Choose your love, Love your choice

Life is a puzzle. And the pieces in mine are finally coming together.

Keith got the Melchizedek Priesthood today. It was such a powerful and spirtually uplifting few minutes, but those few minutes have already changed our life. I am so grateful to have family members worthy enough to hold such power, and to have a husband who is worthy to receive a gift so wonderful.

We are looking forward to attending the temple in 1 month and 1 day. (Yes it is neccessary to be exact). This year has been witness to my bad side and my worst side. But has also held some of the sweetest, most dear moments and memories. I look forward to an eternity with my family. I love that there is something to look forward to after this life, which makes this life worth living.


'God’s sweetest blessings always go by hands that serve him here below.’ -Thomas S. Monson



Aside from our exciting news, we have not so exciting news. Stinker Lily ran away again. Not sure if she's coming home this time. And right now it's snowing. Snow Snow GO AWAY (:

Weekly Goals (I decided weekly is better than monthly. Help keep me on track better!)

1. RUNNNNN!
2. Read a church article every Sunday
3. Read B.O.M. ERRRRDAY (I'm only in 2Nephi. I don't remember when I started LOL)
4. Lay off the goodies! [which is difficult. Stinkin night shift. Cookies from 5-10, who can resist?!

Rewards
1. Tanning <3 Every other day.
[funny story (for me at least), been looking EVERYWHERE my tanning sunglass things or whatever you want to call them. Anyways, couldn't find them in the apartment anywhere. So I was planning on going to buy some more. Well, yesterday I decided to brush my teeth at work, before I had to clock on (I had just eaten, I like the fresh breathe feeling) and in my little bag in my purse I FOUND THEM! Of all the obvious places! (let's face it, tooth paste and tanning glasses don't go together though)]
2. Stronger testimony. RIGHTEOUS!!
3. Get one treat. (Only if everyday though)
4. Less fat <3 SUMMER READYYY! (:

Summer is appox. t-3months & 2weeks

BTW It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas tonight. HA Dumb snow!

Because I'm Basically AWESOME...

Corporate came back today. And they decided that because I'm AWESOME I get a raise. Can you say HALLELUJAH?! Ha okay, it's not because I'm that awesome, (well partially) but because minimum wage is going up so does my pay. AWESOME!

I've also been doing fairly well on this whole working out and eating better thing. (the whole no goodies for 2 weeks, definately doesn't last. LOVE ME some yum yums) Mostly because we just don't buy crap anymore and myfitnesspal.com keeps me in shape. (; And since I've been working later, I get to workout first thing in the morning and I get a better amount of sleep each night. I LOVE SLEEPING! It does kind of mess with my head though. (3P-11P Tues, Wed, Thurs, 7A-3P Fri, Sat.) Not fun. School starts soon though, so I'll get back on track!

Lily gained weight after being gone for 4 days and looking like a Holocaust dog victim. After eating somewhat like a human, scrambled eggs, chicken broth, and rice, her body and fur are looking nice! She has an inflamed muscle or something in her leg, so she isn't able to run, wish I was able to take her running, but she is doing well!

Calllllings! (: Keith and I have callings. I've been in nursery for about a month now. Keith just got called into Young Men's. Deacons adviser/Something with Scouts! (: YAY! He's excited. And likes it so far. Just waiting until those campouts when he comes home and hates it!  (: But so far it's grand! Temple Prep classes are all done! Now it's time to set a date, and get some invites out! Super stoked! March can't come soon enough!

We had a ward Christmas party. Keith and I actually went. Sat with people we DIDN'T know, I encourage you all to do this, and mingled! Great way to get to know people, we hardly knew anyone. We got invited to play Vball with them! yay! (:

We are officially AWESOME! (:

Our Thanksgiving!

