A California Christmas & Other Happenings

Things have been CRAZY but I feel like I say that all the time but now things have kinda of slowed down but not for long. Let me start off with what we have been doing since my last post. As soon as school finished one of my old roomates was getting married and I really wanted to go and it turned out I was able to get time off to make it! Kevin wanted to stay behind and work and so I let him. I went to Draper Utah and stayed with Carlee and her family. My goodness I have not been fed that well in ages and let me tell you her and her mom can cook. They are Italian so that figures..right? Anyways on the night that I got there her friends were throwing her a little shower so me and Carlee were able to make it to that and it was so fun! Here is Carlee, Rachel(the bride) & me aren't we cute?

So that was a lot of fun and then the next day me and Carlee had some downtime to just hang out and do whatever we wanted to so she took me to some stores I wanted to go and we were just able to have some fun

After that Carlee wanted to go get her nails done and while I was there with her I decided to get mine done too. We decided to get this new stuff they have come out that is gel polish and it is called shellac and I absolutely adore it! I received so many compliments on it and i am so hard on my nails that this actually stayed on my nails and is still on! I love it anyways that night we went to Salt Lake area and saw our friend Molly who was their and hung out with her. On the way home I got a call from Sam and Lexi our cousins and I knew they were moving to Provo that day. They had called and said they forgot to give us our Christmas present and asked if we could meet them on the highway. Carlee made sure that we made it and as I got there all i could see were these basket ball shoes hit the pavement as they went to get the gift our of their truck I was so confused and then out popped Kevin!! I was so thrilled. I find it kind of funny but I HATE like HATE HATE and LOATH to be away from Kevin especially if it's at night! SO you can imagine just how happy I was to see him! Also The next day was Rachel's wedding and I really wanted him to go with me. So we got to go and just guess who was their sealer??? GUESS? okay did you guess? Okay it was Elder Russel M. Nelson. It was so cool her parents and family had just gotten sealed before Chase and Rachel were married and when the sealing was done I went in for a handshake and he shook this hand of mine it is true. First Apostle I have ever met in person and so cool! Anyways the wedding was wonderful and dinner was great, we had a ball at our table and laughing. We all went around and introduced ourselves and how we knew Rachel. My husband being the comedian he is stood up in front of all her family and His family and says I'm Kevin and I used to date Rachel..... Laughed just erupted the room and just to make it clear no they never did date! So after dinner we headed home in the freaking freezing weather and made it home alive thank goodness! After that we just had to get through the week until we left for California. It was so nice, the week just flew by. On Thursday night Kevin said I could open one of my presents because he figured I would want it and I did so here I am Styling my new Cheetah scarf!!!

So Friday came and we left I.F. around 12 and got into L.A. at 1 their time. Lori and Aaron so graciously stayed to pick us up and they had brought us Cafe Rio and it was so good and we were starving! It didn't seem like to long of a trip to Bakersfield and it was so BEAUTIFUL when we got there. It was so weird to me, this was the first time I had ever been in nice weather in DECEMBER PEOPLE it was t-shirt weather and I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT! So the reason of our special little trip is because Keri and David were having their reception but before we get to that we got to do a lot of things like go caroling meet more new family and hang out with the family. It was so nice to hang out and get to know Kevin's family better and share some laughs. Along the way people starting getting sick and that was rough but we made it through. Christmas came and Kevin was so adorable. He got me two or three of everything so I could choose what I liked best. WE ended up realizing we had kind over done ourselves and so we took almost everything back except for the few things we had really wanted and budgeted for. We just hung out for most of the day and enjoyed our time. The next we woke up early and Kevin took me to get a facial. I had never had one before but it was really nice! I don't know if it was worth the price but definitely a once in a lifetime experience for me. Then as the day went on we went to the mall to hang out and that's when I started to not feel so hot so we went home and took a long nap. We woke up and had to hurry and get ready to take pictures for Keri and David and we woke up at like 2:45 and pictures were at 3. Woops my fault so we got up and got going! I think all the pictures probably turned out really nice and then we went to Keri and Davids reception. This thing was over the top and beautiful. Cecil decorated for their reception and for those of you who don't know Cecil he is extremely talented at what he does and also decorated for Kevin and I's reception. He had gone in so much depth for this reception as to watch youtube video's to teach him how to make an ice sculpture! He is so awesome so they had a wonderful reception and we had a blast visiting with his friends and family! That night we got home and packed up all our belongings. We left that next morning around 4:30 in the morning and so we were all a little out of it. We got to the airport and got through and headed home. It took an extra hour because our plane was having issues as Allegiant planes always seem to have problems when we leave our destination. BUT WE MADE IT BACK TO IDAHO and boy is it cold as EVERRR!! We got a taxi from the airport to Blayne's house got in our little RODEO and took off to Rexburg. So now here we are back to normal everyday life in freezing cold weather. It was nice but it's nice to be home and back in the swing of things! I'll post pictures of Keri's reception! The Ice Sculpture!!

