Crazier Cazier: Our Growing Family's Blog: September 2009

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Family and the Season

I can't believe that Dave and I have already lived in Logan for a month and half now. We celebrated our 5 month anniversary on the 23rd of September! Oh how time flies! After learning how to find my way around Logan I've come to love it. I don't feel quite so secluded as we did up in the mountains and I love being able to choose which store I want to go grocery shopping at!

I've spent the last week and a half in New Mexico with my parents. It was a nightmare to be away from Dave for that long but I thoroughly enjoyed the family time. I have the two cutest nieces in the world. Riley is a hoot and I love making her laugh and Karisma is as energetic, sweet, and loving as ever. She's also a fabulous big sister and loves playing with Riley and helping out with her where she can. I also enjoyed watching my brother complete the "combat challenge" for his fire academy course. Holy Cow...have you seen what firefighters have to do physically in order to be a fireman? It was crazy! I've never seen anyone complete such strenuous labor before in my life....and they have a time limit! I have to admit, I loved watching my brother complete this assignment. He was absolutely magnificent! Heather is still the all amazing mom whom I look up to a lot. A very involved mom as an assistant girl scout leader for Karisma's troup, mother to an adorable and happy baby girl, a frequent and very good cook, and all aroung amazing woman, she is also going to school right now working on her teaching degree. She never fails to amaze me as she brings home straight A's, has her youngest daughter going to a babysitter only twice a week for three hours, supports her husband, always has the time for Karisma and her events and also manages to look amazing...I'm always amazed by her. I truly love going home and being able to take part in these experiences with those I love. And of course I have to admit that being with mom and dad is always the highlight of visiting. There is only one other person that I love being with as much as I love being with my parents and that is my husband. We've made it through laughter, tears, struggles and triumphs and somehow we still learned to enjoye them. I love being with my parents.

After talking about my family for a while now I also have to mention the one person that means more to me than anything in this world...Dave. Although I do love going home for visits, my heart always remains with Dave. It was interesting this past week as I noticed the differences in myself when I was not with Dave....I still enjoyed life but nothing was quite as fun or exciting or enjoyable without him there to share it with me. I came home and that's truly what it felt like. Like I was coming home, back to where I belonged. I have never enjoyed two days as fully as I have the last two days with Dave. A sweeter, kinder, more loving man I do not know.

I guess all this talk of family leads me to what I really wanted to say. With the weather turning colder and the leaves becoming colorful I am always reminded of the beautiful spirit of this season. I realize we aren't to close to Christmas just yet but that's just my point. This whole season, from Halloween and Thanksgiving to Christmas is so wonderful! I feel particularly strongly that during these holidays I want to really get into the spirit and remember the most important things in life: love, family, and friends...charity, compassion, and kindness....forgiveness, appreciation, and respect. I keep having a phrase come to mind that goes something like this..."It's getting colder outside but the warmth of this season comes from within." I don't think it's quite to the point I want it but the idea is that even thought it's getting cold, the warmth comes from within each of us.

Well I think the majority of this has been rambling but these things have been on my mind for a while now and I'm felt they needed to be shared. I'm so grateful for this time of year and I'm excited to be sharing it with Dave and family, as well as new friends we have made here in Logan. I hope you all let the true spirit of this season shine through.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

School... School... and More School

All the boxes are finally put away, most of the pictures are drilled into our lovely cinder block wall, and now it's time for the classic S word... school.

It seems this is all that we have been doing lately. Em is busy with taking 14 credits online through Snow and I am hopping around here taking 14 credits and taking all the tests and compiling my portfolio for admittance into the special education program. I'm still doing a few advertising gigs on the side, Em is constantly making way good food, and along with a lot of traveling (Star Valley, Ephraim, Sacramento, Farmington, NM), we are indeed all over the place. In all honesty though, we probably wouldn't have it any other way. We have begun to really enjoy living here in Logan (and it goes further than just the increase in selection of restaurants and shopping places.) It's been so nice to have all of our stuff set up, living "the Married Dream" as Jake Thomas puts it. Em has been such an awesome wife, and our friendship just seems to keep growing each and every day.

