Price

2011-07-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

To my dearest brother on your 28^th birthday,

I miss you.

I miss how you could always get me to laugh. How you made me laugh harder than anyone!

I miss your smile.

I miss how excited you were about life. You have truly inspired me to live a better life, to serve more, to be more.

I miss how you filled any room with joy. It is so quiet here without you.

I miss your loud voice. How you would lean over and tell me a joke in church, thinking you were whispering, but actually ending up telling the whole congregation.

I miss our Sunday dinners, our weekly get-togethers, our vacations, our camping trips, our holidays we would spend together, etc.

I miss seeing you and Adley together. The day I had her, you sat in the waiting room for twelve hours, as you were so excited to become an uncle. You loved her, and she loved you.

I miss seeing the joy in mom and dad’s eyes when you were around. They are so proud of you.

I miss you taking care of me. Up until the day you died, you watched over your little sis. I pray you are still with me.

I miss your many nick names you had for me. My favorite being “skizzy.”

I will miss you at BYU games. I will miss getting season tickets every year by you.

I miss being able to call you any time I want. I have picked up the phone several times since that dreadful day, but have realized you aren’t there. It is completely unbearable without you here. Lately, I dream almost every night you come back, and then wake up to realize you are still gone.

You are the one I believed I would always have by my side, even as our parents grew old and passed on. You were the one who always took care of our family, especially mom and dad. As you have now left me as the oldest, I don’t know how to pick up where you left off. You were so much better at it than I am. Please show me how.

I know it was your time to go. I know where you are right now, and I know you are fulfilling a greater purpose. I know I will see you again. I know when this life is over for me, I will be with you forever. But even as I know these things, I still miss you. My heart still aches for you. This life still seems too long without you in it. Please watch over us. Please continue to take care of us. I look forward to the day when this is all over. I know you will be there waiting for me, as I know that day will be a glorious one. I love you brother, Happy 28^th Birthday.

Our Halloween

2010-11-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-19T06:58:00.000-07:00

BYU vs Air Force

2010-09-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

To say the following statement feels almost as bad as smashing my face in the door, which is why you will only hear me say it once.

Ok. If I had to choose to loose to one team.....it would be Air Force.

Now to back up my statement; it's a lot less painful losing to a team who will soon be fighting for your country. Plus, their fans were the most decent fans of all, unlike some UNLV and Utah fans (oops, did I just say Utah??)

Nate, Adley, Taylor, and I, along with our BYU flags on our car, made the long 8 hour journey to Colorado Springs this past weekend to watch some Cougar football. We showed up for the game, but unfortunately the Cougars did not.

After spending the day on campus at Air Force, I have a greater respect for those who choose to serve our country. It was both incredible and inspiring to spend the day of September 11 there.

Kauai

2010-08-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

Book Suggestions??

2010-07-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

I need some new books to read, and am looking for book suggestions! I just barely finished The Help (slow but good), The Hunger Games, and Catching Fire. Both these books kept me hooked, resulting in a lot of time in her swing for Adley (half serious, half joking). So I need to know what other books I should add to my list (promising I won't further neglect my child).

I'm not too picky. Nothing too sad though...as in the kind that leave you depressed for a few days. I've banned those books altogether. Yes Amber, I'm still building up the courage to read your book.

Please leave your suggestions!!

Baby Food

2010-07-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

23 dollars later....60 servings of sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, bananas, peaches, and spinach.

Pop an ice cube out, let it thaw.

Thanks Keisha for the great idea!

Independence Day

2010-07-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

The 4th was spent at the freedom festival, as well as Stadium of Fire. I wanted to go ever since I heard Carrie Underwood would be this years main act, but never bought tickets. An hour before the show started Nate went to the stadium and scalped us two tickets. It was well worth the $$$. Carrie did not disappoint!

Father's Day in Seattle

2010-06-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

As always, our trip to Seattle was a lot of fun, but went by way too fast!! I was nervous for Adley's first plane ride. She actually did very well, only letting out a few peeps. When she did squeal, an older woman so graciously kept telling us what she thought was wrong with our baby. She told us our baby was both cold and uncomfortable. At one point she even told us she probably wanted her headband taken off. Was this lady serious????

Downtown Seattle. Love it.

Riding her first pig. Pretty wild.

Adley met Baby Max.

Fathers Day:

Nana bought Adley her little bumbo chair. She'll get tired of holding herself up sometimes, and I'll look over and she's literally folded in half just hanging out.

Friends

2010-06-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

This past week was spent with a lot of friends. Emily came from Canada for a week, so last Friday we took the babies to the Zoo (even though they didn't really know what was going on). We already miss Emily and Baby Blakely.

Paige was also in town this past week so we all got together for breakfast on Monday. I always have a lot of fun with these girls. They were all my best friends throughout college. It has been fun experiencing single life, marriages, and becoming mom's with all of them. We all try and get together a couple times a month. We missed you Emily, Amanda, and Chelsea!

Quincy has always held a special spot in my heart. I absolutely love her. As Adley grows, I know she will be good friends with her and West.

This little girl brings me so much joy!

First Time Swimming

2010-06-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

She Loved It!

2010-06-07T15:55:00.001-07:00

We spent Memorial Day at Sundance. We hiked Stuart Falls, ate lunch at The Foundry Grill, and went fishing.

Whatever It Takes

2010-05-28T22:43:00.001-07:00

Oh the things we do to keep our child entertained...

Sporting the kangaroo pouch while making Sushi...

...when she get's fussy, my Dad drags her around the house all the time. She loves it...

...stroller rides...

...patty cake...

...and lastly, the infamous airplane ride...

...Oh but does she ever make up for it!

On a side note, I now have a greater respect for all moms who have experienced sleep training. We began sleep training two Sundays ago. She has been sleeping through the night since she was a month in-a-half, so sleep training was entirely to train her to fall asleep on her own, and in her own bed. Ever since that first night of letting her "cry it out," she has been an angel for us, and has gone asleep on her own every time without crying (give or take a time or two). Unfortunately, I never realized I would have separation anxiety when I was just moving my baby into the other room! Since then, I have found excuses to bring her back in our room on random occasions (hence our security alarm going off in the middle of the night last week.)

Now that the baby is trained, we have one more problem we are working on. This time it is with her dad. I sometimes hear him in her room making loud noises, and have even found him picking her up, all while she's dead asleep. He claims "he misses her and wants her to wake up." After about the tenth time of "accidentally" running into the door, you think he would come up with a different excuse! Let's hope he kicks the habit soon!

I'm Finally Done!!

2010-05-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

After years and years of schooling, I'm finally done! That is at least for now. I graduated last weekend with a Bachelor's of Science, within the College of Education. I don't think I have ever been more excited to have something behind me. Even though I check my calendar daily for upcoming assignments I still think I have, I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. Obtaining a bachelor's degree was always a major goal of mine, but I had to put it on the back burner when Nate and I were first married. After working full time for a year to support us, I went back to school. I transferred Universities, which tacked on three extra semesters. Despite what it took to get there, I am happy to say I finally got there. Today I am happy.

When I received my diploma, I had Adley in my arms. A moment I will always cherish.

Check out the cheeks on that one!

Hope everyone had a Happy Mothers Day!!

Brothers Wedding

2010-05-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love weddings...

Two weekends ago was my older brother's wedding. We love his wife Jenna, and are so happy to have her apart of our crazy family.

These are my two super stylish aunts. The one on the right owns a flower shop in Omaha so we were lucky enough to have her here to put together the flower arrangements.

Adley Bear was quite the social butterfly. By the end of each night, she was exhausted.

Random Nate. I laughed so hard when I saw this. Always entertaining the kids when they come over! (You might have to enlarge it to get the full effect)

The night before the wedding, we attended a surprise bachelorette party for Jenna.
Wedding Day

Taylor was the best man. Watch out ladies, he'll be of dating age in a year!
The reception was at my parents house. They had a sushi chef. I probably ate a total of three rolls.