A new little guy joins the family :)

Say hello to my newest nephew Jace Lane Holiday

He was born at 4:47pm, 5 lbs 15 oz, 18 3/4 in. He's strong, healthy, loud, and sooo beautiful. It kinda bugs me that I am not there because since Jill and Steve used to live here I was very spoiled with getting to see them and Addi all the time. Me and Addi were best friends and I feel like she is now forgetting me. I hate this whole things how families seem to live so far away from everyone. Adulthood sucks for that reason! Now I feel like my little Jace won't get to know me like Addi did. O well huh you grow up and move on but he is so beautiful. Let me brag about my sister for a while now. She has been so strong for so long, when she had Addi she had problems where her organs started shutting down causing her to have her baby 4 months early! Scary. Yeah well the doctor said she should be find the second time around and she was fine until one day she got a blood clot. Well she said she got it from my bed but that's a lie but since that day her blood pressure was crazy and she had to give herself shots and still does I think. Anyways she had to got a checkup every other day. On 12/12/12 she went in and the doctor said her blood pressure was high and that he wasn't going to make her be pregnant anymore. So they scheduled to do a C-section at 4:30 that day. I thought she was joking because that is what Jillian does best. I asked Steve if it were true and he said if not she was playing a mean joke because he was running around like crazy at work trying to get things done. So then he got there and here came beautiful little Jace I think his fingers are so long so he is going to be a good basketball player also he is kinda long so maybe he will be tall. But I love this little guy so much and can't wait to meet him which I don't even know when that will be but I hope soon! I am so happy for them and there cute little family and to be an auntie again!

Family gets together

So last weekend we were able to go to Utah to meet up with my Mom & Dad since we are not going to see them for Christmas time. Amanda & Dan and all their little ones were able to make it to Utah as well! We had so much we left Thursday after I got off work and got to Utah around 9:30. We stayed with my Aunt Diana and her family that night. Me & Kevin were pretty cold that night and put one of those space heaters by us, well we were still cold so we put our heads by it. We woke up in the morning and our faces were so red and dry and scaley...haha it was pretty funny. That day we got ready and Amanda & Dan had gotten there and we went to this little cottage town by West Jordan and found all of these little elfs and if you found them all you got a cookie. We were able to look at some of there cute shops to. My favorite was this toy store we went to and they had a little toilet and when you lifted the lid it squirted water at you. I don't know if it's because I'm a plumbers daughter that I thought it was hilarious or if it was just the fact that I am still a child. Probably both. Anyways we had a lot of fun with that. Then we went and shopped. Kevin hates shopping and says he has probably been shopping with the Smith's more than he has in his whole entire life.....yeah right Kev. So then we called it a night and went back to the hotel and hung out and visited like we always do. Here are some pictures I took of Amanda me and the kids and dad with the elf.

