{new years eve}

today we headed to houston to reliant stadium to watch texas a&m play in the meineke car care of texas bowl game.  it was awesome! we had amazing seats: tenth row! a&m won and we all loved teaching travis the cheers and school song. there are so many traditions and i'm glad we were able to give him a taste of texas football today!

we are excited for 2012! this is my all-time favorite mormon message that i love watching at the start of a new year: http://lds.org/pages/look-not-behind-thee?lang=eng
happy new year!!

{houston temple}

ever since my siblings and i were little kids, my parents would rotate us kids once a month and go on a "date" with us {so mine would come around every six months}. we got to pick where we went for an evening or afternoon, and it was just me with my parents. i loved it! we got to do some fun things and it was great to have some one-on-one time too. so now since trav and i have been in texas, they decided to take us on our "date yesterday!" we had so much fun. we did a session at the houston temple and then ate at a favorite mexican restaurant of ours in houston called los cucos {we all ate there after travis proposed too} the weather was perfect and we had a great time!

{our first christmas}

merry christmas! we are so grateful for our Savior and what He has done for us! He is what this season {and everyday} is all about. and talk about a great first christmas for us. we made our gingerbread houses yesterday {gotta love mom's homemade gingerbread} and wrote our family letters to read out-loud on christmas eve. we also read the nativity, wrote a gift to Jesus, and watched a christmas movie. i love, love love, all of our traditions. we got to skype elder nate garlick today from germany and he got to meet travis {well as close as he can right now} over the computer. he is doing so well! he even has a slight german accent which was pretty entertaining. travis and i were able to surprise each other with some fun gifts too! we're headed on our cruise in a week, and my parents surprised all of us kids with one last gift after we opened all of them to a trip to the a&m football bowl game this saturday on new year's eve in houston! we are stoked to go to our first bowl game. love texas football!

{christmas break}

we've had a great break so far! right after we finished finals, we headed to idaho for scott and clarissa's graduation from BYU-I and it was freeeeezing up there, but we had a lot of fun! we then flew to texas and have had fun visiting the george bush museum in college station, introduction travis and his parents to freebirds, eating some very authentic texas bbq and having a great open house at the institute for our wedding. it turned out perfect! we also introduced travis to double dave's pizza rolls, and texas a&m basketball. and now shipley's donuts are next on the list. the weather is p.e.r.f.e.c.t here and we had a great run this morning outside!

{stomach flu}

the stomach flu has decided to be in our apartment for the past twenty-one hours, and hopefully in just three more it will be GONE. we're holding this twenty-four hour flu to its title, without going a minute over. its nasty, nasty stuff. oh and it decided to plague us the middle of final exam week. but thanks to pepto, crackers, and some really good naps, I think we'll make it just in time to finish all we need to do before we head out friday morning. it could always be worse.

{christmas time}

we had a lot of fun at grandma & grandpa blake's christmas party! yummy food, singing, and the annual australian pavlova {thanks to julie}. christmas is such a fun time of the year! and it's even sunny here in utah; i think that makes it the best of both worlds. the first presidency's christmas devotional was great as well {you can listen to it or watch it here: http://lds.org/broadcasts/archive/christmas-devotional/2011/12?lang=eng} and we're loving our fridge that is covered {literally} in friend's and family's christmas cards!

{dates}

in order to survive all this studying and writing to finish our finals, date nights are a must! {even if it is in sweat pants and slippers} but the great part is that it's like we have date night every single night anyway.

drinking our power size jamba's {who knew there was a secret pink starburst flavor? travis}

filled our stomachs for two days

{and here's a shout out thank-you to fun gift cards!}

{almost done}

classes are OVER for the semester and now we just have a few finals to take and boom...we're done!

and then for christmas, we get to go be with these people:

and skype this awesome missionary on christmas day:

and then trav & i are headed here on a cruise:

what an eventful semester we've had and we're still alive to tell it {thankfully}. but really, it wasn't all that stressful in the end, except for when we think back on what all happened; we planned our wedding, got married, and passed {more than passed} our classes...only made possible by so, so many tender mercies. life is good! the next couple of weeks we get to spend in one of my most favorite places: college station, texas! better believe i'm packin my sandals and shorts. i just can't ever get enough sunshine! love it. we have an open house and then christmas and new years. and then trav and i are headed on a cruise for a week to cozumel. talk about a great break!!

{two months}

travis and i have been married for two months today! it's gone pretty fast and we have loved every minute of it. we've got into somewhat of a routine and have finally got used to {sort of} school just in time for finals to start next week! everyday is so fun with travis and i'm so grateful for him!

{thank you}

we are so grateful for all of the support we've received from our friends and family since getting married with all of the cards, gifts, and gift cards. {it has been like christmas on steroides around our place} we really appreciate it. {our thank you postcards don't quite do it justice} it has been humbling to open the numerous cards and gifts and to realize the effort and love felt by our friends and family to help us start off our married life together. we've been at awe with the generosity we've felt and only want to pay it forward!

{married life}

laughing. studying. late nights.
constant gifts. basement apartment.
crockpot meals. snooze button. bills. games.
family home evenings.traditions. homework.
 planning. singing. road trips. naps. service. excitement.
temple trips. date night. store returns. thank-you cards.
tickle fights. football games. constant dishes. happiness.
married life is the best!