Clogging Just Got Sexy!

I think Justin needs to learn how to clog. Maybe he can learn with Ozzie haha.

Memorial Day

When I was little the Paulsens (my mom's side of the family) would all come up to Logan and have a major BBQ and play outdoorsy games every Memorial Day at the Merlin Olsen Park. Then due to the family growing up and apart the tradition kind of died. It was pretty sad. Well last year they reintroduced this long lost tradition of ours, but unfortunately I was not able to go. This year however, I went and it was a total blast! We had a giant BBQ with extremely yummy food. Then everyone joined in a huge game of baseball with almost 20 people playing. It was such a riot. I haven't played a baseball game like that in a long, long time! And our team totally kicked trash of course!
This was my team:
Me
Justin
Jessica (sister)
Chris (uncle)
Ron (cousin)
Brian (cousin)
Hannah (cousin)
Kanyon (cousin)
Jerico (2nd cousin)
Heather (cousin)

(That was strictly for journaling purposes so thanks for bearing with me.) But seriously, our team was rockin! And the Paulsens are known for their competitive spirit so it was an intense game, we were ticking off some people on the other team for sure haha. After the baseball game a big volleyball game started but I got to talking to some cousins that I haven't seen in a while so I kind of missed the boat on that game. I wasn't too disappointed though because I rarely get to talk to these cousins on a one on one basis so it was a lot of fun.

After the park some of us drove up to the Logan cemetery to see the graves of my great grandparents and great-great grandparents. Justin also showed me his grandparents graves. And guess who we ran into there? None other than one of my best friends from elementary, jr. high, and high school, Miss Cami Thornton! Oh wait. Never mind. Her name is MRS. Cami BERRY now. When you know someone that long their name change never really sticks. Ah-hem. ANYWAY. Small world right? You would think with Justin and Cami being in our ward we would see more of them, but we don't really get to talk to them much. It was kind of fun being able to chat with those two for a bit, even if it was in a cemetery haha.

After the cemetery visit my mom, Jess, Kylie, Justin, and I went to Aggie Ice Cream. YUM! I got my favorite flavor, caramel cashew, and it was pure heaven! I need to get more Aggie Ice Cream I've decided. It's good for the soul.

So after all of that fun-ness, Justin and I went to his parents house for another BBQ with his family. Sadly my sweet Tenley was not there, but it was still a lot of fun.

So this Memorial Day was pretty much epic. Great company. Great food. Great memories made. And a very great baseball game won. This is definitely one of those traditions that I hope doesn't die out again!

God Gave Me You

Today at work this music video came on the TV. I have always loved this song. It reminds me so much of Justin. I believe with my whole heart that God's hand was in our meeting and courtship. I KNOW that God gave me Justin! I just know it. I honestly can have the worst day ever. And then I go home to him and he wraps his arms around me and I feel better within seconds. He keeps me sane. I am so grateful that God gave me Justin. He is exactly what I needed and everything I wanted.

Gym Class Heroes

:(

It's only 7:17am and already today is a bad day. Yesterday Justin and I decided it might be best to back out of our contract on the home we were buying. The sellers are being ridiculous and are definitely putting us through the ringer. We only had two days left to back out, and because the negotiations were still going on, we haven't even gotten an inspector or an appraiser to look at it yet. I think we would end up paying more money than the house was actually worth. I am pretty disappointed. I really did like that house, and loved the yard, but it just wasn't working out. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, so I know it will all work out, but  today I am feeling discouraged and majorly bummed out. We were so close to getting away from our stupid A neighbors, but now we are back to square one. Don't count your chickens before they are hatched = lesson learned!

Another reason today has gotten off to a rough start is because I think I slept on my neck wrong. I can hardly turn my head. Ugh. I am in so much pain right now. And I probably look like an idiot at work because I have to keep my head turned at an angle. Sheesh. I want to go home to sleep and cry. I don't want to be here today.

So are you sick of my whining yet? Me too! So I will end this on a positive note. Today I get to see one of my  bestest bestest friends who I have not seen in FORRRREVER! She has been serving a LDS mission in Tuscon, Arizon for the last year and a half and today she is driving up to Logan and we are going to get some Aggie Ice Cream! Color me excited! I have seriously missed this girl SO much! She is the one that I can talk to about ANYTHING! I LOVE LOVE LOVE her! So thank goodness for having something to look forward to! I don't think I would survive this day at work without that.

