1 Year... and almost 2 months ago...

We've hit our one year anniversary!! And if it's like they say "first year is the hardest" then I'm in for a treat!! Being married has been the biggest blessing of my life and I am so so happy to be married forever to my best friend! I love you!

We went and did sealings in the Logan temple.. it was awesome and so fun to go back to where we were married!

aww shucks, ain't we cute!

And also in "memory" of our wedding day we ate at the bluebird restaurant where we had our wedding luncheon! We got free dessert for our anniversary!

Just as a side note, I've added some pictures of when my brother Jacob went through he temple! He's leaving on August 5th for his mission to Panama City, Panama!

Our cousin Curtis, Jacob, me, Grandma Mary, and Brad

CALIFORN-I-A!!!

Our summer trip this year was to Southern California! Our plans: the beach.














I found my new favorite restaurant: Macianos! PASTA PASTA PASTA!!! and lots of it! They serve huge portions.. the waiter said he would give us free dessert if Brad finished his lasagna.. almost made it, but unfortunately Brad has good self-control (unlike myself) and decided it wasn't worth getting sick over. (WARNING: food in pictures are larger than they appear!)
We went to the WILD ANIMAL PARK! can't you see how excited we are?! (ps. if anyone is planning on going... it's pretty much just like the zoo, but in bigger spaces which = more walking!)

A highlight of the trip was Brad's cousin Darbie's wedding! It was fun to meet more family!

visiting the San Diego Temple! it was beautiful!!

Ok, you probably can't tell what this picture is, but it's quite a funny story (at least I think it's funny..) so Brad and I were at the pool one day, and noticed a line of ants around the edge of the pool... marching in perfectly straight lines and cruising like there's no tomorrow! If anyone has ever seen Disney's Bug's Life, you'll remember the part where the ants are marching and a leaf falls in the line and the ants are stopped in their tracks, not knowing where to go... same story here. We would splash water right through the middle of the line and watch and laugh at the ant "traffic jam"! It was hilarious!

(yes we are children!)

We ate dinner pretty much every night with family,but one night Brad and I wanted to have a nice "romantic" dinner together. We had seen a restaurant on the end of a pier (above) and decided to go there thinking that would be romantic with the sun setting and all... actually not! Along the whole pier were fishermen fishing! The hand rail was covered in worm guts and hooks and the whole place reeked of fish! So we just stayed inside the restaurant and ate our food and decided we would save sunset watching for the beach!

Brad and his brother Eric at the beach!

who's that hottie? oh wait... it's my husband:)

We had a fun time at the beach trying to boogie board on cheap boogie boards we bought at a Kmart (note: they don't work very well unless you get the really expensive kind....figures!) So we just played in the sand and the waves!

Goodbye rent... hello mortgage!!

it all started ...
when rates went down and our rent went up... hmmmmm
pay the same for a house and have our money actually going somewhere,
or pay rent and have it go nowhere!!! Tough choice...
we decided to look for a house!!!
Is there something wrong with our economy when the cheapest choice is to build a new house??
I'm ok with it!
...and that's how it all started!!

we have a cute corner lot.. not very big, but just perfect for us!

here's when they finally dug the hole! We were so excited!

...and poured the foundation...

...and finally put up the house!! It's a one-level small little home, but like I said before- perfect! It's a 3 bed/2 bath and the neighborhood is so nice and young! (compared to our neighborhood now) We'll be moving in around mid-September!! I'll keep some pics posted!

Crazy?...I was crazy once!

I've been a runner since jr. high, and have run tons and tons of 5k's. However, I have never raced anything higher than that! So this year I signed up for the "Winter Racing Circuit" that my work (Striders) puts on every winter. It starts in February and consists of a series of races that builds you up just in time for the Ogden Marathon: 5k, 10k, 10 miler, half-marathon, and a 30k (18.5 miles)!!!! Crazy! I only planned to go up to the ten miler (maybe) and then see how I felt for the half-marathon... It was an amazing thing!
Brad was such a trooper.. he would wake up at 5am with me on Saturday mornings to drive me to the races so I wouldn't be so nervous! After finishing the first 5k I turned to Brad, panting and said there was no way I could do more than that! He just smiled and patted my back... 2 weeks later I finished my first 10k (6.2 miles) and same thing, "I don't think I can do any more"... 2 weeks later I was finishing the 10 miler! Then came my first half... I was so excited and so nervous! It was up in the valley where my parents live so that made it fun to run past them! I did better than I thought- I could barely walk after- but also better than I thought! The last race was the 30k.. I don't know even to this day how I did it!! It was so insane and crazy and awesome feeling to be able to finish! It wasn't record time in the least, but it was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life! Anyway, ya I know I'm crazy, but you have to be to be a runner! There's just something about it I love.. it's addicting! I plan on running at least one full marathon in my lifetime... Anyway, check out the pictures below!

Finishig my first 10K

10 miler (I'm smiling because I'm only half way through.. the pain hasn't hit quite yet!)

First half-marathon!!! (I'm running past my parents and about to shed my pants!)

30K!

Finishing 18.5 miles... need I say more!

So I made my goal to run in the Ogden Half Marathon! It was the funnest race ever!! I definitely plan on doing it again!

Ran just under an 8 min./mile pace!