Christmas happenings

 

Let me just tell you, working in retail is not good for your blog. Especially at Christmas time. Serious apologies to my little space on the Internet.

Since I had to work like a maniac and couldn’t come home for Christmas, my in laws came to us! It wouldn’t have been Christmas without some family, for sure. Brad hadn’t seen his parents since the Christmas before, so he was looking forward to spending time with them since I stayed with them twice this year without him. We went out to dinner with them, took them to Rexburg’s finest restaurants (lol) brad gave them a tour of the campus, they all visited me at work, we played lots and lots of cards, and just enjoyed being with family.

We celebrated Brad’s Birthday by making a big breakfast with eggs, baked potato coins, waffles and oj! I loooove breakfast! We watched The Dream works Christmas short movies, and he opened his gifts! He received a one piece bum flap long johns, a stud finder, seek and find book, a drill, and a batman encyclopedia. Look at those goofy smiles :]

He said the only thing he’s found with his stud finder is his self. Ha!

I made him Funfetti cupcakes, since those are his  favorite. We celebrated with cake and ice cream that night at his aunts house where we played bingo for prizes and played some more cards!

I really missed my family and I wish we could have gone home for Christmas so bad. My parents sent us a box of presents, and I’ve already used them like crazy! My mom knew my love for salad spinners and got me my very first one, as well as the Babycakes vegan, gluten and sugar free cookbook. So far I’ve made the gingerbread and ate half the loaf by myself. No shame!

We made our Christmas tree and ornaments ourselves, since last year we didn’t have a tree because we went to Washington. And who wants to spend $30 on a tree that doesn’t even smell anymore because it’s dried out? who want’s to spend almost as much on a fake tree that smells like plastic and vinyl? certainly not us.  We’re a fan of dumpsters, it’s amazing what people throw away. I found a heavy bottomed pot once. I didn’t keep it because I already have one and I might just make brad crazy..but seriously? who throws that away? take it to the DI people! Anyway, someone bought a tree too big and threw the bottom portion in the dumpster where we found it while taking out the trash. Brad, being the crafty handyman that he is chopped it up, zip tied it together and we had a tree! We also blew up water balloons, made mod podge, and with the help of fabric, glitter and tinsel, we had ornaments!

We also had our own little Ms. Clause. I hope your holidays were swell!

Boxes and Froyo, ya’ll. Boxes and Froyo.

The biggest snowflakes I think I have ever seen. | Eating dinner at Da Pineapple Grill. No really, it’s called “Da” and this was the best picture we got. Every time we take a picture, my camera puts a box over brads face and asks, “Did someone blink?” Oh no, he just has small eyes? So you get one brad eye. | Cake batter, Red Velvet, Green Apple, Raspberry, and Vanilla froyo at Kiwi Loco. With everything from cheesecake to nerds. We are not so good at this sort of thing. We’ve been spoiled with Cold Stone. Let us choose from a menu where someone has done the “hard work” of tasting flavor combinations for us, please. We know our place. | Watching one of my favorite movies at Kiwi Loco. Better known to me as, “Nine-ning McKeen Movie…caaar.” Want to know what Madagascar is called? “Maga-dascar..I like to move it, move it.” | The view from the couch. Oh you like my new ottoman? It’s a cardboard box full of Pyrex glassware [fancy] and topped with a pillow. I’ve been watching HGTV, can you tell?

We’re moving on Tuesday. This is the ninth time I’ve moved since I could remember moving. Third time I’ve moved down the street, so what I’m getting as is, I’ve got serious packing skills. Serious enough to put on my resume. Thanks mom and dad!

For your information, I totally impressed Brad with my Draco Malfoy impression the other night. They should have hired me for that character. In fact, maybe I’ll  get into character while moving the perfectly boxed boxes. That’ll really impress him. Skills, people.

Speaking of HP, I was making dinner the other night and found a very special noodle AS Brad was reading Harry Potter. There’s no such thing as coincidence.

Home sweet home

Well, I should say rental sweet rental. Brad was gone since Thursday morning! He was in Montana for a preseason trip and I was left all by my lonesome in rexburg for the weekend. It was weird with him gone, I felt like I was either an old maid or a bachelorette. Either way, the house was clean. I kept myself occupied by doing hair and watching glee.

Anyways, Sometimes I get sad. It’s really hard living away from family in a town you can’t stand. Brad is my best friend. We know each other so well and he always knows when I am down and need ice cream. He gives the worlds best pep talks and knows how to make me feel better. Everything right now is temporary. Brad has one year left here in Idaho.is it too early to start counting down the days?