For Thanksgiving we were able to drive down to Blaine and spend some time with Dad's side of the family. We saw Alias, who now has 3 kids. (last time we saw him was probably 3 or 4 years ago, when he had one child), Aubrey, who now has 4 kids and one on the way. ( the last time we saw her, she had one. It's been at least 6 years). We also got to visit with Uncle Marty, Aunt Debbie, Uncle Greg, Aunt Connie, Grandpa Gunny, Grandma Vie and Addison. We played A LOT of pool, ate A TON of food, and probably gained A BILLION pounds (: But it was SO worth it.) On Friday we watched football then the siblings, dad, Debbie, Marty, Addison, and Greg and I took a walk around a park near Grandma's house. Super pretty! Then we went down to the pier and walked around. (It was freezing! And we got attacked by seagulls! I hate those things!) The us girls went shopping, because that's what we do (: We had dinner at Marty and Debbie's, Shay and I baked some delicious cookies and Marty and the boys made some pretty bomb hamburgers. It was quite an enjoyable trip!

To Grandma's house we go!

On Thursday, Lily escaped from her babysitter. Uh OH! Crazy dog on the loose! She was spotted 4 or 5 times while we were gone, but no one was able to catch her. Saturday we got home and went out looking. No sign of her. Sunday we looked again before and after church. Still, nothing. So Sunday night we "camped out" in the living room. Left the door a little bit cracked open in hopes that our Lily bugs would soon return. By 2 in the morning.. She still hadn't. At 6 Keith got up for work (I got to sleep in as I didn't have to be to work until 11). By 6:30 he was gone. Around 7:30  get a phone call from Keith telling me, he left his phone at home. At 8 I hear a scratching, sniffing noise at the door. I immediately JUMPED up and LO and BEHOLD.. Lily returned! I was ecstatic! So I gave her a bath, texted everyone who had helped and offered to help. Then I called Keith's work and told him, not that Lily was home, but that a lady had called whose daughter saw Lily running across the Applebee's parking lot (true story) and that his mom and I (she was on  her way over to see Lily) were gonna go out and look for her. He told me no, he wanted to go out and do it. I told him okay (super excited in my head) but you need to come home FIRST and get your phone in case we get anymore leads. Well Renae shows up. And we wait and wait and wait for Keith. Finally he comes home!

Such a sweet greeting (:
And Lily got to open an early Christmas Present! (which is now destroyed, with fuzzy little fluffies all over the apartment)

It was a stuffed bear thing. Super cute but extremely messy! (in the back you can see our campsite)



UPDATE: So this whole working out thing. I actually enjoy.. Most days! Keith and I have been hitting the gym, sometimes together, sometimes I go alone. Although I haven't lost weight, I do notice my body is a bit tighter and toned and I'M LOVIN IT! I did have a little bit of cellulite evidence that is slowing disappearing. And maybe, hopefully one day soon, I will have abs to kill for! I have also been trying (not very hard) to eat healthier. And well, working at a hotel you would think that would be easy. But it's SO not! After banquets we get left overs. Chocolate cake, Cheesecake. Or scraps. Little brownie scraps in a bowl. Um Delish! Sometimes we even have potlucks. Homemade pizza, meatballs, cookies.. You know, the good stuff! Guests bring us boxes of goodies. Mr. Galo brought us a box of Lindour Truffles. How do you turn those down?! Oh that's right, YOU CAN'T!  And when your sweet husband brings you a candy cane chocolate blizzard thing, out of the kindness of his heart, how do you turn him down? Oh yeah, you can't turn that down either! So as you can see, this eating super healthy thing is a challenge. So my goal (starting tomorrow, as I have messed up today.) No more goodies for AT LEAST 2 weeks. DEAL! (:

LET'S GET FIT!

Oh DivineCaroline

Husband's Beware (:

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard.
The door of his wife’s car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog.
Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall.
In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.
In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.
He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened.
He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door.
As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap, and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.
As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel.
She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked:
“What happened here today?’”
She again smiled and answered, “You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?”
“Yes,” was his incredulous reply.
She answered, ‘”Well, today I didn’t do it.”

Via http://www.divinecaroline.com/22324/37661-did-do-day#ixzz1eBSvpFqc

 

While I know it will NEVER come to this.. I'm keeping it in mind just in case!

