We are in love!

Well the semester just keeps continuing! I'm happy to report its getting a little bit easier as far as the adjustment goes. I've found a more "happy" balance between wife duties and student duties. Grateful for my job on campus. Its flexibility helps a lot! Garth and I are happy as ever, and we have both made adjustments to make sure we can put the first things first.
For me, I just did some little things. We go grocery shopping ever two weeks, so I decided to start planning out EVERY nights meal. Instead of just planning out the MEALS and then making them whenever I chose, now everyday I just know what we have and need. It helps with the planning process of what needs to be done hw wise before work. Garth talked to work and has been able to take on less hours, because he just didn't have enough time to keep up with the work load he has. So I'm excited to see him a lot less stressed and much more excited about what he's learning.
We've really had to learn to put the first things first, or they simply don't get done.
Sometimes that means that there's a stack of dishes for an extra day because we just didn't have the time, but thats okay with me!!
We started doing bountiful baskets! (Thanks to Jeremy Pitchforth)
What it is is a basket of 50% fruit 50% veggies (a ton of each basically) and its a cheaper way to get produce. It explains it all here ---> http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/ (they have them everywhere!)
We've decided to do it every other week.
We've been eating so much more healthy! Basically what it comes down to is we are able to have fruit and veggies in our sack lunches everyday and veggies and fruit for sides at dinner too. So ALL our side dishes for dinner and our snacks for lunch end up being only $7.50 a week! Its a super cheap way to make sure we're eating healthy [:

This was our first one. Two things of bananas, lots of tomatoes, lots of apples, strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, a mango, pineapple, and a water melon. Pretty exciting [:

Anyhow, We're really enjoying life. We ride our bikes everywhere even though its windy. We try to go outside and do things like plan our lesson at the park. Just little things together.
We are trying to go Horseback riding with the outdoor committee here at school but we don't know if it will work with Garth's work schedule. But it'd be so fun! And its really inexpensive which is a plus haha [:

Life is good and I'm so grateful for my husband. He does so much for me everyday even though he is so incredibly busy right now. Each week he takes one night and makes dinner. This really helps me! Its gives me one night of no time limits or having to stay home because something is in the oven!
This is what he made last night. Chicken tacos!! SOO GOOD. [:

We find time to laugh together everyday and I love seeing him on campus. We're just that cute studious couple who spends each night in the library!
Sometimes that includes a late night food run... but we're doing our best to avoid that... [;

We both have exams next week so this weekend should be full of studying. We both have one class thats pushing us to really have to teach ourselves to be able to keep up so its been interesting. But we're doing well so far [:

I had the opportunity to go visit my sister last weekend with my brother and all I want to say is that I'm so grateful for family. They truly will always be there and they're really all we will ever have. My siblings are the best, and that has definitely been reinforced as of late. Love you all!

The semester begins.

This last weekend Garth and I ran all around town getting all the little things done around our house that needed to be done before our busy busy school schedules!!
We had some pictures to hang up, temple stuff to get, and some things to clean, etc.
Garth needed a new back pack (I've been telling him that for days, and he denied it until today... we finally got one!)

 These are the pictures we hung in our front room. I love them!! The sign says 

"Eternally Bound" in twi. Garth made it for my birthday! Then the picture below is of Christ.

Its called "Facing eternity" and I love it because he looks so hopeful and determined.

Then the two smaller pictures are (left) Garth's mom and Dad's wedding day

and (right) my parents wedding day. 

Gotta love it [:

 Nevermind the mess of pillows and papers,, I'm doing hw.

 Then we finally put up our wedding collage above our bed. You can't see in the picture

but the sign says "And they lived happily ever after.."

We love it [: 

Took a while to hang it all up..

