Jarom and Katie Walz

Charming Charlie

2011-05-26T22:04:00.007-06:00

You know when you find something wonderful and you want to share it with everyone? Well I have found Charming Charlie!! I first found the store while visiting family in Phoenix, AZ. I was shopping alone and spent an hour and a half in the store. It is an fashion accessory boutique- purses, hats, scarves, wallets, earrings, necklaces, rings, shoes, etc etc. If I had been wearing different shoes, I probably could have stayed longer-- I didn't even look at the necklaces, rings, and earrings because I was so captivated by the purses, wallets, hats, and scarves. I looked on their website and was happy to find that they had two locations in Denver. It is a fabulous store meant for every single woman, especially as a girls night!! Not only do they have an amazing selection, they organize the store by color families. So if you are not up to exploring the vast selection of accessories, you can head straight to the right color family to find your accessories. It is AMAZING!!! And pretty affordable unless, like me, you can't help but buy something every time you visit. They are in 20 states so check it out and see if there is a location near you!!

New Home

2011-01-16T20:25:00.003-07:00

Here are some pictures of our new place in Southglenn. We live above the shops of a brand new out-door mall. We LOVE it!!

Fall Break Back East

2010-11-08T22:23:00.008-07:00

We had a great time back East for Fall Break! (October 18-23) It was my first time and it was a perfect time to go! The fall colors were beautiful! Everywhere we went, the trees were changing (such vibrant colors) and I love the New England style house!! Just like a kid would draw! If I ever build my own house, that is what it will look like!

We flew in on Monday and got there pretty late. They are 2 hours ahead of us, which really threw things off. (It made it really hard to get up early)

Tuesday we just hung out with Jarom's sister. She has 1 kid in school, so they normally stay close to home. The live in a suburb of Boston (Ashland). We looked up a "family farm" to go pick apples and get some homemade cider. When we got there, it ended up being just a farm store. Oops. But we got some real maple syrup, sweet apple cider, apple butter, and an apple crisp. Later we went for a hike around a lake close to their house. It was amazing to see how the east coast compares to the areas we are use to seeing out here. It was really beautiful. My favorite part was the bright red leaves and the real acorns. I was just like a little kid- picking up every bring red leaf off the ground. They started little by little, but pretty soon they were covering the ground. By the time we got back to the car, I had a whole collection of "pretty leaves."

Wednesday Jarom's sister took their girl out of school (it was only half day) and we did the Freedom Trail through Boston. I really like seeing the USS Constitution (a navy ship from the War of 1812). It was amazing to see the size of the ship! I got some awesome clam chowder at Quincy Market and bought myself a Boston sweatshirt!

USS Constitution - Used in the War of 1812

Statue of Paul Revere - If you don't know who he is, open a history book!

Thursday we went down to Newport, Rhode Island. It is a coastal town for wealthy people to escape to for the hot humid summer. They have about 10 houses/properties that you can tour that are all from the early 19th century. We only had time to see 2, but I could have spent all day down there!! The most impressive house was called The Breakers. It was owned by the Vanderbelt's and is the definition of the Gilded Age. It was AMAZING!! That is a whole different level of wealth that I can barely understand. It was massive made of marble and steel and all the walls were hand carved and every little detail is extravagant!! I suggest google-ing for pictures of the inside because we can't take pictures while you are in there. http://www.newportmansions.org/page10001206.cfm

The front of The Breakers

The back of The Breakers

Friday we traveled to Concord. It was the PERFECT little New England small town!! When we were driving down main st Jarom said "I'm pretty sure this is how every kid halloween movie starts." We visited the museum, walked around town, and visited the Old North Bridge (when the Revolutionary War started). I loved being in this area because it was so picturesque!

Highway to Concord. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!

Old North Bridge - Where the Revolutionary War Began - "The Short Heard Round the World"

Katie at the Old North Bridge

Jarom in Concord. Beautiful houses! And I swear the whole town is completely full of cemeteries.

Saturday we went up to Salem. It was the weekend before Halloween weekend, so it was VERY busy! Not really our seen because we aren't really into witches. The history museum is being remodeled, so we didn't stay too long. Our plane left around 6:00 so we decided to go back to Boston for some good food. We asked Rick Atkin (Rachel's husband) where we should go and he suggested a little Italian restaurant. It was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! Everything that entered my mouth tasted amazing! If you are ever in Boston go to Trattoria Il Pannino. It is expensive, but totally worth the price!

Tales from the Hospital

2010-11-08T21:40:00.005-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I have Cystic Fibrosis. From time to time, when my lungs get really bad, I have to go into the hospital for a "tune up." Not sure if that is the medical term, but I've used it my entire life. Pretty much, it is 2 weeks of very strong IV antibiotics, respiratory therapy four times a day, and frequent detailed questions about everything that goes in and comes out of my body. But just because my lungs were sick, it did not mean that I felt bad. I was definitely not lying in a hospital bed feeling miserable. The following are my funny/annoying tales from my time in the Hospital. Enjoy!

1. The nurse told me that she needed a urine sample. No problem, I’ve done those before. So she gives me the cup and the little moist towelettes and leaves. So I go to the bathroom and since I’ve done these before I know that you are suppose to wipe with the towelettes before so you get a “clean sample”. So I wipe... and about 5 second after I realized very quickly that it was not a moist towelette-- it was an alcohol wipe. No, that is not meant to be used in that way. It burned!! So then I’m at a loss of what to do to stop the burning!! Cause it is only increasing and I don’t have anything with me in the bathroom. I resorted to regular toilet paper, which helped a little but did not fix the problem. I burned for a while.

2. Everyone keeps bringing me a wheelchair to take me places. But I feel lazy taking a whee

lchair places. I drove here myself and I walked all the way to my room to check in. At what point did my health decline so much that I need to be carted around? How do I get on the non-wheelchair list? Because when they bring the wheelchair and I don’t sit in it, then we both get to walk the wheelchair around with us. That is awkward. Also, you have to have a transport person everywhere you go, just in case you pass out somewhere without anyone to help you. When should I point out that I drove myself here. Was that unsafe?

3. Up until this point, my visit to the hospital had been uneventful. It helps when you know what you are doing, but overall I was the “easiest patient.” They started me on a new IV med today called vancomycin. The Dr wanted me to start it slowly because I’ve never had it before. So the nurse told me about possible side effects and everything and we started it. About an hour into it, the nurse came in to move it a little faster. They wanted it done in 2 hours, and at the current speed it would take 2.5 hours. So not a huge difference. About 5-10 min later my scalp started itching. And not just a little... like a ton!! And then it moved to my cheeks and on to the back of the neck. So I called the nurse because one of the side effects is called “red man” where you get all flushed. Didn’t mention itching, but I was itching enough to know that it wasn’t random. So my nurse decided to give me a shot of benadryl. He gave me 25mg, which is the size of a normal pill, so no big deal. It stopped the itching but about 30 seconds later I was totally floating and almost passed out. I was holding on to things to try and keep me steady even though I was already sitting. I guess my body wan’t use to the IV benadryl. Also, I had been doing my vest and nebulizer at the same time, which I’m sure did not help the situation. For about 10-20 min I had everyone watching me while I took deep breaths an concentrated on not passing out. It eventually went away, but then I was super sleepy, which is a normal side effect of benadryl.

