So embarassed!

There has been so many theens happening in my life, and I am just now getting around to posting them. First of all, Stephanie. Got. Married. Most wonderful/beautiful/lovely/spiritual/pretty/magical/awesome/FUN/great/nice day EVER (besides my own blessed wedding day, just more meaningful to me). Stephanie could have been a bridal model, and Jarom was so handsome and sweet and cute and they were so glowy and happy! What more could a sistee wish for her most beloved adorable little sis, and to think, I got to hand pick my very own brother in law! Go me! So, here's the thing...I still don't have any pics to post so I'm stealing some from my fellow blog buddies, but the other things is, the folks who follow my blog are the same ones who follow my friends' blogs who have already posted this blessed event, so let me just say, two weeks ago was the happiest day, and I love my sistee so much! And my new BIL! Yeah! Also, it was SO fun to see the Lance clan, and the show afterward, well if you were there you were lucky I'll just say that! :0).

First of all, the whole families and friends gathered togteher = SO MUCH FUN!!! And this isn't even everyone!

They are SO cute and HAPPY!!!I love everyone's face in this picture! They all tell a story! Oliver thought Sadie's flower looksed pretty tasty, and I LOVE stephanie's face, she looks so happy and beautiful!

The reception was so fun! We had TONS of food and friends and music and everything!All the Lance bridesmaids :)

Also, I got to send of my baby brother to the MTC!!! I picked him up at the airport and we got to chat and went to breakfast with Nate and Ben and their respective clans, and it was great. Now I had heard that they weren't doing the whole family come in to say goodbye, cry a lot, and watch the inspirational video. I was wrong. So Becca (Elder's GF) came with me and John to "drop him off' only to find out we got to go inside for the same presentation they gave when we took Ben to the MTC like 16 years ago, so we went in! We cried we laughed, but mostly cried sweet tears of JOY and Proudness and happiness and it was so great. Andrew...I mean Elder Mitchell just kept saying "I can't believe it! I am a missionary! I'm a missionary!" Tender. The unfortunate thing was that since we missed the farewell cry-a-thon memmo we were NOT dressed accordingly...ugh. I hate being inappropriately dressed at church functions! (That sounded funny, it's not like I was dressed like a hooker or something, I was cute in my jeans and top, but not dressed up ":)) The mission 2nd counselor was looking at us funny, I just know he was thinking, those must be some less actives or that missionaries family must not be members. ANYWAY, I am so proud of scooter, (Elder Scooter?) He says he learning fast and working hard, atta kid!

Also, we have started to make preparations for a garden! and I handled the roto-tiller! YEAH! SO tough, and I have like 15 different types of seedlings starting to grow in the house waiting for all signs of frost to leave before we put them outside. I LOVE gardening, I never knew how much I loved it until I moved away from home. Now I have been waiting and waiting to live in a house to have a garden! YEAH!

Also, John's Dad Lane and John's sister Jenni came for a visit and Jeffrey John's brother who is home from Iraq and on his leave from TX was home! It was SO fun! I had a great time teasing Lane ( I might be the only person who does), and playing with Amelia and having fmaily gatherings with the whole lance crew, I married into a great family! We missed Debbie and Jared and Jeremy though, they always keep things exciting :)

Also, I have been doing some crafting, nothing too exciting but enough to keep me happy :)

Also I have been reading everyone else's blogs! Sorry if I don't post every time, I'm trying to get better at that! I love reaidng all the updates, seeing all the CUTE pics (Brenley, Emily, Jill, LIZZIE, Jenni, Jessica, everybody else) and being inspired by your creativity (JESSICA C and Jessica Durf, and Erica) and reading about your kids and your adventures and thoughts, and your entertaining stories and insights (AMY) and I just love you all! I'm so happy I can have friends adn updates etc, so conveniently on my laptop at any time I wish. You are all better bloggers than I am...sorry for not posting more!!

