Jeff & Jill

For Jeff

2012-01-28T22:56:00.001-08:00

Jeff, this song reminds me of us...

Best New Year's Eve EVER!---Steps

2012-01-25T19:29:00.000-08:00

Steps for the Best New Year's Eve EVER:
1. Get a husband who plans surprise dates, a brother who's adventurous, and a sister-in-law who's willing to try something new (and maybe illlegal).

2. Go to your's and your brother's old elementary school across town (4 miles away from the strip).

3. Hop the chain link fence.

4. Push the dumpster to the wall of the school

5. Duck as 2 Police cars drive by

6. Shimmy up a pipe with the other 3 to arrive on the roof of the school

7. Climb up more to the 2nd story roof of the school (by way of a ladder this time)

8. Have a seat in the chairs the boys brought and sip some hot chocolate from the cooler they also brought (shinnnying up the pipe doesn't seem as easy any more does it?)

9. Count down to the New Year while looking at the perfect, unobstructed close view of the strip

10. Shout Happy New Year and watch the 12 hotels display their simultaneous and exact firework shows.

The End

And Then There was Golfing

2012-01-25T19:25:00.001-08:00

(In between Christmas and New Years that is)

Las Vegas Christmas

2012-01-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas Jeff and I had this year!

Family Christmas Eve Get-Together & Gift Exchange:

Getting cookies ready for Santa!!!

Reading Polar Express and Luke 2 [and watching A Christmas Story (no pictures of the latter, but then again, that's a given)]

Waiting for Santa:

It was a magical Christmas morning...especially when Adam, who was sleeping in Jeff and I's room, excitedly woke us up Christmas morning kicking and laughing and smiling :)

Christmas Day in the Mountains with more family and snow: :)

Merry Christmas to all...and to all, a goodnight.

Midnight Hockey

2012-01-06T23:35:00.000-08:00

A few days after Christmas, Ryan mentioned to Jeff and I that The Las Vegas Wranglers were playing a hockey game at midnight at the New Orleans Casino. Jeff wanted to go for the sport, and I wanted to go for the fights!! Okay, let me explain. I don't like fighting...I'm very against it. However, there are certain occasions in life where it is called for becuase someone did something really rude like took the puck away from you. When this happens, I'm all for it! Plus, it's just plain entertaining because the players can't hurt each other too much since they are both wobbling around in quarter-inch blades on ice while wearing huge helmets. We had a great time and (just for your information) there were five fights in total. Sorry...I know you're dissapointed that I don't have videos of the squabbles...next time though, next time.

Bridesmaid Party

2012-01-06T23:21:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends Jenny is getting married next year and asked me to be in her wedding :) Over the break, while we were all in town, the four of us got together and went bowling! Jenny did a great job surprising us with matching shirts. Thanks for the fun time girls!

Skiing the Slopes

2012-01-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

It was my first time skiing and I only fell down twice! Surprisingly good, right? I'm not for sure, but maybe my experience with ice skating helped a bit. Jeff, my dad, and I had a great time at Mt. Charleston in Las Vegas.

My grandma went with us to watch and to coach me, since she used to be a member of the ski patrol there years ago.

Honestly, I was slightly self-consious about my crazy outfit that day. Many of the other skiiers were wearing bright pink jackets with cute white ski pants, and I was doting this. I guess my excuse is that since I'd never been skiing before, I don't own ski clothes, so I used my dad's (no offense daddy) :)

I got bored with the Bunny Hill after the first try and went down the "Intermediate Hill" the rest of the day. My favorite part, however, was the Ski Lift...what a FUN ride! If you've never been on one, but don't want to ski, I'd highly recommend just going and riding all day.

Tooth Extraction...Ugh

2012-01-06T22:13:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I flew into Las Vegas for Christmas on December 21st (myself with a very bad toothache that's been there since March). Trying to ignore it and focus on Christmas...it just got worse. After discussing the matter in the past with dentists, endodontists, and oral surgeons and receiving three root canals on the same tooth, and learning I had an infection that had begun eating away the bone of my poor tooth, I decided to have it removed the next day. Nothing says "excited for Christmas" like having your tooth sawed into 7 pieces and pulled out three days beforehand, right?

It wasn't the worst experience of my life...(that award goes to the pulling of my 4 wisdom teeth in high school), but it sure wasn't pleasant. The surgery came with all the accessories: the gauge, the pain medication, the gaping hole in the very back of my mouth, the soft foods, etc. In fact, I've never taken pain medication before and I hope never to again. The stuff made me feel similar to what I assume it would feel like to be drunk. I tried to help my mom by putting out dinner for the Christmas Eve get-together, and after noticing several of my odd behaviors, like overflowing the bowl of potato salad and wobbling my way around the kitchen she politely said, "Actually, thanks anyway honey, but I think I'll take it from here." The good news was that by Christmas day the pain had almost completely subsided and I was no longer in need of the medicine (I was very grateful and threw it away).

Here are some Before and After Surgery Pictures: (Yes they look the same becuase the tooth that's now missing is, again, in the very back of my mouth, but I've always wanted to post some Before and After Pictures on my blog)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I miss my tooth, but will be getting an implant soon...and I'll let you know how that goes.

Kinder Classroom Please! With a Side of Disney

2011-12-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

Drum Roll Please....Here it is!

The First Thanksgiving...

2011-11-25T13:19:00.001-08:00

...on our own anyway :) We stayed home and had a Wonderful Thanksgiving meal with our friends Sam and Christian. We each made some of the dishes and had a great time.

We cooked our first Turkey (thanks for your help mom!) And even though I was disgusted at first with everything that entails,

it turned out pretty well.

I bought these chocolate bars...

and covered them with some scrap booking paper...

to make place settings.

And while Jeff was at the store buying whip cream for our pumpkin pie, he surprised me and brought me home this beautiful boquet of fall flowers inside a cornucopia!

We made stuffing, green bean casserole, Pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce and the turkey. And they brought sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and apple pie, gravy, corn, and TX Roadhouse rolls!!!

