A Christmas Story (2011 version)

Here's our Christmas story:

Our Tree before opening gifts

Our tree after opening gifts

Can't wait for garbage day

Guess who got a camera!

And who became obsessed with his new Kindle ;)

Then we went to Grandma's for breakfast...

And to open gifts!

While Larry played with his Kindle

Then we went up to Clearfield, where we watch TV..

...And eat ribs

While Larry played with his Kindle :)

Then our favorite baby came to play

And everyone couldn't...

...Wait to play...

...With her

Larry decided to show everyone his Kindle there too

Oh and more gift opening

The Kittie's found a new favorite toy

He smiles for the camera :)

My favorite gifts
(Ice Cream Maker, George Foreman Grill, Our picture frame
Of Cailyn and family, A Flip recorder, and messenger bag)

Look how cute she is!

And she loves noisy toys

I think I'm a little obsessed with her :)

This is the face she always gives Larry.

This is my favorite picture, she's copying his expressions.

Overall a very successful Christmas, I don't think I could have asked for a better one :) Hope everyone had a great one too!

I did it!

Oh my gosh, I feel the ultimate relief right now! I decided to check the exam site to see if my score was up and ...

I am officially a Certified Professional Coder with the AAPC!! I just have to get my externship for it to be official to the school, but I could get a job now and there would be almost no difference. I have to say I'm even more relieved because that was a LONG test! We had to sit for 5 hours and 40 minutes, I got it done in 5 hours 20 minutes and decided to just accept what I had instead of using the extra 20 minutes to check my answers. There's no way I'd want to sit for that again, so it's nice to know the past 7 months were good for me and not just a waste. Also, sorry the picture isn't the best, paint isn't being my friend tonight.

Only 4 more days till Christmas now :)

Birthdays

I realized today that I've never once posted on Larry's or my birthday. I was always told after you turn 21 birthdays really just don't mean as much, and it's SO true, but we still like to celebrate, even if it is a bit on the "smaller" side than when you're a kid. Seeing as how I can't really remember what we did for Larry's birthday I'll have to cover that next year, sorry babe.

I just celebrated my 24th, which is weird, to me it's mid 20s, but that's not the weird part. The weird part is they were right, after 21 they really just don't matter (heck, half the time I can't even remember how old I am anymore). This year I stayed in my pajamas and watched That 70s Show (Larry's gift to me) all day, cleaned a little, did laundry, and then went to dinner with mom, Will, and grandma-Training Table. We used to go there all the time on my birthday and then stopped for some reason, so when mom asked if I wanted to do dinner earlier in the week, that was my first choice.
I got some pretty cool gifts at dinner:

I got this awesome watch and pedometer set from Mom and Will

I also got this cute workout outfit from them (I actually hate "mirror" pictures, but Larry was

asleep, so I had to rely on myself for the pic.) It's awesome because I've been trying to keep up

with working out so I need all the motivation, and a new outfit will do just that for a little while.

And then my grandma got me this AWESOME luggage set. It's REALLY cool because I really needed a new set, my last ones were so old the zippers broke off and it hardly held any clothes for any trips anymore so we end up using one of Larry's duffel bags, but this set is so nice I think we'll be able to use it for a long while.

Overall it was a nice, easy, relaxing day for me. Just as birthdays should be :)

And now we have less than 7 days till Christmas and I could not be more excited, if only because I think I did REALLY good on gifts this year so I can't wait to see what everyone else thinks! Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to you all out there!

You're a mean one...Mr. Grinch

So now that I'm done with classes I'm finding I have quite a bit of time on my hands, at least so far I have. I've been so excited for Christmas and all the wonderful-ness that comes with this time of year and I guess I'm making up a little bit for the last few holidays I couldn't go full swing on. I don't know what's gotten into me, I'm usually not a "creative" person by any means, but when I saw this:

I knew I wanted to try and make those letters, it really became a mini obsession. So anyways, I went to a wood store and bought the kit, which started out looking like:

And after approximately 4-5 hours of painting and drying (and some other stuff in between), it ended looking like:

Hopefully you can see I also added the little light bulbs (in the G, R, and C). I absolutely LOVE how it turned out. It wasn't the easiest thing to paint and I still kind of have to do in the arms on the Grinch character, but for the most part it's finished and I'm extremely happy about it.

