The Marriotts

Nash's Big Day

2010-10-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

My mom and I got to fly up to Colorado for Nash's baptism last week. What a fun trip we had. It was so good to see Tasha and Jared and all the kiddos...I absolutely love being around them. Don't think I will do any more big trips before the baby is born but I was so grateful I was able to be there for Nash'a big day. We flew up and drove to their house Thursday night and then went to Mt. Rushmore on Friday. It was really cool to see in person. We are gonna have to go back when JP can go with us. Saturday was Nash's baptism and then later we had a birthday party for him. I cannot believe he is 8!!!! I remember sitting in the waiting room in the hospital waiting for him to come. Such a sweet little/big boy and I love him so much. I'm so proud of him and the little man he has become. I am so grateful to get to be his aunt and for all the time I have had with him during the first years of his life. So grateful our little JJ will have such good examples to look up to :)

Sunday we just had church and then got to relax for a few hours before making the journey home. It's nice to visit their little town because both Josh and I get tired of the city sometimes and miss the slower paced life. I loved just spending some time with family. Miss my sister and love her so much. I know we have to grow up and have our own lives but it's always hard to leave those you love. What an amazing family her and Jared have made! What strength they have and how much they have all grown!!!! Love them!

I was interested to see how the kids were gonna react to my big belly once I got there. Anywhere we went, I had Maya on one side and Kyli on the other with their hands on my belly telling everyone "My aunt is gonna have a baby in December and his name is JJ...." Such cute girls...oh how I love them :)

Was a great trip and seeing Nash just made me realize how fast time flies and I better cherish every moment with my little guy because he will grow up fast!

I loved this flag flying as soon as we got out of the car

Jared and the kiddos

Tada

Just focus on the presidents in this one

Love love love him!

Handsome Boys!

Cutest Family!

Uncle JP made sure Nash was all Iron Man'd out

Buzz

Birthday Boy

Pumpkin Heads

:)

CHEESE!

Wait a Second...

2010-08-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

So I just had to post this because it made me smile. Last night for our FHE lesson, I talked about language and how the way we talk defines us and how people see us. So I made these jars for us and we each got the same amount of change and everytime one of us says a bad word, the other person has to take a coin from their jar and put in in the other's jar. Whoever has the most money at the end of the week gets a treat. Just trying to cut out the words that slip sometimes and just be better :)

This is based on the honor system and we are trusting each other. This is what the jars looked like today when I walked in from work. I'm a little worried about Josh.....either he took his money and bought a treat already or he had a rough day...lol. Looks like I win this week!

All the coins are in MY jar :)

Marriott Reunion and Baby Boy :)

2010-08-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

Summer seems to have just flown by. Josh starts Fall Semester this Thursday. We were able to go up for a Marriott family reunion the end of July. It was a lot of fun to see everyone and just get out of town for a few days...wish it was longer. The weather was a nice break from AZ. We camped at Henry's Lake near Island Park in Idaho and it was beautiful! We also got to go to Yellowstone National Park on Saturday. It was really neat to see Old Faithful and some of the Hot Pots. Josh and I want to go back someday and spend more time there. We were only able to see one buffalo far off in the distance from the car on the drive in. I'm sure we will have lots of future opportunities. We added another state to our list. I have now officially been to Montana and man was it gorgeous! Wish it wasn't so far away.

We also had our 20 week dr visit last week and got to find out for sure that we are having a BOY! We are so thrilled! I absolutely love this little guy already. He has started to be really active lately, usually when I'm going to bed or when I first wake up, but I have been feeling him all day at work some days. It's been really cool to feel him - he feels like a little fish inside flopping against the sides :) I think it makes me less stressed knowing he is ok and moving around. Such a fun time!

Saturday Craft Project

2010-07-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

So I have started to feel a little more human again and decided to work on one of my projects yesterday. I took a break from blankets and made some nursing covers. They were pretty easy to make and I think they turned out pretty good. I posted some pictures below.

