It's August....

Well, I can't believe that it is already August! I spent most of July helping at my parents' office; they had someone quit and my aunt (who also works for them) was in Europe for two weeks. So, here we are....

My progress this summer....

Connie (our awesome school secretary) is ordering my new table buckets! Yay!

I created my own plan book pages and cover(s)....now I just need to get them printed and bound!

 

 

I still need to cut my whiteboards down (smaller), but hoping to get that done this weekend or next week!

 

It has been a crazy summer, different, to say the least! I have not done any crafting, or cardmaking. I have only been swimming at my parents once (other than a holiday) and that was for mutual. I have only been on the boat once, so far! I have done quite a bit of reading. Our excitement was definitely going on the Alaskan Cruise with my family and to Bear Lake with Trav's family!

It's hard to believe that it is winding down so fast! Today, I started the routine of going in to work for a few hours in the morning each day....I don't officially get paid till the 22nd. I have a class on Thursday, so I am starting to feel the end! Hopefully, we can squeeze in some more boat rides,swimming, and maybe a little crafting. I am looking forward to going to Cedar City (Shakespearean Festival) with my mother-in-law and 2 sisters-in-law.

School...Just a few summer projects...

So, it's hard to believe that it is almost July! We went on an Alaskan cruise in June with my family (more pictures to come)! This was mine and Travis's first cruise...we loved it! And...we are looking forward to Lake Powell in about 2 weeks. Summer has and will continue to be good for us! 

Anyway, I promise that I have not been really thinking about school and working. But, there are a few projects/things I have wanted to do for a long time; I decided that the goal was to get them done this summer....

I  have small white boards for student use. However, they are not all the same size. The TINY place inside of me that is anal, wants them to be. I promise that I am not ANAL about most things. Since I am cutting  them to make them all the same size,  I want to make them small enough that I can put them in the storage caddies on the student tables. This will make them more accesible for students to use.

I also want to get different storage caddies that would work better for me.  I found the ones that I want today in the reallygoodstuff magazine. They have 3 smaller compartments on one side (whiteboard markers, glue, scissors) and a larger one on the other side (small whiteboards and/or papers).

I have also been wanting to experiment with creating my own planner book pages. I am not a fan of the ones that I can purchase through the school district, so I usually end up buying a cute one. However, plan books are made like "one size fits all". They don't really work the same for every one. So, this afternoon I have been working on creating my own planner pages. I made a set with a regular school week (Mon-Friday) and another for a Monday holiday kind of week. Now, I will need to continue editing and working on this as I find out my prep times, etc. I am also going to work on adding graphics ....cute-i-fying it. Since,  I spend a lot of time looking at it, I want it to be interesting and cute.







 



Some of what we have been up to...

 

We decided at the end of last year that we were going to start working on finishing the basment (lowest level) in our house. When it is finished, it will be a storage room and a bedroom. In order to do that, we had to create some storage space for some of the stuff that is already down there. Trav build another shelf in the garage; all of our camping stuff is now stored out in the garage. He is building a closet under the stair s (with shelves) in the basement; this where games and possibly, blankets will be stored. Next step, is to go through the rest of the stuff in the basement and see what we really need to keep and what could be donated to someone else in need.  It will be a slow process just doing it a little at a time when we have funds. Trav really is excited and enjoying working on it; has been fun to watch.

 

 

I have also been working hard at getting healthier. I have been working on watching my calorie intake, what kinds of food I am eating, and exercising.

 

My school is having a 5K on April 20th that  I am planning to participate in. The last few weeks, when I am at the gym, I have done the 5K run setting on the treadmill. Now, I spend about 10 minutes warming up, then I alternate jogging for 2 minutes and walking for 1 minute. I don't jog fast...at all; I can finish the 5k in about 48 minutes ( I can almost walk it that fast, too)!  I have really worked hard at getting up and going to the gym in the morning (like at 5:15). It has really helped that my mom has been my phone buddy to help hold each of us accountable and get ourselves to the gym. Thanks mom....you are the best! I love you! I am excited because now that the weather is nicer, Trav and I are going to start walking Mazie on walks after work, in addition to my gym time.

 

I have also been enjoying fruit smoothies in the morning (strawberries, 1/2 banana, a little OJ and milk), but recently started adding a big handful of spinach to my smoothies. You can't taste the spinach...I SWEAR. The other day, we were out of spinach and I missed having it in my smoothie.

 

 

Awhile ago, my cute brother told me about these portion control plates; portions is something that I struggle with, because if something tastes good...I want to keep having tastes. I decided last week that I was going to buy one to help me get portions back under control: I ordered one for Trav, too. They got here Saturday afternoon and I used mine yesterday at my mom's Easter party. It was amazing how much food I still got to eat, but that I was full when I was done. Seriously, I am super excited and for how this is going to help me!

 

I am down about 7lbs from where I was in February, most importantly, I am feeling great!

 

So, that's us for now...

 

Mission Accomplished....

I finished the puzzle this morning. However, Trav did a lot of the work the last two days while I laid around with ear infections and ruptured ear drums!

Puzzle Traditions...

Both of our families have had a tradition of doing a puzzle around Christmas. Trav's family usually did one before Christmas and my family usually did a puzzle between Christmas and New Year's. We have usually spent a night working on a puzzle with his mom; there was a sugar cookie puzzle that was DREADFUL...it was so hard!!! Anyway, we have said that we wanted to keep the tradition going, but we never manage to get a Christmas/Holiday puzzle. One year, we did borrow one from my mom!

