Road Trip to Florida!

What a way to start a road trip.  Nate got a ticket, we weren't

 even a whole mile away from his dad's house!

Ha ha!  Luckily he was only going 10 over the speed limit!  

 First stop!!  Yellowstone!!  This was my first time ever being there and it was way fun!  

My mom came on the road trip because she hasn't been too the places that we 

were headed and we are so happy she came!  It was a lot funner with her there! 

 Yes I know I said funner--I like it that way.

This is us getting ready to watch Old Faithful.  

Talk about awesome!!!!!!  Nature is totally cool.

Nate likes us Red Heads!!

Second stop was Mt. Rushmore, but on 

our way, there was a Flintstones Theme Park!  Who woulda thunk? 

 It was kind of funny actually.  We didn't actually go in because it looked like a 

playground for kids but we stopped and scoped it out.  Sweetness!!

Then we got to Mt. Rushmore and we were exhausted!

  But it was worth it.  It was cool to see giant president heads in the side

 of a mountain!  When you're actually there, you can see how big the faces 

really are.

My mom and I :)

Then it was on to Nauvoo!  This was a fun place, they had a bunch of little houses where they talked about the early members of the church and how they lived.  It was so cool, I wish I could stay at home and bake all day!  Oh and we got to sample bread and it was the best ever!

This is the ACTUAL door with the ACTUAL bullet hole. This bullet was the one that killed Hyrum.

This is us at Carthage...the whole time I kept saying Cartilage. 

Yeah, I got laughed at.  Nate's brother Jeff was driving to another state for 

rotations and we crossed paths!  Pretty sweet.  It was so amazing to see where

 Joseph Smith had actually been so many years ago.  He sacrificed so much, 

what a great man!  I'm so happy for our church and all the goodness it brings into our lives!  

I'd be lost without it.

I have no idea what I'm doing in this picture

The next day it was Kirtland.  After Jeff had pointed out how much it bugs

 him when people say Kirkland, I couldn't stop saying Kirkland for some reason!  

This was a super interesting experience.

This was our first temple, but then was taken over by a different

form of religion.  It was weird when they told us

about it because there was no feeling in it.  I guess it's

hard to explain because I'm botching it, but you'll have to go see for yourself!

But it was really cool to see the place where Joseph Smith conversed with 

Jesus Christ!

Fortuanatley, Nate downloaded some pictures on his computer half way 

through the trip because we took even more pictures but we

can't find our camera ANYWHERE!  It is driving me crazy, but we

also went to Niagra Falls, Palmyra, Gettysburg, Washington, and lastly

Florida!

Niagra falls was awesome!  So was Palmyra and Gettysburg.  Washington

was...a little crazy.  We took the metro (subway) into DC and 

then walked everywhere.  It was so blasted hot and humid that we were

soaked with sweat and just so tired!  The declaration of independence was really amazing
to see!  We got cool pictures there but we lost the camera! 

Then we were going to go to the DC temple, but it was closed for 

maintenance!  Lame.  So we drove the rest of the way to Florida and got

here on my birthday!!!

We had soo much fun and we are so happy we did the road trip thing!
We are so thankful that my mom came with us, I hope she had fun!
Cuz we sure had fun with her there!

Pictures of our apartment are on their way!  We just need a camera first.

Fathers Fathers Fathers

I know everyone likes to say that their dad is the 

best...but...my dad REALLY is the best!  When I was younger I had such a hard time with math, he would sit and help me for hours...sometimes I'd cry and definitely complain but he was always there to help me.  The love didn't stop after I moved out.  There was not one day of my whole first college year that I didn't talk to my dad, he spent his time helping me study and just comforting me when I was homesick.  My dad is honestly the smartest man I know!

Now that I am all married I have to talk to my husband about decisions instead of my dad....it has been kinda rough.  Sometimes Nate will say, I wish you trusted me like you trust your dad.  It's not that I don't trust Nate...it's just, my dad knows 

everything!

My dad is the most giving man I know.  He has sacrificed so much, not only for me, but for all my siblings.  I don't remember one day that he wasn't hard at work doing something, he is very productive.

Along with my mom he has taught how to love my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ, he has taught me how to be a hard worker, be persistent and determined, to love myself, and to wear lots of sunscreen!  

I feel like I am the most important person in his life and that his world revolves around me...I think that is one of the most important attributes in a parent!

I love my papa!!!

Nate and His dad

This is the best father-in-law ever!  I am depressed to say that I don't have any pictures with him!  I just want to say how amazing I think Nate's dad is.  He is the nicest, strongest, funniest guy I know.  He has been through so much in his life and he is still so nice!  Now, to me that is amazing because if it was me, I don't think I could be so strong.
He has sacrificed and given so much to his family, he is one of those people that would give the shirt off his back and I feel so lucky to be a part of his family.  One thing that I think is great about him is that he puts so much time and effort to get things ready at the cabin so we can all go and have fun, but I am even more grateful that he raised my husband so perfectly, I could not have asked for anything better!  I love my father-in-law!!!