A Few More Pics

2010-06-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

So I had my first trimester screening last week. It was so cool to lay there and watch our little one flip and twist around on the mointor. The new technology is crazy! I had no idea you would be able to tell at all but pretty sure we are having a little boy. The Dr made an educated guess and once I saw the screen, it's not hard to agree. I'm not sure if these usually take so long but he was being very ornery with the technician doing the ultrasound. When she needed him to be still he would move and then when she needed him to move, he went into a headstand, curled his legs and would not move. I was coughing and tapping my belly and moving around, but no luck. He is already stubborn like his father...lol :) Such a fun experience.

I'm also starting to feel a little better (knock on wood). I still have some sick days but there are more good ones in between. AND my belly is starting to pop a little. It's strange to wake up in the morning and feel the little bulge. I'm sure it's just going to get a lot weirder as I'm able to start feeling him move inside. One of the pregnant girls I work with showed up with two different shoes on last week because she can't see her feet anymore. They were similar I guess. Hilarious!

They have moved my due date to December 25th - Christmas Day! I'm hoping before or after. I'm still kind of sad he will be so close to Christmas but it just means he gets two parties with presents instead of one right AND I get one cool Christmas present this year! Time to start getting things ready for our little man!!! :)

Surprise!!!!

2010-06-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

Ok I just can't hold it in anymore......we are expecting a little one!!!! A little shocking, scary, overwhelming, exciting, fun, etc. Baby Marriott is expected to arrive the first week of January. I am about 9.5 weeks now and let's just say the first few weeks haven't been the funnest of my life (lots of horrible nausea) but we are super excited to start our little family. Ready or not...here comes the pitter patter :)

Here's it's first official pic :)

Our First Year

2010-02-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our one year anniversary! I can't believe it has already been a year! It seems like Josh and I have always been together...weird how that happens. It definately has been a year full of different challenges for us...things that have made us have to rely on each other more and more. I sure do love him and appreciate ALL he does for our family! He really is amazing and I am so grateful for his patience with me.

Lately things have been a little rough for me. I'm not sure if it's because I am getting older or everyone I know is pregnant (ok maybe not everyone, but almost) or I'm just tired of the corporate business world I work in, but I am ready for the next phase of my life! I'm not gonna lie, it's hard sometimes to see friends that are my age or younger who have 2 and 3 kids. Don't get me wrong, I am overwhelmingly happy for them and their families! I swear from the time I was a little girl all I have wanted was to be a mom. I was always around babies as my neices and nephews are so close to the same age as me. I just love them! The girls at work tease me now because they say I need a family because I am too domestic not to have one of my own ;)

We have heard all the advice as well...."you'll never be able to afford kids", "just do it", "things will work out". Maybe that is where my faith lacks. I need more reassurance than that that my babies won't starve! Josh just needs to be a little closer to finishing school I think before we get pregnant....but who knows, anything is possible. We have kind of left it up to fate now ;) I just need to be patient as hard as it is. I know this but on most days when I return home after working with grown men who act like 5 year olds all day, it's REALLY hard! I do know that Heavenly Father sets things up just right for us...I did have to go through some heartache before I found the love of my life so maybe He is just preparing me now to be ready for our little ones. I hope so. If there is one thing the trials in my life have taught me it's that I appreciate things so much more and treasure the things that come after going through the trials. I think that's the point but during the trials ya just don't always see it!

I really love my husband and am grateful for the events that got me here. We definitely have our "moments" and I swear there are days where I feel like I have a kid and not a husband (haha ;), but at the end of the day my favorite place in the whole world is in his arms. We lost Josh's grandma last month and I just get teary-eyed everytime I think about his grandparents love for each other. They really are best friends and are such good examples of what a marriage should be! I hope we can have so many wonderful years together here and I am so grateful to know that we can be together forever! And maybe next year I'll be blogging about a little one in my belly ;)

Our First Anniversay Dinner

Josh's Anniversary gift he made for me. It's a Family Tree....I love it!

Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc.

2009-12-06T15:23:00.000-08:00

I must be getting old because the time is really starting to fly by. I have no idea where this year has gone. I am another year older and just feel like the last 5 years have flown by. I know I blocked out a lot of things...for obvious reasons but I'm just realizing that I need to start living a little more than I have been.