Lucky for us, Santa Claus left us TWO puzzles! Yay!! We started working on the puzzle last night when we got home! It's been a nice way to spend the snowy day, today!

Christmas....

We had a great Christmas! We loved spending time with family and friends. We loved being able to talk to Trav's brother that is serving a mission in California!

As far as gifts  this Christmas, Trav and I both didn't really know what we wanted! There were not really any just for fun items that we were both were dying without; so it was a pretty practical Christmas. Trav got socks, new pillows, basketball shorts, & 2 white shirts for Church (which I got the wrong neck size, dang!). I got a pair of jeans, a redish, pink top/jacket shirt from Maurices,  a jean skirt, 2 pairs of comfy fleece bottoms from Old Navy, 2 pairs of fuzzy socks from Old Navy, and my favorite perfume,  We both got new covers for our Kindles, covers with lights. However, those were not a surprise because we ended up buying them together, We were both looking at refurbished ones (they are about 1/2 the cost), but weren't sure if the other person would be okay with that, so we got online and looked at/bought them together!

Mazie got spoiled, too! She got several new toys (from other family members, too) and some pupperoni sticks!

Santa left some surprises, too! He left us a gift card to Lowe's to help with doing the basement! He also left us 2 puzzles!

We had 2 fun surprises at my mom and dad's, but one will still remain a secret! My parents surprised all of us with an Alaskan cruise that we will be taking together sometime this summer! I have never been on a cruise or to Alaska, so I am really excited! I guess, we really will need to get passports now, since we will be in and out of Canada!

White Elephant Gifts....

We went to Grammy Barb's house for Christmas Eve. There is always a white elephant/$5 gift exchange game during the party. A few years ago, Trav's cousin enlarged, printed, and framed a picture of Trav's mom holding/swimming with a dolphin. It was funny! What made it hilarious, was that  the person who opened it was a coworker/friend of Trav's sister; this was the first time that he had been around the family.

So, we were on the look out for some great white elephant ideas. We ended up doing: batteries with toys not included AND a  picture of Mazie in a plastic frame and her paw prints done in plaster of paris. It was PRETTY dang funny! We did put a $10 Maverick gift card with each present, so that the receiver still got something that was fun/nice/useable!

Projects and changes....

We have had lots of fun the past few weeks finishing some projects and updating/buying new furniture. Trav recently got a new job (not really...same job, better pay...I don't understand myself). When this happened, we decided that this winter we would start finishing off the basement....framing in a storage room and one more bedroom area. In order to do this, we need to get the basement cleaned out a bit. So, Trav built a shelf above our freezer in the garage and moved all/most of our camping stuff up on it!

One of the things that I told Trav that I wanted was for him to finish the window ledge/pony shelf in the downstairs that never got finished in the remodel 4 years ago. Trav had Friday off about 3 weeks ago; when I came home, I had a finished half wall, just needs to be painted.

We have had two hand-me-down kitchen table and chairs. We have been so grateful to have them. Both tables were oval-shaped and we really want a rectangle/square table to go in the space we have. The D.I. makes really nice, brand new tables, chairs, bed frames, etc. We have looked at these several times. About two weeks ago, we decided to take the plunge and bough a table. It has a leaf that can be added and fits up to 8 people. It is a dark cherry and black, which doesn't totally got with the kitchen I have now, but either eventually we will move and it will or I will be updating my kitchen. The best part about buying furniture at the DI? It is VERY reasonably priced and there is NO sales tax!

Trav has really been wanting a new TV....every time we go to Costco, he stops at the TV's and drools. Well, my mom and dad recently gave him some money for his masters graduation, he  has been saving his weekly allowance we give each other, and he just got Christmas money from his mom and step dad. So, needless to say, he could hardly wait any longer! We are now the proud owners of a newer, bigger TV. Now, I must confess, that I kept teasing him about saving his weekly allowance because he would never have enough....but I guess I was wrong!

First Time Ever....

This year, we did Christmas Cards for first time ever...in well, 7 years! We definitely underestimated how many cards we needed...we will do better at ordering next year; I have already made and saved the list!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours! We are truly grateful for the friendships and family relationships that we share with all of you! You bless our lives in many ways and we hope that we bless your life as well!

Hair....

After growing my hair out for the last year or two, I decided that I was finally ready for a change! So, I cut it! I love it; Trav really likes it, even if it is shorter!

Candy Advent Calendar....

One of my favorite traditions as a little girl, was the chocolate candy advent calendar that Grandma and Grandpa Tuerpe gave us. I still love this tradition. Now, Grandma has started this tradition with the next generation; my nieces and nephews. I kept telling Trav that we needed to go buy our own chocolate advent calendar. He suggested that we make our own with candy that we like. Trav gave an idea of how to do it and then I got on Pinterest to find instructions. We invited some friends over on a Sunday afternoon and made our own candy advent calendar. It was really fun!

Oh Christmas Tree....

We have kept my family tradition of buying a Christmas tree every year. Normally, we put it in front of our living room window. This year, we decided to put it on the opposite wall, which meant that we are able to get a taller tree....9 1/2 feet, to be exact! I think this was the fastest that we have ever had our tree up and decorated after buying it! It has been up and decorated for about a week and I LOVE it...it seriously is the best/most beautiful tree that we have ever had!  We had to move the love seat around, so it makes for a little bit of a cramped front room, but hey...it's for Christmas!