The DeGraff Duo

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T11:20:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

This is my favorite picture of us from this year. It was taken at a friends wedding on my holga.

they say it's your birthday....happy birthday to you

2011-10-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today is Marc's big day. To celebrate him on the blog, I wrote down 31 reasons why I absolutely love him. (31 is a completely random number that came to my head and has absolutely nothing to do with the age Marc is turning ;)).

1. He is exceptionally kind.

2. He has an infectious smile.

3. He inspires me to be a better person.

4. He makes me feel tiny, which has never happened in my life.

5. He gives me great foot massages.

6. He has big ambitions and works so hard for them.

7. He has stellar hair ;)

8. He loves to surprise me, which I openly hate, but secretly love.

9. He is a faithful and true friend.

10. He is very handsome.

11. He has a strong and inspiring testimony.

12. He would do anything to help someone in need.

13. He is a great housewife (he does the cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.)

14. He can fix anything and is extremely handy to have around.

15. He believes in me.

16. He is going to make a great dad someday.

17. He loves me just as I am.

18. He let me get a puppy.

19. He takes great care of the puppy.

20. He is making me new chairs.

21. He always eats my cooking.

22. He is a great cuddler.

23. He smells good.

24. He is willing to watch chick flicks with me.

25. He is a great dancer (love our kitchen dancing sessions).

26. He is the most optimistic person I have ever met.

27. He is goofy and funny and makes me laugh.

28. He is a great shopping partner. Almost every outfit I get compliments on, Marc bought it for me.

29. He never gets mad at me.

30. He loves making me happy.

31. He gets to make me happy for the rest of eternity.

More pictures of my handsome man:

And I threw one in there of us to show just how lucky I feel to have him forever.

Island Park with the Millars

2011-07-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

I went up to Island Park to spend time with my sisters and their families, and my mom, too. Marc had to stay and be responsible and go to school and work. I missed him lots, but it was fun to see my family. And Island Park was absolutely beautiful! We of course went to Yellowstone. It's a family favorite. I didn't take a lot of pictures. I was a little focused on using my holgas and don't have those pictures developed yet. Maybe soon.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

My Mom and I. It was a little windy.

Grandma and her grand kids. Ammon is giving himself bunny ears. That kid is hilarious! And I love Claire's cool pose with her shades. So cute!

Hiking near Henry's Fork River. So beautiful.

Another one of our hike. Ahhh...I love Idaho.

Independence Day

2011-07-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

We spent the holiday with Marc's family this year just relaxing and enjoying each other's company. And eating. It wouldn't be a DeGraff get together if there wasn't lots of yummy food involved.

The party animals.

Us.

The tickle-monster and her victim.

Um...beautiful! That's all I'm going to say.

I love fireworks. They're just plain pretty.

Just because

2011-07-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

Just because he's cute and we love him. Here are a few pictures of Marley. Everyone says he's getting bigger, but he still looks so small to me. He's just barely over 5 pounds. He's been such a good puppy and is such a fast learner. He's been so good, in fact, that Marc is wanting a second dog. I don't think that will happen, but it just goes to show how loveable Marley is.

Holding him in this position seems to make him the most calm.

I started carrying him around on my shoulder like this when we first got him and he would just rest his little chin down. It was so cute. I still carry him around like this sometimes.

How could you say no to those puppy-dog eyes? We sure can't! (Well, Marc can. I'm a sucker.)

pleased to meet you

2011-06-15T15:40:00.001-07:00

Meet Marley.

As a follow up to my last post, the one where we couldn't even decide if we wanted plants, we decided to get a dog. I've wanted one for a very long time. I'm more of a big dog person myself, but we don't really have the lifestyle for one right now. And Marc has pet allergies, so this yorkie - shih tzu mix was perfect for us. And we sort of fell in love with him. He walked right up to me and plopped himself down, practically begging us to take him home. He has the sweetest disposition and has been a wonderful addition to our family. I just want to cuddle him all day long. But I do go to work every once in a while. So he's learning to like his kennel.

we think alike

2011-06-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

With how busy our lives have been lately, we decided not to plant any flowers this year. I just didn't want one extra thing I'd have to take care of. A couple of weeks ago, though, I woke up to a beautiful summer-like day. The sky was blue, the birds were chirping, it was warm, and it smelled like summer. After a very cold and rainy spring, this was a pleasant surprise. And in that moment, I decided I wanted to plant. Maybe it comes from the summers of my youth as we helped plant, weed, and harvest the garden. I knew the work would be worth it in the end. I love seeing the herbs and flowers grow. So I headed over to Milcreek Gardens and picked out some lovely herbs. We don't have a lot of space, so our "garden" consists of an assortment of planter boxes and pots. I decided against getting flowers there, though, since I knew I could get them cheaper elsewhere. I was very excited to get home and surprise Marc with my purchase. As I walked in our entryway, there was actually a surprise waiting for me. I looked out our front door to beautiful hanging pots. I found Marc upstairs planting flowers he had purchased that same morning. Without even discussing it, we both decided to plant a garden. The funny thing is, I got the herbs and Marc got the flowers. Between the two of us, we got the exact amount of plants for our pots. I guess you could say we kind of think alike.

This is our third summer doing a garden, and I think we're getting pretty good at it.

Saint George Halapalooza

2011-05-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago, the DeGraff clan headed to Saint George to enjoy the sunshine and good company. Lisa, our wonderful sister-in-law, offered her families condo for the festivities. We started off the weekend at a park tossing a football (the boys) and throwing a frisbee (the girls). I'm not great at frisbee, and I think Lisa got her exercise chasing my bad throws. Sorry! But it was sure fun.

Marc showing off his mad football skills. I don't want to brag, but my husband is pretty good.

See those three small people? That's Adam, Marc, and Steve. Not a great picture, I know. But this is the best shot I got of all three of them together.

So cute! Lisa is such an amazing mother. And Macey is such a cute little girl. I was glad I was able to capture this precious moment.

An overlook of the valley. It was a beautiful evening. You can see the temple in the background.

The girls. I love Macey's little head floating in the back. Sadly, I did not get a picture of the boys.

A visit to the temple. It is so beautiful. Someday, I hope to actually go inside.

On Saturday, we went to Zion's National Park. We broke into two groups. Our group headed up Angel's Landing. We didn't make it to the top. I'd like to say it was because of a time constraint or because someone at the top had a broken leg and was unconscious. But the truth is, I was just plain scared. I don't know how anybody makes it up there without killing themselves. Maybe someday I'll make it to the top. The above picture is of the helicopter attempting to land for the broken leg. They hovered for a quick minute, then left. I still don't know how that guy got off the mountain. For all I know, he's still up there. We also saw a man having a heart attack on our way down. I've never seen so many emergency response personnel on one hike. Another reason for me to never hike Angel's Landing again.