Been a crazy few months so I'm gonna try to catch up now...

Halloween was great....Josh and I were Mario and Luigi. We are on the activities committee in our ward and had a big bash! We had a blast!

I turned 27 on November 18th. It was a sad day for me as I thought about where I wanted to be at this point in my life and where I actually am but I know everything happens for a reason and I honestly wouldn't trade anything. I have been so blessed and am so grateful for the sometimes broken road that got me to where I am today. It was a good birthday and I got spoled rotten. JP had a surprise party for me and it was great to have family and friends around! I am so grateful for those in my life who support me and believe in me. That's what keeps me going.

For Thanksgiving Josh, my mom and I drove up to Colorado to Tasha and Jared's house. We had an absolute blast! I sure love those guys! It was a long drive for a short visit but I couldn't take any days off work so we drove straight through the night on the way up and the way back. It was worth it :) It was especially good for me because I really needed the love of the kids. I can't tell you what it means to have 4 kids hug and kiss and wrestle with you on the floor. I think I have always related to kids well because I am the youngest of 7 kids and was often included in the grandchildren category rather than the sibling category. I often sat at the "kids" table and often shared my mom with neices and nephews. I wouldn't trade it at all...actually I prefer it that way. My neices and nephews have been some of my best friends growing up. I am so grateful for them and the unconditional love they give me.

Tasha and I and her friend Anna went shopping on Black Friday and had a great day! It was so nice to have a girl's day and to spend some time together. I'm so grateful for my sisters...they really are the people who know me better than anyone else. I love that I can let my guard completely down around them. There are very few people who get that from me. So so glad we got to go to Colorado for Thanksgiving...it was a great trip!!!

Josh and I went to my oldest nephew's sealing yesterday in the Mesa Temple. What an amazing experience that was! I sure love Ty and really am so proud of all his good decisions he has made in his life. What a great guy and now he has a cute wife and soon will start a cute little family. I am so happy for him and Kelsey and wish them all the happiness in life! It was great to be in the temple with family and also spend time with them outside the temple and at the luncheon and reception. We don't get together near as often as we should...we need to make the time though so our families will know each other.

It's been a great few weeks and now starts the holiday season. I love this time of year!!! Got all my Christmas stuff out last week and it just makes me smile to see the tree and the nativity and all the decorations. There is a lot going on...so many parties and get-togethers but I'm looking forward to spending time with family and friends!

My Second Half

2009-10-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

...marathon. Last Saturday I ran my second half marathon. I thought I was doing really great and running a lot faster but I only took about a minute and a half off my last race. That was a little frustrating but the last two miles were uphill and just finishing the race is always an accomplishment for me!

So this race I started to get a little tired and needed some motivation to keep me going. I have had my nephew Nate on my mind a lot lately...I think it's the time of year. I really miss him. So when he popped into my head I just thought about how if he were here, he would call me a wuss if I quit running. I remember when how right after the accident I just really wanted to live. It really hit me that life is so short and I remember wanting to do everything I could because he and so many others do not get to because their lives are cut so short. I just kept chugging along and using "Gator" as my encantation and before I realized it I was farther than I thought :) Love that blue-eyed boy with amazingly long lashes ;)

I'm so so grateful for the gospel in my life and that I know where my family is and that I can see them again if I make the right decisions here. I'm not sure I could take it if I didn't have that knowledge.

Here's some pics:

I guess pictures of me running aren't that exciting...

Our New Addition

2009-10-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

No it's not a baby....although it has almost been 9 months ;) It's our new/used car!!!! We love it and we got a smokin deal!

Half Marathon

2009-10-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

So today is the first day in two weeks I haven't worked an extra long day...yay! So I thought I would finally post this. I ran my first half marathon on September 19th in Prescott Valley. It was a little tougher than I thought. The course description failed to mention that half the race was on a trail up the side of a mountain but hey what do you do? I beat the goal I had for myself so I was pretty happy. Mile 11-12 was the roughest but after I knew I only had one mile left it was great. It was good to finally run the race and accomplish this goal. My friend Amanda and I are running a second one on October 24th so hopefully with the lower elevation and no mountains (hopefully), we can beat our last times :)

We went up to Prescott Friday night and spent the night in a hotel and our husbands went to the race Saturday morning and cheered us on. I was glad they came. They drove the race course ahead of us and would wait for us to get to them and then drive ahead again. I sure do love my husband and appreciate all his support!

