Living Our Dream

That's a Load Off...

2011-06-30T22:18:00.009-06:00

Well, it hasn't been easy (but easier than I expected). Last October, I looked a little like this (actually a lot like this):

While I let it happen, I couldn't understand why it was happening. I didn't feel like I was eating a lot more than other people do (turns out I was). I didn't feel like I was very active, but I didn't think I could do anything about it (too busy, inconvenient).

Well, about four months ago my mom proposed a weight-loss challenge to me and Whitney: the first to lose ten lbs. won the challenge. I felt like I had a small advantage over Whitney and my mom -- I was about 60 lbs overweight. They would be happy to lose a total of ten lbs; ten lbs would just be scratching the surface for me.

Well, I won the challenge by skipping breakfast one day. No, but really, I did win. I lost ten lbs in about 2 1/2 weeks. Whitney and I used an iPhone app called MyFitnessPal. The app lets you enter your age, your height, your weight, your gender, and then it let's you determine how much weight you want to lose weekly, up to two lbs. It then gives you a daily calorie allotment.

But that's not all. It also uses an extensive food database so that you can keep track of everything you eat. You can also enter exercise, like running for 30 minutes, and it estimates how many calories you burned and adds that amount to your daily allotment. Whitney and I started using the app regularly and we both saw results the first week.

Well, four months later I've lost about 40 lbs, and I can't believe how much better I feel.

I eat less than I used to, and I've found ways to exercise besides running on a treadmill (I'm not knocking the treadmill. It did me a lot of good). Whitney and I got bikes and we ride them occasionally. We also enjoy playing tennis together. I've also started playing basketball at work during lunch with Carl, as well as on Wednesdays with the ward.

Anyway, it's not something I ever want to do again. Not because it was so difficult, but because now it seems like I have no excuse to gain so much weight. Needless to say, a weight has literally been lifted.

P.S. Whitney has lost 10.6 lbs so far! I really believe the only reason I was successful was because of Whitney's support. Couldn't have done it without you, babe.

Greatest Blog on Earth!

2011-06-20T12:47:00.003-06:00

Sssshhh.... I'm at work...

but I HAVE to show you this blog.

http://betterafter.blogspot.com/

This will inspire anyone who is feeling "so-so" about their

current living space to become "Gung-Ho"

about some DIY projects.

p.s. on an unrelated note, I have decided that the first thing I will do to any house I ever live in

is paint the kitchen cabinets white!! *sigh*

Longing for Summer

2011-04-17T19:38:00.005-06:00

So, I know I don't blog anymore... ever... But I really want to express how much I am looking forward to this summer and why:

1. ONE week cruise to the Western Caribbean!!

2. TWO days off for Park City Vacation

3. TRIathlon

4. FOUR paid holidays

5. First semester in FIVE semesters that I am not taking classes!

If I make it through May 3rd I will be home free for 4 months! Can you say "P-A-R-T....Y? Because I GOTTA!!

A Taste of October

2010-11-06T16:50:00.008-06:00

We're a few months over due for an update so I decided to fast forward through August and September and give you a little taste of October.

October 2:

Too long ago to remember... Must not have been very awesome.

October 9:

Years ago when life was simpler (at least for me) my family had a tradition we called "Santa Day"

All of the women on the Proctor side of the family would get together for an ultimate craft day in Grandma's garage. Those days are probably some of my favorite memories; hot glue burns, dying our hair with Kool-Aid, good food, watching the infamous choosing of the Santa's and finally being old enough to take one of my own home (you had to be 18).

Well the Santa days are done and gone but we still try to keep a little tradition amongst us gals so this year we organized a "Spooky Spider Day" and made some adorable spider table runners, and doing it in true Santa Day fashion; in Kellie's garage.

The 9th was one of my busiest days in October because that morning I had the pleasure of teaching a class for Rachel's Super Saturday on how to make headbands. I had a lot of fun and it felt so good to see those sisters learn how to make things on their own.

Kevin also had a busy day on the 9th. Our little cousin Lily Mouritsen passed away and Kevin was able to attend her funeral with his parents. It was very touching and sacred for him. What a blessing it is for us, as a family, to know Heavenly Father's plan for each of us, including Lily.

October 17:

We taught our first lesson in Sunday school. We've taught twice now and really enjoy it. We've also had some really positive feedback from the ward members which is very encouraging.

October 23:

The fun begins!

My mother, Aunt Leslie and I traveled to Las Vegas for the Annual Jimmy Buffett concert. I'll tell you what, it is one unique experience. I spent the week prior to our trip putting together a margarita costume with the help of Kevin, Brent and my work friends. It was a hit! It's hard to explain the happenings at a Jimmy concert but I will tell you it is an all-day event. Beginning with a street party on the Las Vegas strip at 11 am, lunch at Margaritaville (cheeseburgers in paradise!) 2 pm, limbo, dancing on the stage with the band, a ferris wheel, posing for pictures, leaving around 5 to get ready for the concert, exhausted. Then on our feet all night at the concert. I will let the pictures tell the story.

October 29 & 30:

As you know, I am a Halloween fiend. Our celebrations began on the 29th at my work party that my department planned. My favorite part of the party was competing against the COO of the company and seeing him get really competitive when I would get a question in Halloween Jeopardy right.

On the 30th we had a small get together with Kevin, Brent and me. We ate homemade chili, sugar cookies and breadsticks and watched football (how festive!).

Well, I hope you all enjoy hearing what we've been up to for the past month. I would say I will blog again soon but life is pretty crazy so the next time I blog will have to be a surprise! Happy Harvest!

HELP!

2010-07-21T17:09:00.004-06:00

I am in need of some advice on what to do with these adorable tea cups by Karma Living I found for $1.25 ea.

I fell in love with this designer about a month ago when I saw a small, hand painted blue pitcher with the same eclectic, busy design as these cups. It was $10. I didn't get it. Wish I had.

I didn't make the same mistake this time! I saw two of these cups and asked the salesperson if there were any more. She found the other two for me and, elated, I spent a total of $6.64 on these little treasures.
So, I didn't really have anything planned to do with these and that is where you come in! They stand about 3" tall. I thought about using them as organizers for my sewing supplies or as tiny pots for small herb plants but I just feel like there is a greater purpose for these precious things. Please leave me your ideas! I will let you know what I end up using them for.

Thank you, my dear creative friends! I hope to hear from you soon!

Change

2010-07-18T19:44:00.002-06:00

Well, here we are. July 18th. Going on two months in Orem and already things are very different.

1. The week after we moved here I (Whitney) got a job at a medical supply store. It was a great blessing but it is quite the challenge. I work full time and am also going to school full time which makes the week days a little stressful but life is gonna be stressful no matter what so you might as well get the most out of the days.

2. New king size bed, new camera (free with the bed!), new car. We decided to get a new car after we had been here a while and when the opportunity came we took it. It's a Volkswagon Jetta and we love it.

3. I had to go to the doctor this week because I have a strange rash on my arms and legs. It isn't hives, the doc says, but it is something that I have been exposed to that I'm having an allergic reaction to. He told me the only way to find out what is causing it is to do detective work so we have been very careful to notice what I use or wash my hands with for the past few days. We'll see what happens...

It has been so long since I last blogged that I don't know what you readers would even be interested in knowing... Life is going well for us in Orem and we like it a HUNDRED times better than Logan so hopefully that continues. I cannot believe it is almost August but I am excited for summer to end. I've never been a fan. :) Hope this post finds you all happy and healthy. Come visit us soon!

Prepare to be Surprised

2010-05-25T21:48:00.003-06:00

No, I'm not telling you to be prepared to be surprised. I'm saying that in life, sometimes that's the only thing you can prepare for.

I am spending the night at my parent's house in Grantsville because a simple car repair has turned into a mystery noise that makes our car sound like a helicopter.

So, I am stranded in Grantsville with no over-night gear. Toothbrush, pjs, makeup, nothin... I do have my Zoe though!

Today has made me thankful for a few things and I want to share them with my blog readers.

1. A loving husband who got an education so that he could support myself and our future family. Also, this same husband, who goes to bed later than I do so I can fall asleep with the lamp on, knowing I'm not up alone. I will miss that tonight.

2. Parents who know how to make lemonade out of lemons. Thanks mom for the tooth paste, the vasoline-mascara-taker-offer trick, and face wash. Thanks dad for the numerous car repairs and jeep rides.

3. A fun sister who opens her house to me, takes me to aerobics class, shares her work out clothes with me all the way down to socks and shoes (even undies if I wanted), and who always has a spare toothbrush on hand. Not to mention lets me play with her adorable little boy who sometimes likes me and sometimes doesn't.

4. A good mechanic who cares enough to ask me to wait until the morning to go home because he wants to be sure I'll make it home safely.

Yes, today wasn't what I expected but, hey, that's what makes us human. And maybe sometimes the Big Guy upstairs likes to remind us that, in fact, we aren't the ones in charge.

Hope you all have a great night. A very long, detailed post coming soon about the big move, Kev's job and even pictures (?).

Trailer Court Leavin'

2010-04-29T10:49:00.006-06:00

Nope, that's not a typo... We are officially getting kicked out of our trailer! Today when I got home from school there was a paper taped to our door saying that our portion of the trailer court must be vacated by August 1, 2010.

Although we plan on being out of the trailer WAY before then (cross your fingers) I'm still a little sad that we have to leave the big pink monster.

Some people stick their noses up when we say we live in a trailer and though it definitely had it's downfalls, it has really been a great place to live.

This might be TMI but our rent was less than $500. That included internet and cable along with water, garbage, sewage, etc.

We had 5 bus stops within decent walking distance from our door.

No upstairs, downstairs, or right-next-door neighbors. That sounds hermit-ish but a little privacy is always a good thing.

Lot's of extra storage space.

A yard! A small yard... but a yard nonetheless.

Aesthetically pleasing magenta and bubble gum pink exterior color scheme.

Many times we considered moving to a different place in Logan but we always concluded that this was the best deal we would get.

Most people who come to our house the first time say something like, "Wow, not what I expected." And it is a lot nicer than even WE expected when we first walked into the pink trailer.

Yes, this chapter of our life is soon coming to a close. We are excited, scared and maybe even a little sad to leave the trailer... Then we remember that it is a pink trailer.... That our questar bill is through the roof 6 months of the year, oh, and let's not forget the 2 black widows, wasps in our plum tree, daddy long leg infestation last summer, 80 degrees inside during the summer, and the wicked witch of the west, our R.A. who stalks me and Zoe.

Yeah... It's time for us to move.

A moment of silence please for

35 Loveshack

Logan, UT

It was a good run.

Good memories.

New Favorite Quote

2010-04-28T22:50:00.001-06:00

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak.
Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen”
~Winston Churchill
Love, Whitney

Trying New Things!

2010-04-21T20:05:00.005-06:00

We've been busy, busy, busy this month! Finals are still a week away (seems like an eternity) but don't worry! We have PLENTY to do until then! First on my list is to give you a run down on the past couple weeks.

Honestly, Easter feels like it was so long ago. I don't really remember much about that weekend but I'm sure it was great! The next weekend was FHE at the Mouritsen's, which is always a party!

I wanted to brag a little bit on this post, ha ha ha. Just joking! But I've been sewing quite a bit lately (minus the night I had to take off due to an incident that will be discussed in more detail to come) and finished a few projects I want to share!

The first is a table runner and pillow that I bought a pattern for eons ago. It's made with a whole bunch of fat quarters and really easy to sew. My first binding experience. A little scary!

It's definitely not perfect but my mom says any imperfection too small to see while riding by on a horse doesn't matter.

The second is an apron my mom bought some fabric to make me and never got around to doing it. It has cute little cupcakes on it! The trim is tiny red gingham. Check it!

While sewing the ruffle on this apron I wasn't paying enough attention and ran my finger through the sewing machine, breaking my needle and puncturing the tip of my fingernail through the bottom of my fingertip! It went right through! Kevin seemed to get a kick out of it. I told him, "I imagine this is what it feels like to get stabbed... Only on a much smaller scale." He was very sweet, however, bandaging my wound and grounding me from the sewing machine for the night.

