Starter Home, Maybe?

I am sick as a cough, and it stinks. Thankfully Marcus has been taking great care of me. He cooks for me, shops for me. What a man! I gotta tell you this week has sucked. I have been sick most of it and then half way through I started my period and it has been terrible. I am completely drained. But, I am trying to be more positive, so I will point out that I sold Maddy's Exersaucer which we got her back in October. She hasn't played with it as much as she initially did because she is crawling and moving around all the time. She would rather have something to play with while being able to crawl away quickly with ease.

I replaced the Exersaucer with an Activity Table. It has fun buttons that make noises and an etch-a-sketch built in. She was so pleased when she first realized the buttons could make noises. She would laugh and look up at me with the cutest grin and then chirp with excitement. Another exciting thing that happened was that she has learned how to wave "hi!" She tries to say it as well. I am so excited for the day she and I can have conversations about what she is thinking and how she perceives the world. I know she has an active brain because I can see her little sneaky mind function when she is picking up trash and trying to sneak it in her mouth as she angles her body away from me so that "mom doesn't see." Haha. Oh boy. I have my hands full, but my heart is full, too. I am one lucky lucky mama!

Marcus and I are thinking about buying a house when we move out to South Carolina. Rent would be more expensive than a mortgage, and we wouldn't be building equity. We feel that the best investment we can make is to buy a starter home there. It will most likely be a three bedroom/two bathroom. I want a fenced in yard, for a dog of course, and a tree in the front yard, but not one blocking the view of the front door. I want a porch where Marcus and I can place a bench or rocking chairs for sitting on while enjoying the morning air or the evening sunset. The budget we have set is 40-70k. The house we both want is so cute! It' 42k and is a foreclosure. I hope that they don't sell it by the time I graduate, but it would suck for the bank to have to hold it that long... it would suck for the house too! No lovin' for it! It is a house that needs a little tender love and care, but the bones of it are just lovely and perfect for our first home. We just need to put new flooring in, and update the kitchen. I am researching great deals as we speak. Lumber Liquidators is actually a great place to purchase flooring, but I love bamboo flooring. It is better than hardwood because it can take a good beating without upkeep. Hardwoods need to be revamped like every five years.

I need to try and stay focused on the "now" though because my life now is a gift. I need to focus on my degree. I am so close. This week has really been terrible for me. Since the sickness I have been stuck at home...but I wouldn't really call it "stuck." I love being home all day. I wish I weren't sick, but being home is sweet! I have senioritous so badly! I thought it was bad when I was graduating from high school, but it's actually worse for college! This semester will be over in three months, and then I will be able to focus on my PRAXIS exams...and then after that I will be on my LAST semester before I student teach! Eeek! So, student teaching will be over and done with next April. Hallelujah. Just take it one day at a time.

"Old" and Married, but Where Did Our Friends Go?

I guess Marcus and I are officially the "old married couple" that no one wants to hang out with. We went to a friend's farewell party, and we asked some of our friends to come over after they were done hanging out since most of the other people we didn't know, and Maddy needed to take a much-needed nap. Three hours later and I know they are playing games with each other but not me and Marcus who are at home. I am so sad. I still feel like the fun-happy-go-getter single girl that I was...and I think I am (minus the single), but what changed? I don't understand. Can't I easily go from fun-happy-go-getter single girl to the fun-happy-go-getter married girl? *sigh*

I need to get out of Rexburg... then I'll have friends in all stages of life that want to spend time with me regardless of my stage of life. I wouldn't change my life for anything. I love my husband, and I love my daughter. I am grateful for my husband's job, and that we can go to this awesome University. I just wish my friends still liked hanging out with me!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Before Christmas we got some family pictures taken by our friend Sabrina. I took the solo shots of Maddy and edited all of the photos myself. It was a sinch with the website picmonkey.com. Maddy was a good sport and she was so excited about her Christmas dress! 

