Day 15: Rain Boots and Art Work

I love when it rains because I get to dress like this:

Brad loves when it rains because he gets to stay inside and do this:

Looks pretty close to the real thing doesn't it?

Love, Brad & Courtney

Day 14: Happy Birthday Bethany!

Bethany is my coteacher. When I first heard this term it was kind of a foreign concept. I had never heard of two teachers teaching one class, but I thought it was a great idea. Turns out having a coteacher (especially one like Bethany) has been my saving grace. There is no way that I could have a class of 10 one-year-olds on my own. I was a fool for ever thinking the opposite. I wouldn't enjoy my job and the children I interact with each day if it weren't for Bethany.

Bethany is the kindest most genuine person I have EVER met. Ever. She has a great head on her shoulders, and she knows exactly what's important in life. I have learned so many things from Bethany, and I have grown to love her and consider her a dear friend. Here are some wonderful and important things I have learned in the past seven months:

* say thank you for everything, even something as simple as someone remembering you were going out of town last weekend

* love everyone, even if you sometimes dislike them

* when you dislike the people you love, respect them, even if you don't want to

* you can be funny without being sarcastic

* laugh over the silly meaningless mistakes you make

* life is about being surrounded by people who love and care for you unconditionally

* be grateful for your job, even if it sometimes literally drives you crazy

* there are people in the world that are much worse off than you

* you don't have to have all the money in the world to be rich

* you don't have to expensive designer furniture and original thousand dollar paintings to make your house feel like a home

* you don't have to give people gifts to show them you care about them - make them dinner instead

* don't gossip

* always tell the truth, even if it makes more sense to lie

* value the simple pleasures of life

* let your heart melt over the sweet things small children say

* and so so much more

Bethany is filled with charity and is the best Christian I have ever met. The Lord above would be sure to bless me greatly if I were ever to convert her to the Church. She and her roommate Andy are the only two people I have ever met in my whole life that ask me questions about my religion and are truly and deeply interested. This has been such a blessing for me as I have the missionary opportunities that I have never had before. 

I also love Bethany and Andy because they have things like this in their house:

A naked baby on a record player.

Happy Birthday Bethany!! Thanks for letting me be a part of it!

And just for kicks and giggles, here's Bethany and mine class picture taken in the fall.

Click on the picture for an enlargement.
This is what happens when you take a group of one-year-olds out the playground and make them sit, be still, and take them out of their routine instead of letting them play.

Love, Courtney

Day 13: Pumpkin Rolls

My dear friend Bethany's birthday is on Monday (keep on the look out for the day 14 post, which is all about her), so on Sunday I made her a pumpkin roll. About a month ago I asked dear Bethany what she wanted for her birthday which was coming up soon. Without hesitation she said, "A pumpkin roll!" Done deal. Ask anyone that's ever been around me near the holidays, and they will tell you I am the queen of pumpkin rolls. I seriously make them almost every week straight for two months. I could definitely make Bethany a pumpkin roll for her birthday. All I could think was, "How fabulous that I have an excuse to make such a delicious treat in March!" Bethany, not cursed by a nut allergy, wished the inside of her dessert to be filled with pecans. So, naturally I granted her birthday wishes. But I couldn't possibly make a pumpkin roll that I wouldn't even be able to taste, not even one little bite. So I made two - one pecan filled for Bethany and one nut free for Brad and myself. 

Happy Sunday!

Love, Courtney

Day 12: Wait, What?! This Post Isn't about Killer??

The majority of my posts have been about Killer, it's true. She's just so cute and fun to take pictures of. But on day 12 Brad and I went to the REI sale without Killer. We've only ever been to the sales in Utah, where they let people in by raffle. It's great because you can get there 10 minutes before it starts, get yourself a playing card, and maybe be one of the first ones in the door. It all depends if your card is picked. But here in Atlanta they do things a little bit different. Their sales are on a first-come-first-serve basis. That means that if you want to be one of the first ones in the door you have to be one of the first ones at the door. We wanted to have first pickings, so we woke up at 5:30am, drove to REI, and settled down for a nice long wait since the store didn't open until 10. We brought camp chairs, sleeping bags, books, and breakfast, so we were all set. Even though Saturday turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL day, the morning was pretty chilly but we were nice and toasty in our wonderful down sleeping bags. Other people who came ill prepared were definitely jealous. 

Me, finally finishing up Mockingjay.

Brad taking a little snooze.

We got in, found almost everything we were looking for, and came home happy.

Our treasures. (Jeff, I went straight to the shoes and was one of the first ones there. I looked desperately for the shoes you wanted, but they didn't have any in your size. Bummer.)

And if you're wondering, we weren't the first ones in the door. There were about 20 people in front of us. Two groups were still in their tents (yes, they camped at REI to get into a sale) when we got there.