As always, I lack in pictures.

Congrats Aj and Jenna!

Adley meets Blakely

2010-04-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

I realized Adley will one day be able to choose her own friends, but for now, I get to choose them for her. With that said, Adley met her best friend Blakely about a month ago. Emily was here to visit from Canada, so we made sure we saw each other several times.

About 13 months ago, Emily called me to tell me she was pregnant. Since Nate and I had been trying for a couple years for a baby, she was hesitant to tell me. In the same phone call, I announced I was pregnant as well. It was so fun experiencing pregnancy with my best friend who was due at the same time. Both Emily and I gave each other play by plays the entire time we were in labour.

Adley and Blakely were born four days apart. We are excited for them to move back, so we can raise our girls together.

3 Months

2010-04-05T19:15:00.001-07:00

Little Adley will be 3 months in 1 week. Part of me wants to stop the clocks so she'll stay little forever. Another part of me is excited to watch her grow. She already has such a cute little personality. We think she's just great!

Some highlights:
*She smiles ALL the time now
*She loves her binky (which is more of a highlight for her mom)
*She has recently discovered her hand. She sucks on it all the time when she doesn't have her binky. I'm nervous she's soon going to find her thumb!
*She has slept 8 to 9 hours through the night since she was a month in a half
*She loves the car, and hates in when I stop (even for a split second). She squeals when I stop at a stop sign or red light.

Check out those cheeks!

Now that we've made our blog private, I'm excited to start posting more. I promise I won't be one of those mom's who only posts about their baby. I'll try and fit some of Nate and I in as well! :)

Updater Blog

2010-03-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

I am making our blog private in the next couple days. For those of you who will have access, add nateandlynleeupdate.blogspot.com to your google readers, sidebar updater lists, etc. I have made this separate blog so you can know when we update our blog, which will also include a direct link to our blog. I'm excited to start posting again!

PRIVATE

2010-02-22T17:32:00.000-08:00

I will admit, I am not happy about making our blog private. In order to avoid more creepy things, we've decided it's in our best interest to go private. Please leave your email if you would like to continue reading our blog. Even if you're a cousin, of a friend, of a neighbors sister....leave us your email. Don't be shy!

Adley's First Play Date

2010-02-22T10:16:00.001-08:00

Adley had her first play date a couple weeks ago with Baby Luke, who is 3 months older than her. She made the poor little guy cry.

Both calm

Adley cries

Adley makes Luke cry

Our Precious Adley

2010-02-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

Baby Blessing

2010-02-04T13:14:00.001-08:00

Some of Nate's family came to visit this past weekend to meet Adley for the first time, so we decided to have her blessing on Sunday. Since she was only 2 1/2 weeks, I took her home as soon as the blessing was over. It was a perfect blessing, and a perfect day

First Bath

2010-02-02T18:48:00.001-08:00

I have to admit, I was a little bit of a chicken when it came to giving Adley her sponge baths. She would cry so hard, and I would feel so bad. So it has been nice that Nate loves being the one in charge of her baths. She is starting to enjoy them more, now that her cord has fallen off, allowing her to be submerged in water.

Sleep tight!

Meet Adley

2010-01-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

Adley Shay Price
Born: 01-13-2010 @ 5:39 p.m.
7 lbs 6 oz 20"

Now that Adley is 11 days old, I feel I actually have the time to post about last Wednesday...

Because we were so anxious to meet our baby girl, we only got two hours of sleep the night before. The next morning Nate and I arrived at the hospital at 5:00 a.m. They started me on Pitocin within the hour. I was in labor for 12 hours. By hour 7, the epidural only worked on the left side of my body. I sat at a five for quite a while. Because my doctor is amazing, he had me wait it out a little longer so he wouldn't have to perform a c-section. Within the hour, I was at a nine. I won't go into anymore detail, but for the most part, both labor and delivery went well. They placed Adley on my chest shortly after she was born. She had a lot of fluid in her lungs so they had to take her away three minutes later. I sent Nate to the nursery to be with her, so I laid in my room for an hour alone. It was honestly the longest hour of my life. He did however bring me updates periodically. The pictures tell the rest...

Gotta love the puke bags!

Meet Adley:
This was taken right after they brought her back to me.

I cried as we left the hospital because I was scared to take her out into this wicked world (blame it on the hormones.) We love Adley so much already and want to provide a great life for her. We already feel so blessed to have her in our lives. More pictures to come!

Tomorrow's the Day!

2010-01-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we meet our sweet baby girl. We have to be at the hospital at 5 a.m., where they will induce me shortly after. We have been waiting for this day for so long, even though it still seems so surreal. Nate has made sure the camera's are charged and ready to go, so we'll make sure we post pictures soon!

Congratulations Hank and Emily!

2010-01-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

We just wanted to give a shout out to Hank and Emily. Emily gave birth to Blakely Jane Nelson this morning at 2:15. Emily and Hank kept us updated throughout the night until 4:30 this morning. We are so excited for them and are so excited to have baby girls just days apart. Congrats you two! We can't wait to meet her!

I couldn't resist...

2010-01-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

....these cute little shoes.

We have her bassinet all ready. We are now ready for her to come!

37 1/2 Weeks

2009-12-28T11:21:00.000-08:00

Clothes are washed, bags are packed... we are officially on the countdown until we meet baby!

I just went to the doctor this morning and was told I'm at a 2. He doesn't think I will go over my due date. In fact, he thinks she will come earlier than that (even though I'm not counting on it.) Doctor also say's baby's head is so low, he's surprised I can walk as well as I do.

I still have so much to do. We are moving to Draper sometime in the the next few weeks, so I will have to scramble to get her nursery done. The good news is, I just finished school and am happy to be able to finally focus most my attention on getting ready.

Nate is beyond excited! He makes sure he has his phone on him at all times. He is going nuts since he hasn't been able to set up the crib yet. Seriously though, can someone please tell my husband he does not play for the Cougars???

I just finished a quilt for baby. It took me a very long time, so I'm happy to have it done.

Man Cold

2009-12-02T15:28:00.001-08:00

Why is it that a "man cold" is much worse than a "women cold," or any other sickness for that matter?? Nate rarely get's sick so I can't say this fully applies to him. With that said, I think he secretly likes the extra attention I give him when he does get sick...although I don't mind giving it.

One of our friends showed me this and I couldn't resist sharing it with the rest of you. I would love to hear your thoughts regarding the "man cold."

Baby Shower

2009-11-21T14:24:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday Paige and Jenn threw me a baby shower. I have to say they went all out! The food and decorations were amazing. Thanks Paige and Jenn for throwing the perfect shower! Also, thanks again for those who came. I missed all of you that couldn't make it!

29 Weeks

2009-10-29T18:19:00.001-07:00

Cold & Crazy

2009-10-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

We aren't ready to discuss yesterday's game. We will however, post pictures of College Game Day. Yes, College Game Day came to BYU yesterday for the first time ever, and we were there at 6:30 in the morning to be part of. We went primarily to protest against the BCS.

This sign served it's purpose for a good 30 minutes, until a cop took it away.

Some of the signs were hilarious

Seattle

2009-10-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

We had flight credit we needed to use up before January. Since baby is coming soon, we decided we better use it now, towards a trip home to Seattle.

Our first day was spent in downtown Seattle with Nate's mom. We always love spending time with her. For those who don't know her, she is probably the sweetest person you'll ever meet. I consider her the perfect mother-in-law.

This was the view from the restaurant we ate at on top of the Space Needle.

The number one HS quarterback in the nation has just committed to play for BYU this upcoming year. Since he's from Washington, we went and watched his High School football game. Before hand, Nate's mom made treats and hot chocolate to take to the game. We got there an hour before the game to make sure we got good seats, and made sure we wore our BYU gear. Needless to say, he didn't disappoint.