Okay ALSO I am in the (Hopefully) final stretch of my masters program...UGH!!! I talked with my capstone mentor today(Capstone is like THESIS/PROJECT, and yes I have to give an Oral defense...yuck) and I basically have a very LOW chance of completing my capstone within 4 months on top of two other complete courses to finish. I am depressed about that because i do NOT want to spend another 3,000 for one more semester. SO I am planning to work my TAIL OFF! I have all these goals to obtain, and I'm hoping you all can be my cyber-coach-motivators! I need you s'bad. Okay, so prayers and words of encouragement...thanks!

Couponing...my new obsession

couponing...amazing. I've been getting into coupons because
A...it saves money
B...We all need to save money
C...it saves money
D...We're trying to build our food storage, year supply
E...it saves money
F...It's kind of like a hobby, you know how much I LOVE a good bargain
G...it SAVES MONEY!!!

So first...I have been collecting coupons for like 6 weeks, I get a few copies of the sunday paper, and organize the coupons, and put them into baseball card sleeves in this new coupon binder!!! I got this cloth binder @ the DI...it needed some sass, so I had some fun decorating the front. Now I just LOVE carrying around this cute cute cute coupon binder. Cuter than anything, and SO functional!



Okay today I went shopping at a store in Salt Lake called NPS...it's similar to "Rainbow" or Grocery Outlet from home, only bigger but its kind of discounted food...close to expired yogurt, bulk items, random stuff. Anyway I took my handy dandy coupon binder with me, and went to work. This food would have costed me 129.00 (which is still already cheap because of the cheap store) but then I used over $40 dollards in coupons so my total was 85.00!!! I got many items for FREE, tons of stuff for 20 cents or less etc... And this isn't cheap food folks, Packages of Yogurt, the GOOD kinds, chips, condiments, dressing, SPICES, boxes of crackers, Fancy Olives, Easter Candy, crystal light, popcorn, strawberries etc...

I get a total high off of deal like this, and I have been doing this more and more. If you want to start couponing, there's TONS of info on the internet. I follow a few blogs and sites for tips, plus at the beginning I looked up couponing on youtube and found tons of tips. I follow grocerysmarts.com and theobsessiveshopper.net and refundcents.com Let me know of you have any questions! Its SO fun!

With ALL THE LOOT!
Giraffe Tongue

Giraffe Okay a random moment. I made waffles for dinner with blueberry syrup/sauce with whipped cream. So yummy. Well the blueberries dyed our tongues and teeth...we went to the temple that night with the youth, and no it wasn't gone after we brushed our teeth!



Did you know giraffes have purple-ish black tongues? It's because they use their tongues to grab food and since the leaves are in the tall trees, and they stick out their tongues to eat...SO they have black tongues so they won't get sunburned! Cool yeah?!

Can you tell who ate more blueberries?

SO EXCITED!

John and I got callings in our new ward! I am SO excited, I got my DREAM calling...Mia Maid Adviser!!! I get to teach Mia Maids, I get to go to GIRLS CAMP, I get to go to mutual with them, I am so so excited! This is seriously my dream calling. I am kinda nervous actually, I am hoping you all can give me some advice. I had the BEST Young Women leaders, easily the BEST and my all time most favorite was Sharon Arnold, I remember thinking, I hope when I teach I am like Sharon. SO Sharon, if you're reading, help! Any tips pointers ideas? I remember just feeling her testimony and love for Christ and for me. Anyway, I want to be a really good Young Women leader...I've been praying for this calling :) SO excited!

Also when the bishop called us this morning to meet with us before church, John and I were guessing what callings we would get, I guessed the nursery because it seems like thats what newlyweds always get called to, but John guessed he would be put in with the deacons...he was right! He'll be teaching the deacons and doing scouts :) Cool, he's excited too, and we'll both be going to mutual at the same time.

COOL! So, any advice, really will be appreciated. Love you all! Still working on some pics from the rest of our trip:)

I KNOW I KNOW!!!!

