Our First

Well, as most of you know, Cody and I had the opportunity to celebrate our 1st anniversary this past weekend. And we were talking about all that was happening just one year before. We just can't avoid, when think back on that particular time, that we are reminded of the protesting and the uproar that was going on at that time. Particularly in front of the very temple in which we were sealed for time and all eternity. I remember the protesters being outside the grounds when we were coming out from my endowment, and how we were praying, wishing and hoping that it would all settle down in the 3 days remaining. There was an anthrax scare the night before, and they weren't sure they would open the temple on the morning of Friday, November 14th, and we had been waiting for the call to make other arrangements. There was actually a protest scheduled (yes, they schedule these types of things) for our wedding day, but miraculously, no one decided to show up that day, and they decided late Thursday night that all was well, and they would be able to move forward the next day. So we are very aware of the Lord's hand in our lives and working to bring us together, and making it possible for us to be married in the temple. I thank him very much for helping me begrudgingly move to Utah after a lot of prayer (I mean ALOT, I really didn't want to), so that I would be able to meet the wonderful man I was blessed enough to marry. We also think its pretty cool that we have an event in the history of our country to reference what was going on when we got married so we can tell our children and grandchildren. Not only that, but kind of stand up for we believe in, and were married as man & wife in the face of the debate. (I just think thats cool, because my grandparents met right after WW2, and I always thought that was interesting).
For our anniversary we decided to go back to where it all began and spend a couple hours doing sealings in the temple. Although we weren't being sealed to eachother, it was awesome to spend that day kneeling across from my husband again. It brought back alot of the memories, and we were able to be reminded of all the promises we had made and that were made to us based on our worthiness. Very cool to hear those very words again as we knelt together.
Tangent, I know, but we had decided we had wanted to start some sort of tradition for our anniversary. We had initially decided we would take a "honeymoon" every year and go on a cruise every year. However, a friend decided to do the same thing, and we wanted to do something that was our very own. So we decided to wait until summer to go on another cruise, and find something better to do for our anniversaries (not that cruises aren't great). So we decided we wanted to do sealings every year in the temple, and try to visit a different temple every year. :) Sounds like fun to us, so that is just what we are doing, wish us luck!
Back on track, we had originally decided to go to the Manti temple to kick off our new tradition, because neither one of us had been there, and we thought it would be cool. But it decided to snow when we were making our final plans. So instead of possibly getting stuck in the snow, we decided to maybe try that in fairer weather.
So considering everything with us started in North Salt Lake, and we went to the Bountiful temple almost every Saturday to do baptisms when we were dating, we thought that would be a good place for us to go this year. We met a really cute ward that had come down from Kaysville, and they thanked us for spending our special day with them, and congratulated us on our "feat" over and over. It was really cute.
After all of that, it was quite late, and we were starving!!!! So we decided to visit the scene of the crime (our first date) and we went to Applebees, and coincidentally, we were seated right across from the very booth we sat at that first night. :) We thought it was pretty cool. And a lot of fun, remembering that awkward night, when we were thinking "I'm not sure this is going to go to a second date...", little did we know.
We had made dinner plans, but by the time it rolled around, we still weren't hungry. So we are doing an IOU, and we will probably go this weekend instead.
We exchanged our gifts, being that the theme for one year is "time", we both stepped out of the box and didn't get eachother a watch, or a clock or anything like that...we got creative. Cody remembered what sealers always talk about in the ceremony before the couple exchanges rings "the ring is one eternal round, just like temple marriage is eternal", so Cody bought me a beautiful ring. I got him a cute camcorder, so he will be able to document our time, and hopefully we will be able to look back at the good times we spent together, and one day as a family! :) So I would say we did a pretty good job this year, we both went an unexpected direction. Can't wait to see what we come up with next year!
Hope all is well with you all, and that you may have or find traditions of your own to share. What temple should we visit next year???