The third project I want to show is a skirt that I made! My mom came to Logan for the Bernina Fabric Open House and I decided to try making something fun and challenging! I bought some awesome 1930s print fabric with giant purple flowers to make it out of. If I did it over again, I think I would choose a print that doesn't look so old-lady-ish.

Long story short I am probably spending too much time having fun and injuring myself and not enough time being stressed and overwhelmed with school work. Don't worry, that will change here in a few days when I realize how much I have to do before the end of next week!

For Shame/March Madness!

2010-03-31T08:50:00.004-06:00

I haven't blogged in 12 days (Kel, I let you down). March Madness to me means more than just basketball (though the basketball has been SA-WEET!!!) because school took off the first day back from spring break and hasn't slowed down yet!

Enough about lame-o school. What I really wanted to blog about was our awesome weekend! For Kev's birthday my mama gave him tickets to the Western Regionals Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight! We were really excited for them when we got them but when the day actually came I was giddy with excitement. We decided that we needed to pick one team to cheer for and we picked Xavier.

Yes, they lost but ESPN deemed Xavier v. Kansas State (booo) "The greatest game of the tournament". I won't go into the details of the 3 foul shots to send them into overtime and the 35 footer to take the game into DOUBLE overtime (all the while, Zoe has been at home for almost 12 hours without a potty break). It was intense to say the least! I was a little upset that I spent $25 on my Xavier shirt and they lost but it was still a great time!

Saturday the game was at 2:30 so Kev and I headed for Salt Lake (this time Zoe was at my moms house with her cousins) early to eat lunch at Noodles and then grab a gourmet cookie at Backer's Pastry Shop (love it!!!).

I couldn't get myself to cheer for the evil Frank Martin and his Wildcats after they knocked off both BYU AND Xavier so we cheered for Butler and that yielded good results. Butler is off to their home town, Indianapolis, and unless they play Duke, I will continue to cheer for them.

We had an unforgettable time at the games! Thanks again, mom. And Xavier, better luck next year.

The Newest Star Wars Fan

2010-03-19T21:46:00.003-06:00

I was officially deprived as a child. This week was spring break and since we both had to work all week we were stuck in icy cold (it actually got up to 56 here this week!) Logan. Needless to say, we had some time on our hands. What did we do with that time? Catch up on homework?? Deep clean the house??? Finish some projects??? NOPE! We had a Star Wars marathon! Let me just say that I have been changed. Star Wars has pretty much ruled our lives for 4 days.
Day 1: Star Wars Episodes 1 and 2. Nearly bought the Star Wars Theme as a ringtone. Kevin called me a nerd. Didn't buy it.
Day 2: Star Wars Episodes 3 and 4. Unsuccessfully searching Walmart at midnight for the entire Star Wars collection.
Day 3: Star Wars Episode 5. Unable to sleep due to dreams of fighting storm troopers.
Day 4: Star Wars Episode 6. Debate over dinner about what 3 movies are better: The old ones or the new ones (what is your opinion???). Browsing Game Stop for a Star Wars Wii game. Determining our bank account too small for such a purchase. Serious contemplation over whether or not to spend $10 on a Star Wars shirt at JC Penny (I didn't). While walking through the mall I hear the music that plays whenever Darth Vader walks on screen coming from the arcade. The next few minutes spent deciding if we should waste our quarters. Then 3 minutes of fighting storm troopers in Endor on an arcade game that is as old as the movies themselves.

Best. Spring break. Ever.

Lucky Me!

2010-03-15T21:39:00.003-06:00

Since I got my new job at Sugar 'n Spice (I am LOVING it btw) I have been getting home later than we are used to so there isn't a lot of time to get a nice dinner ready and cleaned up, get homework done, and spend some quality time with Kev and Zo.

But tonight was different. When I got home from work around 6:50, Kevin was doing the dishes, had washed and folded the laundry, and started dinner! He had even turned on the scentsy so our house smelled delicious (lemon chiffon...mmm...). Needless to say, I was in heaven this evening. If/when you read this, Kev. Thanks. I sure love you.

Whit.

Chasing Cats

2010-03-14T18:07:00.003-06:00

Today Zoe chased a cat up a tree.

Zoe:

Cat:

From Drab to Fab in one Friday Afternoon!

2010-03-05T19:25:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in the last post, my mom gave me a sewing machine for my birthday. In our trailer we have very limited space so usually when we get something new it has to take the place of something old instead of getting it's own brand new spot SO our office got a little face lift tonight. From a cluttered, unused desktop computer to a less cluttered, way more fun sewing room!! Complete with a spot for my furry sewing companion! Check it out!

Creations, Tests and New Jobs... Oh, My!

2010-03-04T18:41:00.008-07:00

I know it's been too long since my last blog when my mom says I've "abandoned" blogging so here is an update.

A few weeks ago I saw a cute project on http://www.pineneedlesatgardnervillage.blogspot.com/ so my mom and I tried it out!

I love it a lot but those yo-yo's were a pain!

I also tried a few new types of headbands. Some I love, others I just like:

I got a sewing machine (thanks mom!) for my birthday so that opens up a whole new world of projects for me! Wish me luck with those blasted bobbins!

Kevin has a job interview tomorrow with

it's an online marketing company in American Fork. We really hope he gets it!

My new job at Sugar'n Spice is going GREAT! I love, love, love it! I made my first purchase yesterday with my employee discount! Aren't they cute???

My birthday was sa-weet! A lot of people contacted me in one way or another to wish me happy birthday! I even got an unexpected call from Carl, my bro-in-law. It made my day (thanks Carl and Rach. You guys are awesome!). We went to Texas Roadhouse with Mike and Lyndsi and they made me ride the bull! That's okay cause they gave me some AWESOME bracelets and a gift card to my fave store Hobby Lobby!!

Kevin's second article for Utah CEO Magazine came out online this week. Check it out!
http://www.utahceomagazine.com/article.php?id=463

Let's see.... What else??? This week I wrote 4 papers and have a written exam due Saturday morning.... The snow is melting fast and it was 43 degrees today! Ooohh! I work Saturday (fun!) and my parents and sisters are coming up to see the store, do some shoppin', change the battery in the jeep and eat lunch.

Have a good weekend! Try and catch some rays while you can!

Some News

2010-02-22T10:31:00.002-07:00

I'm at work so I'll make this quick!

I got a new job (heavenly angels are singing right now)! It's at Sugar N' Spice. Any Cache Valley-ians know what I am talking about, for those of you who are lucky enough NOT to live in Cache Valley (it's really not that bad... I just hate it...) here is a link to their website! http://www.sugarnspiceupyourhome.com/ I went in for the first time on Saturday and thought I had died and gone to heaven when they said, "Decorate that corner. You can use anything you want in the store, just make it look cute." I invite all of you to come up and go to the new store that I will be working at! It's SUPER nice and will be adorable when it opens on March 1st.

Kevin is still looking for a job for when he graduates. At this point we're not super picky as to where it is, just as long as he gets paid :). He also has an article coming out in the March issue of Utah CEO, and 2 in the April issue. He told his boss at the JMCQ job that he would be quitting in April so they are looking for someone to take over for him there and he still writes for the Smithfield Sun every once in a while.

Well, that's all for right now. I've slowed down on my headband making but today I learned a new style so I will try it out tonight and let you know how it goes! Have a great week!

More Headbands!!

2010-02-08T22:03:00.007-07:00

I've been having fun creatin' but I keep forgetting to take pictures of the headbands that I give away! So there are about 2 or 3 others that I don't have pictures of! Tell me what you think!!

My bathroom decoration has become the official headband holder.

I definitely need to get a more attractive model! It was late at night!! C'mon, people, give me a break!

Made these for a sweet little baby girl! Our friend Kasie Payne is having a baby any day now! Hope you like them, Kasie!

I've been getting a little bored lately with what I have been able to make so if anyone has any color or design ideas please share them!

A Good Day

2010-02-02T22:28:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was a good day. Kevin and I both got some exciting news and had some great experiences. We'll start with the coolest. Kevin's first article in Utah CEO Magazine appeared in the February issue! Here is the link http://www.utahceomagazine.com/article.php?id=441. I am so proud of him! I showed everyone at work and they were all really impressed. He has another article in the March issue and just got his assignments for April!

More good news for Kev. As you know, Kevin is graduating this May and is searching for a decent paying job in a tinsy-winsy job market. Ideally, we hoped to find one in Cache Valley so we didn't have to move before I finished school (1year!) but we knew that was a lot to ask for so we are willing to make some adjustments if need be. Well, yesterday he heard from a company here in Logan called New Dawn Technologies. New Dawn is a company that creates software for the judicial system, pretty cool, and the job Kevin applied for is a Marketing Representative. He has an interview this Thursday!! So everyone cross your fingers! I know he will do really well and that he will do an awesome job wherever he ends up working!

As for me, I had a good experience at the Social Work Practicum Buffet. 6 out of 12 credit hours of my senior year of school is spent in an agency getting field experience. Last night the social work department held a buffet where we all got to go around to some agencies and talk to them about what they do and what we could do as interns there next year. I've decided that I want to be a school social worker so I visited the booths of 5 different schools around Cache Valley and Brigham City. There were 2 that I ABSOLUTELY loved! I had great feelings about going to Box Elder Middle School and Mountain Crest high school. Apparently, they felt the same way about me. At the end of the buffet the supervisor from Mt. Crest found me and said that I was their first choice if I was interested in them and then the Box Elder Middle School supervisor found me and said that they hope I choose them! I have a big decision to make but I think I will love wherever I end up!

We have some great adventures coming up in our lives!! Change is refreshing.

PROJECT!!!

2010-01-20T18:17:00.008-07:00

As a busy student in her third year of college, you would think I would have things like homework, studying, maybe a group project or two to do over a three day weekend. Well, the truth is, I did have plenty I could have done. But allow me to tell, nay, show you what I spent my extra day off doing...

I think we have all seen those CUTE headbands all the stylish fashionistas are wearing. You

know... the ones with pretty flowers or bows on them. SUPER CUTE! Right??? Well, I have

never seen them in stores anywhere so I wondered where people got them. Sunday while searching the web I ran into someone's Etsy shop. They weren't selling headbands but then I

realized that Etsy had 3790 PAGES of hair accessories!!! I started looking and found tons of cute ones! The only problem was that they were running about $20 each... So I, being the problem

solver I am, decided I could do one of two things:

1. I could fork out the $20 plus shipping and choose one that I knew I loved. 3 hot pink organza flowers on a headband:

2. I could go spend $20 at Hobby Lobby and MAKE MY OWN!

So, I looked up a few things on the internet and found one really helpful wedding blog that taught how to melt organza and sew roses into beautiful, feminine creations.

The next morning I was off on my journey! Kevin wasn't super hot on the idea of me spending money on a project that may or may not turn out so I promised him I wouldn't spend more than $20. An hour later, I was leaving Hobby Lobby, materials in hand, with a receipt for $20.31.

A picture of what I began with:

It was a little bit of a rough start but I kind of got the hang of it. Melting the organza was exhilarating! It really melts into little petal shapes! Amazing!! I would recommend making these to anyone who want to add a little flair to their wardrobe without paying the big bucks. With all of my materials I have made 4 headbands and 3 alligator clips and can probably get another 10 more!! I gave away a headband but here is what I have so far.

This one is for my friend Jamie.

Black organza flower

Purple organza flower.

This one was my first try... It was rough, as you can probably tell but I do like the feather.

This is my version of the one I ALMOST bought on Etsy for $20.

Professional? No. But I think I'll stick with my creations rather than spending money to have someone ship one to me. I consider this project a success!

Bloggin' at Work... Workin' at Blog...

2010-01-14T11:35:00.003-07:00

Just a quick post while work is slow. School is going well so far! Kevin and I are both looking forward to our classes and the many endeavors ahead of us! Here is a look at our classes:
Whitney
Criminal Justice and Law
Social Statistics
Practice 2 Social Work with Groups
Practice 3 Social Work with Communities
Mental Health
Art Symposium

Kevin
Case Studies in Public Relations
Managing Organizations and People
Principles of Management Information Systems
Fundamentals of Personal Investing
Art Symposium

As you can see, we're going to be a little busy this semester. Kevin will be graduating in May (woo hoo!) and was looking into getting his MBA next year but we have decided to take another route. He is now going to try and work for a year, while I finish my undergrad, and then go to grad school while I can work. The main reason for this decision was money. We couldn't figure out how he and I could both go to school full time all year without being homeless... We're excited to see what kind of job he can get because as most of us know Kevin is VERY talented and has quite a few friends in "high" places.

