Family Pictures

Family pics with Jaren's family! We took these in a barn while we were staying in Heber.

Summer Fun

Jaren had 2 weeks off in-between Summer and Fall semesters. We tried to cram all the Summer fun we could into 2 weeks!

We started off with a trip to the Hogle Zoo! We had so much fun together seeing all the animals! Who knew the zoo could be so fun?! We loved all the monkeys... they were hilarious to watch. Afterwards, we ate dinner at the Mayan!






Gotta love the Elephants!




After the zoo, we ate dinner at the Mayan!



On the weekend went up to Mantua to camp! Camping was a BLAST!!!! Jaren made us hobo dinners that we cooked over the fires. We also ate lots of SMORES!!!! The next day we went 4-wheeling up to Inspiration Point. The scenery was so beautiful!




We also went to Lagoon. (I didn't take any pics though.) It was the KSL 2 for 1 deal day and I was super excited to go! Both of us hadn't been to Lagoon in a long time! After a total of FOUR hours... we were spent. We had finished riding most of the rides. We were hot, tired, and sticky. We decided to go home and take a nap with plans to come back afterwards. Well... the nap came and went, and we decided we really didn't need to go back. I guess Lagoon is not always as great as I remember as a child! We did have fun while we were there, but I don't think we'll be going back for a while!

I'm glad Jaren and I were able to spend this time together. He is my BEST friend... we have so much fun together. No one can make me laugh like he does!

Heber Vacation

At the end of July, Jaren and I went with his family to a cabin, high in the moutains of Heber! The area was SO beautiful! There was so much wildlife! We saw deer, moose, and many more animals! We had so much fun with his family! We played games, watched movies, went shopping in Park City, ate wonderful food, and spent time together. I also went shooting for the first time! Everyone took a ride on the Heber Creeper too! We also took family pictures. It was the first time we have all been together in over a year. This trip was so great, we did NOT want it to end!

Here we are on the Heber Creeper...





This was our home for the week...



Complete with a zip line! (A favorite of my neices and nephews!)






First time shooting. (The weather was pretty chilly!)

Easter Fun

Most people don't know this, but Easter is my favorite holiday. I love what this holiday is truly about. I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and all that he has done for me.

Easter was so much fun this year! On Saturday morning we went to Cracker Barrel with my family for breakfast (my favorite breakfast place)! Later that night, after the sun had gone down we had an Easter egg hunt in the dark! It is now a new tradition for my family. We used our flashlights and had a blast finding the eggs!



On Easter Sunday we went to Jaren's parent's house for a delicious Easter feast! We also watched our neices and nephews hunt for eggs, which was so fun! The kids are so cute and it's especially fun to watch the younger ones find the eggs. I ate way WAY too much candy this year. I love Easter candy more than any other holiday. It must be those peeps and white chocolate eggs.

So we are really kind of boring... but people have asked for an update. Here it is folks...

Last week I had most of the week off from work. (My main boss went to Florida.) I wondered what I was going to do with all my free time, but surprisingly I kept very busy. I was able to make homemade honey-wheat bread for the first time! It was delicious!! I cleaned, cooked and baked some more, went to the gym, read, spent some time with my friends and family.... I could get used to this! But now I'm back at work and my schedule is back to normal. I'm very grateful for my job, but time off is always nice!

Jaren has been busy with finals. I'm so proud of him... every test has been above a 91%! He's done so well in school! One more final to go and then he gets a whole week off before starting back up again... which is sad. (Seriously, that's it!!) This summer semester should be pretty difficult, he's taking two chemistry classes. Hopefully he'll do just as good in chemistry as he has in all his other classes. And hopefully we'll have time to go camping!!

We think it's time to buy a new car. Jaren's Buick has started to smoke after he drives to school sometimes. It also makes a really funny smell at stoplights. We just bought a new battery for it and sometimes the car won't even start. Hmm... I think it is time for something a bit newer and more reliable.

Jaren is playing soccer and softball this summer! Both of us are very excited!! I'm excited because I get to talk to all the other wives at the games. And Jaren just loves to play! When Jaren plays sports it gives us both something to look forward to during the week. We went to the batting cages last weekend and had so much fun! It was nice to do an activity OUTSIDE. I hope the weather gets better! You never know when it will permanently begin to get warm in Utah. Our weather seems to change on a day-to-day basis.

Jar's Spring Break

For Jaren's spring break this year we decided to do something fun... go to California! Our getaway was a short one (Wed to Sunday) but we had a blast!

We went to Disneyland on Thursday and Friday. Oh how I love Disneyland!!




Rainforest cafe! Yum!

We also got to spend some time with these cute kiddos! We love our neices and nephews! These guys live in So. Cal so we're glad we were able to see them! (These pictures was taken VERY early in the morning, so the kids weren't fully awake yet. ha ha)

2-Year Anniversary

Jaren and I recently celebrated our 2 year anniversary- and we have been together for a total of 3 years! We celebrated in Logan, and had a lot of fun! These past 2 years of marriage and past 3 years of being together have been the best years of my life so far. I am so grateful to be married to such a wonderful man! Jaren is the most caring person I have ever met. He is extremely service-oriented and loves to help everyone out. He knows me better than anyone, and not a day goes by that I don't feel loved by him. He works so hard in school and at his job, and he makes me laugh until it hurts! Not only do I love Jaren with all my heart as my husband, but I also love him as my best friend. I would definitely rather be doing something with Jaren then anything else. We have so much fun together. Thank-you Jaren for being such an amazing person and for marrying me! I am so blessed to have you!

