December Adventures!

We have had all kinds of fun this month! I seriously can't believe it's over. Christmas was amazing (that is a whole different post) and we have had lots of fun with family and friends. We have had so many birthdays this month... Happy Birthday Grandma Elaine, Dad, Gunnar, Grandma Sue, & Katrina! haha December is insane in the Riggs family... This was Bruce & Kylie at one of the Birthday get togethers, I loved this picture so I had to post it :)

We got together with Bruces family and went to Temple lights and decided to take some pictures... It was wet, and freezing cold outside, but so much fun! We were laughing for hours :)

I had to post this picture because Ashley and I were laughing so hard... We were hanging out with our good friends Ryan and Ashley Stahle... well Bruce & Ryan were talking about hunting and Bruce had to show him something online and they were in this tiny little corner laying on the same pillow, it was funny!

It has been such a good month, and we have had many wonderful memories with family and friends, along with lots of blessings! I love this time of year.

Lucky

I just want to say I love my husband so much... I am so grateful for him, and would honestly be lost without him. He is my very best friend and keeps me laughing all day long. My life would be empty without him. How did I get so lucky???

Gingerbread Houses!

A couple Sundays ago my mom and dad had us all over to make Gingerbread houses! It is a tradition we have had for a few years now and we look forward to it every year. It was different this year because Rocky and Stacey couldn't make it, and Colty is on his mission but it was still alot of fun! Thanks Dad and Mom, we love you guys!!!

Sweet baby of ours...

Last night we lost our sweet baby... Yes, we finally were able to get pregnant and our baby was 5 weeks along. As we knelt in prayer I knew without a doubt this is the plan Heavenly Father had for us, and I know that I will be able to be with my baby again. What comfort it is to know that families really can be together forever. Although this is such a hard time we are so grateful for the chance we had to get pregnant, and we know without a doubt that we will have more children and that we will be able to raise them on this earth. We can't wait for that day!!! I just want to thank our amazing families for the love and support they have shown us in this difficult time, we couldn't have gotten through it without them. We know things happen for a reason and we are just so grateful for this experience!

Thankful

Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday. I love that there is a day that we are able to just reflect on the many wonderful things Heavenly Father has blessed us with. My heart is so full of love and appreciation for my Heavenly Father this Thanksgiving, and I am so grateful that I have him in my life, and that he is there to guide me and help me. There are so many things I am grateful for, and I will list a few...

-1st, I am grateful for Bruce. He is the love of my life, my very best friend, and the best husband in the world. I consider myself the luckiest girl in the world and I have never been happier.

-2nd, I am SO grateful for the priesthood! I have grown up with the priesthood is my home my whole life, and I have no idea what I would do without it. I have always had a testimony of it, but today it grew. My brothers girlfriend suffers from seizures... She has had them since an accident she was in when she was younger. She has headaches constantly and sometimes they get so bad she has a seizure.. The ONLY thing that has ever stopped them is a priesthood blessing. She can sense when they are coming on, so it is nice to be able to prepare for it. Well Chad has told me how it has completely built his testimony to see her is a full seizure, and then once the person giving her a blessing tells her to calm down the seizure completely stops... But I had never witnessed it. Today she wasn't doing good and she told Chad she was going to go in the other room and have it. Chad got my dad and brothers and we went in the game room and she broke out into a full seizure, my brother Justin gave her a blessing and the second he told her to calm down she stopped and she was totally fine. My three brothers that were here, my mom and my dad were in there and by the end of it we were all in tears to witness such an amazing experience. Thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes, and I am so grateful I was able to witness it because my testimony of the priesthood has never been stronger. I am so grateful I married a worthy priesthood holder, and that he honors his priesthood.

-3rd, I am grateful for my family, as well as Bruce's family. I love both of our families so much and they all mean so much to me. I feel blessed to have each and every one of them in my life.

-4th, I am thankful for answered prayers. Sometimes we take for granted all the many wonderful things Heavenly Father blesses us with, and I hope he knows how grateful I am for my answered prayers!

There are so many more things I am grateful for, I could go on and on... But these are the things that have stuck out today. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Wow.

