Feeling Sour?

I'm planning my lesson for the Young Women's class I teach on Sunday. I came across this gem! LOL for some reason this made me laugh so hard!

My lesson is "Association with Others" so I wanted to talk about how service can help you view people in a new light and make new friends, etc, etc.

SO... don't be a sour puss this week! "Squeeze in some time for others; kindness and service bring sweetness to your life."

Last week I taught the lesson on "Being Dependable" and for my introduction, I held up a package of DEPENDS underwear. After the lesson, I handed out little diapers full of chocolate candies with a card on front that said "Be DEPENDable- and your life will be filled with SWEETNESS." They turned out really cute! I took a picture but it somehow got deleted. :( The girls were embarrassed to be walking around holding diapers after church! Haha!

Can you tell I like to have some fun in my lessons? I love being in YW!

Updates

1) Jonathon is in Wisconsin for a couple weeks for training with Sentry. He's really enjoying it and learning lots! He even got hit on by his waitress at the local restaurant- My J's still got it! haha

2) I am going to Utah this weekend! I am probably going to the BYU football game, get to see good friends and catch up, and of course, my great family-- and I'm so excited!

3) I have a JOB INTERVIEW either tomorrow or Thursday!

My phone rang this morning at 10:06. I took some Nyquil last night and was pretty out of it so I woke up when it rang. (I swear my alarm was set for 7:00-- where did those three hours go??) I had called and cancelled an appointment for 10:00 this morning at the hair salon so I thought maybe they didn't get the message so they were just calling to check where I was. When I got the voicemail, it was Marly calling so set up an interview for a job I'd applied for online! I jumped out of bed and SCREAMED!

I've been looking for a second job for a few months now and it has seemed like there are no offices in need of a hygienist right now. Is there anything more frustrating than trying to find a job?? I LOVE the Gillespies and have been so grateful to have the 1-2 days a week there. But getting my student loan bills each month quickly remind me that I need an increase in my income.

I called her back and she said she'll talk with the doctors and call me today to let me know if Wednesday or Thursday will work best for the interview. I looked up the office online and it seems perfect. From what I saw there, it looks like we'd be a great fit. Soooo... wish me luck! I am SO EXCITED!!!!!

4) I start my SEWING CLASS tomorrow night! I got a book from the library called "Sewing with Nancy" to help prep before I go. Heh!

5) I have a hair appointment tonight.. and anyone who knows me knows I LOVE getting my hair done! :) Me and Jonathon made a deal a long time ago that he gets to spend money on electronics and I spend mine on hair. It just works.

Actually, I should add that I go to this cute lady up here named Janet who has her own little salon at her house. The last two times I went, she only charged me $30 for a full color! I've been places in the past that charge $120 for the same thing! So, she's been awesome. Love her!

6) I bought Cosmo bad breath spray and I'm excited to see if it works. I also bought more batteries for his bark collar, which was probably one of the top five purchases I've ever made.

7) I'm going to Utah this weekend!! This is deserving of two of the top ten update spots. :)

8) I bought BedHead dry shampoo for 60% off from Ulta this week. And it is awesome.

If I could buy three things for every woman I know, it'd be:

1) dry shampoo

2) pepper spray

3) floss

9) Jonathon and I found not just one, but TWO whole sand dollars at Seaside beach last weekend!!! That is good luck, you know! Which is probably why I got this interview!

10) I got a new calling at church a couple weeks ago to be in Young Womens. I am the newest Laurel Advisor. I have loved it so far! I also get to be in it with Annie, Jonathon's youngest sister. We have a lot of fun together so that is just an extra plus.

I plan to post the pictures and blog about our quick weekend trip to the coast-- it was SO AWESOME. I officially love the coast. But I need to wait until I get the pictures off of Jonathon's camera so I'll do that when he gets home.

And I will see some of you soon this weekend!