As for me, another year of school and I will have a BSW which will allow me to work at any number of social organizations. What I would like to do is work for a school district or at a community organization for the homeless.

I hope 2010 finds everyone happy and healthy. We look forward to many good times with you all.

Sicky Sick Sick (And there's nothing you can do about it!)

2010-01-05T21:36:00.004-07:00

I thought this story deserved it's own post. The chest cold I mentioned in the post on December 3rd never went away. I started coughing on December 1st. By the 3rd I was coughing so hard I was gagging and getting headaches and keeping both myself and Kevin up at night. I went to the doctor on the 4th, I had no other symptoms: Breathing patterns, heart rate, blood pressure all normal. They said I could have some fluid in my lungs but nothing serious. I was given a prescription for a cough suppressant and sent on my merry little way. Well, that cough suppressant was apparently the Cadillac of cough suppressants because to fill the whole prescription was going to be $56! And that was the generic brand!! We decided that the cough has been going on for about a week so it HAD to be about over! We ordered half of the prescription and paid $28 for 10 pills.

After a few days of taking the Cadillac medicine my cough still wasn't going anywhere. We bought Robitussin, we bought DayQuil, Equate brand DayQuil, cold medicine, Mucinex, and everything else we could think of. Still nothing. Finally after finals, the cough was moving down and actually producing some mucus (sorry, for those with weak stomachs). When we got to Grantsville my mom gave me some Vicks Vapor rub and NyQuil. Both helped for about a day and then became ineffective. Around this time I quit taking any type of medication.

I was starting to feel better the week of Christmas when on Christmas eve I began feeling sick again. This time it felt more like strep throat. My tonsils swollen, headache and that weird stomach ache you get when you are sick (does anyone else get that???). By that evening I was pretty well floored. Took some cold medicine and went to bed. Christmas morning I felt better. I don't know if it was just me wishing I felt healthy or if my prayers that I wouldn't be sick on Christmas were answered. By the afternoon, though, I was heading downhill again and by 7ish I couldn't keep my eyes open or focus or eat. That feeling lasted about 3 days. I started taking Tylenol severe cold and sinus and on Monday I called the Urgent Care to see how much a visit would be without insurance. $128. And that didn't include test fees. NO thanks!! So my grandpa hooked me up with some amoxicillin that I took the rest of the week. My mom thinks I have a sinus infection.

I'm a hundred times better now but we're still sleeping with a humidifier, using a neti pot (WEIRD!) and have gone through probably 5 boxes of tissues. I guess I'm glad I was sick this month when I didn't have to go to school or work but it was a rough ride. My new year's resolution this year is to stay healthy. To not get sick. Not to be a whiner... but I think I deserve it.

I failed

2010-01-05T21:16:00.003-07:00

I want to apologize for the lack of bloggage. It has been quite the month! First, let me say Happy Anniversary to Kevin (Jan. 3)! It was our 2nd anniversary. To celebrate we spent the night in Salt Lake at the Marriott Downtown, saw Sherlock Holmes, browsed Barnes and Noble for Kev's present, ate dinner at Tucano's and just to satisfy my sweet tooth, got a parfait and apple pie at McDonald's at midnight. Kevin gave me a beautiful Fossil watch I've had my eye on. I love it. I've been saying it jokingly all week but, Kevin, here's to "two years of bliss." Love you.

Next, my mom had a knee replacement on the 17th so I, with the help of my dad and sisters have been playing nurse for her. It's been fun cleaning the house, making meals and telling her to "STOP LIMPING!!! YOU GOT SURGERY SO YOU COULD WALK NORMAL!!"..... We aren't exaclty nice nurses. I don't think any of us were cut out for nursing. It's a good thing she went back to work after two weeks (four weeks earlier than average recovery! Good job, ma!).

Christmas was great. It was a party all week! Monday night we had birthday dinner for Kellie, Wednesday was my family's party, Thursday was Kev's, and Friday was spent at both of our parents' houses. Christmas works out really well for us so we got the best of both families traditions.

Well, that was our month in a nutshell. We are headed back to Logan sometime this week and I think we are both torn about going back. School looms on the back of our minds (not to mention 10 degrees colder weather) and I think that is making us both wish someone could invent a time machine and fast! I hope you all had a safe and fun holiday break. Good luck you students! More to come soon (I promise!).

Happenings

2009-12-03T16:54:00.005-07:00

Thanksgiving came and went in a flash. We got to spend almost all week in Grantsville which is always a party. We ate at both Kev's parents and my sister's house. Good food, good memories. The next morning my mom, grandma, and two sisters (well, one sister and her best friend who is considered a sister) headed to Walmart at 4 to do some serious BLACK FRIDAY shopping. Don't worry, we aren't the type of people to get trampled... We TRAMPLE! No, it wasn't that bad. I only got in one fight with a woman who kept hitting me in the back of my knees with her cart. We shopped til' we dropped. Literally. We hit Walmart, Kohl's, ShopKo, the mall, Target, Old Navy and Tai Pan. 13 hours later, we were on our way home.

I love Black Friday shopping. It's the most systematic, organized holiday tradition my family has (okay... maybe we're a little materialistic). There are rules that are taken VERY seriously which include:

1. No one under the age of 16

2. No males

3. Don't make us late

4. No strollers (see rule #1)

5. The youngest shopper has to keep track of grandma

I always look forward to Black Friday and I am always sad when it's over.

Kevin and I were both sad to come back to Logan because we knew the week ahead would be challenging. Papers, quizzes and loads and loads of studying. And what week before finals would be complete without a chest cold?? Yes, I am sick AGAIN. My mom says this is pay back for running from her when she tried to give me a flu shot. I think it's my body telling me to relax a little. Either way, I still have a cough that keeps me and Kevin up at night.

On to a more serious note. One of my family's oldest and dearest pets passed away this morning. We got Cynthia when I was in 2nd grade. Man that dog could run. She had the softest, biggest ears and a sweet heart. We'll sure miss her.

Well, that's all for now. Good luck to all you students on finals week. I'll blog again when I resurface from under the piles of books and papers.

Hello Holidays!!

2009-11-20T10:33:00.002-07:00

Well, the semester is finally winding down (emphasis on the FINALLY). And although we feel relieved by this fact, we know that beginning January 11 life will again become unbearably busy!

Next semester will probably be our busiest yet. Kevin and I are both going to be taking 17 credit hours. Luckily though, 2 of those hours are going to be together! We are taking Arts Symposium together. It should be fun, we get to go to a bunch of performances here in Cache Valley and write papers about them! Yay! We figure it's a good way to kill two birds with one stone:
date night+assignment at the same time.

This will be Kevin's last semester before he starts (hopefully) in the MBA program and it is my last year before I start my practicum for social work! We are excited for the next year and a half to just FLY by so we can start living regular lives and not student lives.

There is a quote on the wall of our favorite "samich" place. It says, "If you do the things you need to do when you need to do them, then someday you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them."

We are pretty much clinging to this quote for dear life. I know that our hard work will pay off, it always does, but right now it sure is hard! Thanks for supporting us in the things we do!

We look forward to seeing many of you over the next month or two! For those of you who we won't see we wish you Holiday Happiness!

Church Talks!

2009-11-07T20:01:00.001-07:00

Kev and I are speaking in church tomorrow. We're pretty nervous. We've been in this ward for 2 years and have never spoken in church! Anyway, I thought we could post our talks on here but they are going to be really long... Any interest in seeing them?

This Is (was) Halloween!

2009-11-06T18:54:00.004-07:00

Okay, so for those of you who don't know me as well, I'm a Halloween girl. I'm one of those who decorates for Halloween in August, and decorates more for Halloween than for Christmas.

We started the Halloween festivities Thursday night. Utah State Theatre put on one of our FAVORITE musicals, "Sweeney Todd". It's about a man who was wrongly imprisoned by a judge in London at the turn of the century. When he escapes from prison, Sweeney Todd goes back to London to seek revenge on the judge and meets Mrs. Lovette who makes the worst meat pies in London. The two devise a plan to kill clients of Todd's barber shop and use their bodies as meat in pies before finally killing the judge and then each other in a tragic ending...

Okay, so that was a little vague. Not to mention a little gross. The music is AMAZING though and who doesn't love them some Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter?

For the two years we've been married we've had a Halloween party at our house. We have chili and broom (bread) sticks, sugar cookies, caramel apples, pumpkin cake, witches brew and more! I REALLY look forward to planning the party and running around all day to get everything together. I also look forward to Kevin's help cleaning the house and doing the laundry in preparation! This year we invited our friends Jamie and Wes, Mike and Lynds and Tony and Amy (Britt! Wish you could have been there!). Yes, we cram 8 people into our trailer and stuff them full of spooky goodies. We were so glad that everyone came and hope that you all had fun! P.S. Thanks Jamie for the veggie tray and thanks Lynds for the AWESOME witchy make over! Here are a few pics.

Kevin couldn't decide on a costume (I really wanted him to be Frankenstein) so he thought his Homer tee-shirt was enough.

Mike and Lyndsi came as Jaffar and Maleficent. I laughed so hard when Lynds swung our front door open and stepped in looking like she was about to cast a spell on me! You guys are awesome!

Ms. Jamie and Wes came as a pirate and Pin Head. I liked Wes's mask because it looked like the scary Pin Head man is smiling. Thanks for coming guys!!

I make Kevin carve pumpkins every year. This year we had 3 pumpkins so little Zoe got one of her own. We like sprinkling cinnamon inside the pumpkins before lighting the candles. It makes them smell delicious!

And what Halloween party would be complete without a cute dog in a costume. Before we even got Zoe I had told Kevin that any dog we have will ALWAYS dress up for Halloween. Kevin consented but when the time came to look for a costume for Zoe I just couldn't make myself spend 8-20 dollars on a dog costume... I had finally decided that she would just wear a sweater when I was at the party store here in Logan shopping for a centerpiece for the party in the 1/2 off Halloween section when I found a doggie witch costume for 50 cents! Now that's a price I can handle! So, here is our little witchy.

Hope everyone had a "Haunting" Halloween! Here's to another year before the ghouls and goblins come back around.

The Happiest Place on Earth!

2009-11-04T18:00:00.004-07:00

Over fall break we went to Disneyland, Universal Studios and California Adventure. Yes, that meant that we had to leave our little Zoe behind for a few days but I think she is over the trauma.

We had quite the group! And even after waiting in long lines in the blazing California sun I think we all had a good time.

A Weekend in Fall

2009-10-10T20:23:00.003-06:00

Adding pictures to blogger is so frustrating because they're always in backwards order! Oh, Well. I'll explain everything.

My mom found this piece of fleece and no one would take it because it was so terrifying. I loved it!

This pillow fits nicely with my new Wicked Witch of the West blanket!

Went to a small farmers market across the street from Maddox after dinner! Got some good finds including a baby watermelon for 75 cents, two pie pumpkins, some apples and a swan squash.

The great spheres of orange that bring fall to life!

New hair. Not sure about the bangs...

I think Kevin was making this face on purpose.

Sky View football game that Kevin wrote about for the Smithfield Sun.

Our Baby

2009-10-03T13:43:00.007-06:00

So, most people with blogs put up cute pictures of their kids... Even when we started our blog I thought that it wouldn't be fun because we didn't have kids who do funny or cute things to blog about that people would be interested in.

We aren't planning on having kids anytime soon so how can I keep my fans coming back for more?

One word.

Zoe.

Some of you are probably tired of constantly hearing about Zoe but she is one of our main sources of laughs and tender moments in our home so you'll just have to put up with it until we decide to bring human children into our home.

The following is a collection of pictures we have taken of Zoe sleeping. I get a kick out of them. Maybe you will too.

Grandma Young made her this pink blanket with her name on the front. She is really attached to it.

For those of you who thought all mammals were warm blooded, think again! When the thermostat goes below 70 in our house (which it often does in the months of October-April) Zoe starts to shiver and shake. We took pity on her this week and bought her a heating pad and she LOVES it. When we turn it on for her she lays down and is out like a light for hours.

