2013 in a Nutshell

Wow. What a year it's been.  Every year my dear grandmother puts together what's called, "Cousin Pages." All of us cousins write a page or two on the fun events that happened in the previous year.  We send those to her, along with some pictures, and she prints them out and gives them to all of us to stick in our binders.  I LOVE this tradition.  One of my favorites for sure.  And it's not cheap- so thank you grandma!! So...I just want to do a final shabang and highlight our fantastic year of 2013!

-February we found out we were pregnant, had a miscarriage in March.  Not necessarily a fun experience, but we learned a lot from it and are grateful for it.
-LAKE POWELL! such a highlight of our year
-BUGSY the bunny. yes that's right. We got a bunny and it was actually a really fun month of our life. She was hilarious and was fun to play with.
-Getting a moped for my birthday.  I have always wanted a moped- they have always looked so fun to me.  Someone stole it in September....
-Celebrating my 21st birthday. Now I can drink. hahaha.
-A last minute T.I.M.E. reunion at Jax and Meg's house. SO FUN!
-"Paul Bunyan Days....." the weekend that all the Stevens boys get together and chop wood for their dad for the winter while the women craft inside.
-Celebrating our marriage of 2 years.  Time has flown by! It has been the best 2 years of my life.
-Playing in a Folk Opera/band.  I had so much fun and I even got payed :)
-Deciding on a career path for myself- DENTAL ASSISTING! It took me like 6 months to FINALLY make the decision but I love it so far, and will be trained by my dentist starting January 2014.
-Thanksgiving!  Always a holiday that leaves me more grateful for all my blessings.
-Christmas!  This Christmas was awesome-I don't think any Christmas will get better than this one.  Brett and Aub came up on the 26th and surprised my parents! So fun- they were here for about a week, and Ash and Eth were here for about a week too!


-There are many more fun things that happened in our year, but these were just a few highlights.  Bring it on 2014!

A funny for the day

So....I think I've watched this a thousand times by now.  Not only does it sound like me, but how can you NOT laugh at this? bahahaha definitely gives me a little pick me up when i need it. Hope it puts a smile on your face like it does mine!

short but sweet

I am very grateful.  It's just kind of struck me the past while.  I don't know if it's because the holidays bring families together, or that Tanner and I are just super blessed. probably both. but MAN! life is good. I watched these 2 videos the other day and I just  HAVE to share them because they brought me to tears.

http://mashable.com/2013/12/09/westjet-christmas-miracle-ad/#:eyJzIjoiZiIsImkiOiJfYnR6ZndmNWdtZmZyM2g3cyJ9

-I decided this year for Christmas that I wanted to take $30 or so out of Tanners spending money for me and find a family in our ward or anywhere in Rexburg that just can't afford to get any gifts.  I  mean can you imagine that?  Not that Christmas is all about gifts but think of children that don't get presents...it's devastating! And I really feel like it would not only bless their lives, but more importantly ours.  To give is better than to receive in my book. So...after watching this it really made me want to do it even more.  :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugV6QGcafEE

-There aren't enough words for this one. I hope we can all strive to remember Christ at this time of year!

I am grateful for these videos that I came across the other day.  It's always nice to have a daily pick me up.

Tea Light Santas

Why is crafting so fun? I love doing crafts around christmas time- it's my favorite! Well, I saw these adorable things on pinterest and I just had to make them.  They took a total of 30 minutes too! score!

Here's how you make them:

What you need:
-Tea lights (however many you want or have)
-A piece of felt
-Red ribbon
-Hot glue gun

Instructions:
1. cut out 6 equal circles for the eyes.
2. cut out 9 equal smaller circles for the mouth
3. glue those on, and then glue on a strip of ribbon around the tea lights.
4. To make the hats: cut out 3 equal circles for the bottom of the hat.  Then cut 3 equal strips and roll them up to make the hat. glue together.
5. glue ribbon around the hats, and then cut 3 equal strips of ribbon to make them ornaments.

WALAH! cute as a button. I think so anyway. plus they only took about a half hour. wooot!

One of the joys of Christmas

I love crafting.  My dream someday would be to open up my own shop with crafts I've made.  We'll see if that ever happens :)  I saw these cute gems at porters and i fell in love.  They were super easy and were a total of $20.

SCORE!

