Catch My Disease

When the weather gets all warm and sunny, enough that I can roll down the windows of the car and turn up the music really loud, my go-to song is Ben Lee's "Catch My Disease". The beat of the music to me just screams summer and fun and takes me back to my summer at BYU full of BBQs, swimming, friends, and parties.

Yesterday was such a gorgeous day in Portland, so I set that song on repeat to enjoy on my drive home. However, one thing was different: I just came out of a lecture (complete with nasty pictures) on the dangers/nursing care of a person with STDs. Yep, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, all sorts of nasty stuff.

Needless to say, "Catch My Disease" now holds a different meaning for me.

The House

Last week we moved into our first home! I'm still having a hard time believing that all of this is real and happening to me. I feel like a little girl again playing house, only this time it's for real! Some basic info:

• Built in 2001
• 1255 square feet
• 3 bedrooms
• 2.5 baths
• 1 block away from church (we didn't know that until we made an offer on the house)
• 1 car garage

Here are a few pics of the place, but they're from the inspection a while ago. I'll put more up once we're unpacked. . . we've still got loads of boxes hanging around all over the place. But for now, enjoy!

The kitchen

So there's a brand new microwave in this place, but we already have a microwave. Any suggestions for what to do with a second one? Currently it's upstairs next to the popcorn and we have used it twice when we are watching a movie in bed and want a snack.

The master bedroom
I'm so happy about 2 sinks and counter top space!

The walk-in closet :)
So far we've got our bedroom organized, kitchen unpacked (but a lot still on the counters), and an office semi-set up. Once everything looks decent I'll take real pictures, but I'm warning you, it may be a while until we get everything completely put away. . . I've got 9 exams this month.

I love nursing school, I love nursing school, I love nursing school . . .

The Testing Center

I never thought in a million years I'd say this, but the day has come. I miss BYU's testing center. Yes is stinks the waiting in line to take you test. And finals certainly are another adventure in waiting. And the only empty desk in the Testing Center always seems to be next to some "fragrant" individual. I do not miss these things at all.

I do miss the ability to choose when I take my test. I miss procrastinating taking the test all day so that I can study. I miss choosing whether or not I want to see my test score on that wretched television, all the while knowing that when I do get the nerve I can find out my score online. I miss professors taking the day off from lecturing so we can study for the test.

You see, at my current school, we have to take tests during class time, which is 8:30 AM. No more studying all day for the test.

But the thing I miss the most about the testing center? Free scantrons. It seems cruel to make students purchase an instrument that inflicts so much torture. As if we have time to study and buy our own scantrons!

Our Apartment

So I've been meaning to post pictures of our apartment ever since we moved in. Here she be! It's a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment, and we didn't realize that we had so much stuff until we moved in! Here is our living room. . . complete with exercise bike and computer chair.And then we have the kitchen. . .

That closet in the back of the kitchen is really our laundry room/pantry/water heater closet:

Our "dining room" barely fits our table. We love that our microwave won't fit on the kitchen counters so we stick it on the table.
I'll refrain from posting pictures of the bathroom, no one wants to see that. But to give you an idea, this is the one and only sink and the accompanying countertop space. How is a girl supposed to do her hair?
And the cupboard underneath the sink gets full just storing toilet paper and cleaning supplies! So here is my genius idea for storage in our tiny bathroom:Voila! An over the door shoe rack that holds hair products, make up, brushes, aftershave, curling irons, etc. It really has been a life saver for us. I don't know what we'd do without this.

Lastly we have the bedroom. Yes that's a suitcase next to the bed, pretending to be a nightstand. And that huge pillow was a Thanksgiving sewing project with my mother-in-law. We made it with leftover scraps from the quilt we sewed together over the summer.
So this is home! Well, for another 2 or so weeks. We're expecting to close on our first home within the next 14 days. :) Pictures to follow. But first, check out my domestic skills. Homemade wheat bread, yum!

I recognize that I'm behind in my blogging. I'll try to slowly catch up, starting with one of my favorite events that happened in December.

Let me rewind to the summer when Tyler and I substituted for the Sunbeam Primary class a few times. We grew quite attached to one of the little boys (Jared) and every time we saw him he would give us a high five and grin from ear to ear. He sure is a cutie!

One Sunday, this little guy's mom leans over to me in church and asks if we will be home tomorrow night around 7ish. I reply that we have no plans and that we should be home. She responds, "Good, we've got something to give to you guys. Oh, and this was all Jared's idea."

The following evening we get a knock on the door and Jared and his entire family are on our doorstep. Suddenly, Jared is overcome with shyness and hides behind his dad, but eventually he shows us what he made for us:

We received our very own gingerbread house! It may not look like much, but he was so proud of his creation and we felt so blessed that someone would think of making anything for us. Tyler and I were truly overcome with emotion that someone so young would think to share something so precious with us. I'm starting to understand the commandment to "be ye as little children" the more I interact with such sweet spirits.

Oh, and did I mention that I'm 2nd counselor in Primary now?

I'll have many more opportunities to work with the wonderful children in this ward. I can't wait!

7 months of wedded bliss

So today my husband celebrated our 7 month anniversary. Actually, we didn't really celebrate anything. To be honest, at 8:00 PM, after asking him what day it is and whether or not our apartment complex's gym was open, I realized that today is the 16th, and thus our 7 month anniversary. At least we're both bad at remembering dates.

But this led me to pondering about marriage. Should 7 months really be anything to celebrate? After all, we're going to be together for eternity, so 7 months is nothing. Or is it? I researched couples who were not as fortunate as Tyler and me to reach the momentous 7 month mark.


Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock - 5 months



Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney - 4 months



Nicolas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley - 4 months


Drew Barrymore and Jeremy Thomas - 6 weeks


Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman - 9 days

And last, and definitely the least marriage time is. . .

Britney Spears and Jason Alexander - 55 hours



Well, 7 months down, eternity to go! :)

Goodwill to men. . .

Well, December is here bringing with it the Christmas spirit. The lights are hung, the smell of pine hangs in the air, and everyone seems to be a bit more willing to lend a helping hand.

Well, not everyone.

The other day I came home to find this:


That is the welcome mat outside of our apartment which seems to be a magnet for collecting leaves. Our next door neighbor's door however, looks a little different:

How thoughtful.

Even our next door neighbor is in the Christmas spirit!

He is giving us dead leaves for our Christmas gift. I guess we can return the favor when it snows this year.