On Sunday, we took a tour of Jacob Hamlin's home. It was fun to see how the early settlers lived. I'm sure glad I live today, though.

Snow Canyon. A beautiful view. A wonderful weekend. Thanks so much, Adam and Lisa!

i heart my holgas

2011-05-04T10:01:00.001-07:00

I know this style of photo is not for everyone. But I love it.

President's Weekend Holga pics

2011-05-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

President's weekend, you ask? Wasn't that 3 months ago? Yep! But here are some pics taken on my holga cameras that weekend.

P.S. I am in LOVE with my fisheye camera. Thanks DeGraff parents!

this is what happens at 2 AM when neither you nor your husband can sleep

2011-05-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Presidents Weekend 2011

2011-02-23T20:17:00.000-08:00

Some of the Millar family was able to spend President's Weekend at our cabin in Island Park. We had so much fun snowshoeing, cross country skiing, sledding, eating lots of food, talking, and just hanging out. It was so fun to see the kids play together and enjoy the snow. We definitely missed Jason and Camille and Brett and Sabrina and all their kids. Next time!

For Christmas, I got some filters for my holga camera. I kind of made them work for my dslr. There are a couple split image pictures which I think turned out pretty cool. I'll post some holga pictures later once I get them scanned.

The above pictures were of snowshoeing/cross country skiing at Hariman State Park. It was definitely the best workout I've had in a long time. Thanks Uncle Mike and Aunt Linda for letting us use your new snowshoes! They're awesome!

My mom and I using the snowshoes to get around.

My cute hubbie reading to the kids. He's going to be a natural someday! Marc sure was a hit this weekend. The kids were always wanting to play with him, and of course, he would indulge them. I don't know if the mothers loved how riled up he got them, though.

A little downtime on Sunday afternoon. He must be thinking something very serious.

Rock, paper, scissors. Fun at any age.

These two sure had fun together.

Watching a movie. Need I say more?

My beautiful sisters. It was so good to have some sister time. It just doesn't happen enough. Love you guys!

A Father's Love

2010-12-20T04:10:00.001-08:00

The following is a post I wrote a year ago, but for some reason, did not feel ready to post it. If you haven't noticed, I don't write a lot of personal feelings on this blog. I'm a bit of a private person. And I'm okay with that. I've been experiencing some similar feelings this year, though, and wanted to re-read this post to boost my spirits. And it did. So I thought I'd share some thoughts with you that I had a year ago:

As Christmas approaches, I realize I haven't gotten too much into the Christmas spirit. Sure, I have my shopping done. And we hung some lights and put up a tree. But I feel like I've missed that Christmas magic a bit this year. The past few days, though, have reminded me of something very important and pertinent to this holiday and I'd like to share that.

I do a lot of blogstalking. Of people I don't even know. I work a lot of nights. Don't judge. I found a blog of a girl living in New York City working on Broadway. Mostly I like to look on her blog and see the fun things she gets to do in New York. A couple posts back, though, she wrote about her father's "birthday". He has cancer and has been going through some tough times. It was the start of a stem-cell transplant. And transfer day is considered their "birthday", considering they have a whole new immune system. It's been a decade since we first learned of my own father's cancer and began a very similiar process. My heart goes out to this family with their challenges ahead. Before this father's transplant began, he was able to welcome home a daughter from a mission in Korea. My own brother was on a mission in Korea when my father passed away from cancer. A picture was taken at the airport of the father embracing his daughter as she arrived back in Utah. Everytime I look at it, it brings tears to my eyes. Please view the picture here. His face says a thousand words. I've been missing my dad a lot lately, and this picture brings back so many emotions I've experienced. I like to imagine that this is what it will be like when I see him again. We'll hug so tight we can't breath and cry tears of joy. At church today, we had our Christmas program. I was reminded of another Father and His love for us. He sent His Son to do something that none of us could do for ourselves. Because of Him, we can be together forever as families. I will be able to see my earthly father again. And for this, I am truely grateful. That's what Christmas is all about.

This painting was given to me as a young women by my leader, who is related to the artist, Derek Hegsted. I've loved this painting ever since and feel it captures my feelings today.

thankful

2010-11-24T04:32:00.000-08:00

I must admit, sometimes I forget how truely blessed I am. I often only see the things I don't have, that everyone around me is already enjoying. I've been thinking a lot lately about my blessings and the things I'm thankful for. This Thanksgiving season is a great time to remember them. I just need to work on always being grateful. Here are just a few of my favorites.

1. The Gospel. I'm so grateful for the hope, peace, and true happiness it brings. When I get frustrated or disappointed at circumstances in my life, I'm reminded that the Lord does have a plan for me and things will work out how they're supposed to.

2. My amazing husband. Thankyou for putting up with my moodiness, sad or angry moments, morning loopiness, and all around bad days. I don't know how I got so lucky to find someone so patient, loving and inspiring (and hot!).

3. My jobs. With the uncertain economy, I'm lucky enough to not only have one job, but two.

4. Follow up to last statement- I'm grateful I'm done with my six night shifts in a row and now have the whole Thanksgiving weekend off.

5. My family. They are so supportive and wonderful. I love them all so much.

6. The snow. It's so beautiful and makes everything look so clean!

7. Christmas music (it's tradition for me to listen to it on the first snow of the season- even if that lands in August).

8. My amazing friends. I love how much we laugh together, what great listeners they are, and how much they believe in me.

9. My health. I often tell Marc that I believe I have a brain tumor, cancer, or a blood disease of some sort. But in all seriousness, I'm healthy and able to walk and run and do all sorts of fun things.

10. My future. It sometimes is scary to me how uncertain the future is. But right now, it holds so many possibilities. I'm exited for the life ahead and all the wonderful things the Lord has in store for us.

Photo taken and edited by my brother, Brett, this summer

Marc makes me pretty happy

New York City Day 4

2010-11-08T22:46:00.001-08:00

First stop of the day was the main branch of the New York City public library. This building was absolutely beautiful. Surprising feature to this library,though...not a lot of books. It's more of a reference library than a "bring your library card and check out a book" kind of library. Anyways...here's the great reading room (I think that's what it's called). Pretty impressive, huh?

Statue in front of library. Marc's not scared.

On to Rockefeller Center.

Marc was slightly obsessed with these water towers. They were on almost every rooftop.