4. This one is titled Ice Water. I don’t know what the deal is, but everyone is always asking if I want some ice water. And some just bring it without asking. Sometime I come back to my room or come out of the bathroom, and there is a big cup of ice water. What is the deal? It is getting a little out of hand! This morning around 4:30 I woke up to the alarm on my IV machine, which was very loud. They were trying to fix it, and here comes one of the nurses with a huge cup of ice water. Honestly? Did she really think that I was going to stay up and drink it? It was 4 flippin’ 30 in the morning!! (Which is exactly what I texted to Traci when it happened.)

5. They had to draw more blood and the guy asked if I was ok with it on the inside of my wrist. I responded with, “I can’t see why not? No one has even been looking there.” Now I know why not!! It hurts worse after!! So much worse!! So when I said, “why not?” his response should have been, “because it hurts more.” The warning would have been much appreciated!!

6. Last night Laurel and Layna came to visit. When I was doing my vest Layna wanted to take a picture because she was proud of me and said it made me cool. I said sarcastically, “yeah, so cool with my big white puffy vest with velcro.” And then we look over at Laurel who is wearing a white puffy vest with buttons. It was so funny. We took a picture to show the similarities.

Big Changes

2010-09-20T22:36:00.006-06:00

That past week has been full of fun changes for us. Last Monday we bought a new car!! We traded in our TL for a 2010 VW GTI. It is white, 4-door, with 18" wheels, turbo and, my personal favorite, plaid seats!! We are very excited about it! As part of the deal, we are getting a sun roof put in on Tuesday (tomorrow) and the windows tinted the next Monday. It gets really good gas milage, so Jarom really wants to go on a car trip to see how it travels.

Saturday, we signed a lease for an apartment to move into in December. We will be living just over in Centennial/Littleton at Southglenn. It is a cute little area that reminds me of urban living, but a lot smaller. It use to be a mall, but that was torn down and replaced with an outdoor mall with little boutiques and restaurants and a movie theater. The apartments are above some of the shops and restaurants. Here is the link for the area. We are really excited!! I will post pictures when we actually get moved in. We are moving into the apartment call The Cordoba.

http://www.shopsouthglenn.com/leasing/residential/

July is Code for Vacation

2010-07-12T23:31:00.003-06:00

Jarom and I started the month with long trip and Wasden Family Reunion (Jarom's mom's side) and will end the month with the Harris family reunion.

Jarom's family had their annual family reunion in Island Park this past week. We decided to leave early and stop over in Salt Lake City for my nephew's baptism. We only get to see Tyson during the baptism, but we were happy to be there and had a great time with Kirk, Tristin, and Zac! They sure do know how to throw a party.

We spent some time in Rexburg before going up to Island Park. Apparently, no one told me that Rexburg hasn't seen summer yet. Would have been nice to know before I packed for the week. Jarom's sister, Jill, is in beauty school and cut and dyed my hair for me. I love it! We also got to spend some time with Adele, Jake, Taylor, and Kamdyn. We had a great time. I can't believe how much Taylor talks! She is going through a little bit of the tantrum age, but Adele is very good at sitting her against the wall until she is done crying. We also spent some time with them Saturday night before going home and they took us out on the air boat with their neighbors.

Jarom's immediate family went up to Island Park a little earlier than the rest of his extended family and got it's own cabin, so it was a way of fitting in their own personal reunion while everyone was in town. The first night, Jarom's brother-in-law that owns the pest control company in Salt Lake found a bed bug. It was after everyone went to sleep and he wasn't 100% sure it was a bed bug because it looked a little funny. After we seriously searched their room and ours, we decided not to wake everyone. I had such a hard time convincing myself that I did NOT want to sleep in the car alone. I took some dramamine hoping it would just knock me out. Dramamine is NOT meant as a sleeping aid. It totally whacked me out!! The whole time I was thinking about how Kirk had plenty of sleeping pills at his house. The next day, after everyone headed over to the other cabin, we searched all the beds. There was only one out of 9 beds that had bugs in it. We called the owners and talked with them about treating it, but we still continued to sleep there. Tracy told me that we probably collected them all in plastic bags because they hadn't been there for long. But yes, we did tell everyone. And yes, we threw everything in the dryer right away and again when we got home.

We had fun boating and seeing Jarom's extended family, but after 10 days in 3 different locations, I'm very happy to be home!

Baby Shower / Girls Weekend

2010-06-23T00:12:00.010-06:00

This past weekend, my friend from High School, Jaden Jones, had a baby shower in Draper, UT. So Laura and I drove over to Provo for the shower. Liz flew down from Seattle and Sydney drove up from California so we could all be there. Lu, Liz and I shared a hotel room in Provo and had a wonderful time! It was so wonderful to see everyone and have a fun break. Here are some pictures I took with my new camera.

At the shower.

Charlene Bury Freestone, Liz Bowler Griffith, Laura Wilson DeWitt, Jaden Fowler Jones, Sydney Bertoch Porter, Katie Harris Walz

Jaden

Liz and Charlene at the shower.

This is obviously a gift from Lu.

Liz's birthday was in a few days so we got her a birthday cake and made her pretend to blow out some candles.

Lu having fun.

Liz doing her nails and eating strawberries.

New Bathroom

2009-08-30T21:11:00.005-06:00

This weekend we remodeled the basement bathroom. We put in a new floor (getting rid of the linoleum/carpet) and replaced the counter top and sink. Now when I say "we", I don't mean that Jarom and I didn't much of the work. Jarom's brother Jake and his friend Jamen came to senver for an extended weekend for Beeline, and they agreed to do the bathroom for us. They worked doing pest control during the days and worked on the bathroom at night. Thursday night was spent buying material. Friday they did the tile floor. Saturday they did counter and back splash. They did an excellent job!!!

Busy , busy, busy....