It was a wonderful day to reflect on all the blessings we have. Happy Thanksgiving :)

Craft Night

2011-11-25T13:12:00.001-08:00

These are some of the crafts I made at our Relief Society Craft Night last week. I was really happy with how they turned out!

Happiest Place on Earth...take 317

2011-11-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

...at least I'm pretty sure that's how many times my family has been to Disneyland...well, maybe 318, I can't be positive ;) But it never gets old this time it was even more magical because the twins LoVeD it!

During the car ride we sang songs and played games...

...and we even stopped to get dinner with Jeff's brother B.J., Brandi, and our nephews Bennet and Cameron. It was a great pitstop :)

To make it even more magical, the first thing we saw when we walked into the park was Mickey Mouse!!!

We rode on the carousel, saw Rapunzel and Flynn Rider,

and were guests at a Princess Character Breakfast! We saw Ariel, Belle, Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Best part of the whole trip!

We rode on Dumbo too. Adam and I rode together, Mom and Rachel, and...Dad and Jeff. Hilarious.

and then...

Halloween Pumpkins

2011-11-25T11:42:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I got a big and little pumpkin this year, so we decided to fit the carvings with the pumpkin sizes; We made Sully and Mike Wazowski from Monster's Inc. They turned out pretty cute :)

Coming Soon...

2011-11-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

Our recent family trip to the Happiest Place on Earth

My Relief Society Craft Night Projects

Pictures of my new Kinder Classroom

See ya soon! :)

Our Apartment + New Furniture

2011-10-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that finally, after several your requests to blog about our El Paso apartment, I have finally done it. I've been wanting to put pictures on our blog of our new place, but I had to wait for our new bedroom set to arrive! It turns out, after 2 years of marriage, we still had enough wedding gift money saved up to buy a bedroom set, and we finally got it! (Thanks to my daddy for helping us arrange it since he happened to be down that same weekend :) So, here it is...our new apartment (We feel so lucky and blessed to have it):

Our entrance floor mat:

Entrance Hall:

Living Room:

Sun Room: (Don't Ask...that's what it was called in the brochure) ;)

Dining Area:

Kitchen:

Second Bedroom:

Our Bedroom:

Quick Update

2011-09-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

Lately:

-I started taking a Zumba class for exercise...love it!

-Jeff got a 90% on his BIG summative medical school exam.

-I am taking X-rays of people's teeth at an orthodontic office.

-I have had three interviews for teaching positions...we'll see!

-Our new bedroom set will be arriving on the 1st of October.

-On average, we eat one watermelon in two days...beat that!

-I am trying new crock-pot recipes I've never tried before and they're turning out great!

-We just booked our flights for a trip to Disneyland with my family *MaGiCaL*

-ALMOST finished with the Hunger Games series, and I don't want it to end.

-I got SO excited when I saw pumpkins at the grocery store!

-I am loving watching episodes of my favorite old TV show 'Hey Arnold.'

-I bought oatmeal-raisin cookie hand soap from Bath & Body Works.

-Jeff bought me a pretty pink Gerber daisy.

-We discovered a tasty self-serve frozen yogurt place in El Paso (feels like Provo now!)

-I care more about BYU football (maybe it's because I miss being in Provo for the games?)

-I got a big bonus at work last month!

-We were called to be Sunday School teachers of the 15-16 yr. old class.

-Jeff and I are in love (well, that's not just lately, it's always, but I thought I'd throw it in there :)

The End

Forget Not...

2011-09-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight was very inspirational. As I listened to President Uctdorf speak to the women of the church in our General Relief Society Broadcast, I heard many things I needed to be reminded of. It centered around Forget-Me-Nots...

The five Petals of the Forget-Me-Not flower remind us of 5 things we should never forget:

1. Forget Not to be patient with yourself. Sometimes, we look at our successes as small, not good enough in comparison to others, but remember this...no success is small to our Heavenly Father.

2. Forget Not the difference between a positive and a useless sacrifice of your time. It probably isn't necessary to stay up all hours of the night finishing the fashion accessory for the dress you'll be wearing the next day. However, it is a good use of your time to lose a few hours of sleep caring for a family memeber who became ill in the middle of the night.

3. Forget Not to be happy. Remember the story of the Golden Ticket in Willie Wonka? Eventually, the joy of the candy bar was lost unless a golden ticket was found. In life, don't wait for someone to hand you your Golden Ticket, be grateful for the delicious candy bar.

4. Forget Not the WHY of the Gospel. Make sure you are understanding the real and purposeful reason behind the things you're doing, instead of making them into something to cross off a checklist.

5. Forget Not that you are not forgotten...that Heavenly Father loves you. That you are a daughter of God. You are known and loved by the most supreme and majestic being in the entire universe.

I'm so grateful to belong to a church that I know has the fullness of the truth of the restored gospel, and for the loving words of counsel we receive to remind us of the things we should "Forget Not."

Youth Conference in the heart of Texas...well El Paso anyway.

2011-08-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

A lot of the younger couples in our stake got asked to volunteer at the Youth Conference activities last weekend.

Growing up, I LOVED Youth Conference, so I was way excited to help out.

On the TX Themed Friday night, we led 250 kids teenagers in get-to know-you games, had a BBQ dinner and a 3-hr. dance with yes, surprise bull riding! I'd never done it before, but I tried it and actually stayed on for a good amount of time. Jeff was the first to try it out while the kids were on the opposite side of the gym for a fireside. Timing being perfect as it was, Jeff was riding the bull really fast when the wall separators opened up, the youth came through, and screamed with excitement to see Jeff on the bull.

It was great fun to be a chaperon for the first time at a church dance and to remember what it was like at that age, standing in a circle with all your girlfriends when a slow song came on, wondering who'd ask you to dance, doing the electric slide and the Cotton-Eye-Joe, and being the first few people to start a train and then have the entire group join in. And Jeff and I did all of this...except for the wondering who would ask you to dance part ;)
;

Yee Haw!

Thirsty Anyone?