Jake Heaps

Jake's family

It rained the entire game (hence the ponchos)

Happy 27th Birthday to this guy...

2009-10-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

Some fun things you might not know about Nate:

He secretly thinks he plays football for the Cougars.

Every night, he tries to sneak "cheesy chips" into our bed as his bedtime snack.

He will pass out if he hasn't eaten in a while.

When we watch Jeopardy, he knows almost every answer, even the weird ones.

He USED to beat me every time at mario cart.

He is super organized and can clean the house as good as most women.

He doesn't say harsh things about anyone.

I wanted to post a couple things people have recently wrote about Nate. A girl in Japan where Nate served his mission, randomly met a guy Nate knew a few years ago in our singles ward. Nate's name was brought up in their conversations through email. He wrote this email to her, and she forwarded it to us. I saved it for a day such as this. This is what he wrote:

"I have always admired Nate for his depth of character, spirituality, and example. Nate is the kind of guy that everyone looks up to--a true leader. Every girl in the ward would have dated him, if given the chance. He proved that you can still be cool, fashionable, and a stalwart member of the Church. The best way I know how to describe Nate is "quiet dignity." He wasn't a man to speak much, but his actions were worth a thousand words. I always admired how he never let any attention he received get to his head--very unpretentious. Any gentleman-like quality he would attribute to me, I would ascribe to him many times over, especially in his manner and respect for women. Nate is a great athlete and I always enjoyed playing with him in pick up games and on our intramural team. He is a hustler on the court and has a rare ability to create shots and produce on the offensive end. I am excited for him and the coming addition to his family, how exciting."

One day I came across a touching message sent to Nate on his facebook account from one of his Muslim friends from High School. She had been persecuted in school for her religious beliefs, especially after 9-11. Reading this message just confirmed what I already knew about Nate and his character.

"Hello buddy, how is everything? I hope everything is going well for you. One thing that I admired about you above anyone else in school was your kindness. After September 11th I remember writing to you, and your email provided words of kindness. I still remember every word of that email and it has stuck by me ever since. You know in that email, is where you told me about your beliefs, and thanks to you I searched about that religion. Then I remembered that most of your great behaviors was molded by your faith. No matter what, faith defines us all. Now thanks to you I have learned much about Mormon. We were good friends in high school, and it was people like you that made the rest of us feel that we are all humans no matter where we have been or about to go.
After high school we were all hit with September 11th, some people believe that bad things and bring good out of people. And that's what happened to me, I became more religious. I started to understand other faiths so we can work towards understanding and accepting. That's what I did, and I have forgiven my fellow class mates, because I looked the good in them. And I continue to look the good in others, its a healthier way for all of us."

Happy Birthday Nate!!

Baby Update (and other happenings)

2009-09-02T15:26:00.001-07:00

On August 24 we had our 20 week ultrasound appointment. The ultrasound tech said everything looks great! We are happy to know baby girl is doing good!

It's been so fun as I've started to feel her more frequently. Nate has been trying to feel her kick the past couple weeks, but unfortunately has not had any success. Last Thursday, he felt her for the first time at 3 a.m. She was however only willing to give him two kicks.

currently the length of a carrot

Latest cravings:
Cheese and grapes
Gandolfo's Upstate breakfast sandwich (for breakfast, lunch, or dinner)

In other news, my biggest accomplishment for this week: wrote STARBURST and told them to BRING BACK THEIR ORIGINAL TROPICAL CHEWS! (They changed the flavors a couple years ago and I'm still mad about it!)We've been beyond excited for the new BYU football season to start! This weekend is the first away game. We leave on Friday to spend the long weekend in St. George with our friends Brent, Jen, Cortney, and Laura. We will of course be watching the game!

Lastly, I'm in my last semester of school and couldn't be more excited! I'm at the point where I feel I'm going to pull my hair out if I have to write one more paper beyond seven pages! It's been a long time coming and am happy to almost be done!

XX or XY?

2009-08-04T17:05:00.001-07:00

We went to the doctor yesterday and found out we are having a baby GIRL!! We both thought it was going to be a boy and were pleasantly surprised when she told us a girl (I annoyingly asked the ultra sound tech two times if she was sure). We left the doctors office so excited. My first ultra sound was at 7 1/2 weeks and she looked like a little peanut. But yesterday it was cute to see her actually in the form of a baby. We were amazed as we sat there and watched her kicking and moving. This past week I've felt her movements for the first time.

I haven't posted anything since Nate made the announcement so I thought I would expound a little more. I am currently almost 4 months along. We found out the night before mothers day when I was 4 1/2 weeks. Even though I was sick the first 14 weeks or so, I have loved this time being pregnant.

Nate is beyond excited knowing he will soon be a dad. He says our little girl is going to have him wrapped around her finger. I had to convince him not to tell everyone until I was about 12 weeks along. For such a smart guy, I was amazed at how many times he claimed the news "accidentally slipped out," or so he says! I've also had to convince him that I'm still perfectly capable of crossing the street by myself. He keeps telling me he can't wait until my stomach "gets huge!" He is literally trying to shove food down me!

We are both enjoying this exciting time as we know we will soon be parents. It's amazing how the protective parent instincts have already kicked in. Feel free to leave any advice or tips, but maybe try and keep the horror stories to a minimum! :)

Need help with the Chub Chub!

2009-07-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

Pardon the insensitive title of this post, but I'm a little concerned about some recent changes that have occurred in my wife as of late. By posting, I am hoping to receive some help or advice from other women who have experienced similar phenomena.

For my senior thesis I completed a 48 page case study that focused on unexplained weight gain in women who maintain consistent diet and exercise patterns. Lynlee's diet and exercise patterns are the same as they've always been. My concern stems from the fact that Lynlee doesn't match up with any of the common reasons for unexplained weight gain.

She doesn't suffer from lack of sleep, which triggers hormones that affect appetite and satiety. In fact, she's been sleeping a lot more lately and frequently takes naps throughout the day. Sometimes she's dozed off on the couch right in the middle of our coversation.

She doesn't appear to have an increased level of stress. As we know, stress secretes the hormone cortisol, which increases your appetite. Conversely, she appears less stressed than ever. She constantly has a big smile on her face while looking at her tummy. You'd think most women would be concerned about not being able to button their jeans, but Lynlee appears to welcome the pudge.

I don't assume she's experiencing menopause this early in life. The changes with menopause affect hormones that can alter your appetite. Your metabolism slows down and weight gain around the midsection is very common. But she's too young to be going through menopause right? Although come to think of it, for the last 4 months she hasn't been sending me to the store for any emergency "it's that time of the month" products.

In all sincerity, my wife is as beautiful as ever and now has a little bit "more" to love. Although I'm still confused about some of the recent changes in Lynlee's appearance, something tells me that everything will make sense come...................... January 2010.

Champions

2009-07-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

Take Only Pictures, Leave Only Footprints...

2009-07-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

Friday night we went camping with Hayley and Darek up Spanish Fork Canyon. Dinner consisted of tin foil dinners, lots of pistachios, lots of peanut butter m&m's, and a Whatchamacallit candy bar on my end! Casual conversation consisted of A LOT of embarrassing stories both Nate and Darek told at my expense (how nice of them!)

Happy Birthday America (and Jordin, Jaden, Aj, & Kerstin)

2009-07-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Jason, Amanda, and their two kids came and spent nine days with us this past week...

Thursday Nate and his friend DJ took Jason fishing at Strawberry Reservoir. They caught 45 fish.

Friday we celebrated Jaden and Jordin's birthday at fat cats. Nate's best score was 198. My best score was 98, even when I used a 6 pound bowling ball.

Aj and Kerstins birthday dinner at Texas Roadhouse...
Some of my Aunts and Uncles, and my parents.

Provo Parade
Nate and I loved hanging out with little Jordin. We miss her already!
For those who know Nate, you'll know this is his famous football pose.
Nate and his sister Cami
Firework show
Ketchup & Mustard

Happy Birthday Momma Price!

