Another Year Bites the Dust

Happy New Year everyone! With this year drawing to a close, we have started to reflect on all the amazing things that happened in 2010. We met, fell in love, got engaged, and got married. You could say it's a year in our lives that we'll never forget. We can't help but think this is just the beginning of many amazing years to come. We have high hopes that 2011 will be even better than 2010. We hope everyone else had as good of a year as we did! Here is us on our first date last January:

We have decided to document our New Year's resolutions here so that we have people to hold us accountable for them. Because I (Cali) have never kept a New Year's resolution for more than about a week and a half. This year is going to be different...(maybe). The resolutions that we have set together are to exercise 6 days a week (I say if we make it 3 days a week that will be impressive) and to pay off our student loans. Ben resolves to cut out soda and sugar. I can handle the no soda thing, but I think cutting out sugar is like cutting out air or water. We'll see how long he lasts on that one when I am sitting next to him with a bowl of ice cream making Mmmm sounds about how delicious it is. My resolution is to take more pictures. I carry my camera pretty much everywhere I go, but I never remember to get it out and take pictures of stuff. I'm going to try to change that! Be prepared to be bombarded with pictures, people.

Senioritis

For anyone who has ever graduated from anything, you know what I'm taking about. I (Cali) graduate in 2 weeks and it's going to be a miracle if i get anything done between now and then. My mind is on vacation! I still have a million things to do, but I really just don't care. Even if I were to give up now I would still pass...which is kind of tempting! When I started college there were days when I wondered if I would ever make it to this point. 131 credits later, I can't believe how much I've learned and how much I've grown as a person. Going to college was the best decision I've ever made. I've worked my butt off and I am proud of everything I have accomplished in the last four years. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl, and I'm so close to achieving that goal! I am excited to start my student teaching on January 3rd in a second grade class in Saint Anthony, Idaho. After that, for the first time in my life, I won't be a student. But that doesn't mean I have to stop learning.

Thanksgiving afterthoughts

As I sit on the chair after the nice thanksgiving meal, I realize how grateful we are to be able to eat til we are full.

Thanksgiving, to me, is considered one of the best holidays.   I love how family, football and food fit into one day.   This year Cali and I went to her parent's house for the feast, its small Thanksgiving to me compared to the past because there are not a lot of relatives around this year for the holidays.  However, I enjoyed the meal that was served and the company that I sat with at the table.  The Ham, the Turkey, The stuffing, the jello pie, the mashed potatoes and gravy, and the other delicious items. The plate full of food looked something like this:

And that food on the table made it even better to eat:

Note: I did not take pictures of the table and the meal because I was too busy eating.

However, the food was splendid.  I do love pie on Thanksgiving.  This is the other part of the feast.   I love the varieties, this year I had the privilege of indulging myself with pumpkin, cherry, and chocolate pie.

The Other part of thanksgiving is football.  I am grateful to live in a country where we can have great entertainment.  I am grateful for people who decide to share their talents with us on national Television.  I am grateful for the tradition to watch the Cowboys and the Lions play football on the same day and it doesn't matter if they suck, they will play every year and for the rest of the existence of football.

The last part of Thanksgiving is family. I love Family. Every year and from now on I know that when the holidays arrive I will be surrounded by people who love my wife and I. I am grateful for the large family that I have. I am grateful for my brother who is off serving in the military somewhere.  Because of him and those like him with other families across this great country, they are out defending the very liberties and freedoms that help make us appreciate this Great Holiday. I am grateful for my wife and I am glad this is the first Thanksgiving we have had together.  I know there will be many more memorable Thanksgivings that we will share in the future.  I am grateful for parents who reared us both and taught us right from wrong.  I am grateful for siblings that we have, her brothers and sister, and my brother and sister, I grateful to know that they will be with us right up to the end.   

All the people in this photo were out celebrating Thanksgiving in other parts of this country and in other countries around the world.  But i am still grateful for those we love.

These are my Thanksgiving thoughts.  Food, Football, and Family...... This is what I love about this Holiday.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!

Sick, Sick, Sick

One of the best parts of being married is that you always have someone

 to take care of you when you feel like this:

Thanks, Ben, for skipping class to buy me orange juice. 

I'll be back to my normal self in no time (except I'll make sure my clothes match):

All those years of piano lessons got me HERE!?

Fact: I play the piano.

Fact: The piano is NOT the same thing as the organ.

