I have to Brag!!

I know it is not good to brag but I have too!!! So I went to Colorado on Saturday and spent the weekend with Chelsea so that I could drive back to Arizona with her. It is a long drive to take by yourself with a baby and a dog so I came along for support. When I left, the house was not the cleanest and I didn't even think about the fact that Chelsea had never seen my house. But I was just thinking that there was nothing I could do about it now and she would just have to see it dirty. We got home Monday night and we walk into the house and it is spotless!!! Brandon is the greatest husband! He cleaned the kitchen including the dishes. He picked everything up and even vacuumed. I was very impressed. Then I walked into our room and I knew that I had left a couple baskets of clothes on the floor but they were not there anymore. So I just assumed that he had put them in my closet. But again to my amazement I walked in to my closet only to find empty laundry baskets. Brandon not only washed all the clothes but he did all the folding, hanging and putting away. He even got everything in the right spot.
I have known since the first day I meet him that he was amazing but he proved it 100 times over this weekend. I really don't think I could ask for a better husband. Thank you sweetie you are amazing!!!

Can you find me a bottle??

OK, so this may be one of those you had to be there stories but I didn't want to forget it and since I never write in a journal this is as good as it gets.
On Monday, Me and Brandon and his family all went to the San Carlos lake to go Jet Skiing. Which was a total blast. They have a knee board and it was fun to watch everyone try and do their tricks. Of course, me being the boring one was the only one who did not try it. All those crashes just don't look that fun to me. Anyway, we had a really great time. We left the lake around 7:15 and we decided to drive to Globe to have dinner with everyone. Well on the way home it was like 9:30 and Brandon was getting pretty tired and when he gets tired when he drives he eats sunflower seeds. So he got them out and asked me to find him a bottle that he can spit his shells into. So I looked in the back seat and I see one sitting right there, so I grab it and hand it to him. The bottle below is the one I gave him. Now, it was dark in the truck and I did not really look at the bottle, I just handed it to him.

So he puts a handful of seeds in his mouth and chews some up and spits it into the bottle, only to realize that all the shells just landed on his lap!!!! He was like, "Jessie!! Look what bottle you just gave me!" So I look over and he is holding up this half cut bottle.
Earlier that day while we were at the lake, the O'leary's little dog was with us and Brandon decided to make him a water dish so he cut the bottom of his bottle off to fill with water. So when I reached to grab a bottle this was the one I got but I honestly did not notice before I gave it to him. I laughed so hard!!! I wanted to take a picture of the shells on his legs but he had already taken them off. Anyway, I got a good laugh out of this and it woke us both up for the rest of the drive home.

