Rich and Mari

Our Life Lately

2011-12-19T15:40:00.001-07:00

This is the absolute worst! It happened to me on my last final, Pharmacology. 5 A's in a row! That is not supposed to happen. I proceeded to have a mini anxiety attack but you'll be happy to know I finished my final and got decent grades. I am just happy this semester of over! I have worked really hard this semester and even though I am only 3 days into my break, it has been blissful.

My aunt Nonie and her husband Ed and my grandma Eva came in to town from Texas. It was so fun to see them and spend time with them. They were so happy to meet baby Betty. She loved Nonie and Grandma. We had a lot of fun with them while they were here and I wish we all lived closer so we could see eachother more often!

Rich's family did their annual chocolate dipping night. It was super fun and yummy! It is definitely one of my favorite days of the year. Next year, we are dipping pringles. I hear chocolate covered pringles are the best, it sounds a little nasty to me but it will be worth a try. I know this picture is horrible, I need a better camera.

Oh and I just have to say, how handsome is this man? I think he is a hottie and I am so glad that he is mine.

And now we are off to this place...

Life couldn't be better.

Wish List

2011-12-19T09:51:00.010-07:00

I have been SO good this year! Hopefully I made the nice list. SANTA - here is what I want if I made the cut...but I would be happy with just one of any of the following things!

1. iPad2
2. Juicy Couture 'Ed To The Stars' iPad case
3. Madewell leopard print side walk skimmer flats
4. Heritage antler weekender bag
5. Dolce&Gabana The One perfume
6. Ed Hardy perfume
7. Tasha Crystal stretch bracelets
8. Tory Burch Dawn embellished hemp and cotton-blend T-shirt
9. Nars Lip Gloss In Chihuahua
10. Glitzerland-OPI-Gold

My Niece

2011-12-17T15:07:00.002-07:00

I just adore my new little niece. She is so sweet. She looks so much like my brother Zach. I love her so much! This is the first grandchild on my side of the family so we are all just enjoying every minute we get to spend with her. How can you not love that little face?!

Worst Blogger Ever

2011-10-29T21:30:00.016-06:00

I fell off the face of the earth for a while there. I have finals in a week so life has been a little nuts around here. So here is my update.

My sweet hubs had a birthday in October. He is 27 now! Crazy. The day before Rich's birthday, I got the stomach flu. It was the worst. I could not even move without puking my guts out! So for his birthday, we hung out and watched movies at home. He did get lots of presents though, and he deserves it for being so wonderful. I just love him so much and I have no idea what I would do without him.

Our great friends Brooke and Chas had a new beautiful baby girl. She is so sweet and we are so happy that she is finally here!

Ang, Jord and I had a girls night to go see Breaking Dawn and, shockingly, it was actually good! I thought the other two movies were so cheese ball, I found myself giggling through the entire thing, but this new one is pretty good. We all really liked it. I love girls nights. One of my best friends, Ang, is moving out to the state in January to be with her husband who is in the military. It is going to be so sad to see her go but I am very excited that she gets to finally be with her hubs.

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. We did dinner at my parent's house and dessert at the Jones's. It is always a great time with the fam. I feel like Rich and I both scored getting the coolest families ever. We both really do have the greatest parents and siblings.

Just a few days after Thanksgiving, the most beautiful little girl came into my life. Zach and Jess had their baby. She is absolutely gorgeous. I just love her so much. She looks so much like Zach's baby pictures. She is the first grandchild on my side of the family so it has been really fun for us. We all can't get enough of her. They don't come more perfect than her.

I feel like my life is school right now, that is why I suck a blogging. When I am not at school, I am doing homework and when I am not doing homework I am thinking about all the homework I have to do! I only have 2 more weeks until my much needed Christmas break. AND my aunt Nonie and my Grandma are coming from Texas in a couple weeks, I am super excited! If I can only make it through these next two weeks...

Italy, My Future Home!

2011-10-19T13:08:00.080-06:00

For Rich's job, he was asked if he could go to Italy to help with a couple conventions and selling some inventory that he created. The CEO Jeff and his adorable wife Abbie also invited me to come along! I was sooooooo excited.
Italy is truly amazing, I know I say that about a lot of things, but there are not even words to describe my love for that place. This post is going to be long. We left Utah on Thursday morning and our first flight took us to JFK. There were a ton of planes that needed to land, so we were stuck in the air for 20 extra minutes and I was actually happy about it. We got to see an amazing view of the city and from a girl that has never been to NYC it was breathtaking. Just seeing it out of the airplane window was absolutely spectacular. We then flew to Italy. The first city we went to was Jesolo where the first convention was for Rich's work. The same day we flew in, we had a black tie dinner than night. We were exhausted to say the least, but I was still so pumped because this was going to be my first Italian experience. we went to this nice restaurant with a bunch of Italians. They are seriously so nice! There were a couple of people that gave small speeches in Italian of course, we don't speak Italian. At the end of one of their speeches, everyone stood up and started clapping and all the women went to the front of the room to cut the cake. Kiara, an Italian girl that works for the company my husband works for, grabbed me and said, "all the women cut the cake, c'mon!" so me and Abbie, the confused Americans, went up and helped cut the cake. After, I asked Kiara why they do that and she said so simply, "because women are very respected in our culture; the women bring the life." I loved that. In a literal sense, women do bring life with bearing children but I think in most homes, the women actually bring the life to the home. On Saturday, we were still in Jesolo and had the conference all day long. We wore headphones that relayed a translator so that we could understand what they were saying. A lot of times the translator wasn't talking or just saying "ummmmm...so...ummmm." she must have been new or something. Because of that, we had a true "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" experience. when they clapped, we clapped, when they stood up, we stood up. After a long day at the conference, Abby, Jeff, Rich and I went out to get pizza. The restaurant owner didn't speak much English and we didn't speak any Italian so when we ordered pepperoni pizza, this is what we got.

The conference in Jesolo ended Sunday. Right when it was over, Abbie, Rich and I headed to the beach, took a couple pictures, met up with Jeff, got in a taxi and headed to the dock. We then took a private boat out to Venice.

I can honeslty say, veince is the most magical place I have ever been. I loved every minute of being there. It was a wonderful experience. Our hotel was one street away from Saint Marks Square so we went there the first night we were there. It was such a pretty place.

The next morning we went on a gondola ride around the Grand Canal. It was probably the most gorgeous thing I have seen. It took us into little ally ways and by the famous Rialto bridge.

Our gondola driver sang to us in Italian. It was sooo pretty!

Later that day, we spent our time wandering around Venice. It was so fun. Every turn held something new and exciting to see. We walked through Saint Marks Basilica, it was also very pretty. After, we took a walk to a park just outside the city. We saw all these cute little neighborhoods. I seriously could live there.

Everything there was just so amazing. Even our water taxi pickup was so pretty.

We were all sad to leave Venice. We took a boat to the train station and a train to Milan, switched trains and went to Arona. I wasn't super excited to go to Arona, I had never really heard of it before but it turned out to be one of my favorite places in the world. It was absolutely gorgeous. It's a small town that sits on a lake. This was our view from our hotel balcony.

The night we got in Adele, the Italian GM for the company my husband works for, took us to the nicest dinner. Arona is her home town so she knew all of the history behind everything. We took a little boat out to a private island where we had dinner. the island where we ate dinner was directly across from an Italian prince's castle. Apparently all the royalty gets married at the castle.

The next day, we spent the day having Adele show us around arona. I dont have any pictures of it, but you could see the Swiss Alps from the lake. The lake was gorgeous.

This is Rich, Jeff and Adele. We are so thankful for her, she did so much for us while we were there. This trip wouldn't have been half of what is was without her.

I know we have Smart Cars in the U.S. but every car there was as small, or smaller than a smart car. If I had to drive one of these, my knees would be up to my shoulders!

That night, we took a flight into Rome. Rome is an awesome city, and it is huge! There is so much to see. I could have been there 5 months and still not see everything. Our hotel in Rome was gorgeous. I am pretty sure it was the nicest hotel that has every existed.

This is a view from Jeff and Abbie's balcony.

The day after we got in, we toured all day! Our first stop was the Spanish steps.

Then we went to the Trevi fountain. It was huge and beautiful. We threw our coins in over our shoulders so that we would be able to come back someday. (Someone told us that this fountain makes about 1000 Euros a week!)

After the fountain, we passed the forum

and then we went to none other than the COLOSSEUM! It was built in 70 AD. I love almost two thousand year old buildings! It makes the oldest U.S. history look like it happened 2 weeks ago.

I loved every second of being there and I took a million pictures.

Right outside the colosseum is Constantines Victory Arch. It was awesome.

We then went to the Pantheon. It was built in 448 BC. It was amazing to see something that old still maintaining such great structure. It is by far the oldest thing I have ever seen.

The next day we went to the Vatican, which is on the opposite side of rome as the Colosseum and Pantheon. It was pretty amazing. The enormity of these buildings cannot be captured in pictures!

Our last stop was Fuiggi. It was so pretty. It had kind of a Park City feel to it. It was a smaller city and the temperature was a little chilly. I was only in Fuiggi for a day and we were in the conference all day so I didnt see much. This is a pic from our balcony.

I was so sad when I had to leave but so thankful I got to go. It was the trip of a lifetime and I feel very blessed to have been able to see Italy. It was such a beautiful country. Rich and I were talking about how we feel like we really saw and experienced Italy. We saw the mountains, the vineyards, Rome, Venice, lakes and the mediterranean sea. We feel like we had the best traveling companions. Abbie and Jeff were so fun. I feel like we spent the entire trip laughing and having such a great time. Everyone should go to Italy. You will LOVE it!

Italia

2011-09-25T18:15:00.001-06:00

Guess where I'm going?! I am sure you all already guessed Italy because of the blog title but here are the places IN Italy that I am going.

