daisy

Have you ever heard about a website called Puppies for Rent? If you are interested about what they are go ahead and click on that link. But here is a little info from their website.

"Puppies For Rent LLC is a humanitarian-minded company founded in Provo, Utah. Our mission is to help three distinct groups: puppies who need to find homes, students and others who are currently incapable of owning a pet, and those interested in adopting a puppy.

Our puppies come from families who adopt them initially but cannot keep them, accidental pregnancies resulting in puppies that need loving homes, or rescue organizations. As such, one of our primary goals is to find wonderful homes for each one of our puppies.

As an organization, we believe that adopting a pet is a large and important decision; a dog will become a new member of the family. Puppies For Rent provides the opportunity to see your potential pet in its future home to help avert adopting a puppy and realizing shortly thereafter that the particular puppy is a poor fit for your home or lifestyle. Rather than expecting future owners to go and pick out a dog after only extremely limited interaction, we provide the chance to get to know a puppy’s personality and to see how the puppy behaves with your family before deciding to adopt. All rental costs do go towards the cost of adopting the puppy."

Pretty cool right? As much as we have wanted a dog, our fourplex isn't allowed to have pets. On labor day J and I decided we would rent a puppy to play with as something fun to do for the day. Unfortunately our reservation didn't go through and we didn't get to see the pup. I emailed to ask what happened and after finding out there was a glitch in their system they offered a free rental.

We decided we would rent Daisy for two hours the following Saturday. We both had completely detached ourselves from wanting her and were excited to play with her for a little bit! Plus, it said she was a small dog and both of us are wanting a medium/large dog in the future. This way we wouldn't get attached!

At twelve o'clock the doorbell rang. As we opened the door the unthinkable happened... our hearts melted. She was ADORABLE! We INSTANTLY fell in love with her. 

The website described her as "a fluffy cuddle muffin" and she definitely lived up to that description. I took her and she immediately cuddled into me. My heart was now a puddle. She was the best puppy I had ever seen! She didn't bark and she was SO calm!

After just 10 minutes of being with her, we hopped right into the car and drove straight to J's parents house. {They're our landlords} J's sister and mom instantly fell in love with her and saw what we saw. She was MEANT to be ours!  {also, her tail was wagging the entire time she was with us, she loves us!}

After about an hour of J's wonderful sweet talking his dad AGREED! We could keep her!!!!! 

Pictures don't do her justice! We are pretty sure she is a shih tzu, small poodle mix. Her coloring is brown/red with some black and a white patch on her tummy! :) 

We are absolutely THRILLED and can not wait until she can "officially" be a member of our family! We have contacted the organization and are just waiting to hear back. 

HUGE Thank you to my in laws!!! 

Please pray that no one else has asked to adopt her so we can bring her home! I can't begin to explain how well she fits in our family, and how much we love her.

xoxo

september

is it really you?

Time goes by all too quickly. This is my favorite time of the year!

It's when everything starts to change. Some of it good, some of it hard, but all of it exciting and wonderful! A year ago I thought this month would never come. I was caught in a whirlwind of pictures, announcements, cakes, colors, flowers, planning, and love. 

Now you're trying to tell me it's been a whole year since that happened?

As I was driving to campus to pick J up, I noticed yellow leaves starting to dance on the road. I decided to roll down the windows and felt a whisper of cold air. Oh how I LOVE Autumn! It's the season of GOOD!

I always find myself happier with the crisp air brushing against my skin. I find myself wanting to be outside more. Bundling up in blankets or sweaters. Watching football games while sipping hot cocoa. Listening to the trees have conversations with the wind. Witnessing the mountains paint the most beautiful pictures. 

I love the smells that come with it as well. So many good scents to keep the house smelling magnificent!

It's all things pumpkin, corn mazes, and leaves! THIS is my Christmas morning... 

and it's wonderful!

So welcome Autumn! I 

hope you'll be as good to me this year as you so blissfully have been in the past. 

xoxo

zombies, RUN!

J has always been a runner. I on the other hand, have detested it. Yes, I used to do a jive like nobodies business. But for the life of me, I can not run. 

In the ninth grade I found out I have exercise induced asthma and have let that hold me back from a lot of things. I got comfortable with the way I was and since my body was so used to dancing, asthma only TRULY kicked in while I did other activities. 

One of the things J has always looked forward to about marriage was being able to run with his wife. 

Whoops. Insert guilt. 

After months and months of thought, I had a change of heart and decided, okay, I guess can do this one teeny tiny thing for him - that will actually benefit myself. 

So I decided, why not. We found this app a couple months ago called "Zombies, RUN!". It literally starts at square one, for the beginning-est of beginners and trains you for a 5k. You go on different "missions" as you train to fight in the war against Zombies. 

For starters it has you walk for 10 minutes to get your heart rate up but they tell you not to push yourself. You then do ten drills of walking for a minute and running for 15 seconds. After that you have a 10 minute free run where you can run, jog, or walk at your leisure. The missions get progressively harder but if you're not ready to move on, you don't have to! Pretty easy huh?

You can also look at a map and see what music made you run the fastest and look at the "track" you ran. It's pretty cool!

If you know me at all, you know that I am the worlds best when it comes to procrastination. I am also lazy. We got that app in May... and it's now August. I'll come home from a long days work exhausted, and J will want to go running and I'm like, "ain't no body got time fo dat!" yeah, that phrase is used too much.

Well I finally gave in and we started last week. The first time was great! My body didn't know exactly what it was getting into. Second time, I didn't get as far, and my legs were complete jello. I barely made it back to the house before the end of it when the first time I had time to spare. 

