The exciting life of J&J!

Mitch & Paige's Wedding- in reverse order

2012-02-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

My pictures were uploaded backwards and for some reason I cannot change the order so I'll just talk about Mitch & Paige's wedding in reverse order. Pictured above is their delicious wedding cake.
They had a very special wedding dinner @ Firestone for family a few hours after the ceremony. I loved Paige's colors of navy, black, and white. Paige played the ukulele and sang the sweetest song to Mitch. It was my favorite part of the whole dinner.
Jesse with his brother (the groom).
The old-ly-weds with the newlyweds. I was scared to touch Paige's dress. It was so clean and white and beautiful! Paige is going to be an awesome sister-in-law!
The bridal party.

Paige & Mitch after the ceremony. They were glowing! It was a great weekend filled with family. We are so happy for them and wish them all the best!

BERMUDA TRIP*

2012-01-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

* You must go to youtube and listen to the Beach Boy's "Kokomo" while reading this post.

For Christmas this year, Jesse planned a little getaway to Bermuda for some much needed R&R.

Well that's exactly what we got! We slept when we were tired, ate when we were hungry and spent our waking hours playing cards, laying out by the pool, reading by the bay and enjoying every second of the warm weather. It was very mild weather...in the high 60s/ low 70s and it felt so nice! I wore flip flops and shorts all week (although I have no tan to show for it)! We had fun exploring downtown Hamilton, the Bermuda Aquariam and Zoo and eating at the Swizzle Inn most nights on the island. They had the most incredible ribs--the best I've ever had! We drank free water with every meal. We learned our lesson on the first night after Jesse ordered a soda with one refill for $7.50!

This is our last trip as a couple for a while. Jesse has school and clerkship right up until next Christmas when we will be going to DC to visit my family.

It was so hard adjusting back to Calgary life. We got back from the airport at 1:30am and Jesse had class at 8:30am. We went from spending all day every day together to spending most of the day and evenings apart.

I'm Thankful (for real this time)

2011-11-25T11:43:00.001-08:00

I am so thankful to have a full-time job that pays well and offers amazing benefits. I never have to work overtime. My evenings and weekends are free and I get paid vacation AND sick days! I think I lucked out considering that I don't have a completed bachelor's degree yet!

I am thankful that my husband is in medical school (even though that school happens to be in Canada). He works really hard and is going to be a great provider for our family...someday.

I am thankful for the new friends I've made here in Calgary. It's really hard to be so far away from my old friends and family. Jesse's family is only 2 1/2 hours away and we get to see them on a regular basis but most of my family lives in Virginia or Texas so I never get to see them. I'm glad people have really reached out to us to invite us to things. I am (or used to be) a very social person and I need that kind of interaction in my life.

I am thankful for delicious food. I always hear stories about starving newlyweds that live off of top ramen and PB&J. My own parents canned apples and only ate those for a while when they were starting out. Jesse and I have never had to do that. We always have plenty of food. In fact, sometimes we have too much food and it goes to waste because we can't eat it fast enough.

I am thankful for my husband. I already listed off 25 reasons why I love him in my previous post but I just wanted to mention it again. He is wonderful and I am so lucky to have him in my life.

I am thankful for free health care! There I said it! Sure taxes are higher but health care is free! I'll never have to worry about not being able to afford to go see a doctor or an emergency room visit or even the cost of a midwife and having a baby. IT'S ALL FREE!

That being said, I'm thankful for my health. I've only had to go to the ER once since living here are a handful of times throughout my lifetime.

Now to cook a turkey and enjoy a Thanksgiving feast with some fellow half-American/half-Canadian couples. YAY!

We Need a Little Christmas

2011-11-20T21:16:00.001-08:00

I know, it's November 20th but it's already snowed like 3 times and the radio has Christmas songs playing and Costco has trees and all sorts of decorations in stock and we just got back from the Nativity Pageant rehearsal. Jesse is the head angel and I'm in a choir of angels.

We decided to put up our pathetic little tree tonight because...well it's a Sunday night and we probably won't have any time this week. Our schedules are absolutely crazy! It only took about half an hour to get everything set up. I hope Christmas decorating can be this simple every year...although I would love to get the Costco ornaments that are bigger than my head!..Someday.

Iceberg Radio has a great selection of holiday music.
http://icebergradio.com/#/more/accuholidays/

Enjoy the season! Christmas is only 35 days away!

ps- yes the tree is on our dining room table. We had nowhere else to put it. Looks like we'll be eating on the couch for the next while.

Birthday Pix

2011-11-17T18:54:00.001-08:00

Me and the birthday boy!

Piping Homer's face onto the cake. I tried to copy a picture I found online. I made Georgetown Cupcake's Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.

Some of the wives at the party (plus Abbi). We seemed to segregate during the party. The girls ended up in the living room and the guys spent much of the evening in the kitchen.

Jesse's completed cake with candles.

We had a really fun birthday this year! It was fun to hang out with friends, eat pizza and sing happy birthday to the greatest guy I know!

ps- thanks for taking these pictures Amber! None of mine turned out.

25 things I LOVE about my 25 year old.

2011-11-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

1. He is so kind.
2. He puts a lot of effort into Medical School. He spends a lot of time studying and shadowing doctors. He could get by studying a lot less but he wants to do well and be an excellent doctor, not just a mediocre one.