2009-08-26T18:45:00.002-06:00

This past week has been CRAZY!! A few days before school started, I decided to cut my class load because I was getting really stressed and it hadn't even started yet. Now that classes have started, I'm thinking it was a GOOD IDEA! Here is a rundown of how my week goes:

Monday and Wednesday
8:00-9:00 answer phones and return messages for Beeline while getting ready for classes
9:00-1:20 classes plus commute into Denver
1:30-4:00 answer phones for Beeline
4:00-6:30 piano lessons
6:30-8:00 try to do homework while answering phones
8:00-11:00 frantically try to read read read for the next day's classes
11:00-11:45 run

Tuesday and Thursday
8:00-1:00 do paperwork while answering phones for Beeline
1:00-5:45 classes and commute to Denver
6:30-7:30 piano lessons
7:30-11:00 dinner and reading for next day's classes

Friday and Saturday
answering phones, running errands, and trying to catch up on missed readings

If you notice, Monday-Thursday are VERY full!! It has been crazy!! So if you are thinking of calling or getting together with me, it's safe to assume that I'm busy.... but call anyways, cause I might need the break!!

On a good note, I'm taking pretty awesome classes!! US History 1932-present, US History colonial-end of civil war, Civil War and Reconstruction History, and Nazi Germany History. Can you tell what my major is?? ha ha. I'm covering almost every time period in US History. I'm only missing the time between reconstruction and WWI (cause we cover that in Nazi Germany).

Death Cab For Cutie

2009-08-22T20:09:00.005-06:00

We went to the Death Cab concert in July. ( I know, I'm just getting around to posting about it.) It was AWESOME!!! It was at Red Rocks and it was great!! Death Cab is one of mine and Jarom's favorite bands. They were just as good in person as they are on CD, which is always saying something for a band. We took our friends with us, Becca and Ryan. Because they parked in one fo the back parking lots, they left right after the band left the stage. Unfortunetly, they missed the encore. And it was AMAZING!! They did 4 songs, 2 of which are my favorite. If you are interested in looking them on, they are I Will Follow You Into The Dark and Transatlanticism. I highly suggest both!! Funny thing, so this girl ran up on stage after the first encore song, but didn't last very long after she got to the lead singer. Later, he said, "Man, if you could see the look on that girls face when she grabbed me and realized how sweaty I was. It was like 'ooh.... ewe!' That's why I wear a cowboy shirt. It works for the cowboys." I was laughing so hard!!!!! Anyways, if anyone gets the oppotunity to get a CD or see them in concert, I would be disappointed if you turned it down!!!

http://www.myspace.com/deathcabforcutie

http://www.deathcabforcutie.com/medias/

Fall 2009

2009-08-06T15:18:00.004-06:00

Our summer weather has finally reached us, and already the reality of fall is quickly approaching. I'm trying to drag my feet, but I'm about to be thrown, head first, into the oncoming obligations. ahhh.....

Our lives don't seem very exciting. I've been hanging out with my sister a lot. I've gotten her into painting her toe nails. We have fun!! Fun colors and flower stickers! It's been fun to hang out with her and makes me happy that I moved back to Highlands Ranch. We are too much in common, it's fun! Maybe annoying to Jarom when I disappear for a "quick run to Laurel's" that ends up taking 2-3 hours. ha ha. One benefit to hanging out with Laurel, is that she is a deal finder. I've been shopping with her at Goodwill. Here in HR, they have really good stuff at Goodwill. And a lot of the time they still have the tags on them. The great thing about shopping there, is that I can shop more often and get more because everything costs 1/4 less than regular stores. I have missed shopping so much!!! It is wonderful!!!!!!

I've also been able to hang out a lot with my sister Layna since we both moved back to denver. This summer she moved to Littleton, so we've seen a lot more of eachother. Just last night we went and spent the evening with Layna and Matt. We had a blast!!!

I've started running. I'm not good yet, or even fast, but I'm working on it. I think the benefit for my lungs out weights the losses in my weight. I will just have to eat more. Just yesterday, I was running, and I was thinking to myself, "If someone is looking out their window watching me, they must be thinking 'man, when she is running, she doesn't move much faster than when she is walking.'" ha ha. I'm ok with that.

Work has been busy (particularly in the mornings). Jarom is considering hiring another tech because our current tech is leaving for college soon. (Hint hint if you know anyone looking for a full time job.) We already have another office girl that will start training next week when her kids go back to school. We have high hopes for her!! : ) (It's my sister, Laurel)

I start classes at METRO Aug 17th. I'm nervous about going to a different college. I just don't know what to expect in teachers, work load, etc. I'm taking 18 credits, and I should be done next spring (making it only 2 semesters, but 2 very full semesters). I will still teach piano lessons in the afternoons and some evenings. It will be busy, but hopefully worth it!!

This fall will be busy busy, but I'm trying to see it as "very scheduled." haha. That's about it from the Walz home.

Father's Day!

2009-06-23T00:25:00.008-06:00

WOW!! What a weekend we have had! Friday night around 11:00pm, Layna and Matt called us because they decided that they wanted to spend Fathers Day with our dad, who is serving a mission in North Dakota. We emidiately agreed to come with them. So we left Denver early Saturday morning, telling almost no one where we were headed, including mom and dad. After driving all day through WY, SD and ND, we got into Bismarck around 6:20pm. One problem, mom and dad weren't at their apartment. so as we were waiting for them, we drove around the close resturants looking for them and trying to call from my cell. When I finally got a hold of Dad, they passed us in the car. I chatted with them (never mentioning that we weren't in Denver) while they unloaded groceries. When hey finally went into heir apartment, we snuck up to the apartment, knocked on the fron door and yelled "happy fathers day!" when dad answered. Mom was changing and didn't realize it was us. She was QUITE surprised when she came out expecting from young single adults from the area. It was a WONDERFUL surprise!! Probably the only fathers day gift dad would happily accept! Mom and dad showed us around Bismark, showing us the church bld, temple, capital, parks, and river. We ended with dinner at Golden Corral, where everyone got whatthey wanted, including dessert.

Sunday morning Dad made us an excellent breakfast of friend potatoes and sausage! YUMMY!!!! We drove 2 hours with them to the branch at McLaughlin. There were probably 16 people there besides us and mom and dad. We only stayed for the sacrament and then had to leave. It was a tini bld with wonderful members! It was a tearful goodbye and we wish that we would have had more time with mom and dad. It was so WONDERFUL to see them, see where they are living, see a little of where they travel, and see the wonderful work they are doing!!

On the way home we stopped through the Badlands, Mt Rushmore, and Crazy Horse. It added a few hours to our trip, but we were already so close! The drive here and back were beautiful!!! Everything was so green and we loved seeing the great plains!!!

Bismarck is lovely and we could easily see why mom and dad love it so much!! What a wonderful weekend, however short it was!

