VALENTINEY'S DAY!

Valentine's day by far has got to be one of my favorite holidays Ever! I am the biggest romantic fool and I love the color pink and hearts!( If you have ever seen my wedding ring, its a heart shaped ring with diamonds and rubies...enough said he he) So needless to say I think Valentine's Day was made for people like me!

Anyway this Valentine's day started out a little rough...I found out that I had to work literally ALL day from 730 am to 10pm and to make it worse James was going to be "on-call" for his job all weekend...so I was pretty bummed that we were going to spend all V-day apart...I was going to surprise James with a trip to New York, to go go to Central Park and take a carriage ride and then go to the empire state building and dance bachata up there and end the night with a romantic dinner. I was really upset when I found out James' work was making him work all day and night. So I had to quickly change my plans for that day. I figured since I was going to be apart from him all day I would make him little Valentine's day packages throughout the day to remind him I loved him. SO I got together 7 small packages ( 1 for every 2 hours) and put it in his car with specific instructions. At nine I told him to open one package that had homemade cookies, the second package at 11 had his fav. energy drink and a snack to help him make it throughout the day. at O1 he opened his fav. lunch, PB and J sandwhiches cut into hearts with chocolate milk and cheetos. At three I gave him a bunch of kisses ( the chocolates) at five I gave him his fav candy bars and at 7 I gave him SkullCandy Earphones to "remind" him of the trip I owed him to NY and the last thing he opened was a huge chocolate dipped apple. It was really fun making notes to go with the packages and surprising him each 2 hours till we were together. I also woke up at the butt crack of dawn to make him his fav breakfast. I love doing things for my amazing husband!

I was very spoiled on v-day. James surprised me with tulips at my work and then took me out on sunday to the most amazing restaurant. He surprised me and took me to Log Haven up in millcreek canyon...It was absolutly PERFECT! The atmosphere was soooo romantic and it was soo pretty up there! Oh and not to mention the food was to die for! We both had the Petite Caesar Salad, Grilled New York steak w/green peppercorn butter, glace de viande, aligot potatoes and broiled Maine lobster tail with drawn butter and for dessert I had the most amazing chocolate tart and james had the most incredable creme brulee. I thought Valentine's day was going to be a disaster, but it turned out to be one of the best. I love you baby! thank you so much!

How was your v-day?

* UPDATE*

So we have had a couple of exciting things happen this week. The first, I finally got rid of my car!!! I was sooo excited! Not that I didn't like my car, its a wonderful car and it has been good to me, but I was wasting SOOO much money monthly keeping that car. I had no choice a couple of years ago to get into a lease with my car. I bought my altima brand new and man was that ever a mistake. I've practically been renting my car for about 400 bucks a month. I've been looking for a way to get out of my lease but because the car had lost so much value, No matter what option I looked into I would have to fork out about 4000 dollars to get rid of it or trade it in. I just felt it was pointless to keep paying 400 dollars towards a car I wasn't even going to keep. SO I started working part time at Carmax. I am SOO blessed I was able to find that job. Because of it I was able to buy a honda accord that is worth about 9000$ for only 5000 bucks....which made it possible for me to trade in my car and because I got such a good deal it was able to eat my negative equity. SO I just traded in my 06 Nissan for an 03 Accord which will save me 4000$ plus 200 dollars monthly! I was SOOO Happy I found such an amazing deal!! and even thought my car is a little older, I LOVE IT! This will definatly help us out for the future!!

This week we also had the opportunity to go to Cancun with Rachy and Kris....It was a total blast!We went there for a total of 4 day, and even though it rained one of the days....It was amazing and I am totally bummed to be back.... I'll post some pictures and go over some of the activities we got to do...

A NEW YEAR!!!!!

Yeah so I am a little late! But Happy New Years Everyone!! Hope you all had an amazing New Years! We have had an amazing year and are so excited for the adventures that 2009 has in store for us!

Wow so I've really been slacking with our blog.....this blogging thing is a lot harder than it seems! But anyway, here are some pictures highlighting the Holiday season in '08.

Looking back at this year I can't help but have this overwhelming feeling of gratitude. We have been blessed tremendously! Everytime I feel like we're not going to make it the Lord always has his ways of showing you he is there and everything will be ok. We have been lucky enough to travel a lot this year and just live life to the fullest! I am truly grateful for having such an amazing Husband! He's made me the happiest woman on earth and I couldn't ask for anyone better to spend my life with. ( and babe if you ever read this thank you for making my life so amazing! You are the reason I smile everyday! Thank you for being my sunshine! I love you!! Eres mi vida, mi todo, mi amor y mi mejor amigo! Te amo chiquito lindo!)