It's a simple enough concept, right? Try telling that to our bishopric who called me to be the ward organist in September.

I think they were desperate.

It's been a learning process. The first couple times I had to play I had emotional breakdowns in the middle of sacrament meeting. I am now to the point where I can play without crying. That doesn't mean I don't want to. I still don't really know all the buttons mean. It looks like a spaceship control panel.

I'm getting a little better, but I still don't consider myself an organ player. In my next ward, if anyone asks, I have no musical ability whatsoever. They can put me in the nursery.

Things Marriage Has Taught Me

1. Netflix is the greatest thing ever. Before marriage, I rarely watched movies because I have this philosophy that when groups of people get together, they should interact with each other rather than sit around watching movies. I also never watched movies alone because that's just sad. Plus, I need someone to answer my questions when I am confused with the story line (which is all the time...). But now that I have a built-in movie watching buddy, we watch movies all the time!  I am finally watching all those movies that EVERYONE except me has seen. Hopefully now I will stop hearing, "What? You've never seen that??" 

2. I like to cook. This one surprised me because I've never had a reason to cook before. During the last three years of college I've survived on grilled cheese sandwiches, cereal, pasta from a box, and chicken nuggets. I didn't see the point in spending all the time and energy to make a nice meal for myself. Now that I have someone else to eat the food with me, cooking has suddenly become fun. Ben usually helps me. Not only is it rewarding to successfully follow a recipe, but it has been a great bonding experience for Ben and I. Yes, there have been several nights where our dinner was not edible and we ended up at Subway, but that happens to the best of us. We're still learning. 



3. Financial Aid is the greatest thing ever. No explanation needed.


4. A messy house isn't going to kill me. Injure me, maybe. But not kill me. I always assumed that I would marry a clean freak just like me. Just come look at our living room floor and you will see that this is not what happened. I try to remind myself that no one's house is perfect and the mess doesn't matter that much. But then I decide that it does matter and I clean it up. Maybe I'll get lucky and my kids will be clean freaks. Probably not. One of these days I'll have to get over my clean fetish, but that day is not going to be today.


5. The world does not revolve around me. Before marriage, I only had to worry about myself. Suddenly now I have to learn to put someone else's needs ahead of my own. And as much as I love Ben, it's hard to get over that "I am the most important person" mentality. I guess this is good practice with putting other people first before we have kiddos. 


6. Getting married does not suddenly make you a grown-up. I still feel like a kid who doesn't know anything about anything. But I'm learning. Isn't that what life is all about?

Random Thoughts and an Update

I have come to find out that writing a blog is like writing in your journal.  You set out wanting to write everyday or at least once a week or every other week.  But that doesn't happen.  What do you write about in a blog?  How do you keep people coming back and back to read?
 Well, October is flying by just like September.  I am involved with football coaching a team that has a lot of talent but we have ended up on the losing end the last two weeks.  If we are to make it into the championship game at the end of the season we have to win out.  I think that we can do it.  I have confidence in this team.
 This month Cali and I went to a haunted corn maze outside of Rexburg.  I was confident that I wasn't going to get scared or scream.  I mean October of last year, I went to a Haunted House in Oklahoma City and i laughed the whole way through.  This maze made me scream.  The "scary" people were popping up around corners and that totally caught me off guard.  This week we plan on hitting up a haunted house in Idaho Falls and A Haunted Mill.  It should be fun.  October is a good month to get scared.
I really don't know what else to say.... I need to get back and do some homework.  Homework is calling my name and I feel like I need to get caught up for the rest of the week.  So I have to do only a minimum amount throughout my busy week.  Oh by the way, Cali and I are doing great and can't wait for Halloween to come and go and then on to Thanksgiving for a feast.

Where did summer go?

Last week was a rude awakening when our weeks of lounging around came to an end. School started, work started, and all the craziness started. Ben is working part time in the campus bookstore, coaching an intramural football team, and taking a full load of classes. I am in my last semester taking my last four classes. One of them has me in an elementary school in Idaho Falls two days a week. I am working with a sixth grade class. At first I was terrified, but I think I am going to enjoy the experience (if the workload doesn't kill me first).

We finally got our wedding pictures back and we are thrilled with how they turned out! We have quite a few on Facebook, but for those of you who do not have access to facebook, here is a small sample:

I would write more, but it's time for me to leave to pick Ben up from work. Starting tomorrow we will have two cars--we are so happy! We are grateful to my parents for bringing it to Idaho for us. Life is good!