I made a big casserole yesterday so we have left overs to eat when we get hungry this week and aren't both home.
I started my new job at the hart and so life goes!
So Last night I worked until midnight-ish, came home and woke Garth up to pray (upon his request)
and tried to sleep. It didn't work out so well for either of us. Its those night before first day jitters.
I have class at 7:45 am Monday Wednesday Friday, and at 9:45 Tuesday Thursday. That way the nights I close I can sleep a little more. However, today being Garth's first day I wanted to get up with him. He has 7:45 am class everyday. So we had breakfast, I made our lunches, and we read our scriptures.Then he headed to campus on his bike. I followed soon after, and I learned today that our campus is not very bike friendly. Not only is it basically one big hill but there are a lot of stairs everywhere. Bike paths are in short supply. Also my back pack was much heavier than anticipated. (English major= books.)
Needless to say I hate my bike already haha!
I didn't have all my classes today, the rest are tomorrow. But so far I'm actually really excited about my grammar class. I know its going to be a lot of work... especially when my teacher says things like "Thats an adverbial (fill in the blank with two more big words I didn't know) phrase" haha. LOTS TO LEARN! But it will be fun. [:
Garth and I met to have lunch at 1:00 and then went to devo at 2. Then he went to another class as I studied a bit of my grammar book. Then we rode home together and he headed to work. I took him some dinner, and now here I am again reading about grammar. Well -- obviously procrastinating a little bit..
I'm quite excited about being in school again--I love learning, and I love being an English major. However, its kind of nerve wracking. Being a wife, an employee, and a student is an adjustment for me. School naturally always had this "it comes first" mentality and now I have to mesh that with being a wife too. Its hard to know what comes first sometimes. I know its going to be a bit of a struggle for a while, but Garth and I will figure it out as a team. I'm still just trying to figure out when we are going to get to see each other.. some days it will be hardly at all!!
BUT it will make me appreciate those moments more.
I still love being married [:

Tomorrow is a 7:45 am class to 12:00 am work day-- wish me luck!

An update on us.

Hey!! I know its been a while since I've written. I've been busy busy just loving life!
Our apartment is all set up and oh so cute!! I love our big red and cream rug and our big red curtains. Our TV is super duper nice and was FREE (Garth won it at work) and same with our lovely blueray player.(he won that one also.) Garth and I are loving married life and spend as much time together as possible.
I've been sick pretty much this whole three months.. but I've finally finished the last of my 4 antibiotics that have been prescribed since we got married haha. I think I'm getting better! But I go to the doc next week for my last (fingers-crossed) visit to make sure! It hasn't been anything that's held me back a lot though. We have been going to the gym together every night except this last week with traveling we kinda fell off the wagon! We are training to do a half triathlon together [:
I know, I know, we are awesome.
Its in August. Its a 1/2 mile swim, a 14 mile bike-ride, and a 5k run.
We're going to get our bikes tonight. Nothing fancy-- just something we can use to get to and from school each day and use in the triathlon. We're actually really excited to take bike-rides just for fun.
Nerdy? Maybe.
I love my husband with all my heart and I'm the happiest I've ever been!
School starts in a couple weeks-- we are excited and nervous. Its a change in schedule so we'll see.
I quit my job at Chick-fil-a and will be working at my old place of employment-- the schools gym.
Its a little higher paying and on campus so I won't spend money everyday driving 40 minutes to work!
We're currently on the look-out for a sewing machine!
Garth is majoring in Biotechnology and I'm majoring in Professional Writing.
We are still AWESOME.
Garth's little sister Natasha gets married in July in Iowa.
My little sister is almost 16!!
We are going to start teaching a Family Relations sunday school class-- sooooo excited!
We love life, the gospel, each other, and the joy found in eternal marriage.

