Crazy Happenings

So today at work, something CRAZY happened. It was around 11:00, and I was going about my normal business at the office-- making Fedex labels, answering the phone, etc. when all of a sudden the power went out. I wasn't totally shocked-- yesterday was pretty stormy, and today was expected to be the same. The emergency lights came on, and luckily the phone was still working, because I was on it. :) A few seconds later, (again, luckily, I had just hung up the phone) the phones went off and one of the guys that works upstairs ran out into the lobby. *Note: The reception desk is in the main lobby on the first floor, but it's open to the second floor. The guy that came out told us to turn and look at the telephone pole. We looked, and it was just like fireworks on the fourth of July! There were sparks and flames on one of the electric things (I'm very knowledgeable about this haha). It was crazy-- I'd never seen something like that before! I went and moved my car because I was parked right under the flaming... electric thing. We called the fire department from a cell phone and they came super-fast... but the flame had already gone out! It seems to always happen that way. Anyway, so then we called the power company and had them come see what was happening. At that point, Wal-Mart, Subway, McDonalds, Wendy's, and the gas station were out of power too. The traffic lights were down as well, so two cops came and were directing traffic. The power people came and then left, apparently to get more parts. They said the problem would be fixed in 1-2 hours. Everyone left to get some lunch (except me, of course-- the receptionist never gets to leave!) and then came back... problem still not fixed. Finally, around 12:30, they sent everyone home-- this time including me!!! So now, I'm home. It's 3:00 on a Tuesday afternoon, and I'm home. What are the odds??

To DO List vs. Ta-DAH! List

I have developed a new theory. Actually, let me back up. I first heard this theory during my days of unemployment. I was sitting on the couch, Craigslisting it up, watching some KSL show (daytime TV is no good unless you have young children) and this theory was introduced. Some lady was on the show to tell everyone how to make the impossible amount of tasks women have to do each day seem less inconquerable. She suggested instead of having "to-do" lists full of overwhelming tasks, make "ta-dah!" lists of the things you have done. I liked the idea, but thought it could use a little work. See, for people like me, not having to-do lists is like not having salsa with tortilla chips, or granola without yogurt. Pretty extreme, I know. :) But, trusting the "experts" (for all I know, she could have been the anchor's Relief Society teacher and they just liked her), I decided to give it a try. And so...

I WENT WITHOUT A TO-DO LIST FOR 2 DAYS.

It wasn't a very productive 2 days, to put it lightly. Kind of entertaining, though-- I walked around for 2 days trying to think of stuff to do just so I could put it on my "ta-dah!" list. But then, I found that I was doing a lot of little things that maybe weren't so important. Hmm... how to fix this...?

Yesterday was my first day employing MY version of this theory. I am now a 2-list-per-day person. I made a to-do list, full of things I wanted to accomplish. I set out fully intending to do all of the things on that list. Of course, unexpected things happened-- as life always happens. So my list wasn't fully realized. That's why I made a ta-dah! list. This made it so not only were the things that I did from my to-do list recognized, but also the little bumps along the way were also mentioned, and therefore appreciated. Here were my lists from yesterday:

TO-DO Saturday:
-Laundry
-Clean bathroom
-Sweep and mop kitchen floor
-Vacuum whole apartment
-Wash sheets
-Finish hanging up decorative stuff
-Print wedding pictures
-Mail out thank you cards
-Mail packages to our fams
-Put dating memories in chronological order for scrapbooking
-Mail Tyler Honn's temple bag (long story haha)
-E-mail Gretchen some tennis pictures
-Make and e-mail a playlist for second reception
-Change oil in the car

TA-DAH! List for Saturday:
-Made big breakfast for Ty
-Did ALL dishes (actually, this happened twice)
-Swept and mopped kitchen floor
-Cleaned out stinky trash can
-Swept out stairs and patio
-Ironed placemats and tablecloth
-Did laundry-- 6 loads!!
-Cleaned bathroom (very well, I might add)
-Dusted/polished all wood in the apartment
-Cleaned bedroom
-Did a video tour of our apartment and put it on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW_fid-F6h8) for our families to see our place
-Went through our dating memoirs for scrapbook brainstorming
-Watched "The Notebook"
-Finished ALL thank you cards!! FINALLY!
-Changed the oil in the car
-Made tacos for dinner

Not bad, eh? There were some things that didn't work out from my to-do list, but I feel like my ta-dah! list is even better. Hopefully this will eliminate feelings of not getting things done! Everyone should try it!!

