It Has Been a Busy Summer!

Okay, this summer the blog has become like the journal that you neglect for so long that you continue to put updating it off, because you have SO much to cover. So, this is going to be a pathetic synopsis of our summer because 1.) I forgot my camera on every family vacation/exciting events this summer and 2.) It is just about impossible to give the story of our lives justice when I have let so many weeks pass since the actual events!

So here it goes:

July 14th: Had a party for Tyler's 25th. We had no furniture and asked people to bring their own lawn chairs. It was a little white trashy, but everyone still had fun!

July 15th-20th: Head to California for family vacation to Catalina. Got home in time for Orange Country fair. Had the best Cinnamon Roll on earth. Meanwhile, Tyler visited GGma in Oceanside. Spent next day at the beach with bff Travis. Spent night at the Dodger's game with BMFs (Best Married Friends), Aubrey and Joe. Took Flier to Island. Snokled, Kayak, explored ship reck, swam, tanned, played tennis, played ticket to ride and ate at Steve's Steak House...yum! Enjoyed sis-in-laws company all the way back to St. George.

July 21-23: Stayed in St. George to attend the Shakespeare festival with Meg, Gma Ellis, Brooke and Annie. LOVED As You Like It.

July 23-25: Ellis family reunion at the Homestead in Midway. Swam in a Crater...that was cool! Loved seeing the fam. Ty had the swine flu...
July 27-August 10: Attempted to decorate home. Attended cross country practice. Painted classroom.

August 10: School meetings began

August 17: First Day of School :) / :(

Home Owners and Loving It

In the past three days:
-We have signed over our lives to paying off more money then either of us have ever seen.
-We meet at a ghetto Denny's in Woodscross, gangster town of SLC, to sign over that life.
-We moved out of our cute little basement apt.
-We clean our cute little basement apt.
-We borrowed Alex and Allison's truck (Thanks guys!)
-We bought a shower head
-We broke a vacuum
-We borrowed a vacuum
-We bought a vacuum like the one we borrowed
-We got tired
-We annoyed each other
-We wanted to kill one another
-We learned a little more about each other
-We decided we actually loved each other
-We clean blinds, baseboards, floors, cupboards, windows and everything else
-We committed our lives to our new home...no fireworks or parades on InDePendence Day
-We bought industrial shelves
-We built industrial shelves
-We put everything in labeled containers on industrial shelves (really Ty did all that)
-We pulled a Shelley - Costco, Home Depot, Del Taco, followed by three hours of sweeping and hosing down the garage and driveway....I secretly loved it!
-We bought bug spray
-We sprayed
-We bought TV mount
-We mounted TV
-We ate power bars and that's about it
-We shopped for appliances
-We professionally plumbed our house
-We professionally got our carpet cleaned
-We tore apart furniture
-We rebuilt furniture
-We bought light bulbs
-We went green by buying energy saving light bulbs that are actually brighter
-We replaced light bulbs
-We measured
-We created a big bag for Good Will
-We were exhausted at the end of each day

Our social lives and financial freedom have been thrown out the door and we couldn't be happier!The Kitchen. Notice we are missing some major appliance...hence the power bar diet :)

The living room....we also need a some couches. Don't worry though, the TV will be mounted!
Tyler's excellent handy craft and organization. Those shelves can each hold 2000 lbs. Amazing, huh?
Our bathroom

Our bedroom.

Everyone will have to come over in a few months when we can get a little more furniture for the official tour!

Girls Camp Fool!

So last week I was up at camp Mia Shalom with Edgemont 4th ward. The girls, the food and the crafts were a blast! I must admit thought, I am not one who thrives in the camping environment. The good news is, I only got 3 mosquito bits. The bad news is they were all on my face. Other good news, I left 1 day early in order to go home and sign about 1000 pages of paper work for our new home, the bad news is, I missed the MISS SHALOM pageant and testimony meeting. In any case camp was very fun. I absolutely love the 4th ward. I am going to miss my little beehives and all the other girls and leaders so much now that we are moving. But, have no fear, facebook will keep us near!
Here is a beautiful view of the lake from out camp area. The girls played big booty non-stop...big booty, big booty big booty!
Washing dishes in the spickett. Thank you Gina Pitts for some of the best camp food I have ever had!
NINJA!
So this is a funny story. We woke the girls up at 5 am, blind folded them and they had them wander through the forest holding on to a "rod" of PCP pipes. The activity and lesson on holding to the iron rod was a spiritual success, although the night before while us leaders were treking through the forest carrying rebar, pipes and pick axes (we forgot the hammer) was something else. Luckily none of us lost limbs or each other!
Here's the gang.

I live in a Mountainous Paradise

These pictures were taken from a little hike/run I took with my friend Cody up Squaw Peak and through to Bridal Veil. It was beautiful and I am really getting into spending time in the mountains!

I think we just bought a house....

Tyler and I have been house shopping for the past 8 or so months. Throughout the process we have changed our minds about what we want and where we want to live many times and we have even put in a few offers. The offers we put in were on short sales and the banks never got back to us...until this Monday.

On Monday we put in an offer on a BANK OWNED (we were done with getting our hopes up on short sales) home in Cedar Hills, Utah. Much to our dismay, within hours the bank got back to us and by the next day we were under contract.

Today is Thursday and we have put forth our earnest money, are having the house inspected tomorrow and are predicted to move in by July 6th.

I think I am afraid to believe if this is all real because I have gotten my hopes up on a home before...but assuming it is real, here are a few pics.





The house is a great buy. It is in an excellent family neighborhood, right next to American Fork Canyon. It has plenty of room for just the two of us (plus many more when needed), a three car garage and a large backyard. I have already become consumed with considering what oven, fridge, and furniture to buy. I also already have about 10 home improvement projects I want to carry out such as painting the interior of the garage, putting up cabinets in the laundry room, changing the paint color on the exterior, planting trees, sprucing up the bathrooms and kitchen, etc.

If all things go according to plan, it is going to be a busy and fun summer and year.

PS-my commute just got even longer!

Babies

Came across these baby pics of Tyler and I.

Are we going to have cute, chubby, little kids or what? :)

New Toy PLUS Free Time = Creations

This week was my first week of summer break. Thanks to an early birthday present I have had and enjoyable time of learning to sew! I am have spent much of my time organizing and taking care all the little things I have neglected over the past 9 months. The pictures below show some of the things I have been working on, in addition to messes I have made and cleaned up in the last 4 days!