehow.

Two weeks ago Ben went to New Orleans for 3 nights and forgot the camera! So here is a radom pic of the city. He went for a job fair but also found time to enjoy fried alligator, some great live music, and the fantastic WWII Museum they have there. I missed him horribly and was so happy when he came home!

But Ben unfortunately brought home a cold which he gave to me and I have been using these mosturizing Kleenex tissues ever since. I think I am on the mend and hopefully will be posting more on a regular basis!

Homeward Bound

2009-08-02T20:15:00.011-07:00

Every day I nearly melt getting in my car which for 8 hours sits directly beneath zero shade in 115 degree heat. You would think they have covered parking everywhere but they don't. I find myself parking under tiny trees that look more like twigs hoping that somehow it will help. By 6a.m. it is 95 degrees outside! So luckily I was able to get some days off work and Ben and I headed up to Utah for the 4th of July weekend! It was so nice to see family and friends. Our trip was too short and little Kaaja (my sweet niece) took all my attention. She is a delight and made me laugh so hard!

She can crawl so fast it's as if there is a motor attached to those legs and arms! I got her to come racing across the room for some of her favorite toys.

She has the cutest laugh and she knows it!

Can you tell that she loves me?

She has so much of my brother Josiah in her and I see a lot of Eva too.

So my Dad has this thing for Red Robin now. It is his favorite restaurant and since our picnic plans went down the toilet with all the rain that day, we ate at Red Robin. It was nice to see precipitation and be with my adorable family! I have missed them and it was nice to see their beautiful faces.

Now this picture is very important because it shows Kaaja smiling at me! She and I are best buds now! She loves me more than anyone! It was also nice to make dinner for my family Sunday night. Luckily everyone seemed to enjoy it and I was able to keep my Mom from cleaning for once.

Okay so maybe she loves her Daddy and Mommy too! But I am next in line...

I seriously couldn't stop taking pictures of her and she was happy to humor me!

Ben has a bazillion polo shirts and Kaaja is taking after his style.

It was hard to say goodbye to this cutie but I am sure I will see her very soon!

In Oakley, Ben and I found ourselves following this little guy around.

Logan drools more than any other kid on Earth and he loves Ben!

I wish I would have recorded the video right side up. Logan kept screaming "The horse sniffed me," all while laughing hysterically.

I love his little shoes!

Logan is a good leader.

Ben and I went up to Smith & Morehouse and enjoyed the lake with his family.

Brielle did not like riding in Sammy's boat and finally stopped crying when she got back on shore.

Raegan loved being on the boat! She and Logan took turns driving. She really scared us when she took her hands off the wheel!

Logan was a very good captain and maneuvered the boat quite well.

The Oakley parade had some good candy this year. Ben and I enjoyed Logan's findings.

On our way up to Utah Ben and I listened to "Flags Of Our Fathers" on CD. Ben has read the book and I was curious to know why he wanted to listen to it. I am not a huge fan of listening to books; I'd rather read them, but Ben's enthusiasm to listen to it was hard to deny. We didn't get through the whole book but the part about the marines falling down by the thousands on Iwo Jima is heart wrenching. They knew they were going to die and to those who survived it was a miracle. I feel so blessed to live in this country and I am so happy we were able to honor our service men and women during the 4th of July. In Oakley, Utah they have a patriotic program every year which honors all the Service men and women. It's always a tear jerker when these elderly men stand up to be recognized at the program. When else do we show our gratitude? I don't think we show it enough and for some who have served this country never get the recognition they deserve. To everyone that has served and is serving, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Ken Woolstenhume married us in the Salt Lake Temple. He and his wife Karen were recognized as the Grand Marshalls for this years Fourth of July celebration.

Tiana and Sam did such a great job singing in the program. She also made the best Fourth of July dinner ever!

Ben missed singing in the town choir with Sammy.

Ben is so cute playing with his niece and nephew.

Little Brielle has the cutest pj's.

Look at Ben roping that calf!