We've been able to create some amazing memories and at the same time overcome some hardships that have brought us closer together. We're starting out the new year both working and both trying to go to school, James is still working for US bank as a personal banker and I am still working at Jetblue. I have however started working at Carmax to try and help James finish school. I love it there! James has two semesters left in school and I still have forever ;) We are still living in Sandy in our cute 4 bd apartment, and plan on being there for the next year or so.We plan on possibly buying a home in 2010 but there is no real rush. We are really enjoying the benefits of having our parents as landlords :) Thank you Becky and Gene for helping us out so we can one day afford our own home!Lets see I am trying to think of anyother news we have for this new year...oh Yes, Angela and Nate just announced they are expecting a second addition to their family. I am soo excited for them! and I can't wait! Audrey is almost two and she is such a little joy! It just makes me excited, but nerv0us for the future and our future family....For now, James, Patches and I wish you all a happy new year! May all your dreams and goals come true!

Life's up and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals. Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want.

*OUR NEW ADDITION*

PATCHES

No No this isn't some way of annoucing we're having a baby ;) he he, but we are adding a member to our family for a while. We got a little beagle/benji mix. He is the cutest little thing, but boy is he a handful. I haven't taken care of a puppy for about 2 years and I had totally forgotten how much work they are!

We decided on this breed because when James was little he grew up next to a dog just like him. And his name was patches, so thats also why we decided to call him Patches jr.

He is a good dog but just like any puppy, he makes his good share of mistakes. When I trained my other dog I had crate trained him and that was SUPER easy! Its been a challenge with patches because when he was born up until the time he bought him he had been training with a doggy door. So needless to say we've had quite a bit of accidents by the door. He's really good at telling us he need to go but by the time we get to the door since there is no doggy door he goes ;( he also HATED his crate! This was a HUGE issue when we first got him, he is such a loving dog and he always wants to be around you that when we have to go and we have to put him in his cage, he stresses out and almost always pees in his cage. I was actually watching the dog whisperer( go figure....I wish I was like him...he's amazing) and he gave me the best tip ever! I wouldn't think something so simple and easy could just patches behavior. All I had to do was start feeding him in his crate and put a comfortable bed in his crate and he would never have another accident.....and guess what it WORKED! its amazing! everyone else was telling me that his cage was too big and I had to crame him into a smaller cage big enough for him to barely move....I felt bad....I guess all he needed was a bigger, nicer cage!

But needless to say its been quite an adventure with him....he does the silliest things and its really made me realize something.....WE ARE SOOO NOT READY FOR A CHILD! he he he ......having a puppy is like having a baby.....its a full time responsibility and its been hard for us! I am definatly not use to getting up in the middle of the night when he is whinning to take him to go potty,......but we love em any! he's a smart dog, which makes it harder for us to train him( you'd think it be easier, but he's too smart to be tricked into things he he) We'll see how everything turns out.....hopefully we'll have a well behaved caring dog at the end of all this.....

First day at our Home

Halloween ;) as a cowboy

Another Halloween outfit...devil and angel

He Loves playing FETCH he he he

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

So Halloween has got to be one of our favorite holidays! Its the only time people are allowed to run around dressed up like freaks and stuff their faces with sweets and get away with it ;) Unforntunatly this year we're not prepared! It seemed Halloween snuck up on us way to fast! Halloween is today and I don't even have a costume ha ha ;( I tried to get a costume last night at walmart...ha ha...wow that was a joke....I guess the whole world is in the same boat I am in. I actually found a really cute costume and some chick seriously just took it right out of my hands....I honestly didn't want to fight over a costume, but let me tell ya, people were fighting for their lives....it was pretty funny! I can't wait to see what Christmas is like! YIKES!

So since we didn't have time to be creative and get a costumes, we had to hurry and throw things together..... James decided to use his new 3 piece suit I got him for his birthday and a fidora and be a 1930's gangter....He looks cute! I wanted to be a cute little flapper girl that would match with what he was wearing, but someone stole the costume from me at walmart! he he....so I went through some of my old boxes and found some devil horns and a tail and decided to be a devil girl??? Not crazy about it, but what makes it cute is I was able to snag a little devil custome for our little beagle patches, so he makes my outfit complete! its adorable! But he HATES the thing! Its funny most dogs would sit there and try to take it off or shake it off, but he just sits there and whines! Its kinda cute but sad...he looks up at me like...why are you doing this to me!

I realized Holidays can be a lot more exciting when you are a kid! I mean for halloween you get to go trick or treating ( not saying adults can't...but well you get the point) When you are young Christmas is better because you still believe in Santa....It just makes me think how much fun I am going to have with my kids one day during the holidays.....For now we will steal our nieces and nephews and have fun with them!

I would totally post pictures of our lame halloween customes, but we just realized we lost our battery charger for our camera in Ireland! How LAME!!!

ANYWHO HAPPY HALLOWEEN! BE SAFE!

SURPRISE BIRTHDAY!