Dating the Husband

On Monday night Justin and I both just happened to have work off so my awesome amazing hubby took me out on a date. Can I just say, I LOVE dating my husband! We have so much fun together! So anyway, after a long day of laundry at the in-laws house, we jumped on the motorcycle and went to dinner at Olive Garden, which I am pretty sure is my MOST favoritest place to eat ever! Chicken Alfredo with penne noodles... mmmmm! After dinner we went to Cinefour and saw the movie "This Means War". I loved loved that movie. I think it will be a purchase of mine in the future for sure! Highly recommend! After the movie we went home and watched an episode of NCIS and fell asleep on the couch. It was a fun date. I'm still madly in love with my Hubba Hubba! He is a very good man.

Heart Wrenching... In a good way

I was watching TV last night at work and I saw this father-daughter duet on America's Got Talent. Wow. They are so amazing. Not only are they super talented, but they have such a sweet relationship with one another. I have watched this twice and both times I just can't help but get all teary eyed. I really hope they go far in the competition because I want to see more!

Uncle and Auntie

Uncle Justin and Auntie Kristi have fallen in love! Meet Tenley, our gorgeous, perfect, angel of a niece. She stole our hearts the second we held her. She was born on May 12 at 3:31pm. She weighs 7.5 llbs (or close to that, not sure exactly) and is 19 inches long. They say she screamed her lungs out when she entered the world, but once she got used to the idea she settled down and has barely cried at all. She makes the cutest cooing noises when she sleeps and loves sucking on her lower lip. Her mommy said that if her hands were free she would have been sucking on her fist. She opened her beautiful eyes for me, but not for Justin, ha! I'm already the favorite I just know it! Mom and baby are both doing great, even after such a long hard labor. Welcome to the world Tenley. You have us wrapped around your  little finger. You are the most beautiful baby I have ever seen, which means a lot coming from me because usually I think newborns are hideous and look like deformed old men aliens. But not you. You are perfect. And Sweet. And Adorable. We love you so much!

Loooooooong Labor

My sister in law went into labor on Friday around 12:30 pm. It is now 4:40pm on Saturday and NO BABY YET! Can you say longest labor EVER?! Ugh. The anticipation is KILLING ME! I desperately want to be an aunt, a title I haven't been before. But poor Stephanie, she didn't even have lunch yesterday and now they won't let her eat anything at all in case they have to do a C-section. It's bad enough to have contractions for 28 hours, but to be starving on top of that! Sheesh. Poor thing. And 'Grandma' Palmer and 'Aunt' Leslie are way way more impatient than I am to hold and snuggle and kiss on that little bundle of joy. I hope all us girls will make it through this alright haha. Come on Tenley. We are ready to meet you!!

One Year

So this blog post is a little late due to all the house excitement, but I still wanted to write it for my own journaling purposes. On May 6 was Justin and I's anniversary of our first date. It's crazy to think that we have only known each other for a year. It seems like it was another lifetime ago when we had our first awkward date, you know, as all first dates are. I went back and reread my journal entries about our first six dates and decided to post them for your pleasure. I am so cheesy! haha. We honestly moved so fast those first few dates. Funny how it really was love at first sight...almost. After the first week I KNEW that this was the man that I was going to marry. So here is the beginning, where it all started.....