I am pretty sure it has been FOREVER since I have made a real post! Since I have been home I have just had no desire to blog, but hopefully I am getting back into it. We never have anything exciting happen, so I never know what to blog about...

Here is our update.

Well we have been home for almost 2 months... That's exciting! We have just been enjoying our time together, and the time we have been able to spend with our families. Being away from everyone for awhile sure makes you grateful to have them in your life :) Bruce has been hunting alot since we have been home. He went to Colorado for a mule deer hunt at the end of October with his dad, my dad, and my 2 brothers. They had alot of fun and they were all successful and returned home with a buck! Now I just need to can all the meat :) Then this past week I went up with Bruce to Kaibab, AZ for another Mule Deer hunt he got drawn for. I grew up with my dad and brothers hunting, but surprisingly I had never been on a hunt before... I was excited to go with Bruce and we had so much fun! We got back yesterday, and sadly he didn't get one, but he is going up with his dad and brother on Wednesday so hopefully they get one then (I will miss him on Thanksgiving tho) Other than that we have just been fixing up our little house by the temple, and just enjoying our time together before Bruce starts work again.

Bruce hunting = Me baking!

Bruce went hunting in Colorado last week so I decided to make him a bunch of goodies for the trip! I took a whole day and baked my little heart out. Its a good thing I love baking :) I made coconut bread, banana nut bread, pumpkin cookies, pigs in a blanket, and cereal bars! I sure miss him, and I can't wait for him to come at the end of the week!

WOOHOO!

We finally have a picture of my little brother on his mission!!! They have changed some things so it has been hard for him to send pictures and letters home. Someone from Colton's mission contacted my mom on facebook and she posts pictures of him for us!!! I miss him more than words can express, I tell Bruce all the time I can't wait for the next year and a half to go buy so I can just hug him again!! I can't believe it has already been 6 months! I am so grateful for the choice he made the serve the Lord, and I know he is in the right place!

Birthdays!

On the 8th my Father-in-Law had a birthday! We are so grateful for him and all he does for us! He is Bruce's best friend, and has been so good to me ever since I have become a part of the family..

Yesterday was my birthday, and my husband made it so much fun! We drove out to see my brother and his wife {I haven't seen them since we have been back because they live in Glendale} It was so much fun to hang out with them all afternoon! Then we went over to my parents house and had some delicious food and had fun with family!

Thank you to everyone that wished me a happy birthday, and who helped make my day special!

Home at Last

We are finally coming home!!! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I feel like this summer has dragged on FOREVER! I started packing a little bit and did a bunch of laundry today.. I feel like we can't leave soon enough :) We will be leaving Wednesday early morning. haha and Bruce is making fun of me because I have already started packing.

I am so grateful for this summer, and the fun times and memories we have made. Daphne, Alabama was amazing, and still to this day I miss that place. Even though we have not enjoyed Mcallen, Texas as much we have had so much fun with good friends!!!

What do dreams mean anyway?

Sorry I just need to vent...

Well lately I have had lots of dreams.... What about you might ask??? My future children.

Bruce and I have been trying to get pregnant for 11 months... Deep down I have always known I would have a hard time having kids, so I begged Bruce to start trying sooner... But he needed his time and I respected that. Me on the other hand, I would have gotten pregnant the day we were married if I could. It has always been my dream to be a wife and MOTHER... The beautiful October day that Bruce told me he was ready to be a Daddy I cried. I was SOOOO excited! The first few months of trying I was okay, because like I said deep down I always knew it would take some time... But the past few months I have just ached to hold our baby.

Well the past couple weeks I have had a lot of dreams about being pregnant, or just having a baby. In every dream it has been a little girl, and every dream is different. As I am sleeping these dreams are amazing, but the second I wake up reality kicks in and says, haha Guess what Chanteal... You really aren't pregnant! Tricked ya! These dreams feel so real, it is insane. So then my mind starts wondering and thinking WHY do I keep having these amazing dreams... I love them to death, and and wouldn't trade having them for anything... But, what do they mean? Probably nothing. But I wish they ment something :) haha.