Then Ben came back and watched the rest of the rodeo!

Logan is hiding his druel here.

I married the hottest man ever!

Brielle left a little early to get some shut eye.

It was good to see all of Ben's friends! He misses Quentin and Dave (Havoc) every day we're away in Arizona.

He does this every time I kiss him.

Raegan has cute pj's as well.

I also got to see my best friend Star on her birthday. Her son Drew is so stinkin' cute!

Even though I bought the scented candle for Star, Drew couldn't get enough of it!

Drew is so adorable here. He really was more mesmerized by the candle than by the book. All in all, our trip home was too short and we miss everyone terribly. You will all have to come visit us when the weather is more agreeable!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2009-06-08T00:01:00.010-07:00

Ben and I went to a Spring training game in March where we watched his dear Giants lose to the San Diego Padres. We enjoyed large quantities of iced lemonade and garlic fries! The garlic fries are our favorite :)!!! Mmmmmm.....

It was a nice day but our shadeless seats were rather toasty. We went through those 2 lemonades fast and then chewed on ice since they were $5 each.

The Giants were getting killed and we left a little early because Ben had a ton of studying to do.

We were able to attend the Mesa temple in April, and it was nice to be able to reminisce about our wedding day! The Mesa temple is so beautiful and reminds me of the Oahu temple.

I love palm trees, I miss Kauai and can't wait to take Ben and show him how gorgeous it is!

It's so awkward when we want a picture together and neither Ben nor I like asking people to take pictures of us. Luckily we are okay with taking our own!

Nicole, Owen and Erik always invite us over for dinner and Nicole makes amazing meals. Ben and I finally invited them over and I made lasagna. Ben and Erik love each other so much, it's cute to see them get together. They are likely the two brightest, best looking men in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Father Bradley as LeVar Burton :)

It was Bags' b-day April 7th and we celebrated at this cute Italian restaurant. It was so yummy! The thin garlic (something) pizza we had was amazing. Bags is too fun and when you put Lindsay, Erik and Bags together you can't go wrong. Lindsay came down from Utah which was nice but we missed having Nicole and Owen who coincidentally were flying to Utah that night!

Ben's family came down for Easter weekend and we enjoyed having them here! We took them to dinner their first night here at Rock Bottom. We recommend their chips and guacamole! The salmon ain't shabby neither.

We toured University of Phoenix Stadium: Home of the (almost) world champion Arizona Cardinals.

Our tour guide was a little strung out and mumbly but it was fun nonetheless.

Sam and Tiana didn't convert to Cardinaldom but seemed to have a good time.

Inside the visitors' locker room

Father and son: aren't they handsome!

The field was outside gathering water and sunlight. The tracks on which the grass rolls in are visible in this picture.

Take that Energy Solutions Arena!

Ben loves metallic, one dimensional grizzly bears. This was taken outside the Heard Museum in downtown Phoenix. It's a nice place but we were exhausted after our tour of the stadium. We tried to rest but soon discovered that the museum only has hard benches with minimal back support and no place to rest your head.

I took this picture outside the Mesa Temple. We went to attend the Easter pageant but nearly got rained out. It rained like mad but then cleared up just in time.

Ben looks hot in his sweatshirt which I am currently lobbying to acquire.

We ran into a few angels at the pageant. It was quite a production!

On Easter we all went to the Gordon's house where I had loads of fun playing with their granddaughters.

Sammy juggled, Ben tried to juggle.

Peace

The girls convinced me that we HAD to flash peace signs for the picture, then left me out to dry.

Ben was forced to play and sing for his supper, much to the enjoyment of everyone (except Ben).

He really knows how to strum them there chords.

Ben spent the first half of May in London (with 20 of his classmates) and I missed him horribly!!! Before he left he hid all over the apartment the cutest, sweetest notes telling me how much he loved, adored and missed me. I found these notes in my shoes, in the fridge, the dryer, the shower, they were everywhere and luckily I didn't find all of them in one day. I married the most sweetest man in the world! He also emailed me everyday and called as often as he could with out us breaking the bank.

