Job Please

Rob needs a Job!

I remember in preparation for Prop 8, the First Presidency asked us to "go viral" so I am attempting to do the same thing. We are looking in all places, but who you know is much better than what you know. I'm asking for your help just in case you know of any jobs out there! Rob is very hard working and willing to do whatever it takes. Please let me know - we would greatly appreciate your help!

Hard Work

For the past couple of weeks, 6 to be exact, Rob has been enrolled in a summer math crash course. If you have ever done one of these, you know how ridiculous they can be. A normal semester is 18 weeks, and you have to cover all of that material in 6. It can be exhausting, and boy am I glad to be done with those. Last Thursday was his last day, with two tests last week... and about two tests every week before that. I'll be honest, he was a total grouch to be around because the stress was a lot to handle. You ask, well why would he do that if it was that ridiculous? I guess all fingers should be pointing to me! I made it seem like it wasn't that big of deal, and just that it would be good to get one more math out of the way while he could. I knew it would be hard, but I knew he could do it.. so mean me just acted like it was no big deal.. while in my head I knew he would be working his butt off! His days didn't end till about 9pm, while starting at about 8am... and then all the homework that comes after that. Needless to say I was just as nervous as he was to find out the results from those trying weeks. I was so grateful he would work that hard for me, and trust me, he made it very known he was doing it for me.. He certainly would not have chosen that fate on his own. Long story short...

HE PASSED!!

To say he was excited was a definite understatement.. relief, joy, tears.. I think they were all coming to the surface! So proud of you babe - hard work always does pay off in the long run, and this just sets the tone for the school work ahead! Im so grateful to have someone hard working and willing to do what it takes for our tiny future family! I love you!

Birthday Extravaganza

This past weekend it was Rob's Birthday, but also his last official weekend in Carpinteria. I go up this Friday like normal, but we come back here Saturday morning with all his stuff in tow! Its extremely exciting to be done with driving and to be able to see each other more frequently. Phone calls are starting to get extremely annoying. I honestly cannot believe it's actually happening. It's been talked about for so long, but to have it here is sort of strange! Its also a very nerve-racking time for poor Rob. He is moving to a place he doesnt know, from a place he has lived his entire life. He doesnt have a job as of yet which is scary, and he will be going to a new campus... a whole bunch of new rolled into one. I am so glad that he is doing this though, so happy that he is able to take that leap of faith for me, while hoping he knows I would do it in return. It will be an exciting time in our engagement life together, and only 7 more weeks until the wedding! Can you believe it!? I absolutely CANNOT wait! I made Rob play dress up this weekend and put on his entire suit and it made me so excited for the wedding! I cannot wait to marry him! But anyways.. more about that later.. Birthdays.

On Friday Rob chose Outback, so we went and had a nice dinner. I made his favorite cupcakes and we sang happy birthday to him for the first time!

Earlier that day I went and got 27 balloons (one ended up popping) for a new tradition we will be starting! Our annual balloon "send off." We didnt get to it until later so you cant see the balloons flying unless you were there, but he was excited to come home to his balloons and we kept joking about his 50 or 60th birthday! Tons of balloons!

Here is Rob with his annual birthday sign from Dad!

And.. I don't think I promised to not show this.. but I was laughing so hard that I just had to! Here is Chad practicing his moves for the wedding - and thankfully I got it all on tape!! Sorry Chad - but the world has to see what their competition is!

Family came together on Sunday and Rob and I made a delicious meal that everyone seemed to enjoy! We sang happy birthday to him one final time and ate his tradition of mint ice cream cake. It was really good, and I made sure to watch Pam to ensure he will get it every birthday. It was fun to have everyone together for the last weekend with Rob living there, and I am sure he enjoyed it just as much as I did. It will be weird to have him living so close to me, but wow will it be wonderful! This just brings us one step closer to the wedding.. and have I mentioned how excited I am!?! Grandma and Grandpa.. get ready for Rob! You will love him just as much as I do - I promise!