 

She spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates, and suitcases.
On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.
On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candlelight, put on some soft background music and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of Chardonnay.
When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half —eaten shrimp dipped in caviar, into the hollow of the curtain rods. She then cleaned up the kitchen and left.
When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days. Then slowly, the house began to smell. They tried everything; cleaning, mopping, and airing the place out.
Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned. Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days, and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting.
Nothing worked. People stopped coming over to visit. Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit. Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.
A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house. Word got out and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls. Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.
The ex —wife called the man and asked how things were going. He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly, and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back. Knowing his ex —wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day.

She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork. A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home.... ....including the curtain rods.


Via http://www.divinecaroline.com/22324/34968-revenge-curtain-rods#ixzz1eBTbwgXL

Christmas

So, I have decided that Keith and I are basically making all our Christmas gifs this year. I am very excited! We have already picked out what we want to do for his mom, the girls (from the Stevens family), and I picked out what I would like to do for my mom, thanks from ideas from Kristin Hunt, and Pinterest. All we have left is dad's, the Michael Redwine family, and Luke and Shanell. Which shouldn't be too hard. I would totally post pitcures of these awesome projects if I didn't think they would sneak a peak. I will have to take pictures and post AFTER Christmas. Also, instead of going crazy and buying each other a billion and a half presents, we are buying one big thing for the both of us, this year MIGHT have to be a space heater and fire wood, bring out that cozy fireplace, and then stuffing each others stockings with things we made, or bought, or whatever we feel like, (coal maybe). I do know, however, Keith won't peak. So here's something I'm thinking about doing for him.

and maybe something like this for mom.. But IDK exactly yet (:

Oh, and it started snowing today. Bring on the Christmas tunes Cherrie Moss! (:

Change in LIFE

So, starting tonight Keith and I are starting temple prep classes. I cannot wait to start our journey through eternity together. We have been attemping some life changing habits, i.e. reading together, FHE, praying together, attending ALL of church, and the list goes on and on. Along with us on this journey, is my good friend Jake. I get to enjoy this class with two of my favorite and best friends. I am excited to see what Brother Halgren has in store for us tonight.

Along with this life changing event, I have decided I am out of shape. Not necessarily fat, but just unable to run away from a bad guy chasing me. I do however weigh more than I ever have, have no abs/muscle whatsoever and before we decide to have kids and I explode from those cute little things, I am making a change. This insane workout I am going to attempt, is the one from Britney Spears in her "prime years".

Abs like that.. Yes please (:

Workout:

90 minutes/4x a week
Warm up: 10 minutes on cardiovascular machine (treadmill, stationary bike, etc) at a medium pace.
Abs: 50 crunches, 50 bicycle twists, 50 hip raises
Strength Circuit: Use weights to work on arms, chest, back, and lower body. Bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, and fly exercises and presses.
Abs: 50 crunches, 50 bicycle twists, 50 hip raises
Strength Circuit: Use weights to work on arms, chest, back, and lower body. Bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, and fly exercises and presses.
Abs: 50 crunches, 50 bicycle twists, 50 hip raises
Strength Circuit: Use weights to work on arms, chest, back, and lower body. Bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, and fly exercises and presses.
Abs: 50 crunches, 50 bicycle twists, 50 hip raises
Back to Cardio & Abs: 30 minutes of jogging on treadmill or elliptical machine
Abs: 150 crunches, 150 bicycle twists, 150 hip raises (Do each 3 times)
Yup that’s a total of 1950 ab exercises…how else do you think Britney looked so hot?!?!?!
Last but not least…STRETCH! And maybe take a yoga or pilates class on one of your off days.

So we will see how this goes.
My goals for this month (end of November/December)

Attend all Temple Prep classes
Attend Church when possible, (work sometimes gets in the way)
Attend Church activites (Relief Society.. Not sure how I'll feel about these)
Love my husband unconditionally. i.e. Be kinder, maybe feed him every now and then, ect (:

Weight Now: 130-135 (depending on the time of day)
Target Weight: 115-120
Target Weight by the end of November: 125
Target Weight for the end of December: 115

HERE WE GO (:

A Laugh for the Day

Kids contemplate marriage.