Luckily while Ben was enjoying the sites and meeting with finance gurus I got to visit my friend Cindy and her family in Thatcher.

I also finished "New Moon" and "Eclipse" from the Twilight Series while Ben was gone. It was amazing to see him when he got home and I hope I never have to be apart from him for that long ever again!

A little over a week later it was Memorial day and Ben decided to let me open my first birthday gift a whole day early! So we got to listen to my new cd as we drove to Prescott for a day of exploring and hiking.

This is a single order of onion rings. Sick.

This restaurant was fun but not a good choice before a hike. When Ben saw the onion rings he phoned Guinness but the line was busy. The bathrooms were less than suitable. The floor was about as level as the Appalachians. We will not be going back.

Coincidentally we ran into the Bradley family who also happened to be visiting Prescott that day. Fortunately, they avoided the onion rings and opted for pizza instead.

Downtown Prescott

The Prescott veterans memorial was nicely decorated for Memorial Day.

Ben competing in the annual Prescott Rodeo

Dun bought us a piece of land up to Prescott.

Ben communicates with Lizards. He talks, they listen.

I made Ben carry the water in this fashionable fanny pack.

We needed Blanche to teach us the names of all the flowers. We called this one "White & Yellow."

I ran away from the giant bees. Ben took close up pictures of the giant bees.

Somehow we mustered up the courage to cross this raging stream. Ben nearly drowned.

I married a mountain goat.

Ben took pictures of this cactus but they were terrible. Mine is much better.

The granite mountains were nice.

When I took this picture all I was thinking was I wanted ice cream. We got vanilla ice cream cones 20 minutes later :)

They call this a lake but it's more of a pond. We found ducks and humans.

We were so hot we nearly jumped in to cool off.

"Of course I want to go to Spag-Fag for my birthday!"

Ben sang a lovely rendition of Happy Birthday. He made me this lovely German Chocolate cake all by himself. It was the best cake ever made!

We've seen better candles.

Ben ran out of tissue paper so he stuffed the bag with regular printer paper. I forgive him.

He got me the greatest, greenest ipod shuffle in the whole wide world.

Ben demonstrating how to use the ipod shuffle while jogging.

♥ I Love Farrell ♥

2009-03-04T20:37:00.030-07:00

Ben and I had a very romantic Valentines day @ home! We are very pleased we did not go out and join the madness of those eating out for their romantic time together. I don't see how driving around, finding a restaurant, waiting and waiting.... can be enjoyable but tons of people do this every year!

I made Ben Lemon Bars which he enjoyed for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Ben surprised me and brought home Cheesecake Factory-which I loved... And he brought home the Avocado Egg Rolls I love so much!!!

This is Ben blowing a kiss to all of the cute kids that miss him. You know who you are.

Ben bought me the candle I have been eyeing at Anthropologie. I love it and it reminds me of my Grandma. His card was so sweet!!!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥!!!

Ben's parents wrapped this gift just for him :)!

He seriously is so excited that I wrapped his gift with tissue paper!

I got Ben the new Killers album and "Where the Sidewalk Ends", a classic book by Shel Silverstein.

I made him the best Lemon cake ever!!!! Seriously it was soooo good!

Ben was ecstatic to get a new Angels and Airwaves t-shirt for his b-day, I must love him or something :)

Oh yes he is 27 now and we will be the same age until May :)!

This is for Coby...