The best part about them is the strobelight lights at the bottom of the tallest one :) I love christmas- it is so fun to decorate!!!

So...how do you make them?
1. Buy or make 3 cones out of cardboard
2. buy the colors of yarn you want.
3. get any cute decorations you want for the trees (stars, boa, garland)
4. either a hot glue gun, E3000, or glue dots.  I actually used all 3 haha

*put hot glue, E3000, or glue dots on the entire cone, or in parts if you want.  I started from the top to the bottom.  Wrap your chosen color of yarn however you want. the trick here is to sort of pull the yarn and twist while you set it in place so that you don't find holes later.
*Leave space at the bottom if you like the Boa idea, and put a whole circle of got glue to keep them in place.
*After you've wrapped them all, it's time to decorate! (like a tree!) haha. I've always enjoyed the light up necklaces, so I wrapped one of those on the bottom of the red white and green one, then on the red one I just found a cute beaded garland, and the green one I left plain.
*Last step, glue on the stars! And you're done! So cute.  I currenty have them sitting on the backdrop where our oven is.

This took me a total of 1.5 hours! not bad!
ENJOY!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving this year was wonderful, as always.  We spent thanksgiving day with my brother jaxon and his family, my brother tanner, and my mom and dad.  Thanksgiving day was super relaxing.  We just hung out and watched football until dinner at about 3.  We devoured 8 delicious pies....hahahaha.  They were so yummy! I went black friday shopping with my brothers, and man after this years experience I'm not so sure if I'll go again...haha.  I stood in line all by myself for 2 HOURS! And I was wearing sandals, and a light jacket.  Yeah not a good idea, but I was not planning on doing black friday shopping.  Anyway, I guess it was worth it driving home in a hot car.  We played games all night long- probably my most favorite thing to do with my family.  

On Friday Jax and I took my nieces to the arcade, and guess who won the jackpot...yep...me.  It was hilarious.  The girls loved it.  We had so much fun that Me, Tanner, Jaxon, Megan, and Tanner went back and played arcade...yes we did and it was SO fun.  I secretely love arcade games.  Then us 4 went to Captain phillips which was SOO good...I would recommend it to anyone. And then we went to Costa Vida for dinner.   We came home and played more games...till 1 am.  Yeah tanner and I were worthless Sat morning. :)

Saturday we went out to Ashton to be with Tanner's family. We just relaxed out there, watched Despicable Me 2, and played lots of games.  Today we had ALL of his siblings together- that's always so fun.  We took famly pictures, and had a feast for a meal. I'm very thankful for the 2 families that I have- they are the best!!

Unfortunately, this is the only pictures I got.  But it's awesome right?!

First homemade pie

So I found this recipe online and it looked DIVINE so I decided to try it.  I was feeling a bit domestic when I got home from church.  Here's the recipe:

Granny's Cocoa Cream Pie

1/2 C. cocoa
1/4 C. cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 C. sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 C. milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix cocoa, cornstarch, beaten egg yolks; sugar and salt, ten add milk gradually, while stirring in a pot over med-high heat.  Cook until thick, beating it smooth.  Cream pies take some time to thicken so stir...and stir (10-15 min). Using a heavy bottom pan really helps.  Keep stirring until it's super thick.  Pour into a pre-baked pie shell.  Put in the fidge to chill, add whipped topping....YUM!

Here's the finished product:

I also found a delicious pie crust recipe.  Here it is:

All Butter Crust for Sweet and Savory Pies

2 1/2 C. Flour
1 C. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1. tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
6 to 8 Tb. ice water
*This crust recipe makes 2 crusts so I just froze the other one.

The most amazing bread EVER

Ok so lately I've been having a bread feddish, for a few weeks thats all i cooked was bread.  Not healthy I know haha. But it was delicious.  Anyway, my wonderful sister in law Megan introduced me to this bread recipe, and it is so easy and seriously tastes like Harpers. It's made now at pretty much all family gatherings.  I've had many people ask for the recipe so here it is:

Homemade Harpers Bread

3/4 hotttish tap water
1/4 c sugar
4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast(not instant)

Put these in your bowl to let the yeast proof (get bubbly) about 5-7 minutes.

