Still grateful

Today I am grateful for new socks. New socks are soft and cozy. It's like a hug for your toes. They are only like that the first time you wear them. After they get washed its just not the same.

Gratitude

I am still thankful for things, even if I don't post about it....I got a bit busy there for a few days. Yesterday I was grateful to add another night of volleyball to my week. I started a new league last night and we even won our first match.  Not bad for a bunch of people who had never played or even practiced together before.

Today I am grateful that my new dentist is nice.  It's never gonna beat going to see my mom on Dentist Day, but I feel like this is an office we can go to for a long time.  YAY! I was really nervous about that! and everything worked out just fine!

Today I'm grateful for....

Daylight savings!!! Not only do you get an extra of hour of sleep, it gave me the time I needed to clean up a huge grape juice mess on the carpet and wall after Benji knocked over a full glass. It got everywhere! We now have a purple wall and pinkish purple spots all over our beige carpet. What a mess!  Oh and I'm grateful we're renting!

#3

Today is a special day so I need a special post. So today I am especially grateful for my parents and their wonderful marriage. Today is their 32rd anniversary! They have been such a wonderful, loving example of love, friendship, sacrifice, teamwork, and generosity.  They have worked so hard to keep their marriage joyful amidst all the trials and tribulations of life.  Every day they work hard to grow closer and just started teaching the marriage development class for their stake. I love them so much and am so grateful for all they have done for me, especially for being such wonderful example of what a loving marriage should be.  Thanks Mom and Dad and I hope you have another amazing 32 years!

Month of gratitude #2

Tonight I am grateful for chocolate milk.  Scott and I have been trying to work out more and eat better and when we need a yummy treat that's healthy we have a delicious glass of chocolate milk.  In fact...I'm going to get a glass right now!!

A Month of Gratitude #1

My goal this month, with it being Thanksgiving soon, is to post something I am grateful for every day of November.  I know there are the givens, like Scott, my family, the Gospel, my sweet little puppy, and my job. I want to stay a way from those, they're too easy! They might pop up occasionally when something special happens, but I want to focus more on the little things every day I might be missing...so here we go!

I'm grateful that we moved to California.  Not for the sun, sand and surf, but because it makes me think of my family and friends more.  I try harder to stay in touch and maintain friendships, and have even rekindled a few friendships that have been dormant for a while.  Being away from home makes every visit or phone call more special. Yes, I'm grateful we moved to California.    

Well hello, Mother Nature

There is no better place to celebrate birthdays then Disneyland, and our dear friend Teri Jo completely agrees. She came to visit us to celebrate her and Scott's birthdays. Before any of that could happen we had to take her to the beach. You can't go to Cali and not see the ocean! So we went to the beach and when we got there the waves were so teeny tiny. As we were headed down to the surf, I pointed this out and almost immediately a tidal wave came crashing towards the shore. We were only in to about our ankles but the current was pulling so hard we couldn't take more then a few steps out of the water. So in a flash, this:

Turned into this.....

We were all soaked and sandy!!!!   So there you go, Teri Jo, not only did you get to see the beach, you got to take some home with you!!!!

Wee-cation to Catalina Island!!!

Our Wee-Cation started out with an hour boat ride on one of the ferries that takes people to Catalina.  It was gray and cloudy and I almost thought that we were headed for the Bermuda Triangle.  

 We made it through the Perfect Storm and ended up here...Avalon on Catalina Island.  It had beautiful buildings and houses and cute little courtyards and shops everywhere you look.

The Island is really small, and most people don't have cars there.  Instead they cruise around in these....

Why yes, that is pimped out 30s Roadster GOLF CART.  haha tricked out carts like these were all over the island.  So fun to see what people had done to them instead of the normal boring white.  And of course when you have a pimped out ride like this where do you park it???

 In your mini golf cart sized garage of course!!!

On the way down to the beach. With the pretty bay and all the amazing views it was such an amazing place to explore.

 

The bartender on the beach made a delicious, refreshing Lava Flow.  (A Lava Flow is pina colada and strawberry daiquiri mixed together)  Totally brought us back to our times on our honeymoon in Hawaii...we drank those all day long. 

 This beautiful building used to be a casino, now it's a museum.  We didn't get a chance to go inside. They only give one tour a day.  We walked all around it and took tons of pictures because it was so pretty.

 This was awesome....We had rented a golf cart to explore more of the island and we came across this phone booth.  I personally thought it was totally sweet, but I think Scott was a little appalled at the thought of anyone using a telephone booth....  

 Just a few pictures of the bay during our golf cart tour.  Scott really liked driving the golf cart.  Maybe a little too much...the roads were steep and windy and there were a few times when I was legitimately scared we were going to tip.  But we made it back safely and saw some amazing scenery.