Love, Brad & Courtney

Day 11: Chasing Geese and Eating Tamales

Today we took Killer on a walk around the duck pond at a park close to our house. At first she was very apprehensive of the geese, but upon closer inspection she decided she wanted to play with them. The only problem was that they didn't want to play with her.

She chased the poor things all over that park. Finally one of the bigger ones got really frustrated with her and started chasing after her and hissing. 

Driving back home we saw a sign for fresh hot tamales. We just had to stop and get some, since tamales are so delicious but also so tedious to make. They're definitely one of those things you pay extra for just for someone else to make for you. Since it was a gorgeous day we decided to go to the river and have a little picnic and eat our yummy tamales. 

Killer was really good and didn't beg at all. She just watched us eat from across the table. In the end she got a few bites, because, really, how could you resist this face?

Love, Brad & Courtney

Day 10: Dogs Wear Collars

Killer never gets her collar taken off, except when she's getting a bath which usually only happens after she rolls in something that makes us puke it smells so bad. But on day 10, Brad decided she needed a little collar break after she had been scratching it for no less than 10 minutes. What did she do with it once it came off? Naturally she tried to eat it of course. What dog wouldn't want to rid themselves of the thing they hate most? Since she couldn't bury it anyways besides in the couch cushions where we would eventually find it, this was really her only option.

Love, Brad Courtney & the Collar Eater

Day 9: A New Do

Last night Brad cut his hair. I neglected to take a "before" picture or a snap a photo of the sheer amount of hair on the bathroom floor, but here are some "afters".

Killer, of course, had to get her camera time for the day.

Love, Brad & Courtney

Day 8: Running

I don't really like "new year's resolutions", so I never make any. This year I happened to decide to start running right around New Years, but this wasn't a "resolution". It was more of a goal. People keep telling me that some day my metabolism will slow down, and I won't be able to eat whatever I want. What?! No more candy and pizza whenever I want. I don't think I'll be able to give that up. So to combat the effects of aging, I've started running. I want to get in the habit now, so that when the time comes that my metabolism can't keep up with my oh so healthy eating habits I'll have some other way to burn calories. Pretty much, I just want to be able to eat anything the rest of my life. And I know that in order to accomplish this lofty goal, exercise has to be part of the equation. Now that I've been smacked right upside the head with a dose of the real world (this occurred when I left the bubble of Provo), going to work, finishing pre-reqs, and sleeping have become MAJOR priorities in my life. This is not to say that I exercised by any means at BYU, but I did at least walk to class everyday and wasn't nearly as stressed out. Now I sit in the car for hours each day, sit in class for hours, and come home and lay for hours because I simply can't muster the strength to do anything else. Oh, and I occasionally walk up and down the stairs outside to take Killer potty. 

Well, we live in a great place to go running. Our apartment complex is full of trees and paved loops that could make running enjoyable. I've never been a runner. Ever. The only time I've ever run, really run, in my whole life was in middle school when we had to run at least an 8-minute mile to get the Presidential Fitness Award. That was the last time I ran and the furthest also. I was, however, in the best shape of my life in high school when I swam and dove. But those two sports are much, much different than running. I don't have a pool I can swim in around here since I don't want to pay for a gym membership. So since they say running is good for you, I figured maybe I should try it.

I don't have the most time in the world, but I try to go running three times a week (Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays) because those are literally the only days I can spare an hour. Some weeks I can only run once or twice, and some weeks I just don't make it at all, despite my efforts (or my need to watch the Biggest Loser, which you can read about HERE). But I have been working hard. I am nowhere near where I thought I'd be after 3 months, but I am happy with the progress I've made seeing as how I've never done anything like this and it's quite the time sacrifice.

Killer loves to run. That's all she does when she goes outside. Even when we put her on a leash, she chokes herself trying to pull us behind her because she needs to run and we're only walking. Now that she's getting older (she'll be 10 months on the 20th), she's starting to need a little more exercise than the occasional ball chasing in the field beside our house. So I meet all her needs by taking her running with me. She loves it! She would be really ecstatic if I could run as fast as she could, but I don't think it's humanly possible (especially from this very slow human). She's seriously the fastest small dog we've ever seen (minus two Italian greyhounds that we recently met at the dog park), and can outrun anything.

On day 8 (a Tuesday no less) Killer and I went to the Chattahoochee River Walk and went running. I usually have class on Tuesdays, which was why this day wasn't included in the 3 days I can run, but it's spring break (woo-hoo...now if only I didn't have to go to work...). And I usually run in our apartment complex, but the River trail has mile markers, and I wanted to see how far I could go. No, I'm not telling, so don't ask. It's an embarrassingly low mileage.