2009-06-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Nate's mother is an extraordinary women. She is extremely inspirational and is a perfect example of the traits and characteristics a mother should have. She is exactly what I always envisioned my future mother-in-law to be. I hope I can be the same mother she has been to Nate. Thanks for all you do! Hope your birthday was a good one! We love you!

First Day On The Job

2009-05-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Today is the start of Nate's career. I had to snap a picture on his way out the door. I'll admit, I have had the butterflies all day today! Am I just plain lame, or has anyone also experienced this on their husbands first day of their job?? Needless to say, we are both excited! Nate will be making the commute until we move in August. His territory he is over is from the point of the mountain, to North of Salt Lake. We are excited be given the opportunity to stay in Utah!

A Special Day

2009-04-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

This past Friday Nate graduated!! He graduated from BYU in Exercise Science, with a minor in Business Management. I am so proud of Nate for his hard work and dedication. He was on the Dean's list two semesters this past year for having a 4.0 GPA. Cami's husband, JR, also graduated on Friday. Nate begins training with his new job on Monday! We are very excited for this opportunity. We will be moving somewhere North in August. Congratulations Nate and JR!

Graduation was two days. The first day was the Universities commencement ceremony. President Uchtdorf was awarded an honorary doctorate and also gave a speech. The second day was the department convocation.

I have recently learned how into baseball cards Nate and his brother Jason were growing up. Their mom has been storing the cards for years, having been told not to throw any away. She packed one full suitcase of baseball cards and brought them with her on the plane. Nate and Jason went through them Friday night looking to see if any are worth anything now. Nate will probably hang on to the one's worth something, I think we should sell them!

La Carreta...best Peruvian joint in town!!
Graduation Day:

We had a big celebration dinner on Sunday. Unfortunately I did not take many pictures. This will have to do.
Last night we antended Cami's graduation. She graduated as a dental hygienist from UCDH. She graduated with a 4.0 GPA and was awarded the Excellence in Professional Care Award. Congratulations Cami!

San Diego

2009-04-20T22:38:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was spent in San Diego at our good friends Cortney and Laura's wedding. Instead of flying, we decided to cut costs and make the ten hour drive with Brent and Jen. We left at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and drove through the night.

Cortney has always been very close to Nate and I. He was one of my best guy friends the first couple years of college and was good friends with Nate as well. He was very instrumental in the process of Nate and I meeting, dating, and then later marrying. He was also Nate's best man at our wedding.

We could not have hand picked a better person for Cortney to end up with. We absolutely LOVE Laura!

THURSDAY:
We arrived in San Diego at 7 a.m., just in time to eat breakfast at a cafe on the beach.

That night we ordered pizza and hung out in Cortney's hotel room.

FRIDAY:
The boys went golfing at our hotel, and the girls hung out at the spa pool.

Wedding party dinner the night before wedding.
SATURDAY:
Wedding day

Groomsmen

Wedding dinner

We ate a ridiculous amount of Pink Berry. On our drive home, we stopped outside Vegas so Jen and I could ride a roller coaster.

An Apostle's Easter Thoughts on Christ

2009-04-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

One of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so.

Vegas

2009-03-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Despite how it may seem, Nate and I do have a life outside of BYU sports. At least I think we do...With that said, we went to Vegas for four days this past weekend for the MWC basketball tournament. We drove down with Cami, JR, Brent, and Jen where we then met up with Nate's parents, as well as Jason, Amanda, and their kids. Unfortunately we didn't take too many pictures.

As we were leaving one of the games, we were slammed into by an old lady in an escalade. She was extremely frazzled by the ordeal and even cried. Poor lady, but even more so, poor Cami and JR's car!

My favorite play is Phantom of the Opera. The last time I saw it was with my parents when I was a little girl. Nate knew this and so for Valentines day he surprised me with two tickets to see it while in Vegas. It was absolutely amazing.

Last night some of my friends got together here in Provo for Amanda's birthday. We missed all of you who couldn't make it!

Happy 25!!

Zealots or Zoobies??

2009-03-07T23:39:00.001-08:00

As some may know, last weekend was the BYU vs Utah basketball game. It was an extremely intense game, seeing as both teams needed a win in order to stay in the race to win the MWC Championship. Even though each student is allowed an all-sports pass, not everyone can get into the game, especially the big ones. The student section only holds a certain number of students and once the maximum capacity is filled, the doors are shut on the rest.

It all began last Thursday night. Nate and I were driving home at 10:30 p.m. from a fun night in Park City with our friends Megan, Tanner, and Eli Elton. We had heard people were already camped out for the game on Saturday, so we thought we would drive by and see for ourselves. Sure enough, there were twenty tents lined up outside the Mariott Center waiting for the doors to open. I immediately turned to Nate and told him we had to go home right this second to get our tent! We figured each tent would have twenty to thirty people cut in line with them the day of the game so I knew we had little time to waste. You would think most "normal" people would just cut the loss and sit at the top, or even watch it on their tv at home. Nate and I are a little crazy sometimes when it comes to what we love. Let's be honest, who likes to sit in the nosebleeds anyways?

So Thursday night Nate and I put up our tent at Midnight and both slept there that night. Friday one of us stayed in the tent studying and doing homework, while the other went to work, went to class, or took a test. That afternoon and night Cami and Jr. came and helped hold down the fort. We all figured it was well worth the wait, especially since we're in the final months of being students.

Don't judge these pictures, we were sleep deprived!

A lot of people used this time as social hour to meet and greet. Our fellow tent neighbors stayed up all night playing rock band and other nonsense. We figured we were probably some of the only married people who actually wanted to get some sleep. After all, we were strictly there to get into the game.

A few hours before the game, some of the players came around and talked to the students. They wanted to personally come by and thank all the campers for their dedication. Cami and I were lucky enough to take our picture with Jimmer Fredette and Lamont Morgan.

Enough said...

We are proud to say we made it into the game, and even sat on row 4. We are even more proud that BYU beat Utah by 13. Since beating Air Force tonight, we are the MWC champions three years in a row.

Early Thursday morning, the four of us are meeting Nate's parents, Jason, Amanda and their kids in Vegas for the MWC Tournament. We are quite excited!

We pose the question; at what point are we no longer Zealots, but rather Zoobies? We are yet to answer this question ourselves.

SKY DIVING!

2009-02-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

I know I'm kind of on a roll posting so many videos, I'm just thrilled we were able to download them on to our computer! Unfortunately for us, this is the last one!

This was on our third date three years ago. Before I left for Africa, Nate and I were casually talking and I told him one of the things on my "to do list," was to go sky diving. The week I returned from Africa, Nate surprised me by letting me know he made reservations for us to go sky diving. I was ecstatic! Especially because this would be our first REAL date. Our first 2 dates were more like group hangouts, considering his roommates were there.

This is our sky diving video. I realize I look overly dramatic when I was about to jump out of the plane, so you will have to ignore that part. I will admit, I wasn't nervous at all until we were about to jump. At that point, I questioned how crazy a person has to be to have the sense to jump out of a perfectly good plane! Nate on the other hand was nervous for a different reason. He wondered what he would say to my parents if something happened to me! It was without a doubt, one of the best things we've ever done!...Try not to miss Nate's landing!

Dec. 29, 2006

2009-01-29T00:08:00.000-08:00

Nate and I had our two year anniversary a month ago and I never made a post about it. I was waiting because I wanted to do something fun for the post and have tried off and on to upload these videos. With the help of Nate, tonight we figured it out!

The first video is of Nate's proposal which we were lucky enough to have on camera. It's hard to tell exactly what's going on in this video so I'll try and explain...I threw him his birthday party with about twenty of our friends. He took the opportunity to propose when I least expected it. He had Lindsay in charge of the lights, Brent in charge of the music, and Glade in charge of the video. Other than that, no one else really knew about it! You'll notice he stops before blowing out the candles because for one, I tell him to make a wish, and two, everyone is chanting for us to kiss. Enough explaining, you can watch the rest!