So that night was so much fun and then the next day we woke up and got ready and went to what is possibly the coolest store ever to exist! It is called Scheels, this store has Purses, Jewelery, Clothes, work out clothes is a sporting outlet, has guns and ammo. Has camo clothing has gun ammo has trampolines and so SO SO SO SO SO SO much more it was the perfect store EVER! Then men could go do what they wanted and the girls could go do what they wanted. They even had a little shooting arcade for the kids to play with. A restaurant so we could get our fountain Pespsi's and some fudge tatstings. I loved this place so much. The best part is they have this humongous Ferris Wheel right smack dab in the middle of the store. You can bet your boots we went on that thing. I went with Kevin and Dad went with Logan and Mom went with D (Kennedy)!! Here is the Ferris Wheel

Here is Amanda Dan Mom and D They are waving at Bryn who is watching them

Here is Me and Kev at the very top

Here is Dad and Logan, it was hard to get one of them

Then there is this one a look down from the top

One more of me yeah I also made a killing while I was there! I wish

If you can't tel this place was just life changing for me and Santa was even there. Then they had this cool fish tank that you walked under needless to say if you see a Scheels I recommend you stop! So then that day I think we did a little more shopping and then we went to Temple Square to see the lights. They were SOO pretty! I love to be at Temple Square this time of year and I feel like I hadn't been there at Christmas time in a very long while. We wondered around and then listened to the story of Mary in Bethlehem and then we went up into the Joseph Smith Building and waited to eat at the restaurant there. I had never eaten there it was good but pretty expensive for a chicken sandwhich. Here is a picture of the temple and the pretty lights.

Beautiful right? Yeah it was then we all went back to the hotel I snuck some hot chocolate from the coffee area and we girls had hot chocolate and sat and visited more and then watched an episode of Duck Dynasty a new favorite show of mine and Kevins. My dad's too and the little kids liked it to. They had fun playing around and telling Kevin that his socks stunk which they probably did. Then the morning came and what a sad day that was! I hate leaving my family and I am sure I almost ALWAYS get a little emotional when saying bye to my mom and Dad I just love them so dang much!

Two Becomes One

So as you all know I have never been really good with the whole blogging I decided that since I am married now you all have to keep up with us somehow. So as all married couples do let me start off with how we got started. In fall of 2011 Kevin and I met he had just come home from his mission in the SAN LUIS VALLEY!! Can it be true? It so was I still got a valley boy! At the time however I was not so interested. He had just come home from his mission like seriously the day before drove all night and started school in Rexburg that morning. Now Kevin being determined to not be "that" weird missionary when they first get home and so that day he made it a goal to get a girls number. That girl was not me it was my roommate Kristen, he thought she was cute and they had met walking to school but the problem was one of our other roommates Kaycee was with them and he did not want to hurt her feelings by just getting Kristen's number so he asked for our apartment number. So he came over later to get it making sure not to hurt anyone's feelings. They had gone on a couple dates and I seriously did not think anything of it at all I was working Full- Time at Rexburg Motor Sports and in school and preparing to meet Shelbi (my best friend) in Amarillo next fall for dental hygiene school! So we went about our lives the semester came and ended and Kevin and Kristen only ended up going on those couple dates. The next semester we saw each other in Broulims he of course with a handful of monster energy drinks and me of course in my shorts. Side story Kevin always thought it was so weird I wore shorts ALLL THE TIME but hey they are comfy Jack so I did what I wanted, he later said this is something that attracted me to him because he knew I wasn't a stuck up molly.) Anyways after that day I guess he decided to ask me on a date, when he called I had no idea who he was, I was filling out my application to the Dental Hygiene program and he called and said hi this is Kevin and I responded......uh hiiiii........ Kevin who? he said Andersen the missionary from Manassa? It clicked and he went on to ask me out on a date. We went ice skating with one of his companions and a date he had found for him so he would double with us. The other girl hated it she was terrified, but we got through and continued our date. Some of my other roommates were there and they took me aside and had their date take Kevin aside and told both of us we needed to hold hands. I had no interest so i said no because to me this was just another date. I didn't know that their dates had told Kevin to hold my hand but when I had come home and found out I was so embarrassed and i was like great now he probably thinks I like him. Life went on we continued to text and talk A lot and hang out he was so stinking funny I couldn't even stand it I had to share with everyone the things he would say. I loved it. We started dating February 26th 2012 and went from there. I had planned to go see Jillian my sister in Tucson at the end of the semester in the middle of the month in April. I remember jokingly asking Kevin if he wanted to come. He was serious and was like yeah, so we booked his flight and away we went. While I was there I just knew we were going to get married. My family seemed to like him and I just had a feeling. The end of April we both knew we were meant to find each other! One thing I failed to mention was that in July of 2011 when Kevin was still on his mission I was still there for my Grandma Snuffy's funeral and for pioneer days. I always take pictures of the floats and different things. There was a bunch of missionaries I took a picture of and later found Kevin was in that group!