The Romantic One

One of the things I love most about Rob, among many many things, is his romantic side that he pulls out every once in awhile. This weekend I was joking about which parent it came from, and our bets are on his father.. so I must thank you Chuck, because you definitely have a romantic son on your hands, and I benefit greatly from that! Some might call it corny, and yes it is, but we are just corny people so it works. A couple weekends ago we had a whole saturday to ourselves and Rob had TONS of math to do! I tried to keep myself busy, sort of tried to stay out of the way, and surprisingly enough was in a cooking mood. I baked funfetti cookies, which all of you need to try because they are so good! The recipe is on the side of the box, where of course few people tend to look. Then we decided on a "build your own burrito" type dinner... but look what Rob decided to add on to the meal..
It was really cute - I just had to take a picture! Romantic guy at heart - makes me just want to squeeze him!

Wedding Shoes

There is SOO much to blog about! I don't know why I have been such a slacker.. but I figured I would update on the past couple of weeks.. starting with what happened the longest ago!

These are my shoes. They are lovely shoes, and possibly the best wedding shoes you could possibly find. Yes, that could be partly because they are mine.. but also because they are OH so comfortable! One problem... the ugly cream color. I bought them with the intention of changing that ugly cream.. because who wants an ugly cream when you could have something much more fun. So, I took my shoes to the shoe rep

air to have them dyed. This seemed fairly simple, but obviously not to the man behind the counter. He kept complaining that it wouldn't work because they were not white, and so the color would not be to my likings. I kept saying that I like just about everything and just want purple. He kept saying it wouldn't work. I kept getting frustrated. So.. we took some of this..

And a little bit of this..

And we got these!

I personally think they look great! They smelled a little funny.. and if you get too close you can see how my skills are not up to par.. but they are purple - and thats all I care about!! Yay for wedding shoes! Problem was.. then I had to clean up alllllll of this.. 

I'm not sure if I will get on here tomorrow, but I wanted to make sure to wish Robert a...

HAPPY 27TH BIRTHDAY!


Hope you have a wonderful day baby, and know that
I love you!

Reality

There are some things that are complicated to put into words. Those feelings and thoughts are usually the most precious, and though people might know from experience with something they find similar, it could never fully be understood. I want this to be a journal of all my thoughts, regardless of whether they are good or bad, and so I will attempt to put my feelings down on paper whether I feel I will be able to or not.

I wasn't fully ready to get married before this weekend. You know those moments where you are almost watching your body and watching your words and hearing everything, but yet you are not fully there. You are not in your body. That's been me. I don't know how else to explain it, but I have been watching my body for 6 months. When watching your body, you still have control. I'm not saying I didn't know what I was doing, but none of it was really sinking in. None of it felt real. I felt like I would wake up at some point and realize none of it really happened, or that it had happened but definitely not like I was imagining it. I knew my body was doing the right things, I knew my feelings were real, I even knew what great blessings I was receiving and how good it all felt, but I was watching it all happen. I was watching my reality, but it wasn't sinking in. I kept waiting for my body to finally rejoin this reality it was watching, but I really couldn't do anything about it. I would just sit in bed at night and re-play my day and my experiences, feeling somewhat removed. I wasn't really ready to get married because I don't think I really could embrace the importance of that one word. I don't think I fully understood.

To be honest, I don't think anyone is ever really ready for marriage. There is so much to learn through the years that it would be a boring life if you knew everything from the start. I would look at married couples and could never fully understand the caring that was involved there because it all seemed so natural. You know, how some wives have dinner ready for the moment her husband arrives. Or, an ironed shirt on the bed waiting for them when they come out of the shower. I just thought, well, if he has two hands why doesn't he do it himself... because, well, no one had ever done that sort of stuff for me. Selfless. I knew marriage was selfless, but exactly how selfless were you really able to be when we should all be worried about ourselves? Not exactly the mindset for marriage, but seemingly the mindset for the majority out there. It wasn't making sense. I knew I loved Rob, I knew I would do anything for him.. but completely selfless when my feelings matter too? It just wasn't making sense.

