hooked.

I have become hooked! Pinterest has taken a hold of my heart and I cannot get it back. It's an amazing site that lets you "pin" your interests onto boards and even lets you look at others' boards too so you can steal their ideas! :) I wish I had it for my wedding. It is the perfect party planning tool. I haven't been able to go a day, at work, without looking at it. If you're like me and stalk all sorts of blogs daily, this is the perfect place to keep all those projects that you see and want to do in order.

You can plan your dream home too!

or plan the places you want to go, like Italy!

It's so fun. Also, since I'm advertising today, I guess I'll go ahead and put a plug in for Google+. My coworker invited me to it a couple weeks ago and although I still have a lot to learn about it, I am loving the clean, sharp, organized look it has. So there you go! Go ahead and check out my boards on pinterest and if you need an invite to Google+ just let me know and I'll send you one!

We did it!

We ran the Ragnar Wasatch Back and loved it! It was a harder course than the one we did in Las Vegas, but so much prettier and better organized. Cory killed. He had the hill that the whole race is named after, the Ragnar Hill, and he ran it like a champ! It's 4 miles straight up a mountain where he started in 50 degree weather and ended in 8 feet of snow and 37 degrees. And that was his last leg-which is always the hardest.

Just one of the many mountains to climb. So pretty!

These were never right. I swear they lied.

He also was the best husband and switched me first legs. His was a little bit longer than what I would've had, but way more flat. It was so nice of him! We had a great time with everyone in our van and we celebrated our 1st anniversary at the same time one of our van-mates was celebrating his and his wife's 23rd! It was a crazy coincidence. After the race we soaked in the hot tub, ate some delicious steak prepared by Cory's dad, and slept as long as we possibly could. We spent Father's Day celebrating with my Mom's family and it was so fun to be with them. It had been a while since we'd seen them and having some more delicious steak was the icing on top! :) Can't wait for more adventures this summer!!

A Letter.

Dear Married Life,

Oh how you pass me by so quickly.

Our 1 year is quickly approaching and it feels as though it has been seconds.

Truth be told, I was warned.

But that didn’t make it any easier to comprehend.

As I recall the different experiences you have brought me-

the good, the bad, the mediocre, the incredible, I feel an impulsive desire to never forget these memorable moments. 

Memories like our first camping trip and realizing that a sleeping bag would have made a big difference, 

our first Olympic triathlon where Cory smoked all competitors and finished just 45 minutes behind the winner and I…, well I finished (we’re pretty, ah hem, even competitors),

a mud run that turned us into muddy messes,

our first athletic class (tennis) as a married couple instead of dating and meeting (volleyball) where Cory performed his first act of spousal abuse by serving 90 mph into my arm,

 great conference seats compliments of Cory’s mission president,

the first of many more birthdays together as husband and wife,

a Halloween party with friends,

Ragnar Relay Las Vegas where, once again, Cory dominated when he ran up a 10 mile mountain,

Baby blessings and time with family,

Getting back to our place of engagement and enjoying the pretty lights there,

A missionary goodbye to my brother,

A cousin’s baptism, 

Trip home for our very first married Christmas and then coming back to see the Nutcracker,

And trips together that help us remember why we love the sun.

This husband of mine...we have experienced almost every emotion together.

happiness

tears

joy

regret

peacefulness

content

forgiveness

frustrations

unconditional love

Yet, at the same time, I feel as though we haven't even begun to scrape the surface. 

How do we make sure that we are making the most of every second we have together?

How do we make sure that we don't take this wonderful life of ours for granted?

How do we ensure that we are not living for tomorrow to only create "empty yesterdays..." (President Thomas S Monson)

There are times when we both do or say something we shouldn't. There are times when we don't treat each other for who we really are and take into account the potential that both of us have. 

But those are so few and so far between. And I am married to someone who is humble, charitable, and loves unconditionally.  Mainly I realize that I am blessed.  I see how the simple parts of marriage, which can seem so mundane, bring the peace and joy that all of us seek for. I am grateful for the knowledge that I have of what really brings joy.

Car rides, 

cleaning together,

greeting each other (especially after long days),

running together,

“sleep-overs” in our living room,

scaring each other,

cooking together,

eating together,

cuddling together,

soaking up the sun together,

shopping together,

being competitive together,

laughing together,

teasing each other,

and ending each day knowing that I’m sleeping next to the greatest source of happiness ever.

"It is so rewarding to be married. Marriage is wonderful. In time you begin to think alike and have the same ideas and impressions. You have times when you are extremely happy, times of testing, and times of trial, but the Lord guides you through all of those growth experiences together." Elder Richard G. Scott

So I thank you, married life, for bringing me joys that I had never experienced before.

Love,

Bree

Sold!

Yes! We did it, we sold our couch! We listed our couch on KSL about a month ago and sold it last week. We bought it off of KSL for $200 and it sold for $500, so we were pretty happy. We steam cleaned it which made it look a little nicer, but really we just got it for a screamin' deal. On Memorial Day we went to RC Willey with a budget of $1000 and dreams of a sofa - love seat combo with recliners. Little did we know that we would fall in love with a set at the whopping price of $1899. No go. So we dejectedly left and tried to console ourselves with the hope that we would have enough after the next couch flipping from KSL.

 But we really wanted a new couch, one that we could claim as our own and never wonder who else had been doing what on it. :) We told ourselves that we deserve it because our whole house is furnished with only three items from a store. Everything else is KSL or hand-me-down. Which is so awesome, but it was time for us to make a big decision and buy a couch. From a store! On a whim we decided to go check out a place in Provo called Best Deal Furniture. Upon pulling up to the "business" we were pretty hesitant on what it would offer. It was in the most ghetto part of town that we had never been to before and the lettering on the window said "Store Hours: Mondy-Saturday". Mondy! There wasn't even a space for the 'a', like maybe it had fallen off or something.