Here's some pics:

Labor Day in Idaho

2009-09-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

Josh and I headed up to Idaho last Wednesday for a few days with family and cooler weather. We left Tempe at 4pm and drove straight through and got to Blackfoot at 7am. It was a long drive but after we slept for a few hours we were good to go. It was a great weekend for us to come up as we found out that a bunch of Josh's cousins were there as well. I got to meet a lot of his family that I hadn't met before and it was a lot of fun. We finally got to see Jessy's (Josh's little sister) baby Kegan. He is such a cutie and made us smile. It was fun to be around a lot of family as that rarely happens with us anymore. We all had dinner and watched the BYU football game one night, we had a big dinner and birthday party another night and then we sat around a campfire roasting marshmallows. This is when the small town girl in me comes out. There is something about being outside in the quiet that satisfies me. It's not something you can find in the city.

We stayed with Josh's Grandpa and Grandma and we just love them. It was so fun to see them together with all their kids and grandkids. It's amazing what two people who love each other can produce. It has to be rewarding to look at all their posterity and see how good they turned out.

We also got to spend some time with Josh's best friend Aaron and his wife Kelsey. They have two adorable girls Cambria and Ashlynn and we had a lot of fun visiting with them. We went up to their cabin one night and had a cook out and dutch oven cake and ice cream. YUM! They have such a cute little family and it was good to be around them for a few days. We also met Kelsey's little sister Corey...I loved watching them interact...it reminded me of when my sister's and I get together ;)

The weekend just flew by...they are never long enough! After our 14 hour drive back, we were both exhausted. It was well worth it though! We are hoping to get back up there for Christmas!

JP and I on our way up to the cabin...gorgeous views!

FaMiLy

2009-08-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

So I couldn't really explain my feelings but reading some of these helped...

To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there. ~Barbara Bush

Family quarrels are bitter things. They don't go by any rules. They're not like aches or wounds; they're more like splits in the skin that won't heal because there's not enough material. ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family. Most of us would give our own life for the survival of a family member, yet we lead our daily life too often as if we take our family for granted. ~Paul Pearshall

The lack of emotional security of our American young people is due, I believe, to their isolation from the larger family unit. No two people - no mere father and mother - as I have often said, are enough to provide emotional security for a child. He needs to feel himself one in a world of kinfolk, persons of variety in age and temperament, and yet allied to himself by an indissoluble bond which he cannot break if he could, for nature has welded him into it before he was born. ~Pearl S. Buck

"Above all else, children need to know and feel they are loved, wanted, and appreciated. They need to be assured of that often. Obviously, this is a role parents should fill, and most often the mother can do it best." Ezra Taft Benson,"Salvation--A Family Affair," Ensign, July 1992, 4

"I believe our problems, almost every one, arise out of the homes of the people. If there is to be reformation, if there is to be a change, if there is to be a return to old and sacred values, it must begin in the home. It is here that truth is learned, that integrity is cultivated, that self-discipline is instilled, and that love is nurtured." Gordon B. Hinckley, "Walking in the Light of the Lord," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 99

In a world of turmoil and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make our families the center of our lives and the top of our priorities. . . .
"We need to make our homes a place of refuge from the storm, which is increasing in intensity all about us. Even if the smallest openings are left unattended, negative influences can penetrate the very walls of our homes." L. Tom Perry, "The Importance of the Family," Ensign, May 2003, 40

Weezer #7 Baby!

2009-08-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot to mention the best news today...I was driving to work this morning and was listening to the radio and all of a sudden I hear a new Weezer song. Yes....I am a huge fan of the nerd rock and I cannot wait for October 27th when the new album is released!!!!!