Bad dream?

Oh, and if there is a pile of pillows or blankets on the couch you can be sure to find Zoe on the top of it. Queen of the Castle.

Let me assure you that these pictures were taken in real time. Not posed.

Good night, sweet Z.

Why this week was not #1

2009-09-24T22:41:00.002-06:00

1 Statistics exam

1 Paper Topic due on food additives

1 Long, frustrating process to get our family pictures printed out and framed

1 Hour of kick boxing missed because of my lactose intolerance

1 Painful bee sting

1 Hour of kick boxing missed because of the pain associated with an allergic reaction to a bee sting

1 Night for Kevin with a sore throat

1 3 a.m. bed time for Kevin so he could finish writing a paper for his hardest class

1 Batch of burnt chocolate chip cookies

1 Sad dog who keeps looking at me as if to ask, "Why haven't we gone on a walk for 3 days?"

1 Trip to the doctor, soon to be 2.

1 Long drive to Grantsville in separate cars :(

1 Night alone while Kev goes to the BYU game on Saturday

Sorry for the vent-fest. It's been a long week.

Speaking of Bees...

2009-09-24T22:14:00.004-06:00

Tuesday:

In a rush to catch the bus to make it to class on time, I was running when I felt a sharp pain in my right calf. As I got to the bus the pain grew stronger. I knew something was not right. No, it was not just my legs telling me that going to class wasn't worth it, and it wasn't the fact that I haven't gone running for about 2 months. It was a bee sting. I brushed off the "sack" that they leave behind and tried to ignore the pain. That worked for about 10 minutes until I found Kevin on campus and showed him the source of my distress. He told me that it was normal to hurt and it would probably feel that way for a day or two...

Wednesday morning I woke up to a red, puffy, hard, itchy and tender 6 inch circle around the sting. "Hmm... Is this normal?" I asked myself. Being the novice that I am I sought out advice from a more learned source. Mom. Well, mom didn't answer... I then went to G my work buddy, also a mother so I knew I could take her answers as gospel. She said I was definitely having an allergic reaction. Watch it and if it gets bigger or more tender to see a doctor.

I took G's advice and took some Benedryl when I got home from work. I also contacted my Bee Sting specialist, Annie, who is deathly allergic to bees to ask what a textbook bee sting looked like. She said the same thing as G.

Well, this morning I woke up with some hope that the swelling and redness had gone down and my leg could be back to normal. But alas, my hope was in vain. Here is where the pictures come in. If you have a weak stomach this may be a little too much for you.

Let's look on the bright side of things... The swelling had gone down, now it was more focused around the sting but instead of a pinkish-red color it now looked like I had been hit in the leg with a blunt object. It felt a lot like I had been hit in the leg with a blunt object too. By 10:30 this morning the redness had spread to my ankle and the pain was now constant. I broke down and went to the doctor. He drew on my leg around the swelling, gave me some steroids and told me

to come back tomorrow. Oh, brother....

"What's Whitney up to?" "Oh, probably nothing..."

2009-09-13T21:04:00.007-06:00

On a Sunday evening you would think a college student would be busy with homework or something like that... NOPE! I spent the past hour busting up over these pictures!!

I yearbooked us!!

And to top it all off...

Who knew our dashing good looks would transfer decade to decade?

Busy as Bees

2009-09-11T10:09:00.002-06:00

We're still here! Sorry for the lack of Bloggage, this semester sort of took Kevin and I both a little off guard! Now that we are back in the swing of things and have our schedules pretty well mapped out I think things will settle down a bit.

Update, you say?

Kevin seems to be enjoying his new job as a Public Relations Assistant for USU Extentions. He feels a little overwhelmed by all the material he has to learn but it will be good for him!

My job is same ol' same ol'. I like working here because I can usually spend my time blogging or doing homework (more of the latter of course...). I've been in classes with a lot of people on the floor I work on so it's been fun to walk down the hall and run into my professors and colleagues and get to know everyone on a less-professional level.

Tonight we are going to a small get together with Kevin's boss and mentor (he probably won't like me saying that, neither will Rachel when I write that it is Ted Pease). They have a rather large home out in the country so it should be relaxing and fun.

Labor Day weekend was LONG and fun :) We went to Grantsville and hung out with the fam. On Sunday Clint made another giant prime rib for the family and we spent the night rockin out on Rock Band. I think we found some hidden talent in Clint. He was the leader of the band that's for sure! I might be in trouble if I don't mention the BYU game so I'll just say it was fun seeing Kevin get so excited about them winning. I don't think he has ever been more proud of me when he asked what I wanted to do late Saturday night and I said, "Let's watch the BYU game again."

Well, I hope this satisfies your craving of Kev and Whit. Have a good weekend! GO COUGS! GO TROJANS!

A Midday Snack

2009-08-24T20:18:00.001-06:00

Let's see if you can guess what happened in this sequence of pictures...

hm... It seems like when we left the house there was half a loaf of zucchini bread waiting for us at home.

...

ZOE???

That's right. Little Zoe has found her new favorite food and a new talent. She can jump onto our kitchen counter. We're thinking about letting her try out for the track team in the Spring. I guess this just gives me an excuse to make more of that yummy bread. But obviously keep it in the fridge.

5 Bests of Summer

2009-08-23T20:34:00.004-06:00

There are officially 2 hours and 35 minutes left of summer so before my time runs out I wanted to spotlight some of the best memories we made this summer. I'm only gonna detail 5 but let me just say that this summer was great! We had a lot of fun and probably not enough sleep but we loved every sun and fun filled moment we had!

5. Tennis -- about 3 weeks into summer Kevin and I got kicked out of the gym on campus (long story). That very day we went to Wal-Mart and bought us both $17 tennis rackets and never looked back! Kev had tried to teach me how to play last year but it never really stuck, this year we played almost every day! It was such a ball! I was even duped into playing in the famous Grantsville Dusk 'til Dawn Tennis Tournament. I have a pretty mean back hand and Kevin enjoyed seeing the fruits of his labor when I finally won a set this past week.

4. Lucy, our new car -- Its been fun to have something that we worked together for and bought with our own savings. It felt even better that our down payment was about half of what the car costs so that monthly payment doesn't bite as hard. :)

3. Park City -- I already blogged about this but it was really a great time with our family and our best friends! I look forward to the Park City retreat with the whole Mouritsen family every year! Kathy, I know that sometimes you wonder if it is fun enough to keep going and let me just give my vote to continue the tradition! We had a blast picnicing with the family, taking funny pictures of Wally, the Alpine Slide, high school memories of Beauty and the Beast, hot tubs, movies, shopping and staying up until 5 in the morning talking with Mike and Lyndsi. Good times!

2. Zoe -- Our little Z. She is such a sweetie. I love coming home to her jumping around in circles and trying to nibble my fingers while I run her outside before she has an accident! She isn't allowed to sleep in our bed but sometimes I will wake up and she has burrowed herself under the covers by my feet to keep warm. She is shy and that puts some people off but I would be shy too if I never lived in a home where I could trust someone to just love me. She loves to have her belly scratched and loves going outside with me to water the pumpkins or get the mail. We have only had her for a month and a half and we are excited to share more fun times with our little Z.

1. Spending time with my baby -- We've had so much fun golfing and shopping and playing all summer but I must say that every activity is more fun when I'm with Kevin. I sure love him. This summer felt so carefree and fun for me and I know that Kevin was stressed and worried at times but I hope he had fun too. We've decided to live everyday with no regrets and I don't regret a single second that I spent with him. Thanks for making this summer one to remember! Here's to another school year (Kevin's last!! Good job, babe!!). Hopefully I will remember to find time to blog during school! Wish us luck!

Family Pics

2009-08-12T14:40:00.008-06:00

So long summer job!

2009-08-06T13:51:00.005-06:00

Today was officially my last day working for the Herald Journal. Can I just say that I plan on sleeping in as long as possible for the next two weeks before school, I will stay away from angry old people and I always tip my paper boy when they do a good job. Looking back, I have made some good friends and had some fun times (as fun as 5 a.m. can be). I almost cried today when my boss, Fred, told me he would miss seeing my smiling face every morning. I guess the friendly, polite Whitney beat out the "not-so-morning-person" Whitney. You know what they say, if you want to measure a person's true character, wake them up at 4 a.m. and make them answer phones for 7 hours... What? You've never heard that before? Well, you'll just have to trust me. :)

Everything is all lined up for my job during school. Kevin and I are both really excited for school to start! It is going to be one busy semester! Kevin will have 3 jobs plus 15 credits, bless his heart and I will have 1 job, 15 credits and a dog to take care of. We are both shooting for 4.0's this semester so wish us luck!

Well there you go! A quick update from the Logan Mouritsens! Soon we will get our family pictures back and hopefully there will be some good enough to post on here! Hope everyone has a great August and get excited for Halloween! I sure am!

Poor Little Z.

2009-07-28T19:19:00.003-06:00

Zoe has had quite the week. She isn't usually around a lot of people at the same time and last night we took her to be in our family pictures. Well, the kids all loved her, including little Lila (which was SO cute, btw) but she was a little stressed out by all the attention. Then, we had to leave her outside at Richard's house while we went to dinner with the whole family. It was a fun time and I am really excited to see our pictures but I'm afraid it was just about as much as fun as Zoe could stand.

As if that weren't enough! Today our poor little girl was spayed, received her rabies shot and got her nails clipped. It was the saddest thing when I went to pick her up, I almost cried looking at her laying in the car in pain. She never actually went to sleep, I could just see her sweet little eyes fighting to stay open. Right now she is just laying on the couch wrapped up in two blankets. She didn't get any pain medication so I bought her some turkey and baby asprin. We're trying to keep her as comfortable as possible and I'm sure she will be back to normal in no time.

Just Life

2009-07-21T18:41:00.002-06:00

Well, let's have a little update, shall we?

Summer is quickly coming to an end! This Friday marks the one month countdown to school! WOW! This summer has flown! It is bittersweet because Kevin and I are both excited for our classes this semester and we both are a little fed up with our jobs. I am putting in my two weeks notice this week so that I can paint my mother's family room and spend some time getting things ready for school. Yes, that means no more 4:30 AM wake up calls! I promised myself that I will never get up that early again if I can help it!

Zoe is doing great! She went home to visit her extended family last weekend and had a lot of fun. She has been sleeping a lot more these past few days and I think it's because she was "played" to death at Grandma Young's house with the other dogs.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful summer and I look forward to making many more memories with you all before the leaves begin to turn! Life is good.

A new addition

2009-07-12T18:01:00.003-06:00

Sleepless nights

Constant love

Tiny food

Play time

Nap time

The pitter-patter of little feet

I think you all know what I'm talking about.

We got a new addition to our family yesterday...

Her name is Zoe.

We rescued her from the shelter in Logan. She is as sweet as can be! We were thrilled when we went to leave and she jumped in the car with excitement and we drove her home. She hasn't barked yet. She likes to go on walks and ride in the car. She is scared of her toys but I think she'll warm up to them soon. She sleeps in her own bed all night and best of all, she came potty trained (all you moms out there wish kids came that way)!

We hope everyone will love Zoe as much as we do! Feel free to come visit! Don't worry, mama and daddy are doing great, just a little tired from a day full of fun yesterday.

Feast or Famine

2009-07-06T16:30:00.006-06:00

Keeping with tradition, I haven't blogged for a while so now I have a lot to catch up on! Here we go!

In semi-chronological order:

Brent came home June 10.

We went to Park City with the Mouritsen family. It was a great time! After the fam had to leave, our friends the Frandsen's came up and kept us company. We had SO much fun shopping, eating, hot tubbing and watching gorey movies it was hard to leave. This was only my second year going to Park City and I love going! It is a great tradition and it's wonderful to spend so much time with everyone in the fam.

Brent's homecoming and father's day was the 21st (I should probably do a father's day post... man, I'm the worst blogger ever!) but we don't have any pictures from those events.

June 27th was Kellie's first baby shower for Ryder! He will be here any day now and we are all so excited! In case you're interested, here are a few pictures of Ryder's loot from the first shower

The 4th of July was great too! We went to Grantsville on the 2nd and went to dinner with my family. My sisters and I all got pedicures while Kevin and Brent went golfing. I wish I would have had my camera at our tennis tournament because I think it was the highlight of the holiday! Every year Grantsville does a Dusk-til-Dawn tennis tournament and since I have been the proud owner of a tennis racket for about 2 weeks I figured I was ready to play! I did better than most probably thought I would. Every game my team won 2 games out of 5... so not half bad.