Add:
2 2/3 c hottish tap water
1 TB salt
1/2 C. Softened butter
7-10 c flour 

Add about 4 cups of flour to the mixture and mix in your mixer using
the fough hook until combined. Then continue adding cups of flour
until the dough begins to pull away from the sides (it is okay for it
to be a little sticky). I have found that for my bosche mixer (and all are mixers are different), that the perfect amount of flour is about 8 1/3 cup. I've found this to be the most delicious batch.

Now you can either let your mixer knead the dough for about 10 minutes
or you can knead it by hand for the same amount of time. I just leave it in my mixer.

Put in a large greased or buttered bowl and cover with a clean
dishcloth or greased Plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled (about 1
hour) put it in a warm place away from drafts.

The fun part: punch the risen dough as hard as you can.  I let Tanner do this part hahaha. 
divide into three equal portions and roll out to get rid of any bubbles.
Shape into 3 loaves.  Place in 3 greased bread pans.
 Cover and let rise again- for about another hour.

Preheat oven during this time to 375.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Turn out of pans immediately. using a stick of cold salted butter, rub
the tops of each loaf until shiny and delicious looking. let cool on a
wire rack (if they last that long).

After they cool, place in plastic bags and secure. If you do not let
them completely cool, they will sweat in the bags and get mushy and
nasty. The same thing happens to the bottoms if you don't put them on
a wire rack to cool.

Side note: I never wash my bread pans. Just leave them. They shouldn't
have any crumbs, only grease, which is good!! This keeps them nice and
seasoned for every batch!

Enjoy!

Here's the masterpiece.  This was my very first batch so they don't look perfect...haha but they were still yummmy

So I found the Texas Roadhouse's honey butter recipe and it is DIVINE on this bread.  Here's the recipe:

Texas Roadhouse Honey Butter

2 sticks butter at room temp
1 C. powdered sugar
1 C. honey
2 tsp. cinnamon

Whip the butter until fluffy.  Then add powdered sugar and honey and mix together. Then add the cinnamon.  Mix altogether until light and fluffy!

A month for Gratitude

Well, this morning I find myself being very grateful.  Grateful for trials. No trial is easy, but we all have them.  God doesn't give a person a trial that he knows they can't handle.  That's a really comforting saying for me. One that I've latched onto for quite a while. This morning as I was struggling to find comfort, I stumbled across a couple blogs. One was about a couple that's been struggling with infertility for 3 years, and their long and hard journey with that.  Another was a family friends daughter's blog. They lost their baby girl after she was a few days old due to many complications.  It was very comforting reading these blogs.  It made me so GRATEFUL for what I DO have right now. I have found that positive thinking trumps negative thinking.  So here are some things I have to be grateful for.

1.  I have an awesome husband, who never ceases to make me laugh. He is the hardest worker I know, and he never ceases to amaze me with his weirdness. haha.
2. I have wonderful parents who love and care for Tanner and I. They are such amazing people, I love them.
3. I have loving in-laws who never cease to amaze me.  They care for and love everyone around them, and it strengthens me. They raised just the son that I wanted to spend forever with.
4. I'm grateful for the job that I have.  A relaxed job that helps me de-stress and ponder about life.
5. I'm grateful for my schooling.  Online dental assisting is a bit difficult, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm excited to help people with their teeth!
6. I'm grateful for family. For the knowledge that I have that Families can be together forever.  So comforting.
7. I'm grateful for the gospel. Grateful that I can turn to my Father whenever I need him.
8. I'm grateful for life.  Grateful for my mom, who basically gave up her entire self to get me here.  Life is such a sacred and special thing.
9. I'm grateful for modern day medicine.  Without it, Tan and I would probably have no chance of having kids.
10.  I'm grateful for my husband.  Yes, I know he's on here twice, but he deserves it.  He is my everything, and I don't know what I'd do without him. He never complains, even when he has to work 8-9 hours in the freezing cold 5 days a week.  He knows when and how to comfort me. He's such a goof ball, and I'm grateful for that.  It makes our marriage more fun.  I'm grateful for him, for being married to such an emotional me.

If we didn't have trials, how would we become stronger?
This church is true, and I'm grateful for everything I have.

I just got to thinking, the gospel is a powerful thing.  I don't know how on earth I'd get through my trials if I didn't have the gospel to turn to.  What a blessing.

-Maddie

I love this.

