Thanksgiving Report

Dave and Debbie

Shay, Debbie and Rachel

Shay being silly

Thanksgiving week was a blast for Brad and I. Brad's parents came to visit all the way from Washington state. Dave and Debbie are my wonderful, loving, caring, most amazing in-laws. They are such a good example to Brad, and personally they are my role models. They have accepted me to their family with loving arms, and I am so grateful for that. They have raised an amazing son—Brad—and their daughters—Shay, Rose and Jamie. Someday, Brad and I are hoping to be just like them as we get older, with BIG hearts that care for so many people. They have thought me true love of a family. I just love them to death. They adopted four members of their family—just like my family—and that is why I fit in so well :D

We had Thanksgiving dinner at Brad's grandparents, which was wonderful. I re-met some of Brad's cousins that live outside of Utah. The night before Dave and Debbie left, we played games at their hotel, which was very entertaining and incredibly fun. We laughed, joked and talked our hearts out. Brad and I discussed our future and what will happen in the next 6 months.  Brad is graduating in 4 months (actually it will be 6 months if you include his internship). Dave gave Brad a blessing, which put us at ease for our future. I'm quite excited for this next year. Overall, it was the best Thanksgiving I've ever had.

My Birthday

Brad made this birthday very special for me. Throughout all the business of life, we tend to forget how fun it was to celebrate our birthdays when we were little. This year I turned 21 and I know that is not an old age, but I did feel old. I felt like life is really short and I need to really think about how I spend time. Also, how important the birthdays are. Here is something I have been thinking lately.
We are born to live on this Earth and as a gift Heavenly Father has given us a beautiful body that can grow and heal itself. Our spirit and our body was placed together to learn how they interact with each other. We learn that our spirit needs to be nourished as well as our bodies or they will die. Our birth to this Earth is special and we are children of the most high. No matter what is out circumstances will be; poor or rich, blessed with the righteous parents or not we are still Heavenly Father children. He loves us and wants us to be happy and that is why he has given us prophets, scriptures, temples and a family. Everything that is given to us is for us to be happy.
About my birthday, Brad took me by surprise and took me to SLC and we spend a night at our special hotel.   Next morning we went to Lion House, our favorite restaurant. Afterwards, we went to SLC Temple and it was incredible to experience a live session.
It was snowing so hard after we got out. I was wishing all year it won't snow, but it did snow... it snowed hard. Why!! In the end I enjoyed my birthday. It was a winter wonderland!!!

Our Second Home Since We Have Been Married

Dinning Area

I  finally have pictures of our new place. Brad and I are so happy to be in this place. Our first place was quite... interesting, and I guess that is typical for a married couple to live in places like what we lived in. I tried to make the home really warm, so I got some red curtains, which were really hard to find. Brad and I went to a lot of places to get the right kind for a good price. Bed Bath and Beyond had some very gorgeous curtains, but for ONE panel it was way over our budget. So, we finally found some for $10 at Wall-Mart for 2 panels. Curtains really lighten up the room and it make it more homey. 

When Brad and I were first married we didn't have a table or chairs. We thought it would be ok to just eat on the couch anyway. Eventually, Brad's grandmother gave us a table, not the best looking one, but it served it's purpose for 10 months. We saved up and got ourselves a new table from ShopKo. Actually, ShopKo has really good deals on furniture. The table really made a difference in our little place.

When brad and I went to Oregon and stayed at the beach house, I fell in love with the beach. Brad found me the hugest shell when we went for a walk. I made my bathroom beach-themed. I put Brad's shell in a glass-looking thing with some sand dollars and shells. It turned our very nice.


The first months of marriage really make you poor. Brad and I had no table, dressers and place to put the TV (we used Brad's subwoofer as a stand, haha!).  For our dresser we used luggage from our honeymoon and it worked great for 5 months or so. Oh, fun times! I just love decorating our home and feeling like a real wife and that this is really happening to me. When I have time from a busy day, I love to cook and make sure the house is clean. I just love being married! I love being with Brad. He truly makes me feel beautiful everyday. There hasn't been a day where he didn't complement me like every 5 min. I'm very blessed, and I'm so grateful for such a blessing to be given to me. Anyways, sadly to say we are not staying here very long. I do feel like I shouldn't get attached because we might be moving out soon if Brad does end up graduating in June.

Beach Bathroom

Living room

Some Craft I Did

Something I did for my front door and it turned out pretty good.
This took me about 30 min. to do. Also, plus shopping time. All items I got at Hobby Lobby and walmart, but I think you can just get them all at Hobby Lobby.

Plain G or whatever letter you like.
Glue gun and glue
Red Paint -- walmart
Paint brushes
Fabric Flowers (the wedding aisle)
And "Clear Command"

Soon I'll try to do some hand made cards, which I'm very excited to try out.

Ciao

New Place, New Job, New School Year... Yay!