Big event for the day: Wicked! Marc's first time seeing it. It'd been a while for me. We both absolutely loved it. The girl who played Glinda was awesome! We were laughing at her for days.

Random pic of me waiting for the train. Marc liked the red brick.

Other things we did this day that we did not get pictures of:

Guggenheim Museum

Shopping

New York City Day 3

2010-11-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

Day 3 was a lot of fun. We started off at Museum of Modern Art. Marc was a great sport about going. I even think he kind of liked it. But we don't have any pictures to show. Sorry.

Next was our boat cruise, which was probably my favorite thing we did. You start on the west side at 42nd street, go down around the tip of Manhattan, out by the statue of liberty, up the other side and then back. It was a perfect day (maybe even a little hot). We loved seeing the city from the water. And we definitely took a lot of pictures. So here are a few of my favorites.

Waiting to get started

Top picture: Left side New Jersey, right side New York
Bottom picture: Financial district, very bottom tip of Manhattan

Left: Brooklyn Bridge
Right: Manhattan Bridge

We had someone ask us jokingly if we got to see a plane land in the water, in reference to the plane earlier in the year landing in the Hudson. We actually got to say yes.

Next on our agenda was Times Square. That place is absolutely crazy. It was so busy. I could just sit and stare all day at the flashing lights and the interesting people.

I love how much larger Marc looks than me. His picture was more zoomed in. He's not really double my height.

For dinner, we ate at Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Brooklyn, a pretty popular pizza place (wow, that's a tongue twister). It was soooooo yummy. I've actually been craving it since and hope to go back someday. I would definitely say it's a must.

When we got out from dinner, it started to pour. We got some cool pictures from under the bridge. Luckily, there was a little tent we could stand under.

Since we didn't want to walk a mile in the rain, we decided to take a cab home . All I have to say is EXPENSIVE. If we ever moved there, we would have to be subway and train people.

New York City Day 2

2010-10-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

Day 2 was Sunday. And Marc's birthday! We went to a ward in Manhattan, where I randomly saw an old friend. Then we went to lunch at Serendipity. Very good food, but even better frozen hot chocolate. It was so yummy! The place was so eclectic and very cute (sorry no pics). Then we spent the rest of the afternoon strolling through Central Park. It was a perfect evening. The park is beautiful and has so many fun things going on. I love all the street performers.

Here's the birthday boy. I promise he had a good day. Just caught him at a serious moment. But I thought he looked so handsome in this picture.

The boat house and setting sun.

Grand Central Station

Riding the Subway

Lots of riding the subway.

New York City Day 1

2010-10-18T17:18:00.001-07:00

For Marc's birthday (which just happened to be during fall break), we decided to head to New York City. Marc had never been and it's been a while for me. It was pretty much fabulous. We had so much fun. Since we have lots of pictures, I thought I'd break up the days and make a post for each one. We flew out on Friday night and arrived early Saturday morning. Neither of us slept on the plane, so we were exhausted that day. But don't worry, we did get a little nap in the middle of the floor at the museum. Here are the highlights from the day:

Breakfast at Norma's. I don't know if we were just REALLY hungry, but this food was amazing! We just kept saying "this is so good" over and over.

Museum of Natural History

Very cool. Might've been cooler if we weren't so tired. For anyone who's been, we took a nap in the whale room in front of the big movie screen. It wasn't really that wierd. Lots of kids and families were sitting on the floor all around us.

Empire State Building

Looking up toward midtown. You can see Central Park in the middle.

Top of the Empire State Building

Dinner at Shake Shack

Yum!

Millar Island Park 2010

2010-08-31T04:38:00.000-07:00

In July, the Millar family spent time in Idaho at our cabin. We spend time at Quake Lake, Yellowstone National Park, West Yellowstone, went to the Playmill twice, ate lots, talked lots, laughed lots, cried some, puked some, hot-tubbed, and chased kids. Lots of fun. Here are a few pics, mostly taken by other people in my family.

The family at Quake Lake

I sort of love this picture of Marc with Chase and his little flyaway hair. It was super cold and windy that day.

Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful Inn (courtesy of Carla)

Another cold day

The kids playing around ;)

Kati was brilliant and brought tons of fun things to keep the kids occupied. (Or maybe it was to keep her occupied. She looks like she's having as much fun)

Guatemala

2010-08-21T04:29:00.000-07:00

In July, Marc had the opportunity to go to Guatemala for a medical humanitarian mission. It was a life-changing experience. Here are a few of the highlights.

The whole group

Isn't this place beautiful?

These kids loved the bubbles. Look at the pure joy on their faces!

Their living conditions. Not a lot of personal space.

Marc learned how to place IV's and then helped to teach rural healthcare workers how to do the same. He got it on his first try!

They had to carry medical supplies up a large hill every day. This looks heavy, even for Marc.

Teaching how to splint.

Marc with his brother, Steve. I think they had fun ;)

This is how they traveled. In trucks. Like cattle.

If you're looking for a great way to start your day, try this.

2010-06-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

Born To Run

2010-05-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

I just finished this book and loved it. I don't really consider myself a runner. I like to run, but am not great at it. I now feel inspired, though, to maybe devote more time to this sport. And feel it necessary to purchase a pair of these.

I should explain that I am one of those customers that buys many of the samples she tries and is easily persauded by salesmen. So after reading this book, I believe all my running problems will be solved by "barefoot running" in these shoes. Has anyone else ever used these shoes (Brett)? And what is your opinion of them? Will barefoot running really solve my knee problems?

Monkeyin' Around

2010-04-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Monkey. I recently made them for my neice and nephew for their first birthday. As it so happens, there is a crafty bone in my body.

Best Friends

Mrs Monkey enjoying the pleasures of the chalkboard wall in our home.

Mr. Monkey hopes to become a concert pianist someday. We fully support him in his aspirations.

Mrs Monkey enjoying a little Harry Potter. She's got good taste!

Mr. Monkey likes to travel.

Resting after a hard days work!

Spring Break

2010-04-06T09:08:00.001-07:00

We headed down to Tucson for spring break this year. It was wonderful! While we were down there enjoying the 80 degree weather, it was snowing in Utah. Brett, Sabrina, Adie, and Chase were fabulous hosts and we had so much fun. Thanks for the great time!

Sabrina and Adie on our hike up Sabino canyon.

Brett, the ever-faithful and oh so talented photographer.

The cactus were huge! They were actually very pretty, except when Sabrina was stuck by one.

A lovely picture of us with all the cacti. (Is that how you say it?)

