Surprise!

And speaking of sons (if you read my previous post)... We decided to surprise my mom with my brother's return. He'd been wanting to surprise her many times before but it always fell through. Well he finally found out he'd be home this weekend, and of course my mom couldn't wait to see him. He told her he'd be home Sunday night, but told me it was actually this morning. I was the only one who knew so I went to pick him up from the airport and take him to my grandma's (since we all had plans to go to the Farmer's Market today). Ignore my stupid face in the beginning, I do that sometimes when I take video haha. Mom & son reunited for a few days before she moves to Tennessee (a thought I'm trying to avoid thinking at all costs right now). If you couldn't tell, she was beyond happy and surprised. It even made me tear up a little bit (not that THAT should be surprising! Haha) which is why my "Surprise!" cracks a little bit in the end. Happy to have you home little brother! P.S. grandma doesn't act like anything is different in the background because she blew her surprise and saw us pull up before we got a chance to surprise her haha. But she was pretty happy to see him again (although I think she realized this means she doesn't get her peace and quiet since he'll be living with her).

Newest Baby

So my brother, Shawn, and his wife, Amber, had their sweet baby boy on the 15th of July. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to put the news up here considering how adorable he is! I haven't seen him in person yet, but I did get a bunch of pictures from my mom and I assure you he's super cute. Well just take a look and decide for yourself:

I just absolutely want to pinch those cheeks so hard! He was only 7 lbs 4 oz (even though he looks bigger) and I think he was born around 8:30 PM (after like 16 hours of labor, GO AMBER!). We're going to go visit tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have some more cute pictures to share :)

Welcome to the world baby boy! I can't wait to spoil you haha.

Our OTHER Anniversary

So I mentioned a few posts back that I wanted to post on a special anniversary Larry and I had that passed. The anniversary of the first year in our own home! We've made it well past a year and I've been wanting to post about everything we've learned while being on our own, in our own home, and all that comes with that:

• First off, Penske will be my moving company from now on! They were awesome when we moved. I had to book them on a days notice and they were the cheapest with the best deal that they gave you. They were also really nice because when I had to go get the truck (no way was I driving it) I had to wait till Larry came to drive it away and they were closing and I kept apologizing that I was keeping them open but they were SO nice about it (I think they might've been playing a game on a computer or something and weren't quite ready to leave anyways, but thanks for being nice!). I will ALWAYS recommend Penske to people-I almost feel proud when I see their trucks on the road haha.

• If it wasn't for Excel I'd probably forget to pay all the bills we have due. I love Excel, it's great for tracking everything. It's a good way to see what you're spending your money on and helpful for budgets.

• Apparently in certain areas you can't get ANY company you want for things. When we moved I had a friend who worked at Comcast and he was going to get us a good deal on Internet and cable, but after looking at his "special map", or whatever they use, he found out Comcast doesn't install in Eagle Mountain. We ended up "getting stuck" with DirecTV for cable and some special EM company for Internet, but honestly they've actually been pretty good. I wanted to hate them for being a second choice, but we've got Internet that goes fast and cable that always keeps me entertained so we're happy campers here.

• Kitties do NOT like moving. They warm up to the new place eventually. The in between is rough though. It was ONLY their first time moving after all, but we'll see how they handle future moves (not that there will be a lot of them).

• Smith's is AWESOME! We go there for grocery shopping and our Smith's has a gas station there too and when we buy groceries we save on gas. This has been a major help for us. AND as a bonus they just upgraded our Smith's so it's really nice (and usually has the cheapest gas already so I love saving on it even more).

• Netflix is just about the best thing ever! Now that we've moved theaters aren't as close as they used to be so we hardly ever go see movies anymore. I mean we used to go see a movie and go out to dinner once a month before, since moving I think we've seen 3 movies in theaters (and not because there weren't any good ones) so it's been an adjustment. But I'm so glad we signed up for Netflix because now we just have to be a little patient and we can watch them without buying them. It's also saved us a ton on our movie buying from before (we haven't even gone to FYE since we moved...shocker I know).

• Having a free pool and gym is awesome, but not so much when kids are ALWAYS using the pool during the summer and adults are ALWAYS using the gym during the winter.