Every weekend I felt my body grow more and more attached to the incredible man before me, a feeling my mind is literally not able to describe. You would think that after doing this schedule of ours for so long we would be used to it by now, but I still get nervous every Friday to see him... like he could've changed drastically throughout the week and I wouldn't recognize him or something. This past weekend was no different, but when we hugged I felt something change. I didn't say anything at that moment, but throughout the weekend I just felt different. I kept trying to put my finger on it. By Sunday I had explained this to Rob and we had the most wonderful discussion. While driving home that night, through the tears that always come when having to leave him, I realized my body had finally come into this reality of mine. I was no longer watching it all unfold, I was actually living it. I could feel every single emotion of adoration and love for Rob. I could feel every single sorrow that comes with separation, but mostly, I could feel the extreme joy and unwavering commitment that comes with marriage. I don't know how, I don't know why, but as of Sunday, I was finally ready for this next step. Throughout the weekend I cooked for Rob, I was cheery and supportive and everything that you should be. Not because I felt that those actions fit that pre-determined rule book for a marriage, but because I wanted to. I wanted to do things for him. It wasn't forced, I didn't make myself become that selfless that I speak of.. but in a matter of a week everything changed. Yes, he has two hands, but so do I. Yes, we should be worried about our feelings and our personal happiness but that is nowhere near as important as worrying about his. The cool part? He worries about mine. He is constantly making sure I am taken care of and I am happy and I have water and food, and even lets me pick the ice cream we get. He gives me his bed so I don't have to sleep on the couch. He carries practically every thing for me and gets mad when I don't let him open the door. He tells me when I am being ridiculous and gives gospel guidance when I am too emotional to see the bigger picture. He knows the true meaning of selfless.. and I can finally say that I do too. Understanding that concept completely is so vital. I have probably said this so many times, but there was an older woman whose hair I used to cut while in beauty school. She said something to me that refuses to leave my brain, and for good reason. She had been married for something close to 50 years and I asked her what her secret was..

"Sometimes I carried him, sometimes he carried me, and sometimes we both carried each other, but no matter what someone was always carrying someone."

I know I am not perfect, and obviously there will be times that that is very apparent, but I sure try my best to make the most of this little life I have been given. I'm not saying I am an expert at this selfless love thing because I have a lot to learn, but I can definitely say I am an expert at carrying Rob and I know that desire will always remain. I think that's a good start to selfless, because even though he might have two legs, why make him wear them out when I have two pretty good ones myself. I can finally say I am ready to be everything I can for him and want nothing but his happiness, knowing that mine will not be far behind based off the joy that comes through loving and caring for him. It is incredible the change of perspective I have, and how good it feels to finally be living this reality. I feel, I know, and I believe that the path I am on and the person I am with is exactly what the Lord wants for me. It is so good to finally feel that, and looking at his handsome face just confirms those feelings. Love is constantly changing and growing. My grandpa once told me has has been married to 4 different woman because throughout the years people do nothing but change. This relationship of ours has definitely changed as of this past weekend, and just thinking about that brings tears to my eyes. Oh, what a wonderful life... and oh, what a fantastic future.

the BIG month of july

SURPRISE, it's Rob here.... I am just letting whoever reads this blog know that i am not dead and have not fallen off the face of this earth, but rather am enrolled in a 6 week math class that takes up most of my time. However, I am filled with joy to say only one week left and i am done with the class. YYYAAAAYYYY!!!!!! ( i don't like Math)

Anyways a lot of BIG events have and are going to take place this month of July...

• I got to celebrate the 4th with Elyse

• I found out I got into BYU-I for the winter/spring track

• I put in my 3 week notice at work (a place i have worked at for 5 and a half years)

• I finish my math class on July 23rd!!

• I turn 27 the very next day (hopefully i age graceful like George Clooney)

and at the end of the month...