2011-08-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I finally decided to get going on our food/water storage. We've have realized that it's kind of a trial and error thing. For instance, we recycled a lot of Gatorade bottles and filled them up with water first. Then we figured that wasn't the best approach because our entire fridge was full of 1/2 liter bottles and there was no room left for other fridge necessities...(you know, like food). Plus we only had about 3 gallons of water in total. So we got THIS...

...HUGE 55 Gallon Monster-sized water drum from the Pepsi Company. When we got it, there was still about 4 cups of pepsi rolling around in the bottom of the barrel, so we rinsed it out in the bathtub (I wish we'd gotten pictures of that) and started filling it. We finally got into a groove where we would each bring one pitcher to the barrel and dump it in while the other pitcher was filling with water. Jeff had the bathroom sink and I had the kitchen sink. After an hour and a half of walking back and forth, the barrel was filled, weighing over 400 lbs. And of course, a huge water fight broke out between the two of us close to the end. So, if you ever are without water, come on over! Petty sure we have enough for you and your posterity down to the 3rd generation.

Tribute to Friends

2011-08-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

I once got a decorative sign for my birthday that said, "In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips." Lately, I have been thinking about how much my friends mean to me. They truly are one of my greatest blessings. From memories that make you laugh, cry, or just smile... to the anticipation of the future and the memories waiting to be made, my friends really make life sweeter. Thank you friends. Love, Jill :)

End of an Era

2011-07-20T20:01:00.001-07:00

Warning: This post may seem overly dramatic and cheesy to those who don't know about my love for the Harry Potter Series (actually, it may even seem that way to those who do).

Harry Potter has been a part of my life since I was 11. It's weird to think it's actually over. As Jeff and I left the midnight showing on 7.15.11, I had to keep reminding myself there wouldn't be another book or movie. It's complete. It was a bitter-sweet moment for me as I watched the last few seconds of the film and stared at the three characters who have brought such fun and anticipation to my life for the past 11 years. I teared up as the Hogwarts Hymn played, and the screen faded to black. "To Harry Potter...the greatest series of all time."

06/06/11

2011-07-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

This post is totally out of order, but it must be done! For Jeff's birthday, I surprised him by taking him to Tucanos where I planned for his entire family to surprise him by meeting us there. It was a great day. He got sung to at the restaurant, I made him a Mint Chocolate Chip cake, and he got some great gifts. Happy Birthday Jeff :)

Ode to Rachel

2011-07-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

Rachey...

You are SO cute!...

How did I get so lucky to be your Aunt?...

I miss you...

And LOVE YOU!

(I love you too Adam) :)

White Coat Ceremony

2011-07-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, my dad flew in from Las Vegas to attend Jeff's White Coat Ceremony. This ceremony is for all the medical students at Texas Tech Paul L. Foster School of Medicine who are beginning medical school. During the ceremony, each of the students is called up, shakes hands with the president of the school, receives their white doctor's coat, and recites a medical oath with the rest of the class. This year, 2,700 students applied and only 85 were admitted. Of those 85, Jeff is one of the two that is not a TX resident. Congratulations Jeff!

Medical School!

2011-07-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

This is Jeff on his first day of medical school, with his lunch I packed him and his new backpack! The weeks before medical school, I kept asking what he needed for his first day..."New folders? New binders? New Taiconderoga pencils? New Crayons?" (I guess it's the teacher in me...I LOVE first days of school!) He said he didn't need any of that, probably just his laptop for the first day. I guess the new backpack's a start, after all, you have to have something new on your first day of school! I love you Jeff!
Here's to the next __?__years!

Robbers Already?

2011-07-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

One morning as Jeff was leaving for school, he gave me a kiss goodbye (I woke up less than halfway), I heard him go out the front door, and fell right back to sleep. An hour later, I thought I heard some voices and I sleepily figured, it's probably Jeff talking on his phone. "Wait a minute," I thought, "Jeff's not at home!" After this realization, I was fully awake, alert...and scared as I laid in bed...listening. Again I heard voices, louder this time. They were hispanic and they were laughing and speaking in tongues I could not understand. I immediately covered my head with blankets...still listening and trying to improvise a plan for the robbers that had somehow found their way into my apartment this morning. I thought, "Maybe I'll just lay here, and they won't notice me. No Jill, that's not very smart...you've gotta do something before they steal all your cute decorations and big screen TV!" So I flung the covers off my head, sat up in bed, and yelled..."HELLO?" In response to my inquiry, the voices stopped and I heard, "Hello? Hi...Maintenance! We didn't know anyone was here. There's a severe water leak and we came to fix it. We knocked and yelled to make sure nobody was home but we didn't get an answer so we let ourselves in to fix it." At this point I was: relieved that they weren't robbers (the maintenance guys for our apartment complex are actually really friendly), frustrated that management allows their maintenance workers to go into an apartment that has no answer (It's not my fault I'm a deep sleeper), and humored because well...it was just a funny situation. What a warm welcome to El Paso :)

New Bathroom...New Colors

2011-07-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

As we moved into our new place, I got really excited when I realized we had an extra bathroom. We already had a theme for our one bathroom in Provo...golf, but now there were more possibilities (I'm sure Jeff thinks I'm weird that that's what I was excited about, but you girls understand) I decided on a black, white, and red color theme, and with my mom's help we found decorations for it. This is how it turned out...

Fourth Festivities

2011-07-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I decided to be very domestic for the 4th of July and made a cherry pie and cupcakes. We decorated them with stars, stripes, and red, white, and blue. Happy 4th!

Mohlman Family Pictures/California Trip

2011-07-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

After our cruise, Jeff and I went to California with his family to visit B.J., Brandi, our nephew Bennet, their newborn baby (and our new nephew) Cameron. We had an awesome time there. We went to the beach (and there saw two dolphins do several high leaps out of the waves), took family pictures,and went to an Angels Baseball game. We love family!

We also saw some nuns hanging out on the beach, it was great...HaHa!