Our First Date:
Justin and I had our first date on May 6, 2011. I was then living in the Highlander apartments in Logan, but was moving in with my parents the following day to save and prepare for a mission. Being the gentleman that he is, Justin picked me up at my apartment. He came on his motorcycle and I was both apprehensive and excited to ride on a motorcycle for the first time. My apprehension quickly disappeared however as the wind blew through my hair, the sun shone on my face, and I had a cute boy in front of me to hold on to. 
For our first date Justin took me bowling at Logan Lanes. I was somewhat nervous about this activity as well because I knew he was really good and I was somewhat dismal. It was funny because I told him this and he just laughed and told me to just have fun. I was shocked when I bowled one of the best games of my life! My first game I got a 142 and the second game I got a 121. I always wondered if Justin thought I was trying to be modest telling him I sucked at bowling, but I honestly kicked trash that night and have no idea how! I was just as stunned as he was!
After we went bowling Justin took me to dinner at the Bluebird where I tried ironpot for the very first time. It was delicious and lots of fun. When we were finished with dinner we went back to Justin’s house to watch a movie. He thought everyone would be gone, but surprise! We walked in to a full house. That night I met Justin’s parents, his little sister Leslie, and Leslie’s boyfriend. We talked for a minute and then watched Rush Hour 2. I loved Justin’s parents from the very first time I met them. They are so welcoming and kind and I felt right at home with them. 
After the movie we sat on his couch and talked for a bit and then he drove me home. He hugged me goodbye, but it was a “let’s have a conversation while we hug” kind of hug which was just fine by me. 
That night Justin text me after our date and informed me that he really wanted to kiss me. I was delighted and knew that this was different from anything I had ever experienced. 


Date Number Two:
On Tuesday, May 10, I had to go to a doctor’s appointment in Logan and asked Justin if he would like to see me afterwards. He agreed very quickly. When I was done at the doctors I drove to Justin’s house and we then went to dinner at Callaway’s in Smithfield. It was some of the best pasta I have ever had! YUM! When we were done with dinner we went back to Justin’s house and watched Back to the Future, which is his favorite movie. We then went to Charlie’s and got some ice cream, which was also delicious of course. When we were done with ice cream neither of us could decide what to do next so we parked his truck in his driveway and talked for forty-five minutes before he had to go to work. It was another night with no kiss, but a great hug. 

Third Date:
Our third date was May 11. I was still in Logan (I had crashed at my cousin Kylie’s apartment). I had plans that night to go to dinner with my friend Amanda and cousin Kylie so I said I would see Justin after that. However, Amanda, being the persistent girl that she is, talked me into inviting Justin to go get ice cream with us so that she could meet him. So, after dinner it was off to pick Justin up and go to Capser’s for some ice cream. Justin was really quiet when he met my friends, but I guess he made a good impression because Amanda says she really liked him and Kylie gave him the “cousin stamp of approval”. When we were done with the ice cream I dropped Amanda and Kylie off and Justin and I headed to the golf course to go on the scenic walk through the trees and next to the river. While we were walking we had a really good conversation but I was frustrated that he wasn’t holding my hand haha. We ended up talking about kissing and I told him that I didn’t want my first kiss to be in a car or inside. After our walk we went back to his house and sat in the car talking for the next hour and a half before he had to get ready for work. He finally held my hand while we were talking! Yay! And again, no kiss, wonderful hug. And this night was the first night that it was getting extremely hard to say goodbye to him. 

Fourth Date:
Our fourth date was May 12, which is my little sister Jessica’s birthday. I was leaving Logan that day so I met Justin in the morning. We rode his motorcycle that day because of the fantastic weather. We went to an auto store where Justin helped me pick out some bling to go in Jessie’s new car. After the birthday shopping was complete we went and got take out subs at Logan’s heroes. We drove to Willow Park and had a picnic in the park. When we were finished eating we walked around the zoo, talking and enjoying one another’s company. After the park I knew it was about time for me to leave and spend some time with my sister. This was the hardest goodbye yet. I had no idea when I would be able to see him again and it was killing both of us. Somehow however, I managed to hug him goodbye, get in my car, and drive home (texting him the entire way of course). 