3. He paints my toenails.
4. Occasionally he will do a load of my laundry. He always checks the labels to make sure he separates my hand washables and line “dryables”. I really appreciate that.
5. He cooks the BEST easy over eggs. And makes pretty good chicken stir-fry too.

6. He doesn’t snore…or move much during the night. He’s a great sleeping companion except for blanket tug o’war every now and then :)
7. He encourages me to push myself when we exercise. If I start slowing down on a run, he’ll push the small of my back to keep me going. He wants me to succeed. I hate running but I am getting better at it. One of these years I hope to finally know what a "runner's high" is!
8. He never criticizes my driving. I wish I could say the same…

9. He helps me study. Sometimes after a long day at work the last thing I want to do is read a boring textbook for 3 hours. But I need to and Jesse knows that so he sets the example and studies with me.
10. He makes me smile.
11. He is very appreciative of the things I do for him and for us…like getting the oil changed, going grocery shopping, getting our banking in order, etc.
12. He likes the same music as me.
13. He likes to eat what I cook.
14. He thinks I’m beautiful and tells me that everyday.
15. He gives me neck massages when I have a headache.

16. He enjoys shopping with me—and surprisingly has really good taste in clothes! Both for me and for himself.
17. He does things with me that are out of his comfort zone—like singing in a quartet or going to large social events (which I love).
18. He likes spending time with me.
19.He teaches me about what he’s learning in school. I’m going to be a well-informed doctor’s wife.
20. He gets the cutest expression on his face when he finds out that I’m making chili (his favorite) for dinner. It’s like he’s opening presents on Christmas morning.
21. He writes cute love notes with a dry-erase marker on the bathroom mirror.

22. He tries to call me at work during his lunch break (which is usually very brief) just to see how I’m doing.
23. He makes the bed.
24. He takes the bus/C-train up to my work when his class ends early just so he can spend time with me on my commute home in rush hour.
25. He really cares about me, about my happiness and well being.

I love him so much!

We had a great time celebrating his birthday! Pictures coming soon!

Party Preview

2011-11-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

Well, tomorrow Jesse turns 25! This will be the fourth birthday that I've celebrated with him.

Right now it's 8:37 p.m. on a Friday night and Jesse is fast asleep. I tried to go and wake him up but he's past the "Oh wow I must have dozed off" phase and into the angry whisper "babe leave me alone, I really need to sleep" phase.

So with $10 I got decorations from the dollar store and started decorating for Jesse's birthday party tomorrow. Here is what Jesse is going to wake up to tomorrow morning (unless he wakes up at 10pm and doesn't fall back asleep until 3am).

It's nights like tonight when I wish I were around my single girlfriends. We would totally go out dancing, get ice cream, watch a movie or even just go walk around downtown. I miss them so much! It's great to have married friends because there is so much that they can relate to but I would hate to go be a third wheel on a Friday night to them. Sigh. I can't wait til tomorrow!

PS- If you're reading this and are bored, give me a call or come on over!

Halloween

2011-11-09T17:38:00.000-08:00

For Halloween this year we got together with 3 other couples and had a progressive dinner. I don't have pictures from every course but it basically went like this:

House #1- Appetizers: Pesto Meatballs, 7 layer dip, skeleton veggie man
House #2- Salad: Romaine, cashew and craisin salad with poppy seed dressing
House #3- Main course: Dinner in a pumpkin with sourdough and french bread
House #4-Dessert: Pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing

The group: From the left we have Mother Nature, Scientist, Lego Man, Lego Woman, Princess Kate (Me), Prince William (Jesse), 80s Chick, Mexican.

I made the main course. It was basically ground beef, onion, cream of chicken soup and rice baked in a pumpkin.

Close up of my favorite costumes ever!
Awesome appetizers!

Pumpkin carving (my pumpkin is on the right)

All lit up.

It was a great Halloween!

A survey

2011-10-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

What is your best friends name?
Jesse

What are you listening to right now?
iceberg radio

Whats your favorite number?
24

What was the last thing you ate?
1/3 of a can of reduced fat pringles

If you were a crayon what color would you be?
violet

How is the weather right now?
Sunny and 41 degrees

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
My sister Laura. She is hilarious!

The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Height

Do you have a significant other?
Yes

Favorite TV show?
The Simpsons (older seasons) and Chopped

Siblings?
Lots!

Height?
5'10 3/4

Hair color?
Dark Blond

Eye Color?
Green/blue

Do you wear contacts?
I used to.

Favorite Holiday?
Christmas/Independence Day

Month?
July

Have you ever cried for no reason?
Who hasn't?

What was the last movie you watched?
Footloose

Favorite Day of the Year?
July 4th

Are you missing someone?
Yes--all my friends and family back home.

Can you do a headstand (not using the wall)?
yes

Hugs or Kisses?
Both

Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate!