Catching Up

2009-08-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while. I can't believe it is already the middle of August. I must be getting old because the years really are starting to fly by...I better get busy. Josh and I haven't really been up to anything exciting. Just work and school. Josh starts at ASU on Monday! I'm so proud of him. I know I don't tell him enough but he really is amazing and my absolute best friend. He worked really hard in school this summer and got all A's. I sometimes get discouraged that we are not further ahead in our lives but I know there are reasons and our timelines have had a few bumps in the road. I get so anxious to start our family but we have all eternity to be together.

We did go to a Diamondbacks game this past Friday with a group from my office. It was fun. There were a million Dodger fans there talking trash...it got a little scary at times but we just yelled louder! It's really good to get to the ballpark every now and again. Reminds me of being a little kid and watching the Braves play at my Granparent's house. We would always get so mad at my Grandpa because he wouldn't let us watch Full House....so funny! That's back when people only had one TV in the house :) The voice of the announcer for the Braves will forever bring back those sweet memories when life was so simple. It's kind of sad my grandparents aren't around anymore....I miss them. They both passed away too young in my life and I look forward to seeing them again.

We parked far away so we had one of those guys on the bikes pull us. He was awesome!

Our group more or less (we are the four rows back)...it was hard to get a good shot!

Don't ask....Josh like to pretend he is a cool guy sometimes

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-06-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Things have been crazy and I can't believe it is already the middle of June! Memorial Day weekend my sister Tiffany, her husband Kyle, their daughter Rylee, Josh and I went up to Show Low for the long weekend. We had planned on camping but it was really rainy and cold up there that weekend so we stayed at my Dad's house instead. We had a lot of fun! It was REALLY good to get away for a few days. I miss the outdoors and wish I could get out more often. I have been wanting to go fishing for over a year now and we got licenses and went up at both Show Low and Big Lake. We all carpooled up together in Tiff and Kyle's truck and it reminded me of old times when we were little and spent time as a family. Rylee kept us all laughing (well me anyway) the whole ride up and down. She is a little firecracker. We took turns at the lake watching her because she kept trying to walk into the water. I was holding her hand and walking with her and counting - she is so smart. She really likes 3 and 4 and kept repeating those two :) I wish Tash and Jared were there too...actually all of my family. I told Josh that I wish we could have a big reunion. Maybe Labor Day more of us can get together...family and friends. We are planning on camping again for that weekend :) I'm excited for family vacations with our own little family someday.

This was at about 6 am and it was COLD!

Tiff and Rylee in the tent. We got a little tent to put Rylee in to keep her out of the cold.

My favorite fisherman!

Me and my fish:) Josh and I finally caught 1 fish each on Monday morning...And yes mine was bigger and prettier than Josh's! We didn't have very good luck this trip but we weren't gonna leave without catching something.

Josh & Rylee

Tiff, Dad and I

Running Around

2009-05-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

I had another 5K race on Saturday and I took over 3 minutes off my last race time. We have been training for almost 2 months now and I ran it in 26:26. I was pretty excited. We still have a lot of training to do before our half marathon but we finally decided on an October race so we have plenty of time. We are running about 16 miles a week now and with training that number increases every week. I'm not sure why I like to report this because I'm sure it's not really interesting for anyone to read but it is the one thing in my life right now I feel I can do somewhat right :) It's a great way to do some thinking...and you are exercising too.

It's been an interesting few months to say the least. Lots of stress and running around (literally...haha) and trying to get everything done and please everyone. It's really easy to get discouraged for me lately. I think I have been strong for so long I'm just worn out. It's not always easy to understand what we are supposed to be learning in life or why our lives take such unexpected turns. Though I don't understand I know there are reasons. I know we have help beyond this world and I am so grateful for all those there as well as here that help me along. I love my family and the support they are to me. I love my husband so much and don't know what I would do without him (sorry to get mushy). He really is my best friend and when I don't think I can go on he is there leading me along. I feel so blessed to have him in my life! I have always known this but now more than ever I am reminded that it's the things in life that money can't buy that make you the happiest :)

Bread Anyone?