Fifth Date:
That Saturday, May 14, Justin decided that he would come down to Fruit Heights to meet my parents seeing as I had already met his. He showed up around four in the afternoon. My dad and brother weren’t there but he did meet my mom and Jessica. Luckily for me it went smoothly and was not embarrassing at all. I then took him on a driving tour of my hometown. Afterwards we went to Cherry Hill for a fun round of miniature golf, which we both basically sucked at hardcore! We then drove to Barnes Park where we cuddled on a bench and talked some more. When both of our butts were sore and our tummies rumbling we went to dinner at Red Robin. After dinner it was back to my house to play some P.I.G. on our basketball court. He completely schooled me of course. We then watched two movies, Tarzan and Remember the Titans. We were enjoying cuddling each other a little too much so decided to watch some TV after that. It was then time to take Chaz on a walk, which we did while holding hands the entire way. After the walk Justin suggested that we go star gazing on my trampoline. There weren’t many stars out but lucky for me it was freezing and we cuddled while sharing a blanket. We talked for a long time and when it got quiet, we both looked at each other, and he kissed me. It was the perfect first kiss underneath the stars, cuddling in the cold. After the first kiss we continued to talk and kiss and rub each other’s backs until we just couldn’t stand the cold any longer. By that time it was getting pretty late so I walked him to his truck, which we stood outside of and talked and hugged and kissed some more. This was another very difficult goodbye. Justin left around 3:30 that morning.

Sixth Date:
Justin and I had our sixth date on May 16. This time we decided to meet in Brigham City because it was half an hour drive for both of us. We drove around Brigham City for a while, went bowling, ate dinner at Wingers, drove around some more, and then went to a car dealership to look at trucks. We got to test drive one of the freaking sweetest trucks I have ever been in. It had so many sweet gadgets! The funniest thing that happened was Justin was telling the car salesman that he needed a truck that he could fit more people in. The car dealer then asked if we were expecting. Haha Justin got his uncomfortable smile on and just shook his head no. I went around the back to pretend to be looking at the cab while I laughed. So after that little adventure we ended up parking in a parking lot where we did what we always do. Cuddle. Talk. Laugh. Hold Hands. Kiss. Hug. You get the drift. I knew by then that I was falling for this man hard and I was falling for him fast! I couldn’t believe how hard it was for both of us to say goodbye that night. It took us more than forty-five minutes. I know Justin must have been speeding like a demon in Sardine Canyon to make it to work in time. I just can’t seem to get enough of him. I want to be with every moment of every day. Saying goodbye sucks! Especially because I don’t ever know when I will be able to see him again!

Home Sweet Home

So if you have read my blog post from Sunday you know that Justin and I put an offer on a house. Well, we found out yesterday that our offer was rejected, but they offered a counter offer, which we then accepted. So basically...WE ARE UNDER CONTRACT!! Which MEANS that if everything looks good after the inspection, we will be HOMEOWNERS! Justin and I are beyond thrilled! We never felt 'just right' about throwing our money away to rent. Now we can put our money into something that we actually OWN and has VALUE! I feel so blessed right now. This would have never been possible without my income. It feels good to be needed. Not that Justin didn't need me before, but it is just a good feeling to contribute ya know? The picture is actually our home-- cute right? It's pretty teeny tiny, just two bedrooms, but it has a good sized living room and the yard is HUGE! Like HUGE HUGE! Which is exactly what we wanted. We always said that we wanted a tiny house with a ginormous yard and basically that's just what we got. The great thing about the yard though is that it would be super easy to put an addition on the house when needed in the future. I doubt that will come before the garage though. My man needs a place to build his Nova haha. But NOTHING comes before my PUPPY! Boo-Frickin-Yeah Baby!! Future puppy owner right here haha. So anyway, it's actually in Justin's parents ward, which how awesome is that for our kids?! If everything goes smoothly we will be moving in the end of June, at which time there will be a rockin' BBQ to celebrate our new home and EVERYONE is invited because EVERYONE can fit in our HUGE YARD! Excited? Just a little. ;)

Touching Spirit Bear

I found this book at a garage sale and when I started it I seriously HATED the main character. His actions made me want to throw him off a cliff. Which is unusual because usually the author wants you to sympathize with the main character. I honestly didn't like this book for the first few chapters. It was good writing, I just hated the characters. But I kept reading and I am glad I did. By the end of the book I am happy to say that I changed my mind about Cole. This book is about the healing process of bullying and a lesson on how dangerous bullying, and the bullying cycle, can actually be. There are some great lessons found in this book. I hope this never happens, but if in the future I find out that one of my kids is being a bully I am for sure making them read this book! I really loved this book and the life lessons that you can find within it.

Home

This post is a little premature.... but.... I am SO nervous. Like freaking out nervous.

Thursday: Justin and I went looking, for the third time, at homes for sale with our awesome Realtor Janice. We have seen quite a few homes in Cache Valley, but that day we found one that we absolutely loved!