What books are you reading?
The Help

Piercings?
1 in each ear

Favorite movies?
Father of the Bride Parts 1 & 2 and the Bourne series

Favorite football Team?
Redskins/Steelers

what were u doing before this?
working

Butter, Plain or Salted popcorn?
buttered

Dogs or cats?
Dogs

Favorite flower?
gerbera daisy

Do you have a best friend of the opposite sex?
Yes--Jessee

Have you ever loved someone?
Yes

Who would you like to see right now?
Jesse or Kari

Are you still friends with people from kindergarten?
Just facebook friends

Have you ever fired a gun?
Yes

Do you like to travel by plane?
It sure beats long road trips

Right-handed or Left-handed?
Lefty

How many pillows do you sleep with?
two--one for my head and one for my body.

Well that helped pass the time for 5 minutes. It's back to work now!

Answer the questions and re-post on your blog!

Four Eyes

2011-10-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent photo of me (taken today) with my new glasses. I've had them since September. I only wear contacts for church and dates with my hubby to avoid further damage to my poor eyes. I'm glad technology has made it possible for the lenses to be powerful but thin...not like my coke bottles that I had to wear in elementary school!

Canadian Thanksgiving

2011-10-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

Jesse and I headed down to Lethbridge this year for Thanksgiving. It was great to see his parents, siblings, Aunt, cousin and both sets of grandparents.

We watched "The Help" with G&G Heyland and then enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner!

Closet Changeover

2011-10-22T10:48:00.001-07:00

Last night I finally put away my Summer clothes. I've been procrastinating for a month in denial that winter has actually come. I thought I would hold out until there was snow on the ground but it just got too cold (and it's supposed to snow tomorrow!?!)

Happy Winter Everyone!

I'm Thankful

2011-10-07T10:27:00.001-07:00

As Canadian Thanksgiving approaches, I feel it appropriate to give thanks.

I am thankful for**:

My amazing job. I love it so so much. ALL THE TIME.

My ability to keep my house perfectly clean all the time no matter what. I just have loads of energy after I get home from work.

My perfect husband who spends hours with me every day. I’m so lucky he’s not busy at all or I’d be pretty lonely sometimes.

My perfect amazing family. I may be far away from home but they do an awesome job at calling me every week, sending me emails and commenting on my facebook statuses so it’s like I never left Virginia.

My new home in Canada. I don’t mind the cold one bit. And snow? I’ve always dreamed of living in a place that snows 8 months out of the year.

Amazing Canadian Restaurants. Who needs Panda Express, Chipotle, Cheesecake Factory and T.G.I. Fridays when you have Edo Japan, Mucho Burrito, Cheesecake Café and Boston Pizza?

My basement suite. I’m glad our upstairs neighbor loves having parties on the weekend—and weekdays. Jesse and I enjoy spending time in our home—especially when it smells like pot and beer! MMMMMMMMM!

**A much less sarcastic list to come in November when the REAL Thanksgiving is! :)

Excuse the satire. It's just been one of those days.

Floating Down the Bow

2011-09-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago Jesse and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and went for a float down the Bow River. The water was FREEZING but we only had to touch in on our way in and out of the rafts. It was so relaxing!

Jesse and I got separated a few times but were able to meet up near the end (we each only had one paddle).

Worst Weekend Ever.

2011-09-04T20:18:00.001-07:00

This weekend started off in the ER and is ending with me blogging.

Here is a picture of me and Jesse Thursday night right after the Josh Groban Concert. I was in heaven. SO happy. SO healthy. Then something terrible happened.

I fell asleep with my contacts in (which I have done hundreds of times) and my eyes felt very irritated Friday morning. I rushed off to work and tried to ignore the pain. While at work my right eye felt like it has sand in it and was burning and the burning would not go away. I left work early (around 4pm) and drove home sobbing. My eye was KILLING me. I immediately took out my contacts as soon as I got home but it made the pain 100 times worse.

After 15 minutes of washing my eyes with cool water and getting no relief, Jesse decided it would be best to go to the ER.

We got there around 5:30 and they immediately gave me some eye drops to numb my eye. It lasted for about 5 minutes before I was in pain again. A doctor finally came to see me at about 8:30pm. He dyed my eyeballs yellow and then looked at them with a bright blue light. Sure enough--a piece of my cornea was missing. He dilated my pupil, gave me some percocets, wrote me a prescription for antibacterial eye drops and made an appointment for me to follow up with an ophthalmologist in the morning. The percocets did not help with the pain but they did make me very drowsy so I was able to fall asleep--eventually.

The next morning Jesse and I went to the Rocky View Hospital to meet with the Ophthalmologist. I got there at 9am and was finally seen at 11:30. She confirmed that indeed a piece of my cornea did come out and advised (more like commanded) that I not wear contact lenses or eye make-up anytime soon. Because I have worn contacts for so long (and have been irresponsible with them) I had really deprived my corneas of oxygen and blood vessels were starting to grow on them (which is not normal) and there was scarring on them. If I would have waited longer my cornea could have gotten an ulcer and I could have gone blind.

I spent most of the weekend in my dark basement with sunglasses on sleeping. The percocets made me really nauseous so I couldn't keep ANYTHING down. Not even juice. I had a horrible headache that finally went away today.

I hope I can enjoy Labour day tomorrow and I'm so glad I didn't lose my sight.

Here is a picture of me Friday night right after the ER. We went to the drugstore to pick up my prescription.

I am so lucky to have a husband who is sweet enough to take care of me and love me even when I look like a scary monster...there are pictures that are worse than this but I am NOT going to put them up on my blog.

