Getting Away!

Spring Break could not have come at a better time for me. I felt like my mind was on the verge of a total meltdown with all my different classes and their varying levels of 'fun'. So when that blessed week rolled around, Jared (who was equally tired) and I ran away from the city to the family cabin in Christopher Creek. Needless to say, the first couple of hours we were up there we were a bit shell-shocked. The combination of the quite, lack of internet, and having real nature all around us caused us to wonder around for a bit just soaking it all in.

Luckily, adjusting didnt take too long, and soon we were off experimenting with food (we made pot stickers and stuffed bell peppers for the first time), learning some of the games we got for the wedding, taking walks, and sleeping :) It was great. After 2 'worldly detox' days we were rearing and ready to go down and tackle the rest of this school year, work and the MCAT. For reals, we are very thankful for Nana and Papa for letting us go up there and unwind. It was absolutely what the doctor ordered, and we can't wait to go up again. (though we can wait to get that worn out again)

Jen

(Oh, did I mention that we did masks too? Haha!)

When the Lord wants to tell you something...

So we got a pretty clear message from the Lord last week, but before I just tell you what it is, let me see if you can fill in the blanks yourself:

So our Bishop called Jared up to give a talk in church, but we didn't think much of this one because he had been asked 2 weeks before but that was when we were babysitting the Freeman girls so he couldn't. So this one was just a supposed make-up. His topic was 'The responsibility of members to do _______'.

Then we got a call from a Sister in our ward. She asked us if we could feed these two people in our ward cuz someone else bailed on her. Despite being in the middle of a stressful week, we agreed.

The we got another call from the Bishop because he wanted to meet with the both of us. So we went down and met with his two Counselors (he was sick). They extended a call to us, asking Jared and I to be the Ward ________ Leader and a Ward _________!

*Can you fill in the blanks yet?*

Everything thing is about MISSIONARY WORK! I'm a ward missionary now under Jared, the new Ward Mission Leader! So all in one week Jared gave a talk on missionary work, we got a call to do it all the time ourselves AND we fed the Elders. *phew*

So in this case, the Lord hasn't been very subtle in what He wants us to do. We are a bit daunted cuz the ward has been really dead in this aspect lately, but we are sure we will be able to make some sort of difference because if the Lord took that much time and effort to tell us He is serious about this, then He is going to make a way for us to get done what He needs us to.

Girls, girls, girls!

So last weekend we had the pleasure of babysitting/housewatching for my Uncle John and Aunt Sarah. While they had a much needed little vacation to San Diego (Uncle John had a medical conf there), Jared and I became the parents of 5 girls! (from 13ish to 2).

We had a blast! The girls and I had so much fun, we had a great time playing together and going to the park, baking brownie stuffed cookies, coloring, making puppets and valentines. But when Jared came home from work, things exploded! (where the 3 youngest were concerned)

The moment he got home, they would run through the house shouting "Jared's home!" and then proceed to jump on him and demand games of hide and seek, tag, and to see whatever they had made that day. *sigh* The poor guy was so tired already but it was so fun to see him run around with all the girls and to see them so excited. haha (He did tell me, though, that we arn't having all girls haha)

The youngest, 2 1/2 year old Emma, took a particular liking to Jared. She took it as far as to tell him "You're not married" and to later profess her love to him! She would tell me that he wanted Jared to help her with something and once, when he went to the bathroom, she kept knocking on the door telling him to come out and when he didn't, she went to the outside door (of the bathroom) and kept knocking there. When I would try to get her to come back inside, she would tell me that he was in there and she wanted to wait ("Just one minute").

Also, on most occasions, whenever she would catch us hugging, she would squeeze between us and push us always and/or pull on Jared's arm to pull him away! Haha it was cute (but I'm the one who got to take him home in the end! HA!) :)

Jared and Emma

Julia and Emma playing on Jared

Jared and his ladies

Our little weekend family

In the end, while we decided that we loved every minute of it, we decided that we would like to have one at a time, rather than 5 all at once!

First things first...

OK! I'm back up people! Wooo, its been one heck of a ride here these last couple months. Planning the wedding and taking finals, getting married and moving in, and now figuring out how to be a wife and still be a good student! Feew! Haha.

So I have been wondering about what to blog and I decided to do a list of some "not-your-ordinary list of firsts", so here we go:

First Crock Pot Cooking in a Hotel Room

(First Eating Chicken and Potatoes on the Floor of said Hotel Room)

First Vortex Visit (Sedona)

First Organic Pizza (and soda) Experience

First Jared Buying me a Christmas Present with me by his Side

(First and Last Antique Store Shopping with Jen Experience for Jared)

First Using a Bakery's Wireless Internet while Sitting in our Truck while Raining

First Rose Petals Scattered Dramatically on our Table at Restaurant

First Montezuma Castle Visit for Jared

First Asking Random People to Take Photos of Us

First Playing N64 since the 2000 (Jen :) )

First Craigslist Purchase (and it was an awesome one)

First Time going to Ikea (Jared)

First time Assembling Ikea Purchase Incorrectly but Leaving It Anyway

First Experience Discovering How Long the Hot Water Lasts...burrr

First Reading "Idiots Guide to Gourmet Cooking" Together like it was a Novel

First Leaving Oven on for 2 1/2 hours after Baking was Finished

First Experimental Substitution in a Recipe (didnt work :S)

First Occurance of Spastic Fire Alarm Going Off while Cooking (nothing was burning)

First Attempt at Rice Cooking (the Automatic Timer didnt go off...)