The reason I dragged him across the floor was because I thought he was teasing me. Those of you who know Nate will understand why I might think that! If you can't tell, I was completely surprised/excited!

December 29, 2006. Hopefully you can make it past all the kissing!

Happy Birthday Momma Rooks!

2009-01-21T09:52:00.001-08:00

Today is my mother's birthday. I can not express how much I love this woman! Besides being an extremely gorgeous mom, she's also an AMAZING lady! If I could describe my mom in one word it would be "classy." I'll never forget what Nate said in his speech at our wedding luncheon. He made a point to thank my mom for being the woman she is and for the principles she has taught her children. He particularly thanked her for the modesty she exudes and for the quiet dignity she exemplifies. I can honestly say that many of the greatest things I have learned thus far, have come from her. I have big shoes to fill and hope that I can follow in her footsteps.

One of the things I love about her is how much she LOVES BYU football. It's funny to watch how into the games she gets!

She is going to physically beat me for posting this picture! This was taken after a football game.

Single Ladies

2009-01-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have seen Beyonce's music video "All The Single Ladies," you will appreciate this. I actually love the original music video. If you haven't seen the original version yet, watch it on YouTube so you can fully appreciate this! Nate and I just finished watching this! Sorry Cami and JR for my loud laughter, this time I was not upstairs laughing at AFV! Enjoy!

Sugar Coated Pecans

2009-01-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my sister in-law Jess. She actually has it posted on her blog right now but I thought I would also post it for those who don't know her and check her blog. These pecans are SO good! They taste similar to the holiday nuts they sell around Christmas time! I made a batch today to put on our salads along with strawberries, mandarin oranges, green onions, and blue cheese; also with my mother in-laws homemade poppyseed dressing! They are also yummy just as a snack! Try this recipe, it's easy and good!

INGREDIENTS
1 pound pecan halves

1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

1 cup white sugar (I tried using 1/4 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cups white sugar and liked it)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and water until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
Add pecans to egg whites, stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on a foil lined baking sheet (for easy clean up).

Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Snowmobiling on New Years

2009-01-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

2009-01-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

Last few days in Washington:

Jacobs birthday party

I had to post this picture because I think his outfit is hilarious. Since it rarely snows it Seattle, they don't own a snow shovel.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-28T17:30:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas here in Washington was amazing! We have had so much fun with our family since arriving last Monday.

I never knew this but it rarely snows in the part of Washington Nate's family is from. Every year it snows a few times but normally doesn't stick. If you haven't been watching the news, the Seattle area was hit hard this year! There hasn't been a storm like this in over ten years. Before we got here, our family was actually snowed in. This picture is our attempt to drive to a mall on Christmas Eve. We were stopped in traffic for over an hour so we ended up turning around.

Christmas Eve

Nate and I set out cookies and milk and a note for Santa with our nephew Nick

Kaylee and I playing with her princess set we gave her for X-mas

Second guitar for our guitar hero Jason and Amanda got us for Christmas.

Shoeless Nate

This past weekend the whole family stayed a couple days in Leavenworth, a Bavarian Village. It was my first time there and I loved it. It was such a quaint little place.

They are the best!

We are still in Washington until Wednesday. We'll post the rest of the pictures then!

Christmas With The Rooks

2008-12-21T21:57:00.000-08:00

Since we are going to Washington for Christmas this year, we spent this past weekend celebrating Christmas with my family. It was fun being able to spend an early Christmas with them, and are equally excited to be in Washington for the actual thing.

We went out on a limb this year and surprised my mom with this cute little puggle dog. Let me just say that I'm not the biggest animal lover. (I know, I'm a jerk.) However, I absolutely love this little dog, especially since he will always be little.

If you can't tell, my dad is not as excited about the dog, but being the good husband he is, he went along with it.

We love all of you and hope you have a great Christmas! We'll be back on New Years Eve and will post then!

Brent and Jen's Wedding

2008-12-14T14:24:00.001-08:00

Yes it is true, Brent Skipper has officially tied the knot. This past Friday he married Jen who we absolutely love! The wedding, luncheon, and reception were all well put together. Congratulations Brent and Jen!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T22:07:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving weekend at my parents condo in Salt Lake. I'm seriously the worst at taking pictures. My pictures are always so random because I hardly ever think of taking them. When I do think of it, it's usually during something boring like sitting on the couch!

The boys played in a turkey bowl with our friend Robbie and some of his family and friends.

For those who love pizza, we went to the best pizza joint in downtown Salt Lake. It's called Settebello Pizzeria. I highly recommend it! To prove my point, I took a picture.

All of us with our cousin Jayde from California. She's a hoot!

The Big Two Three for Lynlee

2008-11-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my beautiful wife Lynlee's 23rd birthday. Since it fell on a Sunday this year we decided to celebrate early and make it a weekend long celebration. The highlight for her (besides being with me at every moment or course) was watching Twilight not 1 but 2 times! I will admit that she's not overly obsessed with Twilight but she did enjoy it enough to watch it a second time. We also visited the Body World exhibit in Salt Lake, ate some sushi, watched the BYU/Utah game (ouch), grabbed a bite to eat at Little America, and spent time with her great family, as well as Cami and JR.

Those of you who know Lynlee will agree that her best quality is her ability to love people. She shows a genuine interest in others and holds no guile in her heart. Lynlee, in a single word, is innocent. She carries a tender heart and has a loveable, child-like nature about her in all that she does. She's a strong example of one who simply refuses to see the flaws in others. I couldn't ask for a better companion and friend. And to show that I'm not just a biased husband I've included a few comments from my sister Jen and my mom.

"Happy Birthday to my amazing sister-in-law Lynlee!
I have been blessed in my life with the most wonderful in-laws on both sides of my family. My sister-in-law, Lynlee, is no exception. From the moment I met her, I recognized something extra special about her. Shortly after she and my brother started dating, I told my brother Nate, not to let this one get away. Not only is she gorgeous on the outside, but there is an equally beautiful spirit on the inside. Lynlee is one of the most down-to-earth people I've ever met. She could be dressed from head to toe in designer duds (because she does have quite the eye for fashion), while carrying a crying niece or nephew in one arm, and throwing a football with the other arm. I love her sense of humor, her positive, out-going personality and her love of the gospel. She LOVES BYU football, which makes her a perfect fit in our Cougar loving family. More importantly, I know she makes my brother completely happy and treats him so well. You are a fantastic aunt and you will be a wonderful mother some day Lynlee. We love you and are so glad you are a part of our crazy crew! We hope your day is extra special. Wish we could be with you to celebrate. Love, Jen Carver"

And my mom wrote this in her birthday card for Lynlee, "As your birthday is approaching, we have paused to reflect on the great blessing you are in our family. We want you to know how much we love you and what a wonderful and thoughtful daughter you are. Nathan has always been a very special son, and we hoped and prayed that he would find someone-- a wonderful young woman who had been preparing herself for him as much as he had been preparing himself for someone just like you. We love you in every way-- especially your soft and gentle approach to life, your innate ability to nuture, and your sensitivity to others. Happy birthday and we love you, Mom and Dad Price "

Lyn and her bread maker. She loves this thing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNLEE! I LOVE YOU

BYU Co-Ed Volleyball

2008-11-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

Nate and I are on our ward intramural co-ed volleyball team, along with Nate's sister Cami, and some of our other friends in our ward. We play once or twice a week. I haven't played volleyball since I was in 5th grade so I was a little rusty. Nate on the other hand is quite good.

Team huddle

Nice bum where ya from?

Clearly the ball is over my head. I have no idea what I am doing!

Cami was the one taking these pictures so next time we'll get some of her!

"Americans Are Destroying America"

2008-11-05T13:09:00.001-08:00

This post is rather long but is something I feel is so important and is something I have such a passion for. If nothing else, please take the time to read some of the quotes!...