Happy Halloween!!

So...this Halloween didn't exactly go as planned.  Tan and I invited his little sis Aubree and her boyfriend over to watch a scary movie and make Halloween truffles that night. Well, Aub got in a pretty bad accident and ended up in the E.R. I got a text from my mother-in-law that said that they were in the emergency room, and that Aubree got bucked off a horse. Her feet slipped out of the stirr-ups, and she landed on her hip and head.  She started seizing and the ambulance rushed to her. So I rushed up to the hospital as soon as I could, and me and her boyfriend pulled up at the same time.  He was a mess.  I gave him a hug, I felt like he could use it.  The nurse wouldn't let us back because it was too crowded. So we were left with nothing, except that Aubree was really hurt. Finally they let us back there, and said all the x-rays came back fine, there was no internal bleeding, just a bad concussion and some bruising.  WHAT A BLESSING.  I was really nervous not going to lie.  Tanner called me and thought that she was for sure going to have some brain damage.  That really scared me, I must've said a billion prayers in a half hour. The nurses all said that Aub got really lucky.  Such a blessing that she is okay, love ya Aubs!

We all went out to the Stevens just to be with Aub to make sure she was alright. We watched a scary movie called, "Mama," and I made homemade bread. yum.

Oh, I can't even explain how grateful I am that nothing serious happened to Aub.  I was so nervous, and after what Tanner said I just couldn't let that happen to her. SOOO glad she's okay. God lives, and He definitely saved Aubree's life yesterday.

Happy Halloween!

Deep Love

So a couple weeks ago I was asked to play in a rock opera called. "Deep Love."   I was skeptical at first because I had no idea how a rock opera would be.  When he said I'd get payed $25 an hour he sold me. haha. And I figured it'd be good experience.  Well it turned out to be awesome! Our first performance we found out we'd be getting our hair and makeup done pretty crazy...like dead people.  hahaha.  We had 2 performances in Rexburg, and 2 in Idaho Falls.  It was SUPER FUN! I don't necessarily like rock, but I grew to love the music that we played.  Here's some pics:

 Mckenzie and i went in the basement and we found this...haha pretty funny.

 Okay this picture speaks a thousand words.  So Mckenzie had 3 people redo her hair and make-up.  Well her last re-do the girl made her look like the joker! hahahaa she's doesn't look scary at all.  She and I, and the violist cried to the point of tears it was so hilarious.

I'm glad I was able to perform with these guys! It was super fun! My husband even came twice...haha what a sport.

Thoughts of the Day

I've been doing a lot of pondering today, about how this time would've marked a totally new adventure for Tanner and I.  We were due today actually, Octover  23. It's been interesting having gone through a miscarriage, and seeing women I love all around me, pregnant. When we found out,we also found out that 2 of my sisters, and 2 of my sister in laws were expecting. All of us were due within 3 months of each other. I was so excited to go through this with all of them. probably too excited, haha. The past 9 months have been difficult for me at times.  It's really been a struggle for me to see all my 'sisters' still be pregnant. Not that I'm mad at them for it at all, I just wish I was still pregnant like them!  But on the other hand, I'm super excited to have 4 new little ones to snuggle and hold and play with.  My sister Aubrey and I miscarried around the same time, and it was so comforting to have her there going through the same thing I was.  It really was a blessing at the time. I couldn't have done it without her. All our late night chats, really helped me. Thanks sis. She's now pregnant again, woohoo!  Tanner and I have always loved children, probably because we both still act like one :) I love the snuggles, the energy, the chats, and the fun that children bring. I can't wait for that day when I can have one to call my own.

When Tan and I got married, I had no idea what we'd be going through to try and have a child.  A year of fertility treatments wasn't what I expected.  But I'll tell you what, getting pregnant on the second treatment has left us with a little ray of hope and sunshine, because we DID get pregnant.  So it CAN happen.  And I know it can.  It may not be the right time, or it may just be a bump in the road, but we haven't lost hope. I recognize now that God has his hand in all things, and that it will happen when HIS timing is right.  It's taken me a while to realize that, but I realize it now.