SO SORRY it's taken me FOREVER to post. It has been SO wonderful to have John home! And it's been so much fun doing menial everyday tasks with him! We clean, we cook, we grocery shop, take the cars in for whatever, we watch a few movies, make dessert, do laundry, work out @ the gym, sit together in church, and everything! It's so great! Everything is better when you're together. Really. I haven't blogged because I haven't cared to really, but I started feeling guilty when you all started making comments like, okay court, where are the pics?! SORRY! I didn't mean to be selfish!

The worst day EVER+366 days=the BEST day ever!!!

WELCOME HOME JOHN BOY!!!

John's plane got in at 5:30 in the morning. It was magical to see him. It was just like a movie, and I cried (of course) and he gave me some flowers, and there was a rockin band and huge flag and it was a really cool reception. We didn't stick around too long though we went over to James and Miekka's for breakfast. John entertained us all with good stories, he's a great story teller, and Miekka made breakfast PLUS cinnomon rolls, she even made me some that were gluten free! My first cinnomon roll in like 3 years! THANKS Miekka!
We had a lot of work to do, we had to move all of our belongings from a storage unit in Salt Lake where we used to live to another storage unit in Taylorsville where we live now. We rented a uhaul to get it all done. We have loads of work to do still at John's Mom's house, lots that needs to be sorted and organized

So we were able to go to San Diego. John let me plan the whole thing which was really therapeutic for me to keep my mind focused on while he was still gone. PLUS I really LOVE a bargain and when we're on trips John always says "Don't worry about the price honey we're on vacation", but I can't handle it, I feel awful spending tons of money on things like food. So I was able to find tons of bargains on hotels, (and campsites, we camped on the beach in San Elijo) and restaurants. I bought $25 gift cards for $4 at restaurant.com and that saved us loads of money. We went to the San Diego Zoo, which was free for John and so we only had to pay like $30 for my ticket (which was well worth it, the Zoo was amazing!) and we went to Sea World which was AMAZING!!! and we both got in for free because of John being in the military. :) I do love a good bargain!

SO there's TONS of pictures :) You're welcome. and I'm sorry it's taken so long.
Downtown Vegas... kinda dirty, and a plethora of sex advertisments, but interesting, exciting, and entertaining. We ate at the Belaggio buffet. Oh. My. Gosh. Well so much for bargaining, this was our big splurge, it was $30 a plate! BUT I made it worth it, eating my body weight in shrimp, crab legs, salmon, some sushi (nothing too gross) and YUMMY desserts that I could eat! Like Creme Brulee! YUMMY!
We HAD to stop into the M&M worldshop, I expected it to smell like chocolate, but it didn't. Bummer, I still got a souvenir patch and some playing cards :)

We stayed at the LUXOR hotel, the one in the shape of a pyramid. it was easily the fanciest place I have ever stayed in. PLUS they didn't have an elevator, it was called andf inclinator, so it takes you not only up and down but side to side as well, and diagonal, so we were up 23 floors but you could barely tell becasue it was so fast to get there! CRAZY! I felt like it was a magical elevator like it should be on Flight of the Navigtor, or willy wonka or something...cool.
Well I had planned on posting LOTS more, but I've been editing photos all day, I have to go be productive, more to come, sooner than later. Love you all!

can't even sleep

It's 1:02 AM...I am waking up at 4:15-ish to get all dolled up to go meet John at the Military airport at 5:45. I am so freaking excited. This is more exciting than any Christmas has ever been. I can't believe it! My very best friend will be back in my arms in a matter of a few hours. I AM SO EXCITED!!!!

Okay so since I am wide eyed, I am posting my remodel pics of our bedroom and some of the bathroom. I am so pleased with how the bedroom turned out, i love it! I made the curtains, and I love them!