Hanging out with Mozilla Firefox

I was laying down on the floor about to start doing sit-ups when this cute little guy curled up right next to me. He loves sleeping in a tight little circle and looks like Mozilla Firefox. Hence, Cos-Mozilla Firefox. :)

Isn't She Lovely - FUTURE BABY SONG

"Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder

Isn't she lovely
Isn't she wonderful
Isn't she precious
Less than one minute old
I never thought through love we'd be
Making one as lovely as she
But isn't she lovely made from love

Isn't she pretty
Truly the angel's best
Boy, I'm so happy
We have been heaven blessed
I can't believe what God has done
Through us he's given life to one
But isn't she lovely made from love

Isn't she lovely
Life and love are the same
Life is Aisha
The meaning of her name
Londie, it could have not been done
Without you who conceived the one
That's so very lovely made from love


This ISN'T an announcement, I promise! I heard this song though and thought it was really sweet. I thought I posted it a long time ago but it was just saved as a draft. So, you're welcome, and enjoy!

Labor Day

We had a fun, lazy Labor Day today. We scheduled to get lots done on our to-do list and woke up full of excitement. And then... we had so much fun sleeping in and laughing we just forgot about our to-do list and enjoyed the day.

We had a bar-b-que and had some awesome hot dogs. We watched TV, hung out with Jonathon's little sister Annie and discovered Del Taco's new mac-n-cheese tater tots (amazing.) took a great nap, played games, and had a lot of fun just hanging out with the family together.

Bob, Jonathon, Annie, and me went blackberry picking last night and got a bucket of them. Nothing is better than FRESH, organic blackberries!

I baked my first ever blackberry pie- and it actually turned out pretty darn good!!

I'm sure there is a better way to criss-cross the top of the pie... and I will learn someday.

But this is okay for now!

Jonathon also made "hor dourves" out of little swiss cakes. It was cute!

I've enjoyed cooking and baking lately. It's been a lot of fun and for the first time, things have actually tasted GOOD.

My first time GRILLING.

Chicken drumsticks, veggie shish kabobs, tin foil bell peppers, zucchini, and onions.

SO GOOD! And healthy!

I love to see the temple

Jonathon and I decided to stop by the Portland, OR temple on our way home from his cousin Kendra's wedding reception. This is where we got married!

It was fun to be there together again. :)

Coming out of the temple doors...

It's crazy thinking about how different it is NOW compared to that day- August 4th, 2007.

We were so scared and nervous. We had no idea what to expect and how our future would work out. I had felt sick for two months before from all the nerves and couldn't even really ENJOY our wedding day because I was so young and scared!

We had no idea if Jonathon was going to get accepted to BYU or what his major would be if he did.

We had no idea if I'd make it into dental hygiene school.

No idea where we were going to live, where we were going to work, how we were going to be able to pay for LIFE and COLLEGE the next few years..

We had no idea what MARRIED LIFE was going to be like.

And now, four years later, it's all worked out perfectly. We've had so many fun memories and learned and grown together. We really lucked out to find each other so young.

I love Jonathon and I am grateful to have him as such a good friend, wonderful husband who makes me laugh every single day. He is caring and fun and sweet and knows me better than anyone else in the world. And he helps me be closer to who I WANT to be each day.

I'm so glad we made that choice to be married

and especially to be married HERE in this beautiful temple

for time and all eternity.

Pot-Luck Award

I won the Staff Meeting POTLUCK AWARD at the Gillespies office today for my Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars for:

"Participation, presentation, compliance, and excellence in being cool."

You could say they were a pretty big deal! So I decided I'd share the recipe with all four of my readers! :)

-Easy, yummy, all-American peanut butter and chocolate bars-

Ingredients:

-1 Cup butter, melted (I just used 1 1/2 sticks)

-2 Cups graham cracker crumbs

-2 Cups powdered sugar

-1 Cup peanut butter

-1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I love ghiradelli)

-4 tablespoons peanut butter (I used natural creamy from wal-mart, but any will do!)

DIRECTIONS:

1-In a medium bowl, mix together butter, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan

-For best results, refrigerate for 15 mins

2- Microwave chocolate chips and peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Smooth over prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Perhaps someday YOU too could be the next Potluck Award winner with these delights!