There's something that's been on my mind through this whole experience, and since this is basically my journal, I'm just gonna express it.  I have been very frustrated at times when people say things like, "You've been married for 2 years and don't have a baby?" or "so...when are you gonna have a baby?" or..."Any new news?" or "oh you're on fertility treatments....those aren't good for your body.." etc, etc.  Going through this has made me see people in a new light.  You really don't know what a person is going through.  All you can see of a person is their outward appearance, but on the inside, everyone has something that is causing them heartache. everyone does.  whether its a new job, can't have a child, divorce, stress at home, arguments, etc. everyone has something in their lives that is causing them to hurt. When people have made those kind of comments to me, I used to just tell people we weren't trying for a while, but that was a lie. So, I started saying things like, "Well, we actually have been trying for a year and a half."  or "I had a miscarriage this past march."  Not that I want to say those things to be rude or make them feel stupid, but I say them to help people understand that these things are personal, and it's not necessary or considerate to ask a couple why they can't have a child.

Having gone through this, I am grateful.  I'm grateful because it has taught me to really not judge people. To not ask people invasive questions about their lives, and to not say things before I think. Words can be a very powerful thing, we just need to learn to use them in the right way.  I'm grateful to all the people that are supporting Tanner and I and that use their words in a kind, gentle, and courteous manner. We love our friends and family!

This just cracks me up.  I am definitely getting this for our child.  It would put a smile on anyones face. hahahahahaha love it.

                      Or better yet this one....to honor my husbands hideous mustache....haha

Anyway, today is a good day. A day full of pondering, thinking, and wondering. :)

This just made me bawl like a baby:
http://www.faithit.com/a-powerful-story-of-love-and-commitment-you-wont-forget/

Annual Pumpkin Carving

It's become a tradition to carve pumpkins with our friends, Becca and Mitch.  We did it last year when they were engaged, and now this year when we're all married.  I've never been a huge fan of Halloween but I decided I want to do at least one festive thing for each holiday. It's more fun that way!  I found this super fun idea on pinterest to make ghosts out of milk jugs...and I just HAD to try it.  I love how they turned out!  All you do is cut a hole at the bottom of the handle to put your tea light in, then you draw your ghost face with a permanent marker, and walah.  It's a ghost....haha.  I thought it was fun and different for a change. Anyway, so I made 3 ghosts, while Tanner and Becca and Mitch carved pumpkins.  Tan made a cyclopes pumpkin HAHAHA it's hilarious. We roasted the pumpkin seeds and man were they to die for! Word of advice: melt butter and pour it over the seeds, then sprinkle with season salt. AMAZING! Last year we just used cooking spray with season salt. The butter makes a world of difference! We took pictures in the freezing 20 degree weather, and then watched Hocus Pocus.  classic.  Thanks Becca and Mitch! Happy Halloween ya'll!

p.s. this is me for halloween.

2 years?! Really?

I just can't believe that Tan and I have been married for 2 years.  It has flown by!! Well, our day was magical and we were lucky enough to spend the whole day together.  His work is quite slow right now and they don't need him this week...I told him it is a blessing in disguise so that we could spend the day together. We enjoyed sleeping in till 9, I made him breakfast with heart-shaped pancakes and our favorite syrup, talked and reminisced of 2 years ago, and then I went to work for 3 hours.  When I came home, he had cleaned the whole house :) He also had a cute little flower on the table that receives water through icecubes...hahaha I thought that was so funny and random. He also prepared lunch, and had Jimmy Johns sandwiches hiding in the oven.  He was planning on taking us to Cave Falls and reliving our first date, but it was SUPER windy and cold, so we relived it at home instead.  We looked back on pictures of when we dated and all the fun dates we went on. We also looked at our engagement photos, and photos of the many adventures of the 2 years we've been married.  Man we are a crazy couple...haha but I wouldn't want it any other way. It's more fun being unique :) That's our motto.

We both had massive headaches and felt a little crappy after lunch so we took naps and relaxed for a while.  We decided we were boring and didn't want our headaches to ruin our day...so we picked up and drove to Idaho Falls. We gave ourselves a budget of $200 dollars each to spend. We didn't even spend half of that! woot go us. We went to the mall, and i got some cowboy boots and a leather jacket, oh and a set of pink tools.  With a man like Tan who's life revolves around tools and building, I had to get me a set of pink ones. Tanner got a trimmer to trim his mustache as a anniversary gift to me. HAHAHAHA. He actually looked attractive after he trimmed it... :) We had so much fun in the mall. We felt like little kids just joking around and laughing at things in the stores. We went to home depot so Tanner could dream of having every single tool in that store.(maybe someday...) It was torture, but good for him :) bwahaha I'm an evil wife.