Boiling River

Brandon and I decided to go on a little camping trip last weekend. We have this great boiling river that we love to go to and we always said it would be fun to camp there so we finally did.
Brandon loves to drive back to it because it is very bumping and rough and he sometimes gets to use his four wheel drive.
It was so pretty there at night. We didn't put the fly on our tent so we could just see trillions of stars.
Sadly, we have not gotten as much rain this year so the river was really low and full of moss so we didn't really even get to get in it but it was still fun to be out in the open and enjoy each others company.
Brandon cook breakfast with his little mess kit. Bacon and eggs it was really yummy.
Funny story about my silly husband. Were we were camping you are not supposed to have any off road vehicles there so we drive our quad to the gate and then we walk the rest of the way. Well at like 5:30 in the morning we hear a quad outside our tent so Brandon peeks out and sure enough there is a man and women on a quad with a huge rifle. Brandon got a little nervous cause he was afraid they maybe we were not supposed to be there. Also, he got a little nervous because we have been watching the seasons of Bones and someone is always murdered in every episode so he said the first thing that went through his mind was, great, nobody even knows we are out here if this guy decided to kill us. I think we may need to stop watching that show if it is going to make us paranoid. Anyway, these people were like riding around outside out tent for like 2 hours and I was sleeping through most of it but I would wake up a couple times and Brandon was at the very edge of the tent with just a tiny part of the window open peeking out at these people. I was cracking up cause he was like totally spying and he did it for almost 2 hours. Finally they left and then he was like ok we can get out of the tent now. Ha ha, I thought it was so funny.
But we did have fun and I got to see how quickly the Lord can answers our prayers. When we were loading up to go back to the truck we hauled everything up to the quad and loading most of the light stuff and Brandon said he would get the heavy stuff on the next load since I would not be on the quad with him. So we took everything except the tent and his huge backpacking backpack that had like everything in it. So we take the first load to the truck and he turns around to go get the second load. I was watching him and all the sudden he stopped so I was going to call him and see what the problem was only to realized that he had both cell phones in his pocket. So I try yelling but we were too far apart from each other but by this time I could tell that the four wheeler had died. I felt so bad cause it was quit a hike to our stuff and what was waiting for him was super heavy. So I decided to say a quick prayer. I just prayed that the four wheeler would start the next time he tried it so he would not have to carry all this stuff back to the truck and so we would not have to drive the truck to where the quad the was. But as soon as I was done praying I looked over and Brandon is already walking so he didn't try to start it again after my prayer. Once he got a little closer to me he yelled at me to move the truck down the mountain so that I was closer to him to carry the stuff to the truck. That was pretty freaky but I did it. So finally he comes struggling up the side of the mountain with a huge backpacking backpack and our huge tent. I felt so bad because on the way to the camp spot both the straps on this backpack broke so it was not easy carrying all this stuff.
So he gets back to the truck and we head out to go get the quad. It was really scary because the road it was on was not really for vehicles and we had to go down this super steep hill. Brandon of course thought it was awesome. So I told Brandon that I said a prayer and that when we got to the four wheeler it would start. He was just like ok, whatever you say but I think the engine went out but we will see. But we got to the quad he pushes the start button and it starts right up!!!! I was so happy and said a quick prayer of thanks. So I was able to ride the quad out and Brandon drove the truck and eventually we made it home safe. It turned into quit the adventure but I love when I am able to have a testimony building experience.

Jury Duty!!

Who knew jury duty could be so fun!!!!! Brandon got summoned to Jury Duty in Tucson!!! He was a little upset about having to drive all the way to Tucson but it turned out to be quite nice. Since we were over 60 miles away they paid for a hotel and our mileage to get there. For the hotel they would pay up to $175!!!! You can get a really nice hotel for $175 for one night. So Brandon told me to book the nicest hotel I could find. So I did. We got a room in a resort on the Catalina Foothills. It was called Ventana Lodge. I think it was a little too fancy for me.
When we got there we had to check in at the gate and give the guy our name. Then we pull up to the front door and there is a man waiting for us who greeted us by name and asked if he could take our bags. Well we were only going to be there for 1 night so we didn't really pack in suitcases, we just had like loose pillows and Wal-Mart sacks. So we told him that we could get them ourselves. Then he was like ok, can I park your truck then? Yeah right, like Brandon is going to let someone else park his truck. So we told him no to that too. And then once we checked in they asked us if we wanted a turn down service. We are assuming that means where they come to your room and turn down your sheets, so we said no to that too. I think they could tell right away that we didn't really fit in. Here a couple pictures of our room.
It had a huge balcony that was really pretty.

I love this bathtub. This is what I relaxed in after my workout and while Brandon was at the courthouse.

My silly husband once agian showed me why I love him so much. It is very important to have someone make you laugh and this his did. I was in the bathroom and when I came out I could not find Brandon. The room was pretty big but not that big. And I was like what the heck where did he go. So I am calling his name and he is not answering me. Then I hear him giggle. I look up, and there he is. There was this random beam that went across our room and he somehow figured out how to monkey himself up there. So when I looked up, this is what I saw. I died laughing. He is just so silly.
It was a very fun trip and lucky Brandon did not get picked for the jury. We also just took a trip to Colorado but I do not have my pictures yet so as soon I get those I will post that trip.

Thought of the Day

I get a thought of the day sent to me each morning. I wanted to post the one from today cause I think this is great advise for everyone right now.

One of the things I have really tried harder to do in my life
lately is be more positive. There are no two ways about it -
it has been a real challenge for me. There are plenty of
things in my job, in my personal life that could be better.
As I have looked for things to help me in this endeavor, I
came across this quote from President Hinckley that I would
like to share with you this morning:

"I come this morning with a plea that we stop seeking out the
storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting
that we 'accentuate the positive.' I am asking that we look
a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of
insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue
and effort. I am not asking that all criticism be silenced.
Growth comes of correction. Strength comes of repentance.
Wise is the man who can acknowledge mistakes pointed out by
others and change his course. What I am suggesting and asking
is that we turn from the negativism that so permeates our
society and look for the remarkable good in the land and
times in which we live, that we speak of one another's
virtues more than we speak of one another's faults, that
optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears."