Nate and I have recently been reading the book; An Enemy Hath Done This, by President Ezra Taft Benson, written in 1969. President Benson, former Secretary of Agriculture, wrote this book to warn us of the serious dangers which are threatening our Nation, mostly within. There were many things that amazed both Nate and I as we read this book. He warned our country of certain problems to come. It is unbelievable how every single one of his warnings have come to pass.

In 1942, the First Presidency warned us saying:

"Satan is making a war against all the wisdom that has come to men through their ages of experience. He is seeking to overturn and destroy the very foundations upon which society, government, and religion rest. He aims to have men adopt theories and practices which he induced their forefathers, over the ages, to adopt and try, and only to be discarded by them when found unsound, impractical and ruinous. He plans to destroy liberty and freedom -- economic, political, and religious, and to set up in place thereof the greatest, most widespread, and most complete tyranny that has ever oppressed man. He is working under such perfect disguise that many do not recognize either him or his methods... Without their knowing it, the people are being urged down paths that lead only to destruction. Satan never before had so firm a grip on this generation as he has now."

I truly feel it is not foreign affairs that will destroy this country first, it is what goes on within our country, Americans destroying America. "Great nations are never conquered from the outside unless they are rotten inside... We might survive a nuclear attack -- but we cannot survive (any better than Athens and Rome) moral degeneration and the abandonment of fundamental principles." -Benson

Around 1969, a nationwide survey was taken amongst high school and college students by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce:

-62% said that the government had the responsibility to provide jobs.

-62% thought a worker should not produce all that he can.

-84% denied that patriotism is vital and plays an important part in our lives. (Bookmailer News, Nov. 1, 1965)

Isn't it obvious why our country is currently the way it is?

"We can never survive unless our young people understand and appreciate our American system, which has given more of the good things of life than any other system in the world---unless the have a dedication that exceeds that dedication of the enemy. The old essentials of honesty, self-respect, loyalty, support for law and order, must be taught to the younger generations."

I always knew our country was in debt in the trillions but I found it hard to imagine how much a trillion dollars actually was. Benson puts it into perspective. An average indebtedness of $5,200 dollars for EVERY SINGLE person in the US! Keep in mind this book was written exactly forty years ago.

As I may not agree with everything that Obama represents and stands for, I have hope that this country can become better. Last night, both McCain and Obama asked us to become unified as a country. For the first time in a long time, I actually feel some sort of hope. Last night Obama said, "If there is anyone out there that still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders are alive in our times, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer." I can only hope this to be true.

"I have a profound faith in America. I am confident that when the American people read from the record...and become fully cognizant of the extent of the crime and corruption which fester in our midst, they will demand action...The principal and basic weapon that must be provided is a resurgence of old-fashioned morality in the nation. Apathy must go; it needs to be replaced by the outraged righteousness of a people who rose to greatness in this world through the spiritual values that their forefathers wrote into the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States...We cannot, we must not, shirk our responsibility...This challenge can be, and it must be, faced with resolute purpose and effort."
John L. McClellan, United States Senator
Chairman, Government Operations Committee

Seriously, read this book!!!

Are You An Educated Voter?

2008-10-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is unbelievable! I'm sure many of you have listened to this already but if not, it's worth 2.5 minutes of your time. Sadly enough, I feel this election will be full of voters who will select their candidate without having any real knowledge of what that candidate's issues or policies are.

It wouldn't let me upload this so you could watch it on our blog. You have to copy and paste the following link in a new window!
http://www.bpmdeejays.com/upload/hs_sal_in_Harlem_100108.mp3

Ward Halloween Party

2008-10-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Last night we had our ward Halloween party. We actually didn't know we were going until a couple hours before (which explains our costumes.) So we pulled together what we had, with minor help from Taylor-Maid, to make our costumes. Nate is a cop from the Beastie Boys "Sabotage" video and I was an aviator. Could we have picked uglier costumes??

We are in the same ward as our sister and her husband. They dressed as an 80's girl and a dirty mechanic.

Our friends Colin and Tyler.

Hunting: a.k.a The Slaughtering of Animals

2008-10-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

Every year the boys get really excited for hunting season (which I don't fully understand.) So this past weekend we went to my parents house for a day and then they continued on to our ranch in Colorado for a couple more days to hunt. Kerstin went with them since she's never been and my mom and I stayed home and went to some cute little stores and cooked all weekend.

Here's some pictures of the weekend. I couldn't muster up the courage to post a picture of the dead little deer my younger brother shot. For that reason, I've purposely been avoiding the hunting pictures. I'm sure Nate will encourage me to post them sooner or later so his Dad and brothers can see.

Watching the BYU game. We don't really want to talk about it.

Leaving for their hunting trip:
Don't ask what my mom is doing. Crazy lady!

Cool hat Taylor

My dad had this on his car. I thought it was pretty funny!
She'll probably kill me for posting these pictures but one of my really good friends Amber, who should probably be a chef, came and helped us make salsa, gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, and orange popcorn balls.

The finishing product. If you can't tell, we took great pride in our work.

Senior Olympics

2008-10-09T21:06:00.001-07:00

The past two days Nate and I have been in St. George for the Senior Olympics. We went with 30 students from BYU and worked in the health screening clinic. We worked Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30 to 5:00. Nate went to complete 50 internship hours and I went to fulfill an assignment for one of my classes. During our time there, we tested the contestants blood glucose level, blood pressure, vision, BMI, and bone density.

I have to say I never knew Senior Olympics was so legit. The contestants were age 50 or above. The oldest person I tested was 92 and was competing in table tennis and was still in great shape. Others were there to compete in sports such as softball, tennis, 5k's, 10k's, marathons, triathlons, etc. These men and women were very inspiring!

We tested their bone density by taking an ultra sound. We were able to determine their risk for osteoporosis. Despite what this looks like, this lady is not getting a foot massage!

We had to break down their results to them and discuss possible options to increase bone density.

Table Tennis

Testing blood pressure

We rode down in these 11 seater vans. (I like to refer to them as "mormon vans.") This was our group and yes, Nate was the only boy in our group.

This was honestly such a great experience. I learned so much while I was there. Nate and I both made goals that we would stay in shape so we could one day participate.

Are you kidding me?

2008-09-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

My friend Emily told me about this, so I thought I would try it. According to this website, this is what our children will look like. I won't lie, I wanted to cry after seeing this. Could these kids be any more homely?

She looks like she's balding.

-

Meet Jordin

2008-09-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

Nate's family came to our house this past weekend to bless our newest little niece, Jordin. She is adorable! We couldn't get enough of her!

I thought this was funny so I had to take a picture of it. Jaden was getting made at his Uncle Nate for taking away his ball. This went on for a few minutes. So cute!
My family also loved Jordin. Everyone kept passing her around.

Oh and did I mention BYU beat UCLA 59-0? I forget if I did! :)

CAN OF WHOOP!!

2008-09-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

YEP, THAT'S RIGHT! BYU vs. UCLA, 59-0. NEED I SAY MORE?

Trip to Seattle and Our Addiction To What We Love Most...BYU

2008-09-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you what our home will consist of for the next few months... BYU football, school for both Lynlee and Nate, BYU football, STATS class at eight in the morning for Lynlee, BYU football, work for Nate, BYU football, both Nate and Lynlee's birthday, BYU football, pee wee (oops I mean city league) football for Nate, BYU vs UTAH football, oh and did I mention... BYU football?

So for the next few months, we will eat, sleep and drink it. You know you need a reality check when after you're engaged, you learn both of you had this on their list of "must have" qualities for their future spouse... "must be a hard core BYU fan!" You might also need a reality check when today your good friend Emily (fellow BYU fan) tells you, "you might be a little too into it."

When Bronco Mendenhall says to wear blue to the home games, we wear blue! No questions asked! Sometimes I have to remind Nate that he's actually not on the team. Is there some sort of counseling for this type of addiction?????