But we went in and we were pleasantly surprised! It was an actual store with great furniture! We fell in love with a set that was even better than the one at RC Willey and it was within our budget! We couldn't have been happier, but then they gave us free pizza too! :) Anyway, we don't have it yet, but when we do I'll give you a real picture of the beautiful piece of furniture that stole our hearts.

Glow in the dark couch? Um, yes. 

Viral Gastroenteritis

That's right. Cory and I both had/have viral gastroenteritis. I had a relapse of it last night that carried into today but the main bout of it hit us Sunday night and carried over into Monday. For those of you who don't like to know gross things, don't read this. But for those who are curious, here is what I have found out!
Viral gastroenteritis is inflammation of the stomach and intestines from a virus. The infection can lead to diarrhea and vomiting. It is sometimes called the "stomach flu."

Doesn't she look like Lily on Modern Family

Those with the highest risk for severe gastroenteritis include the young, the elderly, and people who have suppressed immune systems.Which we must have because we have never gotten sick so many times in a short amount of time in our lives! We've been sick more times than I can count. It's getting a little ridiculous. Now, the symptoms of this hellish virus are:

• Abdominal pain - Check
• Diarrhea - Check (I know, I know. TMI)
• Nausea- Check
• Vomiting- Check, only for Cory though.

Other symptoms may include:

• Chills - Check (just the worst)
• Clammy skin - Check (so gross)
• Excessive sweating - Check (you should have seen our shirts!)
• Fever - Check
• Joint stiffness - Check
• Leakage (incontinence) of stool - I'll spare letting you know about this one...
• Muscle pain - Check (I felt like I had just ran the Ragnar again. Not the greatest feeling.)
• Poor feeding - Check (we had maybe a couple crackers and some soup in 24 hours)
• Vomiting blood (very rare) - Nope! Yay!
• Weight loss - Oh yeah. :)
  
  
  
  So basically this was the worst 24 hours of our lives. All Sunday night when he should've been sleeping, Cory was throwing up. He had intense vomit breaks at least 3 times during the night and couldn't sleep. I tried to sleep through it because I knew that if I moved, I'd be right there next to him. I know, I'm such a good wife. :) The next morning we both just laid in bed moaning. Cory started to feel a little better around noon so we went down to make a smoothie and try to get some nutrients in our bodies. After coming back up the stairs, I was so devoid of everything necessary to function that I started to pass out! Luckily my knight in shining sweaty body was there to catch me and kiss shake me back to life. But then 1 o'clock came around and he went to work. When he came home he found me in the same position in bed, but with Cool Runnings, Seinfeld, Two Weeks Notice, and Mr. Deeds all watched and loved. 
  
  We had another full night of sleep and it seemed that everything was fine Tuesday. Besides our little sensitive stomachs and weak bodies, I felt like we were doing okay! Cory even went to the batting cages with Taylor! But then last night I had a relapse and today I just feel awful again. Dang viral gastroenteritis! Oh well, there's something about being married to such an awesome man that makes even your worst sickness disappear. :)

  

  Sleeping Monday after a sleepless night for him. So cute.

  
  

I'm So Behind!

Cory and Maia

I cannot catch up on this blog! I have so much to document but every time I try to start, I just start thinking of everything we've done lately and get...scared. Well let's see, maybe I'll list them all and then go from there later. Okay: sand volleyball, golfing, Cinco de Mayo party, Mother's Day, new ward, new car!!!, possibly a new job location for Cory, new Spring classes, Spring Cleaning Day, rediscovered love for Seinfeld and Arrested Development, and so much more. So let me just briefly tell you about our "new" car. It's amazing. It took me about 2 1/2 days to come around to it, but now I love it! The first night we got it, it was raining, snowing, and cold. Nobody could like anything in those situations, but to add to it I was terrified that we would die on our way home because of it! This car was Cory's very first car, a 1979 VW Bug Convertible, river blue color. It's old. I can't wait to share pictures of it! But I am at work-so I can't. I'll just end this with a teaser that I will share my car history with you all one day. It's laughable-kind of. :)

On My Mind

A few things have been on my mind lately and I just thought sharing them would help me focus better on what I should be thinking about (i.e. school, work, etc.)! First there's this place:

 The beautiful city of Garden Valley. My home. I want to go back and visit so bad! Luckily, Cory loves it too, so it's all a matter of getting money and time-two very elusive things. Bummer
Going off of thinking about that wonderful place made me think of these girls:

Renee, Brittney, me, Liz, and Josie altogether at our HS graduation.

The most wonderful group of best friends a girl could have. We've been together since 6th grade and we're still going strong! I love them and miss them so much!
The third and final thing on my mind is probably taking up the most of my daydreaming and it's this place:

Such a handsome wakeboarder. Especially with my dad in the background! :)

 Lake Powell. Ah. It's the most heavenly place on earth. It's where Cory and I had our honeymoon and that was the second best decision we've ever made (the best was getting married, of course!). This year we'll both get to be there together with the family for a whole week! It's going to be the best thing ever.

I love this. We have two molecule tubes that we jump over from one to the other. If you look closely you will see that I had just successfully landed on the other tube across the wake! Very daring of me. Also, upon closer look, you will see that either my leg popped out of my hip or I have a wedgie. One of the two!

 So you see, I shouldn't be held accountable for homework or minutes or other such school and work items. I can't concentrate!