Pretty Darn Cute

2011-07-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

My niece and nephew had their 3rd birthday last month and Adam lately is very into Pink and Barbies and Princesses. So, for their birthdays, they each got a small bike, one green Diego bike and one pink Barbie bike. Adam claimed the pink one, the crowns, and one of the pink satin sashes :)

Surprise!

2011-06-26T19:06:00.001-07:00

Monday, June 20th was our 2 year anniversary and a few weeks before it, Jeff and I realized that we would be apart on that day! He would be at our new apartment in El Paso while I would be driving down from Vegas to El Paso with my mom. I had a friend's wedding to attend the Saturday before and Jeff and I figured I could go to Las Vegas to attend the wedding while he, his dad, and brother moved all out things to El Paso. While making these plans, it didn't even cross our minds that we wouldn't be together on the 20th.

So, on that Monday, my mom and I started the drive. She told me we'd drive until Phoenix and then stop for the night and continue to TX the next day. I thought it sounded like a good plan, and although I was a little sad that day, it being my anniversary and not seeing Jeff, my mom and I had a nice time together. At about 4:00, I feel asleep as my mom was driving and I woke up 2 hours later to a knock on my car window. I woke up and saw Jeff outside my window at the Phoenix airport with a dozen red roses. I was so surprised and so happy! My mom had been in on it the whole time.

We dropped my mom off at her hotel and then Jeff took me to an amazing restaurant called "The Compass" in Phoenix, which is an elegant circular restaurant, located on the 24th floor of a Hyatt resort in downtown Phoenix. The entire restaurant rotates, so in the 2 hours we were there, we saw the entire city, the sunset, and the city lights. After dinner, Jeff told me about an amazing hotel/resort he'd found reservations for online, and the best part was, it was on a golf course :)

Moral of the story...I have the most wonderful husband in the world! :)

Goodbye Provo-Things We Will Miss

2011-06-06T12:23:00.001-07:00

Provo, UT has been referred to as "The Bubble" since the beginning of time, but we really like the bubble and it will be sad to leave after four great college years here. Here's what we will miss the most:

-Walking outside on Sunday and seeing home and visiting teaching companions walking to their appointments
-So many friends within a 5-7 minute walk from your apartment
-Yogurtland, Earth Fruits Yogurt, Yoasis, Yozone, Spoon It Up, Spoon Me, Golden Spoon...
-Attending church at the chapel next to the BYU football stadium
-Walking on BYU's beautiful campus
-Your entire ward on one street
-Renting Tandem Bikes and biking past the Provo River
-Tucanos Brazilian Grill
-Wilson Diamonds Store
-The Movies 8 Dollar Theatre
-BYU merchandise in every and any store
-The BYU/Utah rivalry games
-The tune of 'Come Come Ye Saints' played every hour at the Bell Tower
-Sitting in Denny's and hearing the conversations behind you:
"I just prayed about it and I felt it was right,"
"The scriptures tell us..."
"My friend, he's just so...Christlike!"
-Working at Campus Craft & Floral
-The Creamery on 9th
-The CougarEat
-Snow
-The Police Beat in the Daily Universe newspaper (always good for a laugh)
-The Y on the mountain
-7 temples within an hour drive
-Having a picnic outside and before you know it, having 3 other couples from the ward walk by and stop to talk.
-Pink Trees in the Springtime
-Iceberg
-Driving by the dorms and remembering
-BYU Divine Comedy Shows
-Brick Oven Pizza
-Memories

When my family first dropped me off at college in Provo, my sister Amy said, "Jill, you're going to miss this someday. I've only been graduated for a few years and I miss it everyday." When she said that, I thought, "I can't really see that." Four years later, I definitely can. Although we are excited about Texas, we'll miss "The Bubble." Bye Provo, thanks for all the wonderful times.

Graduation Vacation

2011-05-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

As a graduation gift, my parents sent us on a 7-day Caribbean cruise to a private island in Haiti, Jamaica, the Grand Cayman Islands, and Cozumel, Mexico! We had such a wonderful time and to top it off, we went to Harry Potter World in Universal Studios and the Magic Kingdom in Disney World before we came home. College was definitely worth it :)

Boarding the ship

Inside the ship

Delicious food in the Windjammer Cafe

This is what Jeff was excited about...

This is what I was excited about...

Love Connection Drinks at the Piano Bar :)

Escargot...Bleh!

Freedom of the Seas-2nd Largest Ship in the World

Kayaking in a Local Haitian Village

I felt like I was in a Vacation Magazine...it was so relaxing

Tubing down the White River in Jamaica..."Ya Mon!"

We were soaking wet after climbing the 600 ft. cascading waterfall of Dunns River Falls

On our way to swim with Stingrays

See the dark spots in the water? All Stingrays!

Kissing and holding ocean stingrays

Turtle Farm

This turtle was SO heavy...hence my huge muscles ;)

We had the amazing experience to swim with Dolphins! We weren't allowed to take pictures with our own camera, and the price for those they took was 30 dollars each, but we figured we had to have this one :)

The water is so clear, you can see to the bottom!

Weird art on the Ship...who knows?

I've grown accustomed to having a towel on my bed each night, folded into a unique animal shape. Now that I'm home, I'm having withdrawals. If you know of any local towel folding classes, sign us up.

Cozumel, MX

Snorkeling in Mexico by catamaran

More Sunsets

We loved the ice skating rink on the cruise ship, all except that we had to wear these lovely helmets.

A talent we picked up on our vacation...we'll have to teach you sometime.

If you don't like Harry Potter, you might not be quite as interested in the following blog pictures as we are. And if this is the case, we will also have to disown you as friends ;) We had the most AmAzInG time in Harry Potter World in Universal Studios, FL after our cruise and felt like we were in the J.K Rowling books. From Zonkos Joke Shop to Hogwarts 9 3/4, everything was there. If you're looking for a magical time, we would highly recommend it.

Entering Harry Potter World

Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans

Inside Honeydukes Candy Shop in Hogsmead

My new favorite Treat:

Hogwarts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can now say I've eaten at the Three Broomsticks :)

When I ordered a turkey leg and a Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, I didn't quite visualize it like this.