We visited the Biosphere 2, essentially a huge greenhouse. Back in the 90's an experiment was conducted where a group of scientists were locked in for a couple years to see if they could survive. The building was so well sealed off, that when they reopened it, there was exactly the same amount of water as when they began. Check it out here.

It was HUGE and very interesting. I would definitely suggest it.

We went and saw the San Xavier mission, a Roman Catholic mission near Brett and Sabrina's home. It has been called the Sistine Chapel of North America. I don't know if I would go that far, but it was beautiful.

The facade of the church.

Our first professional baseball game. Spring training was going on, so we got some really cheap tickets and enjoyed a sunny afternoon. The Rockies and the White Sox were playing. And of course, we had to get hot dogs.

Us with our cute neice, Adie. For some reason, I never got a picture of Chase. But he was so smiley and fun to play with, too.

A cool picture.

I love diet coke, but not that much...

2010-03-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

I had a class last Friday for work that lasted from 8:30 to 3:30. In that 7 hours, the woman sitting next to me consumed 5 diet cokes. Two for breakfast, two for lunch, and one after lunch. That is just shy of half of a gallon of diet coke. And that was just by 3:30. Who knows how many she had the rest of the day! I texted Marc to inform him of this appalling behavior and instructed him if I ever get that bad, please stop me. That goes for anyone else out there who knows me.

P.S. As a side note, I happened to work a shift that night, too. In a 24 hour period, I was paid for 19 of them. Please feel bad for me.

Yep, we're still alive

2010-01-30T13:23:00.000-08:00

And here are my feet to prove it.

January is such a boring, blue month. I always seem to get the "January blues" with the holidays over. Sometimes days will go by without me hardly seeing sunlight. And Marc is busy back in school and with work. So there's our quick update (or non update) on us.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-14T17:55:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a couple weeks, but here are a few pictures of Thanksgiving. I hosted this year, which was quite an adventure. But, thankfully, my mother was right next to me ever step of the way. It was definitely a full house, but it turned out great!

My first turkey. It looks beautiful, but was just okay. We'll have to try a different brand next year.

The spread. I think it came together nicely.

Marc, me, and my mom

My sister, Kati, and her family

My brother, Brett, and his family

Jason and Camille

These two girls sure loved eachother and had lots of fun playing together.

Houston Trip

2009-12-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

Early in November, Marc and I took a trip to Houston to visit my sister and her family. What a fun visit!

On our way to the Battleship Texas and San Jacinto Monument. We had to take a ferry across. I had never been on one and it was a rather strange feeling .

My sister and I as we cross the water.

Love these kids! They were sooo much fun to play with! Can't wait to see them next summer.

This little one just took to Marc. It was adorable!

Once a little boy, always a little boy.

In front of the Battleship Texas.

Look at those guns!

The mosquitoes were terrible!!!

Anytime you want to come visit, Amberlee, you're definitely welcome!!! We loved our massages!

The soccer star! Eight-year-olds playing soccer = good times.

Beautiful Houston sunset. I loved the weather!

Disney DDR. You notice no children around, just adults. We pretty much rocked it!

Thanks for letting us come visit!

The good pictures were taken and edited by my sister, Carla.

I sure love this guy...

2009-12-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

...and his willingness to play dress up and be silly with me.

Halloween murder mystery 2009

Marc was Frankenstein.

I was a researcher (not super creative on my costume, sorry).

the happiest place on earth

2009-10-23T02:51:00.001-07:00

Marc finally has experienced Disneyland. We had such a great time. One day at Disneyland, one at California Adventure, and one at Huntington Beach. Here are a few pics from the trip.

murphey bed=terrible sleep (but makes for a nice pose from Marc)

our first ride. can you see how excited Marc is to head into the temple of doom?

me tarzan. you jane.
does anyone else miss swiss family robison, though?

my favorite ride. i don't know if marc appreciated it as much.

hey...

i love 3D films

classic pose, had to be done

this is what you get wearing flip flops in a place like disneyland

the one day we go to the beach, and you can't hardly see the ocean. made for cool pics, though.

ahhhh, isn't he cute?

you've had a birthday, shout HOORAY!!!

2009-10-23T02:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Marc,
I had so much fun celebrating your birthday with you. What a lucky girl I am to have such a wonderful man in my life! There are so many things I love about you. I love your kind heart and your cheerful personality. You are so outgoing and everyone always feels at ease with you around (despite your large stature that may seem intimidating to some). I love your crazy sense of humor. Sometimes I don't always laugh, but that doesn't mean I'm not laughing on the inside. I love what a great shopping partner you are, probably the best I've ever had. You give me your honest opinion and it's really you who I'm trying to impress. I love when I get home from a long days work to find the dishes done, the carpet vacuumed, and the laundry done. I love climbing into bed in the morning with you after a night shift and falling asleep in your arms. I love smelling your calogne on the seat belt when I drive the car. I love when you surprise me at work and come just to say hi. I love your determination. Once you start a project, there's no stopping you until it's done. I love that my friends love you almost more than me. I love how much you love kids. I'm so happy you'll be the father of my children. I hope they all look just like you (but maybe start out a bit smaller). I love your long eyelashes and wiggly ears. I love your hugs and your sweet kisses. I love how safe you make me feel. I love how you never get mad at me, even when I'm cranky or snappy (which is way more than I want it to be, but I'm working on it). You just listen to me patiently and help me work through my moodiness. I love our prayers and FHE. I love going to church with you. I love to hear you bare your testimony. You have such a strong testimony and so much faith. You make me want to be a better person by your example. I love how much you love to serve. I love that I get to spend eternity with you. I love you more than words can express. Thanks for being you. Happy birthday, love!
Your adoring wife

I think he likes it.

I wanted to get him a cake from So Cupcake, but they weren't accepting orders for that day anymore. So I went out and got a mold and made a cake myself. It was a hit.

I hope his wish comes true.

GIVEAWAY!!!

2009-10-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

My sister, Kati, is one amazing photographer. She did our engagements and bridals and is now taking on new clients. She has her blog page up and running and is doing a giveaway for one of her prints. Go to her site and check it out!

http://photosbykati.blogspot.com/

Remember this announcement? Well, Kati took all of the pictures and designed it, too. We couldn't have done our wedding without her!

goodbye, old friend, you shall be missed

2009-10-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

That's right. After a year of being on the market, we finally sold the truck. It's a blessing, but also very sad. We have some really good memories in that truck. Even I got pretty attached. We're looking for something smaller and cheaper, but in the meantime have become a one-car family. It's pretty complicated. Every night before we go to bed, we have to plan out exactly how we're going to get around. I hope we find something soon.