Update

2009-03-24T00:56:00.003-06:00

So I know I haven't updated very well since we moved to Colorado. I think that I was always waiting for something to happen. What I'm realizing is that I've been waiting for big news. So here are some of the smaller things:

Business is going. Winter is always a slower season for pest control. Bed bugs are big, which has given us enough work. Now that it is warmer and spring is coming, business has picked up. Last week Jarom was pretty busy. Busy enough that he bought another truck to get ready for hiring another technician in May. YEA!

Great Strides. This is a 10k walk for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We are gearing up for the walk on May 16th. We are looking for people to join our team and walk with us, and also looking for donations. This is very important to me because I have Cystic Fibrosis and so does my brother. In the past, the research was all about treating the symptoms. Now, they are focusing on treating the problem, and so far have been very successful. This is wonderful because these medications could stop all the problems of having Cystic Fibrosis. They could make it disappear. This is the next best thing to a cure!! So we are getting pretty geared up for May 16th!!

Living back in the Ranch. Oh, it's been hard!!! I feel completely isolated because of the lack of people my age and same situation. I'm not sure if Jarom feels the same way (because he isn't one to complain or talk about things like that) but it's been hard for me! I feel like I should be going to the singles ward... except that I'm not single. It is just very very frustrating!!

It is sunny in Colorado! It has been such nice weather. I burned myself last week on Tuesday and Thursday from sitting in the park. It has felt so nice!! Unfortunately, it is suppose to snow this week Wed or Thursday. UGH! The good thing is that we need the moisture!

That is it from the Walz Home. We love and miss everyone!!

American Sign Language

2009-02-10T14:49:00.005-07:00

My senior year of High School, I was ready to be done! Through my high school, I took american sign language (ASL) through the local Community College. I worked the system at the high school to get off 1st and 2nd period for those classes that were held after school. (If you know me, you understand that getting the mornings off is vital, because I don't work well in the morning, which always makes me late.) I LOVED ASL!!! I loved my teacher, the class, the language, the responsibility of college, etc etc. Although I've tried and failed other languages in my life (French and Russian), ASL seemed to come naturally to me. I understood everything my deaf teacher was signing, and I could remember the sign for almost every word I had learned. I felt like I was one of the best in my class, and my teacher was impressed that I had never signed before. It is easy to say that ASL was the highlight of my school year!

When I decided to go to college in Rexburg, I knew that I would not be able to pursue sign language. That was ok because I had other reasons for attending college. But it has always made me sad that ASL made me so happy, and I was kind of left at a dead end in Rexburg. So over the past 4 years I have forgotten a lot! I still remember one story that I told for my midterm, but it doesn't come up in common conversation very often. ha ha.

Since moving back to Highlands Ranch, I have jumped head first into sign language! I am teaching sunbeams with a deaf girl. I sign and speak every lesson I give in class. I don't interpret for sharing time yet, but I watch. I attend a sign class every Wednesday night. I visit teach a deaf woman. I still have a long way to go to even get back to where I was in high school, but I'm remembering and learning so much! The family in our ward that uses sign language is so nice and patient! It has been a lot of fun getting to know them and using ASL! I still feel almost sloppy with my signs, but I understand so much of what is said. I definitely feel like the Lord is blessing me in this progress.

We Made It To Colorado

2009-01-22T01:35:00.002-07:00

Although we moved to Colorado before New Years, we are just feeling like it is more than a vacation. Most of our stuff is still packed in boxes in the garage, but our bed and dresser etc are up and in the master bedroom. So at least that room feels like our place.

Jarom and I got put to work right away in our new ward (which is my old ward too). We are now Primary teachers of 9 brand new Sunbeams. They are SO cute! One of the new Sunbeams is deaf, so the Bishop was excited for us to be moving back into the ward. I've been remembering my basic signs, and I look forward to remembering the sign language I learned in High School. Jarom is so great with the kids! He is especially good with the boys that don't sit still. It is very cute to watch!!

I have been spending a lot of time with Laurel. We are helping each other with my parents' departure, and she has been helping me make new friends in the ward. thank goodness for a good sister that I like hanging out with!!

My parents go into the MTC next Monday (January 26th), but they left today to spend the rest of the week visiting family in Utah. They have been working very hard to pack up their things and get ready to make the big move to Bismarck, North Dakota. We will miss them greatly, but appreciate the good example they set for our family and friends. I think they will really love their time on their mission!!

The business is up and running!! The ads in the phone books weren't suppose to come out until the end of February, but Laurel called us a few weeks ago to let us know they got their new phone books. Since then, we have had about 1 appointment a day. We are so greatful for the business and hope that it will continue and increase. (Hint hint) It has definitely kept Jarom busy! I'm sure he is greatful for that!

That is about it from here. I will try to post more later.

Plenty to do...

2008-12-11T19:59:00.026-07:00

THANKSGIVING

The first stop in our vacation was in Denver. We flew in to Denver with two big surprises for us!! About an hour before we landed, my sister, Laurel, gave birth to a BEAUTIFUL baby boy. Gavin Kent Lovejoy came, 8 lbs 19.25 in long, on Thursday, November 20th. He is ADORABLE!!! I took plenty of pictures, but on my mom's camera. So... here are some taken since that day, that I think is absolutely adorable!!

The second surprise in Denver was my parents' Mission Call!! They were called on a 23 month mission for our church to the Rapid City, South Dakota Mission, serving for the Church Education System primarily in Bismark, North Dakota. AWESOME!!! We are very excited for them. They will leave at the end of January 2009. We are so happy that they will be in the United States, and close enough for us to visit when we get the chance. Jarom is giving them plenty of tips for cold weather from his mission in Wisconsin.

Although we didn't get much done for the business while we were in Denver, we had tons of fun!!! One of our unexpected events was a benefit dinner for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Denver, called the Breath of Life Gala. My brother-in-law Matt Maxwell works for a law firm (Brownstein Hyatt & Farber) that bought tickets to this benefit. Tickets were $250 each, so would not be able to buy some to join them. After some searching, my sister Layna was able to get an extra ticket for me from an anonymous donor who bought a table worth of tickets for CF patients and their families. Matt was able to acquire one more ticket for Jarom, so that we could all go together. After we got the tickets, we found out that the Gala was honoring Dr. Frank Accurso. Dr. Accurso has been my Doctor since we moved to Denver when I was 5. I felt so happy that I would be able to attend and participate in honoring a wonderful man!! I saw tons of people that I knew from the pulmonary department and CF center at the Children's Hospital in Denver that worked with Dr Accurso. Needless to say, there were plenty of people there to see me happy and healthy. We had such a great night with Layna and Matt. The Gala consisted of a silent auction, dinner (which was delicious), presentation of the award, live auction, and dancing. (I think the dancing was Layna's favorite part!!! She was waiting all night for that part!)