How would you make your marriage work?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.
Ricky, age 10

How can a stranger tell if two people are married?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
Derrick, age 8

What do you think your mom and dad have in common?
Both don’t want any more kids.
Lori, age 8

What do most people do on a date?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.Lynnette, age 8 (isn’t she a treasure?)
On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
Martin, age 10

What would you do on a first date that was turning sour?
I’d run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
Craig, age 9

When is it okay to kiss someone?
When they’re rich.
Pam, age 7
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn’t want to mess with that.
Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It’s the right thing to do.
Howard, age 8

What is the right age to get married?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
Camille, age 10

No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married.
Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)

Is it better to be single or married?I don’t know which is better, but I’ll tell you one thing. I’m never going to have sex with my wife. I don’t want to be all grossed out.
Theodore, age 8

It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

 How do you decide whom to marry?
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with.
Kristen, age 10


Via http://www.divinecaroline.com/22077/35341-decide-marry-kids/2#ixzz1abSdcteo

6-month check-up

September 12 marked our 6 month anniversary! Can you believe how time is just FLYING by?! I sure can't! We spent our un-anniversary with a trip to Costco for grocery shopping, followed by a pizza dinner with Keith's BFF Jesse, then basketball (for the boys) at Bethel while Lily and I went running. Romantic huh? We did however get to sunggle up on the couch and watch a movie.

September also marks the fact that I still have NOT met the whole Manis family. Aunt Geri came into town (Dayton) from Las Vegas. So we took a nice LONG, HOT road trip to visit. Upon arrival at Grandpa Manis's, I met Aunt Geri from Las Vegas and some cousins from Kennewick that I still have somehow never met. Then we all mobbed to the park for some good family fun, i.e. Stuff Your Face Time (: At the park we were greeted by more aunts, uncles and cousins I have never seen before.And then it was face stuffing time. We talked with family for a while, then Keith Lily and I went for a walk around the park. We ended up at some stream thing and while Lily tried to swim in the ever so shallow water, Keith was looking under rocks for some weird worm bug nasty things (boys and their entertainment). When we got back up to the park, it was time to go back home. So we made the LONG, HOT road trip back home. I didn't get any pictures of this lovely day, though I wish I had.

All around September really hasn't been too eventful. We celebrated Derick's 26th birthday. We'll be celebrating Mom's (29th, again) birthday Tuesday with the daughters, then next Sunday with everyone. The rest of our free time is made up of working, eating, talking about working out and sleeping. What a life! (:

Are YOU out of the loop?

Recap on our past months: I'm really bad at this whole blogging thing.

So April, we were living at Grandma and Grandpas. We finally moved all into our new place and LOVEE it! Konner was gone most of June and July, but we got him back JUST in time for Twin Lakes. I forgot to mention, before Twin Lakes we were able to go to Pullman and visit with the Gosney's for Peyton's birthday! We had a blast! Ate some delicious jello cake, drew on the sidewalk with chalk, and watched Lily and Titan play forever! We really enjoyed our stay. From Pullman, we drove to the lake! And boy did we have a blast there also! Keith almost got up on 1 ski. But after about the 6th try, he was too mad to move. We spent most of our days cooped inside because of the awful weather. Sunny Sunday (of course), rainy Monday, cloudy/rainy Tuesday, sunny/cloudy/rainy/sunny/rainy/cloudy Wednesday, and by Thursday weather was GREAT! Sunny for the rest of our stay. Our annual volleyball tournament was Friday. Keith, Derick, Trenton and I are champs (: After volleyball it was time for Keith and I to say goodbye to all the family from ALL over the U.S. and head on back home to Tri Town. Not before we stopped to say hello to our good friend Edna! Loveeeee their food and milkshakes! Once we got home it was back to work for Keith, and hello new jobs for me.