The morning of the 4th we watched the parade then ate at my grandma's house... then at the Mouritsen's house... then about 3 hours later we ate our part of a 14 lb. prime rib (a.k.a. Optimus Prime) that my brother cooked. It was amazing! Thanks Clint (like he would read our blog... it's

the thought that counts)! After dinner we made our way to Brigham City to watch some

fireworks with Mike and Lyndsi then it was off to bed for me because I had to work at 5 the next morning!

Well, as you can probably tell, the past few weeks of our life have been a whirlwind. Summer is more than half way over and fall semester is just around the corner! Hope you have all enjoyed the time that we have had to spend together as much as we have!

Ode to Pumpkin Patch

2009-07-06T16:08:00.003-06:00

My pumpkin patch

Rests in the sun

With winged and long legged things

And though I know I should do it more

I only weed it once a week

Small and delicate

It has withstood the many storms of June

Today it doesn't get the attention it deserves

But brilliant orange spheres ready for harvest

Will surely come too soon.

We live to Frolf!

2009-06-03T14:29:00.003-06:00

One of our new favorite activities. Anything free is fun for us. Here are some action shots, I know you were all dying to see them.

The Little One's Graduation

2009-06-03T14:18:00.002-06:00

Last night we decided to surprise my parents and show up to Annie's graduation. We had told them not to plan on us being there because it was on a Tuesday night and Kevin and I had to work. We're really proud of Annie, she is such a stud! For those of you who don't know Annie let me share some of her accomplishments with you. She was the starting Centerfielder for the varsity softball team at Grantsville for all 4 years of school! She was the Prep of the Week in Deseret News a few weeks ago, they spotlighted her for her academics, involvement in student government and school sports. She was the volleyball captain this year and last, the Student Body Historian and was on the Esteem Team. Annie is a great person, she is very passionate and loyal and fun to be around. She is going to continue her education at Weber State in the Physical Therapy program and while Kev and I are both pretty upset she isn't coming to Utah State, we think she will do great at WSU. Kevin and Annie are good friends, they like to beat each other at Wii. When Annie knows we are going to be in town she cancels all of her plans to stay home and play the Wii with Kev. I'm really glad that they are friends. Way to go, Nan! We love you!

Sorry, folks!

2009-06-03T07:47:00.007-06:00

So I just realized that our last post was two weeks ago. I guess time flies when you're so busy you aren't even sure what day it is... Just a short post while work is slow. Kevin is still working at Utah State for the Housing Department. Sometimes he wishes he had a little more to do at work but when he doesn't he gets to play SuperMario and I join in every once in a while with a game of Settlers of Catan over the internet (yes, we expect some nerd comments from you fellow bloggers). I am working for the Herald Journal as a customer service rep. Every morning I wake up at 4:25 to go get yelled at by angry elderly people whose paper is 5 minutes late. I love my job! Okay, that's not exactly true, but I like the girls I work with and I get off at 9 every morning to get things done around the house and yard. Allow me to share my first phone call experience at work.

Old Angry Man: I pay $9 a month for your piss poor newspaper.

Me: I'm sorry you are dissatisfied with your newspaper.

Old Angry Man: I pay $9 for this newspaper and the rates in the paper say I should be paying $14. Why am I only paying $9?

Me: It looks like you are on a promotional rate, sir, for $9 for being on ez pay.

Old Angry Man: Well why does this say I should be paying $14? I need to send in a check for $5.

Me: (So what you are telling me is that you want to be charged MORE for a paper you think is "piss poor"...) Okay, well we can set you up for $14 a month and that rate will start next month.

Just a little tid-bit of what I go through every morning Sunday-Thursday from 5-9.

We are enjoying our summer in Logan more than we expected. We've bought some lawn chairs and like to sit outside at twilight just to talk. It's beautiful here and not as hot as it is down south (G-ville) so the days are pretty pleasant as of yet. We're excited to see Brent next week and spend some time in Park City with the family and friends.

A Little More Responsibility

2009-05-19T19:24:00.001-06:00

Well, we did it. We made the first large purchase of our marriage: a 2005 Hyundai Sonata. We found it while we were looking for cars on Autotrader.com. We were really impressed with it. It's clean, smooth, and accident-free.

On a Lighter Note... Spring in the Trailer Court

2009-05-15T15:09:00.011-06:00

Now that you all know what the inside of my mouth looks like (probably more info than you ever wanted to know. That's what you get for reading my blog. This stuff is 100% uncut, baby), I thought I would give everyone a little taste of a Cache Valley spring... Better yet, a trailer court spring. I've yet to discover if I have inherited the famous Proctor Green Thumb so these are obviously amateur attempts but I hope you enjoy them anyway. Happy Planting!

I realize this isn't a plant but it's picture worthy. A little free advertising for Sugar N' Spice in Hyde Park: Since we moved in to our trailer I've wanted a cute wreath for our door but didn't know where to purchase one for cheap. Well, my friend Lyndsi told me about Sugar N' Spice and said it was a really fun store so one day I went to look around and found that they have a really big selection of wreaths. This one was $10, it's small but so is our house so it fits nicely. Plus, if you go to their website www.sugarandspiceupyourhome.com and sign up for their email list they give you a $10 gift certificate, so this wreath was FREE!! You can't beat that!

I feel like Petunias often don't get the credit they deserve. They are super easy to grow, they bloom all summer and actually smell really pretty. My mom gave me this tricycle planter she didn't want anymore. I spray painted it white (one of my hobbies, I love painting things white...) and bought some petunias, at $1.25 each to plant in it. Not bad for a $3 project.

I wish I had a better picture of this but I don't. This is our plum tree. It has beautiful pink blossoms in the spring that match our trailer. It was meant to be. In the fall, however, the plums fall off and smell very sweet, which is nice but it also attracts many wasps, which is annoying. Also, little Bolivian women come knock on our door asking if they can take some. We of course say yes.

There was an article in Country Living all about primroses so I bought one for a thank you to the Islamic Center for helping me with a school project and loved it so much that I bought one for myself. Thomas Jefferson was fascinated by the primrose for its variety in color, ranging from green (green petals! Isn't that awesome) to black, I can just imagine the flower gardens at Monticello being filled with these little beauties.

So, as you can see, Logan is more than just a frozen tundra. It is a haven for Snowbirds (the old people who come up from Arizona in the summer), wasps and college students alike! I hope you've enjoyed reading about my small but fun treasures and wish me luck on my next project: the trailer court pumpkin patch!

It's What the People Want

2009-05-15T15:01:00.006-06:00

My dear friend and former supervisor requested that I post the picture of my tonsils referred to in the previous post and offered in return to post pictures from her high school prom. So, Keri, this one's for you.

**Viewer discretion is advised**

Mind you, this picture was taken after nearly 2 days of being on antibiotics. That brings the viewer ratings down from an R to a PG13

P.S. The strep/tonsilitis test came back negative... Accurate? You be the judge.

Mother's Day and Sick Days

2009-05-12T18:28:00.003-06:00

We had a great Mother's day. No one had a camera so there won't be any pictures but it was a lot of fun. Kevin's parents were in California attending Alan's graduation from Stanford Law (woo!! Congratulations Alan and Meghan) so we spent the weekend watching dance recitals, gymnastic routines, softball games, planting flowers and no weekend is complete without a wedding or two so we did that too! It was indeed a fun filled time. For Mother's Day Kellie and I made brunch for our whole family in her brand new kitchen (good practice for my future B&B) and then Annie and I planted some flowers for our mom. So, happy Mother's Day to all you moms and future moms out there. You're role is indeed an important one.

Sunday evening when we had returned to Logan I felt an itch in my throat. I didn't think much of it until later that night when I had Kevin look at my throat to see if it was red. There they were. My overly-large tonsils, sporting small red spots... Sorry to tell you, that wasn't the worst of it. I woke up Monday morning around 5 and my left tonsil had swollen so big that it was touching my tongue! Two job interviews and about 30 ibuprophen doses later we finally thought it would be best for me to get a strep throat test. I went to the doctor today and he told me he had never seen tonsils so big and so infected as mine are. I've contemplated putting a picture we took of them on this blog but I can't find our camera cord and I don't want anyone to get queezy, just trust me. It's pretty bad. Now I'm on a 2000 mg. of penicillin, 2 tylenol, 4 ibuprophen, yogurt, gatorade and chloroseptic diet. Hopefully it will be over soon, and everyone cross your fingers that I don't infect Kevin!

Stealing Tulips

2009-04-29T14:34:00.004-06:00

It's a little like pushing daisies but not quite. Since we have lived in our trailer we have not had next door neighbors. The trailers on either side of ours are empty but in the spring one of them always has the prettiest tulips! Right there on the edge of the lawn is a big area that some planted probably 30 tulips in, then apparently moved out.

Well, as you may guess, our pink trailer is a little homely, no flowers in the flower bed, patchy grass, dandalions and wasps. I try my best but it's too cold to plant any flowers yet. So, needless to say, I get a little jealous to see the vacant trailer's lawn in beautiful bloom.

"How do I solve this problem?" you say? Well, let me tell you a little story of how I had planned to solve the problem and how sometimes plans get spoiled by others.

Just like any sane person, I decided to dig up the tulips next door and "transplant", not steal, them to our flower bed. I carefully brainstormed about how to do the "dirty" job and waited for just the right time... BUT WAIT!! One evening as I was doing the dishes with the windows open allowing the cool spring air to fill our home I noticed someone walk past our house to the house next door. Horror filled my heart when I realized what he was doing. I spied in silence until I knew for sure; he was stealing MY tulips!! "YOU'RE STEALING MY TULIPS!!" I exclaimed, forgetting the windows were wide open for all to hear. He turned to face our window and I ducked behind the counter, still horrified by the events that had transpired. He kept walking. I looked out the window once more to watch him plant the tulips that I had already claimed as my own in his yard. He took, two, three trips to the tulip patch until all that was left were a few daffodils and one tulip plant. The bareness of the once abundant tulip patch tore a hole in my soul. How I longed for those tulips, reds, soft yellows and whites to adorn our trailer, but alas, it was not to be.

Now, fear not, faithful readers, I was able to salvage what was left of the tulip and daffodil plants and Kevin gave me permission (since he works for on campus housing) to take the remaining tulips and plant them in our yard. They are still getting settled in, so don't judge them if you see them. We've been through a lot this week.

CaRaMeL bRoWnIeS

2009-04-27T21:36:00.012-06:00

A little backstory:

It is a little known dream of mine to one day own a bed and breakfast in the country. Two of my passions are decorating and cooking, what a great fit! At my bed and breakfast (co-owned and operated by my loving husband, Kevin) we would serve homemade pancakes and waffles from mama Mouritsen's kitchen, homemade pizza, chili, lasagna, chicken enchiladas, and chicken noodle soup from my own mother's kitchen (she says she doesn't cook, but she does. And she's great) and rolls, ice cream, pea and potato soup, and mac n' cheese from grandma P. My family has compiled cook books of family recipes and they are great reminders of the wonderful women who came before me. My business would be a tribute to our great families.

This weekend I discovered an old treasure. In a recipe book that I got for christmas of my family's "secret" recipes is a wonderful recipe for caramel brownies and, yes, they are as good as they sound.

Funny story. The recipe in the book was written down by Milva Bolinder, a distant relative of the Proctor family and is quite confusing to follow. I called my mom, my sister Kellie and my aunt Leslie to see if they could decipher the recipe and finally contacted my grandma who translated it perfectly. Talk about wisdom! So, if you are in the mood for a yummy, semi-inexpensive new treat here is a fun and easy recipe, in modern day language for easy reading. Compliments to great women of the past and even greater cooks.

Caramel Brownies:

Ingredients--

1 german chocolate cake mix $1.16

1/2 c. melted margarine $.75 for 4 sticks

1 can evaporated milk $.96

2 c. nuts--optional $1.97

1/2 c. chocolate chips $2.28 for 2 c.