First Husband Feeding Me Ice Cream (as we speak....haha)

Chao!

Hahaha sooo.....

So, I know its been well known for a while, but I guess its time I actually blog about it (schools been crazy!) But I'm ENGAGED! YAY! To Jared! (aka The Boy in some of my previous posts..yes I'm weird like that). He proposed on by birthday, Oct. 8th, by taking me out to breakfast (I don't have class till 12 on fridays) and there he began to give me my birthday present.

First, he made my think I was getting my ring at the restaurant (I knew he had it), but I actually got a different jewelry box which contained a fresh water pearl bracelet! It is so pretty and I love it :) Also inside the box was a key and a note. The note read:

Go to the church on First and Center

Take this key that you may enter

Go up the stairs and take the first door

check the windows I implore

So after we finished eating we went on our way to the church and I followed the instructions and subsequently found the box that holds the ring box sitting on a window sill. I gave Jared a 'oh my gosh, is this it look?' and walked towards it. I have to admit that I was checking the room out, seeing if the ambiance was what I always imagined. I deduced as I reached the box that it was adequate and reached down and opened the box. To my surprise, disappointment (and

relief...my judgment on the room was very forgiving), the box was full of chocolate and another note. Now this part is one of Jared's favorite because he says (and is probably correct to day that) my face fell when I realized it was just chocolate, which I ha

ve to say, I am not a avid eater of. so the next note said.

Go to the temple

To the south side we'll flee

Between two aged ones

Find our Noble tree

Now this one was a toughy. We went to the temple as directed and I just sat there and looked around. I thought the aged trees might mean olive trees since they look so old but I could only

see one and you cant have anything between one, so I was back to ground zero. Then, while looking at some younger trees, I saw something black in one of them. I then suddenly remembered that Jared once pointed out to the trees that his brothers planted at the temple for the Eagle Scout Projects. I asked him if those were the same trees and basically he answered 'yes' (he was trying not to help me) so I walked over there and lo and behold the ring box was in one of the trees! (he had been texting his father, so it had just been placed there). the only problem was, was that it was place rather high up and the blouse I was wearing made it especially hard to raise my hands. So Jared promised to catch it when if I poked it out (he wouldn't get it for me) so he did and in one fluid motion went down on one knee and proposed!

And naturally I said 'yes'!

Jared and I (with my presents and notes)

Quick Update

Hey everyone! Just checking in so you know I'm alive! School is challenging and keeping me busy! And when I do have time, I usually spend it with Jared or Mom, so basically I have no free time! Ahhhh. Haha its all good! I'm just excited my birthday is coming up so I have a excellent reason to not do homework for a day! YAY!

Well see you all around!

9-9-2010...what a day!

So yesterday my world almost ended. And it didn't only because I received many blessing and with some coming from my the most wonderful friend and boyfriend ever. So what happened you might ask...well here is my story:

Yesterday I had a test in my 7:30 class. (Statistics) But also yesterday my homework in the class was due. On my way to class I remembered that I hadn't printed out some graphs I made for my homework and so thus my homework was in complete. I didn't have enough time to go to the computing commons and print it out as this was like 10 min before the test so I went to class and explained what had happened and asked if I could turn it in later that day. Blessing #1: He said yes and was super cool about it. So I took my test.

I then went to my next class, which is immediately after the first, trying to figure out what to do. My graphs were on my laptop and half way through class I realized that I had left it at home because I wasn't going to need it that day since I had no breaks to work on stuff in. And then I realized, though I had enough time after school to go get said laptop, I realized that the institute parking garage gets full on Tues/Thurs and if I left I wouldn't be able to get back in. I texted Annessa to see if she had class after our mutual institute but she did and couldn't take me because she would have been in the same situation as I. And Mom was gone in Cali visiting Melissa and Craig. 'Twas then I realized I had a boyfriend. So I called him after class and told him my problem. He was so wonderful about it. I told him how to get in my house (haha) and he had that laptop at the Institute in like 20 min! Blessing #2

So I haven't really had to print at school before cuz I usually don't forget so I didn't know what do to and how to pay for it because I don't have any money on my Suncard either. So my wonderful friend Annessa escorted me to a place where I could print and walked me through the steps (well really she did it pretty much all for me and even paid the 30 cents....haha well I know how to do it know...did I mention I'm a junior? hahaha) and so lo and behold I had my completed homework. Blessing #3

So now I hopped on my bike and rode to a far away place on campus called the Brickyard to where my Professor's office is. Well actually he is an adjunct prof (so he has a real job and just teaching my class on the side) so I actually had to go to his business. But the door was locked and no one would answer the doorbell! I didn't know what do! I knew he wasn't in his school office but I had no idea how to find him. So I was about to go riding around to look at his school office anyways when I had a distinct impression that I should look at my syllabus to see if he left us his work number. Blessing #4: I looked and lo and behold it was there and he answered and he opened the door and thus my homework was successfully turned in.

It may of been a very small thing (even though it was our biggest homework of the year) but it was important to me and I an very thankful for the wonderful people around me and for the Spirit and for the subsequent promptings I received.

I had a very trying yet blessed day, wouldn't you agree?