Now where would I be without my father in heaven!  I am so grateful to him for all that he has given me!  I was blessed with a wonderful set of parents and family, then I was blessed with a wonderful husband and another wonderful family.  I think about my life and how easy I have had it.  I feel like everything has literally been handed to me.  I know my Heavenly Father is real and I am so thankful that he gave his only begotten son so that we could get a body and live with him again!  He helps me in EVERYTHING I do.  I would not get good grades if it wasn't for all the prayers I say.  I love him so much and I look forward to the day I will someday see him again!

How Nate and I met :)

I also wanted to post about how we met.  This may be boring so feel free not to read it.

This is the first picture we took with each other 

Nate and I were in the same singles ward and we had talked a few times.  I would sit by him at linger longers and talk to him at firesides. I thought he was soooo cool.  I was living with my sister at the time and I kept telling her she should date him and she said why don't you date him and I told her that he was too old for me, but we kept seeing each other at FHE and one night at ward volleyball we were talking and Nate told me about how he has been watching Avatar: The last Airbender (the cartoon).  I had already seen every episode like 3 times and I told him how much I loved it.  We talked about that for a while and he said we should watch it together sometime.  But he didn't ask for my number, he just kept talking about something else so I said "So do you want my number?"  Haha I am kind of pushy and not very subtle.

Then he would come over and we would watch the last Airbender together and he so did not act like he liked me.

Now I grew up in a total texting generation and Nate didn't so I would text him that was fun!  We should hang out again sometime and he would either not respond or respond in two days.  I thought he didn't like me but I really liked him.  We hung out for a month and half before he asked me out on a date.  Where we went to a haunted spook alley and then hung out "by" the browning center.  He was nervous about asking me out because I was barely 18, but we get along better then I've ever gotten along with anyone before. Partly because Nate is so patient and loving.

Then three months later he told me he loved me while we were in the browning center.  We dated for about 4 more months and got engaged at the browning center and the rest is history :)

Mother's Day!

Ok so I know that top right picture is just really blurry but its the only one I have of this weekend!  Nate and I went to Delta for three days and spent the day with my parents.  We made it a mother's day weekend and we gave her something everyday of the weekend.  And to our delight some of my other siblings showed up too :) my mom got the book "I want to be a mommy" for me and my sisters for mother's day.  It is really cute and definitely a good read!  

I just want to write a little about my mom!  She is wonderful, beautiful, patient, nice, giving, loving, charitable, she always smells good, I should just say she is perfect!  She has this soft voice and when she yells it still sounds sweet.  My mom calls me her velcro child and that is because I love to follow her everywhere!  Now I know that's weird, but when I am with my mom I feel happy and calm.  One of her many attributes that I love is that she ALWAYS listens to me!  Now I can really talk a lot and I try not to because I know I'm really not that interesting, but my mom makes me feel like the most interesting person in the world!  She has always been one of my best friends, but she really became my best friend in high school.  She always knew just what to say (even if she didn't think so)  I was the only one at home for 5 years and we spent a lot of time together.  Man did we know how to shop!  I cherish those memories that I have with her forever!

Nate's mom and him

This is my other mother that I have never met!  As many of you know, Nate's mom died when he was young, but she is still always with us in spirit and I would feel bad if I didn't give her any credit on mother's day.  From the things I have heard, I imagine her to be kind, loving, very giving, pretty, strong hearted, and just a good person to be around.  She has to be perfect if she gave birth to my perfect husband Nathan ;).  When we were at home in Delta my mom told us how she would love to meet Nate's mom and we talked about her for a little bit and we all cried together!  Even though it's hard to understand at times, Heavenly Father's plan is perfect!  I know she is always with us and I can't wait until the day I get to meet her!

Our Florida Trip

This is us in our hotel

This is us at the outlets in Florida, they are awesome!
The ultimate shopping...aka my mom would love this place!

We went to Downtown Disney one night
The only free thing with Disney!

Woody and Buzz behind us are made of all
legos!  Soo cool!

Me holding the eldest wand--yes
for 2 whole minutes I had all the power
in the world!!

Hogwarts was so pretty! We want to move in!

Butter Beer was so delicious, this is a must have

SOOO Cool!!  This is us in Hogsmeed/Diagon Alley

 Harry Potter world was awesome!  Nate and I love Harry Potter soo soo much!  We also went into Olavander's Wand Shop and I got picked out of the crowd and they acted out the scene from the first Harry Potter where he gets his first wand!  It was so cool, I couldn't stop smiling.

Me getting All Flavor Jelly Beans!

Nate's sweet butter beer mustache 

We became super heros

Nate got to name a dinosaur baby, it was awesome! 

Disneyworld!!

Ignore my giant head

I brushed a goat's hair!

Nate petting a lizardy thing

Yes we were this close!

Somehow this gorilla got a towel?  I think he may have just
gotten out of the shower!

The above pictures are on the Safari Ride at Animal Kingdom.  It was awesome!  None of the animals were in cages so some of them got really close!  Especially the giraffes!  We saw more animals but I didn't want to post them all because I just posted a million pictures!

Uh-oh we're in trouble now

Messing around on the ferry

This is us eating at Rainforest Cafe, expensive but fun and yummy!