We are heading to New Mexico this Thursday to see the Taylor fam and we're pretty stoked. We're definitely missing that awesome family down there, and have decided to take this much-needed trip. After that, our next event will most likely be Homecoming September 26th. Jake has talked me into asking Em to go to the old Aggie Homecoming... the question is if Em will actually go with me. Whatever the answer, I will definitely be attending the USU SUU football game. Talk about the 2009 NCAA Toilet Bowl... but hey, a football game is a football game. Don't worry though, there's no way I'm going to be rocking any blue. I'm still a Ute through and through.

And even though I'm a U of U fan from Wyoming who is attending Utah State, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

We're engaged!

Dave and I had mentioned getting married and we knew that's what we wanted however I was not expecting to have him propose until the spring semester had started and to not be getting married until the beginning of the fall semester.
Dave had other ideas.
December 12 was the last day that Dave and I had before I headed back to New Mexico for Winter Break. For my Christmas Present Dave had told me that he was taking me up North to walk around Temple Square with all of its Christmas lights, and to the church history museum, to see the new Joseph Smith movie, and to take me to dinner anywhere I wanted to eat. He also gave me a gift card to one of my favorite stores, Deseret Book which he also planned to let me roam through while we were up North.
Others had mentioned the possibility of him proposing but I brushed it off knowing that he didn't want to get engaged this semester. I knew I was right when the week of the trip, Jake and a date (Emily Dutson), planned to join us for the trip.
The day we had set to leave, I was a stressed out mess. I had packing to do, and a final to finish. Dave, Jake, and Emily all arrived at my apartment while I was still in my Pajamas finishing the last of my work. I very quickly showered and got dressed (thank goodness my roommates had already picked out my clothing for the occasion). We left town and I slowly de-stressed as we continued the drive. By the time we made it to Salt Lake we were all starving. We stopped and got the soup and sandwich at the Nauvoo Cafe, which was absolutely amazing and incredibly delicous. We then found the times for the Joseph Smith Movie and left to walk through the Church History Museum. On the way there Dave and I realized that his camera had no batteries so Jake and Emily walked through the museum and Dave and I went to buy the batteries. We all made it back in time for the beginning of the Joseph Smith Movie. It was a fantastic movie which also had me crying by the end of it. When the movie finished the lights were all on at Temple Square so we decided to walk around. As we walked Dave began tossing his keys in the air. He dropped them and I stopped to wait for him while he picked them up. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was proposing to me! I said yes and he slipped a beautiful ring on my finger.

How We Met/First Date

Dave and I first met when he and his best friend Jacob Thomas ( a fellow resident on Castilleja Dorm like myself) decided to decorate Duke Dance's apartment before he returned home from his honeymoon. At the time they claimed that they needed help knowing how to decorate it and therefore were looking for the help of a few girls. They roamed the hallways until they found a room of about 6 girls (including myself). We agreed to help and set up a time for later in the week. Later that week we all met up and made a trip to Walmart to get the needed decorations. While there Dave and I ended up separated from the rest of the group. Dave and I talked while we looked for the right decorations...he asked what brought me to Snow and I answered honestly. "The Lord. This is where he wanted me and there is no other explanation for it." He claims this impressed him...and I think I believe him. The next Friday, I had the apartment to myself for one hour before my next class. I had just succeeded in splattering miracle whip all over after dropping the bottle on the floor when someone knocked on the door. Lo and Behold it was Dave. He came and we talked for the next hour. He invited me and my roommate Marsha to go on a hike the next day. I thought carefully and decided it would be fun. I was almost late for my next class which I just happened to have with Jake. Jake and I started talking and the plans changed so that we ended up turning the night into a double date and doing the hike that night rather than the next day. Sadly enough I am not much of a hiker and I gave a little over halfway through the hike. Dave, ever the gentleman stopped with me and we again talked for the next hour while Jake and Marsha finished the hike and came back to us. The men had brought with the makings for a sandwich which we all ate while watching the sunset. Afterwards we headed back to the car and went back to Duke Dance's apartment to watch the Emperor's New Groove and Mountains of Ephraim (most of you won't know this one..it's a home video Dave and Jake made before their mission) and enjoying a bowl of ice cream. Before ending the night Marsha and I invited them to join us for the rodeo in Manti the next night. They agreed and that concluded our first date!

Crazier Cazier: Our Growing Family's Blog