Arona is right outside of Milan so hopefully we will get to see Milan too! How did I get so blessed. When I heard we were going, I almost passed out. Going to Italy has been my dream for years and I am so glad we are going now. The timing couldn't be more perfect. I am far more blessed than I deserve. When I get back, you all better be ready for a picture overload!! I cannot wait! Only a few more days! woo hoo!

7th Grade Flashback

2011-09-24T09:16:00.006-06:00

When I was in 7th grade, my mom bought me a 3 barrel curling iron or waver as I like to call it. It was the cool thing back then and I waved my hair a lot in 7th grade but I stopped and I literally have not used it since i was 13. Don't ask me why I still have it because I couldn't tell you.

Fast forward almost 10 years and here I am, I see the waver in my drawer and think, "I'm going to try and wave me hair today, ya know, change it up a bit."
This is what I got...

On a scale from 1-10, how crazy do I look?

I am pretty sure I am a 12 or something. It looks like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket. After I did it, I realized how completely insane I looked but I didn't have time to wash and style my hair all over again. I, unsuccessfully attempted to tone it down and this is what I got...definitely not as bad as before, but definitely not my most beautiful hair moment.

Good thing the only person I care to look cute for is my husband, so when he got home from work, I asked him, "Babe, what do you think of my hair?" Rich gets this huge smile on his face and says, "Well, it's not my favorite, you kind of look like your still in middle school or something." haha. FAIL.

3 barrel iron + Mari = 7th grade all over again.

Bedroom Facelift

2011-09-18T14:23:00.000-06:00

So my bedroom needed a facelift. Seriously. It was dark and boring and I was pretty sick of it. Here is what it looked like BEFORE.

So I got some new bedding and cute pillows and BAM. Here is what it looks like AFTER

Isn't it just amazing what some Target bedding can do for a room?!

ReMoDeLaHoLiC

2011-09-17T11:45:00.008-06:00

AH!!!!
So my FAVORITE BLOG of all time is featuring MY blog!! I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!! It is called Remodelaholic.com. My "Fall Wall Decoration" blog post will be featured on September 26th at 4:00 Utah time! Click on the link below to see their website. It is amazing and you will be addicted for life. They have so many great ideas!

This is my blog post that is going to be featured if you want to check it out in advance:)
-http://richandmari.blogspot.com/2010/09/fall-wall-decoration.html-

Wishes for Fall

2011-09-16T10:58:00.017-06:00

SCHOOl IS BUSY!! I have been so busy and I am only 2 weeks into this semester. I have read more in the past week than I have in my entire life but on the bright side, I am learning so much. I love what I am learning about and I can't wait to someday apply my knowledge and help someone. Here is a picture of some of the knowledge I may or may not be able to apply some day. I might have a some serious back problems this semester...I'll keep you posted.

I am honestly just so thankful to my husband who supports and loves me through everything. He has been my rock through good times and not so good times. He is hands down the best decision I have ever made.

I am loving this weather right now. It is like 75 during the day and 55 at night. Not too hot not too cold. Loving fall. Rich has his flag football games every Wednesday and we are, of course, enjoying going to those. There are SO many things that I want to do this fall that I, sadly, might now have the time to do with school.

1.I want to go to NYC in the fall. I have never been but I hear it is absolutely gorgeous. I mean come on look at this picture. How can you not want to be there.

2. I want to go see my baby cousins in Oregon. They are turning one soon and my heart just aches every time I see a picture because I am not there watching them grow up! They are the cutest little things I have ever seen.

3.I really want to see T-Swift in concert on September 28 but I don't have tickets and I don't want too pay 500 bucks to get one! If someone has the hook ups let me know!

4. I want to got back up to Park City with my best friends and do the Alpine Coaster again. We went in October last time and it was absolutely gorgeous. There is no possibiblity of this wish happening. Jen is on her mission and Chile and Brit is back in Philly. I guess Jord, Ang and I will all have to go together. J & B will be there is spirit:)

5. And last but definitely not least, I would like to go to a Jazz game with my man. That might not even be possible because there might not even be a season this year. I guess we'll have to wait and find out.

Fugly Fashion

2011-09-03T16:26:00.032-06:00

Gages make we want to barf. I know it is a personal style thing but fitting your fist through your earlobe is not ok.Every time I see someone with gages my earlobes cry a little bit for theirs.

Some other personal style things that I can't stand are jean short shorts. If your pockets are longer than your shorts then you need to reevaluate your outfit and possibly your life.

The melt. Some melts actually look really good, especially brown going into a caramel color, but going from dark brown to platinum blonde just makes you look like you need to go back to the trailer park where you came from and fix your nasty hair.

The double popped collar. As if popping your collar wasn't stupid enough, people have to start double popping and triple popping and quadrupal popping like this kid below. And why does he own 4 of almost the exact same color polo anyway?

The harem pants...I honestly shouln't even have to say why these are NOT ok but obviously some people think they are pretty cool. Those people must also think that wearing "depends", or any other brand of adult diapers is cool because that is exactly what you will look like when you where these. Someone needs to tell this girl she has a giant load in her pants.

Who decieded that high waisted jeans were cool? I do not care if you are a 100 pound supermodel, these will STILL not look good on you. Somebody please stop this madness!

Ed Hardy stopped being cool when John Gossling started thinking he was cool wearing it...or was it ever really cool? It always just looked white trash to me. Affliction shirts also fit into this catagory.

Baseball hat with the sticker still attatched. Why? It makes you look like a theif, or just a complete idiot.

Skinny jeans on guys. Yuck. Guys, save yourself the embarrassment and everyone else the torment of seeing you in these.

Oh this is only the tip of the iceberg. Much more madness to come!

ME Time

2011-09-03T13:35:00.024-06:00

My sweet hubs has been the busiest person on the planet this weekend! The company that he works for is having their annual convention in Salt Lake. We went to a dinner with some of the people that work for his company from all over the world at Glen Wild in Park City. It was stunningly gorgeous. There was the most amazing firework show I had ever seen that night. Besides being with him on Friday at the dinner, I haven't seen him much since Wednesday, so I have just been one lonely wife.

I seriously have missed my man like crazy but I have gotten a lot of ME time in.
I have had time to paint my nails. My favorite color right now is this color called Park Ave. I am such a perfectionist when I paint my nails. It probably takes me a good 45 minutes to get it perfect, so it's always a good activity to do while the hubs is away.

I gave myself a facial. My pores needed some serous tlc and now they are much better. I love this product. Hands down the best grocery store face mask. My skin feels silky smooth every time after I use it. Please ignore the fact that I look a little crazy in this pic.

Got some really fun reading for school done! *sarcasm*

Watched some 48 Hours: Mystery. I love shows like this. They are so interesting but they make me paranoid. I always think that I am going to get stabbed when I turn a corner in my house after watching shows like this.

I have read blogs blogs and more blogs. People have such entertaining lives and such cute families. It's so much fun to see what everyone is up to.

I watched Just Like Heaven. I saw this movie a long time ago and forgot how much I loved it. Reese Witherspoon is so gorgeous, can I please just look like her for 5 minutes!

And how could I forget...Pinterest! I cannot stop looking at cute clothes, amazing photographs and gorgeous homes! I just can't get enough. If you don't have a Pinterest account you should get one...or maybe you shouldn't because you will probably spend too much time on it, like me.

Although my ME time has been quite wonderful this week, I have really really really missed Rich and am looking forward to some much needed WE time! Good thing we have labor day on Monday!

Tat

2011-09-02T10:19:00.008-06:00

Got a tat! What do you think?

MMMMK it's not mine BUT I think wrist tattoos are so cute. I think that a lot tattoos are trashy but for some reason the wrist tat is adorable to me. Still there is nothing that I would want to draw on my body forever and I definitely don't want to run the risk of getting hepatitis...yuck!

Oh and mom if you're reading this, I am just messing around, I would never get a tattoo for real...just interesting to think about:)

Rio Salad

2011-09-01T11:37:00.005-06:00

I found this recipe on pinterest. The first time I made it with just the pork, beans and ranch but you seriously have to make the rice to get your full Cafe Rio experience. Follow the recipe, it is seriously delish and not that hard (believe me, if it was hard I would not be able to do it!) You will not regret making this for your husband/fam, my hubs loves this meal.

Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). Add guacamole and sour cream. Add crushed tortilla chips, a shake of Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch dressing and there you have it! (makes about 6 salads)

(scroll down to see the rice, beans, pork, and ranch recipes all together...)

SWEET PORK:
2 pounds pork (we like to use boneless pork ribs)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can diced green chilies
3/4 (1oz) can red enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE:
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

CILANTRO RANCH:
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

The Help

2011-08-30T11:44:00.003-06:00

You MUST see The Help. It was amazing. Everyone needs to see it. It's definitely on my top 10 favorite movies now. It was such an inspirational story. \

Oh, Irene.

2011-08-27T09:06:00.003-06:00

So I guess this is why we're asked to have food storage, huh?

I have never been in a hurricane before and PRAY that I will never have to be in one. While Rich and I were watching the news last night they were interviewing people that live on the coast that were supposed to get hit the hardest. They said that they were not going to leave! WHY?! Why, if there is a mandatory evacuation, would you not leave? It absolutely blows my mind.
My little brother is in South Carolina on his mission right now and I about had a heart attack when I found out about this hurricane. I called my mom in a panic and asked what city he was in. Thankfully he is not near the coast and SC didn't get hit very hard with it. He probably is just getting lots of rain right now BUT now this hurricane is causing tornados. I can't believe that the east coast has been hit with earthquakes, tornados, and a hurricane within a matter of days. How unfortunate. I guess this should just be a lesson to me and everyone else who was fortunate enough not to be close to this disaster to be prepared for anything.

Happy Anni to Us!

2011-08-23T19:58:00.006-06:00

Wow...these 3 years flew! Here is what we did to celebrate 3 years of marital bliss.

We went to park city for the weekend. We shopped, hot tubbed, ate and relaxed.

We went to the alpine slide...we raced...I won, but only because he caught up to a little boy going. BUT a wins a win...

We went to the zoo...SO much fun! We are just big kids at heart.