2009-05-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

So on Sunday Josh wanted some bread and since we didn't have any and we couldn't go to the store he asked me to make some. We had seen my mom the day before and she was talking about baking bread so that is where Josh got the idea. So I decided to try and make some of my mom's Golden Egg Bread. I have helped her make plenty of times before but have never tried it on my own so I was a little unsure of how it would turn out. I don't usually have good luck with the yeast and rising and everything but it turned out really good....if I do say so myself. I was pretty excited! The best part is I didn't have to spend any money. I had everything I needed to make it in my cupboards. Josh said this is what I am doing every Sunday from now on :) He ate half of one of the loaves the first night. There is nothing like bread fresh out of the oven with melted butter on it. You can't re-heat it and have it taste the same. I realized how spoiled I was was growing up having fresh bread all of the time. I'm grateful for those memories! Here's a pic;)

Colorado

2009-04-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

So Saturday after my race I flew up to Colorado to see Tasha, Jared and the kids. They just moved into their new house so I was going up to help finish moving and unpacking stuff. I wish I could have stayed a few more days and helped get more done but I had to get back to work. The kids are still as funny and crazy as ever. I haven't laughed so much in so long. They haven't been gone that long but I have missed them like crazy! Joel didn't remember me at first but he finally started to smile and not play shy the last few days I was there. It wasn't as cold as I thought it was going to be thank goodness! I actually really loved being out in the middle of fields and not having to worry about all the stresses of my job and the city and bills. It is really beautiful out where they are and I was ready to move in next door...that must be the small town girl in me. I get so tired of the city sometimes and just want to go somewhere away from everyone where I hear nothing but the breeze and I can actually think. There are some things that money can't buy :)

I told Tasha that I think her kids know something I don't...one of the first things Kyli asked me when I got there was if there was a baby in my belly and then the second night I was there Maya came in with "cards" that she had made for my kids. There were 4 of them and she let me know I was going to have 2 boys and 2 girls...it's what I've always wanted but we'll see. I'm not getting any younger ;) Kids come up with the funniest things...expecially those ones. I love their imaginations and how they are limitless. The kids are all growing up so fast and are so active. I don't know how Tasha does it. She is such an amazing mom and it was really great to be there with there little family.

I didn't realize how much I missed my sister either until last weekend. I mean the last few years we haven't seen each other every day but I knew she was where I could get to her in a few hours if I needed to. Tasha and Jared have both helped me through so much the last few years and I really love them so much. We all went for a Sunday drive after church and Jared showed me all his fields and around town and everything. Reminded me of home....or what used to be home.

Coming home broke my heart. Tasha had to drive over 2 hours to come get me in Denver and then 2 more hours to take me back to the airport. The kids knew we were going to the airport but until we pulled up and I started getting my stuff ready to get out I don't think they realized I was going back home. My little Maya just balled...she is such a little sweetheart. And then everyone started crying. It was really hard to walk away...especially now I would have loved to just stay there and called Josh to bring our stuff up:) There is one thing the distance is good for and that is that it really makes you realize how much you love them and you really cherish the time you get to spend with them. Hopefully we can see them soon!

Joeler CRAWLING!!!!!

Nice Sister.....

Mean Sister!

Cheese!

A Once in a lifetime shot...you may never see this again :)

The girls' room. Tasha and I painted the purple over the ugly blue and yellow star border they had. It turned out really cute!

Nasher's School Bus

Nash Outside His School...he is so BIG

Silly Maya Len

It's exhausting being this cute!span>

Pat's Run

2009-04-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

Race No. 2!!!! We ran in Pat's Run last Saturday. They had a record number of runners this year...over 20,000. It was nuts but a really cool experience. I have a very tender soft spot in my heart for the soldiers that fight for our country and Pat Tillman was someone that I always admired. All the proceeds from the race go to the Pat Tillman Foundation. The coolest part was waiting in our corral at the starting line and listening to the national anthem with 20,000 other Americans around you and then hearing everyone cheer for our country. It gave me goosebumps! They also had a moment of silence for Bruce Snyder who passed away last week. I haven't ever run with that many people around me before but it actually kind of helps because they keep you moving and you are constantly trying to get around people in front of you so your mind is distracted away from the exhaustion. We definately didn't set any records with this one but we are still training and building up endurance. This was such a cool experience and something I would like to participate in every year....maybe Josh will join in next year and we can start a new family tradition :) Our pics aren't up from the run yet so I will have to post those later. Below is my bib :)

