Month 8: November

November is a month of celebration in our house. Jeremy's birthday is on the 10th and it's one of my favorite days of the year! However, Jeremy decided that he wanted to keep it simple this year. So we just invited Tyler over for a little party. Actually, I let Jeremy open one present the night before. How spoiled!

Jer with his presents

This is the look of someone that knows what their present is...sneaky!

He found one that he didn't know what it was.

Wool Socks! 

Air Hockey from Ty!

Brownies with candles! 

The wax from the candles melted inside since the brownies were still warm...YUM!

During November I was also teaching my unit on Idaho geography to my fourth graders. I knew absolutely nothing about Idaho geography so it took a lot of studying to be able to teach it but it turned out to be a lot of fun. We started by sending "Flat Stanleys" to a bunch of fourth grades around Idaho in hopes that we could learn more about the geography in different areas around Idaho and we ended with making salt dough maps of Idaho including different land forms that we learned out throughout the unit. It was definitely a learning experience but super fun!

What cute kids! I am pretty lucky to get to spend all day with them! 

Month 7: October

October was a busy month full of cravings for pumpkin so I will post a few pictures to guide my summary.

We started the month out right by attending conference at the conference center in Salt Lake City. We took Tyler and Mikaela with us. It was a big party! It has been so nice to be so close to Salt Lake so we could attend so often. 

Jeremy's last semester playing competitive volleyball for BYU-I. He has hoped to be on the same team with Tyler but that didn't happen. This semester he decided to try-out as setter to save his shoulder some pain and he was the best setter in the league. I remind Jeremy regularly that I don't know anyone else that can be the best in everything they try. It's amazing! Their team made it to the semi-finals so I was pretty proud. He and Tyler also played in the All-Star game still on the opposite teams but they had a blast!

Starting in October I always get these cravings for anything and everything pumpkin. I started trying to fulfill these craving by making one of my favorite pumpkin treats: Josue's pumpkin roll. Her's are prettier than this one but it still tasted pretty good. 

Next came these delicious pumpkin bars. Similar to the pumpkin bars but in bar form. I tried to get creative and cut them in diagonals. I get really crazy sometimes. I also made pumpkin muffins, pumpkin chocolate  chip cookies, and roasted pumpkin seeds. I was pretty pumkined out by the end of the month.

My first time cooking pork. Such a fancy dinner! Oh and homemade lemon-aid! Living the high life!

My other fun creation. My friend Taylor showed me these owl cupcakes and I fell in love. I had to make them for Halloween! But of course we couldn't eat them all so we passed them out to our neighbors. I think it gave them a good laugh. They look like a little army! HA!

  

I had to include a cute picture of Jer and I matching. I know that it would appear that he is pregnant by the way I am holding his belly but I promise that he is not. 

PUMPKIN CARVING!

This is one of my favorite parts of Halloween, other than the candy of course. Here are some pictures of this years carving festivities. 

Happy Halloween!

Month 6: September

Back to school, back to school....

September brought yet another semester of school. This is my last semester of classes on campus. It is so weird to say that. I really can't believe my schooling is coming to an end after having spent four years at this place. But I definitely have senior-itis so I'm looking forward to it. This semester I take my Senior Practicum which is basically like a mini student teaching. I got assigned to be in the fourth grade classroom at Taylor's Crossing Public Charter School. My cooperating teacher is Mrs. Larson and I will be in her classroom of 34 students twice a week all day. Mostly I work with students one-on-one or in groups and help out where needed but I will also teach a lesson a day as well as creating and teaching an entire unit. It will be an awesome experience. I have Sister Kay (my favorite teacher and my boss) who is the hardest teacher to take this class from but I know I will learn a ton....and I will have no life! At least Jeremy will be able to sympathize since he is taking Chemistry this semester (along with several other classes that I would rather die than take). 

Jeremy is so good to me though. He always brightens my day. One of his many tools is flowers. These are my favorite. It's good to be in love!

Months 3,4,5 SUMMER!

I love summer! So many fun things happened this first summer together so instead of writing a separate post for each month, I’ve decided to group them together for one MEGA POST!

Let’s start with the Fourth of July. I have never really made a big deal about this holiday because we never had any fun traditions to go along with it. However this year was the best!!! My dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and Bobby and Amy came up to our place for a visit. Having people here made it much more exciting to celebrate and do something.

We (me, Jer, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Bob, Amy, Jen and the kids) spent the day at Rigby Lake soaking up the sun and enjoying the closest thing we have to a beach. Dad even rented paddle boats for us to go out on which were so fun! It was super crowded (like I said, this is the closest thing to a beach around us so it fills up fast) but it made for good people watching and there was a lot going on including some high quality karaoke. Once we were all burnt to a crisp, we headed back to our place for a BBQ. Dad was in charge of the meat which you would think would be the highlight of any barbeque but really it was this amazing Jello. This seriously is the sickest thing I have ever seen. Jeremy made most of it and Amy and I decorated. LEGIT! All in all it was a great day.

Legit Jello

Dad the BBQ Man

Grandma and Grandpa...and of course Bob is always trying to get in on the pictures

I loved having my Daddy here!

Bob and Aimes

Your's Truly

While family was here, we enjoyed just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company, which of course includes some good hearted poking fun.

We were all shocked that Dad was wearing shorts that actually went to his knees! Way to go Dad! We are proud of you!