Here we are after we got home to a worried Brad. He somehow missed the note I left him saying where we had gone and why we wouldn't be around when he got home from work. Oops! Please ignore the creepy green glowing eyes.

Love, Courtney & Killer

Day 7: The Dinner of Champions

Publix rotisserie barbecue chicken for me and hubby

And ginormous rawhide bone for Killer (no she didn't eat the whole thing...she only gets it during dinner time so she doesn't drive us crazy begging for food)

Great ending to a "the weekend's already over?!" kind of Monday.

Love, Brad & Courtney

Day 6: 100 posts of Happiness

I blog because it makes me happy. This is my 100th blog post, and in honor of that I decided to write about happiness.

See how Killer's licking her lips. That's because we had to bribe her to sit still by waving a treat in front of her face. 

Brad and Killer truly make me delightfully happy. I love coming home to a cute pup wagging her tail out of control because she's so excited to see me. I love waking up before Brad and seeing how peacefully he sleeps even though Killer's going crazy freaking out that my alarm just went off.

And I love this.

Chasing Killer trying to get back a stolen sock. I also love that we have to cover our couches with hideous blankets to protect them from Killer stains. Here's to 100 more posts of sheer happiness.

Love, Courtney

Day 5: Tangled

Tonight Brad and I went to see Tangled 3D with David, Susie, and Susie's BFF Sandy. When we moved here we were bummed to find no dollar theatre in our vicinity since there was one super close in Provo. But luckily just a few weeks ago Brad's parents found one. It sure is hoppin. By the time the movie started there wasn't an empty seat to be found.

Susie assured us that they were the folks to go with since they hooked us up with free popcorn. This is seriously the most chill theatre ever. They tell you to keep your popcorn bucket, bring it back next time, and they'll fill it for free. And you can bring in whatever you want - water bottles, candy, etc. They don't care one bit. Awesome.

Tangled was excellent, by the way.

Love, Brad & Courtney

Day 4: Sometimes You Need to be Lazy

I was going to go for a run when I got home from work today, but then I decided it was too cold. So instead I cuddled up under a blanket on the couch and watched the Biggest Loser. I was accompained by some cookie dough ice cream and a big bag of Sour Patch Kids.

Love, Courtney

Day 3: A Life Without Lactose

I'm lactose intolerant. According to the wonderful doctor [Curtis Andersen] who diagnosed me, most adult Americans are and don't even realize it since their symptoms aren't too terrible, unlike mine. Throughout college until my junior year (the year I came to the awful conclusions I could no longer drink milk), I drank whole milk. Boy, was it delicious! My dear husband (boyfriend at the time) also reintroduced me to cheese, a life long enemy, and I began to love it. All too quickly I developed severe stomach pains - the kinds that hurt so bad you can't stretch out your abdomen - and an array of other symptoms I won't go into to save you from throwing up your dinner. 

Now I can only drink 2% milk after taking about 3 lactate enzyme pills, which taste terrible. I also have problems with cheese, ice cream, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk (what we make caramel out of), etc. I LOVE dairy, therefore, I take a lot of what I like to call "milk pills". I've tried to replace normal cow's milk with soy milk. Sometimes (a lot of times) I still drink normal milk, but I've learned to love soy milk. My favorite kind, which we just bought at Target tonight, is Silk Very Vanilla. I recommend it to anyone wanting to try soy milk for the very first time. I promise you won't like any other brand as much as you'll love this one.

But be prepared for the high cost. This half gallon cartoon cost us almost $4. Then add in "milk pills" which cost about $10 for 60 pills, and a life without lactose adds up quickly.

Love, Courtney

Day 2: River Walk

After work we drove to the Chattahoochee River, which is about a mile from our house. Killer loves it there. She loves the water, the smells, the people, and the other dogs. We recently learned that she'll jump in the water without any prompting from us - something we considered a breakthrough. Last summer Brad spent countless hours with her at the pool trying to make her like the water. All his hard work paid off, because she LOVES it!

 We figured out that if we throw a rock into the water she'll run in, stick her entire face into the water (while blowing air bubbles out of her nose), and come back up with a rock (usually not the same one we originally threw, but still...pretty awesome).

We took a nice pleasant walk on the path that goes alongside the river to get Killer dried out before we got back in the car and headed home.

Love, Brad & Courtney

Day 1: Cereal

Killer is half Chihuahua. This means she is constantly thinking about food. If she sees us eating anything she stops everything she is doing to come sit right by our feet wishing for crumbs to fall her way. If she doesn't get anything in the time she expected she would she will then perform a variety of tricks hoping that one will be the one we wanted to see and she'll be rewarded with some of our food. But sometimes if we're eating within her reach she doesn't politely wait to be fed, she just takes what she wants.