PS-Its back to glasses.

Josh Groban Concert

2011-09-04T20:13:00.001-07:00

For our 2 year anniversary, Jesse got me tickets to see Josh Groban. This picture is NOT zoomed in. We were on the 18th row! I was thrilled! It was an incredible concert! I enjoyed every second of it!

2 Years

2011-09-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Jesse had gorgeous roses sent to my office :) I enjoyed them all week.

Jesse and I have been married for 2 YEARS!
Since being married Jesse and I have:

Moved 4 times (with many more to come!)
Gone to Mexico twice, Costa Rica and Taiwan (and other travel around the US and Canada)
Jesse completed his undergraduate degree and first year of medical school
I got my permanent residency and am plugging away to finish my BYU online courses
Learned how to really communicate
Learned a lot more about ourselves--our strengths and our weaknesses.
Made a lot of great friends who have helped me feel comfortable even though I am so far away from home
I can honestly say that I love Jesse more today than I did when we were married over 2 years ago in Salt Lake...and that's a pretty cool feeling.

We went to Ruth's Chris steakhouse for dinner. IT WAS DELICIOUS!

We were in such a food coma after dinner!

After dinner we exchanged cards and gifts. I got Jesse a PS3 and he got me tickets to see Josh Groban! The next day (after the food comas had subsided) I made these molten chocolate cakes. They actually turned out to be pretty good! We were both pretty happy about that.

Camping

2011-09-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

Jesse and I went camping at Cypress Hills Provincial Park with some friends from church. It was my first time really camping except we still had toilets and running water so maybe it still doesn't count as real camping but I slept in a tent so that counts for me! We ate so much delicious campfire food including fried eggs, bacon, and pancakes cooked on a griddle over the fire.
We spent a lot of time at the lake on Saturday. I went out kayaking 4 times.
Jesse trying to chop wood for the fire. He was successful...eventually.
Roasting marshmallows and making s'mores--an art that I have not yet perfected.
I made tinfoil dinners for everyone on Saturday night. They seemed a lot bigger when I was preparing them than after I pulled them out of the fire.
Jesse standing outside the HUGE tent that Carol lent us. In fact, the only thing that wasn't lent to us on this trip were our pillows and water bottles. We really need to get some camping gear!

Banff hike

2011-09-04T19:25:00.001-07:00

Jesse's parents came up a few weekends ago to visit with us, see our new place and go hiking in Banff. Friday night they came and saw where I worked. We went to dinner at this great little Thai restaurant where a huge hail storm hit during our meal. Luckily our car had a lot less hail damage than the hail storm last year. Saturday morning we headed off to Banff to do the 15km hike (roughly) around Lake Louise.
The hike had so many scenic views! AND I DID IT! It wasn't too hard!
Here are Jesse's parents cooling off after the hike. It was a good weekend. They are great in-laws!

Edmonton Weekend

2011-09-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

At the end of July Jesse and I took a quick trip to Edmonton with Tim and Elise. It was my first time and I have to say that I really liked it. It had lots of natural beauty as well as a mid-size city feel which I love. We started out the weekend with a picnic in a random park across from the U of A hospital. We spent the night hanging out with Elise's sister and her family. They have the most adorable baby girl and dachshund!
The next morning we ate breakfast at IHOP--a rarity in Alberta. We spent the rest of the day exploring the West Edmonton Mall--which is the most impressive mall I have ever been to!
I went bungee jumping for the first time ever by my ankles and by myself (Jesse wimped out). It was amazing!!! I hope I can go again sometime soon!

I felt like Superman! Elise and I went on all on the crazy water slides again and again. She has no fear...just like me :-) I hope we can go skydiving together someday.

We got to see a sea lion show. It was so cute to watch those huge mammals do tricks just like dogs. We also watched Captain American at the theater. We did not make it over to the Amusement Park. We probably only saw about 50% of the mall. It's SO HUGE!

We stayed at the mall right up until the Water Park closed and then headed back to Calgary.

If Jesse decides to do his residency in Edmonton, I know where I'll be hanging out during the 8 month Winter.

The Calgary Stampede

2011-07-25T12:21:00.001-07:00

From wikipedia: The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and features the world's largest rodeo, a parade, midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon racing and First Nations exhibitions.

It was my first time going and I loved it! Everything was way overpriced but besides that it was a lot of fun!

We rode some rides (here is a view of the grounds from the ski lift).
I walked on a runway as part of an international model search (Jesse took this pic...it's not me. He was too busy taking video to get a pic of me) I did not make it to round 2. My dreams of being Canada's Next Top Model are shattered. Just kidding.
We got to see Olympic Gold Medalists and World Champions, Jamie Sale & David Pelletier in an ice show! Jesse and I had 3 bags of these mini-donuts. They are so addictive!
Jesse and his cotton candy on a stick.

Leaving the Stampede. We'll definately be going back next year. Hopefully we can see a rodeo!

DC Fourth of July

2011-07-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sitting on the Capitol lawn waiting for the concert to start.
Josh Groban was amazing!
Me and Kari--along with 500,000 other people!
In keeping with tradition I did my crazy red, white and blue eye make-up.
Almost time for fireworks!
Singing "God Bless America"

Riding the metro home.

