Catch Up!-The last year

  So, obviously I am not very good at keeping up with this Blog, but once a year counts for something. Right? Quite a bit has happened in 2013, and I will try to sum it up in the littlest nutshell I can.

  Byron and I spent Christmas with my family in Utah. We had a blast. I love having a white Christmas.  We spent New Years with his family which always involves playing the "The Divorce Game" better known as Wa Hoo. Fun times. I am pleased to say we are still married!

   February...... well not my favorite month this year. You will soon learn why with some pictures I will post. 

Byron's brother Lance came to town I believe Monday or Tuesday early in February. Of course we had to go out to dinner. So off we went to Oregano's. I had never eaten there but everyone RAVES about. I do not rave. We ordered a deep dish pizza, chicken wings and a pazookie for dessert. Everything was good. shortly after we had gotten home my inner thighs started to itch really bad and started to show signs of minor hives. This little reaction has happened once before a few years ago after eating  at a Mexican restaurant. So, I did what I did last time this happened. I took some Benadryl and hopped in bed so I could get enough sleep to function at work the next day. Unfortunately this was nothing like the previous reaction. This was a monster of a reaction. I had been sick the week before and took a few days off work, so of course I didn't want to be that kind of employee and call in sick AGAIN! I called my favorite office manager Robyn, and told her what was going on. I told her I don't want to be "that" kind of employee. She recommended maybe I come in and talk to Dr. W about it. Off I went looking horrendous. I knocked on my bosses door walked in and his face said it all. He then said, "So... what's going on? I think you should go home." (By the way...best boss ever! Love working for him!) I explained what was going on. He gave me some recommendations to help the situation.  While talking to him a few fellow employees started arriving. I walked out of his office and everyone was in shock. I started to swell and Mandy drove me to the hospital, and we had Byron meet us there. A friendly face  from St. Johns (they moved to valley, he is a nurse) came to say hello. Thanks Mr. Herring. Poor Byron just sat with me and watched TV. The doctor wrote me some prescriptions, told me to drink lots of water and sent us on our way. We were there for about 5-6 hours. I spent the rest of the day on the couch. I thought after the hospital stuff, and the prescriptions that I would be significantly better the next day. I woke up the next day and could not have been more wrong. My body was a wreck. The hives were gone, but I was swollen beyond comprehension. EVERYTHING was swollen and hurt and ached. Byron took the day off work to help me because I could not move on my own. My lips were swollen, my nose, my hands, my legs, my feet. Oh my feet and knees were so painful. Byron had to help me eat, pee, and take a bath. Thank goodness for a wonderful husband. After a day or two the hives started to come back....yes I was still swollen. This is weird, but the hives like...moved around each day. They started at my legs/thighs, stomach/chest, back, and arms. I kept taking my pills and hoping it would all soon be over. Eventually and thankfully this disaster came to an end after about a week and half. This had taken a toll on my body and immediately after I started to feel better I got a kidney infection. Painful. Thankful for modern medicine once again to make it go away.  SOOOO, turns out all this was due to MSG Poisoning. Stupid MSG.  Who would've thunk??  Okay here are the photos, they are a little embarrassing so no laughing. 

                                                        Byron insisted on a hospital picture. 

 This is when we got home from the hospital. You can see my face is covered in hives, imagine it 5X worse and that's how it was earlier in the day.

  This lovely gem is the next day. My lips peeled for weeks after this from being stretched beyond their limits. 

                       These are not butt cheeks! These are my legs when the hives began to reappear.

                                                                  This is my side.

                                Inner leg. Please don't mind the leg hair. I was in no condition to be shaving.

                                                               Outside of leg.

Well, all I can say is I am sure glad that is over, and I am ever so careful when I go out to eat. Also, thank you Byron for being the best ever and taking care of me. 

  The next few months weren't quite as eventful. Byron celebrated his 22 birthday in April! We ate (carefully) at Joe's BBQ for dinner. YUM. For the cake, Lemon is Byron's favorite so that's what he got. Also yum. 

                                             

   We now are in the month of May. This month is pretty exciting because on May 7 we found out we had a baby on the way!! WOO HOO!! We waited until we were 13 weeks pregnant to announce we had baby. Which was right around Father's Day. 

  

      My birthday is in June, so I LOVE June.  Byron flew me to Utah to spend my birthday week with the fam. It was lots of fun!

                                                       The Guard Pool. Our old hangout. 

                             I love this place called the Orange Peel. I wish we had one here in AZ.

                                              I made egg rolls and wontons for dinner! Delish!

 My dad got a grill for Father's Day. It was quite a surprise to him, and he shed a tear. It's so tender when                                                         my  big, tough dad cries. We love him!