Belated Wedding Snapshots

2008-12-28T23:24:00.002-07:00

We finally got our temple and reception pictures and we love them!!! I am so impressed with Jon's work. He did an excellent job and Ben was very pleased that we chose him! We adore his family Lori and their cute little button of a girl Hannah! You can check out his work here: http://www.weddingsbywoodbury.com

I Can Be A Friend

2008-11-16T21:45:00.047-07:00

Ben and I celebrated our 3rd monthiversary in style. We started off by teaching our Sunbeams my favorite lesson ever!!! Shocking I know! We have about 10 Sunbeams and usually 6 to 8 show up on Sunday (quite a crowd.) Our lesson was entitled "I can be a friend." We pointed to ourselves and asked the children "who are we?". The responses we got were quite cute; we heard Ben, Debs, teachers, Aplanalp teachers and I like you. We in turn told them that we are good friends and told each of them they were our friends and we talked about how friends share with each other. Now this is the best part, then we shared the story about Jesus feeding the five thousand, and how they were able to feed all the people with only 2 fishes and 5 loves of bread, all the while emphasizing how the masses were Jesus' friends and that he was a good friend to the people.

I have taught this lesson before and never been met with such a shocking and enthusiastic response! I was thrilled. After teaching the children about how Jesus and his disciples were able to feed the five thousand with only 2 fishes and 5 loves of bread we then brought out an example. I showed the cute little sunbeams 2 sweedish fish and 5 vanilla wafers. I asked them because there was over 6 of them if there was enough for everyone to have a sweedish fish. They all responded no. I then asked if there was enough vanilla wafers to feed all of us and they said no. I asked what should we do and they recommended we pray. Ben and I agreed and proceeded to pray with the children. In my past classes the kids didn't completely close their eyes and always saw me adding more fish and loaves to the insufficient lot. In the past I think I used gold fish and twinkies- but who eats twinkies these days? So anyhow I have always been caught and the children never seemed very surprised because I never pulled it off. But something unusual happened that day- none of them peeked and when Ben finished the prayer... You should have seen their eyes!!! They got really big and were so excited. They couldn't believe that there were suddenly a dozen fish and over 20 vanilla wafers. The children squealed with joy and jumped out of their seats.

We are now in a precarious situation because the children remember this lesson and when we are low on treats they suggest we pray. We worry that at home, the children pray to multiply their desserts (this might not win favor with parents) I was happy to have finally pulled off that lesson but hope the children will quit asking us to triple their treats.

Later on that night I made Ben my Mom's lasagna!!! We actually ate at a decent time and were happy that the lasagna lasted 4 nights!!!

My shiny hood is really distracting in this picture but your eyes should be focusing on the lasagna!!!

You know you are impressed. I can tell because Ben and I were, and still are- it was so good!

One serving is never sufficient. Anyone with taste buds must go back for more.

Usually with lasagna in my family it's gone in one night. The nice thing about having a small family is that you have left-overs and when they are good left overs you are in heaven. Ben and I seriously had our mouths watering every time we ate this lasagna and we can't wait to make it again!!!

Before our 3rd monthiversary Ben decided to surprise me and make me some Taco Soup. It's a really easy recipe and I was planning on making him dinner after I got home but I have been having to stay extra hours. I was very shocked to come home to dinner and of course I took pictures to brag about my sweet husband!

You know this looks so amazing that you just can't wait to try it!!! You add some sour creme, chips and take a bite and its like you can't get enough! Really this stuff is good.

Ben always adds loads of pepper to everything, or maybe I should say he adds "vitamin P!"

These are Ben's glamor shots done by yours truly (pretty impressive work I must say). Ben is quite the model and was loving the camera action :)

We had a wonderful evening and pretty much we love being best friends!

Owen Lettuce & Tomato

2008-11-02T22:03:00.024-07:00

Last Halloween Ben and I drove through the Navajo Indian Reservation. The two and a half hour stretch of no street lights, getting lost, and drunk Indians on the side of the road are things we were happy not to experience this year. This Halloween was much warmer and cozier!

Nicole, Erik and little Owen Lettuce & Tomato (Erik's nickname for his little bundle of joy) invited us over for dinner! I never really have had meatloaf much in my life but Nicole made a fine meatloaf (I had 2nds). We also had funeral potatoes, salad, and poop water (lemonade with grapes that looked like eye balls or poop). Ben and Erik had fun making up names for everything, and we had a bloody dessert (really delicious strawberry frozen dessert with oreo crumbs on the bottom).