I am so thankful I married Rich. He is really awesome. I love him more every day!

3 Years

2011-08-20T23:43:00.002-06:00

Happy anniversary to the best hubs in the world. I love you Rich, you are the absolute best.

3 Years on PhotoPeach

Summer

2011-08-05T11:03:00.003-06:00

I have been reading lots of your blogs lately and everyone else is doing so many fun things this summer! It makes me jealous while I am sitting inside studying, but I just keep telling myself it will all be worth it. I am hoping that in the fall it will be much easier to focus because there won't be all these great summer things going on. I am SO burnt out right now. I have one more week of classes and then finals. I just have to get through these next two weeks so I can actually breathe!!!

I have a lot to look forward to though.

1. My anniversary is coming up!
2. It's almost flag football season, so every Wednesday I get to go watch Rich play.
3. I have a 2 week break that I am sure will be pure bliss.
4. FALL. I cannot wait. Fall is the best.
5. My core nursing classes! I have Fundamentals of Nursing and Pharmacology next semester. Call me crazy,but I am pretty stoked for it.

I am going to try not to stab my eyes out in these next two weeks...wish me luck!

Rich and Rain

2011-08-03T10:57:00.003-06:00

I have to write this down so that I don't forget it!

Last week Rich decided to take is scooter to work. He works only a few minutes away from our house so he does this a lot during the summer, but he ALWAYS checks the weather before he takes the scooter. So last week, the company he works for took everyone to go see the movie Captain America. Here is how our conversation went...

Me: Hey is the movie almost done? I'm home now.

Rich: Probably 20 minutes left.

Me: This is quite the storm outside (I didn't notice that he took his scooter at this point.)

Rich: Are you serious? I have my scooter.

Me: Are you kidding me? It's hailing. I am not letting you drive home in this. Call me and I will come pick you up.

I didn't get a response so about 5 minutes later i start to drive to the movie theater. I am just driving down our street in the HAIL and I pass Rich, on his scooter, with a HUGE smile on his face. It made my day. When we both got home, it literally looked like he had jumped in a swimming pool in his clothes. It was the best.

Fast forward to the next day...24 hours later...

Again, the weather says all sunshine but of course again rich gets caught in the rain on his scooter. Day 2 of this happening. It was hilarious but I think Rich finally learned his lesson.

1 year!

2011-07-01T19:06:00.002-06:00

My little bro Caleb has been out on his mission for 1 year!! It has actually gone by pretty fast, it feels like yesterday that we were dropping him off at the MTC. I hope this next year goes by super fast because I miss that boy like crazy. He is so amazing. He is the highest baptizing missionary in his mission. What an awesome kid!

i am the worst

2011-06-24T15:03:00.009-06:00

I get the award for worst blogger ever. I haven't blogged in a looooong time. So here is an update on what we've been up to.

We went on a cruise to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta. It was lots of fun. One of the things that we did was take a boat out to lovers beach. It was really pretty. The rock formations there are gorgeous.

Us hanging out on the deck watching the playoffs

The HUGE marlin that someone caught and hung up on the street...sick, but still kinda cool.

We also did lots of relaxing and hanging out with the fam.

We went to Les Miserables. It was so good. I loved it. Their voices are absolutely amazing.

We found out that we're going to have a new NIECE! So exciting.

We went to Strawberry Days with Garrett and Emily. It was my first rodeo and it was a blast! I am definitely not a country girl so I was surprised that I liked it so much. Oh and the strawberries were delish...

when i am rich and famous...

2011-05-29T23:03:00.003-06:00

This will be all mine!

3

2011-05-15T09:28:00.000-06:00

3 years ago my sweet husband asked me to marry him. Wanna hear the story? K I'll tell you anyways.

Rich told me he needed to get some t-shirts and the mall so we went there and were just walking around. I kept suggesting shirts to him and he was kinda not so interested. After being there for about 45 minutes, we went back to his apartment without buying a single shirt for him. I was just expecting it to be like any other night, hanging out with friends doing something pretty low key. When I walked in the apartment, I was stunned. There were candles covering the entire room and the table was set for us. He asked me to marry him and it was the sweetest thing ever. After, he played and sang me a song called Forever by Ben Harper that we would later dance to at our wedding. It was so sweet. Here are some photos from that night.

My First Day!

2011-05-09T20:52:00.007-06:00

So the night before my first day of nursing school, I was feeling really anxious and nervous about what was to come the following day when I got a knock at my door. This is who I saw...

My best friend Jord! She is a RN and she brought me the "nursing school essentials; when you feel like you are literally going to die, you eat your yummy snacks Mar! That's why people gain weight in nursing school!" haha I love her and am so thankful for her friendship.

So here I am on my first day...

It felt like the first day of kindergarden again. I was so nervous but it ended up being really good. I really like my teachers. The only downside is that I already have a TON of homework:)

Mamas Day!

2011-05-08T08:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Mothers Day to the greatest mom EVER.
She is patient.
She is kind.
She is beautiful.
She is funny.
She is supportive.
She is attentive.
She is loving.
She is forgiving.
She is Christlike.
She is smart.
She is amazing.
She is everything I want to be when I am a mom someday.
Love you mama!

Changes

2011-05-07T08:56:00.005-06:00

I just absolutely adore my little brother Caleb. He is funny and smart and just all around an amazing kid but he does have one flaw. He is NOT good at writing letters. As many of you know Lub is on his LDS mission in Georgia and he writes us every Friday. Usually it is really brief. He'll write about who he's teaching and that he loves it there but really he hasn't told us a lot of stories or details or things he loves because he always seems so busy and rushed while he is writing.
Yesterday was my orientation for nursing school. It was 5 hours and I was just jammed with all this information. It was honestly a little overwhelming. After I left I was kind of upset. I do not handle change well and this is one of the biggest changes I have ever gone through. I left my job where I was so comfortable, I was good at what I did and I loved working with my friends. I left it for nursing school, a subject I know little about and I have never been one to excel at school. After my orientation i just felt this overwhelming feeling of anxiety like I absolutely could not handle this change. I got up to my mom's house and I opened the email our family received from Caleb. Here is just a little bit of what he wrote yesterday.

If there's one thing President Bowman has taught me, it's that change is the greatest thing that can happen to us in this life. Change is the gospel. That's why there are so many changes every 6 weeks in the mission. That's why we as a mission are constantly applying new policies so that we can change and become more effective.

A few months back, President decided to do some 'Emergency Zone Conferences' during week 5 of the Transfer (which is very unusual). President Basically talked for an hour & a half about the importance of change. At one point he shared about how people on pacific islands catch monkeys. They drill holes in coconuts & put bits of food in the center. When monkey reaches in and grabs the food, he can't pull his hand out b/c it won't fit in the hole. But b/c the monkeys won't let go, they sit there, sometimes for days, until they're caught. Sometimes we're monkeys. We won't let go of some things that really don't do us any good or help us reach or full potential. Holding on to the comforts of life will make us miss out on the much greater blessings. In Zone Leader Council a few days ago, President Bowman announced that we will be going from 5 Zones to 4 Zones in the mission.

President also told us a story from after his mission while he was dating Sister Bowman. He had spent the weekend w/ her down at her home, & was now heading back to BYU for school during the week. It was late & he was driving on a windy 2 lane road w/ hills. As he drove alone, a voice from the back seat said boldly, "CHANGE LANES." His head immediately turned to look for the person sitting in the back seat, only to find that no one was there. He continued driving a few seconds more, when the voice came once again saying, "CHANGE LANES." After frantically checking once again, he thought to himself, "Mark, it's late. You're alone in this car. Why not just change lanes." So he did. No more than 5 seconds after changing from the center lane to the outside lane, a sports car w/ its lights off going over 120mph zoomed past him, driving on the wrong side of the road, in the lane he was just driving in. Without the voice of warning, exhorting him to change lanes, Mark Bowman would have been killed that day. Sometimes when everything in life is going the way we want and expect, God closes a door in our direct path and says CHANGE LANES! He does this because he loves us. Because He knows exactly what we need to find the greatest peace & happiness in this life. We simply do not know. We don't know the future. We don't have it planned out, nor should we, or else we would eliminate God's power in our lives. President Bowman concluded that Zone Conference by announcing the Dissolution of the Mission. God closed a door for me that day, but I know for a fact that he opened another door that will lead to greater blessings.

Caleb had no idea how I was feeling that day but getting that email was an answer to prayer. It is just what I needed to hear. If you're not changing you're not progressing. I feel more ready for this next chapter I'm my life than I ever have before. I love him so much. Below is Caleb and me at the temple the day before he left on his mission. I love that kid to death. I can't wait to talk to him tomorrow!!

The Royal Wedding

2011-05-03T15:42:00.004-06:00

I didn't wake up at 2 am to watch the wedding live but if I would have known how intrigued I would be by all this wedding stuff, I probably would have. There have been probably 100 specials on tv about William and Kate and the wedding and I watch them whenever I get a chance. Kate looked absolutely stunning. She looked just like a princess. She was so classy and composed. I loved her dress. I loved the long sleeves on it. It was gorgeous! The whole ceremony was magical to watch. It was a celebration of their love laced in so much history and tradition. I wish I was there in England watching the whole thing go down, I can't believe they didn't invite me:) But seriously when they have a baby and that baby grows up and gets married, I'm going to London to watch it for sure!

My Birthday

2011-05-03T15:18:00.000-06:00

My birthday week kicked off on sunday when my mom made my favorite meal and some delicious cupcakes for me. It was so fun to just hang out with the fam and see everyone and celebrate of course.

Wednesday happened to be my last day at work and my friend Crystal decided to throw me a mini birthday party. She bought me balloon and made me the best cake balls ever. Seriously. My last day was so bitter sweet. I am sad to leave all my red cross friends but I am very happy and excited to start the next chapter in my life.

That night after work, I was bumming because my last day was over and I already missed my job. I pulled into the garage expecting to have a pretty low key night. I walked in the door, hit the lights and "SURPRISE!!!!" So many of my friends and family were there at my surprise party. It was so fun! I am so thankful for everyone who came. I have always wanted a surprise party and I honestly had no idea that it was happening. Rich is so sneaky.