• Driving anywhere takes twice as long as it used to. We aren't really close to any stores like we used to be so we really only go somewhere when we need to or if we need more than one item. I go by myself a lot if I want to just browse because Larry isn't into browsing or long drives haha.

• They have a bunch of fun different places to eat down here so I've been making a list of new ones to go try every once in a while. We've really only tried four so far: One Man Band (YUMMY! Kind of a Training Table meets Dees), Station 13 (Will NEVER go back there! Yuck!), JCW's (pretty good, super fatty, but yummy shakes!), and Longhorn Steakhouse (expensive and looks fancy, but pretty good food and no one dresses fancy. It's like a fancy looking Applebee's).

• And last, but not least as I'm sure we'll learn plenty more in the years to come, having our own place, just the two of us is AWESOME! I've gone to houses with more than just the couple and it gets pretty chaotic and loud. I forget how quiet and peaceful our place can get until I go to other's homes. I absolutely love it for right now. All of our neighbors are really nice and have helped us whether it's when we moved or just needing help getting back into the gym when I've locked myself out, so it's really nice. Almost nobody smokes so I never have to worry about it going outside and there have been a couple nights we've accidentally forgotten to lock the front door or left blinds open or Larry accidentally left his car unlocked and NOTHING happened. I don't want to jinx ourselves, but it's pretty cool living in a nice area that you don't have to worry about that all the time.

Sorry, didn't realize this post would end up so long, but I wanted to document the pros and cons of living on our own. Even with all the cons I'd choose this place over and over again. It's been the best first home for us :)

Motivational #3

I'm not down in the dumps today or anything, but I feel this one really applies to me lately. I feel that most of the time I have a good handle on things, but some days you just feel that it all slipped away and you have no idea when or how or why. When I get like this I want to remember this quote. Excuses won't fix any problems or help in any way.

I think I do apply this one a lot in my life. My biggest thing when I feel like things are bit messy is to make a big to-do list. They are my favorite things to do, actually. It helps me see organization in a chaotic time and helps me focus on what needs to be done. Plus it really helps me see that there's not AS much on my plate as I think when I don't write it down. You know? Like when you start thinking "I need to go to the grocery store and buy makings for dinner. Oh and some treats for the game tomorrow night, and I might as well stock up on some toilet paper. Oh and..." and you suddenly feel like you have TOO much to do, but then you write all the items you really need and which can wait till you go grocery shopping next and suddenly all that weight gets lifted off your shoulders and you feel better. I almost like when I feel I need to make lists because the trivial things end up falling out of my focus and don't matter anymore.

So remember everyone: Don't make excuses, make improvements! (I don't know why but I suddenly heard some sort of rehab group yelling this in my head haha)

Bridals!!

So I finally got my bridals in the mail. YIPPEEE!! I absolutely love them! Here are a lot of my favorites:

This one is probably one of my absolute favorites.
No idea why exactly, it's just so pretty!

Mom was doing a joke picture that I'd passed out
It was a nice short nap I got though :)

 Here's towards the end of our shoot so we decided to get a little silly:

 

 

Detail pictures:

Jena V did such an amazing job. Her business is called Sweet Paislee Pictures. Find her on Facebook here. She's an awesome photographer and so nice and easy to shoot with.  

Park City Visit (Number 21)

 

 

 Yesterday Larry and I decided to go to Park City and ride some of the Alpine rides. I'd been on the slide once before with my mom, but Larry had never been and I heard there was a zip line, and that's on our little bucket list so I figured now that wedding planning was over with and we had some free weekends, why not go?
Larry wasn't as thrilled as I was in the beginning, but I think that was more about the heat and long lines. Once we rode the coaster he was all smiles. We had an awesome time (even though it was really busy) riding the rides, eating their expensive yummy food, and even getting some ice cream at the end. As a bonus, it didn't rain until our ride home (they stop all the rides when it rains) so we really lucked out. Unfortunately, even though I wore sun screen I got a major burn, but we created some fun memories and got to try new things that we both ended up loving and that's what counts!