I had to through this little goodie in the mix.  I saw these hats around during the day and every time I just had to think, "WHY???"  Why would you wear that? And if you had to wear it, why in public.  Why subject everyone else to your lack of good hat decision making????  

We had so much fun in Catalina and can't wait to go back for another trip full of excitement and bad hats!!

Catching up~Move, New jobs, Bday

Scott reminded me that it's been since Valentine's Day when I blogged last, and a ton of stuff has happened, so I figure now is as good a time as any to catch up.  I do apologize for the lack of pictures. our internet at home isn't set up, but I will post some shortly.

#1   We moved to California the end of February.  The drive down was horrible, long and boring.  I don't recommend it.  The only good part was the few minutes where we were passing Mt. Shasta.  It was beautiful.  I took pictures on my phone, but I don't think they were saved when I got a new phone. So sorry about that.   Benji did amazing for a 6 month old puppy.  He just laid in my lap the whole time and took lots of naps.  We stopped at the Harry and David Store in Medford, OR and bought some yummy yummy fudge. The whole drive took three days cause they closed the Grapevine Pass Saturday night.  I think it was drizzling, or there could have been a few clouds, much to dangerous to drive through. So we stopped in Bakersfield for the night and finished up the drive on Sunday.  I hope I never have to do that again.

#2   New apartment!!  We found a new place that we really like.  It's bigger then our last apartment and has a huge patio and a garage.  I'm so grateful because I was starting to get a bit clostrophobic, we definitely needed more room.  We'll have all the pictures hanging soon--Judith, wanna take a trip to Southern California???-- then we'll be all moved in and I'll post some pictures of our place here. 

#3    Disneyland!!!!  After weeks of nagging I finally got to go to Disneyland.  Scott surprised me for my birthday with lunch at Club 33 and then a full day of fun and excitement.  I wore the button they gave me that said Happy Birthday and people said Happy Birthday to me all day long.  It was pretty crazy since some schools were on spring break, but we got to ride our favorites and had a fantasitc time and ate some super yummy food!!!!  All the ingredients necessary for the best Bday ever.  Thanks to my honey for being sneaky and planning the whole thing!!

#4    New jobs!!!  Of course the whole reason we moved down here was so Scott could work with Russ.  I was worried about finding a job fast enough, but I actually had a few offers to choose from.  That was an amazing blessing and definitely an answer to our prayers.  I really like my job and am learning a ton. 

Everything is going well, but I always miss home.  It was fun to have Grandma Anderson come and visit on her way to Arizona.  We went to my new favorite restaurant, Souplantation--all you can eat soup, salad, and pasta bar. mmmmmmMMMMM!!! And after that we saw the Adjustment Bureau. so much fun.  It made me so happy to see her and I hope to have many more visitors in the future!  :D
 

Happy Valentine's Day...I guess

Happy Valentines Day!! 

It's a well known fact that I do not like Valentines Day. I think it's a bit of a joke as far as holidays go.  Everyone told me I would like it when I got married, but nope, still don't like it.  This Valentine's is a little bit different since Scott is so far away and we've never been apart this long before (and I hope never again).   So here is my Valentine's Tribute to the sweetest, cutest husband ever! 

 My favorite picture from our engagement shoot. 

                                   
 This was the most amazing proposal ever, and I would know...I had at least a dozen marriage proposals on my mission!  haha

 Our First Anniversary celebration dinner at Ruth's Chris. mmmmmmm the whole restuarant smells like butter, so you know everything on the menu will be delicious. 

 In Hawaii on our honeymoon. 

 A quick smooch on Space Mountain.

Hugs at Fort Columbia

In Danny and Joanie's backyard

And on the most wonderful day of my life when I married my best friend for time and all eternity.  What an amazing blessing it has been to grow together, to share challenges and triumphs, to love, laugh, share, and experience new things together. Baby, you are my everything and I love you forever!!!

Movin to Orange County

Well, I better make it official and nothing is more official then blogging it-am I right? Scott and I are moving to Southern California. Russ and Scott will be working together and I know they are both excited for that.  I had a little trouble getting acclimated to the idea, but with all the rain we are having right now it's starting to sound better and better.  Our apartment is in shambles due to the move, it's starting to drive me just a little bit crazy.  Scott will be leaving on Friday so he can get to work down there and I'll be coming the end of February so I can hang out with Tyler when he gets home from his mission on February 18th!!!!!! I am sad to be leaving my family, job, and our ward, but there are new wards and new adventures waiting for us there so I'm trying to be brave and accept change without to much trepidation.  :) Plus I doubt we'll have problems getting house guests once we're settled in.  :D  I'm excited to see my friends who live down that way and I know Scott is too....So California here we come!!!