We were going to go out to eat for dinner, but nothing sounded good to us.  SO...we went home and had mac n cheese, garlic bread, and butterfinger milkshakes. haha such a healthy meal. But man was it delicious.  We reminisced of our wedding day, and tried to remember the little details of the day.  It's so fun to look back on the best day of our lives. Then we relaxed, watched our show, REVENGE (such a good show we are obsessed) and watched the last episode of that.

SUCH A FUN DAY!  I just am so grateful to have the funny, crazy, hilarious, hardworking husband that I do.  He teaches me something everyday, and more importantly, makes me laugh every single day of my life.  There's not a day that goes by where I don't love him more and more. He's the cherry to my cheesecake, and I feel so blessed to be married to him!

LOVE YOU TAN-HAPPY 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
Love,
Wifey

oh ya p.s. someone stole our moped a couple weeks ago. WHO DOES THAT?!?! Yeah...I'm still a little bitter about it. That thing was my baby.

Here's some pics of our love day.

                                                 We have fun. and we are in love.

Decisions, Decisions...

So I've never really been the greatest at making decisions.  I don't know why, but I just never have been. I'm working on that, haha. When I got married, it was a interesting realization when I realized that I no longer had "mommy and daddy" to everything for me.  Laundry, paying bills, making decisions for me, giving me advice, cooking me dinner, giving me rides, etc.  I think that it was partly my fault too that I had such a hard time with 'responsibility' when I got married.  It sounds so silly, but I have learned so much about being responsible. Responsibility means making your own decisions, and being confident and sure about them. Well, I made a big decision this week.  It took me 9 months to make the decision...BUT...I made it and I am so glad I did!!  I decided it was time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Where I wanted to be, and what I wanted to be doing and accomplishing.  I got my associates degree from Byu-Idaho, and after that I felt like I needed to do more.  I couldn't just quit with that! Nowadays you can't get a job with an associates degree. So, after much thought, praying, searching, and learning to make my own decisions, I decided on doing...
Dun, Dun, Dun...

DENTAL ASSISTING!!

I feel really good about this decision.  And my decision-making hasn't always felt like this. It's kind of been an interesting journey.  I applied at EITC in Idaho Falls, and got put on the waiting list. One of the admissions counselors said he thought there was a good chance people would drop and I'd get in.   Well, that didn't happen and I was quite sad.  So, I looked at other options and found 2 other programs close that were 4000-$5000.  They offered no financial aid, no pell grants, no scholarships, nothin.  And in Idaho, to be an assistant you don't even have to have any formal education.  So...I found an online program.  I thought it was a little sketchy, so I took 9 stinking months and researched and found out everything I could about it.  It was super cheap, and everything was strictly online.  Well, that's the one I went with!! Woot woot!

I am so excited to start this new phase in my life.  It feels good knowing that you're working towards something that interests you and gets you excited.  Dental work has always intrigued me because my mouth has so many problems....hahaha.  So, we'll see how this goes!

I have also decided to start teaching violin lessons!! For anyone and everyone. wahoo!

It's amazing what the Lord can do when you turn to him, put your trust in him, and believe that everything will work out.

Dental Assisting here I come!

Spontenuity

A couple sundays ago Tan and I decided we wanted to do something fun and spontaneous. So, we packed up, in our pajamas, greasy and all, and went to Yellowstone. We saw plenty of buffalo, a bull elk, some sort of bird, lots and lots of RAIN, and 2 deer.  We didn't see as much as we thought, but more than half the time it was raining so all the animals were hiding from us. haha.  We sang some made up songs, talked, attempted going to a lutheran church, listened to the rain, and best of all made some long lasting memories. I'm grateful for Tanner that he is so fun and spontaneous and helps me be more relaxed in life. He's helped me to realize that life is not worth stressing about.  Live in the moment, and have a ball! As President Hinckley said, "Learn to enjoy the ride." We had so much fun, and I'm grateful we were able to create such fun and spontaneous memories together.  Love you sugar.