Thursday was my actual birthday and it was eventful to say the least. The morning started out with my phone breaking so it wasn't a strong start. My mom took me to lunch and then we went shopping at Forever 21 which made my day a lot better. It definitly finished strong with Tucanos with my family and then going home to a bunch of gifts that my hubs got me including a NEW PINK TENNIS RACKET! Soooo cute.

The weekend ended with a trip to Park City with my sweet husband. Over all it was a blast. I am so thankful for everyone that made my birthday special!

First Date

2011-04-21T10:08:00.002-06:00

Today marks 3 years from my first date with the hubs. I am not sure if I have ever told this story yet so hear it goes...we'll start from the beginning.
Rich had been hanging out at my apartment lately. He was friends with my 2 roommates Jen and Jord. I thought he was SO hot but I never thought he would be into me. So here is where the story really begins...I was a work (waitressing and Brick Oven) and I had apporoxmatly worked 14 hours that day and had left with approxamatly 13 dollars in tips all thanks to the wonderful Utah Valley tippers. I got off late and I was bumming because I didnt make any money really. I got in my car and looked at my phone. Rich asked me if he could take me out to dinner for my birthday over the weekend. I was SO excited but I didn't think he actually liked me. I thought he was just being nice because we were just friends at the time. I worked over the weekend and so I told him that I couldn't but Monday I was available. On Monday before he picked me up I am pretty sure I peed like 11 times because I was so nervous. We ended up going to CPK. He was so sweet. I wish I could go back and just watch us on our first date. After dinner we just went back to his apartment and watched the Jazz game and then we rented a movie and watched that. We were up late just talking and having so much fun. I had to have him.

This is us on our first date.

We hung out every day that week and on that Thursday I invited him to come to a Jazz playoff game with me (my dad used to have season tickets.) After the game we drove up to the U on the mountain in Salt Lake. It is an amazing overlook to the whole valley. We got out of his car and were looking out and he leaned in and kissed me. It was by far the best first kiss ever. He just melts my heart. I love him so much.

This is us on the night of our fisrt kiss.

The past 3 years have been bliss and there are many more too come:)

My Big Announcement!

2011-04-15T12:05:00.001-06:00

First things first. My announcement is NOT that I am pregnant. I know that is what ya'all were thinking. I know you so well.
A couple months ago, I was thinking about my life and what I want to do with it. I am at the point in my life where I really need to decide what to do. There has been a particular issue that has been weighing on my mind lately and I honestly don't think I am prepared for what I want most in life. So I started to think about things that I love about my life and also things that I could improve on. I started to think about my job. I love my job. I work with awesome people and I love the fact that I get to play a small part in helping someone everyday. Then I started thinking...I have known for a long time that I need to go back to school, but I have not been able to get motivated or decide exactly what I want to do. What can I do that is extremely rewarding and involves helping others? So here is my big announcement. I am going to nursing school.
I am absolutely terrified but I honestly feel like it is exactly what I am supposed to be doing right now. I feel very fortunate to be in the situation that I am in right now and that I actually have to opportunity to go to school. 2 of my best friend and RNs and they are absolutlely amazing. They love what they do are take such pride in their profession. I have already quit my beloved job to do this. It feels like the first day of kindergarden again. I have having so many thoughts and nerves about going back to school. But on the bright side, I will be graduated as a Registered Nurse in December 2012, right before the world ends (haha). I start soon so wish me luck. I'm gonna need it:) And I'll just leave you with something that inspires me...enjoy!

...

2011-04-14T15:53:00.000-06:00

I will tell you all about it later:)

7 Days

2011-04-07T11:41:00.004-06:00

For me, 22 seems SO much older than 21. Everything is exciting up until your 21st birthday. Then something strange happens. You turn 22 and absolutely nothing exciting happens and you are just instantly older. I don't like that. So I am going to enjoy my last 7 days of being 21 and who knows, I might just keep telling everyone I'm 21 forever.

Also, last night was a quite eventful one. At 1:45 in the morning Rich woke up in some really intense chest pain. His breathing was really shallow and he said it was painful to breath. I told him if it wasn't better by 2 that I was taking him to the hospital. Rich is the opposite of dramatic (the opposite of me haha.) When he is sick he thinks that waiting it out is always the best option but last night he was in so much pain that he gladly jumped in the car with me and let me take him to the ER. When we got there, he described his symptoms. They gave him an IV, did some blood work, did an EKG, did a chest x-ray and hooked him up to all sorts of monitors to measure his heart rate, oxygen and breathing. It was pretty intense but after about an hour and a half of waiting for the results the doctor came back and told us that all of his tests came back normal. He told us if it starts to get bad again for him to come back in but until then just to take it easy. I was relieved that his tests came back normal but at the same time I'm worried because they still don't know whats wrong with him. We are just going to watch it and if it gets bad again we will have to go back and really figure out what the issue is.

On a happier note, I love this picture. I could look at photography all day long. This picture reminds me of how much I love spring.

J-Bun

2011-04-04T18:18:00.004-06:00

One of my best friends is leaving on her mission this Wednesday. I am so incredibly sad that I am not going to see her for 18 months. Jen is the type of person that cares so much about her friends. I can't remember one time when she was too busy to talk to me or to be there for me when I have needed her. She is truly one of the most genuine people that I have ever met. Everyone loves Jen and she loves everyone back. It is going to be hard to not be able to pick up the phone and call her whenever I want but the people of Chile are going to absolutely adore her. She does everything with love and her mission will be just that. Spreading love through Santiago. I love her SO much and I know she is going to be amazing.

APRIL FOOLS!

2011-04-01T21:50:00.007-06:00

This year I wanted April fools to be awesome. I have dropped the ball the last few years and I really didn't want it to happen again this year. I woke up in the morning and I told Rich that it had snowed last night. He didn't believe me and told me that it was supposed to be the hottest day of the year so far. Shut down. So then I got a better idea. This is what I put on my facebook.

I got 35 comments on it and a handful of calls and texts asking if I was really pregnant. My Grandma even called my mom and asked it if was real. There were some people that were skeptical but a lot of people were really sweet and congratulating me. Let me clean the air...I am NOT pregnant. Haha my friends are so sweet. Happy April Fools!

Pizza

2011-03-28T21:30:00.009-06:00

One of the things that I most love about the hubs is his determination. Last Wednesday he saw a video on MSN about making your own pizza. He watched it and...yep you guessed...he was immediately interested in making his own pizza. Later that week he went to the store and bought all of the ingredients. I should probably say that Rich does not cook very often so when he was actually making homemade pizza, I was a little shocked. He made one BBQ chicken pizza and one pepperoni. He even made the pizza dough from scratch. It was absolutely amazing and SO delicious. I am very proud of him:) SO...WE ARE OPENING OUR OWN PIZZA FACTORY! haha just kidding. But a lot of our friends want to try it so there will be lots a pizza parties to come!

YUM!
\

OH and I ALMOST forgot. The best holiday of the year is coming up...MY BIRTHDAY! I can't wait. My birthday takes about a 7-12 days to fully celebrate it. You bet I will be blogging with all the deets.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2011-03-17T08:36:00.000-06:00

Surprise!

2011-03-15T09:32:00.010-06:00

Last Saturday we got a surprise for my best friend Jen. Jen is going on a mission to Chile on April 6th and her farewell was last Sunday. The day before her farewell we thought we would take her out to dinner the night before to calm her nerves and just have a fun time. Rich and I met her and Jord at the restaurant and talked for a while. I was trying to keep her attention on me so she wouldn't be looking around to see who else was coming. I was asking about anything possible. Her mission, boys, what she is ordering, her necklace. Then her surprise came. Brit and Kade walked in. When she turned and saw them at our table she screamed and then just started sobbing. It was the sweetest thing ever. Brit and Kade live in Philly so Jen didn't think that she was going to Brit until after her mission and she was really sad about it. Brit called me and Jord and we set up this plan. It was so fun and it brought tears to all of our eyes to see Jen so surprised and so happy. After we just went back to my house, had rootbeer floats and just talked for the rest of the night. It was so good to have us all together one last time before Jen leaves. She is such an amazing person. She loves people so completely and she is going to be the most amazing missionary Chile has ever seen.

Daylight Savings

2011-03-12T20:15:00.003-07:00

The Negative
This is one of the things I hate the most. I know that it was for farmers back in the day but who is it for now? I think that the only reason that we still do it to mess up people's sleeping schedules. Waking up an hour earlier kills me every year.

The Positive
More sunshine! The more vitamin D I have in my life the happier I am. That means after Rich gets off work we have more time to play tennis and go on walks and just spend time together out in this beautiful world. Since "springing foreward" means that spring is on its way then I say bring it on! I am done with winter.

Ugh.

2011-03-12T10:38:00.004-07:00

I am sick. I HATE being sick. Especially on Saturday when I could be doing so many other fun things but instead I am just laying here in bed with zero energy. AND the worst part about it is that it is supposed to be a beautiful day today. Bummer for me. So I am going to look on the brightside of being sick.

-I don't have to clean today.
-I get to relax all day.
-I get to watch movies. I love movies.
-I get to read my book.
-I get to write this blog!
-I get to read all of your blogs.
-I get to paint my nails.
-I get to lay in my comfy bed.

and the best part is

-I get to get better so next weekend is better:)

Les Miserables

2011-03-09T09:06:00.007-07:00

A couple days ago my mom bought my family tickets to Les Miserables! I have never been but I am so excited to go. Everything that I have heard about it is amazing. People say that is is the best thing they have every been to. I am so excited. I kind of want to read the book before we go but it was written in 1862 and it is over 1400 pages. I don't think that I have ever read a book that was written before 1950 so it makes me nervous reading a book that old. Will it bore me to death? Either way, I can't wait for May!

This is my favorite song in Les Miserables. It is amazing. Listen.