I’m just thankful I have him. Being married is awesome, being away from family on the other hand is not. Especially when my sister just had her baby boy this morning and I am here watching other peoples babies. One of which was using her “abra ca dabra” wand to whisk herself away “to the future” today. I wish it were that easy, girlfriend.

Wanna know what else bums me out? Season  five of Mad Men is not coming out until early 2012. It was a sad, sad day in the Kunz household when we found that out. Sad year, more like it.

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As of late...

I got a full time job
Brad changed his major
I got a new* car
Brad has been taking the wrong classes for two semesters
WE are getting another Niece/Nephew!!!
My parents are moving :[
The Hunger Games

I have been working at Apple Tree Learning Center as a sub the past few weeks. I love it, but I disliked being woken at 5am to come in last minute because a teacher got sick. But I don't have to worry about that anymore because they offered me a full time teaching position! I am the new morning teacher for the 2 year olds. I think they're called the "apple dumplings" Each class has an apple name, it's cute :] I will get 35 minimum hours a week, but if someone asks me to sub for the afternoon I can always get more. I'll have a class of six, and I'll make weekly lessons plans and attempt to stick with the schedule as much as possible :] When I first trained I went to each room for a 1/2 hour and when I got to this class I knew it's where I wanted to end up. They respond to their name, love to help, and sit at the table for meals when asked-but don't get me wrong, I'm not doubting I'll see their terrible twos attitude. I got hired at the right time because that teacher ended up telling me she was putting in her two weeks and that she wanted me to take over her class. The other teachers talked to the director and raved about me (Let me have my shining moment here, please) and the director was impressed so she offered me the position!

Anywho, Brad had a nagging feeling he needed to go change his major. He was declared as Health Science, but now he is an official Health Administrator Major. In the process he found out that BYUI didn't have record of his Associates degree on his grad report. So they sent him to records and sure enough, they had it but just didn't add it to his report. THEREFORE, Brad has been taking the WRONG foundations classes! For two semesters! Which basically means he's been working on a 2nd associates!!! And that since he changed his major, some of his classes won't switch over. But that's not byu's fault, that's just what happens when you are figuring out what you want to do when you grow up. This was the same day I was offered my job. Good news and bad news day. I cried because I was so upset when brad told me that the only class he needs currently this semester is Book of Mormon. He's been studying hard and trying to figure out what his anatomy and physiology teacher is trying to teach, only to find out he doesn't need it anymore. And he can't drop his classes because he'll be put on academic probation, or get W's (getting a class waived) on his grad report. And that won't look good when we go to get his masters. So were going to try and see what classes he will be reimbursed for, because byui made a big mistake.

I can't drive a stick. End of Story. I panic, lose focus, and cry. All of which added together=anxiety. We ended up selling brads honda, to someone in a neighboring apartment complex. So we can still go say hi when brad misses it. We sold it for the same cost that we bought our new* car for. New as in '98 pontiac sunfire. I love it, it is an automatic! Sure, there's a crack in the windshield, the paint bubbled, the vents are missing, the front two hubcaps are gone and it barks when it turns on but it's mine and it gets me to work :]

My sister is pregnant again! I hope it's a boy, I hope it's a boy, I hope it's a boy. That's my good thought mantra for a boy. We need a baby boy in the family! She gets her ultrasound next month and I have it marked on our cat calendar. But regardless of what she has that baby will be just as spoiled as the rest!

And lastly, my parents are moving :[ They are moving back to ft worth, tx. My dad got a job there, which is a good thing buuuut I won't see them as much when we come home to visit :[ I hope my mom enjoys texas more than she did last time! I love you guys!

Brad's Aunt Belinda is the closest person to family here, She knows how to take care of us! She's letting me borrow her Hunger Games book. I can't put it down! I read part 1 in 24 hours and I've forced myself to reread it because I am picky when it comes to books that I can't put down and I want to savor this! So I havent gotten to the actual hunger games part yet but I am picking up things that I missed the first-half-way-time-through. Needless to say, I LOVE IT!

Anyhoo, We never posted pictures of our apartment! Except the kitchen kinda. I don't think we'll be here next year and I have a sneaking feeling the next one won't be as nice.

Kitchen, where I am blogging from:

Living room, where we watch lots and lots of movies, and currently brad is watching a superman cartoon:
Bathroom, where we have 12 minutes of hot water, and a million of my products:

Brad's study room, and his make shift desk:
Oh and a couple weeks ago we had a picnic! We packed sandwiches, granola bars, applesauce, and fruit and went to the sand dunes in St Anthony :] It was warm, but we found a shady spot by the water..which meant dragonflies, lots of dragonflies.

He is just so handsome!He doesn't like healthy applesauce :]


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