Updike Family Reunion/Trip back to DC

2011-07-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

On July 1--Canada Day--I got to go back to my homeland and my hometown for 10 days for a family reunion. It was a blast! It was so good to be back in the States around my friends and family where everything was familiar. Jesse and Dustin (the 2 med students) couldn't make it to the reunion but all 10 siblings, 6 in-laws, and 27 grandkids were there!
One of the first activities we did was at Burke Lake. We got row boats, took a train ride, had a bbq, and did other outdoor activities. I actually enjoyed the HEAT and HUMIDITY. I haven't ever been "hot" since I moved to Canada in May 2010.

My favorite niece Kaylee riding the train. She is so CUTE!
My nieces Hannah, Brooklyn, and Annie made an American flag pinata.
All of my brothers and sisters and my parents. (This was taken with my camera--the photographer has some better shots where my dads eyes aren't closed)
My mom and my sisters--oldest to youngest.
Eating at Chipotle--one of my favorite burrito places on earth with my favorite person on earth!
It was too rainy to go to the beach so we hit Splash Down water park. Laura's such a cute pregnant woman!
I loved seeing my friends from high school. It felt just like old times--even though now everyone is graduated (except me--I'm working on it) and getting real jobs.
Hanging out on the dock in Georgetown--one of my favorite places to go during the Summer.
Having my first Georgetown cupcake. It was delicious!
I can't believe this place has it's own show on TLC. Haha.
Hanging out by the pool with Kari :-) and later John.
Stephanie and Kari in the back seat on our way to go dancing.
Me and Kari so reunited and going to Georgetown.
I love Kari!

I had such a great time! I can't wait to go back at Christmas--this time with Jesse and see all of the people I didn't get to see and do lots more!

Janelle's Wedding!

2011-06-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Me with the beautiful bride!

A couple of weeks ago I was privileged to see one of my best friends in the whole entire world get married in the San Diego temple and I must say...she could not have married a better guy!

I knocked on Janelle's hotel room around 12:30am. Luckily she was still awake! We chatted for a bit before getting some much needed sleep.

"Janelle wake up! You're getting married today!"

Rachel did an amazing job on Janelle's hair...and Janelle did an amazing job on her make up!

A perfect day for a wedding!

Janelle was glowing!

Outside with Lenora and Rachel

I just had to have my Panda. It was fun hanging out with Eric's best man.

Quick trip to the beach.

Taking some pictures of Janelle before the reception starts.

Sitting at the COOL table.

Me and the Groom. Eric is so perfect for Janelle!

Me and Lenora at the reception.

I was sad that I didn't get to say goodbye to Janelle after the reception but look who I ran into at the airport early the next morning?! Our gates were right next to each other. Theirs to Maui, mine to Calgary. Wish we could have switched. I loved their "Bride" and "Groom" baseball caps!

I love you Janelle!

My Top Ten

2011-05-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

My Top 10 Places I want to Travel to before I die:

Jerusalem-I want to read the New Testament and walk where Jesus walked.

India-I've heard it's like no other place on Earth, not so much a vacation but an experience.

Morocco-A must see! I want to ride a camel in the Sahara Desert and taste some of the worlds most exotic spice combinations.

South Africa-Jesse's grandmother's homeland...not to mention Safari's galore!

Italy- Pizza, Pasta, and History. I can't wait!

Greece-There are so many ancient ruins and amazing beaches...it will bring my philosophy class to life!

China-Big city life, beautiful nature, the Great Wall. There are dozens of reasons why I want to go.

Egypt- I want to cruise down the Nile and marvel at the Great Pyramids.

Australia- Jesse said snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef was one of the MOST single most amazing experiences of his life (besides marrying me). I want that experience!

Switzerland-Home to the world's best chocolate and rolling green hills are 2 of the many reasons I have to visit before I die.

My list is more like a top 50. Not included are: Thailand, Kenya, Ireland, Russia, Norway, Peru, Dubai, Fiji, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.

I'm lucky to have a husband that loves traveling as much as I do! Hopefully in the future he can get time off of work every now and then so we can go and explore!

Dream Home

2011-04-21T08:15:00.001-07:00

I love this bathroom (minus the sculptures) because of how open it is and the massive tub where I can look out the window and watch the snow fall 9 months out of the year.

I love this master bedroom because it has lots of light AND a fireplace. If I'm going to live in Canada for the rest of my life I need to have a fireplace in my bedroom :-)

THIS IS MY DREAM KITCHEN! I think the kitchen is the most important room in the home. I love how the wood isn't too light or too dark and how the granite countertops nicely compliment the floor. I also love the huge window by the sink and beautiful painting over the 8-burner stove! And look at all the counter space! I could definitely see myself cooking in this amazing kitchen!

It will be at least another 20 years before I get a home with these nice rooms, or maybe never. For now our one bedroom apartment will have to do. Next month we're moving into a 2 bedroom basement suite. It's not as nice as our current place but it will sure save us a lot of money!

Taiwan Trip!