29:23

2009-03-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

We did it! My friend Amanda and I ran a 5k race this morning with our stake. I know it's nothing major but we didn't really train for it just kind of decided to do it last minute and did it. I am really proud of us! I came in 4th and she was 5th over all the women running. It is 3.1 miles and I ran in it 29 minutes and 23 seconds. We want to run more and hopefully improve our times. We turned the last corner and kind of sped up and started to pass a dad, mom and daughter and the dad said "we aren't gonna let these two beat us, let's sprint it out". So Amanda and I kicked it and beat the mom and daughter but not the dad. I wouldn't say that we had a blast...it's hard work and I had forgotten how grueling running distance can be, but I love the feeling of accomplishing something like that. Afterwards you just feel so amazing!

My pin on number tag :)

Skiing and Bruises

2009-03-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

Josh and I went up to Sunrise the weekend after we got married with one of the guys he works with and his family. This was back in February but I'm still sorting through pictures from the past month. I skiid (is that a word) since I had never been before and everyone told me I would have more fun skiing rather than snowboarding my first day.

Me & Josh!

Rob, Lisa and Lisa's mom

Me and my Ski School instructor

I can ski! I did pretty good. We did 4 runs and on the last one I only had to sit down once because I got going too fast.

Josh

The crew...we are missing Rob's wife Lisa and their other daughter Madison. Josh is taking pic :)

Josh, Courtney and I on ski lift

Two weeks after our trip Josh went back up with his friend Stephen snowboarding. They had a lot of fun until someone cut right in front of Josh and he crashed really hard going really fast he landed on his left hip bone and back. He snowboarded the rest of the day and then when the pain was too much he went to Urgent Care. They thought he might be bleeding internally so they sent him to the ER. I was in Safford helping Tasha and Jared pack so I was a little worried. Thankfully after x-rays they decided he was just really bruised. It has been quite humerous to me the past few weeks watching him turn lots of different colors and helping him dress and put shoes on the first week. I had deja vu of us in 50 years when I REALLY get to help him do that stuff :)

Steven and Josh

Steven

Goofballs :)

Reception and Honeymoon Pics!

2009-03-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have finally procrastinated enough and I am going to sit down and post some pictures from our reception and honeymoon. The last month has literally been a whirlwind and I can't believe it has been a month and it's already March! I have been working extra hours at work and so by the time I get home at night and eat dinner, I am out. We have only been home one weekend since the wedding and it's nice to finally be getting settled in and spending some time at home :)

Me and the girls...well the little ones at least. I love this pic!

Our sign in table...my best friend Crystal did all our decorating and she did an amazing job!

The cake! We were up til 2am the night before finishing this:)

So Josh decided to shove the cake in my eyes...it was awesome!

The view from our hotel room on Mission Bay. I loved looking out the window and seeing the ocean.

Mission Beach!

Sea World

Josh and Shamu. I was really impressed by the shows at Sea World!

San Diego Zoo

It rained on and off the whole day at the zoo. Luckily we had watched the news and bought ponchos and walked around in the rain all day. It actually worked out good because there was no one at the zoo :)

Josh and the Pandas. The animals were amazing! We have so many pictures.

Wild Animal Park

They fed the lions right when we were in front of them. It was way cool!

This was one of our nice dinner nights.

We had so much fun on our honeymoon in Cali. I didn't want to come home....just buy a tent and live on the beach:)

Just Married!!!

2009-02-22T17:36:00.000-08:00

We are finally married! We have been so busy with our trips and returning back to work after our time off that I have not had time to sit down and update our blog. We were married February 6th and the wedding and reception turned out absolutely perfect. We had so much help from our family and friends and we love them so so much! We love being married and are so excited to start our little eternal family. It's been quite a journey for both Josh and I to get to where we are but I love how things always work out and we learn the things we need to on our way. We are so grateful to have each other. It's gonna be an amazing adventure!