Also we got the tree all decorated and looking good too:

We got it all decorated, finally got the star to stick on the top (don't know if you remember how sad it looked last year with it next to the tree), and added a skirt and presents. I'm SO happy with how that turned out too.

So needless to say I'm all ready for Christmas to be here, but I'm FULLY enjoying the holiday spirit/season (and that I'm CLEARLY not studying for my test ha ha). Hope everyone is having as good a time as I am :)

Cause for Celebration!

I did it! I finished my medical coding and billing classes! I'm not officially certified yet, I still have to take my national exam (which is the 17th) and then get my 80 hours in an externship taken care of, but after that I've got it all done. I can't even begin to explain how excited I am to finish, 12 months ago I made myself a promise; I was going to take my life in my hands and not let ANYTHING become an excuse, I wanted to see what I could do once I really put my mind to it, and now I see, I can accomplish A LOT! Seven months of hard work, of having absolutely no time for anything else, of sleeping, breathing, and thinking classes, homework, and tests non-stop and of early mornings followed by late nights (which involves a lot of juggling around) and I'm there! I have started my future, I have done something (pretty big, to my standards at least) to help my future family and, hopefully, something I can gain a career out of!

All the awards I won so far!

I just have to say one thing...GO ME! Ha ha. Of course, now that I've just finished the classes, this is when the real work begins!

Christmas Decoration Time

We finally got a chance to clean and put up Christmas decorations this past weekend. Here are some before and after shots:

Living room (couch is to the left of the shot)

Living room (pt 2-TV is to the right)

Dining area (table cloth courtesy of mom and the dish
Cloths were a gift from grandma, but we don't have our
Own stove so they go there for now).

My reading/laundry area (the box
Is a little "fort" Larry made for
The cats ha ha)

Our lit up tree, but I still need to add more ornaments and
Get a tree skirt. And we need to add our gifts ;)

No idea where I got this little guy, but he was cute and
I found him in the boxes so he came out :)

I love the countdown blocks!

We don't have a chimney downstairs
So stockings are hung on the hope chest
With care!

That's all I've done so far, but we also went to the Festival of Trees and I found a few craft ideas I think I'd like to try this year:

The red sign says "Wish Upon
A Christmas Star"

This says "Believe in the Magic of Christmas"

I am absolute obsessed with the Grinch blocks!
These will be my first attempt.

I'm so very excited for Christmas time each year, it's my absolute favorite time of the year! Hope everyone is having as much fun as me :)

So much happiness!

First off I wanted to start this post by saying I'm literally the luckiest girl in the world! I have the absolutely best man in my life! He is incredible. Let me say it isn't the easiest thing ever to be gone from him almost all the time. He gets up early for work while I sleep in (unless I decide to get up early to work out, which is almost never) then I get up to go to school and by the time I'm actually getting to work he's just about to get off work himself, then I'm at work so late and once I get home we have enough time to eat a quick dinner, watch one episode of whatever show we're on, then it's bedtime so we can start it all up again the next day. And since I've been juggling school and work together I've had to work as many Saturdays as they will allow so that I'm still getting full time hours (and benefits, I might add). Once Sunday comes around I'm usually so busy cleaning, doing laundry, finishing homework, visiting my family, or doing some shopping that we might get a few hours that day to hang out. Have I EVEN ONCE heard any complaints from him about not being around enough? Not a single one. Has he ever made me feel guilty for not being home more or staying with him on Sundays to hang out? Never! Has he ever made me feel bad that I don't cook dinner more or plan meals like I used to? No sirree. BUT, has he surprised me by making me dinner or coming home to a clean house? ALL THE FREAKING TIME! He hasn't held any of this against me in the slightest, he's been so flexible, helpful, and loving the entire time! Not to mention how much tougher it has to be considering he was just gone for a year and a half, we missed all that time together and now I'm adding more, and the best part is things aren't strained, we don't hate each other, we don't resent each other for what we do in our spare time, or anything like that. In fact, when I talk about when I have a test coming up that I'm nervous about or if I hate doing so much and not having time for fun things or anything like that he reminds me how great I've been doing and how I'm doing something for my future and it'll all be worth it soon enough, and he's always wishing me good luck on tests and praising me when I pass them. He's amazing! Everybody out there deserves a support system like this guy provides for me!