I dreamed a dream (glee cast version)...

This MP3 was found at Dilandau MP3

Stupid?

2011-03-07T16:30:00.006-07:00

A couple weeks ago Rich and I were in the car with my parents. We were talking about my next birthday when I will turn 22. This is how the conversation went.

Me: My birthday is coming up. 22. That feels so much older than 21. I will be double digits again.

Mom: Mari, you have been double digits every year since you were 11.

Rich (laughing hysterically): You guys are both retarded. You have been double digits since you were 10.

I tell you this story because sometimes, (once a day), I say things before I logically think them through in my head. I am a little impulsive. I like to get up and go before I actually think my idea through. Sometimes my ideas end up great and sometimes not so much. I don't fail every time:) Is this a personality flaw or not? To attempt to sway your opinion in my favor, I'll leave you with this Diesel ad.

Saturday Quotes

2011-03-05T11:19:00.005-07:00

I love quotes. I have decided to do a Saturday quote every saturday. We'll see how it goes

This quote has been hanging in my mom's house for years. It is one of my favorites. Sometimes I get so caught up in life not being fair and worrying about everyone else that I lose sight of what this life is all about. This quote brings me back.

"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."

Mother Teresa

:)

2011-02-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

Bubbles

2011-02-27T15:22:00.008-07:00

I love bubbles. They are neato. I have liked bubbles ever since I can remember, but today, I love them.

Rich and I teach nursury in our ward. We love our calling and we love the kids they are so much fun. The kids are great but towards the end of the day, they are getting more tired and grumpy, probably due to the fact that nursery falls during most of their nap times. They have trouble sharing and being nice in general as any tired 2 year old would. My mom gave us a bubble machine and today was the first day that we have used it. For the last 10 minutes of the class we turned on the bubble machine and the kids were in awe. They loved it. Maybe they loved it too much because when it came time to leave, most of them started crying and wanted to stay. So today, I am thankful for bubbles. Happy Sunday!

Long Hair Please...

2011-02-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

I would cut off a limb to have hair like the girl above (not really but maybe). I have wanted my hair to be long FOREVER. My hair has the hardest time growing. I swear I have the slowest growing hair in the universe. I cut my hair short in February 2009 and since then it has grown a whole 6 inches. Your hair is supposed to grow 1/2 an inch a month so my hair grows half as fast as the average person. Soooo annoying. I found this article about growing hair. I loved it and I am going to try everything on the list. We'll see how it goes.

1. Throw away your dryer nozzle --Unless you have thick, wavy hair which you need to dry dead straight, your nozzle unnecessarily concentrates heat and can lead to excessive damage. Keep a one inch gap between your hair and the end of the dryer.

2. Always use conditioner -- Shampoos open the cuticle to clean, conditioners reseal the surface cuticle for protection, shine and comb-ability.

3. Color your hair professionally -- Choose a colorist that cares about condition and quality and is up-to-date. Modern tints are much gentler on the hair.

4. Use a deep conditioning treatment at least once a week -- This will help restore suppleness, reduce breakage and maintain the vibrancy of color.

5. Use a professional saw-cut comb -- Moulded plastic combs often have imperfections on the teeth which can lacerate the surface cuticle, aging the hair prematurely.

6. Do not use a brush to take out knots on wet hair -- When hair is wet use a wide tooth comb to gently ease out knots from the ends first, working up to the roots. Don't believe the myth of brushing hair 100 times before bedtime. Once it's brushed, further friction just wears it out quicker.

7. Always protect your hair in the sun -- Hats or scarves are best, protective treatments come second. The UV rays of the sun break down the molecular structure of hair, which unlike skin, doesn't recover its appearance within a few weeks. Long hair can take years to renew.

8. Trim ends regularly -- Trim every three to eight weeks depending on length and style. As the ends decay and disintegrate, they look tired and unattractive. Any splitting can also travel up the hair shaft if not caught in time.

9. Choose a good stylist -- The right haircut, well-executed, can save you 95% of the time you may be spending 'over styling' your hair.

10. Use a little light wax or moisturizing cream on dry ends -- This will protect and keep the hair looking and feeling healthier.

I know lots of my blogger friends either do hair or have long lucious hair. I would LOVE to hear if you have any tips of your own to help my hair grow.

You Know You're From Utah When...

2011-02-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

I saw this a few days ago and thought it was pretty funny...I love Utah:)

1. You can correctly pronounce Tooele.
2. You know the difference between a "steak house" and a "stake house"
3. You can find similarities between a ward basketball game and an L.A. riot.
4. You have used the words: fetch, fudge or flip.
5. You have apologized for using the language above.
6. You have more wheat storage than most third world countries.
7. You've gotten both heat and frost burns off your car's door handle in the same month.
8. You think Jack Daniels is a country western singer.
9. Cars in the slow lane are traveling the fastest; cars in the fast lane are traveling the slowest; cars in the middle lanes are always trying to exit.
10. You've never had a Mormon missionary knock on your door.
11. Your neighbors complain about where they live, yet refuse to return to the state they moved from.
12. The U is not just a letter - Neither is the Y.
13. You drink Diet Coke from a brown paper bag.
14. You have broken down on the freeway and more than one car has stopped to help you.
15. You know how to make frysauce.

Day #30

2011-02-20T14:30:00.002-07:00

A photograph of yourself & three good things that have happened in the past

1. I married a man that adores me. He spoils me and he loves me and I love him just the same. We're lucky.

2. I have fabulous friends and family. There are not words to describe my love for these people.

3. I really have enjoyed my life thus far. I have so many amazing memories with amazing people. I love my life!

I can't believe the 30 days is over! I am actually really glad it is. I kinda dropped the ball at the end there. ALSO, I know that a lot of Rich's friends read this blog that don't necessarily know me. Rich and I would love to read your blogs so leave a comment or email me at maririddle2007@hotmail.com.

Day #29

2011-02-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

Something I could never get tired of doing.
This is a hard one.
I think if I was doing almost anything a lot I would get sick of it.
I don't think I could ever get tired of spending time with my man.
After all, too much of a good thing can be wonderful!

Day #28

2011-02-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

My FAVORITE movie!

I absolutely LOVE this movie. It is so funny. I laugh my butt off everytime I see it and it never gets old.

Here are a few movies that were close seconds.

Day #27

2011-02-15T13:32:00.002-07:00

A picture of you last year and how you have changed since then.

I feel like I have made a lot of changes in the past year. I have grown up a lot. This past year has definitly been one of the most difficult years of my life but I have learned so much. Here are a few ways that I have changed in the past year.

1. I am more patient.

2. I have learned to love people no matter what the conditions.

3. I am a more forgiving person. I am so glad that others have been able to forgive me and I would be crazy not to pass the love on.

4. I am skinnier. I went through a fat phase last year at this time. haha.

5. I am a home owner.

6. I understand more about saving money than I ever have.

7. I have learned to see the good in people. I work with a lot of crazy people but every one of them has amazing qualities about them.

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-13T19:49:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Valentines on Saturday and my love got me flowers a new memory card for my camera. I got him a card and a shirt. I am not a big V-Day person. I never have been. I like to keep it pretty low key but I do like to express how much I love my sweet hubs. If you couldn't tell you obviously don't read my blog very much. He's is the best. We just went bowling, went to Tucanos and came home and watch a movie. Here are some pics...

Oh and check out my cute v-day heart!

I love this song...its perfect for v-day and the little girl is so cute!

HAPPY VALENTINES!!

Day #26

2011-02-13T08:22:00.002-07:00

A photo of somewhere you have been.

This is me in Hawaii on my honeymoon. I love Hawaii. There is nothing like a Hawaiian sunset.

Day #25

2011-02-12T16:52:00.013-07:00

What's in your purse...

Silk and Shine Chap stick. It is the best chap stick ever. It makes your lips so soft.

My travel hair brush.

My wallet of course.

My hands get so dry, especially in the winter. I keep Twilight Woods lotion in my purse. It smells so good.

Altoids. I love em.

My phone.

My daily planner. I am lost without it.

Tylonel. It saves my life some days.

Mac Gloss

Orbit maui melon mint gum. I love Maui, I love melon and I love mint. It really is the perfect combo.

Day #24

2011-02-09T10:26:00.004-07:00

A photo of something that means a lot to you.

My wedding ring. My mom gave me the stone. My dad gave it to my mom for their 10 year anniversary and she ended up upgrading. Rich gave me the setting and my eternity band. I love my wedding ring. It is obviously my favorite peice of Jewelry. When Rich proposed to me he gave me my diamond ring and in the temple on our wedding day he gave me my eternity band. It has diamonds that go all the way around it. It is such symbolism to me that our love can never be broken. It's a continuous circle. Just when I think I could not love that man more, he proves me wrong.

Day #23

2011-02-07T16:42:00.008-07:00

15 facts about me.

1. I don't like pickles but I crave them and when I eat them I cringe because they are gross. You don't have to tell me I'm weird. I already know.

2. I love clothes that are right out of the dryer. So warm and soft.

3. I am absolutely addicted to HGTV.

4. I knew Rich and I were going to be together the first day I met him. Cheese ball I know but it's true.

5. I love rainy days. Some days I wish I could just pack up and move to Oregon so I could be in the rain all the time.

6. I love movies. Good thing we got netflicks.

7. My dream is to go to Italy, eat gelato and see the collesium.

8. I love watching Oprah and I am really sad that this is the final season.

9. Spring is my favorite season. By the time winter is over I am so ready to go outside and play.

10. I love to swim.

12. My favorite quote is "Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of that candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

13. I love red hair, I just don't have the guts to try it.

14. I get stressed out really easily.

15. Family is everything.

Day #22

2011-02-07T15:56:00.006-07:00

A letter to someone who has hurt you recently...hmmm....nobody has hurt me recently so that is out the window. Here is letter to someone that I really look up to.

Dear Oprah...

haha just kidding.