As I sit here I am wondering if I should post this, I don't want people feeling sorry for me... That's not why I wrote this... I have not told anyone about this, except a few people, I guess it just feels good to vent a little bit :)

I know we have not been able to have kids yet for a reason, and even if we never know the reason I am grateful for it. Bruce and I have the best relationship because we haven't had kids yet. We really are best friends, and it has been so much fun with it just being us two. I would not trade the past 2 1/2 years for anything...

M.E.M.O.R.I.E.S

I was looking through so of our old pictures and it brought back so many memories!

This is 3 months after we started dating... at my parents cabin! This was such a fun weekend, because it was the first time we had been away somewhere together... After this weekend we started talking about marriage.

This is right after Bruce proposed! It was at the Temple... the same bench his dad proposed to his mom on... and amazing!

This was the weekend after we got engaged... It was so much fun to go up to the Rim with Bruce's family... We camped, road quads, and had a lot of fun!

Monday.

Can I just say that Monday was amazing.... Well I guess it all started on Saturday. Bruce decided he needed a break since he has been working 4 months straight with no days off... So he came home at 5:00 on Saturday. It was so nice to just hang out together and actually eat dinner at a decent hour. Then Sunday roles around {my favorite day of the week} and we had more time together.... But Bruce decided to take Monday off as well!!!!!!!!!! I had to go in to work for a little bit in the morning, but after we ran some errands and then went to lunch at Olive Garden! After that we came home and hung out for awhile and then we went and looked at cars at the Ford dealership. {looking at cars is Bruce's favorite thing to do} We then went and rented the 4th season of Prison Break, and got some ice cream and then we came home and watched Prison Break! Nothing too exciting happened, but seriously this has been the best day of my summer so far!!!! With Bruce working such long hours it gets really hard to be able to spend some quality time together, and I REALLY needed just a day to myself with my husband.

We only have 1 month left out here and we will be coming home, and I seriously can't wait!!! It has been a fun summer, and I am grateful we came out here, but it will be nice to get back to the real world.

Lately...

The past few weeks have gone by surprisingly fast.. I have found a few things to do so the days go by a little faster... I made this watch and it has interchangeable bands... So I can put a different band on to match what I wear.

I have also started making Family Home Evening packets!!! I have wanted to do this forever, but I didn't want to buy them.. I found a website that I was able to print the lessons out, along with pictures to go with them! So I have been busy coloring all the pictures, then laminating them and putting them in their own folders. I know we don't have kids yet, but i figure it will be easier to do it now, instead of waiting til we actually have kids...

Bruce and I are both doing great! We are getting ready for extended season and the office is starting to get a little smaller. Bruce is still doing great in sales, and I am really enjoying being the office manager. If gives me something to do, and makes the days go by faster! We miss Arizona so much, and can't wait until we get to come home!!!

New Skirt

I was bored the other day so I decided to make another skirt. I love how this turned out! I got some new fabric, so I can't wait to make another one.

Happy Birthday Brookie!

Yesterday was Brookie's birthday! We are so grateful Dalan & Brooke came out here with us this summer, it is always nice to have family with us! The card games, late nights, and movies have been so much fun!!! We are seriously going to miss them so much when they leave. Brookie is so much fun to hang out with, and she is so sweet and keeps you laughing!!! Here are some things we love about Brooke.

1. She will do anything for her family, and is so giving.

2. She is so funny and will keep you laughing for hours.

3. She is so fun to hang out with!

4. She can make just about anything, scrap booking, sewing, baking you name it!!! She is a wonderful homemaker!

5. She has always been so good to Bruce!!!

We love you Brooke, and we hope you had an awesome birthday!!! I know it's not as fun being away from all your family, but we were so glad to have you here with us!!!

The last couple days...

So the past few weeks I have been going crazy and bored out of my mind!!! So on Saturday Brookie and I decided to do something about it. The day turned out to be a lot of fun, and it was so random. We started out going to Ross, TJ Max, Target, H.E.B, then we decided to go to this little thrift shop we found. Once we got to the thrift/antique store they told us about another one that was suppose to be really good. We went back to the apartments to get our navigation, then headed to the new place... We found a few VERY random and weird antique stores, and when we finally got to the one we were going to it turned out being more like a Mexican garage sale. That was a major bummer. After that we went to a few other shops, and found a fabric store... Then we finally headed home. We left at noon and got home at 8.00 that night!!! It turned out to be a very fun and eventful day, and we ended the night going to dinner with our hubbies!!!

