Well Toto, We're Not In Idaho Anymore...

JTyler and I took some time this last weekend to visit Temple Square and see the beautiful Christmas lights. We went with some friends in the ward and it was so much fun! Just walking round the Temple grounds brought back so many memories of when Tyler and I got married :) The weather was perfect and the grounds so lovely. For those who have never done this, this is a must do if you're ever in Utah during Christmas. :)

       Our dear friends, Katie and David, and their adorable daughter, Regan!

On a side note, this post title actually does relate with what I'm writing about. :) We found out after Thanksgiving the bitter/sweet news that my parents will be moving to Kansas in January. My dad received a job promotion within the company he works for, but unfortunately that included a relocation. I'm super bummed that my parents are going to be so far away, but I'm excited for my dad and this new adventure he and my mom will have. They will be moving to a small town called Chanute in the south-east corner of Kansas. I say small town, but in actuality its twice the size of Fruitland! My dad has already been featured in the town newspaper so it seems they are ready to welcome my parents right in! I'm sure they will enjoy all that is about to change, I just hope they don't get swept off to Oz in a tornadoe. 

The older I get, the more I realize that life is all about change. In fact, it seems that's the one thing about life that doesn't change - the guarantee of change. It's so important to appreciate the good things that are thrown your way and make the best of life, no matter the situation. I know that no matter how far, my parents will always be there for me! And thanks to modern technology, I won't even need to buy myself some ruby slippers to see my parents or get over to Kansas! ;)

Happy Holidays! Enjoy the time you have with those you love and travel safe!

Maybe Christmas, Perhaps, Means A Little Bit More...

 

It's here! It's finally here! I LOVE Christmas! You can sense the change in the air as the world brightens up for this special season. Lights glimmer on houses that once were dark, trees sparkle in homes, kids are eager with excitement, and people are just a little bit more kind.

Tyler and I set up our tree for FHE right after Thanksgiving. This was the first year I decided to add burlap to our tree and I love it. :) I've had the fireplace mantle decorated for a while and Tyler was a good sport to help me with that too. We sure enjoyed being able to hang our stockings by the chimney with care this year!

I also made the burlap wreathe that's on our door this year. I had a craft day with my twin sister Ashley, and cousin, Kambria. We had such a blast making them and it was so easy! 

Tyler and I have much we want to accomplish this season such as seeing the temple square lights, making sugar cookies, and wrapping up the Christmas shopping, but we are trying hard to remember the true meaning of Christmas. How thankful I am for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and his love for all mankind. I am so grateful for this time of year where we can all take a moment to remember him and the special gift he gave to us.

As the stress, craziness, and excitement of the season begin to swarm around, please remember to take a moment to ponder what Christmas is truly about. Share kindness, share the gift. Merry Christmas!

Sorry, poor lighting!

Our little tree!

It's Beginning to SMELL A Lot Like Christmas...

The other day I was glancing through Pinterest, and I found tons of stove-top scentsy recipes that were supposed to make your home smell like Christmas. Since I have been trying to hold off to decorate our home for Christmas until after Thanksgiving this year, I decided to mix a few of these recipes together and give it a whirl. The results were heavenly! If you are like me and want a little bit of Christmas in your home, try this out!!! This batch is supposed to last for a while, even though it starts to look real brown from being cooked. So far, I've been using it for a week and it still smells amazing! Recipe below :)

1 Orange - sliced up into quarters
1/2 C Cranberries

1/2 - 1 C Apple Juice
2 C Water
3 Cinnamon Sticks (I didn't have any and couldn't find any at the store, so I just used 3 TBSP of Cinnamon instead)
1 TBSP Nutmeg

1 TBSP Cloves

*Combine all ingredients in small-medium sauce pan. Put on stove on lowest heat setting and sit back as the delightful Christmas scents fill your home. Stir occasionally.

All Hallow's Eve

Happy Halloween! October has definitely been a busy month for us!

October is my favorite month because:
1. My birthday :)
2. The leaves start changing colors like crazy
3. Halloween! Which equals FREE CANDY and fun traditions such as pumpkin carving and parties.
4. Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner.