Christmas with the in-laws. Well, does that speak for itself? I love my in-laws, but celebrating Christmas with them is different than with my side of the family. It was equally enjoyable, but for some reason I was just super emotional and weird. I missed my family so much. It was my very first Christmas away from home. Difficult. BUT, I did get to make my mom's eggnog. YUM! Such a hit! And it made me feel more "at home." My favorite thing about the cabin had to be exclusive access to the hot tub! I definitely got my use out of that thing! Marcus and I went every night for a week, except for one night when Marcus was sick.

This year for Christmas we went to a cabin in Island Park, ID. My in-laws rented two snow mobiles and Marcus and I had a romantic ride with just the two of us. I drove for part of the ride, and apparently Marcus was terrified. I pinky promise that I wasn't that bad. A couple of times I turned pretty sharply, but it was all in good fun! I felt like Marcus should have gone faster. Anyhoo, I think driving on the fresh powder is more fun than driving on the packed in stuff, but I heard it was more dangerous. We were fine though. And it was FUN.



On Christmas Eve we did the nativity scene, and at first it seemed ridiculous to act it out since we are mostly all adults. But when we started talking about Mary and her new baby (I acting Mary's part, and Maddy acting Jesus' part) I got super emotional and I had to hold back tears. I felt God's love for his daughter, Mary, so much. He chose her to bare his Son and our Redeemer. She had that awesome task of raising a perfect being. And she had to witness his painful crusifixtion. She loved him just as I love Maddy, and she was perfect for Him on this Earth. Feeling the true meaning of Christmas on Christmas Eve was the feeling I had been waiting for all December. I love my Savior, and I am grateful for his sacrifice so that I may live again with m Heavenly Father in His Kingdom, and be with my loved ones, especially Marcus, forever.

Marcus' family, like mine, lines up from youngest to oldest on Christmas morning.

William, Sarah, Camron, (Where Anna would be), Me, George, Marcus, Brian, and Mom.

Gifts were great, and everyone had so much fun opening and unwrapping. My favorite part of the day was Maddy unwrapping her present! 

When she gets really excited about things she screams and cheers and waves her hands and hits. She just can't contain herself! She absolutely loved the Disney Princess Push Toy. I hope she starts using it to help her walk... what are my chances of that happening?

Merry Christmas to all! 

And a Happy New Year!

New Years. NEW YEARS. Welcome 2013! Some resolutions are in order!

I have four goals in mind for the new year:

1. Exercise twice a week.
2. Finish/pass all of my classes and state exams before student teaching. 
3. Get pregnant sometime during the fall semester. 
4. Fill a jar full with notes of good things that happened throughout the year. 

I just got some workout DVD's that I plan on using every day, but it will most likely only happen twice a week. Next semester is my last big semester before I student teach (Winter '14), and working out every day is not really in the cards since I will be taking six classes, plus I have a husband and daughter that will need my lovin' and attention.

In April I am scheduled to take two really huge state exams called the PRAXIS. These tests determine if I am qualified to student teach, and--even more importantly--to get my degree. It has been a long time coming. I have been working towards a degree for 5 years (from June 2008-Jan. 2013)! What? It's supposed to be a four-year degree. Most people who do graduate in four years don't also get married and have a baby though. I have a couple of good reasons why I haven't been able to graduate. April '14 I will be graduated and ready to take on...full-time motherhood! Which I am so excited about.

Eventually Marcus and I will have a baby number two. Maddy will be a big sister. As I was watching her earlier today I realized I had so much love for her and the love started to come out in the form of tears. How can I love another child as much as I love Madeline? She is my joy. She is learning so much and so fast! I swear she will be walking before the end of the month. Anyways, another baby seems like a good idea. Plus, lately I have been feeling a little baby-sick. Maddy is still a baby, but she isn't a newborn anymore! Wow. That happened fast!

The jar I want will look like this (with a little more pizzazz and personality):



I am excited to read it next year!