Honeymoon Recap (Number 34)

I know, I know. I'm super falling behind with all the wedding stuff. For one, I'm still waiting on getting my bridals so I can't post on those for a few more days. Our wedding pictures are finally online, but we're waiting till we get them in the mail as well so we can pick which we want to frame/post online, etc.
For now, I figured I'd recap the awesome honeymoon we went on. It was Ahhh-mazing! We left Utah as it was getting to be 90+ degrees, I assumed Hawaii would be the same, but we'd have a beach and a couple pools so it evens out.

So to start, here's what we learned from Vegas (both before and after Hawaii):

• It's even hotter than Utah, so going outside is NOT an option when you have a guy whose natural body temperature seems to be 1000 degrees!
• The largest souvenir shop is the most ghetto thing in the world and will make you miss being in Hawaii...or makes you want to get home faster.
• Hotels DO NOT allow you to check in at 1 AM just because it's the next day.
• When hotels say check in is at 3, they take their sweet time cleaning your room even though you've been up for 27 hours!
• The rides on The Stratosphere are SO worth it!
• Staying in the Stratosphere to ride those rides, aren't quite as worth it.
• If you are going to stay in the Stratosphere, totally spring for the suite! It's cheaper than regular rooms at the nice hotels and you get a nice jetted tub that helps you relax from ANYTHING!
• Jetted tubs are saweet! They will also make you want one in a future home ;)
• XScream is the scariest ride in the world! The Big Shot is a pretty close second and Insanity is actually kind of relaxing as long as you don't focus on anything or look down.
• Vegas ride operators are much nicer than Lagoon operators (they will let you wait till the next ride to ride front in a ride that you might end up regretting asking for)
• Flying from Vegas is MUCH cheaper than from S.L.C.
• When you have to wait to check in and are grumpy, hot, and exhausted, don't think it's a good idea to play Black Jack until you CAN check in, even though you've gone through all your "gambling" money you set aside. Read a book, play a game on a phone, or just nap in the lobby instead
• Trying to nap in a car thinking it's safe because it's in a parking garage and not in the sun isn't a good idea either. It's still hot and stuffy and will make you more grumpy.
• When the main stop of your honeymoon is an awesome place like Hawaii, let it be the last place you stay before going home. Instead of staying in a place like Vegas before AND after. It was fun to ride the rides, but made a bad bookend to our trip.
• Buffets are actually expensive.

Here's what we learned from travel as a general topic:

• I'm way too much of a control freak to fly it seems. I love road trips more and I think it's because I'm in control of everything in that case. Airports always seem to come up with something crazy to delay you
• Four hour layovers are NOT fun even with a real restaurant and a laptop w/movies at your disposal. They are way too long when you just want to get to your hotel.
• 6 hours plane rides are also not fun.
• Traveling days are not fun, might need some medication for future ones.
• If you book 4 flights somehow on one of them your seats will get moved from what you paid for and even wearing "Just Maui'd" shirts doesn't help your situation when you beg to sit next to your new husband!
• Fruit is a meal according to Hawaiian Airlines...what?
• You NEVER seem to get ID'd when getting alcoholic drinks in or flying to Hawaii (unlike in Vegas, where just standing next to a table will get you ID'd 3 different times).
• Don't bring exercise clothes in a vacation. I don't care how much you love running, when you're not going to be in one place for more than 4 days you're not going running, stop kidding yourself and leave that extra room for real things-like souvenirs!

Here's what we got from Hawaii:

• There were two beaches, both within a 2 minute walk from the hotel
• People LOVE running over there! Each day, all day, there was at least one person running around. It kind of made me miss it, but we never really did any running.
• There was the 70 Shops of Wailea within a 5 minute walk from our hotel. This was one of the best parts because it had 2 general stores where we could get some cheap food/snacks, it also had TONS of different souvenirs there that I'd go look through.
• When you don't plan anything in a new place, 2 days feels like a week. Not in a bad way, like in a "we're really soaking this place up and getting as much out of it as we can" way. I absolutely loved that.
• No matter how much you try, if you go in the ocean you will snort a TON of water when waves hit!
• Baby birds CAN'T take the wind hitting them, they will even hide behind a flip flop to help themselves.
• I feel bad for baby birds that hide behind my flip flop from the wind.
• Larry doesn't, and will move them so we could get out of the heat and back into the cool room.
• Regular birds are EVERYWHERE! In the airport, hotel diner, by the pools, just everywhere. You think it's cute and cool at first, then you just don't care.
• Never leave anything on your tables, they clean them INCREDIBLY fast, even though it's not busy.
• When people tell you Hawaii is expensive, they aren't exaggerating. Plan on spending $100 per person per activity. And that's low balling it!
• Lizards can climb walls! And birds will totally eat off your own fingers! And flowers aren't nearly as beautiful anywhere else!
• Going on a 2-mile hike in flip flops is doable, but not comfortable. You will need a supreme pedicure afterwards.
• Bamboo grows in Hawaii! And really tall. So tall, in fact, that it blacks out your sky like it's night time. I wish I had gotten a picture of this because it's a memory that's burned into my mind and I hope to never lose that. Luckily I got a bit of video of it.