Friday: We met with a mortgage company and pre-qualified. Went back to the house to show Mom and Dad Palmer.

Saturday: Mom and Dad Wright drove to Logan to look at the house. Both parents were in love with it! So we went to Jette Youngblood and made an offer.

Sunday: Kristi and Justin are sweating bullets. We are nervous. We WANT it!

Monday: WE FIND OUT IF OFFER WAS ACCEPTED!

Tuesday: Another blog will be written.

Kristi Leigh

Out of the Dust

'Out of the Dust', by Karen Hesse, is another one of my quarter finds at a garage sale. I read this book in one day, I loved it. It took me a minute to get used to the format that its written in, but once you've got that down you really start enjoying the story. It's about a girl who is born after the WWI. She lives on a farm in a time without rain. Hope is almost as scarce as food. After a tragic accident, she has to learn how to enjoy life again and learn to  love what's left. She has to discover hope for the future and find out what home means to her. It's a very well written book and definitely does not take long to read. 

A Birthday Weekend

For Justin's birthday he decided that he would like to go to a ten acre junkyard in Wendell, Idaho. So that's exactly what we did. Can you say best wife ever? hahaha just kidding. I had a lot of fun actually. On Friday we drove up to Jerome, Idaho and stayed in the Comfort Inn. It was such a freaking nice hotel! Our room was HUGE! I loved it. Saturday morning, after our continental breakfast, we drove up to Wendell to the junk yard. Justin was like a little kid in Disneyland for the first time. I really enjoyed watching him. There were old cars as far as the eye could see. They have one place that they call 'mustang mountain' which is basically a giant hill covered in old mustangs. It was pretty insane how many cars were there. They also had one fenced off area that was full of 'project cars', which means that the car is in pretty decent shape so they won't sell the car for parts, but you buy the entire car to fix it up. These cars were my favorites I think. I found an old chevy truck that I fell in love with. Unfortunately Justin didn't find too many parts for the '69 Nova he is rebuilding, but it was still a lot of fun to walk around and look at everything. After the junkyard we stopped at a family diner, and if you have ever done that than you know what an adventure that can be. On our drive home we stopped in Burley to visit the Gossners up there, it was pretty sweet. Their store is way bigger than Logan, which was kind of surprising.

On Sunday, which was his birthday, we invited our families over and had a BBQ. I gave him my present earlier that day, which was an outdoor grill. I think he liked it cause even though it was his birthday, he ended up doing all of the cooking. After stuffing ourselves full of hamburgers and hot dogs we opened presents and then had some cake and ice cream. I got a ton of pictures at the junkyard but I'm a little lacking on his actual birthday. (Bad wife!) But here are some pictures of Justin's 27'th birthday weekend (for more pictures see facebook). Happy Birthday Justin, I sure do love you lots!!

First Attempt... Success!

I have never made soup before. Ever. But we had a TON of broccoli left over from Justin's birthday party so I decided I would give broccoli cheese soup a try. Bada Bing Bada Boom! SUCCESS! I found a recipe on Pinterest, the easiest one I could find mind you, and it turned out awesome! (but next time I would cut the garlic and broccoli down a little more). Here's the recipe...
 Broccoli-Cheddar Soup:
 2 tablespoons butter
 1 small onion, finely diced
 1 stalk celery, finely diced
 3 cloves garlic, minced
 2 cups broccoli (about 4 small heads) cut into very small pieces (you want them to fit on a spoon)
 2 cups chicken stock
 2 cups milk
 1/2 cup flour
 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
 Salt and pepper

 Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, add onions and celery plus a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until soft. Add garlic, cook for another minute. Add broccoli, cook for one minute, then add the chicken stock and cover. Allow the broth to come to a boil, and cook until the broccoli is soft.

 Whisk together flour and milk until combined. Add this mixture to the pot, stirring gently. The soup will thicken (yay starch!) and once it's thick and creamy looking, add the grated cheddar. Salt and pepper to taste, serve with toast.
 --I Served with rolls, but next time I might try it in a bread bowl. I also saved a little cheese to sprinkle on top in each individual bowl--

 *Image from Google images*