After Denver, we few to Phoenix, AZ to celebrate Thanksgiving with Jarom's family. His entire family was there!! Jarom's sister, Bobbi, was nice enough to house everyone at her home in Anthem. We had tons of fun hanging on in the warmer weather of Arizona. Jarom and I got a little addicted to Guitar Hero. SO MUCH FUN!! We also were able to go to a Suns basketball game with our friend Becca, and her new fiance Ryan. Although we were pretty high in the bleachers, and the Suns lost, we had an awesome time watching the game!! I never realized exactly how tall Shaq is!!

TWILIGHT

While in Denver, my sister Layna loaned me the first and second Stephanie Meyer books. For over a year now, all my sisters have been telling me to read these books. But knowing that they were addicting, I couldn't start them during the school year because I had TONS of other books to be reading for classes. So this semester I decided to start the infamous books. BAD IDEA!! I read the first book in 2 days, the second book in 3 days. Then I had to hunt down someone who had the third and fourth book because I was DESPERATE!! Luckily, Jarom's aunt here in Rexburg came to my rescue. I read the third book in 11 hours (which I think is my favorite one) and read the fourth book in 1.5 days. SO SO GOOD!! I have never read like that before, no even with Harry Potter. They are SO good!! Now, I won't obsess over these books like the stories I've heard (i.e. girls holding ice cubes on their boy friends lips to see what it would be like to kiss Edward), but I will say that they are very good stories that I got very involved in. In the next year, I will probably read them again, taking a little more time, and I hope that they continue to make movies out of the rest of the 3 books., just hopefully with better make up.

Now that I finished all the books, what will I do with all my time? Go back to eating, or sleeping? Or face the mass amounts of packing I have to do in the next 10 days? That's right... 10 days!! We are making a trip to Denver, with all of our stuff, December 20. Then we will come back to Rexburg for Christmas with Jarom's family, and move permanently on December 28th. My entire family will be in Denver after Christmas to celebrate my Dad's retirement from Michelin Tires on December 30th. YEA!!

Fall or Winter?

2008-11-04T23:54:00.008-07:00

HALLOWEEN:

This is a picture of Taylor and I with our matchy-matchy Halloween socks. Very festive!! For Halloween Jarom and I went to the dry farm with Jarom's brother, Jake, and his date, Jen. We made tin foil dinners over a fire and watched Minority Report on a sheet with a projector. We couldn't watch anything too scary because we were in the woods and I have an over-active imagination. It was fun though. We bought some candy just in case some kids came to our apartment, but no one ever came, so we ate it all ourselves. It made up for not trick-or-treating. ha ha.

ELECTION DAY:

Election day came and went. Jarom and I voted. It was my first time. I expected it to be more exciting!! But I still felt good doing it. I kind of felt like my vote didn't matter that much being in Idaho because the state is so predominately republican. But I would have felt guilty if things would have turned out differently. Either way, voting was the right thing to do. I'm not ready to talk about the outcome yet... ask me in a week and maybe I'll feel better.

Did anyone realize that you aren't allowed to buy alcohol on election day? I saw a sign at the grocery store today. Can anyone tell me how those two things are related??? Are they worried about people getting drunk and voting irresponsibly? ha ha. Also, those people who are going to get drunk and riot, probably already have the alcohol at home already because they could have bought it November 3rd instead of on the 4th. WEIRD!!

FIRST SNOW:

Since Sunday, it has been quite cold, dark, and dreary in Rexburg. It has been quite depressing!! I can totally understand how people can have seasonal depression. Today it snowed. I am not ready for winter!!! It is so cold and dark!!!!! I did get to wear my beanie though, and that makes me happy. I think Jarom is super excited because snow equals snowboarding. For me, snowboarding equals cold fingers and toes and a bruised bum.

The Holiday Season is Just Around the Corner

2008-10-23T23:39:00.003-06:00

The Holidays are getting closer and closer....

Some days I feel like it is still summer, but then other nights I wake up thinking I need to start packing immediately. Is anyone else suffering from similar symptoms?

For the first time in my college history, BYU-Idaho is taking an entire week off for Thanksgiving break. YEA!!!! As a result, we are taking advantage of the time off. First we are making a trip to Denver. We are flying out on Thursday, Nov 20. There are many things Jarom and I need to accomplish before we move to Denver in January, so hopefully we will be able to take a big chunk out of our to-do list while we are there. Plus, I really miss my family! My sister, Laurel, is suppose to have her baby around the time that we are there-- wouldn't that just be so exciting?!?!

The Monday before Thanksgiving (Nov 24) We are flying to Phoenix to spend Thanksgiving with Jarom's entire family. It has been a while since we were in Arizona, so we are really exciting. Also, Jarom's sister, Elise, just had a baby in September, so we are excited to meet little Colton!! It will be fun to be with the whole family, not to mention how nice the warm weather will feel!!

We had decided to spend Christmas in Rexburg with Jarom's family. Christmas is always an exciting time!! I'm looking forward to piano Christmas music, trees and lights (if they are straight), ad spending time with family. Things I'm not looking forward to include packing and freezing weather!!

Our lease on our apt is up at the end of the year, so between Christmas and New Years, we will be moving to Denver. We may have a few people helping us drive to Denver (and also getting a good vacation). My sister Adele (and family) and Jarom's family here in Rexburg may be joining us. We are so excited to me moving back to the Denver area- specifically Highlands Ranch. It will be so nice for me to be in a familiar area, with plenty of family close by, and we are both excited to get the business up and running.

That is about it from here.

Free Handbags

2008-10-08T23:27:00.002-06:00

I'm all about sharing deals with those close to me. A friend shared this website with me, so I'm going to pass it on to those who want it. Go to www.handbagplanet.com if you are interested.

The Days Go By....

2008-09-30T23:02:00.005-06:00

It has been pretty boring here in Rexburg for me. I'm not in school, and I'm not working.... makes it pretty slow.

Adele went back to work last week and I babysat Taylor on Friday and Saturday. This week I will watch her Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. She is so much fun to have around! It is surprising how much you don't get done with a baby. Jarom has been a great help too. He put her to sleep and she slept on the couch for about an hour until she ate. I put her down after she falls asleep, and she wakes up within 5 minutes. I don't know how he did it. He is also very helpful for the things that I need two hands for. He is going to be a great dad when the time comes.

Jarom is doing well in his classes. He is taking 15 credits. Mostly Geography classes for his minor, plus 2 history classes to finish up his major. He will walk in December, and will only have 2 online classes to take after we move to Denver. YEA for him!!! He took an online class during the 7 week break between semesters. Due to crazy work hours and problems with the testing center on campus, Jarom wasn't able to finish it before fall semester started. The teacher was nice enough to give him an extension, so it is all due this Thursday. He has been working so hard to get it finished on time, and keep up with his current classes. He has made too many trips to the online testing center, because there have been plenty of problems. I think he is going to get it all done on time. He is such a trooper.