Notice anything different?

2009-09-23T16:57:00.001-07:00

Besides the fact that I think Marc has gotten more handsome since the day we were married, do you notice anything different between these two pictures? Look closely...

If you noticed that Marc no longer has braces in the second picture, then you're one smart cookie! Marc got them off over a month ago, but didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I thought it my duty to show him off, though. Doesn't he look great!? It was a long road, but worth it. I'm sure glad we didn't wait to get them off to get married, though (which we considered for a while).

I take it all back...

2009-08-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

I want it to get very cold. I want it to freeze, and I want it to freeze hard. I want all the bugs to die. I came home from shopping today and found this next to my door in my garage. Needless to say, I do not like bugs, especially giant man-killing spiders.

reunions and reminiscing

2009-08-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

This is the first week of school for Marc after a nice little vacation between semesters. I used to always get so excited about fall for the new semester in school and new adventures. But I also remember how sad I was for the summer to end. I must admit, I had some awesome summers in Idaho. I remember late night swims to Monkey Rock, ice cream overloads at the drive-in, bachelor parties (not much has changed), and much more. Idaho summers are pretty much magical. This year I don't have a new school year to look forward to. Life kind of changes as you get older. Or i guess you could say it doesn't change. I've been pretty sad these past few weeks for summer to end. Ask Marc. We've had a lot of fun this summer. A couple of weeks ago, we were lucky enough to head up to Idaho for a girls reunion with my high school girlfriends. It was so great to see them all and get to know their families better. Most of them had only met Marc for a few minutes at our wedding. These girls mean so much to me! They were there through some of the hardest times of my life. And we're still good friends! I miss not being able to see them every day. We definitely need to keep up this reunion tradition!

We missed not having Nikki. She had just had a beautiful baby girl only a few weeks before! Next year, Nikki!

The girls and their families.

happy anniversary!

2009-08-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we celebrated our one year anniversary. What a wonderful year it has been! I feel so blessed to have found Marc and to have him for eternity. Everyday I am amazed by his love and kindness he gives me. I can't wait to see what the next year brings! I love you, babe!

we were pretty excited to be married

it was a perfect day

our backyard reception was just what i had dreamed of

our celebration one year later

That afternoon we went to Cirque du Soleil. It was mindboggling! I still get nervous for those trapeze artists just thinking about it. Definitely a must see.

We went to The Roof for dinner. It was DELICIOUS! Marc discovered his passion for creme brulee. I had the most exquisite pomegranate Italian soda ever.

oh how i miss you, london

2009-08-04T00:59:00.000-07:00

I saw this on a blog (while blogstalking late on a night shift) and fell in love with it. I've really been missing London lately. Sometimes I tell people I left half my heart in London. Mostly I wanted to post this picture so I could have it on my blog forever and look it at when I wanted to remember the wonderful memories it holds. Also, now you all (or the few people who read this) can enjoy London through this picture as well.

my brother the star!!!

2009-07-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

I just need to brag a little bit about my awesome little brother. He is starring in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starting tomorrow at the Scera Theater in Orem. His wife, Camille, will also be performing. They both have such amazing voices and it should be an awesome show. I'm so proud of them both! You should definitely go if you're in town. Click on the poster to enlarge it and see showtime information.

in honor of the new harry potter movie this week...

2009-07-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

thanks jenny for introducing us to this brilliantly funny movie!

happy late birthday to me

2009-06-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little behind on this blog, but better late than never. Marc was soooo sweet for my birthday. I turned the big 2-5! And we celebrated with birthday week. Each day was something new. We went bowling, ate cupcakes, enjoyed beautiful flowers, went to see Star Trek, ate delicious chocolate, and partied with friends and family. It was a great week! Thanks to everyone for your birthday wishes and especially thanks to my awesome husband, Marc, for making it a great birthday! I love you! He couldn't decide between the two bouquets, so he got both.

Marc got me these shoes along with two dresses. Everything was a hit! I'm so lucky to have a husband who has great taste and knows what I like.

My gigantic chocolate cake. One of my greatest fears in life is that my hair will catch fire and I'll become bald.
You'll notice me protecting my hair from the flames.

Happy 4th of July!

a little early, I know, but a holiday this happy should be celebrated more than one day a year

Beautiful holiday cupcakes made by yours truely. My sisters got me a fabulous cupcake kit for my birthday. They know what makes me happy. Banana chocolate....yum!

HOORAY for the return of circus animals!!!

2009-05-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

I don't know if anyone else was as devastated as I was when Mother's Cookies went out of business last year, but it was a pretty sad day for me. I've always loved them. Another brand tried to pick them up and copy the delightful frosted shortbread cookie, but they were nowhere near as good. Last Friday when I went grocery shopping, they magically had returned to the shelves. Of course I had to buy them. And then four people ate the entire bag within a matter of minutes (I'm pretty sure I ate about 1/3 of the bag). I have not been that happy in a long time. Thank you Mother's Cookies!

love this....

2009-05-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

what we've been up to...

2009-05-20T03:37:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since our last post, so here's a little photo diary of what we've been up to.

eating delicious cupcakes from so cupcake

making chocolate ice cream bowls

hanging out with neices and nephews
Claire

Avery

Marc with David

flying kites

hanging out at dinosaur museums

building dinosaurs

Marc pretending not to be intimidated

hanging out with old college roomies
Cheryl and her adorable daughter

spending lovely sunday afternoons on temple square

taking trips to lake powell
my impressive husband-he is way cooler than me

my adorable feet

is it broken?

sure looks like it to me

top 5 things we'll laugh about when we look back on lake powell trip 10 years from now:

1. losing keys in lake, with no spare keys to spare

2. windy weather = choppy water

3. water so cold my feet turned to popsicles (yes, this is the only part of my body that entered the lake)

4. driving to st. george because we thought marc's arm was broken

5. flat tire on ride home

top 5 things about lake powell trip that make me smile now:

1. shooting stars

2. good company = good laughs

3. my first time seeing my husband wakeboard (he is awesome and I love how much he loves it)

4. marc's arm NOT being broken (just extremely bruised and painfully sore)

5. yummy food

i am amazing

2009-04-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

It's moments like these that make me sooooo happy and give me hope that I will be able to survive the future. I figured out (completely on my own, I might add, without calling a brother or brother-in-law to help) how to get my computer speakers to work. We recently got a new computer and I had some old speakers that we were going to use. When we plugged them in, though....no sound. I've noticed that Brett, my brother, turns to the internet when he has a question. So I thought I would too. Don't you all just love google? My favorite thing to do is type in a question and then the recognition bar opens up underneath like it knows exactly what you're thinking. Well, I typed in "how to get my speakers to work on my new computer" and I found a helpful answer. I fiddled around for a few moments, and voila!, it works. If I can get computer speakers to work, I can do anything.

i'm going to miss this commercial

2009-04-11T03:47:00.000-07:00

Every time I saw this commercial, I would literally laugh out loud. It makes me smile just to think about it. Just ask Marc. He'll tell you how much I love it. I really don't know why, though. I like the line "beat it kid". A couple of days ago, though, I saw a new AT&T commercial, which means this one won't be on TV anymore. I thought I'd post it so I can view it anytime I want. And then you all can enjoy it, too.

p.s. just so you know, i'm not even with at&t. this is not a plug for them at all. i just honestly love the commercial.