But I did it! I am already noticing that I am sleeping better and feeling a lot better. I'm not as sluggish anymore, I have energy. I love it! Still not entirely in love with running, or in my case, walking/slow jogging but I'm just getting the hang of it. My body is still building the muscles it needs to and it's a bit painful, but I know I will be so much happier that stuck to it in the long run! 

So here I am reaching out to you to get off of the computer and go outside and run! Do what ever you need. Walk if you must! Heck! I think at this rate I'll still only be walking by November. But I'm DOING it.

This was me after yesterdays "mission". I'm one of those that gets a red face and body when I exercise. This was after five minutes of resting. I was a sweaty mess and I hated my life. Can someone say foot cramps, and chin splints? Plus it was the heat of the day and I hadn't been drinking much water. I felt like crap. 

But I feel better today! Yay for exercising!
{Yes, I'm just learning how to even spell that stupid word}

Until next time, 

moments that matter most

"Moments are the molecules that make up eternity"

What are you going to do with your moments?

THE CHURCH IS TRUE

lately

Last week before we went on vacation was J's last day at UPS. He now works at BYU. But there is something different.

We have nights together! We have had so much fun this week doing various things. We are taking advantage of this week and next before school starts and basically packing a whole summer into them.

J said something last night that made me really happy. He said, "We haven't laughed this much in a while, I love laughing with you". 

It's so true! We have only been able to spend an hour before bed time together and then sleep for the past year. It is WONDERFUL to be able to have more time in the day for each other.

So far this is what we have done this week.

MONDAY

We planned on going to Olive Garden and a movie, but Olive Garden was temporarily closed. We went to Terra Mia instead and then went to "Jobs" at the movie theater. We liked it.

TUESDAY

Nothing too glamorous. We went to Kneaders and then grocery shopping... TOGETHER! Then came home and finished the current TV series we've been watching the last four months... Friends.

WEDNESDAY

We went to Olive Garden to make up for Monday and to have the never ending pasta bowl. It was chaos. After spending 2.5 hours there, our waiter felt so bad that he gave us 4 extra bowls of pasta to take home! Talk about taking advantage of the system! It was great to sit and talk with each other though, so we didn't mind. Even if we did get a little rambunctious playing salt packet football. Whoops. 

THURSDAY

Needless to say we ate Olive Garden left overs for dinner and then headed up the canyon to play card games at "our park" Canyon Glen. It was SO much fun! Unfortunately the storm rolled in so we couldn't star gaze, so we headed home and got Slurpee's at the new 7 Eleven by our house. That place will kill us.

I can't wait for the next 11 days! It's almost like a "stay-cation"! We have saved up some good money to be able to do this. {haven't really gone on a date all summer long, weekends were just too busy}

Love making up for lost time! :)

Also, I promise I'll get better at taking pictures. Ha ha. 

Bear Lake

Bear Lake was so much fun! We did so many things, we were exhausted by the end. Perfect vacation!

Friday, we checked out an ice cave that was pretty cool. The drive up was terrifying, poor Loretta {that's the name of my car, if you don't have a name for you car I highly suggest you get one. It makes driving so much more fun}. Then later we attempted to go to Minnetonka Ice Cave and well, long story short, that failed.

Our cute little nephew Alex probably ate 1 lb of dirt. We ate delicious meals! Seriously, we were spoiled. We also ate one too many s'mores... sorry bout it!

We went boating and spent all of Saturday out on the lake. It was a blast! We went out on the boat and did tubing, along with water skiing. You must know that I am afraid of lakes and oceans now. I didn't used to be. Here is why...

A few years back when my family and I went to the Caribbean. The water was so clear that I realized just how many fish can be swimming around you at once and that freaked me out. It took all that I had to even go snorkeling. Since then I have been afraid that I will step on one or one will come up and bite me. The whole idea that I was swimming in a fish tank was just no bueno.

At bear lake the water was so clear and the water was the PERFECT temperature. After observing for about 20 minutes, I couldn't see one single fish! Woo hoo! So needless to say, I got it and I am soooo glad that I did. Not even the tale of the bear lake monster was going to keep me from having fun!

Then later on we switched the boat out for sea-doos! I got to learn how to drive one but the water was so choppy that I didn't stay out for too long. I mainly just sat on the back while J drove. I told J to take it easy when I was on, so after a couple runs I got off and went back to shore so he could go have some fun. J is an animal on those things! By five o'clock we were so exhausted and decided to head on back to camp.

Now we are home, with minimal sunburns {thank heavens for sunscreen} and wonderful showers! Can't wait for next year!

vacations all we ever wanted...

J and I have been married for almost 11 months!

{coming up on our anniversary! Woohoo!}

We have slept EVERY night together, 

and have NEVER left the state of Utah.

Wah, wah, wah.

Well my friends that is all about to change!

Tomorrow we are heading to Bear Lake for a family vacation with J's family 

and while it may just be to Idaho, we are SO EXCITED to leave the state!!

Yeah, yeah, you can laugh. 

Today is Jacob's last day of work at UPS, 

{FINALLY!!! IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE!!}

and paid vacation never hurt anyone!

Can't wait to camp under the stars,

have s'mores with Reese's,

sleep in our new tent,

go boating,

and spend some time OUTSIDE!

{working full time doesn't really allow you to do that}

OH! Jacob got the job! 

He now works at the circulation desk in the BYU Library.

Keep an eye out for him when you study in HBLL, cougars! 

and by cougars I mean, students..

Peace out Utard see you in a few!