For my birthday, Tyler surprised me with a trip to Park City. I know, best husband ever. :) We had such a fun time up there and spent way too much money. I even bought some glue-on nails from Claire's. I love putting some on for a week :) I usually hate having long nails so my normal nails aren't the best... it's fun to have them long and pretty if only for a while. The leaves were beautiful on the drive up there. We stayed in a beautiful room that felt just like a lodge. In fact, the place we stayed was called The Lodges. ha It was so nice to get away from the stress of every day life, if only for a weekend. :)

Tyler and my twin sister, Ashley's, husband, Jonathan, had also planned a surprise party for us. We enjoyed spending our birthday with friends and family. We didn't get any pictures, but managed to capture a video of Ash and I blowing out our candles. Ash and I used to always share a cake and I'd always end up blowing out all the candles before Ash could ever get a chance. haha This year, we each had our own cake and candles to take care of, however Ash couldn't manage to get her's blown out in one breath (probably from lack of practice :D) so I took care of them for her. haha Enjoy the video!

This month we also got to throw a baby shower for Ashley. My mom was in town so she got to attend! We had a great turnout and played some pretty fun games. It was the first baby shower in our family so I enjoyed putting it together!

To celebrate Halloween, we went up to my Aunt Cindy's house in Ogden and had a party with my grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We had a blast carving pumpkins, dressing up, and stuffing our faces with delicious food. Tyler and I didn't feel like dressing up too much this year so we put some aprons on, grabbed our oven mitts and rolling pins, and became bakers. Get it?? BAKErs haha :) For our pumpkin we recreated Cinderella's carriage. It came in second place! We had so much fun putting it together.

I sure hope you all have had fun this month doing family traditions and are gearing up to celebrate the holidays to come!

Drive up to Park City

My nails!

Happy Birthday!

Baby Shower!

The table - I did the vase arrangements :)

Heather, Ash, Me, and Mom

Carving our pumpkin!

The final results! I love how it turned out :)

Autumn Is My Second Spring

For those that aren't aware, I LOVE FALL! It is by far my most favorite season - until spring rolls around that is. It's so refreshing to have the weather cool off, see the leaves change, pull out my comfy sweaters, boots, and leggings, and burn my fall-scented candles. (Anyone who's looking for a good fall candle to burn, go to Bath & Body Works and buy their Leaves candle. It will be the best decision of your life.)

Tyler and I have already had a busy fall. It doesn't seem like anything has slowed down since summer ended. Tyler is trying to keep up with school while working and still having fun. He is on a soccer intramural team with my little brother, Trevor, and brother-in-law, Jonathan. Trevor has just started his freshman year down here at BYU. They had their first game on Friday and tied 2-2. Tyler and Trevor scored the goals! Both Tyler's parents and mine have come to stay with us and it has been a blast! We get to enjoy one more trip from my parents in a few weeks just in time for my birthday and conference!

Tyler and I attended our first BYU game of the season - Virginia v. BYU. I would have taken a picture, but I was a hot mess - and not in a good way. haha I ended up leaving at half time because it was so blasted hot. I got fried! I love football, but not that much. I'd much rather be at home in my comfies, stuffing my face with food while I cheer on my Cougs. Tyler and I hang a giant BYU flag from our balcony every game day and I'm convinced it's the reason for their undefeated winning streak so far. Tyler disagrees. If anything, it helps our neighbors know who we are and remember us. :)

I've already gotten all our fall decorations up. Tyler helped me do it on Labor day. I didn't waste any time once the month of August was over. Tyler helped me with one of my projects by staining a wooden crate for me while I painted some pumpkins. I'm quite proud of my little creation and can't wait till Christmas rolls around to do something else!

The view from our balcony - it was such a pretty sunset. We've enjoyed watching as the colors pop up all over the mountains. 

Our fireplace/mantel I've decorated for fall! 

The project Tyler and I worked on 

Aren't the pumpkins I painted so cute?! :) Yay for crafts!

Goodbye, Summer. :(

Summer is officially over! And that means so is the daily use of my razor! (Don't worry, I never shaved daily anyway ;D) Tyler's shaking his head as I write this. haha This post is purely about me playing catch-up with the rest of mine and Tyler's summer. Where did it go?!?

I had a family reunion in July and it happened to be over the fourth - what an exciting and meaningful holiday! We were up camping in the woods and besides the shortage of water, we had a great time. We even got to watch a firework show! We ended the reunion/night by singing tons of patriotic songs and learning about my ancestors who fought for our freedom in several past wars. It was a very touching night and reminded me of how grateful I am to live in this free country where I can worship how, where, and what I may. See patriotic nails below :) - Yeah, I'm cool.