Sunday ended up being amazing because I got to spend the WHOLE day with Bruce!!! I miss my husband so much during the week so it is always nice to be able to relax and hang out all day on Sunday. As night time approaches we dread the up and coming week, but Sunday always comes sooner than we think! :)

Today I decided to do something productive and I made myself a skirt. I gave the last skirt I made to my mom, so I needed one for myself and I love how it turned out!

Tagged!

For all you married people out there! Tag your married friends that you want to know about!

1. When is your "engagement" anniversary: August 20th
2. When is your "marriage" anniversary: March 8, 2007
3.How long have you known your spouse: 4 years and 7 months
4. How long did you date/court before you were engaged: 2 years!
5. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time: My friend was a nanny and she was babysitting for their friends, so he showed up with his friend at the house she was babysitting at. 6. What is your spouse's full name: Bruce Webb Brooks
7. Do you have any children yet: No.
8. How many: 0
9. Do you have any house pets: Yes, our dog Auggie!
10. Do you own a house or rent: We rent his grandpas house.
11. Do you live in the country or town/city: City
12. What is one of your favorite activities together: Playing cards, watching movies, taking drives, quadding,
13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot: So far Hawaii
14. How many siblings (including in-laws): 14 all together. On his side {including the spouses and us} 3 girls and 3 boys, and my side 5 boys and 3 girls!
15. What church do you attend: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
16. Is this the church you were married in: We were married in the Temple of our church.
17. What town is your current address: McAllen, Texas
18. Do you work or stay at home: Right now I am staying at home...
19. Where did you honeymoon: Flagstaff, AZ in a cabin!
20. Leave a piece of marriage advice: Save the fights for times that count, most stuff isn't worth getting upset over.

I tag: Brookie, Bree, Mom, and Jessica

What a fun week so far!

Nothing to new and exciting is happening with us. I seriously miss Alabama, I loved it there! McAllen is a lovely place {can you sense my sarcasm} Bruce likes to say I lived in a bubble in Alabama because we were in a really nice area and all the fun stores were right by us... Here it is a complete different story. At least we are only here for a short time. It has been fun hanging out with friends again though! Bruce is still doing really good with his sales, and I am so proud of him. Yesterday I went to Target with Christanie and they had 24 season 7 on sale for only $25 so I had to buy it.... Bruce and I are now addicted to Jack Bauer again.... haha.

Sunday- We woke up and I made breakfast, then at 1:00 we went to church. We came home and relaxed for awhile while dinner was cooking and then we played games with Brookie & Dalan... Can I just say we are so happy they are out here with us, they have made this summer so much fun!!!

Monday- Brooke and I waited ALL day for the Bachelorette, Men Tell All to start... I have never been into one of the Bachelors and much as I am now, and i love it... I am dying to know who she picks next week! It was also one of the sales reps birthday so we had a little get together at our place for him. We had pizza and cake then played lots of games! It was a lot of fun. I could play games all day!

Tuesday- Christanie and I decided to go to Target so we looked around there for awhile and I got a few fun dollar items... as well as the 7th season of 24. I came home and cleaned up our messy apartment and made dinner, then when Bruce finally got home we watched like 4 episodes of 24 then gave Auggie a haircut. For some reason Bruce LOVES giving Auggie haircuts, and then half way through it he gets sick of it and asks me to finish... It's pretty funny! Now Auggie has way to short of hair {but Bruce says its okay because Auggie gets hot during the day} We have that conversation every time Auggie gets a haircut, haha, thankfully it grows out quickly!

Home at Last

I am finally with my husband! Even though I had a really fun 2 1/2 weeks with my family, it was the longest 2 weeks of my life! I felt bad because I went home so I could go to my family reunion, but I couldn't go that long without Bruce so I flew home early! It is so funny to me how I was in Arizona, the place I grew up in and love, with my family... and I just didn't feel at home. The 2nd I saw Bruce when he picked me up at the airport I was home. I love him so much!!! I have to admit it was weird at first coming home to Mcallen, Texas a place I have never been before. My apartment was already put together and I didn't know where anything was, but I'm getting the hang of this new place! What a fun adventure we have ahead of us...