Our living quarters

We have had numerous requests for pictures of our new apartment. We waited so long just to build suspense. Did it work? At last, here is our humble abode for all the world to see:

This is what the living room looked like when we moved in the first half of our stuff!

And here is the living room after a LOT of unpacking!

Our lovely bathroom

The awesome kitchen

There ya go, the apartment tour. You missed out on some exciting parts like the hallway and the closets, but if you want the full tour you will just have to come visit us!

Its looking more and more like a home

Little by little, the tiny apartment that we have moved into is looking like a home.  Last Wednesday we got the keys to our new apartment in Rexburg, Idaho.   When we moved in all we had was a tv and some blankets.  We had borrowed an air mattress which we blew up with a hair dryer.  It didn't work! All we got was a half inflated bed and the two of us could not sleep on it together.  So i ended up on the ground.  Needless to say neither of us got a good night's rest.  

Thursday Morning we arose from off the ground and decided we needed to go look for a bed.  God must have had a tender mercy waiting to give to us.  We found a bed on Craigslist for 150 dollars and it was in a great condition.  The owner said it was rarely ever slept on.  We were so excited to get it home.  So we finally had a bed and a tv in the house and a computer.  So the apartment was starting to look like something,  I would not have called it a home yet.  More like a big living space with a few items in it.

Friday we were ready to drive the nine hours back to Washington to grab all our stuff.  When we arrived to the house of Cali's family.  I was relieved that there was a couch to sit on.  We spent nice weekend with the family and filled the uhaul trailer with our furniture and wedding gifts.  With the help of Grandpa Taylor, we drove back to Rexburg, Monday morning.

Monday Night we arrived in Rexburg with the furniture. It took Grandpa and I about thirty minutes to unload all the heavy furniture. Needless to say it wasn't easy.  Where was the extra help when we needed it? Haha.... I guess thats the way life works sometimes.

So this week we have unpacked most of our stuff, I have set two large pieces of furniture ( a dining room table that took me three hours and a computer desk that took me six hours), shopped at target using our gift cards, went grocery shopping to fill our cupboards, and spent most nights making the rooms in our apartment look like a place we want to live in.   I can now look around the apartment as of today and report:
THE RAWLINSON HOUSE LOOKS LIKE A HOME!!!!

Travel Weary

Washington to Oklahoma is more than 1800 miles of driving.  We have come to find out that Wyoming and Kansas don't provide much earthly scenary to look at.  But drive through Washington, Oregon , Colorado and Oklahoma, and it makes you appreciate the earth God created. We are sitting in the home of my parents, Cali and I are about to embark on the same route back to Idaho Falls starting tomorrow morning.  I told Cali once we get done driving that we will sleep for a day and not go anywhere. I am tired of driving and i feel like i have been on the road forever.  But the best part about driving through half the United States is that Cali and I are married!!!!!!!!!

We enjoyed a great honeymoon in Denver, Castle Rock, and Colorado Springs, Colorado along the way. We went to a science museum, Casa Bonita, Dave & Busters, the Garden of the Gods, a giant outlet mall, and many other places. We had an open house at my parent's house last night here in Bartlesville, OK. Many people came and with the house so full, the temperature inside rose to about 100 degrees. That's what it felt like anyway. It was great to see so many people come to support us. We love being married :)

2 Days!!!

Well its 2 days til we are getting married!!!!!  We are just sitting on a couch wondering what to do for the day.  We have been sitting in Cali's parents' house for the last two days watching tv and just hanging around the house.  I think we are ready for a vacation.  Something to break the monotony of watching Everybody love Raymond and Family Feud ( Recommended to watch) .  I am in the mood for pizza and mini golf this afternoon.... Maybe Cali will go along with my plan of a fun afternoon.  :)

4 days!!!!

Its 4 days until the wedding!!!!  We are excited to begin our new life together.  We set up this blog so all the world can see what is going on in our lives.  No secrets will kept from anybody... Just kidding, Cali and I do not want to expose our full lives to creeping stalkers on the internet.  But if you are family or friends, I think we can make an exception for you viewing us.  If anything interests you feel free to comment and give us feedback on how we can improve our blogging experience.  We don't want to bore anyone!  Thanks and please enjoy the posts that will be coming your way.  That is all! Have a nice Day!!!