• I am moving from Carpinteria down to Orange County

All of these things bring me one step closer to being married in the temple to the amazing, the beautiful, the smart, the hard working, the funny, the adorable , the corny, the most thoughtful, the most caring, my fiance ..... Elyse

So I might be jobless for a couple weeks, I might get lost on the roads of the O.C. as i learn to navigate a new area and I know I'll get frustrated with the traffic ( i might want to say a bad word or two) but it will all be worth it for September 19th.

Game on!

I know we shouldn’t toot our own horns, and this isn’t an effort to do so, this is just a means to save things and remember them… and I’m just going to take a stab at the fact that Rob won’t save my note so our children can see that I can be very cute sometimes too! I will have you know, Rob writes me love notes all the time! He puts them on post-its and had them in random places for me to find. They are the sweetest things and always make my day! He is so good to me and he always lets me know how much I mean to him! Well… I don’t really do the note thing. I have sent him on in the mail once, but I am not nearly as good as he is at the little notes of appreciation. I decided I would try it out this weekend, leaving it in his room for him to find when he came back inside after saying goodbye to me. See children, mommy can be cute too…

“I just wanted to say that I am already missing you, and it just keeps getting harder every time I have to leave you! I am so crazy about you baby, and just being with you makes me feel like I’ve won “100 Grand,” although you are worth much more than that to me. You are such a support to me and you are constantly my little “Lifesaver,” doing whatever it takes to make sure I am happy. I am so grateful that I have been blessed with a “Sweetheart” like you in my life and I thank the Lord every day for that blessing. Please know, that de-“Sprite” the distance I will constantly be thinking about you and wishing I was here giving you “Hugs and Kisses” whenever I want! I love you baby and I can’t wait to see your handsome face again!”

Needless to say, I completely surprised him! Now the true test is keeping this stuff up! Corny? Yes! One point for me babe – Game on!

Lazy Lazy Lazy

It is FINALLY Friday! I haven't been the best blogger this week and Rob has actually commented on that, saying that I need to keep telling the world how wonderful he is! Should I remind him that his post has yet to be seen??

I decided yesterday that Lazy is no longer. For the past couple of weeks Lazy has been hanging around too much. I'm not sure if it is Summer that has been creeping in, but I had to remind Lazy that there are no Summer's here. We left Summer behind a while ago, so just because it might be beautiful 90 degree weather doesn't mean there can be that beach-type attitude Summer is so well known for. Thankfully Lazy seemed to be listening when I spoke of this problem that has been occurring, and she seemed to be getting the hang of it yesterday. I might just have to keep whipping her into shape now and then. There is a wedding in exactly 71 days, so there is no time for Lazy in this house.

I knew he could do it!!! 

Rexburg, Here we come! 

Falling in Love

Warning: This post is bound to make someone throw-up, so let me just warn you readers ahead of time.

I had an incredible weekend, but no pictures to show for it. I need to be better at taking pictures, but I hate carrying a purse around everywhere and that is where my camera would be. I guess I could be the annoying tourist with it glued to my side, but that fashion just doesn't suit me well. I promise, I will be better because I know it makes these entries much more exciting.

Thursday night I did some shopping to kill time while Rob was still in class. It was actually really nice to be by myself, strange as that sounds. I love my alone time. I was very proud of the deals I got, so it was a successful trip.

Friday morning I couldn't sleep. It was about 4am and I was hot and just plain not tired. I don't know what was wrong with me. So, rather than try and get myself back to sleep, I decided Rob shouldn't be sleeping either. I woke him up and we decided to go for a bike ride. Literally the perfect time of the day. We sat on our bench overlooking the incredible ocean with absolutely no one there. We watched dolphins feeding, seals, birds... It was like sea world for free with dolphins even doing tricks to keep our attention. It was cold and crisp and wonderful. We got home, made breakfast and then fell asleep 'till 1pm. It was a pretty lazy day due to my irregular sleeping patterns, but wow, do I love this man.