Wicked!

Last night my mom took Katrina & I to the play Wicked!!! We had a ticket for Stacey, but she wasn't able to go at the last minute {we missed you Stacey, it would have been so fun with you there} so Katrina wanted to call and invite her mom to go.. It turned out to be a blast! All my cousins and my grandma came to, so it was one big girls night! All I have to say is it was amazing. It started out and I was kinda thinking maybe this won't be as good as everyone says, but it turned out being so much better than I expected! The characters were amazing, the singing dancing, and acting was incredible and it was so much fun to learn the story of the good witch and the bad witch! Now I need to go buy the cd. Thank you so much mom for saving up the money to take us, you are awesome!!! Now I can't wait to go again...

Another Change of Plans!

Well even though we LOVED Alabama, our office ran out of doors to knock so Bruce packed up {while I have been in AZ} and moved down to Mcallen, Texas! We are excited because its a new fun place, but we were sad to leave Alabama. I am the most excited about the amazing store they have in Texas called HEB Plus!!! It is like a cosco/sams club/walmart and grocery store all in one! It's amazing... We will keep up updated on our life in Texas, Wish us luck in our new adventure!

4th of July!

I love 4th of July! I love the fireworks, I love the BBQ's and I love quality time with the family. Since I flew home for my moms birthday I was in Arizona for the 4th and I went up to the cabin with Mom, Dad, Justin, Katrina Dakota, Gunnar & Kylie!!! It was amazing weather {like 65 degrees all weekend} and a lot of fun! We just relaxed, shopped and played cards all weekend! Even though it was a lot fun, I was sad to be away from Bruce!

Happy Birthday Chaddy & Mom!!!

On July 1st my Mom and Chad had a birthday! I wasn't able to be here for it last year, so Bruce {being the sweet husband that he is} flew me down for it. I surprised my parents and was sitting on the couch when they got home from dinner. They were extremely happy to say the least.

Everyone already knows how I feel about my Mom... To sum it up she is amazing and I am honored to be her daughter! I love you Mom...

My brother Chad is one of my very best friends. I love him to death. Even though he is 5 years older than me we always had the same friends. I was lucky and he always let me tag along with him and we had such a fun group of friends. Those are some of the best memories I have. Chad is one of the most amazing guys, he puts EVERYONE before himself. He could be miserable for the rest of his life and if he was making one person happy he would be okay with it. He has always been so good to me, and he loves to poke and pick on me! I am so grateful to have Chad in my life, it wouldn't be the same without him!

Happy Father's Day

We are so grateful to have two amazing dads in our life! I love Father's Day because it is a day to recognize and show gratitude for all our dad's do for us.

I love my dad so much. He has always been there for me no matter what, and I have always been able to talk to him. He has made it a huge point to tell me he loves me, and give me a huge hug every single time I see him. He is so hard working and would do ANYTHING for his family. I cherish the times that I am alone with my dad {without my brothers} and we can just talk. He has always been there to remind me of my talents. My dad has been my Hero, ever since I was little and I look up to him so much. I use to always tell my mom that I wanted my kids to have a daddy just like my dad.... and as time goes on I see more and more similarities between Bruce and my Dad. I am so thankful to have him in my life...

I was lucky enough to be blessed with an incredible father-in-law. I have always been really close with Bruce, and I look up to him like he is my own dad. He has always been there for Bruce and I whether we needed to talk, or just to laugh with. He gives great advice and we know he wants the best for us. He has always been the person Bruce and I both look forward to just sitting down and talking to {we go to furniture plus more than any normal person that doesn't have a job there should haha, but we love to!} Bruce looks up to his dad more than anyone I have ever met. I love to watch their relationship because you can tell they are best friends. He is an incredible father and you can see the love he has for each of his kids. I am so grateful to have Bruce as my father in law... Life really wouldn't be the same without him!

I hope our dad's had a great father's day! We were sad that we couldn't be there to share this day with them...