We had the best time and caught up on each others' lives! Ben was so happy Nicole made meatloaf!!!!

This was the finest shot of the night!!!

Owen had two outfits on Halloween night. The first was that of a baseball player (isn't his outfit so cute?)

Ben seriously was so happy about the meatloaf, it was really delicious!!!

Owen was such a cute bumble bee and pretty much we had fun taking pictures!

Ben and I stayed up way past our bed time and I think we took half of their candy stash in my purse. I think kids here in Arizona have it way too easy. I had to always wear a coat over my costume or under my costume. How humiliating right!?

Mom's Spaghetti

2008-10-30T19:23:00.024-07:00

So if you are like me and don't cook much, you might enjoy this little story. Anyone who has had my Mom's spaghetti knows its to die for. I have been craving it for a while and finally made it!

I know it looks AMAZING!!! Right? So it seriously took me forever and ever to make this sauce. I had to finely chop the onions and zucchini and I had to grate a carrot and mince parsley. But to top it off I had to mince the garlic! I have never minced garlic before and I didn't think it would be that hard. Not only did I have to slam down the garlic with my fist to separate it, but because I have no muscle I had to use several objects in the kitchen to split the flippin' thing. The actual part of separating the cloves of garlic was not as bad as cutting the garlic. It took forever!!!! Not only do you have to cut each clove you have to peel away the outer part and its really sticky and the smell is really strong. Luckily Ben came home while I was mincing the garlic and he helped me do the last few. Which still took forever but while this was happening I realized we needed more tomato paste so I sent Ben to the store. While Ben was away I carefully minced each clove of garlic and threw it in with the vegetables I was sautéing.

My Mom's recipe calls for 3 cloves of garlic. At the time I didn't realize that each little piece I was cutting was actually a clove. I thought the entire bulb of garlic was a (one single) clove and that the small pieces being cut were just part of the whole clove. Since we only had two bulbs (roughly a dozen cloves) of garlic I figured our spaghetti wouldn't taste exactly like my Mom's recipe. In summary: I put 10 to 12 cloves of garlic in the spaghetti sauce when there should have been only 3 cloves of garlic in the sauce!

When Ben arrived home with the tomato paste he instantly could tell that something was .......well........different because the whole house smelled like garlic. He didn't say a word about it as he realized nothing could be done at that point. So I finished up with the sauce and we sat down to eat our spaghetti! I was soooo excited and it wasn't until the 2nd bite that I realized my folly.

Ben confirmed what my mind and taste buds were already thinking. As luck would have it Ben is a connoisseur of all things garlic and repeatedly thanked me saying it was the best spaghetti he had ever eaten. He said Sam and Jake would love my garlic spaghetti and they would be so jealous when he told his brothers about what I had made (He knows that Sam loves garlic and is pretty sure that Jake does too).

I on the other hand was disappointed in myself, but really by the 5th bite I started to like it. So with our garlic spaghetti, our garlic bread and our garlic apartment we really had the best night ever. Oh did I mention we didn't eat until 10 o'clock and so we were both extremely tired in these pictures. (notice how we are not kissing in either of these pictures)

Ben who was over flowing with gratitude for the garlic spaghetti, helped put everything away. He always helps in the kitchen which is so nice especially since we ate so late and we both had to be up so early!

Our kitchen smelled like garlic for several days even with scented candles and spraying oust.

Picture Tag

2008-10-20T17:52:00.012-07:00

How could I not do this tag? Seriously anyone who knows what my favorite number is knows its four. Okay so the rules: Go to your picture files. Pick the 4th file, and the 4th picture in it. Tell a little bit about the picture. Tag 4 friends.

So I didn't realize first that I was tagged until talking to Star today. So she explained the rules and I felt I had to first check to see if my name was really there. But before I even got to the post I was tagged in... I was mesmerized by the slide showcase of little scrumptious Drew. She had told me she had done a new post but I was not prepared for what I saw!!!