Tug-of-war

I found a job! Last Thursday, I was offered a temp job at a realty company. I accepted the job, and said I'd be in the next day. A few hours later, I got a call from the job I wanted most out of all the places I applied, offering me the job! I would start tomorrow. Uh... ooops! So I called the realty company, and apologized. I couldn't pass up something permanent for something temporary, even if it paid better. Oh well! So now I work at AMP Alarm as a receptionist. It's great! This is my first real week, and things are always better after time. It has taken a few days to feel like I somewhat know where things are, people's names, and what all my responsibilities are. But we are so grateful that I finally have a job! We finally have income! :)

Poor Tyler is totally inundated (I think that's how it is spelled...) with homework. He has gone to bed past 1:00 am for the past two nights! On the other end, I have been thoroughly, but guiltily (haha is that even a word?) enjoying my 8+ hours of sleep-- going to bed around 10:30 and waking up around 7:00. I should probably get up at 6 and exercise or something... nah. One thing that I do worry about is my lack of motivation to do wifely things. I get up in the morning, get ready for the day, make Tyler's breakfast and pack him a lunch, and then take him to school. Then I come home and finish getting ready, eat my breakfast, and go to work. Once I get off work at 6, sometimes I go to pick Ty up, and sometimes I go home and wait for him to call. Either way, my motivation to cook a yummy dinner or to clean is quickly disappearing. After a long day of work, the last thing I want to do is roll up my sleeves and play Betty Crocker. Instead, I want to put on my sweats and curl up in a ball on Tyler's lap and sleep. I'm understanding more and more why the Prophets have counseled mothers to stay at home with their children. I can't imagine doing kids AND a career! I felt so guilty last night as Tyler and I sat on the couch (not even at the table!!) eating our microwave-heated chimichungas that I felt like crying. Maybe I'll go get a cookbook on Crockpot meals or something....

Honeymoooooon

So, I apologize for the poopy format of this post. I don't like the way blogger does the pictures. I can't figure out how to make them all straight and have the text underneath. So don't let that ruin your reading of this post. :) Also, the pictures below are not all of the pictures we took. There was some kind of Google error and the first 3 pictures I wanted to put up wouldn't work. So you'll just have to rely on my description. We left Provo on Sunday morning and left to drive to Las Vegas. On the way, however, we decided we'd participate in a Sunday-appropriate activity and stop at Cove Fort! We are such nerds. :) It was a beautiful day and the missionaries were so excited to have someone, anybody, stop at the Fort. I believe it was where Pres. Hinckley's father grew up... or his grandfather... or somebody. Anyway, we stopped and walked around for a bit. The cute senior missionaries gave me a Prairie Diamond-- essentially a nail bent into a ring shape. I had lost the one I got from Nauvoo, so I'm glad to have another one now. :) It was so fun! We loved driving together, just talking non-stop and feeling so happy. We loved our honeymoon. For a short summary before the pics, we drove to Las Vegas and stayed the night, then drove to Los Angeles and got on our cruise ship, which took us to Catalina Island, CA and Ensanada, Mexico, and then back. We drove back from L.A. in one shot-- we were SO sick of driving at that point! Anyway, here comes the picture explosion. Warning: This pic explosion is minor compared to the explosion of wedding pictures that's ensuing! Can't wait!! Anyway, here goes:















An attempt at a good picture of us outside our hotel, the MGM Grand. Vegas was so... well... Vegas! There's no other word for it!




















We rode this roller coaster!! It was amazing!!













Classic cruise picture-- the towels! They actually had a towel-folding demonstration. I'd like to fold towels for my children every day. :)

On the little boat between the cruise ship and the port. So happy!

Welcome to Catalina Island!

Random buffalo statues all over Catalina Island. Why? I don't know...

We loved Catalina Island! So beautiful!

These seagulls got SO close all the time. This picture doesn't depict how annoying they were. They'd just sit on the rail right by my shoulder and wait for me to turn my head so they could grab some grub. Too bad I LOVE my food-- especially my cruise food. They didn't get one scrap from me, no sir!

Formal night at dinner. We were a bit sunburnt from laying out at Catalina Island

Doesn't everyone have to have a kissing picture from the honeymoon? Classic.

Us at La Bufadora (much more cool-sounding than "The Blowhole" eh?!) This is the largest natural blowhole in the world, right there in Ensanada. It was amazing!

The Mexican sandals and bracelet that I got bartering with the people in Ensanada. I also got a fake Coach wallet, but that is not pictured here. :)

These were our waiters every night for dinner-- On the left is Ivan (pronounced ee von) and I Putu (pronounced ee pootoo). They were so much fun!

This was our dinner group-- two of these couples had gotten married in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple on the same day as us! Only two hours later! What are the odds?!? They were so fun and we loved getting to know them all.