50 individually wrapped caramels $2.18. There are about 52 caramels/package. Works perfect. TOTAL: About $10 tax included

Directions: combine cake mix, 1/2 c. evaporated milk, melted margarine, and nuts (opt.). Spoon about half of batter in 9x13 pan, smooth out and bake @ 350 for 6 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with 1/2 c. chocolate chips.

Melt caramels and 1/3 c. evaporated milk on stove until completely melted, pour over cake.

Crumble remaining cake mix over top. I roll the remaining cake mix into 5 or 6 balls, flatten and spread them over the caramel to make it patchy.

Bake @350 for another 15-18 minutes until cake on top is cooked thoroughly.

Enjoy!

P.S. I'm gonna try to post all of the recipes I use. Next up are Thumb Print Cookies!

I'm Sorry!

2009-04-27T12:57:00.002-06:00

It has been almost a month since my last post. I apologize. But, in my defense, I tried to do an Easter post but couldn't get the pictures to load, so there.

Kevin and I have been busy as bees for the past few weeks getting ready for the end of the semester. It's been the most stressful semester yet so we are happy to see it come to an end. This weekend we played probably too much (sorry we wouldn't leave you alone Mike and Lynds) but it was oh, so fun! We are lucky to have good friends here with us in Logan.

Anyway, I hope to write more soon, I just wanted to write something on the run today. I hope all is well with everyone. Happy Spring!

STAY TUNED!

2009-04-05T23:07:00.003-06:00

Exciting news about our upcoming summer is next, after a few words from our sponsors.

Happy Easter to us!

2009-04-05T22:52:00.004-06:00

Well, we got lucky this weekend and got an early Easter present.

My parents bought themselves a Wii for Christmas and every weekend that we've gone home since then has been filled with endless fun playing Mario with the fam. I must say, we are addicted. Since this weekend marked a whole month since we've been home we're getting a little

"Wii-sick" and decided that maybe we would spend next month's grocery money on a Wii! Crazy, we know. But as we were discussing the issue I got a phone call from my mom, when she asked what we were doing I told her we were debating if we wanted to be irrepsonsible and buy a Wii. To our surprise, she answered back saying, "can you wait a week?" and I said, "why?" and she replied, "because we were going to get you one for Easter. We've been talking about it for about a month and dad thinks you would enjoy one."

Boy-oh-boy we were happy! She told us to go ahead a look for one (to save her from having to hunt one down) and if we bought one she would just give us money to pay for it! Not half an hour later we were back from the store setting up our new Wii, giddy with excitement! So, thanks mom, if you ever get around to remembering our blog URL, you're the best! We've had a great weekend watching conference and getting in a few rounds of golf, tennis and Mario Party inbetween sessions.

P.S. This is an open invitation, if anyone would like to join us for a round of Mario Party or tennis, we welcome you...better yet, BRING IT ON!!

Very Superstitious, the writing on the wall...

2009-04-01T20:08:00.005-06:00

I'm sure everyone heard about the "mega-virus" that hit today. Well, Kevin and I weren't victims of the vicious bug but I thought I would share a post about our technological superstitions.

To get the jist of the story, I must start on Tuesday morning.

Tuesday Morning: Kevin watched a CNN special in class about the April Fool's Day Virus. It went into detail about how the virus attacks computers through various applications such as email, facebook, attachments, etc. After class he told me how devastating this virus could be and that I should be careful with my emails and my facebook account.

Tuesday Afternoon: Kevin uses his student ID card to get into a computer lab on campus, places his wallet on the desk and walks out without it.

Tuesday Evening: (still unaware that Kevin's wallet is missing) I checked my email and saw that I had a message from facebook saying that a "Derek Freckleton" has left me a message. Kevin and I were immediately wary of this Mr. Freckleton, especially since it was March 31st and April Fool's Day was knocking on the door. Not taking any chances we deleted the message and didn't look back.

Wednesday Afternoon: As Kevin is getting ready to go back to work after lunch he realizes that he has misplaced his wallet. Not too worried he returned to work and I looked around the house a little until I left for work. By 4 o'clock the wallet was no where to be found and we began to worry. After hours of searching the house, cars, and two trips to campus, still no wallet.

Wednesday Evening: Around 7 o'clock we put our search on hold to make dinner. In a moment of genius, Kevin remembered his trip to the computer lab and that he had indeed used the wallet to get into the lab!! Eureka! So, Kevin called the lab but they said any found wallets get turned into the manager for safety reasons. The Lab worker gave Kevin the manager's phone number and told him to ask for Derek for his wallet... When Kevin called Derek we were happy to hear that he had Kevin's wallet. But there is more, when Derek found the wallet he decided to be helpful and see if he could find the rightful owner. After searching for any information on Kevin with no success he decided to search for me (my ID was in the wallet from a trip to the fieldhouse on Monday) and found my name on facebook. This nice man sent me a message on facebook saying that he had Kevin's wallet under his care. My first thought was, "oh, I should have checked my facebook today" but then we realized that I HAD seen the message! I even knew it was there and had deleted it under superstition of the infamous April Fool's Virus! Hours of worry, turning the house upside down, a quarter tank of gas and a few stress ulcers, the wallet had been safe all along.

The moral of the story? Don't be suprised if someone mistakes you, a nice, helpful person just trying to do the right thing, for an evil computer-eating virus.

Back to School!

2009-03-19T11:55:00.005-06:00

Spring break is over and we hopped right back into the swing of things at school this week. It has been a busy week for both Kevin and I but I think things are going to start slowing down now. I had two presentations to do this week, one on sex education in school and one on Islam. They each went really well and I learned a lot. Two papers due, one on a book called As Nature Made Him (I don't reccomend this book, unless you want to be depressed, disgusted and angry at the same time) and one on a religious diversity experience. On top of those I had a math quiz. Life has been busy. Poor Kev has spent countless hours on campus with his class group getting together a huge assignment that is due tomorrow and has a business law exam today (everyone wish Kevin luck!).

Yes, life is busy but we wouldn't have it any other way. Life is meant to be busy! I'm sure in a few years when we are out of school and living a "grown up" life we will miss these days of turkey sandwiches for lunch and fend-for-yourself dinners. Keep us up to date with your lives and I will try my best to do the same! Happy Spring!

Spring Break: Party hard or hardly partyin'?

2009-03-10T16:31:00.002-06:00

Well, it's the second day of spring break, do you know where your college-age children are? Maybe in Mexico on a blistering hot beach, maybe skiing in Park City or in California where the stars are? No... they are probably at your house, eating your food, keeping you up late at night with their immature antics. At least that's where we are. Yes, the past two nights Kevin and I have spent playing Mario Party and watching House until the wee hours in the morning. It's been fun so far, but we need more, so on Thursday we are headed down to St. George for a little fun-in-the-sun. Actually, we're gonna watch a little softball and hopefully get a little sun burned. Ah, spring is in the air. I hope everyone has a great Spring Break (if you get one. Sorry for those who don't)!

Being too nice?

2009-03-06T14:58:00.007-07:00

Well, my spring break got an unexpected early start when I woke up with a sore throat Thursday morning. So, I've been doing what I always do when I'm home sick; cleaning, baking (I know I shouldn't bake when I'm sick but it always makes me feel better), laundry, surfing the iTunes store, etc. And today I decided I will write on my blog, since it has been over a week since you have heard from me.

First off, I want to tell Jeanell that I nearly cried when I read her blog today, I'm so sorry that you have to go back to work, that is a bummer. But, I agree with Rachel, you will be so blessed for taking care of your family, even when it means doing something you would rather not do. And I'm sure Lila understands.

Second, I had an experience this week that I wanted to share because it was so bewildering. Tuesday at work I was sitting at my desk when one of the professors came in and began to yell, I mean yell and scream at me for being, and I quote, "too d*** nice" to the person I share a computer with. My first repsonse was to fight back. Too nice?? Who gets in trouble for being too nice? What am I supposed to do? Just kick the other person out everytime I need the computer? How should I know that what they are doing isn't more important than what I need to do? But of course, I don't even get through the first defensive statement before I begin to cry. Side note: I cry. It doesn't matter what emotion I am feeling, I cry. It freaked Kevin out at first, but now he's used to it. Anger makes me cry uncontrollably, so I always manage to embarrass myself when I'm about to yell at someone.

Back to the story... My boss, whom I love for her level-headedness and compassion, walks in to see me crying and automatically scolds the other professor for yelling at me and asks what is the matter. I apologize for making a scene and she tells me that she crys all the time and that everyone in the office is used to crying, and not to worry about it. When the situation is explained to her (not by me of course because I can barely get a breath in, but by the boy who shares the computer with me), she fixes everything within 5 minutes and everyone is fine.

Later, another professor gave me a hug and told me that I was inducted into an exclusive club that day. Apparently, the angry, yelling professor has a history of anger and yelling. So in a way, I feel more like a part of the family at work.

That was a long story, but now I just want to get on my soap box for a minute. I cannot stand professors telling students that we need to be professional in school when they do not act professional. This episode was at work, so I can't say what kind of teacher this professor is but if this wasn't the first time it has happened shouldn't the issue be addressed?

Let me give you another example. I am a social work major, hoping to enter the program next fall and one of the things that is stressed in all of my SW classes is professional use of self. Yet, I go to class every day and listen to my professor use profain language at least three times during class. And I'm not talking the "d"word or the "h"word. But things like, "that guy was ****ed up", and "this theory is full of ****", etc. Now, maybe it's just me, but is that really an example of professional use of self? I had a wonderful seminary teacher in high school who told me that the best three teachers are 1. example 2. example 3. example, and as liscenced social workers, shouldn't my teachers know that people are affected about things that they hear their role models/superiors/ authority figures do and say? I say, if you expect to teach us to be professionals, how about you act professional?

Wow, long post. I doubt that many of you will read this whole post (it probably isn't worth reading the whole thing anyway) but if you do, you will now know what I am learning at this University level Institute of Education: 1. There is such thing as too nice, and being too nice will get you in trouble. And, 2. Do and say whatever you want, but if anyone asks, professional use of self is important (kind of).

The Hubby Smarts... dun, dun, dun!

2009-02-25T20:16:00.002-07:00

Well we've been married for over a year now, so I should know pretty much EVERYTHING about Kevin. Right?

Copy and paste these questions in your own post and see how much you REALLY know!

1. He's sitting in front of the TV - what is on the screen?

Anything sports. Thursday nights it's The Office and 30 Rock.

2. You're out to eat - what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?

Ranch

3. What's one food he doesn't like?

Peas

4. You go out to eat and have a drink.

Rootbeer or Strawberry lemonade.

5. Where did he go to high school?

GHS

6. What size shoe does he wear?

This one is tough... I think 12.

7. If he could go to any one sporting event what would it be?

The BCS Championship game.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?

It must run in the family, Rach. Kevin is a good ol' turkey sandwich man too.

9. What would he eat every day if he could?

An avocado.

10. What is his favorite cereal?

He likes cereal. I'm gonna say Honey Bunches of Oats but he's always raving about Reeses puffs.

11. What would he never wear?

Those man cardigans... The cardi-man, they're too girly

12. What is his favorite sports team?

BYU Football & Basketball, The Jazz and the San Fran 49ers

13. Who did he vote for?

I don't want to "out" him, so I can't say :)

14. Who is his best friend?

Garry Booooooone Bolinder. They have a very unique friendship

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?

drink the water from canned vegetables...mmm... bean juice...

16. What is his heritage?

Danish and Scottish

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind?

Double layer chocolate cake with homemade chocolate frosting

18. Did he play sports in high school?

Football Basketball and Track, he regrets not playing baseball but we met at track so it was meant to be :)

19. What could he spend hours doing?

reading, watching the Office, playing boggle

20. What is one unique talent?

Kevin has an insane talent for writing, especially grammar. He LOVES grammar.

The 6's Tag

2009-02-23T18:56:00.005-07:00

The Rules:

Go to the document settings/my pictures on your computer

Choose your 6th file

Choose your 6th picture

Blog about it

Tag 6 more people!

Poor Kevin.... This is what Kevin does when he wants to surprise me, he uses his secret weapon... The Mexi-stache. That's right. This is Kevin in his natural habitat, everyone observe.

I tag...