The Hogshead

The Mirror of Erised

Ice Cream Break at Universal

Part 3 of Graduation Vacation: *Magic Kingdom*

Our All Sport's DIsney Resort Hotel

Towels inside our Hotel Room...they're not animals, but they ARE Mickey, which is better anyway

I couldn't decide which hat was best, so I tried them all...

Ice Cream somehow tastes better when it's in the shape of Mickey Mouse

...and they lived *Happily Ever After*

BYE BYU

2011-04-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

After four wonderful years of college at Brigham Young University, Jeff and I graduated! It was a wonderful day to look back on all the fun and academically challenging times we've had. Along with the two of us, Jeff's sister Andrea and her husband Ryan graduated as well, so three families came to Provo to celebrate our graduation. BYE BYU

...After a life time of school, NOW what do I do?!? Hmm...Cruise to the Caribbean with Jeff? YES! (Thanks mom & dad) ;)

MRS ?

2011-03-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today, one boy from another class came up to me. Here's how the conversation went:
BOY: "Uh, Mrs. Mohlman...can I call you Mrs. Dig?"
ME: "Mrs. Dig? Why?"
BOY: "Because Moles dig!"
ME: "Uh...no."

"If You Had All the Money in the World..."

2011-03-19T23:27:00.001-07:00

Last wednesday, Carsen was the student of the week. As such, he got to share a little bit about himself and then answer questions from his classmates. Kenny sincerely asked, "Carsen, if you had all the money in the world..................where would you go out to eat?" Hmm...Alright?

Deep Science Questions in Fifth Grade

2011-03-07T18:55:00.000-08:00

Today, as I was teaching my fifth graders, I was priding myself in my effective teaching of matter and how it "can neither be created nor destroyed." The entire class seemed to have a solid grasp on the concept and everything was going along peachily............until Kyle raised his hand and asked, "but Mrs. Mohlman, when we make babies, isn't THAT matter that is being created?" Now, let's put this on pause for just a second. What would YOU have answered if you were given a split second to think of an answer when 31 students are staring at you and asking, "Yeah! What about that?" That's right...your response wouldn't have been any better than mine was. "Uh....ask your mom!" In all honesty, I thought of a million great answers to his questions later, many of them involving mitosis and meiosis. I guess now the thing to do is be the responsible teacher and call him back tomorrow to explain why matter is still not being created, as to not scar him for life because his teacher didn't care enough to answer his questions. But who knows, by tomorrow morning he probably will have already forgotten he even asked,

Never A Dull Moment/Student Teaching Stories

2011-02-16T19:40:00.001-08:00

1. "Mrs. Mohlman, what hotel do you live in in Las Vegas?"

2. Danny gave me a nickel and a penny for my Valentines Day gift. Unfortunately, I had to tell him that teachers could not accept money from students, but that I sure appreciated that he was nice enough to give them to me. He took it well.

3. Calin cried because he didn't win the fourth grade science fair.

4. "Can I go to the bathroom?" "Can I get a drink?"

5. I found a note on the floor from Shayna to Danny. It said, "Happy Valentines Day Danny! I know there are a lot of people who say I like you but I want you to know I don't, well I do as a friend because I think you are nice. If you ever want to email me, my email address is shayna......"

6. A few girls came up to me and told me that a boy's chair was wet. Great! To stop rumors from spreading, I told them he had probably spilled water. Later, I looked at his jeans, and sure enough, he had wet his pants. Ho Hum...

7. "Can I go to the bathroom?" "Can I get a drink?"

8. Addy drew me a picture yesterday. It said, "To Mrs. Moholoman. A Christmas Dress..." (with a picture of a red and green dress). A little late, but still very festive.

9. I had to ask Ethan to stop talking about 6 times during a 10 minute period today, which he did not comply to. I later asked him what was going on and why he hadn't listened to me. He explained, "Well, it's just that my imaginary friend was talking a lot to me, and I couldn't really ignore him." (*Silence as I was trying to figure out how to respond*) "Oh," I said. "Well, it might be a good idea to remind your imaginary friend that seat-work is a no-talking time. That way, he wont be a distraction to you." "OKAY!" he agreed.

10. "Can I go to the bathroom?" "Can I get a drink?"

11. During silent reading time (that the students have done for 109 straight school days in a row), Cade came up to me and asked, "I can't exactly remember......umm.....are we allowed to....uh.....draw right now?" I just looked at him and I think he got the point.

12. Spencer kicked Hannah's jacket across the room as hard as he could because it had fallen off the ground and was in his way. When I said, "Spencer!!??!!" he looked at me and said, "What?? What did I do?"

13. "Can I go to the bathroom?" "Can I get a drink?"

14. Melvin came up to me in tears and said, "Mrs. Mohlman? No one has come up to look at my science project poster. After consoling him I whispered to Cade to go over and ask Melvin what his poster was about, how he did his project, etc. Melvin came to me again later and said, "Mrs. Mohlman! Guess What?!? Someone came to look at my poster!"

15. Danny flipped off the PE teacher pretty aggressively and with both fingers last Wednesday.

16. Cade gave me a Valentine with licorice on it that said, "I'd feel 'VINE' if you'd be mine!"

17. "Can I go to the bathroom?" "Can I get a drink?"

18. Linsey marketed a new line of writing tools. She collects feathers from her chickens, washes them, sprays them with air freshener, sticks a piece of .5 mechanical pencil lead up the hollow part of the feather-end, and sells them for 25 cents. I thought I'd contribute to the cause, and when I did, she also included a paper entitled, "Chic Pens" and a lifetime warranty.

19. Jake consistently lies upside sown in his chair, with his head touching the floor and his feet in the air. I gently remind him 27 times a day that he should sit in his chair properly.