We have spent many late nights on the couch together with our laptops- me watching TV shows online and Jarom working on papers and homework. Although we don't communicate all the much, it is nice to just be next to each other. It is always a little depressing to go to be alone, so I try to avoid it at all costs. Plus, I don't have to wake up early, so I don't mind staying up late.

Last weekend my long-time friend, Elizabeth Bowler, got married in the Logan, UT temple. She looks gorgeous and we were happy to be there to celebrate the day with them. We had a great time celebrating with them and also got to see many of our friends from High School. We say Laura (Lu-Bug), Sydney and her husband, and Jaden. It was worth the drive to Logan just to see everyone and catch up. Unfortunately, while there, I found out that they are moving to McCall, ID for the rest of the semester. SAD!! When she moves back, we will be moving to Denver. I'm so sad that we are going to miss each other. I really wanted to get to know her husband better and be able to spend some time with both of them before we leave Rexburg. I don't know the next time we will be in the same area after we move, which makes it even harder. I know it is right for them to move where they have a job and a place to stay and all those decisions you make when you are married, but I'm sad for my own selfish reasons. Hopefully we can go up and visit them before we move to Denver, and they will come to visit us sometime. They will be greatly missed!!!!

I have picked up a new hobby- scrap booking. It has been something I've wanted to do for a long time, but I never had the money or time to get addicted to it. Adele gave me the little push I needed by telling me that at the local hobby store they sell the stuff for a 2 page spread with directions for only $5. I can afford that!! Plus, they have a class you can go to on Thursdays that specifically focus on the pages for that week. We haven't gone to the actual class yet due to illness and Adele going back to work, but maybe some day.

I have recently got addicted to the TV show Heroes. I watched the first two seasons instantly on the Netflix website, and now I'm ready for the new season. We are also excited for The Office to back on!! Thursdays are the BEST!!

That is about it from here. I wish it was more exciting.

How I Spend My Days

2008-09-19T00:04:00.005-06:00

Jarom started school about 2 weeks ago. Since I finished last semester, I find myself with plenty of free time. I have found the perfect activity to help the days go by-- holding my favorite niece!! Adele has to go back to work next week and I will be watching Taylor. I'm so excited!! She is two months old and is really starting to show her personality. I'm not her favorite but I'm in the top five, and that makes me feel good. She has been sick recently, so I've been holding her while Adele did everything else on her list- cleaning, laundry, shower, etc. Adele thinks she is getting the better end of the deal, but she is wrong. Taylor is so sweet and I love holding her and just loving her. It has been wonderful and I'm glad that I live so close!!

Back in Utah for the Break

2008-08-03T21:15:00.007-06:00

Jarom and I finish summer semester. I got 4 As and 1 B+!! So I'm feeling pretty good! We moved down to Utah for the month of August. We will head back permanently in Idaho either labor day weekend, when my family will be there, or the weekend after. (Either way we will be there Labor Day for Taylor's baby blessing)

Jarom is out spraying and I'm working in the office here in Utah. My job has changed a little though- because I am going to be running the office in Denver, I have been doing a lot more personal assistant stuff so I understand what goes into it. I have also been training on calls to solicit so that I can work until December from Idaho. We just call customers that we serviced a year ago and offer them a deal if they want to be sprayed again this year. (Things like free wasp spray with a spider spray etc) I'm slowly getting the hang of it. My boss likes things said a certain way because he has spent a lot of time working out the best way to say things, and some of them sound great when he says them, but I just sound like an idiot. Luckily everyone is really nice though.

My goal is to save as much money as possible and the way I'm going to be most effective is not eat out for lunch!! (It's sad how much money you can waste eating out) The first day I bought a loaf of bread, ham, cheese, peanut butter, jelly, a package of drinks, and some pretzels. Other than people drinking my Cherry Coke, it has worked out really well! And the other girls in the office know my goal and don't ask me to get lunch with them, which I appreciate.

Jarom is also learning new things. He is really working on termites and bed bugs so that he can sell them in Denver and become an overall expect on the subjects (along with the rest of the bugs, but most of those he already has down).

For me, work is much harder to get through than school. With school, you have different subjects, and different teachers, and different classmates about every hour. Here, it is the same thing for 8 hours or more. But I definitely like the personal assistant stuff more because it changes.

Last Sunday we had dinner with my brother, Kirk and his wife Tristin and their family. It was a lot of fun, except the pathetic pool game of me and Rian vs Jarom and Tyson. We eventually had to give up because we were slowly getting worse and worse and were scratching more and more. Dinner tasted great and we enjoyed hanging out with Kirk and Tristin.

Yesterday I hang out with an old friend, Sam Poth, that I haven't seen since 7th grade (almost 10 years). She is living in Bountiful and she found me on facebook. We met up and went to a farmers market. It was so nice to see her and have a chance to talk and catch up. Hopefully, we will be able to see more of each other before we go back to Idaho.

Next weekend we are headed back to Idaho. Jarom has to take a test for an online class he is taking during the break. I think we are going to float the rive up in Island Park, and maybe do some campfire dinners up at the dry farms. I am looking forward to it and it will definitely be the thing getting me through the week.

More of the new Smaellie Baby

2008-07-15T19:24:00.008-06:00

It is finals week, but luckily all my papers and large projects were due last week, because I had more exciting things to do in place of studying. I mean, with a face that cute, how am I expected to concentrate on international relations and far east history?

Her FAVORITE Aunt Kate came to visit and wouldn't put her down!

Proud Mommy (my sister Adele)

I love the look of the new Dad with the little baby tucked in one arm. They make it look so easy with that football hold.

Yes, she has a butt chin! There must be Harris blood in her. Adele was pretty convinced that she had a butt chin from a sonogram. Looks like she was right.

Aunt Katie and Uncle Jarom taking their rightful place! ha ha.

My new niece!

2008-07-14T21:27:00.004-06:00

After many hours of painfuly delivery, Adele brought Taylor Kristine Smaellie into this world. She looks very cute! She is 7.5 lbs and 19.5" long. We are very excited to finally meet her!

Midterms, etc.

2008-06-17T17:33:00.011-06:00

We are officially half way through the summer semester... and maybe a little more. It feels so good, except that the second half is always harder... papers are written and turned in, projects are due, etc etc. My midterm grades were pretty good and I think Jarom's were better. It's been a busy but successful semester for the both of us so far. Amazingly enough, all my classes this semester have been overlapping. I'm taking a geography of developing nations, far east history, international relations (political science), and building eternal marriage. Who would have guess that they would all be so closely related? It's been very helpful and actually makes classes more interesting. This is my last semester and I'm very ready to be done!! I don't have time to get my bachelors degree because Jarom is going to graduate December. Instead, I'm getting my associates in general studies at the end of this semester. We will see if I will continue when we move to Denver.