1. Keri Shoemaker

2. Teresa McNeill

3. Melissa Holmes (my new found friend/relative)

4. Jacque Dana

5. Brittany Dixon

6. Meghan Mouritsen

New Haircut, same old Whit

2009-02-19T12:38:00.003-07:00

Today marks the first week of my new hair cut. I don't know if everyone feels this way, but sometimes I just need a new-do. I'm scared to put any pictures of me on the blog but it has been described to me in two ways. Kevin, so lovingly said that I look like an "eight or nine year old boy" and Emily, the brains behind the operation said I look "egytpian".... So, let's see, according to my calculations, if you combine the two, and divide by the reciprocal...

Yup... King Tut it is. I guess that's about right, minus the whole gold tomb thing. I could get used to this.

Pay It Forward!

2009-02-18T16:25:00.002-07:00

This is how it works.....
The first 3 people to leave a comment on this
post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year.
When and what will be a surprise.
BUT, in order for you to leave a comment on my blog,
you have to post this on your blog first.
(That means that sometime during this year you will send a gift to 3 people as well.)
Get it?
So, the first 3 people to comment on this post will be the lucky ones!Good Luck!

Now It's My Turn

2009-02-09T15:33:00.002-07:00

I was so embarrassed when I saw that Whitney had written such nice things about me and I didn't even know about it for a few days after she had posted it. Well, I'm not one to be outdone; now it's my turn. The top ten reasons why I love Whitney:
10) Her smile. I think that was the thing that attracted me to Whitney initially. She has a smile that just lights up the room
9) Her cheerful attitude. She's so happy-go-lucky, which makes it really hard to be down or upset around her.
8) She laughs at my jokes. Sometimes I'm not even trying to make a joke, and she laughs. And sometimes I am trying to make a joke, and it's not funny at all, and she laughs anyway.
7) Her spontaneity. Whitney is always up for an adventure.
6) Her faith. Whitney will tell you that she has a very simple faith in the gospel. While it may be simple, it runs deep and is a large part of who she is.
5) Her goodness. Whitney is a genuinely good person. She is always looking for ways to serve those around her.
4) Her wisdom. Or, as she would want it written, her "Whiz"dom. She often leaves me speechless with her intelligence.
3) Her sense of humor. She always says that I don't think she's funny. She's wrong about that. She has a wonderfully unique sense of humor.
2) Her capacity to love. Whitney is a loving person, and I am grateful that I get to have some of the love.
1) She is my future. I know for a fact that Whitney will be a great mother to our children, and that she will be a source of strength and stability for the rest of my life. I love you, Whit. I always will.

My Reasons Why

2009-01-19T17:14:00.005-07:00

I don't know why I was overcome today with such a grateful spirit but I wish I felt it more often. Today as I was baking cookies, listening to Kevin sing on the couch, I realized how much I love my life. I love being exactly where I am. I'm not the best at not complaining (about school, the weather, work, etc.) but I really am happy to be doing what I am doing. I also was to talk about how much I love Kevin. We've only been married for a little over a year, but I can see us thirty, forty or fifty years from now still being as in love as we are now. His birthday is coming up soon, and it makes me realize how young we are, how much time we have. It's such a great feeling. We aren't in any hurry for anything (except for maybe graduation), we are just loving life. So, this is for Kevin; a minute list of reasons I love him.

1.He is my eternal companion. Through thick and thin, no matter what.

2.He works hard for me (see post below "Four Part-Time Jobs". We have goals and he is so good at working to achieve them.

3.He makes me laugh. Even though sometimes it is involuntary--from tickling.

4.He carries me to bed when I'm too tired to walk :)

5.He served an honorable mission, something I admire greatly.

6.He is a night owl; I'm an early bird.

7.He tries to teach me Spanish, and he laughs when I don't remember anything he has taught me.

8.He humors me by telling me I'm pretty when I dance.

9.If he doesn't know the words of a song, I do and vice versa.

and 10. We are working together for the same goal:happiness.

Kevin is a great person, those of you who know him know that is true. Those of you who don't know him, I wish for you to get to know him, because you will love him too. Thanks for being mine, Kev.

Four Part-Time Jobs

2009-01-18T09:28:00.004-07:00

Well, Whitney and I finally caught a break. At the beginning of the fall semester last year, I was working for Nalder Electric, Thad's company. That project was finished at the end of September. Out of necessity, I got a new job working at Capital Recovery (CapRec), a company that helps people get mortgage insurance refunds that the government owes them. They were about the only place that was hiring. Meanwhile, I've been working as a Rhetoric Associate at Utah State. It's kind of like a writing tutor. So last semester I was working part-time at CapRec, and part-time as a Rhetoric Associate.

Then, at the end of last semester, I applied for a position as an editorial assistant to Ted Pease, a journalism professor here at Utah State. He is the editor of an academic journal called Journalsim and Mass Communication Quarterly. I had known Ted previously to applying for the position, and I think that gave me an advantage. I got the job there; so at the beginning of this semester, I was working at CapRec, and I was an editorial assistant and a Rhetoric Associate (I'm also taking 15 credit hours).

I felt pretty good about the situation. At least I had multiple sources of income. Anyway, at the end of last semester I applied for a technical writer position with the Housing and Maintenance Department here at USU. After applying, I didn't hear anything for almost a month, so I figured they had passed on me. Then at the beginning of this semester I got an email from them to do an interview. I went in for the interview and felt pretty good about it. The two people that interviewed me, Andy and Laynette, were both really nice. I left feeling pretty good, but still unsure about getting the job. It seems like there is always someone more qualified. The interview was on a Tuesday.

Laynette told me that they would be finishing up the interviews by the end of the week. The end of the week rolled around, and I hadn't heard anything. I tried not to think about it, but I was anxious. It would give me some really good experience, and I was really wanting to work somewhere besides where I was working. Last Sunday night Whitney and I were talking, and I told her that I didn't think I would get the job. Monday morning I went to work at CapRec. At about 11:00 am, I felt my phone vibrate. I checked the number and saw that it was a 435 number. I answered and it was Laynette. She said she was calling to offer me the position. I couldn't believe it. This job switch would give me a $2.25 raise from what I was earning at CapRec. I called Whitney and told her, and she had been a little anxious for me to get the job as well.

I started my new job this past Wednesday, and I'm really excited about it. The Housing and Maintenance Dept. is in charge of all on-campus housing. Right now they are making some really big changes in how they do things. I will be working on creating documentation for their procedures and policies. I get to work with a lot of different people. I'm really excited about it.

Meanwhile, I gave my two weeks notice at CapRec on Monday. So, as of right now, I am working at CapRec, I'm a technical writer for the Housing and Maintenance Dept., I am editorial assistant for Ted Pease, and I am a Rhetoric Associate. Four part-time jobs. But only for a little while.

School is in session!

2009-01-09T12:40:00.004-07:00

This week marked the beginning of yet another semester at Utah State University for Kevin and me. I almost broke into tears when my math professor gave our class 50 problems of homework the first day. Despite this near-episode, school is going to be a great experience for both of us. We are both taking more classes that apply to our majors (social work and public relations) than ever before and it seems that every night this week we have stayed up far too late talking about interesting things we have learned in class. I know that this time in our lives will never happen again, so we should make the most of it but sometimes I can't help but hope for the day that I can wish Kevin off to work at a job he loves and stay home with the dog (and kids, someday... we WILL have a dog before we have kids, I will make sure of that), make elaborate meals for my husband and keep the house squeaky clean.

At any rate, if you notice the blog entries getting a little sparse, know that it isn't from lack of interest, just lack of time, sleep, life, etc.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-01-05T19:14:00.005-07:00

On Saturday, Kevin and I celebrated our first anniversary! We had a great time during our stay at Little America in Salt Lake. We spent the week in Grantsville for New Year's and we had originally planned to go back to Logan and re-pack for our anniversary, but that didn't happen. The reason this was a problem was that we were going to Provo on Sunday to our little niece Emma's baby blessing and neither of us had church clothes packed. "We'll find something," Kevin had assured me, and so w

e stayed...

We spent Saturday morning trying to round up church clothes, somewhat successfully, and picking up our year-old wedding cake to eat that evening. Finally, we were on our way to our romantic getaway!

We went to lunch and to dinner and to a movie and after the festivities were over, I still was without a dress for church the next morning. It was around 11:00 when we found our way to Wal-Mart in downtown (I would not recommend visiting this Wal-Mart unless absolutely necessary, in which case: proceed with caution) and I found a some-what suitable dress o

n clearance. The dressing room was closed so I slipped it on over my clothes and decided it was good enough. It was a brown, knee-length jumper with a strange leaf print all over it. A tad short, I will say it wasn't the most comfortable thing to wear, but it served it's purpose well.

Anyhow, that story may not seem to be the dilemma that it was at the time (I'm sure the females reading this will understand).

All late-night Wal-Mart trips aside, we had a wonderful anniversary. We ate our cake and it wasn't too bad, I think we both got through about two bites before we called it quits. Our first year of marriage has been filled with suprises (though, not always good ones), adventures, laughs and learning and we are both looking forward to many, many more. I love you, Kevin.

The Aftermath-- a reflection on Christmas

2008-12-29T15:14:00.004-07:00

The week following Christmas is always a bittersweet one. It is a reminder of how Christmas is the season of giving and not necessarily getting. We had a wonderful Christmas and got many great gifts (one of which I am using to type this blog--a laptop) but after everything is said and done, I think the most memorable thing each Christmas is the reaction on a family member's face as they open their present from you.

The spirit of the Christmas season is that of the great giver, Jesus Christ. His gift to the world is the greatest that has ever been given, or will ever be given. He gave his life so that we could all live.

I could continue, but I won't. Just know that God loves you, so do I. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I wish you all a happy New Year.

Whitney

Our First Christmas

2008-12-18T18:55:00.017-07:00

Hello fellow bloggers! As most of you know, this is our first Christmas together and we haven't missed a beat getting ready for the holidays! Now, keep in mind that we live in a trailer, which means that we have limited space for decorations. This does not mean that we have skimped on anything as the pictures will demonstrate. Observe.

This is our Christmas tree. What it lacks in size it makes up in character. This pre-lit tree gracefully displays the many ornaments Kevin has collected throughout his life (Whitney's childhood ornaments are on display at her parent's house). The placement of the tree on the chair creates the image of a much larger tree. This is an optical illusion. Our tree is, in fact, three feet tall.

Who says kitchen counters aren't for Christmas decor? This ice block and wreath combo looks stunning next to the knife set.

The key holder Joanna gave to us as a wedding gift is a great alternative to a fireplace mantle.

Grandma Proctor's famous Christmas pillow cases work wonders on plain throw pillows.

But now... for the grand finale. Kevin and Whitney spent a chilly Logan afternoon outside putting up Christmas lights. After nearly falling down the stairs, being locked out of the house for half an hour and an extra six bucks on an extension cord, we were finished.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Kevin and Whitney.

The Beginning of the End

2008-12-10T08:22:00.004-07:00

It is now Wednesday of finals week, and we couldn't be more grateful that this semester is coming to an end. Whitney and Kevin have each taken one final, and we each have one more to go. We will be spending Christmas break in Logan so that Kevin can work. Unfortunately, Logan is not a very fun place to be during the winter. We'll just have to deal with it. Only a year and a half left, and then, hopefully, we'll be off to...somewhere else.

Kevin recently got a job as an editorial assistant under the direction of a Utah State University professor, Ted Pease. It will last for all of 2009. He has been working with the current editorial assistant to get up to speed on how things are done, and he is looking forward to the experience, the enhanced resume, and the extra pay check.

Whitney is getting ready to apply to the social work program at Utah State. She has also been working dutifully in the Anthropology department at Utah State. She will be working there next semester, and she is also applying to be a Resident Assistant. It's a lengthy, detailed process, but we think it will be worth it (free rent!).

Thus is life. We are looking forward to seeing lots of family and friends during the holiday, and Kevin is looking forward to a repeat Alumni Tournament championship. See you soon!

Thanksgiving/finals

2008-12-02T11:54:00.002-07:00

Well, that long awaited vacation came and went last weekend when we went to Grantsville for Thanksgiving. We had dinner with Kevins family and met our new niece Emma for the first time. It was a long and relaxing weekend, I got some Christmas crafts finished and Kevin got to play basketball and football with his high school buddies. When we got home, Kevin and I set up our baby Christmas tree and put up a few decorations. I can't wait until we have a house that I can jazz up for each holiday!