Newest Addition to our Family

2009-03-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

My sister Kati had her twins today, David and Avery. Everyone is doing well. You can check out their blog linked to ours and see some adorable pics. Congratulations!

i will someday learn how to blog

2009-03-27T00:59:00.000-07:00

for those of you who read our blog, you will notice there have been some changes lately.
i am trying to simplify things and make it look less cluttered,
but it is more tricky than i thought. i hope someday it will get easier.

obviously, i'm not too computer savvy.
it took me four days to figure out how to change the background.
tonight while suffering from slight boredom at work, though, i have discovered all sorts of amazing gadgets available in the blogging world.
such as pacman, which is now available anytime a day for you lucky blog readers.

enjoy!

Haircut Day

2009-03-21T21:56:00.001-07:00

Marc and I went to get our hair cut today from his fabulous friend, Mindee. I think she did a pretty good job. And Marc was patient and wonderful enough to sit through my hair being done and even gave very helpful input.

Yes, it's true. I got bangs. I have mixed feelings about this. Although I think they look great, I know they'll be a lot more work. But I was so ready for a change. And this is definitely a change. (Please ignore the long, distorted arms. That's what you get when you take your own pictures.)

Aren't we cute? I just love this man!

A Cure for Spring Fever...Just What the Doctor Ordered

2009-03-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

On our way to Vegas last weekend while enjoying a GORGEOUS afternoon. We were so ready for a warm weekend away. Here's Marc acting as pilot and I'm his navigator.

Here is evidence of Marc's large lung capacity showing his ability to blow huge bubbles...maybe made of glass.

The Paris in the background. We decided that Las Vegas is the most unique city in the entire world. Where else can you go to see world landmarks from across the entire globe located within a mile of eachother? And what other city would design buildings in the shape of the New York City skyline?

The water show at the Bellagio was my favorite part of the whole weekend. I had never seen it before and was in amazement. It just made me happy to watch. I think Marc and I saw it 4 times. Definitely worth going to Vegas just to see that.

We went to see a variety show at Planet Hollywood. Since it was first come, first serve for seating, we got there rather early and had to wait in line. Marc appears to be a little bored.

I very much enjoyed FAO Schwartz. Although, I feel like their inventory was slightly disappointing compared to the last time I was there. But the candy was most definitely not disappointing.

We took a tour inside the power plant part of Hoover Dam. When the guide asked if we had any questions, Marc piped up with "Where is Megatron?" You can see where our priorities lie.

Hoover Dam was very impressive. It's not that far away and was a fun little day trip.

TOUCHDOWN!

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

2009-03-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

I love St. Patrick's Day! Things I love about or associated with St. Patrick's Day:
1-Green
2-Wearing Green
3-Parades
4-Corned beef and cabbage
5-Darby O'Gill and the Little People (If you haven't seen this show, you should!)
6-Spring
7-Four leaf clovers
8-Luck
9-Ireland (I haven't been, but someday I will)
10-Dyeing food green for the holiday (ie eggs, pancakes, frosting, bacon [yes, i've tried this one before...it doesn't work])
11-Leprechauns
12-Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow
See all the wonderful things about St. Patrick's Day?! I just can't help but smile today;)

10 Signs I've Been at Work Too Long

2009-03-04T01:40:00.000-08:00

1. I have absolutely no idea what day of the week or month it is. This is my 4th night shift in a row. I started working on Saturday, February 28 and have worked (what seems like straight) until today, Wednesday, March 3. I mean 4. See what I mean?
2. I can't remember my name anymore. Yesterday morning, I called a coworker on the vocera (kind of like a walkie-talkie). When she asked what my last name was so she could call me back, I immediately responded with "Diana Millar...oh wait. Diana DeGraff." She probably thought I was a moron. Who doesn't know their own name?
3. I have started three different books. I really love to read, but on night shifts, you need something pretty captivating to keep you awake. I've made it halfway through one book, a quarter through another, and then started another.
4. I have exhausted all of my regular internet browsing sites 4 times over. You have no idea how much I look forward to everyone updating their blogs. I feel semi-connected with the world as I'm stuck here at work when I can see what everyone else is doing in their much more exciting lives.
5. I can't remember how to spell simple words such as roll or humble.
6. As soon as thoughts enter my mind, they immediately leave. I'll walk into the store room to grab an item and have to stand there for 5 minutes before I remember what I came to get.
7. The highlight of my day is that I had potato munchers (pretty much tator tots with melted cheese in the middle-soooo good!) for lunch (which actually takes place at 1 a.m.)
8. For the first time in my life, I craved Top Ramen and ate it...twice! The delirium is obviously setting in.
9. I haven't actually seen daylight for more than about 6 hours over the last 4 days.
10. I've done more sudoku in the last 4 days than I have in the last 4 months. And as of now, I can no longer accomplish the easy level without cheating.

Random happenings...

2009-02-22T19:56:00.000-08:00

Our friend, Kara, recently left on her mission to Peru. Here we are at her farewell in Delta, Utah. I've never been there before, and most likely will never go there again. In some ways it reminded me of my hometown with how small it was. It was really fun to see Kara all ready to go out and serve the Lord. She's going to be great.

This is a date night we had during the month of February: decorating sugar cookies. We ate a lot of sugar that night. The funnest topping we had was pop rocks. As you put them on, they started popping and then occassionally did the rest of the night. They not only looked great, but were delicious!

We just painted our kitchen a color called cranberry zing. Here are a few pictures so you all can view our hard work (mostly Marc's hard work). I think it turned out awesome.

