Hi friends! It has been a while. We haven't had a computer for a while because ours was having problems. No computer= No internet = No blogging. I am writing this now at the library. The good news is that Wade's grandparents have generously offered to let us have one of their old computers. We just have to drive down to Scipio and get it. I promise that my blogging will come back in full force once we have the computer, but until then, you"ll just have to wait in breath-holding anticipation.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Wade's mom and siblings were able to come up from California and we spent the day at Grandma and Grandpa Elliott's place. On Friday we all went to temple square in Salt Lake to see the Christmas lights. It was the first night that the lights were on so it was so packed it felt like we were a herd of cattle. The only way to get around was to shuffle along with the crowds! It was so much fun though, and not too cold. We were grateful to have Wade's family up here with us.

That's a big baby

A woman in Indonesia gave birth to a baby that weighed 19.2 pounds.

19.2 POUNDS!! Are. You. Kidding. Me?!!

I cannot even imagine.

Highlights

We have a pretty eventful last few weeks. Here are the highlights:

After our anniversary we were able to spend a week with my family in Texas! Wade, my brother Matt, and I split the drive up into two days. We stayed the night with my Aunt Laurel and Uncle Tom in Colorado Springs. We are grateful to them for letting us stay there.
We spent about a week in Plano: swimming everyday, playing Bananagrams (the best game), eating food, visiting the cockroach museum (true story), and going to the Dallas Temple. It was a wonderful and much needed vacation. My family helped me to celebrate my 23rd birthday while we were there. Mom and Melinda made a beautiful four layer chocolate cake. It was delicious! Definitely a great birthday.

Wade and I bought our very first car together! We bought a Toyota Corolla ( a.k.a. Lola Corolla) from my parents. It is the car I drove my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college. This is the first large purchase that Wade and I have ever made. It's a little scary! We are so grateful to my parents for giving us a good deal. We were blessed to be able to have Wade's car "Pedro" for the last year. As much as we love him, this new car will be a little more reliable.

The day after we got back to Utah, I started a new job at D.H.I. Computing Service. I work with one other girl at the reception desk by answering phones, distributing mail, securing the building at night, and filing top secret confidential files in a vault. I love the people I work with. Everyone is very relaxed and friendly. We are so grateful that this job came when it did. What a blessing.

Wade started the Sociology Masters program at BYU this week. He is going to be very busy, but he is enjoying the work. He is also continuing to work for the sociology department while he goes to school. I'm so proud of him and the hard work he puts in each day.

One down...

Yesterday was our first wedding anniversary! We celebrated on Saturday with dinner and a movie. We went to the dollar movies just like we did on our first date. Last night we ate a piece of our wedding cake that has been in the freezer this last year. I was a little worried that it would be gross, but it was just as good as it was on our wedding day!

I am so grateful for my wonderful husband. He makes me laugh every single day. Every day I fall more and more in love with him. He's pretty much the best husband in the whole world...seriously.

This year had gone by so fast. We have had a lot of adventures. Everyone kept telling us all along that the first year is the hardest, but we have no idea what they are talking about because the first year was pretty great. We are looking forward to many more great years.

And Scooby Doo on Channel Two...

To my fabulous husband on his 24th birthday!!

Babe, I hope you have a fabulous day. I love your stinking guts!!!

Yesterday

Here are a few tidbits from our day yesterday:

Morning- After Wade had gone to work I started cleaning the house. I picked a towel up off the bathroom floor only to discover hundreds of ants. Yes, hundreds. I threw the towel in the bathtub and started the water to drown them and ran to get some cleaner (the only thing I could think of) to spray on the hundreds still remaining on the floor. It took over an hour, but I got them all....hopefully.

Afternoon- While Wade was at work I kept hearing a rustling sound in the kitchen. When he got home he said he heard it too- coming from behind the dryer (yes, our washer and dryer are in our kitchen...weird). He said it sounded like a huge rat! I was chopping stuff for dinner at the time and decided it would be a good time to climb up on top of the table to finish my chopping. When he couldn't see it, Wade thought it may be in the dryer hose, so he disconnected it. Then he said, "I see it!!". He said it was coming around the side of the dryer. I was freaking out expecting to see a rat, when a massive bumblebee came crawling out. Relief. I'll take a bumblebee over a rat any day. Though this bee was huge....about 2 inches long. Biggest bee I have ever seen.

Evening- Wade and I decided spur-of-the-moment to go see a movie, so we raced to the theater in Spanish Fork where it is cheaper and saw "Star Trek". When we got there only two other people were in the theater, so we sat a few rows away from them. Before the movie started a few more families came and all of them sat either on our row or directly in front of or behind us. Who does that? The theater was empty. Annoying. I thought the movie was okay. One of those high on action, low on plot kind of films. On the way home we sang along to the radio at the top of our lungs. I love it when we do that. At home we ate cobbler and icecream, played scrabble, and watched an old "Perry Mason" episode. Good times!

Graduation Picture Overload

Graduation last week was wonderful. It was great to be able to walk together. I walked with Wade in the School of Sociology,even though I graduated in English.

The best part was that both of our families were able to be here. Wade's family drove up from California and my parents flew in from Texas. Wade's grandparents came up from Scipio and St. George. Mike and Melinda were up here for Melinda's brother's wedding and we even got to see them on Sunday. The only thing that could have made it better is if my brother Chris and Wade's brother Shawn could have been there.

We had a great picnic at a park after graduation and played some games. On Saturday we all got to take a family trip to the temple which was amazing.

Overall it was a wonderful weekend and we are grateful to everyone who made it so great!

My parents

Wade's parents

Lame attempt at throwing our caps

Our wonderful parents

The graduates!!


Wade and his mentor Dr. Forste

Anxiously awaiting our turn

We did it!!!

With my mom before graduation