So to kick off what is predicted to be a good season for the team, we flew to Seattle this past weekend for four days for the BYU vs. UW game. After an extremely close game, and way to much anxiety, I am proud to say we won!

I probably could've tried smiling harder. I think I was just really nervous.

During our trip to Seattle, we also shopped, ate amazing food, and did some site seeing. On Sunday, we all went to Nate's parents house to eat. It was fun for my family to see Nate's house and where he grew up.

Here we are at the fish market in downtown Seattle. It was amazing.

Kauai, Hawaii

2008-09-01T21:29:00.000-07:00

Smith Luau

Our cute little nephew Landon came with us. We loved playing with him.

Lindsay and Grant honeymooned on the same island so they came to our hotel a couple days to swim and hang out.

Lindsay and Grants Wedding

2008-08-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

First, I just want to say how good it feels to be home. I left on the 13th of August to attend the wedding of one of my best friends, Lindsay Garns. The wedding was just outside of LA in Valencia, CA. The trip to Cali was a fun, four-day girl's trip. From there, I met up with Nate and flew to Hawaii for a week with his family. On our way back home we stopped in Seattle for two days. Apparently we are fitting a lot in before having kids.

Lindsay and I have been nearly inseparable for four and a half years now (until Nate came along of course). We have experienced so much together and have had so much fun along the way. She was my maid of honor at my wedding and was able to attend my temple ceremony as well so it was very special for me to be there for hers too. Her wedding day was perfect!

Grants brother and I had to give speeches at their luncheon.

Normally I have Nate with me to get the rental car and navigate our way around town while I just sit along for the ride. Unfortunately, Nate was not with us on this trip. Don't ask me how I was the one who got nominated to put the car under my name and drive it. So five of us girls had to navigate our way around the LA area. I'm proud to say we only got lost twice! I won't lie, Nate probably would've been shocked at how well we did!

We were in charge of this candy table which turned out really well. It tastes as good as it looks. I would know because I got sick from eating too much of it.

Whitney and I made sure to see Laura and Cortney. They are our really good friends who now live in LA, and Cortney was Nate's "best man" when we got married. We spent the day with them at the beach and went to dinner that night.

Nate you should've known I wouldn't leave you out of this post so here's a picture of you (mostly because I think you're cute, and then partly because I think this picture looks cool)... To conclude this trip, and begin the next, I met up with Nate at the airport in Seattle. Crazy how much you can miss someone in only four days.

I'll post pictures of Hawaii soon!

Weekend at Flaming Gorge

2008-08-11T07:38:00.001-07:00

Vote for my wife!

2008-08-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

WATCH THE FOLLOWING...

This country needs someone like Lynlee in charge!

Taste of Parenthood

2008-08-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

I now have a greater respect for stay at home moms. We babysat three little girls starting early Thursday morning, until Sunday afternoon. They were so cute. Nate and I watched more little girl movies in those four days than most can say in a lifetime.

I think Nate's going to adapt quite well to the whole parent thing when we have kids. He was the one who shot out of bed both nights at four in the morning to rock the baby back to sleep. He was also the one who insisted on rocking her to sleep every night. It was cute to see how attached he got to her.

American Idol Concert

2008-07-18T08:52:00.001-07:00

Emily and I went to the American Idol Concert in Salt Lake this week where the top ten idols sang. We were actually very impressed by all of them. They were all three times better than they were on the show, and much better performers. Here's pictures of our favorite Idols.

Michael Johns. Need I say more??

Brooke White. She actually sounded really good.

Syesha. AMAZING!! We decided her and David A. have the best vocal talent.

Drum roll if you will.... Archuleta was absolutely amazing! How does a seventeen year old give two married women butterflies when he sings???

And just because we love him, here's a second picture of him singing Angels.

Okay only because you asked, here's a third.

David Cook

This couple sat right infront of us and smooched the entire show!!! At one point, she even sat on his lap. I think I almost threw up. So, I took a picture.

It was fun to see all the different people there. This old man got up a few times and jammed out. Em and I kept laughing at a certain dad who you could tell thought he was way too cool for school. He wore his sunglasses the ENTIRE show! I don't think he got the memo it was no longer sunny.

If you can't tell, we are so excited to be there.

That's a wrap!!

St. George Heat Stroke

2008-07-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to St. George for Nate's baseball tournament. This particular tournament requires the teams to play throughout the night. Our first game was at nine p.m. Following that, they played at twelve and then three in the morning. It was a fun weekend. We had quite the fan base there.

Laura and I at 3:00 A.M.

We were also fortunate enough to meet Cortney's girlfriend. For all of you who know Cortney, you may now put your minds at ease, he's in good hands. We absolutely love her.

Also, thanks again to the Allen family for letting Nate and I stay at their condo for the weekend!

The 4th in Newport

2008-07-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

Touring Catalina Island

While on Catalina Island, the boy's went fishing. Nate would probably want me to include that yes, they did catch some fish.

Males tend to get a little sloppy with their sunscreen. Since I'm overly paranoid about burning, that's where I come in!

Firework Show. Our good friend Cortney lives in LA so he came and spent the day with us. Our other friend Brent was there with his girlfriend Jen.

We were able to celebrate both my brother and his girlfriend's birthday while there.

New Found Hobby

2008-06-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Yes it is true, I have recently developed a new summer hobby. My mom bought a beach cruiser two years ago. How come I did not know this? After finding out, my initial thought was to ask her if I could have it since it's been in storage for two years. But instead, I only asked to "BORROW" it for the summer. I'm thinking she will only forget about it after a while. We've had fun riding around with Emily, Hank, Alesha, and Tyler. I seriously can't stop riding this thing.
I also included pictures of Nate and Hank making friends on the long boards. Meet Jarome!

Swimwear For All Colors, Shapes, and Sizes!!

2008-06-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

So I'm currently looking for a new bathing suit. Yesterday I went to google and typed in "modest swimwear." Yes, this is one of the sites I found. And yes, they are really selling these as swimming suits. Can you believe it? I think I happened to come across an Amish Website. I figure if the Amish people can do it, so can I! The best part about these swimming suits is you don't have to change before going out for the night. It's a package deal. I think I might buy one, or maybe even make one myself. What do you think?

Click HERE if you want to buy one!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR!!

2008-06-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

We went to my parents house last weekend to celebrate my sweet little brothers birthday. He is honestly such a good kid. There is nine years between the two of us with no siblings in between. My parents always knew there was another little boy to come after me. Little did they know, he would come nine years later. There is such a close connection between the two of us. It's also so cute how much he looks up to Nate. What a joy he is...

The t.v. is not part of his presents. We're still moving things into my parents house.

Easy bro on the ugly faces!

Wedding in Nebraska

2008-06-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

This past week my family went to Omaha for my cousins wedding reception. It was fun spending time with our extended family. We also got to stay a couple nights with Nate's brother Jason, his wife Amanda, and our cute little nephew Jaden. Other than the tornado warnings, and our luggage getting lost on the way back, it was a great trip.

My aunts flower boutique. They made the flowers for the wedding.

Reception

Last two on the dance floor

Butterfly exhibit at Omaha Zoo

Our Nephew Jaden

I take pictures of Nate when I'm bored

2008-06-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

I am fully aware that our last three posts have been about random wildlife adventures. I promise we are not granola people who live in the mountains. Or are we??
Friday night we went camping with our friends Brent, his girlfriend Jen, my brother and his girlfriend. As you can tell by the picture below, Nate obviously thinks he's an animal who bounces off tree's. Three words...out of control!

Life's Lessons

2008-06-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

So I recently learned a valuable lesson...never let Nate choose our FHE activity. Don't get me wrong; he's great when it comes to planning dates or weekend get-aways but I now know FHE activities aren't his strong suit. I was assuming we'd go out to dinner, take a walk, or at least get dessert or something. I couldn't have been more wrong! He drove me all the way up Hobble Creek canyon before he finally told me what our activity was....