Anyway, that's our honeymoon. I definitely recommend a cruise for a honeymoon. Or a trip where you really want to relax! It was so nice not to have to worry about meals, things to do, or even making your bed haha. We loved every minute of it, and didn't realize how much we'd miss it when real life hit! That's how it goes, I guess. Maybe we can go on another trip soon, honey? :)

Some pics... finally

Okay, these are not of the wedding or honeymoon. These are all afterward... but I still wanted to post them! In part so I could publish my haircut so my sisters can see. Enjoy!

In Boise for Tiffany and Tyler's wedding:

Random meal documentation:

And runnin' around Bridal Veil Falls:

We are so dang happy!!!! :)

So long, sweet summer

Isn't that a good song? When I woke up to take Tyler to school this morning, the air was so crisp, and I could feel fall coming on. There goes my shorts, flip flops, pony tails, sunblock, and pool time.

It was a good summer. I never quite found a stable job, but I stayed plenty busy between swimming lessons, babysitting, tennis camps, helping out at home, planning the wedding, and spending time with Tyler. I worked out a lot and loved the time I was able to spend with my family and Tyler's family.

Transition from summer to fall: WEDDING!, honeymoon, setting up house, finding a job, etc. In fact, today I went down to the DMV and got my new license with Juergens as my last name. How awesome is that? New haircut, new name, new official documents, new apartment... goodness-- I feel like a new woman! Hopefully the finding a job part will end soon. I have an interview today and another one tomorrow, so maybe something good will come!

Fall! Bring on the changing leaves, crisp air, autumn colors, sweaters, hiking, and football games. I was in Michael's the other day, and I saw the cutest fall decorations. I think I'm going to go back today and get something to put on our oh-so-bare front door. I swear-- I'm becoming more and more like my mom with every passing day. And I love it. :)

So farewell, summer. You've been good to me, but fall's coming, and I can't pass that up. Is it possible to become happier and happier every day? It must be... because I am.

20-yr old vs. grasshopper

I must preface this story by saying that I am afraid of bugs. Those who know me well know that I'm highly allergic to bees, and therefore anything flying, buzzing, crawling, or jumping creates an instantly spastic version of me. Case in point:

Yesterday, I went to run some errands. One of my errands was to go to Michael's and get a pillow form to put in a cute decorative pillow case my mom made to match our bedpsread. Hence, I had the pillow case with me (yes, this becomes important in a moment).

I happily walked out the door, excited about the decorative changes that were happening in the apartment and thinking to myself what a beautiful day it was. Suddenly, just before I reached the fence that leads to the front yard, I was stopped in my tracks-- by this monster:

It was like an old western movie-- I could hear the tumbleweed rolling and the whistling wind as I faced my opponent. A shootout was iminent.

Just kidding, it wasn't that dramatic. But I was stopped for a minute, unsure of my next move. Since the monster was smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk, I couldn't go around him either way-- he would jump on me for sure. I couldn't step over him, for fear that he would jump on me then as well. After thinking over my options for about 3 minutes (not a joke) a light came on in my head. Why not gently sweep him into the bushes with the pillowcase?

The rest of the story isn't very exciting. I swept him into the bushes, and he jumped super-high and smacked himself pretty hard into the shed. My fears were confirmed: a grasshopper attack would have been every bit as awful as I thought. Thank goodness I had that pillowcase.

Some things I want to remember about our first 3 weeks of marriage

-Day One: wedding day. Has there ever been a better day? I think not.

-The honeymoon! Still need to post pictures. It was so great to get away and relax. My favorite part was spending 24 hrs/day with my best friend!

-Coming home and setting up our apartment. That has been super-fun. It's like playing house, but for real!! We love our little place.

-Going to Bed, Bath, and Beyond almost EVERY DAY to return or purchase something. Thank goodness for gift cards.

-Trying to find some kind of shelving for our pantry (which is, by the way, in the living room haha). That resulted in going back and forth to Target 4 times, and Lowe's once. Lowe's won.

-Embarking on quite possibly the most frustrating job hunt of my entire life. Good thing Tyler's middle name is patience/sweetness... poor guy's had to put up with a lot.

-Getting a new Social Security card with the last name of Juergens replacing Andersen! I am truly Mrs. Juergens now. :)

-Decorating our cute apartment. Now it really feels like home. I love this place.

-Cooking for my hubby. Who knew cooking and cleaning could be so fulfilling? I love cooking for people, but cooking for Tyler is my favorite! The man who performed the sealing ceremony told Tyler to say "I love you" every time he was hungry. Because of this instruction, we've been eating a lot lately.

-Watching Tyler react to my quirks that can only be seen by living with me. For instance-- my OCD about organizing my clothes in the closet (by color moving from light to dark).

