Of Dating and Marriage

So Saturday night Alan's aunt and uncle came over and we had dinner then they stayed and watched the boys while we went and saw "New Moon". It was sooo nice to be able to go out together without the boys!! I can probably count on one hand (may spill over to both) how many times we've been out alone since Christian was born over three years ago. But it's so important to connect and do things outside the home together!! Relationships need constant nuturing...
So now we're in Seattle area, WA (Renton to be exact). Alan got a job here so now we're saving up to furnish the cute town home we're renting. ;) At least we finally have a bed! And a king size one to boot. ;) I love it! There's room for the boys to play in between us while we snooze during those early morning hours. ;)
Now we're saving for leather couches and a dining room table and a few other odds and ends. Alan is working as a technician for a pest control company. They pay their technicians really well! They get a guaranteed base salary each month, but can work extra and make extra money...it's nice!! :D
I like the area, although it's dark 15 hours of the day! HA! It doesn't bother me, though...and the sun hardly comes out. The overcast skies are slightly annoying, but it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. :) Maybe it will in time...
I just got extended a calling to be in the primary presidency...one calling I've never done yet. :) I'm excited! Especially since the president is a super nice and bubbly girl!! :D She's starting a "Mom's hangout" once a week with the Mom's in the ward. I'm excited!! I was going to start something similar, so I'll help her get it going. :) There're some awesome women in the area I'm excited to get to know!! :)
Alan has an interview with UW medical school on Sunday. We're hoping he gets in so we can stay in this place. The area is so cute and our landlords are the bomb!! :) I'm LOVING being in a neighborhood!! Apartment community life sucks, plain and simple, and here we have an older couple next to us (it's a townhouse/duplex) who are quiet and leave on the weekends. Nice! :D Plus, there's a yard that Christian likes to play in!! :D And there's something liberating about being in charge of putting garbage cans outside on garbage day. :)~
It's been nice living so close to Alan's aunt and uncle. They're so sweet and have lent us a bunch of stuff until we can afford to buy our own...And his parents live only 2 1/2 hours from us so we'll be able to see them more often, which is nice. :) Alan has an amazing family. :D
We had Thanksgiving dinner at Alan's aunt and uncle's house the Wednesday before. Alan's parents met us there and we had a wonderful meal!! :D Good food and good company...couldn't ask for anything more.
Thanksgiving day we had dinner with Alan's friend growing up, Kiel, and his mother and sister and her family. I have met Kiel several times and think he's such a great guy! (Let all the single girls know in the Seattle area!!) :D It was a fun time and everything was made from scratch and tasted wonderful!! :D
The day after Thanksgiving we went to downtown Seattle and watched the Macy's Holiday Parade. It was good times!! We got a lot of candy and Christian got a balloon from a large, scary-looking clown! We got to pet dogs (real ones) and afterward we walked around the mall and ate lunch. It was a fun day! :D
It's been good times here in WA and we've been blessed with great family and good friends...and I look forward to making more friends. :D
We had a lot of fun visiting my family. :) I have really missed them a lot and it was good to see them! I had fun with Jennifer, my sister just older than me. She treated me to a pedicure (thanks Jenn)! :) I love being around her because not only is she fun, but she reminds me that I don't need to take life so seriously!
Alan was pretty popular with the girls. HA! :)~
I hope we can see them soon!!

YEAH!!! I love the holday season!!! :D

So we said GOODBYE to Georgia at the end of September and, on our way to California to visit my family, we stopped in Dallas, TX and Mesa, AZ to visit Alan's sisters. First we saw Alan's younger sister, Stephanie, in Dallas TX. She has two beautiful boys and a sweet & loving man! :D We went to the Texas State Fair and had a blast! We took a picture in front of a nice looking train and I got a 10 min massage and we had alligator (yes, alligator) and fried butter (yes, fried butter) and saw tons of animals. It really was a fun time!! :D

It took us two days to reach Mesa, AZ with the two little ones, but spent almost a week with Alan's older sister, Kristina, and her family. They lived in Provo area with us until 2007 so we used to always hang out. We have missed them!!! We mostly hung out at home with them while the kids ran around in their backyard (a novelty for us), but one day we went to a park and walked around the lake. Then the kids played on the playground and had a blast. Christian and his cousin, Ethan, were stuck like glue to each other the whole time we were there...it was VERY precious. :D

Our mutual friends, the McCally's, stayed 2 nights while we were there and it was good to see them and their two beautiful children, too! :D One day they all decided to roll around in the dirt pile in Kristina's backyard. It was hilarious! HA! We had a very fun time...it was hard to leave!

The night before we left we went to see my mission president and his family...Only he and his wife and youngest daughter are at home now. It was so good to see them and get an update on all my fellow ex-missionaries! Miles LOVED playing with President Calton...He knows he's his third grandpa. :D

We're at my parents' house in Modest, CA right now. We went to a pumpkin patch that had a large area with pumpkins, a big pond with huge fish, a playground, and an area with animals like ostriches and horses and pigs. :) It was fun!! Alan left soon thereafter to go to Provo to finish some research he didn't get done during the school year. I'm so glad he graduated in April!! Now we're in limbo between graduation and trying to get into medical school in 2010...we're currently waiting to see if someone wants to interview him! In the meantime we're going to move up to Washington (this week) and Alan will get a job. Summer sales wasn't too great for us... :S


The week before Halloween our church put on a Trunk or Treat. Christian was a fireman and Miles a (VERY CUTE) teddy bear. My sister and her family were here visiting from Reno so we all went together. It was fun!! Christian got a lot of candy (respectively), but I accidentally sent it home with my sister. HA! Oh well, he got plenty more on Halloween. :D

We have had a lot of fun at my parents'. :D Christian is buds with his silly cousin Maren. She CRACKS me up! HA!! A character and a half, and she plays so well with my little man. He's going to miss her when we leave this week. :( I am REALLY, REALLY going to miss my family! :(

The other day Christian was playing out back and a springy thingy flicked him hard and made a deep hole in his cheek. I yelled, "Jennifer! Jennifer!"...I'm so glad she was there!! :) She went with me to the urgent care and helped take care of Miles while Christian got stitches. It would've been so much worse without her! :) I feel bad for my poor little man, but he has been soooo brave, even at the doctor's! He cried for a while after it happened, but then at the doctor's and since he hasn't cried at all! I'm so proud of him. :) I hate it, but I figure it has to happen to every parent, right? Well he is just so proud of his "itches". HA! :) He always makes me smile. :D