2011-04-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

For Jesse's Spring break we went to Taiwan for 10 days. I loved every single day and can't wait to go back. The people were friendly, the food was delicious (well, most of it), and there were so many sights to see! I took tons of pictures and videos but these selected pics pretty much sums up our trip. This first pic is of Jesse chillin at the Beijing airport. (He brought his books and studied a lot during our layovers and on the flight). I hope this isn't racist but our flight attendant looked JUST LIKE MULAN!! It's like they based the character off of her. I tried to get a pic but failed. You can see her in the top of this picture.

SOO EXCITED TO GO TO TAIPEI!!!

We went to a night market. There were hundreds of vendors selling everything from stinky tofu to jade earrings to bras and panties. Pretty random! Also, here is a picture of the parking lot outside of Carrfour, a grocery store. It's full of scooters!

Jesse standing outside of the Grand Hotel. We stayed there for our first night in Taipei. It was stunning inside and out (except for our room which was sooo tiny and didn't have a window.)

The marble staircase inside of the hotel.

Taipei 101! The second tallest building in the world. It has the fastest elevator in the world--less than a minute to the top. My ears popped.

Inside 101--if you look at the window you can see we are in a cloud. It was kind of a hazy day.

At the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial...probably my favorite place in Taipei. Jesse tried to be artsy.

A 4 hour train ride down the coast took us to Hualien, where we visited the Toroko gorge. It was so green. Our tour guide was "Andy" and spoke 10 words of English. Luckily Jesse was able to translate.

Jesse's favorite dessert...Hong dou bing. He has been talking about it since we started dating! It's shaved ice, sweet and condensed milk, and fresh mango. I really liked it.

On our last day in Taiwan, we biked to this Taiwanese Taoist Temple. It was huge!

Our flight back to Canada :-( I miss Taiwan! Jesse wants to do an elective there for 6 weeks next summer. I may not be able to go with him though if I'm working/we have a baby.

If he doesn't get to go then we'll go again in 5 years or so.

Happy Birthday to Me :-)

2011-02-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

My 22nd birthday was a blast! Jesse had a cardiology exam that he was really stressed about but as soon as he finished the party started!

First we went to an Irish Pub called Kilkennys and for my dinner I ordered my favourite food--one pound of buffalo wings! I tried to get them to make "glory sauce" by mixing barbecue sauce with mild buffalo and tossing the wings in that but it didn't taste the same at all. It was way too barbecue-y and not buffalo-y enough. I can't wait to go back to NoVA and eat wings at Glory Days!

After dinner we were supposed to see Les Miserables...unfortunately there was a blackout at the theatre and the performance was cancelled. Luckily Tim texted us to see if we wanted to go [cosmic] bowling so the night wasn't ruined! In Canada they have 5 pin bowling. It's a lot harder than 10 pin! The balls are so small! You get 3 tries each frame and the pins are worth different amounts of points--the outer 2 worth 2, inner 2 worth 3, and middle worth 5.

As you can see I did NOT do very well...

After bowling we came home and had chocolate cake (that Jesse made) and ice cream and opened presents. Jesse's parents had given me my gifts a week early--a GPS, table runner, Cheesecake Cafe Cheesecake, and scentsy plug-in wax warmer. They are so thoughtful! My parents...well let's just say I got a phone call at 11:58pm from my dad saying "happy birthday, we love you, have a good night." Womp womp. Man sometimes being the youngest of 10 and living 2,300 miles from home has its disadvantages. Jesse got me a memory card to take video on our trip to Taiwan next month!

We were able to get tickets to the Saturday matinee showing of Les Mis and it was fabulous! Cosette and Marius were the best I have ever seen and Jean Valjean was probably the worst. Overall the set, costumes and performance were impressive.

Here is the only picture I was able to take at the end of the show! We were nice and close on the third row.

What a great birthday!

Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T19:03:00.001-08:00

A couple nights before Valentine's Day, Liz came over and and we made chocolate covered strawberries, heart-shaped sugar cookies, and Valentine cards for our husbands. Liz's husband is also in his first year of medical school at the U of C.

I made Jesse breakfast in bed--complete with pink grapefruit, red strawberries, and crepes filled with Nutella and banana and strawberries and whipped cream!

All day at work I received little Valentine notes and chocolate. Every time I left my desk I came back to something. I seriously work with the nicest people ever!

Jesse made me a delicious steak dinner! It was ready when I walked in the door. We ate by candlelight--my favorite way to eat any meal!

Finally, Jesse bought me this painting accompanied by the sweetest love note ever (which is framed). It's our dream to go to Paris for a week once Jesse becomes a doctor. This picture represents our dream and Jesse's promise to work hard to make that possible. I want to recreate this pose with us. I know it's really cheesy but I love sappy stuff like that. I can't wait to travel the world together! PS--Jesse picked that painting out all by himself. It was a risk to buy it because I could have loved it or hated it and the art store does not do returns. Luckily I LOVE IT!

It was a great Valentine's Day...now for my birthday in 3 days...

Can't wait! I love you Jesse!

2010 In Review

2011-01-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

January- My one year-mark working at the Hinckley Center.

February- I went back to D.C to babysit for a week.

March- Jesse's med school interview at the University of Calgary (and University of Alberta).

April- Jesse graduated from BYU.

May- Costa Rica!!!!!!!!!

May- Ziplining in Costa Rica!!!!!!

June- Moved to Canada!

July- Jesse's first day of Med school!

