Happy Valentines Day!!!

I have never been one to make a big deal about Valentines Day. Usually a sweet word, and if I am lucky, a date night with the hubby is perfect for me.

This Valentines Shane and I both work and will not see each other most of the day (Pretty much until late tonight). It has got me thinking about love though, and how some people show their love so strongly on "special" occasions, but not on a regular basis.

I am so grateful that I have a husband that makes me feel special and loved many days out of the year, and not just those few instances. I am grateful for how hard he works to make our life better. He is the only one for me, my sweetheart.

I am also so grateful for all my family and the continual love that they give to me. They are such strong individuals and teach me so much about life and love. They have shown me how love can transcend judgement and strife.

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentines, because it is supposed to be about love (loving anyone, not just a significant other).

Change.. does a girl good.

Sometimes I need change, I don't think I do and I don't want to, but I need it. I get so bored sometimes, yet am always busy.

I have decided it is time for me to go back to school. I plan to apply to SUU's graduate program starting Summer 2014. I will be getting a Masters of Public Administration.

I also plan on getting in shape, I struggle with this so bad in the winters. I just need to get out and do something other than the ordinary. I have started water aerobics (not just for old women) and plan to jog and use my elliptical more.

In other news:

I love to sew! It is the most frustrating, yet rewarding thing. I have been doing some fun projects. I hope to keep improving my skills. I will try and post some of my projects.

Also, I have a wonderfully talented sister who is sweet enough to cut and color my hair on a Saturday. Love you Lark!

Days like today...

Days like today age me... I feel old, tired, and beat down. 

Days like today make me feel physically sick...

Days like today make me not want to be an adult....

I just want to hide in a pillow fort and watch Netflix until the problems go away...

Tomorrow is another day, hopefully by the end I will feel better.

Have you ever just felt busy?

Have you ever just felt busy?

Cause I swear I feel busy all the time, I know people probably look at me and say "just you wait..." But, between work, church calling, my dogs, projects, and family time I always feel tired by the end of the day. This is my excuse for not blogging in such a long time.

Inspiration to start blogging again? I attended Church down in Bunkerville for the first time in probably 2 years, pretty much all the meetings were on family history. As I was sitting listening to ways we can find our ancestors and that we should preserve our history, I started thinking about blogging and how it is kinda like a journal. I want to remember these times in my life, the good and the bad. So I am going to start blogging again.

So life as of late has been pretty grand.

Shane is in his Third semester of school, he is such an amazing student (He puts me to shame). He is taking classes that I would never have wanted to take, but he will be an amazing engineer someday because of his amazing work ethic. Most of his fee time is spent doing homework, but he still finds time to be an amazing husband.

I have been working, working, and working. The Fall semester is more than half over and I am so excited for the holidays.

I hope to chronicle our daily lives, our struggles, and our triumphs.

Love,

Nellie

Thoughts

"I know it is hard for you young mothers to believe that almost before you can turn around the children will be gone and you will be alone with your husband. You had better be sure you are developing the kind of love and friendship that will be delightful and enduring. Let the children learn from your attitude that he is important. Encourage him. Be kind. It is a rough world, and he, like everyone else, is fighting to survive. Be cheerful. Don't be a whiner." [Marjorie Pay Hinckley] ♥

I just love this quote. I am often asked when Shane and I are going to start having kids; I have been asked this since before we were even married. Yes, we have many different reasons that we are waiting, (education, jobs, and security) but one of the first reasons, and most important reason, was that we wanted to wait to develop our relationship first. We wanted to know each other fully before committing ourselves to a beautiful child. We do plan to have children, but I want to them to know without a doubt that their parents love one another through thick and thin. That we are committed to one another first and foremost. I love family; I love the relationships that I have with my siblings, cousins, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc... I want my children to have the wonderful example that I had as a child of a loving and eternal family.

P.S. This is not to offend anyone; this is just the path that Shane and I have chosen for now. We know that everyone has their own path and choices, and what we choose to do does not make any other couples choices wrong. Plus, like we all know, plans can change or the lord can change them for you. 

Also, Shane and I are going to be rockin' awesome parents someday.

Spring has Sprung

I love spring, I love seeing the sun, I love it hitting 75 degrees, I love seeing flowers come up in our yard, I love mowing the lawn, I love figuring out what in the world we are going to do with our yard in the future.

I could not be more excited for this spring, maybe it is my cabin fever from this last winter, but I have never been happier for it to warm up!


P.S. I did help mow the lawn, Shane just didn't get pictures of it.

The story of us

Since it's Shane and my 2nd wedding anniversary today, I have been feeling a little sentimental and decided to tell you all the story of us.

Shane and I first "met" (meaning I saw him, but didn't really talk to him) when Kurt invited me to go hot tubing here in cedar. It was the second semester of my freshman year at SUU. I saw him and immediately liked him. He was very much my "type". Although we didn't talk much, I found out that he was going to be going to San Diego with a group of friends for spring break. Shortly after our meeting, I was also invited to attend this trip. 

We went to San Diego and had a blast! Shane and some of the other guys brought their motorcycles. I was too scared to ask Shane for a ride for most of the week, but eventually bucked up the courage and asked. (This was my one and only ride on the R1, sad) We had a long in depth conversation while hot tubing and I decided he was even more my type than I thought. (I really, really, really liked him) But, I was the little sister of one of his good friends, so me being my introvert self did nothing. 

I saw Shane a few times after that, but summer came and I moved back to good old B-Town. It came as a surprise to find on Facebook someone had posted "R.I.P. Shane Lee", I thought he was dead for a good week or two before Betty Jo came home and I was able to ask if he died. Luckily, he hadn't. But, he had been in a serious motorcycle wreck, that had broken his back, given him a good concussion,  and messed him up in general. 

This is the first cute thing he did: My birthday is a summer birthday, so I am pretty used to no one remembering it. Shane was the only person, besides family, that made the effort to wish me a happy birthday that year. It made my day.

We started "hanging-out" shortly after that because Kurt started inviting me around  (Thanks, Kurt!) We had many Dr. Pepper fueled evenings watching movies, stealing signs from friends, having dance parties,  and doing bomb fires.

It was on one of these said "movie nights" that I decided to walk Shane out because he had to go to work. This was the beautiful backdrop to out first kiss. (Yes, he kissed me before out first real "date") 

Shane then asked Betty Jo if it was okay if he asked me out on a date, apparently she thought I would say "no". I didn't, and we had our first date that weekend at City Cafe and Deli. They used to do these fun dinners where they cook a big meal and you just eat what they make. Makes decisions easier.

Pretty much it was history from there, we never fought, and never had a reason to be apart from one another. We found that we really enjoyed each others company, and I feel like we have only progressed since then. 

We started dating: September 20, 2009

We were married: April 9, 2011

We were sealed: October 10, 2012

We have only been together a few years now, but I couldn't imagine my life without him. 

I love Shane with all of my heart. I never could have imagined what loving with "all my heart" could mean until I met him.