Baby Beau's Blessing

Baby Beau is just the cutest little thing. I love him to pieces.  So since Ash and Eth are in the process of moving to Arizona, they decided to bless Beau at Mom and Dad's house Saturday morning.  Jax and Meg came up because Jax had a job interview in Blackfoot, Eth was up on his way to Arizona, so they figured it was a good time to do it.  Most of Eth's siblings came up, and it was really neat. Ash started off the program by singing "Families Can Be Together Forever," and yet again the spirit was so strong and really hit me- that families really are forever, and we need to cherish the relationships we have with our family members. Beau has had a hard life so far, but I am positive that he's a fighter and will continue to be a fighter his whole life.  He is such a sweetheart and has such a sweet spirit.  He's blessed to have awesome, fun parents too.  I'm grateful I was able to be a part of Beau's sweet blessing.

Here's some pics of the day:

Family- Isn't it about T.I.M.E ?

Well, this years TIME reunion was put together in a matter of just a few days. We weren't planning on getting together, but it just worked out perfectly! Brett & Aub were making a trip to see Jax and Meg and their new house, Ashley was up from Boston preparing to move to Arizona, and then the rest of us found all this out and wanted to be a part!   It was so spur of the moment, but that's what I say made it so fun! So, we all met in Boise at Jax & Meg's on Aug 30. When Tan and I got there, we went to the pool with all the little kiddos.  I just love each and every one of them.  They are all full of so much spunk and energy.  I want to be more like them!  Friday night was filled with some hilarious games of "Raving Rabids" on xbox kinect.  Some of the pictures are pretty darn hilarious. We were laughing our heads off! And working off a sweat :)  Here's pics of Friday's fun and laughter:

Saturday the men started off the morning with some racquetball!  I didn't get any pics, but I heard it was quite eventful.  Tanner said, "Me and Brett aren't half as good as your dad and brothers." haha.  Tanner said it was super fun though until my dad lost and became a poor sport.  (We are very competitive in this family) haha. Megan and I went on a 3.4 mile run just for the heck of it while the guys were gone. We went at the WORST time of day, when it was super hot and muggy.  BUT, we had a great time anyway. When the men got back, they took all the kiddos to the movie "Turbo," while us women stayed at home and chatted, relaxed, made food, and slept. We went to the pool again and got some saweet pics!  I love love LOVE the pool. It was so much fun.  After more pool time, megan made delicious pulled pork sandwiches, and then the adults stayed up again and played more games.

Sunday we all went to church at 9 am. I felt the spirit very strongly in sacrament meeting.  The past few weeks at our ward have really touched me because they've been about the importance of marriage and families.  How ironic that after 3 weeks of talks and lessons being about families, that our family decided on a whim to get together and have a reunion. It was meant to be if you ask me.  Anyway, after church we all just relaxed.  Watched Prince of Egypt, made delicious cinnamon rolls, and Jax and Meg made an incredible 2 roast dinner. Mom and Dad had 2 programs for the kiddos.  The first one they talked to the kids about what reunion means, and why we were all gathered together.  Then we had 'singing time' with a fun matching game done by mamma jill.  The kids loved it. After dinner, kids went down early for bed, and the adults stayed up and played even more games. So fun! I love games.  Megan introduced us to a new game called 'Funglish.' It's like taboo but it's got it's own quarks to it.

Monday morning we all got up and ready to go, and we had a mini Boche Ball tournament.  Tanner and I were the champions...until mom and dad challenged us.  I think that mom got into mine and Tanner's heads and ruined our glory. hahaha. We are very competitive people, and so mom and dad were all up in mine and Tan's faces the whole time...anyway they won. darn them!  But...it was still a blast. After that, we all packed up and headed home!  Tan and I stopped at the NIKE outlet on our way out and almost bought us some shoes.  We restrained ourselves...and didn't end up getting anything. Oh us and our shoes obsession.

I'm so grateful that this reunion came together when it did.  It seemed very timely with all the talks in church being about marriage, and families, and how important they are. It was fun to see all my siblings, and fun to have my second half there with me!  That was the first time he'd been to a Anderson TIME reunion.  I love my family so stinkin much, and I am so so SO grateful we had Labor Day weekend to spend it with each other.
Until next TIME family!  Love you all.

Now...we all know I love taking pictures so prepare yourselves!

so fun!!!