This semester Jarom is playing on a BYU-I Tennis team. It's mostly for fun, but it's been exciting for me to go and watch him play. I'm finally beginning to understand the game. I want to know who came up with the scoring for tennis! I mean, the scoring of each game love-fifteen-thirty-forty-game point. But you have to win by two. So if you are neck and neck, you have to go deuce-add-in-deuce-add-out etc until someone wins by two. Who came up with that anyways? 15-30-40? I mean, shouldn't it be 45? And whe terms? And then the fact that you have to win by 2. Some little kid must have barely lost and said, "no, you have to win my two" just so he would have another chance. Then, to make it worse, you have to win 6 of those games to win the set, also by two. Then you have to win best of 3 sets for girls or best of 5 sets for boys. It goes on FOREVER! I've also been watching the French Open (which isn't called the french Open anymore) to get some practice with understanding the game.

This last weekend was Adele's baby shower. It went really nicely. There was an air show on the west side of town, and a marathon on the east side of town, so we were glad when so many people showed up. There were some bumps along the way, but everything went alright. Some of my family was able to come- Addie (from Boise), Hauna (from Lander, WY), and my mom (from CO). It was so much fun to have everyone here. There was a few time I was starting tearing up because I was laughing so hard. Unfortunately, they weren't able to stay long. I appreciate them taking the time, money, and effort to support us here in Rexburg. The picture is of Adele with a gift- they are baby etnies. They are SO cute!! Adele has some to match. Baby stuff is the cutest!

And more reading...

2008-05-13T00:15:00.008-06:00

So far this semester I have read more words than I care to admit. Unfortunately, not all of the articles I'm reading are that good... meaning I don't agree with them and they tend to contradict themselves. Maybe I should have been an english major instead of going into history/political science. The good thing is that my classes tend to overlap even though I'm taking one political science class, one religion, one history, and one geography. All in all, school is keeping me plenty busy.

This week, my main focus has shifted. For those of you who don't already know, my sister, Adele, is expecting a baby girl in July. I'M SUPER EXCITED!! If you haven't checked out her blog, you should! She is adorable!! (See figure 1) Anyways, this week I have been planning and putting together invitations for her baby shower for Saturday June 14th. The announcements, after a few trips to scrap booking story, turned out very, very cute! Hopefully I'll be able to get a picture of one and put it up. It turned out very well. I'm sending out almost 60 invitations, but Adele thinks that about half will come. We will see. If you get one, PLEASE RSVP.

Last weekend we went to my niece's baptism. We were so greatful to experience the baptism with Rian. We are so proud of the decision she has made. My brother, Kirk, baptised her. (See figure 2) We had a great time with the whole family. (See figure 3) Thanks to Kirk and Tristin for having us. I went down a little early to help my brother-in-law Tracy in his office. They were trying to switch over programs and needed some help in the office. It was nice to get a break from school. In the end, he decided that the new program just wasn't going to work. While we were in the SLC area we got our new bed from IKEA. When we got up to Rexburg and put it together, we realized that they didn't give us the mid beam (essential for king size beds). Yeah... so I'm not happy! For now, our bed be being held up in the middle with buckets and books. I guess this is when being a history major is beneficial-- we had plenty of solid books to spare.

We are really liking our new apartment!! It is very open and we've done a really good job at always keeping it clean. Plus, less of it to clean and with our tini dishwasher we have to do the dishes about every-other or every-third day. I'm sure our downstairs neighbors really appreciate it. haha.

This weekend we are going to Denver for pest control business stuff with Audra and Tracy (they own the business). While we are there, we will see Jarom's other sister and brother-in-law that are there for an orthodontist conference. Then on Tuesday, we will fly to Phoenix to spend the rest of the week. While in Phoenix, we are picking up our new car. (See figures 4, 5, and 6) Jarom has been very excited about the whole thing. We bought a 2003 Acura TL type S. Pearl white with tan leather interior. It comes with satellite navigation and heated leather seats. Jarom is super excited and I keep having to remind him that this is suppose to be my car, and he gets the Beeline trucks. haha.

Hopefully I will have more pictures to come.

P.S. It snowed this morning and last Friday. SO NOT COOL!!

Blizzard

2008-04-24T22:40:00.006-06:00

So today we had a full-on blizzard. It was so upsetting! At the end of April, I'm pretty sure we are suppose to have good weather... maybe some slight rain showers but overall nice weather. What happened? I'm sick of snow and I'm sick of wind! It is days like this that I really miss my garage at our last place!! I've also pretty much given up on trying to make my hair look good until the wind stops. Every day I spend time straightening my hair, and then I go out to the car, and when I park on campus I walk to my classes, and by the time anyone sees me, my hair looks completely ridiculous!! It's all over the place and not even straight anymore. It's so frustrating!! Any girl who has lived in Rexburg knows exactly what I'm talking about, and I'm sure plenty of other people around the world have experienced the same frustration.

2008-04-23T16:18:00.015-06:00

UGH!! That's all I have to say!

The "break" between semesters wasn't so much of a break. We went down to SLC and I went shopping by myself a lot and Jarom worked. Luckily, Jarom made more than I spent, so we came out on top! We had a lot of fun with Kirk and Tristin and Tristin's family. My sister, Hauna, and her family came through on Saturday. It was nice to see them and spend the afternoon and evening with their family. I went to IKEA with my cousin Madeleine. That store is so cool!! I bought a dresser (see Figure 1). I LOVE IT! We drove it all the way home in our Acura. It was an interesting drive because our back seats DO NOT fold down. Out of determination and much measuring, we laid down the front passenger seat and placed the boxes on that seat. Jarom drove home and I sat in the back, very very lonely. Needless to say that Jarom’s shoulder got all the love because that’s all I could see and reach.

I had Jarom's brother Jake buy me a bed frame later from IKEA (after we had gotten back but he was still down in SLC). He asked quite a few times, "so this is everything I need for a king size mattress?" He is very smart and realized that he didn’t want to drive 5 hours just to realize that he was missing one small but essential part to the bed frame. But when we were putting it together, we discovered that the head and foot board were for a queen and did not convert into a king size. After many phone calls to IKEA, they said that they would ship up the king size since he specifically asked someone at the store. So that was good.... notice the “was.” They called Monday to let us know that they couldn't ship it because UPS doesn't ship things that heavy so they would have to use the really expensive shipping (according to the shipping fees on the web about $300, which I knew because I considered just buying it online until I realized that the shipping was as much as the frame) so instead they would give us 10% off the king size bed frame and extend our return policy. I'm not happy about that at all!! We live 5 hours away! Luckily we are going down to SLC for my niece’s, Rian, baptism in 2 weeks. If I had been on the phone I would have told them that they were paying for my gas and giving me more than 10% off. 5 hours!!! Did I mention that?