August has been good to us also. I've been working at the Hilton Garden Inn and Abercromie & Fitch since the 1st basically. I'm enjoying being able to work, but not loving how behind on cleaning I am getting. It gets harder and harder to figure out which days to do laundry and forget about finding time to clean up all our messes. And I'm sure Lily doesn't like being home alone all day cooped up in her kennel. But we gotta do what we gotta do! And let me tell you.. Work is exhausting! But it will all be worth it on payday! (:

New Beginnings

Recently, Kayla and Derick got married. (18th of June). Love, love, LOVE having another sister! As if 2 weren't enough. But we are finally catching up to the boys (there's 5 of them). We have very much been enjoying our summer of relaxation, well my summer is at least relaxing, Keith's got a little bit more so after loosing the airport job.
A week before Hoopfest we got a call from The Village at Grandridge Apartments and they had availability! After looking and praying we decided to get it. And boy has being on our own wonderful! We finally are able to use all our cool kitchen things I've been dying to use and I've been a good housewife and been making dinner! Easy dinners of course like chicken and rice, grilled cheese, things like that. If you have any other dinner ideas let me know!
Hoopfest weekend was great! We got to spend time with Kyra, Jake and the kids. We took Trenton with us. It wasn't half bad. I got burnt like a lobster, and the boys finally won a game! Talk about exciting. 3 years of never winning a game, and they finally win one. Kyra and I worked on a 1000 piece puzzle and we were able to get a lot of it done the first couple days we were there.
The Friday after Hoopfest (July 1st) we moved into our new apartment. While Keith was at work, my sister, sisters-in-law and mother-in-law moved in all the boxes full of kitchen stuff, clothes, shoes, bathroom stuff, ect. We set up the kitchen and they were on their way. When Keith got off, Trenton and Daniel and Keith moved up the entertainment center, couches, TV and all the other big things we had. The next day, I spent putting things away that I could, organizing, re-organinzing and doing anything I could to keep me busy. When Keith got off, it was shopping day time all the things we needed like cleaning stuff, lamps, trash bags, food, and all the other good and helpful things we need. We got Leonardi's pizza for our first dinner at our new apartment. I washed and put away all the dishes I could and then it was bedtime.
Sunday we woke up and went to church at our new ward. After that, I made cookies, we had visitors and we headed to the Myers for a BBQ. The BBQ was delicious and very filling! After the BBQ we went to the Manis's for card games and visiting (Kyra and the kids were in town for the 4th).
Monday morning we made our first real meal and breakfast. We made french toast, bacon and eggs. We headed to Hermiston for the 4th and hung out with Bo and Holly. We played softball and badmitton, ate delicious food and enjoyed all the company! After the wonderful firework show, we headed home.
It was back to work Tuesday for Keith, and boredom for Lily and I. I did wash all the towels and clothes at the laundry mat here. Cost about $5. Never doing that again! Not all the clothes got dry so we probably looked like white trash with all the clothes hanging out on the back balcony. We did get NetFlix again so life home isn't completely boring. Keith and I are addicted to The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I'm in love with Drop Dead Diva, and catching up on Glee. Yes, I'm a Gleek (;
Job status, currently waiting on the Hilton Garden Inn to call me about a job. Corporate has to get back to them about things, so everyone is stuck just waiting. Keith is only working at Metal Fab. Which is really good for him. He's getting A LOT more sleep and is overall just happier.
Twin Lakes is coming up soon. CANNOT wait! Sunshine, boating, volleyball and family. There's nothing better! Keith and I are camping it in the front of Mom's cabin. And Konner will finally be back. Oh yea, Konner left the 19th of June to stay in Maryland with Kenny (his biological father) and won't be back until the first day of Twin Lakes (July 23). Wayyyy to long for that cute little guy to be gone! 
Well that's life now! And it's only getting better! (:

Catching up with the Manis'