Saturday, the 4th, I got to sleep in a little and then we went to the beach with his family. I didn't bring a bathing suit with me, but it was so cold down there that I wouldn't have been in the water anyways. I figured because of the cold, sunscreen would be optional. Note to self : Red Heads can burn in the dark. The back of my legs and face got some color, and poor Rob's shoulders got fried. It was fun though, my first beach outing for the summer... and possibly my last just due to lack of time. Afterwards we decided to watch fireworks from the Santa Barbara Harbor. Rob has never done this before, so we felt like all the thousands of tourists there. In fact, this family with matching patriotic hats seemed to be following us everywhere... or we were following them. It started with them in the car next to us, then they were walking in front of us, and they seemed to know where they were going so we continued to follow them, knowing they would lead us to the events of the evening. We found a nice part on the beach and just laid down waiting for the fireworks, and then when they started we realized we were in the perfect spot. They were right above us! Incredible! Possibly my favorite 4th so far in this little life of mine. I had the fireworks, and I was cuddled up with my future husband. It seriously was perfect.

Sunday was a nice day at church, and then of course the somber mood of knowing I would be leaving at some point. I always hate those goodbyes. We both try to be fine with it, making it short, but it just plain sucks. I am always incredibly sad going home, and Mondays are just the worst. Last night the drive was especially hard to keep my eyes open and there are definite parts of the journey that I don't remember... certain parts, except the part where the cop pulled me over. Seriously, I owe this cop big time. Sure, he pulled me over and searched my car for alcohol. Sure, he embarrassed me completely and was sure I was drunk. Sure, he kept doing those stupid finger tests and asking the stupidest questions... but, had he not pulled me over I would've been in some serious trouble. I literally would have fallen asleep at the wheel. Not a good thing. So yes, sucks, but I was clearly swirving so he had every right to stop me... and there is always traffic school.

This weekend was incredible. I love being with Rob.. I don't know what it was about this weekend, but I fell in love all over again. We keep laughing at how this all happened and how exciting everything is, and I am just so happy to be on the journey to marry this man. The wedding keeps getting closer and the closer it gets the closer I want it to be! We had so many incredible talks this weekend, so many wonderful kisses, and so much laughter.. as I am sure most of you know. I have fallen in love with Rob once again, and 5000000 times harder this go around.

Fake Friday

This past week has been filled with a research paper of mine. I have been trying to gather information and reading all these studies to make sure I understand the issue perfectly. It was hard too, because my first thought was way too broad, and finally after a lot of reading I have narrowed it down. Child Sexual abuse among boys, the affects in adulthood, and the differences between genders in how this event is handled. Yes, you can say my brain is a little weirder than most. I don't know if I should admit that this sort of stuff fascinates me, but it really does. Somebodies gotta do it though.

I'm super excited because I get the day off tomorrow and so does Rob! Its almost like today is a Fake Friday! I am driving up there after work and we get 3 days together this weekend! I have no idea what we will do, I have just made a request for a hike of some sort because I know it will be beautiful weather. As far as the fourth.. I will have to get back to you because we have not figured out what we are doing. All I care about is fireworks at the beach! Its my favorite thing to do!

I have also decided that I am a cold weather person. You can quote me on this all you want, but all my life people have asked what weather suits me best and I never know what to answer and now I know. Cold weather most certainly suits me best. I love cold weather clothes, I love cold weather activities. I just like cold. I don't mind warm, and I don't mind cool, but hot is something I have found I really don't like. My hands swell, my feet swell, you sweat, I'm not a huge fan of bathing suits, I don't tan.. I think the only time I like hot weather and all that it entails, is when I am at Lake Powell (its the truth grandparents, I'm not saying this as a hint... although hints are always good). Yesterday I was cleaning and could not cool down. I opened my door in my room and tried to air the place out and nothing was working. I finally jumped in the coldest shower I have ever taken, well besides the ice burg of a shower I had in Big Bear, and it felt so much better. So yes, I am a cold weather person, and maybe this is a good thing I figured this out now, seeing as we are either moving to Idaho or Utah just in time for their cold season to really peak.