August- We celebrated our one year anniversary with Jesse's parents.

August- Banff with the Snyders.

September- I returned to my natural hair color!

October- Portland to visit the Mohlmans

October- Cat and Dog Halloween costumes.

November- Jesse turns 24!

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNND DECEMBER------- I became a PERMANENT RESIDENT OF CANADA!!!!!!!!!!! I can work! woohoo!

Christmas Pageant

2011-01-03T14:43:00.000-08:00

Us in the stable with the 3 wiseman and little boy servant.

The cast staying warm in the heated "trailer"

My pillow-stuffed belly.

Jesse getting his make-up done.

This year Jesse and I had the privilege of being Joseph and Mary in Calgary's Nativity Pageant. Despite the FREEZINGGGGGGG weather, we were able to put on 12 shows in 4 hours on 2 nights. My favorite part was riding a real donkey! The cast and directors were fabulous. I can't believe how many people came to watch! We want to do the pageant again someday.

Engagement Photos....

2010-12-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

Looks like our photographer and Prince William's photographer have similar styles.

Ice Skating

2010-12-07T20:28:00.001-08:00

Jesse and I went ice skating at the Calgary Olympic Oval where olympians competed in the 1988 winter olympics. Too bad I wasn't born or else I could have watched.

We rented hockey skates. They looked horrible but we didn't fall once :-)

PS this is the picture we sent out with our Christmas cards. I was desparate. It was either this or a picture of Jesse sleeping.

Grapple...

2010-11-29T14:10:00.001-08:00

Grapple..."Looks like an apple...Tastes like a grape!"

What will they think of next?

After seeing these in the produce section of Safeway I just had to try them!

They smelled like grape kool-aid. Unfortunately, they just tasted like a regular mediocre apple. At $5.99 for a 4-pack, I will NOT be buying these again and neither should you.

What a waste.

Two Thanksgivings for two...

2010-11-27T21:14:00.000-08:00

This year we celebrated 2 Thanksgivings! Canadian Thanksgiving was October 11th and for that we went to Lethbridge and spent it with his family. We celebrated American Thanksgiving a couple days ago. I slaved away all day in the kitchen (not really) while Jesse was at school. We had chicken, mashed potatoes, yams, broccoli, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, and of course pumpkin pie! Afterwards we were too stuffed to go on our planned ice skating date so we sat on our couch and watched "Enchanted'. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

**Leaf cutouts courtesy of Jesse.

Happy Birthday Jesse!

2010-11-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

For Jesse's 24th birthday we had a quiet celebration. After a loooong day of class, Jesse came home and we went out to dinner at "The Cheesecake Cafe"...Canada's "Cheesecake Factory" knock-off. It was DELICIOUS! We both ordered the "ginger beef". Afterward we watched "Prince of Persia" and had cake. But not just any cake...homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Jesse's mom sent an "edible arrangements" fruit bouquet. We've enjoyed snacking on it all weekend :-) It was a great birthday. I can't believe this is the third birthday we've spent together! Time flies.

Oh to be the wife of a medical student...

2010-11-06T15:00:00.001-07:00

Thank you Jesse for studying 12+ hours a day so you can become a doctor and provide for our family. Instead of waking you up, I'll just take pictures and blog about you while you sleep :-)

Portland, Oregon

2010-10-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to fly to Oregon and visit my second oldest sister Mary, and meet the newest addition to her family--Michael. He is so adorable! I spent lots of time with my other nieces and nephews playing at the park, going to a pumpkin patch, and having tea parties every night before bedtime.

I also got to do some tax-free shopping! I stocked up on cheese and other unbelievably low-priced items...including my cat costume for Halloween.

Thanks Matt and Mary for flying me out for a fun week!

Jesse's Medical School Experience Thus Far...

2010-09-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

First time shadowing / First day of class

On July 28th Jesse started his first year at the University of Calgary Medical School. He really feels like medicine is the right field for him. He likes studying for hours everyday and especially likes shadowing doctors at the Foothills hospital. He always has lots of stories to share when (and if) he comes home for dinner.

Canada Day/Fourth of July

2010-08-07T16:45:00.001-07:00

Every year starting in 2007, I have done crazy patriotic eye makeup on the 4th. I also make sure and get some type of red, white and blue outfit.

2007

2008

2009

2010

Besides outfits and makeup I love to watch fireworks, eat some type of grilled food, and listen to patriotic music. It makes me proud to be an American...I mean US Citizen. I'll have to tone it down now that I'm living in Canada. I met another American named Julie who married a Canadian and is now living in Calgary. We are already planning a "small" party for next year!

Anyway, this year we went and watched the fireworks outside of the Stadium of Fire where Carrie Underwood was performing. My sister Crystal was in town for some job training so we got to spend a lot of time with her. We tubed down the Provo river (for about 3 minutes--it was freezing), shopped the Independence day sales, played cards, ate 4 bags of cotton candy, and enjoyed a 20 minute firework show.

Now for Canada Day...

I made a Canada Day cake! It took a lot more effort than the usual blueberry square in the corner and rows of sliced strawberries but I think the end result was pretty impressive.

Aside from the cake there was not too much celebrating because we drove down to Utah with Jesse's grandparents for the Fourth of July weekend (my favorite holiday...it's tied with Christmas).