Idaho

2009-01-04T18:32:00.000-08:00

Josh and I went to Idaho for Thanksgiving. I got to meet the other side of his family. We had so much fun. I almost froze to death. The warmest it got was 41 degrees the whole time we were there....I am an Arizona girl and not used to that weather. I tried to be brave but was constantly hurrying to get inside wherever we went. I really enjoyed getting to meet his family and having Thanksgiving with them. It was nice to be around family and be in a small town in the country again for a few days. I get tired of the city sometimes so it was a nice break to get away. We didn't see any snow but got to go to Rexburg and see the new temple and also I got to see the Idaho Falls Temple. Hopefully we can go back soon....in the summer :)

My first trip to Idaho! This is the furthest North I have ever been.

The new Rexburg Temple. It is gorgeous!

Josh and I in front of Idaho Falls. You can see the Idaho Falls Temple in the background.

Josh playing Guitar Hero. This was hilarious to watch. We played at Josh's friend Aaron's house and became addicted. We ended up buying it as an early Christmas present before we left Idaho :) Josh hasn't stopped playing it since.

Shooting guns in the backyard. I haven't gone shooting in a very long time.

Josh shooting some of his grandpa's old black powder guns.

Our nieces and nephew!

I got a ride on the back of Josh's dad's new baby :)

Josh doing what he does best...I think the kids won :)

Apple Picking

2008-11-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago Josh and I went to Safford and spent some time with Tasha and Jared and the kids. Josh, Tasha, the kids and I all went up to the apple orchard on Mt. Graham and picked apples. We had a lot of fun! The kids are such good helpers.

State Fair and WEEZER!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-20T18:07:00.001-07:00

My birthday is in November and Josh surprised me with tickets to the Weezer concert at the State Fair! I love him so much!!! We decided to make a day of it so we spent the entire day at the fair and invited the Lorenzos (I work with Steve) to come along. We had a fun, long day :) The concert was absolutely amazing! I have seen
Weezer live several times (they are my absolute favorite) but they were exceptionally good on Saturday! I loved it...danced and sang along the whole concert. I'm sure Josh thinks I am

a nerd now but hey he loves me....he has too :) I'm so grateful for him and all that he does for me. I love that I can be myself and he loves all of me. It means more than I can even express. He is my best friend and I love having these experiences together!
My talented Josh can take pictures and ride rides at the same time :)

Weezer:)

TARA SEDUCED ME!!!!

2008-10-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

ON OUR FIRST DATE....TARA SEDUCED ME!!!! SHE CAME AND SAT NEXT TO ME ON THE COUCH UNDER THE GUISE OF WATCHING "THE PRINCESS BRIDE", A ROMANTIC MOVIE. SHE THEN PROCEEDED TO USE HER FEMININE WILES AND I THINK SOME PHEROMONES MIXED IN HER PERFUME TO COAX KISSES OUT OF MY LIPS!!! SHE SNUGGLED AND PRESSED HERSELF AGAINST ME, DESTROYING ANY THOUGHT OF RESTRAINT....SHE BATTED HER BEAUTIFUL EYES AND FLIPPED HER HAIR. THEN SHE KISSED ME! SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING !!!! VERY SNEAKY!! DON'T TRUST HER!!! HOT GIRL, SNEAKY IRRESISTIBLE TACTICS.
(I think we all know who wrote this one and what the true story is....)

Our Trip to the Zoo

2008-10-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

Josh and I went to the Phoenix Zoo a few weeks ago on National Museum Day. There were free passes online so it didn't cost us anything :) We had so much fun seeing all the animals and seeing and hearing all the little kids say funny things around us. They kept us laughing all day! Josh loved the monkeys. They have a place where you go down in and the monkeys are right there by you. They were so cute!
Me and the zebras

The cute little monkeys

Josh in the jungle :)

Yay!

2008-10-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally gave in and created our blog. I was going to wait until we were married but at this point we don't really know how long the wait will be so here goes :)