In August, we had Tyler's family reunion. This was just up in Idaho, where we're both from. It was so nice to go back and visit all our family - lucky for me a trip to see Tyler's family usually includes a trip to see mine since they live 15 minutes apart. :) We spent most days relaxing, but one day we went out to a place called the Christensen's Pond - us rednecks sure now how to glam up an irrigation pond. :) Complete with high dive, water slide, and zip line. Some people from Fruitland decided to build they're very own water park in their backyard and they are so kind to let anyone use it for free. You just have to call and reserve it. I have spent countless days at this pond from mutual activities to birthday parties. Such a fun place. We also got to attend Tyler's brother's (Joshua) Eagle Court of Honor. That was really neat to see him go join the "Eagle's Nest" with his two twin brothers (Brandon and Tyler).

Christensen's Pond

Tyler on the zip line 

Full view of their pond - cool huh? :) 

King of the Dock - it didn't take long for the rest of the boys to join them. For those that don't know, Tyler has 6 brothers... you can imagine that someone probably got hurt. 

Tyler jumping off the high dive 

Tyler and Brandon think they're soooo cool. haha Can you guess which one is Tyler? 

Joshua getting his Eagle Award

Joshua joining his brothers and looking just as "cool" haha

I made this picture extra large because I wanted you all to see just how beautiful Idaho is. My home away from home. :)

I also got to attend two weddings in August for two of my very close friends (who happen to be triplets!). One was up in Boise during Tyler's reunion so I got to go to that and the other was in Vegas. I hate Las Vegas. Such a dirty place. But the Las Vegas Temple is such a gorgeous temple! Definitely a safe haven in that town. I am so grateful for the beauty of life that surrounds me from nature to weddings! 

Tyler is now back in school, there are football games happening right and left, and the leaves are changing colors which can only mean one thing.... FALL!!!! See next post :)

Love, 

Nat

Alaskan Adventure

Tyler and I got back from our family summer vacation - a cruise to Alaska. This trip was mostly for Trevor's graduation but we also wanted to do something fun as a family before Trev goes on a mission and our family changes even more. This was mine and Tyler's first cruise and we had a great time. I must say I wasn't too impressed with the food or the boat activities... I'm pretty sure the average age of guests on that cruise was 50+ so there was plenty of bingo... But overall we had a blast spending time with family.

Our cruise left out of Vancouver, Canada and this was my first time leaving the country! I almost had a panic attack at the boarder haha but it was a neat feeling to leave the US. Even though it wasn't by much. :) Vancouver is a really cool town. I wish we would have had more time to explore there but it was so green and beautiful.

Alaska is such a beautiful place. Even more green than Vancouver! If you're looking for somewhere to go see tons of nature and wildlife, this is the place. We saw lots of whales, bald eagles, seals, sea lions, and some saw dolphins. The glaciers are absolutely STUNNING and the air is so fresh and clean. The towns we stopped at were so cute and small - nestled right between the mountain forests and oceanfront. I felt like I was in the middle of a twilight movie and Jacob Black was gonna show up at any second. :) It was crazy for me to hear that the number one source of revenue for most of the towns there is tourism. We enjoyed walking along the boardwalks and shopping in all the little stores. 

We were able to ride the worlds largest and highest zip line in the first town, Icy Straight Point. It took about a minute and a half to ride to the bottom going up to 60 miles per hour! We were riding right above the tree tops. It was super neat and I highly recommend doing it if you're ever in Alaska. We saw lots to bald eagles and totem poles and I felt like I was in legit Eskimo territory. :)