Mid-life crisis

What is UP with me?

I feel so lame. And.. blah.

**I want to be working full time. I'm tired of working 1-2 days a week.

1) To get rid of all this boredom

2) I love being a hygienist! and

3) I NEED MONEY. Jeez louise- Our student loans are going to take FOR-EV-ER to pay back at this rate. :(

**I want to have my HOME. Jonathon and I are still living upstairs in a room at his parents place. Don't get me wrong, we are GRATEFUL to be here and have loved it. BUT, I am tired of having boxes all over the place and being surrounded by CLUTTER. I want a quiet place of my own to go. And my big comfy bed. The family downstairs bought a house and should be moving in September 8th so we'll be moving down to the basement sooner than later and I'll finally get to create my little home.

**I am in a spiritual RUT. I have this sense of WANTING to become more knowledgable in the Gospel and learn more about myself. I just haven't made any sort of plan to put it in action.

And I've learned the importance of reaching out to new people-- whether it is in your ward, neighborhood, whatever- WELCOME THEM! It is TOUGH to be the new person. I am the type of person where I feel okay to go introduce myself, but it would still be nice. It makes me wish I'd done a better job in the past for new-comers.

AND Jonathon and I want church callings! For some reason when we move into new wards, it takes forever for us to get callings. Our first ward, we set up THREE appointments with the bishop for this very purpose and Jonathon never got one before we moved a year later! We've been here 2 months now and I've asked twice but no news yet. :(

**I am also in a physical RUT. I'll preface by saying I know I'm not FAT, but my body just feels gross. I've eaten so much sugar and unhealthy foods and haven't been running and exercising like I got in the habit of the last 8 months while I trained for my marathon. I miss that happy, healthy feeling.

**I miss having friends. :( This one has been especially tough. I miss having friends nearby to call up to go to get ice cream with me or go shopping. I miss seeing my family at parties and KNOWING and recognizing faces when I go to the grocery store. I didn't realize how much I took this for granted in Utah.

My friend Brad Butler said the other day "Isn't that what your husband is there for?" which is true. And I LOVE Jonathon (I think everyone knows that by now, right??) and we've had a lot of fun but it's also important to have your own separate lives and some independence. I want a GIRL friend who is my age I can call up and hang out with. But.. where do I just FIND that? A friend website? The local friend pound? Puh.

Again, I LOVE it here in WA and don't want people to go around saying "Did you read how MISERABLE Nancy is up there? I can't believe Jonathon would drag her up there!" This is NOT the case!

I'm simply saying I am in that awkward growing stage.

I have had some AWESOME experiences so far in Washington and met some wonderful people. I know this is where we are supposed to be- no doubt about it. I just need to get some direction back in my life.

Jonathon's BYU graduation

Meet the newest BYU graduate! We traveled down to Utah last week for Jonathon's graduation. It was so fun to be part of this moment we've waited SO LONG for and worked so hard for.

PROUD WIFE!

Proud Mom and Dad

Robby, Jonathon, and Jeremy

Getting his diploma

We were so grateful to everyone who came to support Jonathon on this great day:

Grandpa and Grandma Roush, Andy, Jeremy, Robby, Grandpa and Grandma Huckvale, Bob and Susie, Jon and Nancy (of course), Lisa, Grandma Richards, and Steven.

Grandpa and Grandma Huckvale

Andy Rafn

Jonathon's first room mate in college and our room mate again when we lived in our Murray apartment! He's been a great friend through the years.

Grandpa and Grandma Roush

Grandma Richards

Lisa

She bought some BYU swimming shorts for him and a fun card

Eating at Texas Roadhouse after Commencement

(We ate at IHOP the next day with everyone but I forgot to get a picture :( )

Jeremy the Entertainer

When we went back to the hotel and were pooped, he was telling all these fun stories and making funny faces making us all laugh. :)

WE DID IT!