20. Linsey says to me every day before she leaves, "Goodbye Mrs. Mohlman! I'll miss you!"

Mohlman Family Photos :)

2011-01-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

Student Teaching

2011-01-07T15:52:00.000-08:00

Shortest Blog Post Ever! STOP. I am now student teaching. STOP. 4th grade. STOP. I love it. STOP. I am extremely busy. STOP. The teacher work sample is long. STOP. So,unfortunately I don't expect to post for a little while. STOP. But keep checking! STOP. :)

Unfortunate Fortune

2010-12-22T20:06:00.000-08:00

What fortune cookie has the nerve to say to me....

I mean...really! When my in-laws and I were at The Mandarin restaurant and I opened this fortune and read it aloud, they all burst out laughing as I sat there with my scarves, bracelets, mittens, necklaces, hats, boots, rings, and earrings on. Pretty Sure this fortune is mistaken.

White Christmas

2010-12-22T19:39:00.001-08:00

This Christmas will be my first one away from home, so it will definately be different, but still lots of fun. In Bountiful with Jeff's family, it's looking like it will be a white Christmas so far. Having never built a real snowman before, I decided to take advantatge of the weather and convinced Jeff and my sister-in-law Lizzy to build one with me. This is how it turned out...how cute :)

We got a little sidetracked...

...but then got back on task while finding chocolate chips in the fridge to make the snowman's smile :)

Cosmo Cougar

2010-12-15T20:34:00.001-08:00

Everyone at BYU knows that it is a necessity to get your picture taken with Cosmo Cougar sometime before you graduate!......."Check!"

Random

2010-12-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

I realized one week ago that I need to work on translating acronyms. I saw this sign and yelled to Jeff, "Look! Free Hobo Breakfast!!! That's so nice of them!" Okay...enough said.

My Best Friend's Wedding

2010-12-15T20:26:00.001-08:00

Isn't it the best when movies happen in real life? Or at least the title of the movie anyway? We had a wonderful time in Vegas (again!) celebrating Lexi and Elvis' wedding. Honestly, there are few things that make me happier than a new marriage. Because of this...I am seriously contemplating being a wedding planner when I grow up. (Too bad I'm almost finished with my degree...NOT in Wedding Planning) ;)

Vegas Visit...again/again!

2010-12-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure our visits to Las Vegas have reached an all time high this semester...hooray! This time for Thanksgiving, we stayed a whole week and while visiting we: played with/watched movies with the twins, went to the Bass Pro Shop to visit Santa Odd place to see santa? I think Yes! (especially since Santa never showed up. But at least we got to sit on all the cool motorcycles and boats they had), decorated "The Tree" (tradition), said goodbye to "The Tree," as it was our last year decorating it, visited the Magical Forest at Opportunity Village, and listened to Jeff and my Grandpa play electric guitars together, until my dad decided to join in with his accordion....then we all just laughed.

Murder Mystery Party

2010-12-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

So, pretty much everyone that knows me knows that I can't take anything in the least bit scary...so when we were invited to a murder mystery party that our friends were hosting, never having been to one before, I didn't know what to expect. But, of course, it wasn't scary at all, but tons of fun. We dressed in fifties garb and had a fantastic time!

Visit to Vegas...again!

2010-12-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

This particular visit to Vegas was extra fun! Two of my very good high school friends, Justin and Matt returned from their missions and were preparing for their church homecoming talks that weekend, so we decided to have a high school reunion with our frriends who happened to be down (we missed you Oliver and Lexi! ) We also spent a lot of time with family, as always! Thanks Mom, Dad, Ry, Amy, Rachey, and Adam for the fun time!

Homecoming...The Dance

2010-10-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

So, I realized that getting ready for a Homecoming dance when your date is already living with you is much different than Homecoming in High School when your date picks you up at the door and sees you in your formal garb for the first time. Because I like traditions, before we left, I made Jeff close his eyes whenever he came near me, as I was determined not to let him see me all ready before he "picked me up" for the dance. As soon as our friends Ryan and Chelsea came over to double with us, I told Jeff he could open his eyes :) We all walked out to the car together, as I told Jeff traditional things like, "It's so good to see you!" "Thanks for picking me up," and "This will be a lot of fun!" (Some of you might think these traditions are cheesy, but I pretty much live by them :)The dance was at an aquarium in Sandy, UT. We had a great time making Message-in-a-Bottle crafts, dancing, looking at the eels, penguins, jellyfish (this was my favorite part as it reminded me of Dory in Finding Nemo, "Boing BOING, BOING!!!"), eating crapes, and taking lots and lots of pictures. When the night ended, and Jeff was walking me up to our door, I said, "I had a great time! Thanks for taking me to Homecoming" :)

Homecoming...The Answering

2010-10-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

NOW for a creative an cute answer...CANDY! The next day I went to the store and bought several boxes of candy to use in my answer to Jeff. As you can see by the pictures below, a trail of notes an candy said, "Hey BIG HUNK! I can't believe a HOT TAMALE like you asked me out! You were a LIFESAVER to ask! When you did, I was filled with (ALMOND) JOY and got BUTTERFINGERS! It would be GOOD AND PLENTY to go to the dance with you! Love, your SWEETTART."

Homecoming...The Asking

2010-10-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

Remember how good you felt when you came home, went up to your room, and saw that you had been asked to a high school dance in a creative and cute way? Well, just a few days ago, I felt like I was in High School again as I came home find I had been asked to BYU's Homecoming dance by Jeff. A trail of flower pictures led me from our front door into our bathroom where I found a pretty blue betta fish swimming around in the tub, a bouquet of flowers, and a note that said, "Of all the fish in the sea, I choose you to go to Homecoming with me!" Aww...thanks Jeff! After we placed the flowers in water and got Bubbles' new fish tank set up, I immediately called my mom and had her overnight me one of my past "dance dresses." Thanks mom!

Cowboy/Cowgirl Training

2010-09-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

My Aunt owns three horses in Las Vegas on a ranch, so Jeff and I decided to saddle up our horse-riding skills. On Labor day, we trotted and galloped and raced each other on the horses. Jeff almost got bucked off by his horse, "Sister." In fact, we became so good in those 45 minutes of riding that we are seriously considering entering the next Kentucky Derby (that's the one where they race horses, right?)