When I stop and think about it, I have a great deal to be
thankful for, and a great many things about which I should
be optimistic. I hope that we can all look for the good in
our lives and try to minimize the influence the bad can have
over us.

I just really thought this was a great quote, and a great reminder. The world around us is crazy right now. There are so many bad and sad things happening all around and they are even right within our own families. So many, that sometime I just don't know how the Lord expects us to get through. But if we take President Hinckley's advise and look for the positive, I am sure each day will be better and better. This is something that Brandon and I have been working on, well I guess more just me cause Brandon is already so positive about everything. But we decided to focus on all the things that we have and not on the things we don't. To be happy and grateful for the home we have and the money to buy groceries. To be thankful for the friends and family we have that are there to support us no matter what. And especially to remember to depend on the Lord for everthing. We leave everything up to him and we know that as long as we remain faithful he will always take care of us. And that is what gets us through each day. Sorry for the rambling but I just wanted to share this wonderful quote. :)

I'm in the paper!!!

Move to a small town and you get put in the paper. It is kind of cool!!! I was voted staff of the month at our school for April and it got my picture in the Eastern Arizona Courier. Here is the link to see my happy face. http://eacourier.com/articles/2009/04/21/news/doc49e8f70d33d31919781603.txt

Pictures!!!

So I decided to forgo the movie cause it was taking too long and I already had pictures. So although the video was way better you can at least enjoy the pictures.

This is the master bedroom. One side has our bed and the other side is my bookshelf and reading chair. One of my favorite spots.
Here is the master bathroom. I think the bathroom is bigger than our room but I love it. There is enough space in here that when you take a shower the mirror doesn't even fog up. Its great!!!

We are slowly getting use to a smaller shower. We were spoiled in out last house with a 6 foot shower.
Here is my closet. Tons of space. It is so nice.
My favorite part of my closet. My shoe racks!!!! They rock!!!
Here is Brandon's closet.
And his shoe racks. He has the same amount on the other side of the closet too. And a hat to go with each pair of shoes. He is so silly, I just can't get enough of him.

Here is a couple different views of the living room. This room just seems to be so peaceful. I love at night when you just turn on the can lights so it is not to bright in the room. It is very relaxing.


This is the dining room. Sorry the glare is so bad. But I think I need a bigger table now?!?!

Here is the kitchen. I love my kitchen!!! A lot people told us that we should of made the kitchen bigger and while it was being built the kitchen looked so small but now it is perfect. We have so much cabinet space it is wonderful. We got the tall cabinets so I have to have a stool to reach of the top but that is ok. It is so nice cause since i have so much cabinet space, I do not have to have anything out on the counter. It is great!
This is our office/computer nook. It in nice to have somewhere for the computer to go instead of just being in the living room like we had it before.
This is one of the guest rooms. With 2 beds.
This is the other guest room. With 1 big bed. So that makes 3 beds all together. Plus we have 2 hide-a-beds, a futon and an air mattress. So there is lots of room of visitors. :)
This is obviously the hallway. I don't know why but I have always had a thing for hallways. I love them.
This is the guest bath.
And this is our unfinished basement. Someday when we finish it where the washer and dryer is right now will obviously be where the laundry room is. Then across from that will be the food storage room. Then in each corner there will be bedrooms with a bathroom in the middle.
All this will be the family room. We already have our tv and stuff down here, so although it is not finished we still get good use out of our basement.
Here is Brandon's garage. We finally got it mostly cleaned out so we can both park in here now.
And for Brandon's sake I have to show you his sink. he is very proud to have a sink in this garage and he makes sure that everyone who comes over sees his sink. Silly boy.
This is my garden. Well a start at least. We have tomatoes and carrots. Someday we will have more.
Here is view of all our dirt. This is the backyard. We have a full acre. Our property goes all the way to the back white fence, if you can see it. So we will have lots of space to do something with someday.
So those are the highlights our of house. It is so nice to be back in our own place. and to have all my stuff back. We look forward to having some visitors!!!!