Finals

The Saturday before finals, you think that everyone would be running around like headless chickens trying to remember all the things they have to do. Well thats me. But this is how to calm down. Watch Quantum of Solace while drowning in blankets eating wheat thins. Thats the remedy.

Laundrymat

Its Saturday. That means laundry. Recital this morning, then a YW activity. Colin is at school taking a test. Making the few trips from our front door ten feet to the car was a challenge today. our car lives on a slab of ice.

How frustrating.

As I drove up to the laundry mat, I saw another Jeep Liberty. Two girls hopped out of it with their baskets of clothes. I commented on their lovely choice of car. They returned the compliment.

There was only one seat left to sit while waiting for the wash cycle to finish. It was next to the girls. You all know me so it shouldnt surprise you- we struck up a conversation first thing.

We talked about the scary people that came through that day, about school, about how much we love going to a church school where we can invite the spirit to help us learn.

I started talking to them about Stephanie Nielsen. She is such an inspiration. We watched her mormon messages video and I got a tear in my eye. There we were. Three college girls as beautiful as could be. We are so blessed. Stephanie has burns all over her body but she takes care of her kids, blogs, goes out, and just loves life.

I hope I can be like that when I grow up.

YWIE

Young Women's in Excellence in our ward last week. This is all of our girls with the guest speaker, the Stake YW president.

I hope my kids never see this picture. I will have no excuse to tell them not to do the same.

Utah Symphony Trip

Some friends and I went to Utah on Friday to watch the Utah Symphony perform Beethovens Lenore overture, Saint-Saens Cello concerto, and Ives 2nd Symphony. It was wonderful. A rejuvenating that was much needed. We enjoyed every minute of it. While other people were quietly sitting and listening to the music, we were laughing and the orchestration, the exuberance of the soloist, the familiar themes that Ives snuck into his music and the cluster chord that ended the Ives symphony with a bang. I love that we can laugh about music like true music geeks. THIS is the last movement of the Ives. The whole thing is great but listen to the last 30 seconds and try not to laugh at the last chord.

Sarah, Brennan and me

Spencer and Kellen

All 5 of us. Spencer, Sarah, Me, Brennan, and Kellen

After the concert we took a stroll around temple square and took some fun pictures.

Opera is over

And how fun it was. I played 5 times. They were all fun. I learned a lot, have plenty of inside jokes, and stories to tell for a while.

Brennan, Maryn Tueller and me

Brother Tueller

Daniel an the curvy pose. Very entertaining.

Brennan and me

Piers and Daniel. What hams.

No pictures of the stage because we lived in the pit!!

Wow, already? That was fast!

Thats what Brother Tueller said when I told him and Colin and I would be hitting our one year anniversary over Thanksgiving break.

On November 24, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. How did that happen so fast? So crazy. We have learned a lot from each other. We have done almost three full semesters. we Only have just over a year left. It seems like we just got married yesterday but we cant imagine life without each other.

Love you hun. Heres to our first year. We're still alive. I think we can do it.

Lately

My stand partner, Brian, and me in the pit for Marriage of Figaro. Three hour opera. Lots of music. So fun.

This is one of my new favorite spots in the house- on the floor, in front of the heater. Its so nice

We bought a new pitcher and I thought it would work well as a bazooka too.

Colin and I went to the high schools production of Singin in the Rain. There were a few youth from our ward in it. They all did so good! Fun date. Again I had woken up from a nap. I seriously don't take naps that often... but vacation is starting so I've already had a few.

Sunday Photo

I look really tired because I had just gotten up from a nap in time for church.

but this is us on Sunday.

Weather

The sky a few weeks ago. Fall is falling from view. Fast.

Its changing and I love it. It snowed most of yesterday and last night. Now its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

(This landscaping is at school. Not at our house.)

The best way to get the inches of snow off your car without freezing your hands or getting tons of snow on your shoes- use a broom! Genius.