So, since the last time I wrote was over a month ago, let's update you all. We've been quite busy with vacation type of trips and working. To start, I didn't get the Dental Office job of my dreams, but they are planning on expanding in a couple months. All I can do is hope and pray they will call for that! Keith's still working like crazy. Poor guy, I swear he hardly sleeps. Today was my last day subbing in the Life Skills room at Highlands. It's sad to go but, hello summer!
Keith and I were able to go to Oregon for Tyson and Kelsie's graduation party. While everyone in the house was either working or going to school, Keith and I were able to spend the day in Portland. We took the Tram to the mall, and the zoo. We got lost a little bit but luckily found nice enough ( and normal enough ) people to help us out. (You'd be surprised at the people you meet on a free type of bus.) At the mall we shopped for Tyson's graduation gift and my birthday shopping. We got to go into most of my favorite stores and shop TAX FREE! Gosh how I love that! After the mall we went to 5th Ave and spent a little bit of time in the "ritsy mall" with Juicy, Nine West, Gucci and other overly priced stores :) After 5th Ave we took the Tram to the Oregon Zoo, (there are pictures on FB). We had a blast there! We were able to see most of the animals, sadly not the lions, we couldn't find them, and take a ton of pictures. We bought some delicious fudge from the gift store and then went back to Aunt Marie's. She had made "pounds of food" for the graduation party, and let's just say, I'm sure we all gained about 45 pounds. Or maybe that was just me... (:
After our 3 day trip in Portland we headed back home. Upon arrival, I sent Keith to pickup the car while I waited for the checked baggage. Once I got the bag I went outside to see Keith nowhere in sight. Well I was pretty sure it didn't take 20 minutes to walk to the staff parking lot and get the car so I gave him a ring. Come to find out, the car wouldn't start. We called mom to come try and jump it, interrupting her from her nap, and because she is a fantastic woman, she crawled out of bed and came to the rescue. Sadly, a jump was not what we needed. About 30 minutes later and a couple arguments, we called the tow truck. Towed our car to our mechanic and had Grandpa come get us. (What amazing family we have BTW. Always willing to help us in tough situations).
So we went back home and started to pack for the camping trip we were leaving on in about 3 hours. Nicole and Curtis came and got us, we made some last minute stops and off we were on our next adventure. We only got kind of lost on the way up there. We had a ton of fun at Camp Zarahemla. Canoeing, biking, attempting to start fires, making s'mores and just being outdoors. Nights were absolutely freezing, but luckily, my husband is an incubator. The boys explored everything, Nicole and I stayed at camp and did what girls do. We decided 3 days of camping was good enough, partly because we needed to make it home in time for church and partly because we only had junk food left. (Chips and cheese balls aren't exactly the best breakfast, lunch and dinner foods.) So Saturday morning we headed back to Tri-Town, but not before we hit up Miner's. And can I say it was delightfully delicious?!
When we got home, stopped by the mechanic, after calling him and finding out our car started right after we left, and everyday after that, and picked up our car. We had also talked to mom and found out while we were gone, Lily, our dog, had ran around town for about 3 hours, and scratched up the carpet on the stairs. Darn that dog for putting our poor sister and her mother-in-law through all that chasing around. Lily eventually ran home and acted like nothing happened. She's a stinker.
More recently, I shopped like a maniac today at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I bought a vacuum, a blender/grinder, laundry baskets, a batter dispenser and some travel mugs for less that $150 thanks to their bridal close out thing.
Keith and I are still looking for a place to put all this nice stuff to use. I know we will eventually find one, but it can't come soon enough! We absolutely LOVE staying with Grandma and Grandpa, but as everyone knows, living completely on your own is way different, even if we hardly ever see them!
I was able to play cards with Grandma and, yes, even Grandpa played! The three of us played Skip-O, and Grandpa kicked our bums. He's so deceiving! (:
This month will also be a busy month, with Father's day, Dad's birthday, Derick and Kayla's wedding, and hoopfest, we will surely be busy again. On top of that, we only have about 2-3 more pages of Thank Yous to do. My goal was to have them done by Shayla's wedding, but that's about 2 weeks overdue! Next goal, done by the month of June! We can do this!
That's our past month in a nutshell. We hope you all enjoy our crazy life!

Blessings and More

This week has been quite crazy I'd have to say. All our hard work is paying off.