    July came around and Byron enrolled in some Power Plant classes. He is doing great, and almost done with this semester.  And we also found out we are having a baby..............GIRL! We got out first ultrasound. 

    Byron loves to hunt. He didn't get drawn for Elk, so he bought an archery deer tag. He got his first archery buck August 24. He was so excited. Mmmm, and those deer steaks sure tasted good. Proud of my man. 

   Oh, I guess I should say my pregnancy has been super easy. I never got sick. I hated sweets the first 7 months, but I like them now!  

                                                         This is me at  7 months a few days!

     Knowing we have a baby on the way, changed our living situation. We were in crusty, old, cheap apartments that did the job for us. There was no way I would bring a baby home to that. We looked and looked for a place to rent. Of course my mom's good friend from St. Johns has a home here they own and they would rent to us. We are truly blessed. My mom flew down the end of September to help us move. Between Byron, my mom, and Lance (Byron's brother) we got all moved. My mom did everything for me. She cleaned, made dinner, helped me pack. It was wonderful having there. She also stayed and helped unpack in our new home. AND my mom also made the cutest blessing dress.Thanks mom!

    October was so fun. My awesome boss bought his staff and their families 3 day Disneyland and California Adventure passes, and also 3 nights and 2 days hotel stay! Thank you so much Dr. Welch. This was so fun for us because we got to check a few items off our "Bucket List". 1. I had never been to California  2. Byron and I had never been to Disneyland or California Adventures  3. Byron and I had NEVER been to the ocean!
It was so fun we absolutely loved Disneyland and the Ocean! I couldn't ride all the rides. I could ride most princess ones, and Byron gladly rode them with me! Oh, and I seriously could have eaten the parks out of their corndogs! Oh man I loved those!

                                                               Of course a kissing picture!!

    It is almost Thanksgiving. I am making a list of all the recipes I want to try. Our sweet baby girl is healthy and growing. I love feeling her move, and Byron loves her so much. He tells her all the time he can't wait to take her hunting. She is expected to arrive December 12. We wouldn't mind if she came a little before that and was healthy!
                                                   We love her and can't wait to hold her!

         I have been crafting with my friend Hannah this last week. We mad a good amount of headbands for baby.  

                                                         These are only 2 of about 12

   
                     We are basically all caught up. See you next year! Just kidding, hopefully before that!

Christmas Time is Here

I absolutely love Christmas. I love the smells, the decoration, the spirit, Santa Clause....I just love everything about it. Byron bought us tickets to go to The Forgotten Carols production that was at Gammage two weeks ago. The Forgotten Carols is the BEST thing I have ever seen. I have read the book along with listening to the wonderful music, and fell in love with it. So, I told Byron how much I loved it. He had been to the production about 5 years ago and  of course loved it. So, thank you Byron for  buying tickets! I thought I was in the Christmas spirit before, but boy was I wrong. I know that Christmas is a time where we get to celebrate the birth of our Savior. But I am only human... I LOVE PRESENTS! And I had been focusing a lot of time on what to get who this year. I am so glad I had the opportunity to see The Forgotten Carols with Byron. What an incredible way to be reminded why we celebrate this special time of year. We loved it so much we wanted to share the experience. We bought my parents tickets to see it in Utah! We are so excited for them to go. And I might add, they are so excited as well! We vowed that going to this production will become a family tradition! Thank you Michael McLean for sharing your talents, what joy you brought to into our lives. We can not stop talking about it.
Here is link to one of my favorite Forgotten Carols  :
Mary Let Me Hold Her Baby

Need to Catch Up...But First a TRUE Story.

A lot has happened in the last couple of months, but I feel like I need to share a story before I update!

Last night Byron took me to the last Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn Part 2. We got to the movie pretty early to guarantee a good seat.  We were all ready go with our popcorn, drink, and Sour Patch Kids. Of course we finished all our food before the movie started. The theater started to fill up, and people (girls) began to sit around us. The movie finally started.  It was pretty good and about half way through I whip my head in  Byron's direction. No one else had heard the  little squeak of "air" coming from Bryon's "cheeks".  Byron and I exchanged looks and a couple of quiet giggles. So, lets fast forward a bit. We near the end of the movie, the battle scene, which is loudest 5 minutes of the whole movie. Immediately following the end of the battle scene just happens to be the most intense, and shall I mention DEAD QUIET part of the movie. For some odd reason (which I will never know) Byron decides that NOW, the quietest part all night , is the time to "release some pressure"...If you know what I mean. Me, and all the girls around us were, I'm guessing, a bit frightened to hear 3 thunderclaps coming from my man's...you know!! I look at Byron with wide eyes and he looks at me with a mischievous grin. He then says, " BaaAAAABBBbbbEEEeee!!"  In the kind of tone that leads people to believe it wasn't him, and it was me!!!! Now, at this point we a watching everyone around us laugh, giggle, and whisper. This laughing, giggling, and whispering includes Byron and me. Honestly, tears were coming from my eyes, not from the toxicity (thank goodness it did not smell) of gas passed... just so you know. The last 15 minutes of the movie and after we left were spent laughing. I am surprised I don't have a six-pack of abs, because I really should. Anyway, I informed Byron I will never forget this incident.... I have now made it my mission to gain revenge.
Isn't Byron so lucky to have found a girl like me!