I love these people! 

Such sweet smiles!

After Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa left we went to a fair thing in Idaho Falls and then watched the Melaluca firework show in a baseball field with the Lucas gang. Jen’s friend Brian had this idea to buy a ton of glow sticks and pass them out to the crowd. We helped and once the sun went down, that field looked so cool! Such a fun tradition! The fireworks were pretty amazing too! What a great way to celebrate our independence!

July also marked the end of Jeremy’s mission president’s family’s mission in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. We were lucky enough to travel to Salt Lake City to welcome them home. The Hales are some of the most amazing people I have ever met! I can never thank them enough for what they did for Jeremy while he was on his mission, but I will say that I am striving to be just like Sister Hale. It was already a big enough gift to meet them, but I was also able to meet my first general authority…President Uchdorf! I shook his hand (no picture…I’m not that crazy! Ok if it wasn’t in the chapel I probably would have.) and hugged his wife and chatted for a bit. It was amazing! I was totally crying! Well more like my eyes were glistening but I definitely was feeling the spirit! This was the first Ft. Lauderdale mission reunion so I was able to meet a bunch of people that I had only ever read about in Jeremy’s letters so I absolutely loved it!

Before the end of the semester we also fit in a float down the river with Michael and Anna (which included Jeremy and I sharing an inner tube and toppling over into freezing water…it was a BLAST), the last Harry Potter midnight showing EVER (my childhood coming to an end) and a trip to the Museum of Idaho which was showing the Bodies exhibit. This basically entailed a bunch of cadavers but in an artsy way. Jeremy of course was fascinated, and once I got over my queasiness I was too. The even had full bodies of just veins and arteries and fetuses. It was absolutely amazing and I’m thankful I didn’t lose my dinner.

The gang at Harry Potter! Only a couple of us dressed up. I had a wand but I was too chicken to pull it out after all the movie theater workers were yelling "No wands allowed!" 

Once the semester ended in July, we enjoyed a couple of days of relaxation at home and then packed up and headed down to Bear Lake for some more relaxation. Passey Family Reunion! We took the Salt Lake express (always a little sketch) down to Brigham City where Jeremy’s parents and Tyler picked us up and we drove the rest of the way with them. Jeremy’s uncle has a cabin in Bear Lake and this thing is AMAZING! I couldn’t resist but to include pictures of this place. Three stories, 7 bedrooms plus a dormitory, sports room, home theater, a whole lot of high tech stuff, basketball court, and so much more. It was so nice but maintained the homey cabin feel that I absolutely love. Thanks Uncle Jim for opening your home to the whole Passey clan!

The Cabin

 The View

Jeremy and I got this room after Linda and Janet left. All sever rooms were decorated so cute!

I loved the dormitory!

My favorite bathroom in the house...the floor tiles match too!

 I love cabin steps!

 Ok this was actually my favorite bathroom...check out this tub! Mom Evans let me take a bath in this and it was the highlight of my week...I didn't even care that I was burnt. It was awesome!

I fell in love with this mirror...I'm a little obsessed. Jeremy and I had to show it off. 

While here we enjoyed the sun and the summer thunder storms, the town, the overflowed lake, and a whole lot of time with family. I absolutely love Passey family reunions (I snuck into one before I was officially apart of the family) and the Passey family! I couldn’t have married into a better extended family! 

Best Raspberry Shakes!

 

After the reunion we headed back to California for the remainder of the break from school. Time was split between the Rudds and the Evans, which is always hard to balance, but it was so fun! (Secretly it’s nice to be fought over…it reminds me how much we’re loved.) Jeremy used this time to work for his dad for a bit but mostly get volunteer hours for physical therapy school. He was able to work at a few different places and learned so much! We were lucky he got to work with such amazing people! While he was busy, I was doing what I do best…planning ways to distract him from his responsibilities. Oh, and relaxing! We went camping in Half Moon Bay, took a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, enjoyed the beach, and a lot of time with family.

Our campsite: Where it looks like the land ends is actually a drop right down to the beach. We stepped out of our tent and it was right there. Such a nice spot!

Very delicious campfire meal. We made it right away, scarfed it down, and then looked at each other and said, "Now what do we do?"

So we went and explored. Found this whale skull...cool!

This is the only surfing I do

Enjoying the beach...I was freezing the whole time but I've learned to expect that my our beaches...hence the blanket.

The Evans gang hadn't been to the aquarium in forever so thanks to Mom and Dad Rudd's season passes, I was able to show them around. 

 

Some day our home aquarium is going to look like this!

One of my best friends from growing up got married this summer too! The wedding was so Michelle and I was happy to be her Maid of Honor (that’s a self-appointed term) so that I could be present to witness such a happy moment in her life. Scott is an absolutely perfect match for her and someday was will live closer together so that we can actually start our plan of growing old together. 

Bachelorette Party

I didn't get any pictures with Michelle but I did snap this quick pic of her and her dad. So cute!

Mom and Jer dancing the night away!

I snagged him for a bit

Kaite, Kendal, and Karlee

Kaite and Tyler got married in June. So we all (Kaite, Michelle, and I) each got married two months apart. It couldn't have been more perfect if we would have planned it...and believe me, we tried!

The end of summer meant back to school. I think this picture sums up my feelings exactly.