I lost my job at Gold's Gym. It's sad to say goodbye to our free gym membership, but we are over it. Grandma and Grandpa have a treadmill and a bike in the basement, plus the weather is hopefully, kind of, getting better, and Keith brought his weight set from home, so we are set! Plus, I got the opportunity to work, possibly for the rest of the school year, at Highlands Middle School in the Life Skills classroom. I was offered this position on Tuesday of this week and it has been a TON of fun! The kids are super sweet and hilarious and are so growing on me. I will miss them when I have to leave. Also, it's been teacher appreciation week. HELLO FREE LUNCHES (: Tuesday was potluck day with soups and salads and all sorts of goodies, Wednesday was leftovers, Thursday was Cinco De Mayo with beans and rice and some sort of spicy food for tortillas, chips and salsa and today was subs with a tons of ham and turkey some more goodies and chips. Besides the fact that I'm almost 19 and am sometimes confused as being a student there and if you don't think about all the weight I'll gain, losing my job at Golds wasn't so bad after all.

On the other hand, my poor Keith has been working like a crazy man. 4-7 at the airport Monday-Friday then 8-4 or 6 at MetalFab right after that. Luckily the new bid started and he will only have to work 3 days at the airport. But Fridays will KILL. 4-7 airport, 8-4 or 6 MetalFab, then back to the airport at 10-1 for a double. Income is nice though. And tithing blessings are even better. 

We got a check from FedEx yesterday for reimbursement from school last quarter that I'm sure we wouldn't have known if it never came. But we are so happy it did! And even though right now tithing isn't something we struggle with, I'm sure later in life, if we have any doubts, we can look back at this incident and know what we have to do.

As I'm sure you all know, Keith and I are sports fanatics. We have plenty of events for anyone to come watch. Softball just started for my sister and I. Church league out at the Trac in Pasco. Don't mean to brag or anything, but our team basically dominates. Keith has been playing basketball at the Tri-City Court Club on Mondays or Wednesdays. So anytime you feel like working on your tan, or watching an exciting game of basketball, just let us know! :)

We haven't heard back from the Dental Office, and I'm getting more anxious each day! But we will see. I'm still applying places so, hopefully, come summertime I will have a job and not be a summer bum.

Turning Point

As you know, job hunting is a pain. KSD has been slowing down a LOT since the school year is ending, which means less work for me. And working weekends at Gold's and part time at the airport doesn't get us enough to pay for anything but gas and other bills. So Keith and I have been on the search for better, more reliable jobs for the past few weeks. We prayed and prayed to find something, either here or in Spokane. (Matt and Leslie wanted us to come stay with them in their new house. Which would have been nice getting out of Tri-Cities and starting fresh elsewhere. But jobs there are scarce. So we prayed to see if moving was meant for us. And well, we got our answer..

Yesterday morning Keith came home from work at the airport and told me, "Babe. I am going to get a job today. I just have a feeling I will." I said, "I hope you do!" rolled over and went back to sleep. But sure enough, about 5 hours later, Keith gets a text from his brother-in-law, Luke, asking if he was still interested in a job at Metalfab. A guy just got fired and they were moving one of the yard workers into the shop to weld. Keith said yes, drove down to Metalfab, and filled out an application. They told him they would call in about 2-3 days. That same day they called and told him to come in tomorrow!

Me on the other hand. I've been looking online, sending my resume to everyone, and might get a job. I applied to be a receptionist at a dental office. After doing so Keith and I went over to the Manis's to see Lily and Renea was on the phone. She asks me if I applied at a dental office. I told her yea right before we came here. Well they just called me and asked if there was any relation to a Marissa Manis and I told them, Yes she just married my son. The dentist knows Bob. Small world huh? So I'm here waiting for a call that will hopefully come in 1-2 weeks. Can't wait!