Movin' It

Well, looks like we are moving. We applied for jobs in Utah and down in the Valley. I would have loved Utah and being with my family. However, no call backs. BUT the Valley called and Byron now  has a job! He starts August 20th. I am so excited to have a husband that will be home instead of gone 2 weeks at time.

 In one year I have moved a total of 7 times. To Utah, to college, to Utah, to Hannah's, to the Wahl's, to our house now, and now to the Valley. I think I am about worn out with this whole moving thing. Every place I go I don't want to unpack because I know I'll moving again. Hopefully with this move, and Byron's really awesome job he got, I can unpack all the way! I get more and more excited to move every day!....Some one please come pack for me!

Hairy Scary Day

The other day I came home from grocery shopping with Shelly. By the way, we totally scored! That is not the point though. I walked around the counter a couple of times in bare feet I might add before I noticed a dark spot on the kitchen floor. I thought it was a piece of brownie that Byron might have dropped earlier that morning. BUT it wasn't, it was a HUGE wolf spider. It was hairy and grey. Let me tell you right now, I do not, let me repeat, do not like any bugs of any sort. It was dying thank goodness because the Bug Guy came and sprayed my favorite bug killing poison. Now was the time I had to be brave and throw the spider away. I couldn't do it. I was terrified. I extra hate when Byron is gone because he is the designated bug killer. My body was shaking while I stood there for about 10 minutes contemplating how to get rid of it. I decided broom and dust pan. The moment I touched the spider with broom it started crawling away. That freaked me out even more seeing it's one and one half inch legs! My survival instinct kicked in and I beat it to death with the broom and swept it up. In the trash it went. That was enough for one day......only it wasn't. I was at Nic and Shelly's that night just chillin. It was getting pretty late so I headed home and I needed to call Byron. I was just about at my front door and Byron had just answered his phone when I saw a freaking snake! The snake was about a quarter of the way up my door! I went screaming profanities back to Shelly's. She woke up Nic and he went over with a shovel and flashlight and eventually he killed it! He said it was about three and half feet long. EWW! I hate snakes...and spiders! Could the night get any scarier?? We didn't want to chance it, and Nic and Shelly were nice enough to let me sleep at their house! Thank you!! That was my Hairy Scary Day. I hope it never happens again.

Potential Father's Day

I went to my sister's for Father's Day. She made her husband delicious ribs. So, I thought I could make Byron a late ( the Sunday after Father's Day) Potential Father's Day dinner. Ribs were on the mind because they were so freaking good at my sister's. I decided, whether Byron wanted them or not, that ribs was what he was going to eat. I made ribs, garlic parmesan pasta and a plain ol' salad. I hope he liked it and wasn't lying to spare my sensitive girl feelings. Happy Late Potential Father's Day Byron!

This was also the first dinner I have made him since we have been married.....ya.

Happy Birthday To ME!

Yes it was my birthday. My favorite day of the year. June 23! Byron was soooo good to me. He bought me a new camera. I absolutely love it. It is a Nikon D5100. I LOVE it. Thank you Byron. He also bought us some movies to make our movie selection grow a little bit more.

This is the Grasshopper Pie I made for myself. So yummy. It is late and I look super tired.

 The Oreo crust made my teeth look nasty. But it tastes so gooooooooood!

 We were lighting the candles and I accidently blew all the other candles out except this one. So instead of re-lighting all of them again I just blew out one candle.

 Making waffles in our favorite kitchen appliance that Holly Nelson got me for my bridal shower. She even wrote on a card specifically that this waffle maker was so Byron could make me breakfast in bed! Well, Byron finally followed her instructions!

 Byron's attempt at a Breakfast Smiley Face......you can kind of see it if you look really hard :)

 Mmmmm! Juice, bacon, eggs and waffles. Perfect.

I had such a great Birthday! We just relaxed and watched movies all day. It was just what I wanted. Thanks Byron for a perfect, fun, delicious birthday!!! Love YOU!