Brad's Birthday Adventures

This year for my dear hubby's birthday I was super incredibly lame. He had no surprises - he helped make his cake, he picked out his own presents, and he planned his own weekend getaway. Year after year as birthdays and Christmases come and go I find it increasingly harder to find Brad gifts. He has it pretty easy in that I'm constantly saying things that I'd like to have. He simply takes note and surprises me with it later down the road. Each time I'm shocked that he not only was paying attention and listening to my rambling but actually remembered what I said. How lucky am I? 

We booked a Southern Caribbean cruise for the first week of April, and ever since that booking Brad has been looking at underwater cameras. We, to our dismay, learned that an underwater case isn't available for our digital camera, which meant we had to buy a new camera with a case.The last cruise we went on we just took one of those dinky disposable underwater cameras that doesn't have a display screen, so you have to look through the tiny window at your subject while you're floating up and down in the current. Well, after reading lots and lots of reviews, looking at pictures, and watching videos he finally found a camera he liked. He bought it using a couple Amazon gift cards we had accumulated. It came in the mail, he excitedly opened it and played with it for a few hours. That was a month ago, but I still put it in a bag (no, I didn't even wrap it) and gave it to him for his birthday.

He did a great job acting like he had never see it before.

We went to REI the Saturday before his birthday, and he picked out this jacket for himself. I gave it to him still in the REI bag (no, this present wasn't wrapped either).

I also bought Roller Derby tickets for a match in March. We've never been to anything like this before, but we've wanted to for a while. So why not give something to my husband for his birthday that we were already planning on getting? I did give a disclaimer that this was a lame birthday on my part.

Still no wrapping paper.

This strawberry cake was delicious. I put some of my own touches on the recipe and made it even better.

I had a test Thursday night, so I couldn't skip class like I was planning on. So Brad drove me to class and went to REI to buy another present for himself while I took my test. After I finished we went out to dinner at Lime, a yummy restaurant just a mile or two away from our house. We had never been before, but we definitely plan on going again soon, like on Tuesday dollar taco nights.

Friday afternoon we drove to Sand Rock, AL for a night of camping under the stars. During the previously mentioned REI trip, Brad bought us Bivy Bags. They're pretty much little cocoons designed to keep you dry without a tent. Luckily it didn't rain, but that doesn't mean we didn't get wet. The kind of Bivys we bought were the best of designs. There was mesh over the face of the bags, which let water from the wet Southern air inside. Our sleeping bags, consequently, got soaked. Also, Killer hated it and couldn't sleep at all. But despite it all we woke up to an amazingly beautiful sunrise, which made everything worth it.

And that was Brad's birthday.

On a completely different note, thank you Neil and Valeri for the moccasins. I seriously needed them.

If you're looking at this and thinking to yourself, "that right shoe looks a little bigger than the left", you're right. Along with new shoes came the right size. Finally I don't have to squeeze my toes into a shoe that's half a size too small!

Old.

New.

Love, Brad & Courtney

Happy Birthday Brad!

I can't believe I've let a whole month go by without posting a single thing. We didn't fall off the earth, we've just been super busy with school, work, and church. So busy that we haven't taken hardly any pictures, and what's a good blog post without pictures right? My sweet sister-in-law has been doing a wonderful thing on her blog that I hope to keep up with next month - each day of the month you take a picture of something that happened that day and write about it. It's a great way to be able to remember the simple and small things that happen in life that you'd probably usually forget. But on to what this post is really about...

My wonderful, kind-hearted, loving, and handsome husband is turning 26 today. It's sometimes hard to believe that I met him when he was 22 and not a even a year off his mission. These past four years have definitely been the best of my life, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Here we are on our very first date. What can I say, the boy knows how to make an impression.

 Killer loves loves loves Brad. Whenever I say, "Killer, where's daddy?" She runs as fast as she can to find him, tackles him, and licks all over his face. Sometimes when I can't get her in from outside and the usual bribe for a treat doesn't work, all I have to do is mention "daddy" and she comes running. I take her with me most days when I go to pick Brad up from work, and as soon as she sees him she starts scratching the car window and whining for him. I'm sure she'd jump out and run to him if I rolled the window down far enough.

Happy birthday Brad! I hope year 26 is as fantastic as 25 was! I love you!

Also, happy birthday to Brad's oldest brother Neil, who's birthday was exactly one month ago. Sorry I never publicly said it Neil. I still love you though!

photo courtesy of Valeri Andersen Photography

Love, Courtney

This is What Happens When...

... You put off grocery shopping for 2 1/2 weeks and then it snows in a city that isn't equipped to get rid of it until 5 days later.

And 230 dollars later we can finally eat something besides Ramen and snow cream for dinner.

Love, Brad & Courtney