My second reason to be happy, I have learned today that in approximately 10 days I will be done with all my classes! EESH! I'm so excited, but so scared to be done. I have my big national test on the 17th of December and then after that I can start looking for a job and use that to get my externship hours. I am so nervous about starting this next adventure, I know it's something that was coming up, but 7 months ago, when I started the whole program, I was in a completely different situation. I never knew what to expect out of this and I had no idea how much I would enjoy doing this. I've learned so much and I've loved every minute of it, but it's completely different from what I've been doing that past few years so it's scary to stop everything I know at once. My reassurance is that I've gotten along with pretty much everyone in my classes, we always are helping each other and making each other laugh, so I'm sure I'll get along with whoever I end up working with in the future, but to think in a little over a month I'll be in, hopefully, my career, doing what I plan to do until I'm done working.

Right now things are so hectic and busy and a tad stressful, but I have a smile on my face every morning, and almost every night. I get excited to wake up and start another day. And the biggest bonus this week: December starts Thursday, so this weekend I'll be putting up our Christmas, and I get to start watching my Christmas movies and listen to the music (normally I start this much earlier, but I'm trying to withhold doing it too early this year).

I can't wait for the next year to start, if things go according to plan it will be the next best year and one of my last years in school all together :)

Thanksgiving 2011

Hello blogging world! Great to be back. I have yet to get my camera, so I don't have pictures right now, but this post isn't a picture post. Just like I predicted Thanksgiving certainly came faster than I really could have imagined, and seeing as how I have so much on my metaphorical plate right now, I thought I'd do my Thanksgiving post early. I have so very much to be thankful for this year, it's unreal:

• First and foremost, my family! I love them so very much, I still say that I would never be the person I am today without any one of them in my life. Some new ones have come along and some others have passed along, but they will always be in my heart and will always be the reason I do right in this world. I love that I have such a big family, and it seems every year it grows a little bit, which makes me feel like the luckiest girl alive! I love you all and am so grateful to have you in my life in whatever way you are!
• Second, friends. This year, most of all, has taught me the true value of friendship. I've made a few friends and they have come to mean the world to me. I see now that friendship is forever, with a true friend, you don't give up, you are there through thick and thin. I used to have a hard time with the word and meanings, but this year it's all changed, and even though it's still changing, it's coming to mean so much more to me.
• Third, my motivation. This year I have proven to myself that if I want something then I need to go after it. No more excuses, no more procrastinating, no more anything! I put it all into my own hands and it has been really hard at some times and I have to put a lot to the side, but I know deep down that it's all going to be worth it, whenever the end may be for it all. I was able to make my vacations with Larry happen, I was able to basically do full time school and work, I was able to keep my relationships, and even though it all may not have been 100%, I did it and I have survived so far and I have LOVED every minute of it.
• Lastly, school. I'm learning so much. I'm so happy I decided to make the choices I did this year. It's taught me so much, and I'm learning that I love learning. I'm approaching the end and it's amazing how much of a change I can feel in myself now that I'm getting closer to the end. Most people don't get the chance to go to school and continue their education, I feel so lucky that I get to and that I'm doing something with my future.

Really there's tons more to be thankful for, I could go on and on, but these are the biggest things for me this year. They influenced me in some sort in the greatest of ways this year. I'm supremely happy with where my life is right now and I really can't wait to see what 2012 brings to Larry and me!

New Goal

So, confession, I am a complete blog stalker! I love reading other people's stories and I love trying to get people to start blogs, I probably have like 20-30 in my favorites that I still need to start following! (I don't know all of the people on them personally, that's why they aren't in my sidebar list). Anyways, I was just reading through a few and I've decided that I really need to start taking more pictures, you know what they say "no pics, no proof" or maybe it's "pics or it didn't happen" something like that. So my new goal is to start taking more pictures. Guess I'm going to have to get a real camera instead of my phone now too huh :/

Anyone out there have any suggestions on good, not expensive ones?

Halloween 2011

Well we've reached and almost passed Fall here in Utah now. I was a little prepared to be okay with Fall, but this morning we woke up to SNOW! I couldn't believe it, Mother Nature wastes no time huh?