Moving North

2010-08-07T16:32:00.001-07:00

One small U-haul was all it took to move all of our belongings from Provo, Utah to Calgary, Alberta. We moved from a 2 bedroom apartment in an four-plex to a 1 bedroom apartment in a 17-story high-rise.

Miraculously I made it through the border with NO problems! Now I'm just waiting on my permanent resident card.

Costa Rica Trip

2010-08-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

After Jesse's graduation we packed up our apartment, hopped on an airplane and met the Heyland's in Costa Rica. We spent the next 10 days exploring Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio. It was an amazing trip that I hope to do again someday!

Animals were everywhere...especially dogs and cats. One of these little monkey's stole our crackers on the beach.

Ziplining was my favorite activity of the trip! We went over and through the rainforest, and one of the lines even went through a cloud.

We went on lots of hikes...some more challenging than others! I can do hard things!

Most of the restaurants had delicious food and spectacular views. I've never had fresher fish or sweeter mangoes!

Jesse the Grad!

2010-04-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jesse graduated Magna Cum Laude from BYU and received his B.S. in Neuroscience. Before the ceremony we got to meet President Samuelson. Aunt Val and I watched the convocations. It was so cool to see Jesse walk.

Afterward we went to Brick Oven and had the best root beer in the state of Utah and some delicious pizza! We were too full for dessert.

Later on Jesse and I went and saw Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. It actually exceeded my expectations. Now we are packing up our apartment and getting ready for some new adventures!

Drugged up

2010-04-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

So last week I got my wisdom teeth out. I was asleep for the whole thing but when I woke up I was pretty out of it. I spent the next couple of days eating chocolate pudding, mashed potatoes, and jamba juice (with a spoon...no sucking allowed) and sleeping. My mouth was numb for a few hours after the surgery...hence the chocolate pudding dripping down my face. I didn't even know it was there until Jesse took a picture and pointed it out. Because I iced my face A LOT, I was able to prevent bruising and major swelling. My gums are still a little sensitive but overall I have fully recovered!
I'm glad that's over!

USA+CANADA= COMPLICATED

2010-03-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

Filing to extend student visa for 45 days: $380
Applying for a Canadian permanent resident card complete with medical examination and background check: $1,470
Living in Costa Rica for the summer because the US and Canada hate you: Priceless

Our summer is still up in the air.
Jesse has to leave the US after graduation and I am not allowed to enter Canada until my paperwork goes through (probably around July). Because we don't want to spend our summer living apart, we seriously considered living in Costa Rica. You can stay for 90 days, no questions asked and apartments have a 3-month leasing contract. How perfect is that?
Living in Costa Rica would be amazing. Rent is $200 cheaper there than it is here in Provo and the apartments are newer and nicer!
The only downside would be that it might look kind of sketchy to the US and Canadian immigration officers that we fled to Central America for 3 months.

We are both super stressed but there is nothing we can do. If bribes were an acceptable form of payment I would have done it 2 months ago.

University of Alberta Interview!

2010-02-27T11:54:00.000-08:00

Jesse landed another interview! This time @ the University of Alberta! He flies up to Edmonton on March 20th! He says his last interview went really well so hopefully this one will too!

I would love to live in Edmonton. It's extremely cold but it hosts the largest shopping mall in North America and is the 5th largest mall in the WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has over 6,000,000 sq. ft. of shopping and even an indoor water park!

I'm excited.

Back to school

2010-02-16T09:35:00.001-08:00

Well the long weekend is over. We ended up not going on the picnic because of rain.
However, we did enjoy eating stir-fry and leftover Valentine's cookies indoors.

It was so hard getting out of bed this morning to go to work at 8am. The next break from school is April 23rd, Jesse's graduation! Looking forward to that!

Long Weekend.

2010-02-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend is going to be the best! It's not only Valentine's Day but also a 3-day weekend!
Friday: Curry Dinner with Jeff & Jamie
Saturday: Divine Comedy and Carrabba's!
Sunday: Making and delivering Valentine's Cookies
Monday: A hike and picnic in Provo Canyon...oh yeah and homework!

Have a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

University of Calgary Interview!

2010-02-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

Jesse got his first interview at the University of Calgary! He flies up to Canada for his interview on February 19th, the day after I fly back to DC. Until then, he will be having mock interviews and devouring books on bioethics! We should be hearing back from other schools shortly!

First blog...

2010-02-02T10:44:00.001-08:00

Hello!

Jesse and I are not sure how this whole blogging thing works, but we decided to give it a try.

Life has been pretty crazy lately. We are waiting to hear back from medical schools, so until then we have no idea where we will be living in the fall. Could be Ontario, could be Alberta! I'm happy to move wherever, as long as our new apartment has a functional heater :-) The process to get me legally into Canada is a headache...no wonder so many people just sneak over. It's so much easier than paying $1,000 and filling out loads of paperwork!

Our to-do list is lengthy but we are taking it one day at a time.

Every week I try to pick one thing to pack or trash since we will have limited space in our U-Haul. Last week I gave away 2 trash bags full of clothes. This week I am working on the bookshelves. Do we really need all those games? Old books? Video cassettes? It's so hard deciding what to keep and what to give away!