On a less happy note, I got a speeding ticket. Who knew anyone was awake at 6 in the morning? Driving to Gold's last Saturday, I admit I was going a little to fast (10 over). I was looking all around for cops to make sure I didn't get pulled over, but that plan fell through as soon as those little motorcycle guys get on the road. Anyways, I was minding my own business, driving 70 (although I'm almost positive I was going 75, but we can just let that slide) in a 60, when I see this motorcycle come speeding behind me. Being the smart lady I am, I pushed the car into neutral, because that motorcycle was NOT there before. Sure enough its a little copper. Well I rolled down my window, waited, realized he was at the other window, so I rolled down the passenger window and talked to the guy. Told him I can't find my insurance because I just got married and I'm not exactly sure where my husband put it, he said it was fine took my license and registration to his motorcycle, wrote me a ticket for 5 over to save me a little money, very thoughtful of him. Showed him my insurance and went off on my way. I was so grateful for him, I wasn't even that mad!

Happy note again, I got a bridesmaid dress for my sister's wedding. Shayla is getting married May 28! Another happy note, Derick's now fiancée got a wedding dress, they are getting married June 17! Talk about lucky parents! 3 weddings in 1 year and in less than 6 months. Good grief! (:

And talk about being busy. Those 2 have had less time than anyone I know. On top of working, and planning 3 weddings, they also had the opportunity to participate in Savior of the World. Keith and I were privileged enough to go see in the last night, also being the day before Easter. It was the most spiritual, touching show I have ever witnessed. I cried, through about half of it. Good cries of course. Before the show I was also able to write a little note to my cousins Brendan who is in New Jersey on his Spanish speaking mission.

So obviously life has been amazing so far for Mr. Manis and I, minus the few upsetting parts. But when life gets you down, you know what you got to do?.. Just keep swimming (;

Our Life Today

So Keith and I have almost been married for a month. (4 more days). I don't know how long most couples' "honeymoon days" last, but ours has surely been over for about 3 weeks. We have been having a lot of fun though. We are currently staying with Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen. And let me tell you, they are a hoot! We enjoy spending time talking with them. But lets start from the beginning.

Keith and I were married March 12, 2011. The ceremony was short, but the day lasted FOREVER. We enjoyed seeing all our friends and family and were glad to be able to spend this special day with them. After the reception we headed out to Cameo Heights Mansion and spent the night. It was BEAUTIFUL! And we had a TON of fun! Ping pong, a 5 minute game of chess, tetherball, movies, jet baths and a huge shower. Not to mention the delicious hot chocolate we received in the morning.

After our very satisfying night there, we came home and opened about a gazillion presents, none of which we've had the opportunity to use. When we get our own place though, we will be in cooking heaven.

Up to this day, we have been working and going to school. Which finals week, a couple weeks AFTER our wedding, was a pain in the tooshie. I recommend not planning big events around that time. We both passed though, despite our many missed classes, and sleepless nights. We can only hope our next quarter will be even better. Work, work and more work, if only we could pass. Keith is currently working at the airport. Free flight benefits! But I think what he enjoys the most is working with his Mother-in-Law. I am working for the Kennewick School District as a Substitute Para educator by day, and Gold's Gym by nights (and weekends). Can you say, "Free gym membership"? I would think we've got it pretty much made.

Pretty much got it made, except the fact, we have no credit, making apartments extra expensive. So we decided to head out to Gesa to see what we could do about it. We opened an overdraft account and are putting it to work.

Our most recent excitement, though, was getting out of town. We enjoyed a day in Seattle with our Brother-in-Law Matt Gosney.We enjoyed walking aimlessly up and down the street trying to find the Pike Place Market. Eventually we made it. Down on Pike Place we enjoyed going to the Nike Factory, The Cheesecake Factory and Kukuruza Popcorn. Although our favorite place would have had to been.. The Gum Wall. The nastiest thing since Port-a-Pottys. On our way home, we stopped in North Bend to do a little more shopping. Went to the Nike Outlet. Got a couple pairs of basketball shorts for my honey, and a pair of shorts and the most amazing sports bra for me. We jammed out to some music before Keith and I fell asleep leaving poor Matt to drive back home with a couple of snoring in-laws.