Mom-
Thank you for being the best mom ever. You are the most compassionate person i have ever met. You have taught me so much, mostly through your example to me. I have always admired you. I have always been able to come to you with any problem I have ever had and you can always find the best way to help me, even if its just letting me cry it out. You have taught me how to forgive because you are the most forgiving person. You always give people the benifit of the doubt and you always can spot the best qualities in people. You let me make my own mistakes but were always there when I needed help fixing them. I am so thankful for you. I don't know how I'd survive my life without you. I don't think I ever can. You are an amazing and beautiful person. I love you so much. Happy birthday in 10 days!
-Mar

Day #21

2011-02-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

A photo of something that makes me happy...

how about a bunch of photos of a punch of things that make me happy.

Saturdays almost always make me happy. I usually don't have work and Rich never works on Saturdays. That means that we get to spend the entire day together.

Waimea bay can always put a smile on my face. It is the most beautiful beach ever. When we do family trips to Hawaii, we go to this beach almost every day that we are there.

I love the Draper temple. It is the temple that I attend most often. There is no place in this world where I have experienced a stronger feeling of peace then I have in this temple.

Cupcakes. They are by far my favorite dessert.

My best friends. I love having girls days with them. Sadly we have all spread out so we don't have the chance to get together very often. Brit is in Philly, Ang is in Washington, Jord is in nursing school and super busy and Jen is going to Chile on a mission.

I love getting letters from Caleb. It makes my day reading them and seeing what he is up to. He has had such success on his mission and I am so proud of him.

These two girls bring such a light into my life. They are so adorable and they have they cutest personalities ever. They are so much fun to be around. I feel very blessed that they are in my life.

My family always makes me happy. I love every single one of them.

My Richie always makes me happy. I am one lucky girl.

If you had to read everything that made me happy you would be reading for all eterenity and I would be blogging for all eternity so these are just a few. I feel very blessed to have so many great things in my life that make me so happy.

Day #20

2011-02-04T13:52:00.000-07:00

The meaning behind your blog name.

My blog name is Rich and Mari. It is my blog name because I am Mari and my husband is Rich. I write about our life together...I really should get a little more creative and make up a really cool blog name like a lot of my blogger friends. Any suggestions?

Day #19

2011-02-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Another picture of yourself.

I really didn't think I was going to miss a day, but life happens and I couldn't swing it yesterday. Here is a photo of me about 19 years ago.

It is funny how my hair has changed over the years. When I was little it was strawberry blonde then it turned to blonde blonde and now it is dark blonde or light brown, whatever you want to call it.
I love this picture because it is with my older brother Zach and my younger brother Caleb. Growing up we were always divided into the big kids (Zach, Caleb and me) and the little boys (Sam and Jake), so some of my best childhood memories come with these two little boys. Zach was always the smart one in our family and he always looked out for his younger siblings. My mom even said that he saved my life when I was little. He for sure saved my life when I was 17 getting hammered by waves and getting sucked out by the under toe further and further. Caleb was always the funny one. He can put a smile on anyone's face. When we were little he would kick the small waves at the beach and say "is that all you got ocean?!" and then another wave would come and knock him right on his butt. It has been hard without him here the past 7 months. I know he is out doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing. I just have hard Caleb days where I miss him really bad and all I want to do is sit on my parents back deck and talk to him like I did before he left. Today is one of those days.
I grew up with wonderful parents but Zach and Caleb made my childhood really special and full of laughter and fun. I love them for it.

Day #18

2011-02-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

Something I crave a lot.

Costco's mango salsa with whole grain tortilla chips...mmm.....

Day #17

2011-02-01T07:09:00.001-07:00

A photo of your family...

This is my cute family.

I have the coolest parents ever. Seriously. I have always felt really blessed to be able to have a good relationship with my parents. We have always got along. Even when I was a teenager. They are so much fun to be around. Love them:)

My brothers are awesome. Growing up we definitely had our hard times where we fought a lot but as we have grown older we have become closer and closer. It has been so much fun to have them in my life. They are awesome.

In 2008 I got a new family! They are seriously awesome. I really think that I have the best in-laws. They are so much fun to be with. Even from the beginning they were always so welcoming and loving. I love them:)

And last but definitly not least, the most important member of my family, Rich. He is really the only member of my family I got to choose and I must say, it is the best decision ever. He is the most bomb hubs ever. He rocks my world.

Day #16

2011-01-31T18:52:00.001-07:00

Who is your celebrity crush...

Day #15

2011-01-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

When I was taking a picture of my keys and cell phone together, Rich asked me why I was taking a picture of my keys and phone. I told it was for my 30 day blog challenge. He said "oh is this the blog about the 2 things you lose constantly?" ha Rich. Very funny. This is about the 2 things I can't leave the house without.

The keys are a must. I wouldnt get very far without my car. When I forget my phone, I feel like I am missing a limb. I cannot even function.

Zach

2011-01-30T15:05:00.003-07:00

My older brother Zach went through the temple yesterday. It was such a special experience for me. It was so great to have him in the temple. Here is a pic of Rich, Zach and me.

This is Zach and his gorgeous wife Jessie.

Day #14

2011-01-29T09:37:00.002-07:00

Some of my favorite TV shows...

Modern Family is one of my favorite shows. Everyone that I have talked to that has seen this show loves it.

Parks and Rec is by far my favorite tv show right now. Every episode I am hysterically laughing.

And of course Glee. Rich is not a big fan of this one but I have never missed an episode. Its addicting. I love it.

Day #13

2011-01-28T06:29:00.001-07:00

My favorite musician and why.

Regina Spektor is probably one of the weirdest musicians ever and that is why I love her so much. Everything that she does is genius. I have yet to hear a song that I don't like. She is so incredibly talented and she has the most unique voice. All of her songs are nothing like I have ever heard before. She writes about whatever she wants and some of her songs are really random and kind of crazy. This song is called Folding Chair. It is one of my favorites.

Day #12

2011-01-27T10:15:00.001-07:00

A photo of the city you live in ....

We live right by Thanksgiving Point. It has gorgeous gardens and a really pretty golf course. They hold at least 10 fun events every month. The fireworks are amazing on the 4th of July. Especially since all I have to do is sit on my front steps to see them.

The Lehi Roller Mills is probably the most famous place in Lehi. It has been around since 1906.

Although Thanksgiving Point is the most beautiful place in Lehi and Lehi Roller Mills is the most historic place in Lehi, The Dinosaur Museam is by far the coolest place.

Day #11

2011-01-26T10:11:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Day #11

A picture of my makeup bag.

I do not have makeup bag but this is my makeup drawer. It is a hot mess. I have a lot of makeup.

These are my top favorites

1. Olay moisturizer. My skin gets SO dry in the winter so I am constantly putting this lotion on my face. It is fragrance free, not oily and it is sensitive to your skin. Love it.

2. Falsies Volume mascara. I recently got my lash extensions removed. I thought that my lashes would be fine but a lot of them fell out. I tried a bunch of different mascaras but falsies was the only one that actually made my lashes feel like they were full. P.s.- My lashes are growing back...slowly:)

3. Mac eyeshadow is a must. I also use brown Maybelline shadow. They are both great. I'm not too picky about eye shadow.

4. Maybelline dream liquid mouse. It doesn't make your skin too heavy and you don't feel caked.

5. Mac gloss. It gives you the perfect amount of shine.

6. Last but definitely not least is Bobby Brown Bronzer. It is my favorite. I always feel a million times prettier when I am tan. This way I look like I have a tan without actually having a tan.

Day #10

2011-01-25T22:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of my favorite place to eat

This is my parents house. It is by far my favorite place to eat. My mom is the best cook. Sunday dinner is always amazing. It gets better. Everything the woman bakes is delicious. People love coming to their house just because my mom always has something amazing to eat. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Day #9

2011-01-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

A picture of the last item I purchased.

I bought that little black table at ikea. I have been looking at a table pretty much since we moved in last March. I have been on every website and into every store. My thing is I don't like spending money on stupid things like a side table. My friend Jen needed a book shelf so she wanted to go to Ikea, and I tagged along. I saw that black table for 7.99!!! So I bought it. It isn't the cutest thing ever but it is like 80 bucks cheaper than any average thing I have seen.

Day #8

2011-01-23T08:33:00.001-07:00

A song to match your mood.

This is one of my favorite songs. I have absolutely no idea what the song is talking about so if any of you french speakers could translate that would be great.

There is nothing like a little Hall and Oats to put you in a good mood. This song (below) is my favorite scene of one of my favorite movies. enjoy:)

Day #7

2011-01-22T06:00:00.002-07:00

Your dream wedding.

I feel very blessed to have actually lived my dream wedding. Rich and I got married in the Salt Lake temple on August 21, 2008. We got married at 9:30 am. We took pictures outside the temple for what felt like hours and then we got ready for our luncheon at the Joseph Smith memorial building. The room we had was so pretty. It looked straight out to the temple. Later that night we had our gorgeous reception at Thanksgiving Point in the Loggia garden. It was seriously so beautiful. I loved every second of my wedding day. Most of all I loved getting married to the most perfect guy for me, awwwwwwww...so cheesy but so true. The only thing that I would change about my wedding day is that it wasn't so short! It went by way too fast. Here are some photos of my very own dream wedding.

Day #6

2011-01-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

A photo of an animal you'd love to keep as your pet.

How cute is this baby elephant? I mean really. The other day I was watching Oprah. She had a little segmant on an elephant orphanage in Kenya. They find baby elephants who have lost their elephant families and they take them to this orphanage, feed them and take care of them. The goal is to eventually release all the elephants into the wild and so far they have released over 1000. The elephants develope such close relationships with their keepers that they come back to the orphanage to visit. Many come back after they have had a new baby to intoduce their baby to their former keepers. It was seriously the sweetest story. Then Oprah dropped a bomb. She says "AND YOU TOO CAN ADOPT YOUR OWN BABY ELEPHANT!" I lost it. I must have my own baby elephant. Go to this website. It will show you how to adopt your own too.

www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

This is the video that they showed on Oprah about the elephants!