Finals are coming up and I don't think that either of us are too stressed, so that's a plus. Kev and I each only have two final exams next week and then we are home free! This semester flew by, I hope the rest of our schooling continues the same way! Thanks to everyone who reads and comments on our blog, it's nice to feel connected to family and friends, even when we are all so far apart. Happy Holidays.

What a weekend!

2008-11-25T11:23:00.007-07:00

You know the old saying "take the good with the bad"? Well, I think that would have to sum up our weekend in Grantsville... My (Whitney's) family had Thanksgiving on Saturday so that the whole fam-dam-ily could be there and it was a great time. We met Clint's girlfriend Brandee and her two little girls Alexa and Ashlyn for the first time. They were all fun and cute and they fit in really well with the family. Dinner was great, as usual and it was fun to get everyone together to celebrate the past year.
Okay, now for the bad. First of all, BYU.... nuff' said. Second, Sunday we were planning on leaving Grantsville around 3:30 and when I went to my parents house to drop off some things, Annie noticed that one of our tires was low. "No prob," my dad said, as he geared up his air compresser for an easy fix. As he finished filling the tire with air, I noticed a quiet whistling sound, I leaned down to find where the noise was coming from and found two screws in the tire! My optimistic father again said "No worries, Flying J can fix it for eight bucks." So, around 5:00 we were finally headed to the Flying J, going 50 mph on the donut tire. We got to flying J and they said they don't have a tire center, they told us to go to TA. We got to TA, and they don't repair holes. We go to Speedco and they only repair Semi tires; they tell us to go to Wal Mart. I call Walmart and they close at 6, it is now 5:45. So we head to Walmart, speeding (55 mph now) in order to get there before they close. We pulled up at 5:57 and they can't fix tires with two holes, so we ended up spending $80 on a new tire. But whatever, we finally made it out of Tooele County, only three hours behind schedule.
But wait! It doesn't end there! When we got home and walked inside, we noticed a strange odor. "It smells like mold," I said. Kevin then noticed that the faucet, which must be left on to keep the pipes from freezing in the cold Logan weather, had been on hot all weekend and our water heater had leaked. THEN, last night as I was cleaning the bathroom I noticed the toilet is leaking.... Oh, and did I mention that I had a filling fall out on Friday and every dentist in the tri-state area is booked until January??
It is just adventure after adventure for us these days. I figure you have to have a bad day every once in a while to keep you on your toes, but we're ready for a vacation!

Whitney saves the day!...er...cat.

2008-11-21T20:52:00.002-07:00

Today was no ordinary day... Today, a kitten was saved from most certain death by yours truly. Of course, it was my fault that the kitten was in danger, really...

When I got to the dumpster to take out the trash, I threw the bag in casually. In mid throw, however, I noticed a small kitten cowering in fear in the corner of the dumpster! Luckily, I hadn't thrown our garbage on the cat but I had frightened it enough to make it frantically attempt to escape. There was a small circular hole near the bottom of the large dumpster which the kitten was trying to squeeze through. When I noticed it stopped moving I walked to the side of the dumpster and realized that the kitten had gotten its head through the hole and was now stuck! Its eyes were closed tightly in pain and I began to panic. I tried to get close to it to help nudge its head back through the hole but it hissed and snapped at me, I'm not really in the mood to get rabies, so I darted toward home, nearly missing being run over by the neighbors to get Kevins work gloves. I retrieved the gloves and ran back to the dumpster to find the kitten still stuck in the hole, I put the gloves on and tried to calm the angry, scared kitten but it hissed and snapped and finally got so mad that he was able to pull its head out on its own.

So, I guess I didn't save the kitten per se, but I did give it some tuna to help ease its pain and I felt pretty good about it.... so it counts.

TAG!

2008-11-19T20:59:00.003-07:00

Two Names You Go By: 1. Whitney 2. Whiz
Two Things You are Wearing Right Now: 1. Last years Game Day tee-shirt 2. pink fuzzy socks
Two Things You Want Right Now: 1. My headache to go away 2. the Big River soundtrack
Two Things You Did Last Night: 1. Bought a birthday gift for Kate Neeley 2. forgot to go to Ward Temple Night
Two Things You Ate Today: 1. Smarties 2. Apple crisp.... healthy, I know
Two Favorite Drinks: 1. I have a strange craving for 7 up sometimes 2. chocolate milk, even though it kills me when I drink it because I'm lactose intolerant
Five People I'm Tagging: 1. Kevin 2. Kellie 3. Jacque 4. Brittany 5. Hailee

Sorry, grandma

2008-11-18T22:29:00.003-07:00

So apparently grandma P. didn't like getting her hopes dashed when I erroneously said that I was pregnant, sorry, grams, but I gotta keep people on their toes. Sometimes you guys forget about us Mouritsens up here on the frozen tundra.
Life is going well, I got my John Adams paper I was so enthusiastic about back and received an "A" so that felt pretty good. Fall semester is winding down and in some ways I am really excited and in others I am sad to see it come to an end. I have made many new friends at school (Jacque, Hailee, Erin... I'm talkin' to you guys) and hope to keep in touch with all of them. Enough about me, lets talk about Kev!
Kevin is being considered for a higher-ranking job at Capital Recovery where he works. It would mean a little more detail-oriented work but also a $1 raise! He is making friends at work and seems to be enjoying it as much as work can be enjoyed at this stage in our lives. He is also looking forward to his new classes next semester.

Well, I'm done boring you with the silly details of our seemingly normal life. We found our camera charger so hopefully we will be adding more pictures to the blog soon! Take care of yourselves!

Come here my pretty!

2008-11-09T19:09:00.004-07:00

Happy Harvest everyone! Just a little blog entry to type. These short winter days make it easier to write on our blog because it's too cold and dark to play outside!
I totally forgot to tell you all about our fun Halloween party last week! We had a better turn out than planned. Tony and Amy Lopez and The Dixon family came over and we ate chili, broomsticks, witches brew and monster fingers (little smokies). Then we frosted sugar cookies and made caramel apples! The food was all delicious! Brittney's adorable little girls were all dressed up in their Halloween costumes, Kynzee was a hot pink and black cat and Kambrie was a zebra. Brit and I were not without costume though, I was sporting a wonderful rainbow witch hat and cape and Brit had whiskers and a kitty nose of her own. Kevin was festive and dressed up like Trailer Trash and Tony dressed like a Mexican. When the little kitties and zebra had to go to bed, the rest of us watched Clue and played Apples to Apples. It was a great success and we hope that everyone had a happy haunting!
The funniest part about this Halloween was my trip to campus to go to work. I was all dressed up from head to toe with striped tights, witch boots, hat and cape, carrying a cookie sheet full of freshly frosted sugar cookies when I walked out the door and saw the bus coming down the street! I tried to run but the wind was blowing and my hat came off, so here was I, this poor, broomless witch running across the street trying to catch the Aggie shuttle, and keep my cookies intact. Well, the bus driver must have felt sorry for me so he waited at the bus stop as I tried my darndest to get there on time. When I reached the bus I offered the driver a cookie for his kindness, he took one and then I offered cookies to the other 5 people on the bus. Next, a lovely Middle Eastern man took out his camera and asked if he could take a picture of me with his kids. I, of course consented. When the bus reached my destination, I put my hat back on and wished everyone a Happy Halloween, I think the bus driver was embarrassed for me but I proudly wore my costume for the rest of the work day, now the only problem is getting a copy of those pictures...

Update

2008-11-06T11:24:00.003-07:00

Hello all! We haven't blogged in a while so I thought I would share some of, what we like to call, "the good life." Kevin and I have been really busy with school and work. As you all read, last week Kevin aced the Spanish placement test. What a stud! I finished writing my 10 page persuasive paper on John Adams. I had checked out about 6 books to work on the paper almost a month and a half ago and, I must say, returning them to the library was bittersweet. John Adams was a fascinating person, I suggest all of you get to know him better. :) On a lighter note, both Kevin and I are working on blogs for different assignments, so I want to apologize if you feel that we are abandoning this one for the time being. Our other ones are great, if you want to check them out!
Kevin's RA blog: usuraprogram.blogspot.com
Whitney's Social Work blog: ususw.blogspot.com
Not too much is happening in our lives right now except school... oh, and I'm pregnant... Totally kidding! I just wanted to make sure you were still awake. Have a happy Thanksgiving! Hopefully we will see you all soon! Loves!

Espanol, anyone?

2008-10-31T11:40:00.006-06:00

Well, this was a fun experience for me, so I thought I would post it. For a while now I've been looking into taking the Spanish test that USU offers where you can get credit by taking the test and doing well. You can earn up to 16 credits and get four A's if you do well enough. So yesterday I decided to do it, so I paid the fee and went to the language department to schedule a time to take the test. The guy said that I could take it right then if I wanted, since no one else was scheduled. He said on average it takes about 20 minutes, but never more than 45. I had a break between classes, so I decided to take it right then.

The test is taken on a computer, and it's a multiple choice test. I started the test and got through what seemed like maybe 10 questions, and when I clicked on the button to go to the next question a page came up that said I was finished with the test, and I had only been working on it for five minutes. The guy had told me not to get out of it because he needed to see my score. So I told him I was done, and he came into the room to see my score. On the computer screen there were different bars that represented different ranges of scores. The lowest was from 0-319, the next from like 320 to 369, and so on until the highest bar just said 550 or above. The 550 or higher bar was highlighted, so the guy was like, "Well, looks like you did pretty well." I didn't know how to read the score, so I didn't know what I had gotten. Then the guy got closer to see my actual score and said, "Oh, yeah. You did REALLY well." He pointed at the screen where my score was posted, and it said 919. Then he goes, "That's one of the highest scores I've ever seen for the Spanish test." Turned out that in order to get all A's, you need to get at least 550, and my score was 919. So I was feeling pretty good about that. I had to pay $100 for all 16 credits, so it was a pretty good deal.

So then I told Whitney about it and she was excited, too. She happens to have a class with a girl who works in the language department. I guess Whitney had mentioned something to the girl about me taking the test, and the girl told her that anything above 700 is considered above average. And Whitney flipped and said, "What?! My husband just took the test and scored 919!" And her friend was like, "No way! I wish I would have been there!" Needless to say, it was a good day for old Kev, and he needed a good one. Anyway, I just thought I would share that story.

Wednesday Night Music

2008-10-22T21:32:00.002-06:00

Whitney and I have been sitting in our study for about two and a half hours jamming to itunes. It's been a wild ride. Jewel, Blink 182, Goo Goo Dolls, Dashboard Confessional, Ben Folds Five, Jeff Buckley, John Mayer, Waking Ashland, the list continues. It's been a ball. Whitney is a musical guru, and Kevin is just a guru.

Halloween Show Extravaganza

2008-10-20T21:31:00.005-06:00

Hi all! This is Whit of the whitandkev blog. Kevin and I are livin' large, as always, in the TC. Yesterday we killed a black widow (hence "Watch out for black widows"). When I say we, I mean Kevin. My role in destroying the spider was simply seeing it on the light fixture and yelling, "KILL IT!! KILL IT!!" I then proceeded to run to the kitchen (approx. 7 paces) and cower in the corner like a child. After I had settled down enough to form words again, I kindly let Kevin know where I saw the spider and reminded him of my mild arachnophobia.
Long story short, we now have a lovely display of a deceased spider in an air-tight container on our kitchen counter. If you would like to visit this limited-time display, admission is $7 for adults and $3 for children 5 and under. A wonderful, family-friendly attraction, great for a Halloween "Spook!"
Flash photography prohibited.
All sales are final
No refunds for inclement weather

Welcome to the Trailer Court

2008-10-20T19:52:00.002-06:00

HEY!!! This blog is intended for family, friends, and foes of Kevin and Whitney Mouritsen. Just kidding, we don't have foes (except for Chester). Whitney was finally convinced to enter the blogosphere, and so here we are. We are planning on using the blog to show pictures and updates on our crazy adventures. (Trust us, there's more than you think). Feel free to roam about, but don't step on any loose nails. Oh yeah, watch out for rabid dogs and black widows. ENJOY!