This is the bedroom before I started anything major. I scrubbed the walls and filled the holes


Painting...now I had to post this picture to show my ridiculous outfit...i had 1 bag of clothes at the house, all of them were skirts and dresses, so I didn't want to paint in them, but I found this road trip skirt (My roomies and I made these silly skirts to wear on a spring break road trip years ago, if you cant tell it has license plates on it.)

TADAAAAAAH!!!

The bathroom

I just got these baskets today..theres not a ton you can do in a tiny bathroom...

Got this frame at Target for like 2 dollars, and just made this out of some scrap stuff, i love it. Anyway, now its 1:34...I am getting sleepy, just a few hours!!!!YEAH!!!

Update and stuff

Okay I had a birthday a week ago, on the 18th. Quite honestly I think it was the WORST birthday I have ever had. I'm not being pouty, just stating the facts. I rung in my 25th year barfing my guts out at 4 in the morning, and diarrhea too, so lovely. You know I was just so excited about turning 25 that I wanted to make the most of it, starting in the wee hours of the morning. The day continued just as lovely as its beginning with my fever spiking back and forth between 100.9 and 103.7. I lay on the couch alternating cold sweats, chills, and hot flashes, managed to drink 2 glasses of orange juice and some strawberries in lui of cake.

On the plus side...Dylan and Kaci were also sick so they were home from school, keeping me company on the couch (I was at their house). They are really funny. Kaci doesn't "blow" her nose, she just holds a tissue at the end of it to catch the runniness, all day she's holding a tissue up to her nose...its funny especially when she eats. Dylan was SO sweet, I need to explain the latest rage with my nieces and nephews: LITTLEST PET SHOPS. They are these little animals that have big heads, huge eyes and they bobble. All of them have these littlest pet shops, and they are obsessed with making little houses for them, using little accessories etc. They just LOVE them. Well on my birthday Dylan was working really hard on something, and being so quiet, and asking me how to spell my name etc. So I get this little jewelry box taped shut all the way around, and inside i find my own littlest pet shop!!! WITH littlest ski-goggles and ear muffs! Now this my friends is a true gift of LOVE from Dylan. He was beaming! SO cute! Also William and Lily made me a big poster with stickers and drawings. I am so loved.



I was also pleasantly surprised to receive FLOWERS from my heart-nugget! They were gorgeous! I loved them, I just wished they lasted longer! They really were exquisite!



We went to Rexburg on Friday for Steph's bridal shower, it was the FUNNEST bridal shower I have ever attended! And I think we sufficiently embarrassed our little bride to be :)

Danielle Steph and Jenni
Jenni made this bride Cake! It is SO cute, and she even made the dress to look just like Steph's! Jenni did an AMAZING job decorating and planning the shower! The cupcakes are also so cute, wrapped in thulle and polka-dotted!

We played a game where we asked the groom questions beforehand, things like whats your shoe size, fav book etc, and if Steph got it wrong, she had to put on a peice of lingerie, and if she got it right, the girl who asked her had to put on a piece, it was really fun and funny! (There were cheap dollar store undies passed around beforehand, so it's not like they were actually stretching out or wearing her nice new lingerie, just FYI)
The whole gang, we had a great turn out.
It was so fun to have Kylie there, our cousin!

All of her "FUNDERWEAR" lined up on a clothesline :)




Sadly I had to spend Friday evening at the Urgent Care in Rexburg. Yuck. But I am now on the mend I think :)

John's come home date is a day earlier!!!! I get to see him Friday morning at 6 AM! WOOOOO HOOOOO!!!! I can't even believe it!

Also, I am joining the coupon craze. I watched all these tutorials on youtube, and joined a few couponing sites and I made my first K-mart purchase with coupons!!! I bought 70 dollars worth of stuff for 24 dollars. That's good, but I just know I'll keep getting better. I think I am going to tackle Walgreen's today! YEAH!!! I'll keep you posted, my new motto is: Cheap is good, but free is better!