This week, I was called to jury duty. Okay, really, it was a summons. I've never been to one before and didn't know what to expect at all. Luckily, it landed on a day I had off. I called the night before to see if I had to go in, and of course I did. Well, I thought all that it entailed was a trip to the courthouse, a movie, and a series of questions. What I didn't realize was that I would be taken into the courtroom with the judge, defendent, and prosecutor. They had all the jurors answer a series of questions which lasted about half an hour, then had us all leave to deliberate. When we returned, they chose four of the twenty people there, which I was not one of. It was a drunk driver case and I was wearing my BYU sweatshirt that day. Do you think that had something to do with me not being chosen? I guess I'll never know. It would've been interesting to be part of it, but I have to admit, I was kind of relieved not to be chosen. I had a lot to do that day. A very interesting experience, though.

One last thought, I want to change our background for the blog, but don't know where to look. Does anyone have any suggestions? Have a great week everyone!

A frosty plunge

2009-01-19T19:53:00.001-08:00

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-11T04:21:00.001-08:00

This new template is to help me embrace and love this winter season. Snow is beautiful and I absolutely love it....that is I love it until after the holidays. It seems like there's not much to look forward to once New Year's is over. When January arrives, I just want the sun to shine and to feel some warmth. Instead, I'm usually hit by the winter blues. I credit this a lot to being inside most of the day and never seeing the sun. During college, I was always either going to class, studying, or in clinicals. Now, I'm just working lots. Sometimes, especially when I work multiple night shifts in a row, I don't see the sun for days. But this year, I'm determined to make January a fabulous month! The picture at top is to remind me how lovely winter is and to love it. Please tell me why you love January.

Childhood memories relived

2009-01-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

A couple nights ago while Marc and I were on our way out, I was walking down the stairs with my hand on the railing when it snagged on a rough part of the wood. I examined my hand and found that I had a nice little cut on my finger which hurt quite a bit, but there was no permanent damage. Later that night as I was getting ready for bed, my finger still hurt quite a bit and was red and swollen. After washing my hands and looking closer at the cut, I realized I had a deep sliver next to the cut. I tried to get it out on my own, but quickly became frustrated. Marc took my hand and the needle and got to work. Memories from my childhood flashed through my mind of summers going barefoot and many, many slivers being removed by my mother. We almost didn't find it, but Marc was able to locate it eventually after some very painful moments of digging. It was very deep. After all of these years, it still really hurts to have a sliver removed. But one thing has changed: I didn't cry this time. Marc was very sweet and careful and prevented a lot of misery from occuring later. Isn't that ironic that we have to go through pain now to prevent greater pain later? I think that lesson can be applied to a lot of things in life.

2008 Slideshow Review

2009-01-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

Courtship and Weddings

2008-12-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, Marc and I went on a date and I thought I'd share some fun pictures from it. One of our favorite places to go for treats is called So Cupcake. For those of you who haven't been, it's absolutely delicious. It's on Highland Drive and anyone in the Salt Lake valley should definitely try it. Don't they just look amazing!? They taste even better.

After cupcakes, we went miniature golfing. Here is Marc demonstrating a very fluid swing. Even with cheating, I still lost to his mad skills.

Here I am lining up my shot. It didn't help.

NAUVOO

Last weekend, we had the privelage of going to Nauvoo to witness my younger brothers wedding. It was Marc's first time in Nauvoo, so we decided to walk around a bit. Marc and I are posing as Joseph and Emma in the Statue Garden.

Marc has ancestors that lived in Nauvoo. This is the house of his great-great-great grandpa.

Here is a picture of his grandpa. You've got to love the beard.

This is the Nauvoo temple where Jason was married. As you can see, it's a beautiful day. Too bad it was freezing cold. Jason and Camille were out taking pictures at 8 a.m. It was 18 degrees, but definitely felt colder.

Me and my sisters, Kati and Carla. We were doing all we could to keep our minds off the cold.

The happy couple. Aren't they cute!?

This statue is of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in front of the Nauvoo temple. You can barely see the Mississippi River in the background. Nauvoo was a fun place to visit, full of history. I would suggest maybe visiting in the spring or fall, though.

DANCING BABY

My neice, Adie, loves to dance right now. Any time she hears music, she busts out dancing. Here are a few clips we got while babysitting her this week.

Tagged! Crazy 8's

2008-11-19T00:39:00.000-08:00

Just to warn you all, I'm doing this at 2 in the morning on my third night shift in a row. It may be a little silly. But that may make it funner, right?

Shows I watch:

The Office
Dancing With The Stars
Jon and Kate Plus Eight (I can name all 8 kids; sad, huh?)
What I Like About You (A new favorite of mine, quite a silly teen show)
Friends Re-Runs
What Not To Wear
World News
Sports (mostly because Marc has it on)

Favorite Restaurants:

Cafe Rio
Paradise Bakery
Pei Wei
Rumbie Island Grill
Macaronni Grill
St. Martin-In-The-Fields Church restaurant (this church in London has a restaurant in the basement and it has some fabulous food; I still think about it ocassionally)
Fiest Ole - my girlfriends in high school and I used to go here almost every day; last year I discovered there's one only a couple miles away and I have since frequented it often. Soft bean burrito and a side of ranch...YUM!
Chili's - this is kind of a family favorite, we go there often; i love the chocolate molton lava cake

Things that happened yesterday

Read a book while at work
Drew some blood while at work
Road TRAX home from work
Did load of laundry
Slept for 8 hours
Got up and ready for the day at 4:30 pm
Marc drove me to work
Gave lots of pain medicine to my patients at work (do we see a lot of work going on yesterday?)

Things I look forward to:

Seeing my little brother get married this weekend
Having my whole family in the temple for the last sibling's wedding
Having a family with my fabulous hubby someday
Christmas! It's the most wonderful time of the year (and I don't have to work it this year)
Marc not having to go to school and work at the same time (that boy works way too hard!)
Moving out of Utah someday (I love it here, but it would be fun to have a change. We all know I like to travel)
Traveling with Marc (Oh, yes. Someday we will go to Europe together, and I can't wait!)
A few days off of work. After this night shift, I don't work again for a week. Wahoo!

Things on my wish list:

A shopping spree to H & M
All our debt paid off
A yard
A puppy
World peace
Super powers - I have always wanted to be able to fly like superman
To see the Taj Mahal
Open my own used bookshop someday

8 People I Tag:

Brett M
Kati S
Lisa D
Cheryl K
Kellee M
Katie W
Marc D (maybe this will inspire my husband to get on our blog and contribute)
Katie F

Winter Wonderland

2008-11-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

When I woke up this morning, I was thrilled to see the world blanketed in a fresh layer of snow. This surprised me since I wasn't excited for winter at all. I felt like I missed summer completely with all of the wedding planning and was really enjoying the warm weather. But as I looked out the window and saw nothing but white, all I could do was smile. I love this time of year. I love the snow and how it makes everything look so clean and beautiful. When you walk outside, the world is so quiet and you feel like the snow is a gift just for you. I've been listening to Christmas music for days now, much to my husband's dismay. But with the snow here, it officially feels like the holidays. Happy snow day everyone!