OH...and my baby elephants name will be either Ellie the elephant or Coco just because Coco is a cool name.

Day #5

2011-01-20T09:22:00.001-07:00

A photo of yourself 2 years ago.

I always told myself that after I got married I would dye my hair brown. I had seen so many beautiful girls that had brown hair and I thought that I should at least give it a try. I got married in August and went brown in November. After I did it, I hated it. I thought it was the worst decision ever. I knew that going back blonde was going to fry my hair but I did it anyways. Looking back at pictures of my hair brown, I actually kind of like my hair brown. I might try it again someday. We'll see:)

Day #4

2011-01-19T12:16:00.001-07:00

My favorite photograph of my best friend.

This is my best friend Brittany.

I met Brit the beginning of my junior year of high school when I transferred to Alta. We became friends almost instantly. We have had some of the best times together. Brit and I went through a little Tina Turner phase. We would listen to Proud Mary pretty much every time we were in the car. When we were 17 we decided to adopt 2 fish. We named them Sparkles and Yoyo. They died 3 weeks later. Hopefully we can do better when we have our own children to look after. We have had a blast together. Now we are all grown up and married. She is living in Philly with her new husband and I miss her every day.

On B's wedding day, it was set up for her reception to be outside. It was so beautiful and it was pouring rain the entire time. So many other girls would have been so sad and had the worst attitude but B was the exact opposite. She was the happiest I have ever seen her. Dancing in the rain and having the time of her life. This is just an example of how Brit lives her life. You cannot help but be in a good mood when you are with her.

I truly believe that if every person in this world could have a best friend like Brit, this world would be a better place. She is the kind of person that just cares so much about others. I don't think that anyone who truly knows Brittany could dislike her in any way. She radiates light. I love her so much and I am so thankful for her friendship in my life. Many more fun times to come BEE!

Day #3

2011-01-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

My idea of the perfect first date...this is a tough one. This is going to be a combination of a bunch of dates rich has taken me on. It might be a little far fetched but it will be perfect.

First things first. My perfect date would not be perfect without this guy.

Because it is important to actually get to know someone on the first date, we would start out our date at Waimea Bay, one of the most peaceful, beautiful places in the world. That way we could talk with our toes in the sand.

Then we would go to this place for the best meal ever.

What would the perfect first date be without a good Jazz game where we win against the Lakers? done.

And of course, there would be fireworks.

Sounds pretty perfect huh?

Day #2

2011-01-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

So my blog today was to take a picture of something I ate today, so here it is.

Chicken Verde is what I made for dinner tonight. Let me start out by saying that I am not a good cook. When I read a recipe with more than 5 ingredients my brain literally shuts down and I cannot read any further. My friend from work sent me this chicken verde recipe a couple months ago and I decided that I would finally try it today. So I wrote down everything I needed and went to the store. The recipe called for Rotel. I do not know what rotel is and I did not bother to look it up before I left my house. I walk around the store for 20 minutes trying to find this Rotel and I have not luck. I am too embarrassed to ask anyone what Rotel is because I am sure that I am the only person on the planet who doesn't know what Rotel is. So instead of Rotel I get enchilada sauce and leave the store. I could not get a hold of my mom so the next great cook source is Brittany H. She has 2 kids and the girl can cook. She explains to me the Rotel is diced tomatoes and diced chilies. I then realize that my enchilada sauce substitute will not do. I put in some salsa that I had at my house. She tells me it is really hard to mess up a crock pot recipe. If someone could mess it up, it would be me. It sure was an adventure today but the chicken turned out great. Oh and I love my crock pot. She is my new best friend.

Day #1

2011-01-16T20:39:00.004-07:00

A photo of myself and a description of how my day was. Here we go.

Today was a fabulous day. Sundays are usually great. Today I was thinking about a funny memory. When I was a teenager, it was really cool to say f, freak, fudge, fu, and anything like that. My dad was getting so sick of all the inappropriate language or almost inappropriate language as we saw it. He sat us all down and said we are not going to use any more f words in this family. My brothers and I, being as mature and respectful as we were, began to name all of the f words we knew. Faith, family, friends, fun, freedom, you get the idea. My parents just laughed and rolled their eyes at us. I am really thankful for my parents for not kicking me out from ages 11-17 for my rebellious spirit and bad attitude. I think they are glad that they didn't kick me out too because I think they like me now a lot more than they liked me 8 years ago. Now the main reasons I love Sundays are because of all the F words. Today we went to church and heard a talk about FAITH. We went and saw my FAMILY and ate really yummy FOOD. Oh and we gave FANKS for all of our blessings. (does that F word count?)

30 Days

2011-01-16T20:18:00.009-07:00

My friend Liz is doing a post a day about all of the stuff below. It is honestly so much fun to read, so I am doing it too. A blog a day for 30 days...here it goes.

Day 1 - a photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.

Day 2 – A photo of something you ate today.

Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date.

Day 4 – Your favorite photograph of your best friend.

Day 5 – A photo of yourself two years ago.

Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet.

Day 7 – Your dream wedding.

Day 8 – A song to match your mood.

Day 9 – A photo of the item you last purchased.

Day 10 – A photo of your favorite place to eat.

Day 11 – What’s in your makeup bag?

Day 12 – A photograph of the town you live in.

Day 13 – Your favorite musician and why?

Day 14 – A TV show you’re currently addicted to.

Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without.

Day 16 – Your celebrity crush.

Day 17 – A photo of you and your family.

Day 18 – Something you crave a lot.

Day 19 – Another picture of yourself.

Day 20 – The meaning behind your blog name.

Day 21 – A photo of something that makes you happy.

Day 22 – A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.

Day 23 – 15 facts about you.

Day 24 – A photo of something that means a lot to you.

Day 25 – What’s in your purse?

Day 26 – A photo of somewhere you’ve been to.

Day 27 – A picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?

Day 28 – Your favorite movie.

Day 29 – Something you could never get tired of doing.

Day 30 – A photograph of yourself today & three good things that have happened in the past

Projects

2011-01-10T09:06:00.005-07:00

Mr. Rich Jones (the hubs) cannot sit still. It has been exactly 57 days since we finished our last project, painting the kitchen cabinets. The man can't not be doing a project. I really thought we were going to take a six month break...I was wrong.

Rich has so far
1. Made our little nook for our tv wider so our tv actually fit in it.
2. Put built ins in our closet.
3. Put knobs and handles on all our kitchen cabinets and drawers.
4. Finished the basement which was our biggest project.
5. Painted all of our kitchen cabinets.
6. Painted the railing on our stairs.

Now he wants to start a series of new projects.
1. Painting both bathroom's cabinets
2. Putting a back splash in the kitchen
3. Putting a bathroom in the basement
4. Putting a ceiling fan in our bedroom
5. Paint the garage
6. Put shelving in our storage room and in our closet in the basement.

I am not sure if it is ever going to end. By the time we are finished with all the projects, it will be time for us to buy a new house and then he can start all over again. I am going to gush about him for a minute because he is seriously the best. We have saved so much money because he can do it all himself. He is so talented and hard working. I love him for doing all the projects. There isn't a day that goes by that I am not so incredibly grateful for him. Everything that he has done has made this house our home.

2010

2011-01-04T15:45:00.028-07:00

My 2010 was awesome. At the end of every year I look back and reflect on all of my experiences from the year. I think that I have learned more in 2010 than I have learned in any other year of my life. This year has had a lot of ups and downs. I have learned more about patience and love this year than I ever would have imagined. I feel like sometimes I go through my day to day life not realizing how blessed my life really is. In 2011 I am going to try to find the positive in every situation, even the hard ones. There is a great quote by President Thomas S. Monson, it says "Our task is to become our best selves. One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final." Here is a look back on my 2010.

We rang in the new year on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. I must say, that is the way to do it. It was a blast.

We took a quick trip to St. George with my family. We loved getting out of the cold weather and into the sun.

We bought our first home!

I turned 21!

This kid got his mission call to Macon, Georgia and left at the end of June. He has been out 6 months now! We are so proud of him.

We took a trip to the beautiful north shore of Oahu with the fam. It was so fun.

Rich and I went to San Diego with my parents.

My best friend Brit got married.

Rich turned 26!

This year we got a new niece and a new nephew! They are both adorable.

I was able to go to Portland to meet the cutest twin babies ever.

Christmas with the fam was the perfect way to end the year.

I am excited for what 2011 has in store for us!

~Christmas~

2010-12-25T21:38:00.005-07:00

1. We get to celebrate the birth of the coolest person ever. Jesus.
2. Spending time with family.
3. Amazing uplifting music.
4. Giving presents.
5. Receiving presents.
6. I love the weather this time of year.
7. Food...yum!
8. The spirit of Christmas.
9. Hilarious Christmas movies.
10. My new favorite....Talking to my little brother!

So we got to talk to Caleb today. He is doing so good. His mission's goal for the year is to have 1000 batisms. As of today they are at 980. So close. I really hope they can get 20 more in the next week to meet their goal. I am so proud of Caleb. He is such an inspiration and blessing to our family and I feel so blessed to be his sister. Talking to him was definitely the highlight of my Christmas.
We spent lots of time with friends and family this Christmas and it made it so much fun. We love seeing everyone together and hanging out with everyone. I am so thankful for my family. Seriouly. They are awesome.
Also if you are looking for a way to help this season go to this website

fightinghunger.walmart.com

All you have to do is 'like' it on facebook and the community that gets the most support will receive a million dollars to help fight hunger in their community.
Merry Christmas!!

Wish List...

2010-12-19T10:26:00.010-07:00

What I want for christmas this year is....

THIS! Canon EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR Camera with Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS lens! AH!

And these adorable Pumas

And a hobby lobby gift card...

And maybe one of these (it's not gonna happen) but i'm holding out for next year!

Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-14T21:07:00.003-07:00

Every year we do gingerbread houses with the Joneses. Gingerbread houses are not my strong suit. I just do it because its fun. I consistantly have the ugliest house, My 4 year old nephews house looks better than mine. Its cool. At least I have fun. Here are some pictorials.