And lastly, my dad sent me this today. I am notorious in my family for accidentally looking really ugly and stupid in some pictures, like the flash catches me off guard and makes my eyes look "special" so I'm being really brave posting this pic as it is not cute, and I look pretty ticked. Dad took this when I was home at Christmas time and I was just being the stand on to get the lighting right for his photo shoot, this glamour shot was one result. Also in my family there might not be anything as funny as farts. As gross as it is, we just think it is so funny. it doesn't take long for any conversation to turn to sharing a fart story etc. So gross as it may be, it's funny. SO enjoy this photo :) THANKS dad!

LOVE FEST!

So obviously I didn't spend love day with my valentine, but only 13 days left! How exciting, I can't even believe it~!

You know how every memory from your childhood is a cherished treasure? Well I feel like I have a lot. I remember a lot of things a lot of people don't, reminiscing is one of my favorite past times, because I can remember a lot of details about things.

Well I have these memories of halloween when I was little, or just family night, and my family playing carnival games. It was SO fun and required NO money to be spent. We played penny toss where you toss a penny from one end of the table and try to get it to land in a cup or bowl at the other end. Anyway, all the games were like this, you can make it easier or harder depending on the kid and anyway, it was so fun.

Well I though it would be a blast to have a carnival with the kids, so I called Ben and Kristen and Nate and Amy and told them they could go on a date and i would watch the kids and have this super fun carnival. They were grateful for the offer, but both of them didn't want to miss out, so they opted not to go on a date, but to join in the festivities! It was such a blast, the kids LOVED it!

Here are the games we played:
-Penny toss
-Bean drop
-cake walk (actually a cookie walk, we decorated sugar cookies later)
-ring the bottle (don't know what its really called, but it is hysterical, and near impossible to do!) -musical chairs
-sniff the broom
-fishing (you know prizes hooked on the end of the pole, simple but so fun for the kids)
-LOVE dice roll (each number on the die represents something you have to do, like if you roll a 3 you have to tell 3 people I love you, if you roll a 1 you have to sing a love song etc)
-and we decorated sugar cookies.

It was so fun, and all the adults played all the games too, which was hilarious for the kids to watch their parents doing silly things. It was SO easy to plan for and ended up to be such a fun time spent together, I want to make it a new tradition! Here's some lovely pictures of the festivities!
papa murphys had heart shaped take and bake pizza's!!! (I of course had a GF version ;) )
Playing corn drop, you can kind of see the jar at the bottom of the pic, it was more challenging than I expected, the kids were really good at it though!
THIS is the ring the bottle game, the picture doesn't do it justice, it was so hysterical to watch Ben, who is 6'4" try to squat low enough to get the ring to go around the pop bottle, I was laughing so hard I was crying!
Playing the cake walk, can you read my ultra special shirt?! So festive! (I got it for a dollar last eyar @wal-mart and have been saving it all year to wear! Good for me for remembering it right?!)

Nate's number was called for the cake walk, he looks like a winner if you know what I mean! ;)
LILY was so funny to watch do the bottle ring game, she was cracking herself up so much she could hardly breathe, it was so funny!


KACI on the cake walk, yes she is wearing a ballet leotard, one of her many glamorous ensembles. This girl changes her clothes a good dozen times a day, no joke, and it seems the less it covers, the better, silly girl!
A favorite with the kids, musical chairs!
Ben helping the kids go fishing

Best pals, Dylan and William, these two are some of the most creative boys I have ever met!
Amy might kill me for posting this photo, even though I think its a glamour shot, she was just being funny and I couldn't resist a picture, sorry Amy but you're just SO cute!
The whole gang (minus ben, don't know where he snuck off to.)
Amy also brought strawberries and chocolate for dessert, who needs a gluten-death-cookie when you can have chocolate covered strawberries?!
Kaci showing off her treasures from the fishing game...she is such a doll, and gladly obliges to have her picture taken any day any time, so cute!