Ocean Blue at West Gate!

I just wanted to get the word out that a new Ocean Blue store opened out at West Gate! {Kinda by the Cardinals stadium!} If you haven't tried Ocean Blue yet you need to, It is delicious frozen yogurt!!! My brother and his wife opened it, and I can't wait for my visit to AZ in a couple weeks so I can see their new store!!! I heard it looks amazing! So if you are in the Glendale area, go check it out! You won't be disappointed.

The Finer Things Club

For those of you who watch the office, you know what the Finer Things Club is... Well we have decided to make our own Finer Things Club out here! It started out with a group of us (Bruce+I, Dalan+Brooke, Devin S., Nick H., Elliot, Devon P.+Amanda P) going out to dinner every Tuesday night, but we decided to expand it a little and shoot fireworks off every Sunday Night at the Beach as well!!! This Sunday was our first week to shoot off fireworks and it turned into a blast! We planned on going to a beach to shoot off the fireworks, but it had to be out of city limits and we couldn't find a beach so we did it off the bay. Once we figured out where we were gonna do it we started getting everything ready and this drunk guy drove up and started talking to us. He tried telling us he was a famous country singer and then started dancing for us, so he was our entertainment for the night! Bruce started dancing with him and it was hilarious! Leave it to Bruce to make everyone laugh. After we finally asked him to turn down his radio he left and we started the fireworks! During the week Bruce, Devin and Elliot went and bought a huge box of fireworks! After awhile I started hearing alot of movement in the water next to us (like within 2 feet) and I swear I saw an alligator, but no one wanted to believe me until it started making even more noise! It was pretty freaky because you could see it swimming around right by us, luckily we never had to meet our reptile friend! The guys did find a crab though.

My Antique Treasure!

I have found a little town that I am absolutely in love with! It has the funnest little shops and tons of antique stores! When Brookie got down here I knew I had to take her too it... So the very first chance we got we went. I found this ice crusher and I fell in love! I love old antique kitchen things, so I have started adding them to my kitchen. I didn't buy it that day because it was $30 and I didn't want Bruce to get mad, so I have waited...and waited...and waited. Finally Bruce took me there this morning before he had to go to work and he bought it for me! I wasn't expecting to get it, but I took him in there just to show it to him and so I could dream about it a little more and he said, "well sweety, lets get it!" Don't have have the best husband???

Fun Sunday!

I love Sundays. Especially during the summer, because it is Bruce's only day off. Not only are Sundays my favorite because we get to go to church and feel the spirit and learn more about the amazing gospel that we are blessed to be a part of, but I get to spend ALL day with my husband!!! We have made it our "Sunday Tradition" to go down to look at the Alligators. We are just dying to see a 15 footer! We ended the night by playing games with Bruce's sister and her husband. I just love Sundays!

My Skirt

I just finished this skirt and I love it! I can't believe how easy it was. All the ones I have seen go to the knee, but I wanted mine a little longer! Now I can't wait to make more. I had stitched along all the pockets and added rhinestone buttons on the back pockets and I love it!!! I can't wait to wear it.

Update!

Nothing too new and exciting is happening with us! Bruce is doing awesome with his sales, and I am so proud of him! I am also so grateful for the dedication he has to go out and knock doors 6 days a week for hours... It's a hard job. We are excited for Brookie and Dalan to come out here {they should be here tomorrow} and they are bringing our dog Auggie! I have been going CRAZY without Auggie the past two weeks... He entertains me all day, so it has been boring without him. Bruce is even excited, when we were laying in bed the other night he was like, "hey sweety, I am actually excited to have our child back!" haha.

I have been trying to keep myself busy by watching lots and lots of movies and making some crafts! I made a patchwork quilt about a week ago, and I love the way it turned out! I just did a solid red flannel on the other side and it turned out really cute. I also made a couple hot pads {for cooking} out of some of the left over fabric. I have wanted a white board calendar forever... every time I go to a store I think might have one I look, but I haven't found one I liked enough to buy. The other day I thought I would try to make one on my own! I went and bought a 16x20 frame and put some fabric behind it, and I love how it turned out! Its fun cause I can switch out the fabric whenever I want. I picked a neutral color for right now, but I think I might put red or gold in it when I get home. It took awhile to figure out how to draw the lines, and actually make the calendar...But I am happy with how it turned out! I am sure I will have many more little projects to pass the time while we are here!