"You & Me Goin Fishing in the Dark"

2010-09-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I aren't really fishers, but this song inspired us to go. We borrowed some fishing poles and worms and went to try our luck. When I first caste my line, the worm flew off into the water...oops...poor worm. And when Jeff first caste his line, it got stuck in a huge bush. By the time we fixed both mistakes, it was getting dark and the bugs were everywhere, so we decided try one last time and...caught nothing. So we left...empty handed and happy about it.

I Need More SHOES!!!

2010-09-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

It's true...I do! Well, I'm pretty sure I do...okay maybe not. When we had new carpet put in a few weeks ago, we had to move everything out of our closet, and then put everything back in afterwards. Jeff's lived with me for a year, but maybe he just hadn't noticed the excess of shoes I owned until now...because as I was stacking all of them, he exclaimed, "OH MY GOSH!" and ran to get the camera.

I wasn't done putting all of them in yet, so this is only half of them. But hey, if the shoe fits...buy it in every color, right? RIGHT!

In a "Fort" Night

2010-08-10T12:00:00.001-07:00

Remember building forts in your living room as a kid? And then watching Disney movies while falling asleep under it? Jeff and I wanted to relive that, so we did!

Wedding Recption/Bountiful/Seattle/Canada!

2010-08-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

"I LOVE weddings! Drinks all around!!!" (~Captain Jack Sparrow) I agree! But not because of the drinks (there were none) but because it was Jeff's sister's wedding! Andrea and Ryan got married in the Bountiful Temple a few weeks ago, and I got to do the centerpieces for the reception! On top of that, the reception center was the same one Jeff and I had ours at; Needless to say it brought back wonderful memories :)

Braiding Lizzy's hair the night before the wedding (she wanted curls in the morning...

...So Jeff thought he would help :)

While all the other pictures were going on, some of Jeff's siblings and I decided to have our own photo shoot...

...They turned out nicely...don't you think?

"Postcard Picture!"

A picture with the Bride

A picture with Ryan's little sister, Faith.

Here are the Centerpieces I did; So fun to do!

Even Jeff helped!!!

Putting my floral arranging skills to use :)

Andrea's sketch of the centerpieces/My referral sheet

So, an interesting thing happened at the reception...People decorated the Bride and Groom's car, but unfortunately, they rode off an a surprise tandem bike instead, leaving me with one thought..."We can't let the car go to waste!!" Jeff and his brother Spencer agreed, and proceeded to pose by, around, and in the car while I took the pictures...priceless.

Farewell to the Bountiful reception...

...And hello to the Seattle one! Jeff, his dad, and his brother drove to Seattle a few days before my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and I FLEW there...us lucky ducks :)

When we first arrived, we all went to see the famous Space Needle, and of course I, being from Vegas said..."It looks just like the Stratosphere!" (Jeff informed me that it was the other way around).

Mount Rainier!

Sisters!

Yes...we DID decorate the car. We had to get them back for tricking us at the Bountiful reception!

We figured we might as well get more use of the car-window markers by writing this on Jeff's family's car (Yes, we did get a few honks throughout the trip!)

Below the Seattle reception area, there was a beautiful beach...

On the ferry to Vancouver Island in Canada, Jeff and I had to do the Titanic pose...after all, I had my Heart of the Ocean Necklace on, and you can't pass up an opportunity like that!

While in Canada, we visited the famous Buchart Gardens. We had alot of fun taking pictures of the most beautiful and random things.

My new favorite flower!!

Wah Lah! What a wonderful trip!! :)

Delightful Disney Days :)

2010-07-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

There are a few things I love most in this world: My Family, My Husband, Flip Flops...and DISNEYLAND. Better yet, I love when all of these things are combined and last week...they were. Spending one full day at the beach and two full days at Disneyland eating churros, watching fireworks, riding favorite rides, eating long-stick colorful lollipops,buying more fuzzy pink princess pens, walking down Mainstreet USA, getting soaked on Splash Mountain at midnight, laughing at my twin niece and nephew, taking pictures with Mickey and Minnie, and so many more magical memories...

..."Remember, this all started with a mouse."

Happy 4th!

2010-07-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

This fourth of July, Jeff and I spent the weekend in Bountiful with Jeff's family. While there, we had a huge water fight, lit off fireworks, and made some necklaces out of flowers from their backyard. Of all these fun things, I only got pictures of the necklaces so they will have to do for this blog post...Happy Independence Day!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2010-07-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Our First Anniversary...Wow! Has it really been a year? Yep! (and the best one of of our lives). To celebrate, we spent the night at a popular hotel called the Anniversary Inn in Salt Lake City. The hotel features many rooms each centered around a variety of themes. After looking for weeks at the many choices (African Safari, Mysteries of Egypt, Twilight, Romeo & Juliet, Secret Garden, Swiss Family Robinson, etc) we finally decided on one of my favorites...The Phantom of the Opera. Upon arriving at our temporary abode, I found half a dozen of these lovely long-stemmed roses waiting for me.

The room was amazing...Phantom-themed murals painted on the walls, a TV with red curtains around it, portraying a stage,

free, sparkling cider and cheesecake,

and an amazingly huge bathroom with a jetted tub.

What a great First Anniversary...Here's to the next wonderful year :)

I LoVe Weddings

2010-06-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

I love weddings and everything about them. That's why I loved this past Saturday. Jeff's cousin Tricia got married and we spent the whole day celebrating (the selaing in the morning, a luncheon in the afternoon, and a recption at night). We had fun spending time with family and looking at the beautiful scenary outside the recption. I'm not really sure why I love weddings so much. I suppose it's becuase they remind me of fairy tales coming true...