In other news...
I've been surprised by the number of couples who tell me they never want children. They all have various reasons. MOST are that they just hate kids. Some don't want to lose time together, some don't want to pay for them, and some don't want to lose their "bodies". As if getting older won't do that to you anyways...
I was surprised to learn how many LDS couples say this. This isn't to say that I think I KNOW when people should have children. I am aware that its different for everyone, and a personal choice. I guess for me personally I have always found it to be a great responsibility. I have tried to take the perspective that I know I am in reality called to be a Mother. That doesn't mean I feel ready for children right now, or that I feel obligated to have them right now, it just means that I want to be willing and ready to fulfill my calling when the Lord is ready for me to. Maybe I'm naive in that view, but I have just been so saddened by the way a lot of married couples talk about family.
I have also been surprised at how many people find companion scripture study "old fashioned" or something "eldery" couples do. Garth and I are in no way perfect, and Garth is much closer to perfection than me! But I just hope more people gain a testimony of how much the gospel can bless a marriage. I know I'm still new at this, but I love Garth so much I wouldn't want to risk anything taking us away from the gospel, because I know that's the only way our marriage can really work.
Anyhow, that was just my rant.
I've been learning lots lately!

Honey-mooners!

The Sunday after our wedding Garth and I woke up super early to head to Palm Desert.
Our seats were upgraded on the plane and we were wished a happy honeymoon. 
It took us a long time to choose where to go for our honeymoon. We looked into so many places and finally chose between Palm Springs and Mexico. We wanted something really low key that would allow us to do everything we wanted. We wanted nice weather, a beach, a temple, and relaxation.
We stayed at a Marriott Resort called Shadow Ridge II - The Enclaves
It was SO beautiful--pictures just don't do it justice.
It was all these different buildings and sections, all with beautiful pools and hot tubs. And everything was lined with palm trees. It was like it s own little neighborhood. And our hotel room had a kitchen a living room, a balcony, an amazing shower, and a huge bedroom. It was perfect.

When we got to the resort we were upgraded a little in our room and given a card that gave us discounts on all the stuff at the hotel. We should just always be honeymooners!!! The very first thing we did was take a nap... we were exhausted from all the wedding stuff! Then we went grocery shopping and got some things for easy meals and lunches in the week. We decided to stay in and watch a movie that night and just enjoy the nice weather. It was mid seventies to eighties all week!!

We then went hot tubing! It was pretty late so it was just us in the warm night air at the beautiful pool. 

Monday we got up early and went down to Long beach. 

We packed a lunch and everything so we could enjoy ourselves. So we had a little picnic on the beach. We laid in the sun and I buried Garth in the sand, and we played around in the water. It was absolutely perfect. Was just hot enough out to enjoy. And we took a long walk all along the beach and people watched. 

After that we went to Downtown Disney--where I forgot my camera in the car ]: 

But it was so much fun! It got us really excited to use the park hopper passes my mom gave us for Christmas. 

Then we came home and had the FHE that my husband planned. [: After the FHE we fell asleep on the couch!

Tuesday we wanted to just sleep in and enjoy the day together. We slept late and got up and watched some sports center. We went to the gym and worked out. We ate In-and-out (multiple times in the week!) And then we went shopping at the outlets. 

Wednesday we went to Disney Land!! We were so excited. It was all decorated for the holidays. We spent literally all day there, from open to close. It was so much fun. We laughed and enjoyed the details of every ride. 

We packed a lunch again and ate it outside California adventure before we went there for a while. The ride waits at California adventure were really long. We sat down on a bench by the lake in the park and we both actually fell asleep for a while! It was kind of funny. So we headed back to Disney and went on all the rides we could before the firework show. It was a christmasy themed firework show-- and its the best I've evvverrrrr seen in my life!!! It was so awesome. I was so grateful to be there with my husband and to be so blessed. Artificial snow was falling all over the park too! It was super cool. 

When we got back we both passed out so exhausted from the days events!

Thursday we went to go four-wheeling, but it didn't end up working out was a bummer! We just stayed at the resort this day and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Garth made me eat my first big-mac and we spent the day just joking around and enjoying the carefree moments we had left. We stayed in bed for along time, took some walks, and explored the resort. It was perfect. 

Friday we got up, sadly checked out of the hotel, went to Lunch, saw a movie, and then boarded our plane for our second reception in Iowa!