How cute is he??? I seriously am blown away by his adorableness!!! I am so glad Star posted about her visit to the Pumpkin Patch! So on with my rambling... I couldn't even start with the picture tag forever because I wanted these new pictures of Drew. I kept wondering how long it would take Star to send them to me! But then I realized I could steal them from Star's blog and create a folder for Drew. So I did that and you will never believe this (really just Star won't) but it’s true. After I saved the pictures to the new folder and I was happy with my copy and paste. I then decided to finally be a good blogger and start the post that I was tagged to do.

Well much to my surprise and yours I am sure... I went to my blog and clicked on browse, and the fourth folder over was DREW!!! And the fourth picture was this one :)! Okay, I know Star doesn't believe me but everyone else does right? So pretty much this picture is too cute for words and I seriously have to show this next picture because his eyes are sparkling!!! They are sparkling Star, he definitely will be a Mama’s boy!

I tag Nicole, Coby and Mae's Ashley, Becky Lou and Audy, Finn and Sophie's Ashley :). Even though I didn't keep to the rules because I posted two pictures and I didn't just tell a little bit, you need to follow all the other rules!!!

Not by the Hair on my Chinny Chin Chin...

2008-09-28T21:06:00.036-07:00

Two weeks ago Ben and I had a crazy night with Ulysses(Erik), Nicole and little Joshua Tree(Owen). We went to Caramba and had the best Mexican food ever (Ok maybe not the best but its extremely good and inexpensive). Over dinner Erik related to us a story about how Pat encountered a bearded woman while selling security systems in Riverside CA. When Erik told us this story mind you I pictured an older woman with some short hairs on her chin... Oh but what I didn't know is that it was so much more!

The very next day(two weeks ago) Ben and I had the best time with my Aunt Jen and my Uncle Don. I love my Dad's side of the family but do not see them much. Everyone lives so far apart and truly it's such a treat to see family! So when this particular Saturday arrived it was almost like Christmas! I seriously was rushing us out the door and talking about my family incessantly. My Dad has 4 sisters and 4 brothers’ and my Aunt Jen is the oldest. I couldn't have asked for a better entrance, when we pulled up my Aunt Jen was standing outside waving. I still can't get over the fact that she looked exactly like my Grandma Jane! I tried very much so to contain my excitement but really I was so happy to just see their faces!

They have a cactus the size of a tree in their backyard!!!! Not to mention love birds??? Never seen a love bird... Well they are green and orange and really just the cutest little birds ever!

It was so good to spend the evening with them! We had the bestest ribs ever made, the sofestest rolls you ever ate, the bestest chili, not to mention the bestest homemade bbq sauce and loveliest company! Ben especially enjoyed the fact that the ENTIRE time before and after dinner we were watching football! I think the only downer of the night was when we saw that BYU had beaten UCLA so badly. Ben detests BYU and is disgusted when they win in any sport:)?

September 26, 2008.... Is the day I became an Aunt for the second time! My younger brother Josiah and his wife Eva had a baby girl!!! They named her Kaaja Eva Jacobberger.

Okay so now I am talking about this weekend. I can not tell you how utterly sad I am that I was not able to be there to see this bundle of joy!!!! But on a good note I have received many pictures and I am dying to see this cute little girl. She weighed a healthy 7 pounds and 7 ounces!!!! She is adorable and I am so proud of Josiah and Eva! They are going to be the best parents and I can not wait to see them!!! Out of all us little Jacobberger's Josiah was the cutest growing up, and I have seen Eva's baby pictures and she was a beauty!

I don't think I have ever seen Josiah more goofy happy then in this picture! Isn't she precious!!!

The following day (Saturday the 27th) Ben and I went to Chessakeake Bay (Cheesecake Factory) with Apache Helicopter Indian Chief Tomahawk Cruise Missile Chicago Black-Hawks (Pat's full nickname). Also with us are Ulysses(Erik), Nicole and little Owen. We of course had the avocado egg rolls which are beyond amazing! If you can't tell by this picture... we are having more fun than you have ever had in your entire life! Seriously the picture speaks for itself.