Primary Program

So, I do remember that I had promised a post about how the Primary Program went this past Sunday. Needless to say, I haven't been so excited for something to be OVER!
The kids were especially squirmy this week. No one would stay quiet and everyone needed to be moving constantly it seemed. Thankfully they calmed down a little bit for Sacrament. Whew! They pulled it together and they sat pretty well on the stand, for the most part.
I was very impressed at some of the children who had memorized their parts. Every year they ask that the speaking parts be memorized, but usually no one does. We had 6 kids with memorized parts, I would call that a success! When it came to the songs though, I knew it wasn't going to be that great. Usually during singing time, the kids don't care, they don't want to pay attention, they chit-chat, and the last thing they want to do is sing meaningful songs. They would rather sing "Popcorn Poppping", "Once There Was A Snowman", "Hinges", etc. So as soon as they have a theme of "Acion", we will be set.
I kind of felt like a failure of a chorister, because really, they didn't know as much as they should have. I tried my best, sang the songs with them every week, made up actions (though, I wasn't fond of the actions during the program, its kind of distracting), gave them incentive, played games with them....ugh. But a wonderfully sweet person brought it to my attention, that I can only do so much in 20 minutes a week. By the next week, they have forgotten most of what I had taught them the previous week.
We had made a CD of all the songs on the program for each child to take home. That way they could listen to the songs at home, and maybe that would help them retain the information. However, we would ask them, "Whose Mom & Dad played their CD for them this week?", I think about 3 would raise their hands. So really, next year, we really need to stress that we need the support of the parents to pull it off.
It made me think of the things I would like to do with my children as a parent. I would like to sing the songs with my children, and I hope they remember them with the fondness that I do. I didn't really need a refresher course on the songs when I was called, I have been singing them all my life. I even credit "I Love to See the Temple" with my desire to be married in the temple since I was a child, and I have achieved that. If their parents would stop and listen to the principals the wonderful Primary Songs teach, I think they would be more likely to pop those CDs in! Because out of all of the things people remember, I would say songs rank up there pretty high. People remember cute little songs, just like when the cute little annoying jingles from commercials get stuck in your head. So hopefully when I do decide to have children, that I will be able to help my kids while they are small to sing the songs, cause lets face it, besides teaching them prinicpals, its just plain cute! :)

I Don't Think I Was Meant for All 4 Seasons...

So last night, Cody and I went shopping. We both had been having a pretty awful day, so we decided after we were finished moping, we were going to go to dinner and go shopping. It was a much needed date night, and its great to hang out and just laugh!
Cody has insisted for about 2 weeks now that he needs to get me a "coat", which is kind of a foreign word for me. Lets be honest here, I don't really understand the difference between coats, jackets and hoodies. They are all pretty much the same to me. So last night Cody decided that was one of the things on our list to look for, a coat for Kylie. Seriously, the ones he was showing me that were "coats" just looked like inedible marshmellows. I would look like the Michelin man.
Then I would pick out ones that I would like, and Cody, to every single one I showed him would say "no, thats a jacket, you need a coat". WHATS THE DIFFERENCE?!?!?! I have lived here for 2 years now (scary, I know) and I still don't get it. And why on earth is this place inhabited the other 6 months out of the year anyway!!??? Its TOO freakin miserably cold, and the snow can be treacherous. (I was on my way to work this morning, and the thermometer read "36"...not cool).
I have lived in sunny California for 20 years...where 55 degrees is cold. I have a vast collection of hoodies that I would wear at night to say, beach bonfires and walks on pier...now I can't even walk to my car without freezing my buns off. So the conclusion I have come to is, maybe I just wasn't cut out for the ALL 4 seasons thing...I know a lot of people "enjoy" it, but I am not sure having to bundle up beyond recognition is what I would call enjoyable. Sorry guys. If you can come up with some not so puffy alternatives, I would be open to it. Cause I am seriously considering just being a hermit until it warms up. :)

Everyone Hail to the Pumkin Song

So needless to say, I am not the BIGGEST Halloween fan...crazy, I know. Somehow the allure to dress all skantily clad, does not help... I can't stand "those" girls, probably makes me dislike it even more. However, I do appreciate those creative costumes that are well thought out and are not seen very often. :) Kudos to you guys.
Anyway, this Halloween was no different from last Halloween (except the fact we are married this year, and we were just waiting last year), we weren't really looking forward to it. Cody and I aren't people who enjoy dressing up, or hanging out with mass amounts of people. So we planned to spend our Halloween with our friends (and Cody's cousin) Andrew & Allie. We got invited to a Halloween party a couple in our ward was having, so we drug them along. Andrew and Allie were so cute and went to the DI and found stuff, so they were dressed as a Cruise Ship Captain, and a Hula Girl...I on the other hand, took the easy way out and put scrubs on (which I wear every day to work) and picked up Becca's stethascope (I get the "you look like Elliott from Scrubs" alot, so I decided thats what I was going to be), Cody was my patient. I slashed up one of his shirts with a kitchen knife, and we fake bloodied up some bandages, and he had some already ripped jeans, so it worked out. (Like I said, we don't enjoy dressing up).
The party was quiet, and interesting. I don't really like going to things like that, but we appreciated being invited and thought of. So after that was over, we decided we were going to go home and eat our Costco Pumpkin Cheesecake ( I look forward to it every year), and watch a scary movie with Drew & Allie. We watched "What Lies Beneath", and I quite enjoyed my cute, dear hubby holding my arm and jumping at all the startling parts...he's so funny. So all in all, we had a fun Halloween night! :) Thanks to the Riley's and Andrew & Allie...but we can wait until next year.
But hey, I had an excuse to watch the Nightmare Before Christmas, so it wasn't so bad... :)