Overall it was an amazing trip. I almost can't wait to go back one day. Even though it felt like we were there a while, now that we're home I feel like we could've been there a couple more days. I'm definitely glad we chose Hawaii for our honeymoon. To see pics go to this post.

Oh and Happy 4th of July yesterday. We didn't really do much worth posting about (sleeping, dinner at mom's, and an early bed time, BOORING) so don't expect one of those. Hopefully next will be wedding pics and then we can all move on :)

Honeymoon photos

My goofy road trip faces

Vegas Suite (NICE tub!)

 

Our in flight "meal" out to HI (the fruit was amazing though!)

 

Hotel waterfall at the entrance

Us after 20 hours of traveling. Made for a LOOONG day!

I kept feeding these birds at lunch, I think they liked us.
I already miss this view each morning!

I loved their morning centerpieces. You can buy the
Lava plants in stores there, but we never went to them.

Our temporary cat out there :)

Larry took the stairs while I went on the elevator.
This was my "sad, he left me" face to guilt him with
When I saw him at the top Haha

I'm obsessed with flower pictures!

Every day I went to go feel the water. It was always warm
Ulua Beach

"Honeymoon '13 Larry heart Jodi"

"Hey look, it's like I have a cape."
"You're silly, let me take a picture."
Haha

He was rubbing lotion on my back and I saw a photo op!

Ever since we picked HI and Larry found out
About Pineapple wine he wanted to try some...
Or all. He only got through 1 1/2 bottles
We left the rest there.

I don't know who thinks this makes a good gift, I thought it was creepy.

He did say he wanted new sunglasses...
This boy makes me laugh!

He took forever and a day to apply sunscreen
So I decided to mess with him

Then he finally stopped and I got a cute photo

Beach love!

I've always wanted to swing on a hammock with my love

It was blissful, I could've fallen asleep

I'm really obsessed with flower pictures.

I never picked any off the trees!
This was on the ground and still pretty

The little baby bird that visited us on a beach trip one day.
I think he made it home safely.

We passed by this totem pole a hundred times
Before I realized what it was haha

I'm pretty sure he was sick of me taking pictures at this point.
But it's to mimic a photo of my papa

Me showing Larry how it's done Haha

Luau one night

The fire dancers were the coolest part

The prettiest sunset picture.
Going to frame it with the sand I collected

Yeah, he was done looking at the camera at this point :)

We did both trails.
I did both in flip flops!

Larry in "jail"

Pools of Oheu

Us on the cliff

Larry loves the ocean

Our view off the cliff.

Me in "jail"

Us in front of one of the waterfalls

Larry playing on the Bennion tree

He made me pose like this :)

Us at the base of the waterfall that took the 2 mile hike
To get to. It was nice and cool though!

Why you don't wear "beach gear" to go hiking!

 

 

I need a pedicure! Haha

Sunrise at Haleakala

I thought the clouds were the coolest part

To show how cold it was there.
Larry kept closing his eyes for pics so this was all I got

This is saying if you measure from sea level the mountain we are on
(the far left one) is actually taller than Everest (but by less than 100 ft.)

The official sunrise.
The place here does a chant and blows a seashell horn
As the sun is coming up. It was pretty cool.

Back in Vegas got tickets to ride the Stratosphere rides

And then enjoy the most relaxing of baths ever!

 I posted more on Facebook, but some here aren't there. For the general recap go to this post.

Happy Wednesday!