Tis the season!

2010-12-14T20:47:00.008-07:00

I love Christmas decorations. Growing up, my mom always decked our house out with christmas decorations (she still decks her house out, I will post pictures soon.) The decorations always help bring in the Christmas spirit. This is our first Christmas in our new home and I was all too excited to get the decorations out. SO, 2 days before Thanksgiving, Rich agreed to help me put up the tree. It was so much fun to put up our decorations together. Rich also put up christmas lights on our house. Here are the pics...

Our lights. Please excuse the recycling can in front of our garage. It is WAY too cold out there to take another picture!

The Babies!

2010-11-22T21:42:00.013-07:00

My Uncle Sean and his wonderful wife Mia just had baby twins 5 weeks ago. They are adorable. They live in the Portland, Oregon area so my mom and I just had to fly out and meet these gorgeous babies. Leo and Fiona are the cutest things ever. Even when they cry it is cute (I probably think this because they don't keep me up all night.) I can't even express how sweet they are. I loved just holding them and watching them. I can't wait till Rich and I will have a baby of our own...someday:)

The babies and me. I am loving every second of this.

The gorgeous Fiona. She is for sure going to be a heartbreaker. She is adorable.

And the handsome Leo. What a stud. I could not get enough of those cheeks. I love them!

We also visited the house that I spent the first 3 years of my life in. It was fun to get a little history lesson on myself.

I loved hanging out with my family. They are all so much fun to be around. It makes me really sad that we don't live closer so I can see them more often. I guess that means just more vacations to Portland!

~Our Kitchen~

2010-11-22T21:15:00.010-07:00

Ever since we moved in, I haven't been crazy about our kitchen cabinets. They used to be those light oak cabinets that were really popular in the late 90's and early 2000's.

After finishing our basement we decided to paint them. We thought...this is going to be cake. Take off the cabinets, sand, wash, prime, paint, and put the cabinets back on. Well lets just say it is a lot easier said than done. Rich did most of the sanding with an electronic hand sander in our garage. I did the little things with sand paper that the hand sander couldn't get to.

Then we washed all the cabinets and started painting. Our kitchen looked like a disaster for a while.

After 2 coats of paint and lots of patience, we have a new kitchen! We love it.

I love the bead board on the island. That might be my favorite part.

What do you think?

~Our Basement~

2010-11-22T19:40:00.009-07:00

We finished our basement and it has been done for a almost a month now and I am just blogging about it! I am a little behind. When we moved into our house our basement was completely unfinished. Rich finished the entire thing with help from his dad and little help from some friends. We love it in our basement. I love blues in a room but I don't have any in my house so I decided to make the basement my blue room. I love it. I am so thankful for my husband who seems to know how to do everything. He is awesome. He spoils me.
Sadly, I don't have a picture of our basement before it was framed but this is a picture after Rich framed it.

This is our basement now...!!

These are some of my decorations. I love them so I thought I would share.

2010-11-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the basement and kitchen are coming soon...I PROMISE!

...

2010-11-07T19:23:00.002-07:00

"I believe in the sun,
even when it does not shine.
I believe in love,
even when I do not feel it.
And I beleive in God
even when he is silent."

HaLlOwEeN!

2010-10-31T20:36:00.009-06:00

This blog is written ON Halloween but the events featured did not exactly happen on Halloween they were just fun things we did in honor of Halloween...We carved pumpkins with some great friends.

These are our pumpkins...

Right after we were done we went to take our pumpkins outside and I dropped mine right on her face. She broke. Sad.

Saturday, on Halloween Eve, we went to our friend's party. It was so much fun and so good to catch up with some wonderful friends who we don't see enough.

In case you can't tell, I was a bunny and Rich was a hunter.

It was so much fun. I love Halloween and dressing up. I think we should do it once a month instead of once a year:) Until next year...Happy Halloween!

Rich is 26!

2010-10-29T22:30:00.008-06:00

My amazing husband just had his 26th birthday!

It was super fun and Rich got lots of good presents...

and we watched the Jazz game with some good friends, too bad they lost!

I am SO thankful for Rich and all that he does for me. He is such an amazing guy. Some of Rich's accomplishments this year are buying a house, finishing our basement, and graduating college! I am so proud of him and all that he does. I am one lucky girl. Happy birf Richie.

Head Band Holder

2010-10-21T16:46:00.007-06:00

Soooooo...I wear head bands a lot and I used to have them in this not so cute plastic container.

I decided to upgrade using these things.

I made this...

It's my new headband holder. It doubles as a little container too for hair bands and such (the lid comes off)

What do you think?

Our fun living room.

2010-10-21T09:30:00.006-06:00

I love decorating and I really love getting a good deal. We need a side table for next to our couch in the basement and I didn't want to spend a lot of money, so I went to D.I. and what did I find? Not a side table. But 3 adorable Christmas trees! They were 5 bucks it was a steal.

Fortunately and unfortunately our couches for our basement came. Fortunate because they are super comfy and I am sitting on one right now blogging. Unfortunately because our basement is not done so this is what our living room looks like.

You can barley walk through it, but it will all be better on Monday when the basement is done! I am SO excited. Next week is going to be a great week. The basement will be done, it is my awesome husband's birthday and it's Halloween!!! Hallelujah

Fall?

2010-10-04T09:35:00.003-06:00

Lately I have been wondering where fall is? It has felt like summer and looked like summer! The leaves are hardly changing. This has been difficult for me because fall is my favorite season. I don't want this Utah weather to cheat me of my favorite season. That being said, I went up to park city with a couple of my best girlfriends. We went up there to ride the alpine coaster. This is what it looked like when we were riding up to the top of the coaster.

It's FALL in Park City! I just might have to move there...at least until it snows. The Alpine Coaster was so much fun! It's like the alpine slide but 1000X better. I think it closes October 17th so everyone should try to go before that because it is awesome and you will not regret it. This is us, completely windblown right after the ride.

On a different note, the basement is coming along wonderfully. Rich finished sheet rocking completely. It looks so good! Now they are perfitaping (pretty sure I spelled that wrong) it looks really good. I can't wait to paint and get out new couch in there!

And how could I forget General Conference. It was great. One of my favorite talks was by Richard G. Scott. He spoke about Character. He said "Character is not developed in moments of great challenge, that is when it is meant to be used." We need to know who we are and have a strong foundation before something bad happens, that way we can be prepared for whatever comes our way. Loved it.

Fall Wall Decoration

2010-09-17T18:40:00.007-06:00

I love decorating especially for seasons but in my house I don't have a lot of room to do that. I saw a display at Rodworks the other day and I just had to do it for one of my boring walls. This is obviously my fall decor and all I will have to do when we get to Christmas is change the wreath and the ribbon! I love it! What do you think?

BEFORE

AFTER

Basmento

2010-09-11T23:25:00.005-06:00

We are finishing our basement...or should I say Rich is finishing our basement. He has done all the work with help from his dad and our friend Chason. The basement it all framed now. The electrical is done so we have lights! I never thought I would be so excited about six lights! Now they have just began to Sheetrock. It's really beginning to look like a room. I am so excited to have it done and I CANNOT wait to decorate! I have so many ideas!!

This is our basement 4 days ago or so before the sheet rocking began.

We also bought couches on Labor Day. Since our basement is basically going to be a big bonus room we wanted it to be super comfy so we got the most comfortable couches ever!

I am so thankful for my amazing husband who somehow knows how to do everything and who has worked so hard on our basement and for his dad and Chason for helping! I can't wait until it's done!

Bee's Wedding!

2010-08-28T15:33:00.015-06:00

Oh.My.Goodness. My best friend Brittany is MARRIED! She was the most beautiful bride ever. She looked stunning even when she was soaking wet with rain. I love it. The day started out with the temple sealing. It was so neat to see them there and the feelings there were so strong. You could truly see that they are just so meant for each other. Both of them were glowing when they walked in. I just couldn't stop smiling and crying. I am just so happy for her.

Later that night Brit and Kade had a ring ceremony. They asked me to say a short something right before in front of everyone! I was so nervous but I made it through and I feel like I really spoke from my heart how I feel about Brit and how wonderful I really think she is. She is such an amazing person and she truly does deserve the best of everything and I feel like she found a great match in Kade. He is awesome too. They exchanged rings and we watched their really cute wedding video.

The reception was a blast. We had been battling with the weather all day long so we really weren't sure how it was going to turn out and it poured pretty much the whole time. They had an outside reception in Kade's family's backyard and a lot of people came and supported them in the rain. It just shows how much people love and care for them.

When Brit and me were in high school we would listen to the song Unwritten a lot. We were a bit obsessed with it. There is a part on it that says "feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in" and one day she looked at me and a said "wow Mar that is so true no one else can feel the rain on your skin" haha. It was so funny since we had been listening to that song pretty much everyday for a few months and she hadn't even realized what she was singing along to. Last night at her wedding reception close to the end she was in her beautiful wedding gown and while all of the guests were running inside to get out of the storm, Brit was outside in the middle of the rain spinning around in circles with her arms stretched out. All I could think about was "feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you" She just had the absolute most positive attitude about the whole day and that is really why her wedding day was perfect. I was so honored to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. I am so glad she is my best friend. Now they are off the Europe for 4 months and then Philadelphia for 2 years...I hope it goes by fast because I am going to miss her like crazy. Congrats Brit and Kade love you guys so much!!

Happy Anniversary!

2010-08-21T12:33:00.003-06:00

I have now spent 2 amazing years being married to Rich. It seriously feels like yesterday that we were walking out of the temple. These past two years have honestly been the best of my life. I love being with Rich and spending time with him. He makes me laugh all the time and he treats me so well. I am also really thankful that we were able to get married in the temple. I have seen so many wonderful examples of what a blessing temple marriage is and experienced it first hand. It truly is such a blessing. I am so glad I have him forever. I am so excited to see what life holds for Rich and me. He is an amazing guy. I love Love LOVE him. Happy anniversary to us!