With Sugar on Top

2010-06-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

Jeff's Birthday was this past Sunday, so I decided to put my cake-making skills to the test... (to see if they were any good since I had never made one before). Apparently they were alright because that night at Jeff's family's house, the entire sugary sweetness was gone. Becuase of my recent success I am now thinking of starting my own wedding-cake-decorating-business...actually, nevermind...I think Smith's cakes are just as good or better. (Below are more pictures of the same cake, just to make sure you get a view from all angles)

21st Birthday in Vegas

2010-05-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

I had to be careful who was around when I said, "I'm going to Vegas for my 21st Birtday!!" since some people at BYU gave me questioning looks when they heard this and didn't know that's where I was from :)My birthday celebration in Las Vegas included 2 fillings at the dentist, which, I'd have to say was definately the highlight of the day(I'm Kidding), alot of fun golfing with my family and twin neice and nephew, and lots of mom's homemeade carrot cake!

Bread...both Disaster and Masterpiece

2010-05-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Yes...that's my bread. It rose WAY too much to say the least, even though I followed the recipe to the tee (Side Note: I wouldn't recommend this recipe)

But THIS is how it turned out in the end...perfect and delicious, if I do say so myself (Side Note: I would definately recommend this recipe)

Before and After

2010-04-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

So Jeff got another haircut today. He had never used a buzzer before so we decided to try it. We soon learned though, that if you cut it too short...too bad. I think he still looks incredibly handsome, and his curls will be back soon :)

BEFORE & AFTER:

Cuteness Galore!

2010-04-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

Adam, my nephew is just my favorite...(along his twin-sister Rachel)...especially when they do things like this...

Easter Excellence

2010-04-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

So Smiths ran out of egg-coloring kits, so we decided to water color our eggs this year. We highly suggest it! Just take a look...

Shedding Some Tears...

2010-04-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

It's true. I cried when today when I left the wonderful third grade class I have been working with for the past month. As my partner and I headed out the door, the kids thronged us with hugs and goodbyes, and even a couple of them had tears streaming down their cheeks (both of them boys) :) We left with hand-drawn pictures, rocks, shells, and their used pens as parting gifts. One month goes by so quickly, but I feel as though I have been teaching them for months. I suppose its because I got to know each one of them personally and was able to develop a bond with each student. From this experience, I have come to realize the love that our Heavenly Father has for each of us, because if I think I love these kids, I can't imagine how much more He does. Thank you Third Grade class, for securing my desire to be a teacher.

Warm-Weather Fun!

2010-03-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I awoke this morning to a beautiful spring day, finally...some warm weather! Since it was Sunday, and we couldn't go golfing, we decided to celebrate the long awaited warmth with a picnic instead :) After church, we came home, packed our lunch, and traveled all the way to the grassy area in front of our complex :) Jeff seemed slightly embarassed at first, as we were right by the street with cars and people going by looking at us funny; but I have always been of the impression that everyone needs a good picnic in their life, so we just smiled and waved. Knowing Utah, it will probably be snowing again tomorrow, but it was fun while it lasted. Go have a picnic.

TeAcHiNg!!!

2010-03-04T17:09:00.000-08:00

Hooray for teachers! Yesterday was my first day of teaching a third grade class at Meadow Elementary for my BYU Practicum assignment...and I LOVED it. Although there is a lot to do, I think it will be a great learning experience and lots of fun. When my partner and I introduced ourselves to the class, the kids immediately began asking questions, "What's your favorite color?" "What is your favorite animal?" "Do you read Calvin and Hobbs?" etc. You know, all the important questions you need answered in order to really get to know a person :) One boy imparticular, Brock, has been flirting with us too. In fact, when it was time to go to lunch, he looked at us and yelled, "Come On... LADIES!" Hmm...flattering I guess? We teach our first lesson Monday morning. Wish me luck! By the way...what's your favorite color? ;)

Jeff's first Haircut...by Jill

2010-02-18T21:26:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, I gave Jeff a haircut, and though I had never cut anything before, it didn't turn out too bad! Although, it did take almost two hours, and during it Jeff stated, "Wow, my head has never felt this big." :) Here's to the next lifetime of cutting Jeff's Hair... (sorry there are no pictures to match this exciting event, both of our cameras are broken)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year part 2

2010-01-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

"The TREE" Every year, my brother Ryan and his wife Amy decorate a huge pine tree in their front yard with thousands and thousands of lights, and we go down to help :)

Yes, that's a crane...

The finished product

While we were there, we also had alot of fun playing with our twin niece and nephew, Rachel and Adam :)

Around Christmas time, we also had fun playing with this little guy, our nephew Bennett

Lately...or Not so Lately part 2

2009-12-31T17:41:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving!
This was my wonderful creation on Thanksgiving day. And that pretty much sums it up :)

Lately...or Not so Lately

2009-12-31T16:43:00.000-08:00

HALLOWEEN! On "Halloween Eve" Jeff and I had dinner at a restaurant called Pirate Island, which is basically a smaller version of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland :) Jeff even got the inspiration for his Halloween costume there.

That same night, we went to the pumpkin patch to get a pumpkin, but I guess we didn't stop to think that almost all of them would be gone on the night before Halloween. Oh well. We were lucky to find one good one and went home to carve it.

Hours later, we had a marvelous Mickey Mouse pumpkin and some delicious pumpkin seeds!

On Halloween, I dressed up as Hermione...yes...for the ninth year in a row. What can I say? I've had years to perfect the costume :)

...and here is Jeff, sporting his authentic Pirate costume! (He would like you to notice the "sweet tattoos" on his arm.

Later that night, we went to hang out with our friends Ryan and Chelsea. We had an awesome time making caramel apples and going to see the Harry Potter 6 movie. Happy Halloween!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2009-12-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

So, I must admit I have been slacking in the blogging department. However, my New Year's Resolution is to keep it more up-to-date (wish me luck) :)

ChRiStMaS TiMe!!! Jeff and I got a 6ft Christmas tree, ornaments, and other fun Christmas decorations and put them up in our apartment. We even have a caroling clock that plays a Christmas carol every hour, on the hour (thanks mom!)

The Dating Scene

2009-07-30T13:19:00.001-07:00

Our scavenger hunt date

Mattress Sledding! (Credit goes to Ryan & Amy)

Jeff got me Ice Skates for Christmas!

The "Beatles Love" show in Vegas (Jill's home sweet home)

Canoeing down the Provo River