Yesterday I went with some of the girls to Mobile. {for the first time} We decided we would go to the mall... We didn't have a navigation, and after driving for an hour and fifteen minutes and seeing a sign that said Welcome to Mississippi we realized we passed the mall. haha. We turned around and the mall ended up being pretty close to our apartments, {about 25 minutes} So I'm excited to go back now that we know how to get there!

Sweet Home Alabama (well just for the summer)

I keep forgetting to post about our apartments! They are the nicest apartments we have had during summer sales, and we love them! We have a 1 bedroom this year but its huge and brand new. The apartments have never been lived in so its really nice.

It is gorgeous here!

To pass the time I have been making jewelry! A few days before I came out here I went to the Temple with my whole family... My sister-in-law Katrina had on the cutest bracelet with a little clip on it to hold paper, and it made everything so much easier... So I had to make one for myself! I love how they turned out! (the one on the left is yours mom) If anyone wants one, let me know and I can make one for you! I also made some earrings too!

I bought these two sewing books yesterday and I am really excited about them! They both have some really cute projects, so hopefully I will have some cute stuff sewn by the end of the summer!

Gator Alley

Yesterday Bruce and I drove down to Gator Alley (its like a mile away from our apartment) and these are all the lovely Alligators we saw! There is a bridge that you can walk on that takes you through this little bay area and they are always here. One day Bruce went and saw a 15 foot alligator, but all the ones we saw yesterday were like 5-7 foot. While we were there was saw at least 10 alligators. The even crazier thing about it is some of the guys in the office went down there one day and there was an old man fishing and he was standing in the water up to his knees! I'm shocked he still has legs. But, it was fun to be able to go down there with Bruce!

Mother's Day

As I sit here and think about all the amazing mother's that I know in my life I am overcome with gratitude. Mom's play such a special role in every person's life. They are there to put a band-aide on a scratch, hold you when your scared, they are there in the good times and the bad times. I am so grateful for our moms, grandmas, aunts, and friends that are all such loving mothers!

I have the most incredible Mother in the world. I love her with all my heart, and I am so grateful for her. I honestly would not be the person I am today without my mom. She was there for me when I was down and needed someone the most and she was there for me even if she wanted to pull my hair out at the time. I feel so lucky to be blessed with a mother that is not only my mom, but my very best friend. Words can not express the love and appreciation I have for her, and I thank Heavenly Father daily for blessing me with such an incredible Mom. I pray that when I have my own children I can be just like her.

I have also been lucky enough to be blessed with such an amazing Mother-In-Law. My mother in law is so talented, and I love spending time with her. She has welcomed me into her family with open arms and she has raised an incredible son. She is so dedicated to her family and you can tell how much she loves each and every one of us. I feel so grateful to have her in my life and she has so many qualities that I pray I have when I am a mother.

Happy Mothers Day we love you both and are so grateful for you both! Thank you for being the best Mom's in the world, and for all you do for us!

Together at Last!!!

After a very early morning (5am flight, so I had to wake up at 3) I finally arrived in Alabama yesterday!!! Can I just say it was soooo good to see Bruce, and today I had a hard time letting him go to work. The saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is so true! It amazes me that still to this day, I wake up and love my husband even more than I did when i fell asleep.

On top of seeing my husband when I got here, I got to see some of my friends from last year too! I am so excited for this summer and all the fun things us girls are gonna do! Christanie, Lindsay and I were hoping to go to the pool, but we woke up to pouring rain!

When I was told we were coming to Alabama for the summer I was kinda dreading it...Alabama just sounds so boring! But honestly, I love it here! It is GORGEOUS, and there are tons of places to shop and things to do. I was able to see my very first "wild" alligator too! They are everywhere here!

Although it is so good to be here in Alabama with my husband and friends, it was so hard to say goodbye to my little brother. He reports to the MTC on Wednesday, and he will be such an incredible missionary. I am so proud of him!