These men sure love each other!

Wrapped Around Your Finger

2008-09-17T12:17:00.034-07:00

"I hope this little journal will be a beginning or maybe an addiction to your life," is what my Grandma Jane wrote to me in a book I sadly haven't written much in. What a blessing that not only those who came and saw us sealed for all time and eternity, but those who have passed on were there too! Ben lost his Grandpa Farrell at the beginning of this year, and I lost all of my Grandparents way before we met. I know so many loved ones were there and I am so grateful for them! Just to warn you before you keep reading... seriously you can stop.... because most of what I am about to say is very lovey dovey-and no that isn't an actual word. Basically this feeling of gratitude is so overwhelming and it's nothing you would want to subject yourself to. So please stop reading if you know what's best!

Ben has told me I have given his life a whole new color, a new spark and a new reason to get up every day. For some reason he adores me and loves my laugh; which at times can be more like a cackle. He sees so much good in me and I try to help him understand that he is blinded by love. He is my best friend and when he came into my life everything became sublimely perfect! Ben is so loving and takes care to do his best at everything. When we met he was always doing some sort of service for others and I saw what a big heart he has. He loves the Lord and he loves being around family! His hero is his Dad and I can see why he looks up to his Father so much. He is honest, kind, smart, talented, loving, and giving just like his Dad. He seems to think I am more giving than he because I work in the non-profit sector. I am very passionate about consumer advocacy and consumer protection. He truly feels I am the Bailey Building and Loan the world needs more of. Which surprised me because I see how he is so much more! Not only will he provide for our family but he will provide jobs, love and service to the world! He is so ambitious and gifted! I can not wait to see all the good he will do!
I love waking up to my sweet heart every morning! I love the saying that marriage is just one eternal sleepover with your best friend! I love his family and I love little Logan. Who by the way was so intrigued by my dress he kept coming over to me. I thought he just wanted a hug but he just wanted to stomp on my train which caught his eye. He must of really liked all of the beading, sure fun to walk on that's for sure. Much more interesting than the ground! I can not thank everyone enough for making our wedding day amazing! So many things during the day went wrong but it didn't really matter because I couldn't stop smiling! Who knew that I would wake up sicker than ever and not really be able to hold anything down that morning! I'm so grateful for my Dad who was there and gave me a comfort blessing and I was able to feel good the rest of the day! I am so beyond grateful for my Mom who is an angel sent from above! I am so grateful for Ben's family and my family who worked so hard on helping with the reception (Dara went above and beyond!!!- WOW!!!).

Both Ben and I couldn't believe how many people came who we hadn't seen in years! We were thrilled with the turn out of both sides of our families and so happy they could be there!!! We were ecstatic that many of our dearest friends could share in our happy day! Truly it was hard that Ben and I couldn't spend more time with everyone!!! We really miss seeing everyone's faces, and hopefully I will keep blogging since I was never good at keeping a journal! On a total different topic I'm not sure how many of you know that I didn't have a garter? I had forgotten it at home and by the time I remembered it was too late! But luckily my sister in law Amy at the last second was able to use Raegan's headband to pose as the garter. Which made Ben very happy because he was able to go searching for the mysterious looking garter! What is so sad though is that Raegan who is four was so confused about what was going on! First her headband is taken off her head and put up my leg by her Mom! Then Ben is taking it off my leg with his mouth and putting it over his head. Then he eventually tossed it to Scott who then was taking pictures with his now fiance! Poor, sweet little Raegan finally got her headband back after many pictures were taken with it! Thankfully from what I understand she didn't cry but almost did!