The good thing about moving so close is that you can take 3 days to move. The bad thing about moving so close is that you take 3 days to move. By the third day I was SO tired!! And we technically aren't done, but the things left are little stuff like Jarom's tools in the garage etc. We still have to clean but that is going to have to wait until the weekend.

The boxes are the queen bed frame.
Our new apartment is pretty nice. It is smaller than the house we were renting, but we never used all the space and it is easier to keep a smaller apt clean, not to mention cheaper to heat. We are enjoying the apt complex “club house” which includes a workout room, pool and ping pong table, theater room, computer room, and lounge. Jarom and I played 6 games of pool, which all ended miserably with someone hitting in the 8 ball. Let’s just say we both considered it pretty pathetic. But yesterday (Tuesday) Jarom and I went to work out and decided that we needed to redeem ourselves. I did amazing!! I can openly admit that because I know it was all luck! The first game I technically lost because I called the wrong pocket for the 8 ball, but it was an amazing shot either way. The second game I won!! It was like I could do no wrong! Every turn I hit at least 2 balls in and most of them were strictly by chance. I will probably never play like that again so I enjoyed it while it lasted.

School started again on Monday and I'm not excited about it. It is my last semester and I'm so close to just giving it all up! The new "learning model" makes everyone read everything before class and required students to be prepared to teach the material. Unfortunately, this means that each teacher thinks that their class is the only class and requires a lot of reading with quizzes or journals due of that days reading. It's NOT fun!! Whatever happened to learning from the teacher? I’m good at that kind!

I think we will be going to Denver soon on business. Jarom's brother-in-law Tracy wants to check out the area and find a bank/credit union for the business. I’m not sure the actual date because I'm not the one making the decisions and every time I suggest setting an actual date, he just says, "yeah, that sounds alright..." but never makes a definite plan. It's slightly frustrating. I'm very excited even if it will just be for the weekend.

It's still so so cold here and the wind has picked up way too much!! I'm wondering when spring is going to come?! Monday I wore a light sweater and pretty much froze!! I needed a full-on coat! It is just so depressing that I still need a heavy coat in the middle of April. And people try to convince me of global warming.... well it's not warming in Idaho!

Success!!

2008-04-09T21:30:00.012-06:00

So I made it through finals!! YEA! Jarom has one last thing to finish up tomorrow and then he will be done too! DOUBLE YEA! As soon as he is done, we are taking off to Salt Lake. I know... exciting... It's our short little vacation. I have a Dr apt at the University of Utah on Monday, so we decided to go for the whole weekend. We are going to be staying with my brother, Kirk, in South Jordan. We are excited to get away, even if it is just for the weekend.

When we get back, I get to pack and move on Wednesday. GULP! I haven't even started the packing process. I keep thinking to myself "how much could we have" but then I remember thinking that last time and still being surprised at how many boxes we filled.

After we move, we get to start school again. GULP again! This next semester will be my last. I'm taking fun classes (for me at least) meaning: Sign Language I (again and again), Advanced International Relations, Swimming, Geography of Developing Nations, Piano Lessons, and Building Eternal Marriage. Yep, it'll be exciting!!

Although I felt some relief today when I turned in my research paper, I felt the oncoming stress of the move and the beginning of yet another semester right around the corner. Hopefully I will get to enjoy my weekend and spend some time not thinking about everything on my to-do list. We will see...

P.S. Did I mention that it snowed again today? That is NOT OK!!

Making it to finals

2008-03-31T21:36:00.007-06:00

This week has been so busy and misrible! What happened to spring? I'm pretty sure it is suppose to be here by now! It's been snowing every morning since last Wednesday, and every morning I'm upset about it.

All semester I've been working towards a research paper on the New Deal. It's finally close to the end, and although I haven't procrastinated that much, I feel completely stressed about it, all hours of the day. I've spent many night researching and writing.... it has been less than fun! (see Figure 1) Not to mention the rest of my classes that have their own demands. I have plenty of things due this week, followed by plenty of tests, and everyone still expects me to make it to every class. I keep telling myself that I only have a week and a half left, but then I get overwelmed with the amount of time I don't have left. When the semester finally ends, I get to move. I'm trying not to think about that until my finals are over so that I don't divert my attention away from my homework.

We are moving into a new apartment where we will reside until we are done with school at the end of the year. We are excited to have a change in location and look forward to all the frustrations that furniture location bring.

The New Plan

2008-03-30T10:46:00.003-06:00

Jarom's brother-in-law Tracy owns a pest control business. He came to us and offered us an opportunity to open a branch of his company in the Denver area. Tracy came up to Rexburg that weekend to go over all the specifics. Tracy’s idea was for Jarom to own the Denver office, and he would pay all the start up costs but it would be Jarom’s job to run it and make it work. Jarom has always wanted to starat his own business, he knows the business, and this opportunity puts us in Denver where we wanted to live. We decided to accept, and we feel very good about the decision.

So now the plan is that Jarom will take extra classes each semester and graduate from BYU-Idaho this December, and then we will move to Denver and start the branch at the beginning of the year. I will not be able to graduate by December so I am going to get a Associates Degree and try to continue my schooling when we move to Denver. I am also looking into Sign Language Interpreting programs in Denver. We are very excited to move back to Denver and be close to my family after being so close to Jarom's family for two years. Be in all honesty, we will miss Jarom's family very much! Hopefully they will come and visit!

The Old Plan

2008-03-30T10:39:00.003-06:00

Jarom and I are both attending school right now at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg. Both of us are studying History; Jarom with a minor in Geography, and me with a minor in Political Science. We go to school in the winter (January to April) and summer (April to end of July). Furing the fall we move down to Utah and work for Jarom's brother-in-law, Tracy. If we follow this routine, we will both graduate Summer (July) of 2009. Although the semesters ahead will not be easy, it will be nice to be done!

After our degrees, Jarom will continue on to law school, and I will tag along for the ride. Jarom is hoping to get into a Top Ten law school to receive his training in business law. We wouldn't mind moving closer to the east coast for law school since both of us are from the west, but eventually we want to end up back in this region to be close to family (and enjoy no humidity).

To Blog or Not To Blog

2008-03-30T10:33:00.001-06:00

Well, after much debate and push from people, we have started our blog. Gulp! Now the question is, can we do it successfully? Due to the fact that our lives have become so confusing recently and have no hopes of simplified we decided to share and hope that you can all understand what is going on. Let me know if it gets too confusing!