TRAX Fight

2008-10-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

We're lucky enough to live right next to a TRAX station. And since the train goes directly to my hospital I work at, I've been taking full advantage of riding it to work. It takes longer, but saves money on gas. And since I know Marc really would rather drive my malibu all day long instead of his big beasty truck, I leave it for him. (Really we're just trying to avoid driving the gas hog of a truck) Well, tonight on my way to work, I had turned my IPOD on like usual to listen to my book when all of a sudden I heard a commotion going on behind me. I turned around to see a homeless man and a punk teenager fighting. In jumps an undercover cop to break it up. There was a lot of yelling and shoving, but he eventually was able to seperate them. The cop then informed them they would both be getting off at the next station and then called for back up to pick them up at the station. After shoving them off the train, he then proceeded to gather eye witness accounts of what happened. I don't really know what started it all, but had to laugh at the funny things that go on on the train. Now that the weather is turning colder, I'm sure I'll see many more homeless people riding to keep warm. Although there is only a small free fair zone, it seems they just ride it all day long. I like riding the train, minus the fact that sometimes it makes me motion sick. But it sure gives me some good stories to tell.

Picnics, Parties and Presents

2008-10-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so nice this week that we decided we had to take advantage of it before the nasty winter came upon us. I made a picnic last night and we went to Sugarhouse Park to enjoy some rays. What a wonderful way to spend a Friday evening!

Here we are together in the sunshine. I'm sure one of our last warm days of the year.

The big 2-8!!!

Marc turned 28 on October 10. He normally wouldn't make a big deal out of his birthday, but now that he's married, I get to do that.

Blowing out candles. I hope his wish came true.

Marc playing dress up in my friends scarf. Doesn't he look pretty!

Opening presents. He pretty much knew everything I was getting him. I'm not good at surprises.

a very cultural weekend

2008-09-23T20:13:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was full of culture for Marc and I starting out with Cats at the Capital Theater on Thursday. There is a picture of us all dressed up outside the theater below. I don't know if any of you have seen Cats before, but it was about the strangest musical we've ever seen. Neither of us really knew what was going on. And it just screams 80's from the leggings, pelvic thrusts, and synthesizer. If any of you can clue me in as to what this musical was about or why it was such a hit for so long, please help me out.
Friday was our next cultural event at the UMFA where we saw the exhibit Monet to Picasso. It was absolutely fabulous. I felt for a few minutes like I was back in London where I would go see Monet's and Picasso's daily.
Saturday my family and I went to see my younger brother, Jason, perform in Beauty and the Beast. He played Gaston and the Prince. The best part was the huge wig he had to wear as Gaston. It was hilarious! Definitely worth the drive down south.
After Cats, we went over to my old house to see my friend Kara open her mission call. She's going to Peru in January. I'm so excited for her and know she's going to be an amazing missionary!
Sunday we went to Temple Square. We've both spent waaaay too much time inside working these past few weeks. We've had such beautiful weather lately and thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon outdoors.

My cute hubbie after a hard days work. He looks pretty tired. And like an obedient husband he is keeping his feet off the couch :)

One CRAZY summer...

2008-09-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

It has been 56 days since our last post. We've been a bit busy with planning a wedding, family trips, visiting with friends, getting married, working, and buying a townhouse. But I now have pictures to show off from our wonderful wedding day. It all happened on August 8 in Idaho. We were married at 11:30 in the Idaho Falls temple surrounded by family and friends. It was followed by a reception that evening in Grant in my mother's beautiful back yard. I couldn't have asked for a better day. It was by far the most incredible day of my life. Here are some highlights of the day thanks to my wonderful brother, Brett.

Independence Day

2008-07-15T00:03:00.000-07:00

I've always said Idaho has the most beautiful sunsets. This picture was taken from the car window on our way home for the holiday weekend. Once again, Idaho proved itself by providing us with a remarkable view.

On the Fourth of July, we got up bright and early at 4:30 am to drive to Driggs for the hot air balloon launching. Although it was quite the early morning, it was well worth it. It was pretty cool to see all the balloons lifting off. We were literally withing feet of the flames. I would definitely recommend this for whomever happens to be in the area next fourth.

Marc looks pretty excited about the balloons.

Here we are with the Tetons behind us as the sun is rising. Driggs is such a beautiful place; we decided Marc should quit his job and become a forrest ranger and I'll find a job somewhere nearby, too.

Here is another spectacular view of the Tetons. Someday I AM going to hike to the top of the Grand.

Marc looking all stylish in my shades while we waited in the blistering sun for the Rexburg parade to start.

I know my birthday was well over a month ago, but as I was looking through pics tonight, I found these of my party. My roommate Alyson made the biggest, pinkest, coolest cake ever. I just thought everyone should be able to view this man-made wonder.

Here I am blowing out my candles. My wish came true. Just a few days later, Marc and I announced our engagement. What a fabulous birthday present!

Engagement Photos

2008-06-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

My sister, Kati, took our engagement pictures this week at President's Circle at the University of Utah. They turned out awesome! She's becoming such an amazing photographer and I'm so grateful to her for helping us out. But she had some handsome specimens to shoot, so it probably wasn't too hard ;)

A few more engagement pics

2008-06-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

My first posting

2008-06-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

I have never been interested in having a website devoted to myself. Facebook has never appealed to me. I figured I would stand strong and rage against the machine by actually calling my friends instead of reading about them online. Recently I have realized how difficult this actually is. Life gets more hectic and crazy by the day, making it seemingly impossible to stay in touch with everyone I'd like to. Therefore, I have succombed to the everyday pressures of online journaling and decided to create our own webpage. "Our" meaning Marc and I. Yes, it is finally official...we are getting married on August 8, 2008 in the Idaho Falls Temple at 11:30 am. I know this probably doesn't come as a surprise for most of you, but it has now been announced. We are very excited. For those of you who have never met Marc or I, there will be pictures posted soon so you can enjoy our beautiful faces whenever you want. We are having my sister, Kati, take our engagement shots next week and I'm sure they'll turn out fabulous. She's absolutely a magician with the camera. So I know the page may look sparse for now, but this is just my first day on the job. Keep checking for exciting updates!