I think one of the highlights of the night was when our driver drove us to our hotel (we stayed at the Monaco- love, love, love that skinny tall building downtown)!!! Okay so you would think a driver taking us to the hotel downtown from where we were would take... oh... maybe 15, 20 minutes at the most. But no! It took us literally 30 minutes or more to get there!!! He didn't go over 15 miles an hour the entire time and most of the drive he was going 10 miles an hour!!! His name is Hakeem and he is from Kuwait. Both Ben and I found ourselves looking at each other and laughing. It was ridiculous how slow he was going!!! We asked him if he had ever met any celebrities and he replied, "I do not know what you mean, what is a celebrity?" We told him we meant like musicians, actors, and artist. He then said he had met celebrities and stayed out with some musicians till four in the morning. He told us how he was divorced with no kids and was very lonely. He said that his boss would send him to big events and he would go early because he likes to be with people. I think he came to our reception a half an hour before he was suppose to be there! Such a sweet old guy! He then wanted to know if we would like to drive around the city once we got downtown, and he would show us around. We told him how we just wanted to get to the hotel as quickly as possible and it took us about three times and he reluctantly took us there. We really wish we had a picture with this guy!

I like many others including his Grandma melted when Ben sang to me at the luncheon. It was the first song he had ever sung to me and it's pretty much our song! He sang, "Just Like Heaven," by the Cure. I am not musically talented at all, Ben says he likes to hear me sing but I really think he is just being nice. I though and many others have told him he sings very well and is a great performer! He is so busy with his studies he doesn't play as much. All of his old band members are married and none of them live close together. I really hope its something he will pursue again! I am not sure if you can tell this by now, but I'm sure you have all noticed I am obsessed with my handsome husband!!! He is everything to me and after moving to Arizona I think I have become way more protective. I just feel so blessed I am worried that something will go wrong. Just about a week ago, he was running late and I called him and he didn't answer. I called again and he didn't pick up. He was driving back from the dreaded IKEA which we spent half of our day at... the day before with Erik, Nicole and Owen. We had so much fun with them but had no idea it would be in such a rat race there- we literally were there for what seemed a lifetime. We didn't write down the things we wanted correctly so therefore it was to much of our happiness- oh we were thrilled!!!- Yes we had to go back through the rat maze and write down everything correctly. Any how the bed frame we wanted was so popular that day that they had sold out of them by the time we came back to the warehouse section of the maze. So Ben went the next day before church started to pick up the bed frame and yes right now is where I am getting back to my original story. So he was driving home from IKEA which is like an hour a way and it was almost one and sacrament meeting was about to start and he wasn't home! He wasn't answering his phone and I felt so sick to my stomach. With the way the people in Arizona drive I found myself wondering if he had gotten into a horrible accident. Ben by the way drives like a Grandpa, and I have never felt more safe driving with anyone. So after 10 minutes of him not calling and it already being after one and sacrament meeting had started. I became this emotional mess, my mind began racing that he was injured or worse of all dead. I couldn't help thinking the worse had already happened and I would never be able to make it through this life without him! Luckily he called me minutes into my crying mess and told me he was almost home! I immediately started thanking the Lord I still had my husband and I have thanked him everyday since we met!

I probably most likely will blog about Ben a ton until we have a little one! Which I am hoping to have anytime!!! But Ben would prefer our baby to come after graduate school. So far we are enjoying Arizona and we are truly blessed. I was offered a job a week after we arrived and Ben is enjoying his classes! We unfortunately have lost Ben's camera so all of our recent pictures are gone. Luckily I still have my camera but its pretty out dated. So there will be no glamour shots, but I'll do my best! Luckily I was able to steal some pictures from Ben's cousin Erika :) and my Becky Lou!!! They probably will have no idea until they see this post!!! I know Becky you have this pick on your blog! Stop getting so mad at me... stop it!!! Seriously don't make me say it!!! Fine you asked for it, "You don't hear good!!!" -Oh how embarrassing was that fight we had so long ago on Maui- you couldn't even stay mad at me after I said that now could you :)? I just wanted to end this first long winded post of mine by thanking Becky for helping me meet my adorable husband. Brandon seriously I owe you as well for inviting Ben to that New Year Eve party back in 2006! Who knew that my love for Becky and Ben's love for you would bring us two together? We love you both and our indebted to you for life!!!