This is the zoomed in picture on my phone so it may not be very good but that's him. That day was July 26th, just remember that. Kevin proposed to me the day before we left to California, I was going to meet his parents and family for mothers day. Here is the thing though, I knew he was going to propose because we had the ring picked out, the temple date booked and scheduled engagement pictures while we were going to be in California. I was thinking he was going to propose to me on the beach or something like that but I just felt like it was going to happen in California. Even though I knew it was coming I told Kevin he still had to ask me and to make it a surprise if he could and he did. It was the day before we were leaving to California and I was really nervous I had that day off work so I went and got my nails done for our pictures and had just been running errands all day. Kevin was coming over later so we could pack one bag for the trip because luggage is expensive! So he came over and we were just packing and then his brother Blayne calls and asks if Kevin can go to his house and get something and bring it with us to California because he was already there. I was seriously so disgusting that day I still had planned to go on a run then shower but Kevin insisted I go with him. I was in shorts and a sweatshirt and said fine if I have to go then I'm going like this. HE said noooo sorry Blayne said he is going to buy us dinner since we are doing this for him so dress up so we can go somewhere nice. So I just said pick me something out to wear then and i'll keep my hair like this. So he did and we left and when we got to Blayne's he went in the house for probably a total of 10 seconds.. I was like wow really? okay so then we went to dinner he took me to Johnny Carino's and he was telling me to get whatever and to order a soda if I wanted. I said let's just share something and get water..HELLO I'M POOR KEVIN!! But we did just that and then when we finished I was like okay let's go home because I have so much to do tonight before we go. He said no let's just enjoy our time here and look around. One big thing I left out is that Kevin's mom had asked me the day before for some pictures of Kevin and I while dating. GREAT I thought we had nothing we would have to go reenact some of the things and take pictures one more thing to do before we go. So Kevin said he wanted to go to the windmills I had taken him to one night to get a picture. When we had left Rexburg my sneaky little roommates left to head up there and set up for him we got to the Windmill and took a picture and it was freezing and SOOOO windy!! Then he took me to the other side and there was a blanket with roses and a huge sign on it that said I LOVE YOU and when I mean HUGE IT WAS HUGE and it was duck taped with zebra tape my favorite I just thought he had a cute little date night planned because I talked to our jeweler that day and he still didn't have our ring in. But just when I thought it wasn't happening it was and it was beautiful and great and my roommates were there to take pictures it was wonderful. Here are some pictures from our engagement we were both SO HAPPY!

I was so thrilled he surprised me but he was acting so weird that night he kept asking me for bumps ya know the thing where ya knock your knuckles together ya I was like okay enough of that. Now that I think of it, it all makes sense my roommates were all gone the night before and Kevin refused to come over because of his homework and I was sooo bored but those buggers were planning it out. Any ways so that is our story and remember the first time I saw him but didn't really notice was July 26th 2011? Yeah well we were married July 26th 2012 and we didn't even plan for it to be that way just another coincidence. I know we were brought together just us two specifically for each other! I really feel like we have a special relationship I love this boy and here we are in the Los Angeles Temple just been married!

My family was all able to make it as well as some old roomates : Carlee Clayson, Steffanie Killpack, Becca Beldsoe and Jenni Durtschi and was able to meet up with Michelle Thompson at our reception

I am so grateful for all those who made our day special! And now our lives begin together as one and it is our responsibility to live up to our commandments and try to be our best! It's not hard to be your best when you want the best I always say! So we have Kevin city boy and Shayla the hick, this life will be full of interesting and funny times and I can't wait to share it with you all! Love you all!