Anyways, this isn't my usual tirade of how much I hate snow (but to be clear: I don't hate snow, I just really hate driving in it. If I didn't have to drive in it then I would absolutely LOVE snow) but is about how Larry and I got to spend Halloween (more from my perspective cause, ya know, Larry never posts anything, but you know what I mean :P).

Don't know if you remember/read my post from last year, but my coworkers and I dressed up for work (against my will initially) and Larry and I bought a pumpkin and actually carved it and everything. When I had done that last year I almost felt it was wrong, Halloween has become the anniversary of my grandfather's death and I still struggle every single day with his passing, so to celebrate the date, regardless of the fact that it's a holiday, has been really hard for me to do. I have felt guilty up till now that I had done that. (yes, yes, I know you can't mourn forever, but even thinking about him brings tears to my eyes to this day so I hate the thought of celebrating him being gone in any way), but the truth is I did have fun with it. This year I was a little hesitant to do the same thing because of how guilty I had felt, so we did things a little differently.

Friday night we went out to Thriller with Mom, Will, and Grandma. I LOVE the whole production of this event, they do an amazing job dressing up and dancing, almost makes me wish I had danced more as a kid, but they do a spectacular job, even some of the videos they show are creepy/cool. If you haven't seen this, plan to go next year, it's awesome!

Saturday I had planned to take Larry to a corn maze after I got off work since he's never been to one, and I used to go all the time when I was in school. Luckily Skyler and Jena had decided to come along and bring baby Cailyn, which was so nice to see them again. The corn maze was pretty cool and even had fun little hole punch posts at random spots for this trivia thing we got in the beginning and if you found each post and punched out an answer (T/F questions) then at the end you got a candy. I was obsessed with getting this candy (even though I had no idea what it was, I assumed tootsie rolls, but ya never know, could've been a blow pop or something!) and so I even made us turn away from the exit so we could get all the answers, then when we finished and got the candy it was some crappy hard (supposed to be) chewy candy. It SO wasn't worth it, but we still had fun going through the maze and getting lost (and NOT calling 911 if you read that silly story about the family that did that). Afterwards I was starving so we all decided to go to Applebees for dinner. Larry has this thing that he always makes a paper hat out of the ring around the napkin/silverware so he made his usual hat then realized it was Cailyn sized!

You can't see it perfectly in the picture, but the little white thing, on the right side of her head under the shadows, that looks like a bow is the hat he made :) It was a fun night out.

On Sunday we had Oliver's blessing to go to (yes I went to church AGAIN!) and we went and got Halloween costumes (Larry had this idea that I'd pick his and he'd pick mine this year as a change...foreshadowing of the costume pics to come) and then we headed to the luncheon for the blessing in Eagle Mountain, it was a nice day, busy, but nice. I got to hang out with Oliver for a little bit, no pics though, sorry. With everything going on that weekend by the time Halloween had come I had almost forgotten it was actually Halloween, there was no dressing up at work, we didn't have time to get a pumpkin to carve, and by the time I had actually gotten home we were done getting trick-or-treaters and barely had any candy to eat. I was pretty depressed by the end of the night, without any of that fun stuff it just felt like the anniversary of Papa's death. But the good news is when I got home Skyler and Jena had come over with Cailyn again and, turns out, she and I had matching costumes (total accident too). I could never get sick of seeing her so it made my night a little better! Larry totally hogged most of the time she was there so I didn't get any pics of us in our matching costumes, but we did match at one point in the night.

Now that it's the next day I can see that celebrating isn't a bad thing and I shouldn't feel guilt for it or anything, in fact it makes getting through the day a lot better!

Some Halloween pictures:

Larry and Cailyn (she's the red and black thing
in his arms, you just can't see her face)

Me and Cailyn after they changed her out of
her costume.

Larry and I
Jester and ladybug

The good part about Halloween being over too, is now it's officially the holiday season, one of the absolute best times of the year! I love Thanksgiving and Christmas and seeing as how the summer flew by I know they'll both come out of nowhere so I'm excited to celebrate those. Though I refuse to put on Christmas music till at least December! Here's to the rest of 2011 and, soon enough, ringing in 2012! I'm sure I'll be putting up posts before then, but I hope everyone else is happy for the holidays!