So last Saturday (Oct. 25th) was James' 23rd birthday! I decided I would try to give him the Ultimate surprise.....I planned a week trip to Ireland behind his back and surprised him for his birthday! Believe me this was NOT easy! I am SOOO horrible at keeping secrets so this was soo hard for me! So a couple of weeks agoI called his boss and told her I was trying to plan a trip to Ireland and I asked her if she could give him the week off. She was soo amazign about it, and was able to approve the week off for james! At this point James had NO IDEA what was going on. I talked to Deborah and we both planned out the week in Ireland....we would be staying in Allen and Vi's Guesthouse!!! So I bought the tickets and told james that the weekend before his birthday we would be taking a weekend trip to New York because I found a killer deal on a hotel. His boss told him she couldn't give him any days off for his birhtday because he had not earned enought vacation hours :) he he so he was all bummed that we couldn't go anywhere big for his birthday like we had planned. So on Fri( oct 17th) I packed his bags and picked him up from the work and headed to the airport. This whole time James thought he was going to New York...and we did...we flew from Salt Lake to New York and arrived there Saturday Morning. We toured around New york, Went to manhatten, Serendipity and did all the touristy stuff. While we were at the M&M store I found a perfect opportunity to tell him where we were really going. There in the store was a disply of all the different flags in the world...there was a bag full of green, white and orange M&ms ( the colors of the flag of Ireland) with a little sign that said Ireland.







I pointed it out to James and told him I would love to go there sometime with him.




He sighed and said " oh yeah how cool would it be if we could go there....someday"




Then I said "SUPRISE!" Thats where we are going!" He thought I was joking ! It took a little bit of time to convince him! He was soo shocked!







So that night we boarded our flight to go to Ireland...we actually just got back yesturday! And can I just say IT WAS AMAZING! We stayed with deborah's parent-in-laws at their beautiful Guesthouse in Northern Ireland...they were soo good to us! and Ireland is such an amazing place! I feel in love with it! I''ll post pictures a little later on...we're still trying to settle down ;)

Slacker!

So I knew there was a reason why we've never started a blog....WE ARE SUCH SLACKERS! Man I don't know how you all do it! But kudos to those who are blogging daily! or weekly! or even monthly! You all are doing a heck of a lot better than us ;)

So work is getting super slow and I finally have time to recap and start "blogging"...I feel like such a nerd! But I Love being able to keep in touch with everyone and find out how life has been!
So here are some highlights of the past year or so..........

So We obviously got married! July 19 2007... I couldn't ask for a more perfect day! Everything up to that point had been so stressful, but the minute I stepped foot in the temple everything just felt so peaceful! The weather was perfect, the ceremony was perfect, and the reception seemed to have runned smoothly! I am so grateful that we were able to be sealed in the temple. I cannot explain the feeling I got when I knew we would be together forever!

As for the reception, I loved it! We had it at the Woods on Ninth!I want to thank everyone that made it sooo amazing! James and I are very unique and we wanted our reception to reflect our "unique" personalities :) ! I think my mom did an amazing job helping that happen! It was beautiful! We didn't have a line and everyone just seemed to be mingeling! It was very laid back and thats exactly how we wanted it! that is until the music came on! I have to thanks Sugs for being our DJ! Best dance ever ha ha! Here are some pics ;)

My aunt Luli...she made this amazing cake! THANK YOU

This is the other cake Connie made for us! I LOVED IT!!! We were lucky enough to have two beautiful cakes! Since what we served was cake and snow cones;)

WHO serves snow cones at a wedding?? Oh yeah, we do ;)

Center pieces ...pink and green gerber daisy

What the fellas wore ;) my Danny is a stud

Our First dance....Bachata...yes a little different

James and His Dance Group performing at the reception

The Crazyness of a Colombian Wedding ;)

So I realized if I went through all of the exciting things that happened these past two years, I would be blogging forever! So here are the top 8 ha ha......

2007-2008

1. We Got Married! YAY! its been amazing!

2. Angela had her first baby! An adorable little girl! I am officially an aunt! ( well from my side of the family...from james' I became an aunt of 21 nieces and nephews! wow-zer!

3. we both got new jobs....whats new for me ;) but I've been with Jetblue for almost a year! James started with US Bank and is doing really well!

4.Our First Christmas married!

5. We've been traveling around the world thanks to Jetblue ;) We've been able to go to Cozumel, MX, Chicago, San Diego, San Fran, Sacramento, Cancun, MX, St. Maarten, New York, Washington D.C, Vegas and Ireland.

6. We got our first addition to our family ( no i'm not having a baby) but we got a little beagle/benji mix....his name is patches and he is insane just like us!

7. We got called as Guest Service Missionaries at Temple Square! Thats been such an amazing opportunity and blessing!

8. Hey we're still married! ha ha I guess now and days thats quite the accomplishment!