Granola!

Here is my stove-top granola recipe! (Super easy!)

3 T butter
3 T milk
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
3 T peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 t vanilla
2-3 cups quick oats
Optional: 1/4 c raisins or chocolate chips

Melt butter. Stir in milk and sugars. Bring to a boil and continue stirring for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Stir in oats to desired texture. Spread on a greased cookie sheet and broil 3-4 minutes in oven. (Be careful not to burn it!) Enjoy!

So... Wednesdays are my day off. (Which is today.) I LOVE having a break mid-week. It is WONDERFUL!! It seems to come at just the perfect time. I work Monday and Tuesday and then I get a break!! And then I work a little more, and then comes another break... it's great! And I LOVE my job. My boss is AWESOME and it is SO GREAT to have a job and not have to do any homework!!

Anywho... with today being my day off and all, I thought I would go to my parents house and upload some pictures on our blog while Jaren is at school. (We don't have the internet at our home.) And OF COURSE I forget my camera and I realize it right as I'm pulling into their driveway. So typical... Well, one of these days I will upload some pictures. For now you'll just have to read my long, boring posts! :)

Since Jaren is basically gone from sun-up to sun-down these days, (Literally... he's at school from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. EVERY WEEKNIGHT. He's a good studious person with his 18 credits.) So... I thought I'd write about some things that occupy my time (besides work).

GRANOLA!!!! Seriously... I'm OBSESSED with making it. I love it, and I love to make it. AND it is SUPER easy along with very tasty! I brought some to my family almost every night last week. I made it for my mother-in-law for her birthday. I eat it for breakfast. I make Jaren eat it. (J/K I don't have to make him). I LOVE IT!! I never EVER baked once during the summer (mostly due to our 85 degree house). But now that Fall is approaching, I have been making tons and tons of granola. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Gym! I wasn't too sure about getting a gym pass... but now that I have one, I am SO glad I do! I feel a lot happier after I've worked out, and it is so nice to be active again. (Since I was basically an entirely non-active person during school). I just love those endorphins! My favorite class is body combat... it kicks my butt! And it feels good to have my butt kicked!

Reading! Can I tell you how much I just LOVE to read?! This summer I was able to read the Hunger Games Series, which was WONDERFUL! I wish there were more. I loved that series so much!! I also finished the Twilight series, and read/am reading the rest of the Percy Jackson and Fablehaven series.

For Jaren's birthday, I think I am going to get him some WSU sweats. (Since that's what he said he wanted.) Everyone is always supporting U of U or BYU or USU... but how about some people support WSU!! ha ha That's what Jaren said, which is why I am going to buy him Weber State sweats. We support them in their academics (not necessarily their sports). Don't tell him though, it's a surprise! (And he never reads this blog anyway, so I know my secret is safe.)

And guess what else... SURVIVOR starts tonight! Woo hoo!!!! Yeah baby! I am so excited!! Guess who also shares my love of the game... my Grandma Wood! She's the best! She always knows what's going on. When I visited her last Sunday I told her I was excited for Survivor on Thursday. Luckily for me, Grandma quickly told me not to watch it on Thursday because this season it is airing on WEDNESDAYS!! I'm so glad my grandma told me that! I just thought I'd pass along the word in case anyone else did not know!

Well, one day I'll have some pictures on here! (But don't count on it! J/K I really will try to post some soon!)

It's about time!

I realize it is high time I blog about something! My posts are few and far-between these days, mostly due to us not having the internet at home and such. So here I am on my lunch break typing away. I'll try to give you a good update. Sadly, there will be no pictures. However, I DO have pictures I will put on here the next time I go to my parents and feel like getting on their computer.

I am working at one and soon-to-be two offices in Layton. It is wonderful to work! Jaren has gone part-time because he is taking on a lot of school this summer semester. He will only get a 2-week break before starting fall semester.

We are currently living in Layton. I am loving living in my good old hometown! We're living in my great-grandma's house (which belongs to my grandma now) and we will probably be here for a while! We painted the rooms and my mom and I have had lots of fun decorating! I'll post some pics when I can! Living in this house has been so wonderful, the only complaint I have is that it has been between 82 and 84 degrees every night! We really need to get us a nice fan for those muggy evenings!

This summer, we went to San Francisco with Jaren's family! We had a lot of fun spending time with the fam and Jaren took me to see WICKED!! (He's such a great guy!) We also have a small Bear Lake trip planned soon with my family. Hopefully Jaren and I will get a few camping trips in(and hiking!)before the summer comes to an end... this summer has just FLOWN BY! There is so much I have wanted to do that we still haven't done yet.

As usual, Jaren and I have seen almost every movie that has come out this summer. (Well, almost every one.) We have seen Robin Hood, Iron Man 2, Toy Story 3, Prince of Persia, Knight and Day, Inception, Karate Kid, Last Airbender (don't go see that one!), and I have seen Twilight and Letters to Juliet with my sister. We'll probably go see Sorcerer's Apprentice soon. Can you tell we love to go see movies?! Our favorites have probably been Toy Story 3, and we really liked Inception, even though it is completely "out there."

Well, there is a quick up-date. I know blogs are no fun without pictures. I'll try to post some soon!