FISHING! Can you believe that? Boys will be boys I guess. Now I won't feel bad when I rent "27 Dresses" for next week's FHE activity. In all honestly I had a lot of fun just being with him. The weather was perfect and the canyon was beautiful. And the best part was he didn't even get mad at me when I snapped off his most expensive lure into the water on my first, and consequently last cast.

Colorado Camping

2008-05-27T20:12:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we went camping in Colorado for a couple days with my family. The best part about it was the fatty foods. I won't lie, I ate more hot dogs than Nate did.
Nate cracks me up. I had to put this picture on here because of his boots with shorts. Not to mention what appears to be church socks. Ya gotta love him!

Month of May...

2008-05-20T09:51:00.001-07:00

The month of May will always have a significant meaning to me. Two years ago this month, I had the opportunity to go to a country in Africa, Madagascar. I am not too quick to make comments like this, but I can honestly say it changed my life. After two months of trying to convince my parents to send their only daughter to a third world country, they paid for me to go. I went for one month with seven people from BYU where we worked in an orphanage and built a kitchen for it. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think of those kids in Africa. I will always remember the month of May for this. If Nate and my work and school schedules allow us to, we hope to go to the Dominican Republic in November with a group of dentists and doctors. Here's some pictures from the trip.

Homeless...It is extremely common to see a brother the age of this kid, take care of their little brother without parents.

We taught them how to wash their hands and brush their teeth.

They wore the same clothes every day. Their clothes were donated from people around the world.

At the end of our trip, these were actually the nicest beds we slept in the whole time we were there.

Dance Concert 2008

2008-05-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a busy weekend. As some of you may know, I started dancing when I was three and have danced ever since. Since High School I have wanted to continue dancing and was glad when my good friend Emily introduced me to a studio in Orem. I have loved dancing at this particular studio and have loved the friendships I have made there. This past weekend was the yearly concert where we had two shows on friday night, and three on Saturday. My class performed five dances in each show. Although we were exhausted by the end of the last show, we had a blast. Here are some pictures of the concerts...

Me and my good buddy Elvis

Emily and I

My family after the last show

Our week in V town

2008-04-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

This past week Nate and I have been at my parents home helping them with their house. It has been quite the process but has been fun spending time with family and friends. I have had fun helping my mom pick out decorations and furniture for the house. I never realized how much I like to tell people what they should buy. It's much easier when it's someone else's money. : ) Here are some pictures of what we've accomplished so far. I didn't take many pics so these are the only ones I had to work with. I'll post more later when it's finished. Hope everyone is doing well and for some, enjoying life after finals!

Only a sister could think this rotten kid was cute!

First rooms we cleaned and started putting together

2008-04-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

Last night we set up our good friends Robbie and Whitney. We went out to eat and then to Comedy Sports. Robbie is a typical Ute fan (we try not to hold that against him) and hates coming to Provo. So when he pulls into Provo and is about to pick Whitney up, a cop pulls him over for not fully stopping at a stop sign and gives him a ticket. We have officially decided we are bad luck when it comes to run-ins with the law. Not only that, Robbie now hates Cougar town even more!

Salt Lake 5k

2008-04-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we ran another 5k with my little brother and our friend Emily. I was very proud of Nate who ran it in under 22 minutes. For our next race, we want to run a 10K so if anyone knows of any, please let us know!

The day my husband got arrested...

2008-04-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

So last week I left Nate and Tyler Howells at home playing the WII while I went to the grocery store. While driving home, I called Nate a couple times to help me bring in the groceries but he did not answer. When I got home, the lights were all turned off and no one was home. For the next couple hours, I called Nate and Tyler trying to figure out where they were. I ended up calling my brother-in-law and all he said was "we are in Heber hanging out, i'll have Nate call you," and then hung up. Thirty minutes later, Nate called me telling me he got arrested. I immediately started laughing because since we've been married, this is about the only thing I can think of that fits in the "irresponsible category." To be honest, it actually makes me feel better about myself.

In 2005, Nate went ice fishing and got a ticket for fishing with two poles but only had a one pole fishing permit. To make a long story short, he forgot to pay the ticket and last week proved they hadn't forgotten about it. Two policemen showed up at our door, put Nate in handcuffs and transported him all the way to the Heber jail. While there, they booked him into jail and took mug shots (all with the handcuffs still on.) My brother-in-law and Tyler had to drive to Heber and bail him out which cost $250. I now know why my bro-in-law was so shady on the phone. Moral of the story... before getting married, do a background check on your future husband, you never know what's in their past! I am now officially married to a convict!

Operation Smile 5K Race

2008-03-30T16:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we ran a 5K up Provo canyon. It was definitely no ordinary 5k race. After starting the race, we quickly realized a good part of the race was up a mountain. I am happy to say I did not finish last, nor did I finish (as Nate would say) in the "fatty forties." Our next race is in three weeks in Salt Lake. We are both really looking forward to it.

Ice Fishing at Strawberry Reservoir

2008-03-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

I've decided finally to make my debut on this blog, and since this is my first attempt I'm hoping I don't screw things up somehow. My buddy DJ Radmacher and I left at the butt-crack of dawn (translation, 5 am) to make the 90 minute trek up to Strawberry. We got up there and onto the ice right before the sun came up. We rigged up our poles, drilled a few holes with our ice auger, and began fishing. The day ended 10 hours later with DJ catching a total of 5, and myself coming in with a total of 9, and a nasty sun burn.

Weekend in Vegas

2008-03-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Vegas for the Mountain West Conference men's basketball championship where we met up with Nate's parents, brother and sister. While lying in bed, listening to Wednesday fiesta night in the apartment next to us, we decided to be spontaneous and leave early for Vegas at 12:30 a.m. We had a lot of fun in the car that night. Besides the insane UNLV fans, it was a great weekend!

Taco Soup

2008-03-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

This soup is for nights when you don't have a lot of time to cook (although it appears to your husbands you've spent hours on it.) It is seriously so easy and so good!! I've made this soup three times in the last two weeks because apparently Nate can't get enough of it. All you have to do is open up can's and pour in!

1 lb. ground Beef
1/4 cup onion (cook in meat)
1 packet ranch seasoning
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cans kernel corn
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 can Italian petite diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with mild chili peppers
1/2 cup sugar (I always put more sugar in because we love the sweet flavor)

Brown ground beef and drain (unless using lean beef.) Add rest of ingredients. Cook on med-low for a few hours unless wanting to eat right away

Serve with chips, sour cream, and shredded cheese

Dr. Seuss Day at School

2008-03-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

For part of my major I go to different elementary schools and work with different classes. This semester I'm working with this particular class. Today was "Dr. Seuss day." The children wore their pajama's and we read and watched Dr. Seuss books and movies. Anyways I thought these pictures were too cute not to share.

Snow Mobile Weekend

2008-02-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went to Vernal and took my parents snow mobiles out a couple days we were there. We had so much fun. At one point Nate and my older brother thought it would be fun to take them off jumps. Let's just say they are out of control when they get together. Here are some pictures of the weekend.

Our History

2008-02-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

For our first post, I thought I would tell our history. Nate teases me that I'm cheesy so after this, I'll try and keep the cheese to a minimum. We have been married for a year and two months now and have enjoyed every minute of it. From the second we met, we hit it off. Still to this day, Nate think's I was the one who pursued him. I will probably let him continue to think that. We started dating in April of 2006. Shortly after, I left for Africa on a humanitarian trip. While there, I missed him so much and couldn't wait to see him. This was pretty rare for me so I knew I really must like him. The second I walked off the plane, things fell right into place. We spent so much time together that summer and fall and took several trips together with our families. We were married December 29, 2006 in the Salt Lake Temple. It has been so great being married to him. He keeps me in line, and I keep him in line. It works out great!