Its mornings like this that I am grateful we have a really good 4wheel drive car. Driving through a foot of snow- no problem.

Snow is so mysterious. You can go to bed and wake up to an entire new world! In Eureka, It rains. You can hear it. I remember the wind and rain while trying to sleep but the dancing trees and street light in our front yard would cast scary shadows on our window and how loud it was. With snow, its dark and quiet. Sometimes you can hear the wind. It comes like a thief in the night!!

Prepping for below zero weather this week!!!

P.S. Colin got me a camera for our anniversary. Its not until Wednesday but he gave it to me early. I hope to be posting better pictures while I learn all the awesome manual settings!

Yesterday, Colin and I went to Idaho Falls to buy some wood for Colin's lathe. We weren't quite sure if this place would have what we were looking for but it was the only wood selling place open on Saturday. There, we met Doug. He worked out in the warehouse. Have you watched Mythbusters? This guy looked exactly like Jaime! Even sounded like him! We told him what we were looking for. After looking for 15 minutes for different things he said, "You guys are students? What am I thinkin'. Come this way." We left 10 minutes later with about 40 feet of maple and cedar for FREE. He wouldn't let us pay for it. He just wanted Colin to come back and show him what he had done. What an awesome guy!

This is what Colin made yesterday . Lookin' good!

And, Sarah, this is our Sunday photo. Not as cool as yours. Colin was watching Avatar the Last Air-bender cartoons on Netflix and couldn't take his eyes off them.

And its been snowing all week. I have loved every bit of it. Ask me in another three months and I might be a little tired of it.

Love to all.

Halloween

The one on the right is my cello teachers son. These guys were Mexican guys from the ol' west. They were out of control every night with their hootin' and hollerin'. It made the concerts that much better. These guys are awesome.

poopskido

I have three guns and yet I shot with my finger...

After the last concert- 6 concerts in 3 days. I was tired and needed a shower.

Aftermath

Colin was a domino. I so lovingly cut out the circles for him.

Bein' a cellist is dang awesome.

We always have shirts made for our section for halloween concert time. This year was a cowboy bass clef and on the back it says "fastest bows in the west" to match the theme of the Halloween concert- "Cowboys"

Thievery!

Now that I have cooled down about the whole incident, I will now share our theft story.

Colin and I moved out of our old apartment midway through October but our contract wasn't up until the 31st. We casually left the blinds open but made sure to lock the door when we left. We didn't go back for a few weeks to clean up the rest of everything. We had left a few things there including our vacuum cleaner, our big white board that was SCREWED into the wall, a black fold up chair and a friends bike pump. We went back on the 30th and the door was unlocked. A little weird but whatever. After cleaning for about 20 minutes I noticed that something was weird. I didn't remember taking our vacuum, white board and chair to the other place. I looked all around but they were definitely gone. When we went back to our house, they weren't there. The only thing that we could deduct was that someone had taken them! We asked the managers if they had gone in and they weren't allowed to because we were still under the contract. Whoever stole the whiteboard unscrewed it from the wall! Who does that? And they didn't take the bike pump. And thank goodness because it wasn't ours.

So, we are now whiteboard-less, vacuum-less, and down one chair. What are the odds. In Rexburg none the less. Ridiculous. I was a little upset about it but now its just hilarious.

We now live in an apartment with only rug. So now I need that vacuum more than ever! Geez!

October Sky

Ric and Rob

Here are a few reasons I think Dad, Ric, should be friends with my cello teacher, Robert.

Our new house!!

Well here are a few pictures of our house! We have a sweet heater that we can see the fire and works really good! Its still a mess but believe me its cleaner than it was.

On the edge of a big field, we can see the temple, its super quiet, we get internet. Man you cant get much better than this. We absolutely love it. We wish you all could come and visit us!

PS!!!! I got a sewing machine today. We have been married for almost a year and I finally got one. I finished my halloween costume and its going to be sweet!