-Taking a trip to Ikea together yesterday. Is that not the greatest store ever?!

-Doing Pilates together. It was HILARIOUS. I do Pilates every morning, and Tyler decided to try it out with me. He's pretty flexible! I was impressed.

-Planning a hike to the Y, but ending up walking to Bridal Veil Falls. Yeah, laziness won. Why have I instinctively been putting an "e" at the end of every won in this post?

-Spending tons of time with my husband! The first week I don't think we were ever apart. This past week he's been working at BYU Grounds from 8-12 each morning. Boooooo! But I'm so grateful for this time we've had together before he starts the Accounting program at BYU. I doubt I'll ever see him again. :)

My overall feelings on marriage: I highly recommend it. But only if you can find an amazing spouse like I did!

And so it begins...

Real life, that is. Home from the honeymoon, back to reality. Tyler and I have been having so much fun setting up our apartment! It's like playing house, only for real. The only frustrating part has been the job hunt. I think I've sent my resume to about 100 different jobs, and I've interviewed with 3 companies in the last few days. No word back yet from anyone, but hopefully soon. Yesterday I did a group interview... weird? Yes, it was. I felt like everyone was trying to one-up me! I'm not holding my breath for any of these... still sending my resume to everyone.


This last weekend, we drove to Eagle, ID for Tiffany and Tyler's wedding. We had so much fun! Thanks to Uncle Kelly and Aunt Launette for letting us stay with them during all the wedding craziness. It was so fun to see everybody, and so fun to finally meet Nicole's sweet baby Brynlee. Tiffany and Tyler are such a cute couple and we're so happy for them! It was so fun to be at the sealing and to remember our day and the covenants we made. Thanks to Tiki and Tyler for letting us be a part of their special day!


Sunday we went down to Spring City to visit my grandparents and to pick up all of the stuff I had them keep for me over the summer. Yay for having all of my clothes back! :) It was so fun to visit with them for a while. After Spring City, we went to Aunt Dana's for dinner. I love getting to know Tyler's family! I seriously got an ab workout from laughing so hard, and I feel so at home with all of them. We had a great day full of family.

Tyler started working for the BYU Grounds crew on Monday, so he's becoming quite the gardener. I've been dropping him off at 8 and picking him up at 12. Hopefully he'll be able to find a job more conducive to his major and his schedule. He is amazing-- he works so hard and always wants to help out around the apartment. I don't know if he understands how much fun it is for me to cook and clean for him! We are having so much fun just being together.

One more thing-- I chopped my hair! I went in to the salon I used to go to when I was 12 and 13 and cut most of my hair off. The woman who cut it sent it in to Locks of Love for me, so h0pefully they'll be able to use it. I'll put a picture up soon! I was afraid Tyler wouldn't like it, but he loves it. At least, that's what he says! Hopefully he really does. :) It's slightly past my chin, and she had to layer it tons because I have so much hair.

Seriously-- pictures to come! Patience!

Overwhelmed

Life is SO good! I am completely overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude. Our wedding day was perfect! The weather was beautiful-- not too hot, but still sunny. In fact, I wore Tyler's jacket towards the end of the reception because it got a bit chilly. But the ceremony was incredible. Some of my sweet aunts even wrote down some of the things that stood out to them, and Tyler and I asked our parents to do the same so that we could have a few different perspectives. We loved coming out of the temple and seeing so many of the people we love there. Pictures went well, and we even managed to be on time to the luncheon! The food was good, and I loved the music from my aunts and parents, and the sweet words from both of our families. I don't really cry ever, but I felt so blessed and happy that I cried there! Talk about feelin' the love. :)

The reception was really fun too. Unfortunately, I was STARVING the whole time. Not just starving though, it was past that. I seriously just leaned over in pain sometimes. I wanted the reception to end far before it did. But the park looked beautiful-- Bonnie did a great job decorating it. So many people came that I hadn't seen in a while, and it was so great to see everyone. I'm still not really sure how everything went outside of the line (i.e. if there was enough food haha) but I guess everything went alright... no riots broke out.

Thanks to the Johnson's, we went to a beautiful hotel after the reception. Actually, let me back up. First, we went home and finished packing for the honeymoon. Talk about leaving things for the last minute! We ended up waiting at the apartment for a while because Tyler's sweet parents brought the gifts home for us. Anyway, we finally got to the hotel and by that time I was beyond hunger-- I could feel the hunger eating at the lining of my stomach. So we got some room service, and I got pizza. What a way to end the best day of my life, eh? :)

Don't worry, I didn't lie... as soon as I get my hands on Ty's camera, honeymoon pics are coming. As for wedding pics, I'm not sure! Hopefully soon!