Our next stop was Hubbard Glacier. This was one of my favorite parts of the cruise. We were able to get really close and the weather was PERFECT so we got a very clear view of the glacier and let me tell you it was massive and so beautiful! Fun fact: Glaciers are so big, they create their own weather. Because of the warm weather, there was lots of calving happening. This is when chunks of ice break off the glacier. It sounded like there were cannons going off everywhere. The ice floated out into the ocean and eventually melted away. The ocean surrounding the glacier was full of these chunks. Fun fact: the pieces that are the bluest are the most fresh break-offs. All over these chunks were baby seals! There were thousands if them. This is one of the favorite places for pregnant seals to give birth in Alaska. Tyler said he wished he could have seen a killer whale jump up and eat one. So cruel. Haha the glacier was not white like I had thought it would be. It was all shades of blue - teals, aquas, and navy, with some white. Fun fact: glaciers absorb all colors around them and only reflect blue. Hubbard Glacier is definitely a place everyone must go before they die. The cruise also held a Polar Bear Plunge for anyone who wanted to jump into the cold water. They filled the pool with "glacier water" and you had to jump in and swim to the other side and back. There were only about 10 people that participated, including Tyler, Jonathan, Christian, and Trevor. They said it wasn't that cold so I'm pretty sure it wasn't really "glacier water". haha But at least Tyler got a cool certificate from it. :) The boys also challenged the chief staff of the cruise to a volleyball match and they won! It was hilarious to watch. The commentator said the chief staff had never faced a team so robust (probably because the average age was 50!) haha

In the second town, Juneau (the capital city of Alaska), we spent the day whale watching with Captain Larry and his purple boat. Apparently he is a whale whisperer. Ha. We saw a few humpback whales and I still can't comprehend just how big those creatures are. To me, the ocean is a scary place. We didn't see any whales jump out of the water but there was one that raised its tail and made a big splash. Captain Larry informed us that that is a sign the whale is getting agitated. It's their warning sign to tell people to back off. There were a ton of boats surrounding the whale so they think it was getting nervous. Captain Larry said there are so many whale-watching boats now that they've noticed changes in the whales' behavior. Anyway whale watching was great and we had good time. We only saw humpback whales much to Tyler's dismay. He really wanted to see some Orca whales (killer whales). So he was kind of disappointed... Little did he know he'd be in for a treat later on. After whale watching, we hiked up to Mendenhall Glacier. This was another stunning site and there was a really neat waterfall running next to the glacier. It was beautiful and amazing to see a completely frozen wall of water next to a moving one. We saw some fun wildlife along our hike including a huge beaver but to my disappointment, no bears. 

Our third stop was at Ketchican. Our family spent the day just walking around the city and visiting all the little shops. A lot of this city was built on piers over the water so there were some cute board walks! We bought salt water taffy, ice cream, and delicious caramel popcorn! It was outrageously priced but delicious all the same. That's one thing that sucks about Alaska... The prices. I bought clam chowder in Juneau and it was $9 for about 8oz of soup. No joke. In case you're wondering, it was worth it. :) Anyway after we were done wandering the city, we headed back to the boat to get ready for dinner. We had a great table for our dinner each night. We were right at the back of the boat next to a giant window so we got to look out as we were sailing along and admire the scenery. This was when Tyler's treat came swimming along. Everyone at the tables next to us started freaking out and we heard someone shout "whales!" So we ran to our window to see what was happening. There was a pod of at least 10 Orcas swimming right near our boat! It was incredible! They swim so fast! They would rise out of the water in compete synchronization and blow their water out and then go back down. It was a sight to behold and I wish I would have had my camera! I ended up getting crowded out of my spot at the window because some lady had really smelly fish breath. Gross. But Tyler was smiling for the rest of the night. :)

And that was the jist of our trip. To me, the beautiful sights I was able to see we're a testament that this earth didn't just come out of nowhere. How thankful I am for a loving Father in Heaven who created such beautiful places for me to visit. This earth is such an incredible place and I can't wait to go to even more places in the future. 

Below are some pictures that I took and I'll post more later on as I get them (mom took most of the wildlife pics because my camera wasn't good/fast enough) Enjoy! :)

At the Canadian border!

Docked in Vancouver before the ship took off

Ash, Dad, and me!

The 5 Sails of Vancouver - these are on top of one of the most famous restaurants in Vancouver

At Icy Straight Point

The view of Icy Straight Point as we drove up to the zip-line

Another gorgeous view. Like I said, SO GREEN!

At the zip-line!

Hubbard Glacier - and this isn't even all of it. 

Hubbard Glacier - I thought it was stunning next to the vibrant green mountain

The pretty colors!

Calving in action

Baby seals on the ice - so cute :)

Tyler and Jonathan before the plunge

 All the boys before the plunge (including some friends Trev met on the cruise - they were from Utah!)

 After the plunge! Burrr!

The volleyball match!

Mendenhall Glacier

Pretty colors of Mendenhall Glacier

The waterfall next to the Glacier

Whale watching! - it was cold and windy :/

Whale tail!

Huge beaver near Mendenhall Glacier