Rachel: I just simply love my new place. I wish I had some pictures to show, but it's currently under "construction" LOL. I just barely got some curtains and decorations for the bathroom. So far so good.
 I love coming home and feeling clean carpet, air conditioning and having a nice kitchen. Also, not to have to go to a laundromat is the best. The other day our landlords came over by surprise and introduced themselves. They were really nice compared to our other landlord (we were really misrable under that person). I am so happy to be happy!
I started new job as the dental assistand at Dr. Chris M. Jolley's office. He has been working me hard, but he did say he is really, really happy with me. I noticed how much I love what I do. I just love meeting new people and helping them smile. It does help to have a good boss that apreciates what I do.


Brad: I'm excited to say that I'm graduating next year, probably in June if everything goes according to plan.  I'll be looking for advertising careers hopefully in the west coast.  I love agencies that produce fresh and creative content.  I want to be a part of one and help major brands grow through effective and creative advertising.  I know Rachel will love living somewhere near Oregon or Washington.  The west coast is great.  I want to second what Rach said about our new home--it's amazing!  Finally, I'm not sweating all night long as I lay in our former attic apartment with a swampy swamp cooler that hardly does anything worthy of a cooling system.  We're so excited to be here and are looking forward to the future.

Oregon!

Finally, we are in Oregon, a place wher we are hoping to live for some time after Brad graduates. Oregon is beautiful and just so green!. The ocean... oh, how much I want to say how peaceful it is. The water is really cold, but it is worth jumping the waves and walking on the beach.  We are staying at the condo right on the beach and it's three stories high so that we can see all of the ocean. This vacation is all about relaxing and relaxing. We are staying right were Twin Rocks and in the fog in the distance it looks so pretty.

Updates

I have to admit I have been very bad at updating my blog as often as I wanted. I haven't wrote anything since April.

Brad and Rachel at SLC Temple

So far what happen in Brad and mine life is that school ended and that is the bigest relieve, till it starts again! I have made wonderful friends in my ward. You can learn a lot with women that are just newly wedds just like me, it's like we are going through same thing as they are. Couple of months ago we had a testimony meeting and it was incredible to hear couples testimony as they were trying to find jobs after graduating and getting into graduat school. All I got from that testimony meeting is that all be aright and with Heavenly Fathers will and timing, things will be taken care of. I started to appreciate RS more after getting married and being around women in my married student ward.

I have been apartment hunting everyday. What I learned is that housing is rediculasly expensive if you live in provo. Brad and I tried to live away from Provo, but came to realize that gas will cost us a lot to drive back and forth.

Brad's business, Gashler Films have been taken off into a right direction. It has been given us time to get better at what we could do for our business by updating our website often. Also, making new friends through wedding videos is always a plus. I had a chance to be part of Brad's business by trying to do photography if time permits.

Ok, I have to say this, but I am in love with Olive Garden soups! Every time Brad and I go there we order Zuppa Toscana and so far that is our favorite soup. In my opinion Olive Garden soups are the best that I have found so far. People that know me well, know that I love soups. For a cheap eat out date we go to Olive Garden, because if you order unlimited soups for both of us, then it only cost us about $12-13 for two. To think about that is cheaper then a burger in McDonald's! One time at Olive Garden Brad wanted to make this at home sometime, but we didn't have the recipe for it, and that is when I came across CopyCat Zuppa Toscana on the internet. The other day we made the soup and it was just delicious!

Here is the recipe if you like to make a quick and easy soup that makes you tast buds dance :)


Ingredients

• 1 pound Italian sausage

• 2 large russet baking potatoes sliced in half and then in 1/4 inch slices

• 1 large chopped onion

• 1/2 can. Oscar Meyer Real Bacon Bits (these are less fatty than real bacon)

• 2 cloves garlic,  minced

• 2 cups chopped kale or Swiss chard

• 2 14.5 ounce cans chicken broth

• 1 quart water

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions
Cook sausage in a 300-degree oven for approximately 1/2 hour; drain on paper towels and cut into slices.
Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, and garlic in a pot and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, salt, and pepper to taste and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat; add kale, cream, and water (optional).  Heat thoroughly and serve.
(CopyKat.com is the creation of Stephanie Manley. http://www.copykat.com/2009/03/29/olive-garden-zuppa-toscana-ii/)

April Fools? Whoops

Rachel and I both forgot it was April Fools on April 1st.  At just after midnight Rachel asked if we just forgot it.  Yep.  Anyone who truly knows both of us is probably scratching his/her head how we forgot such an opportunity to baffle each other with trickery.  I don't know either.  I have a theory that we subconsciously were trying so hard to compete for the best April Fools joke that we both chose to do nothing, thinking the mystery and suspense that would be incited in the other would amount to more than a joke could.  Well, it didn't work.  Maybe next year.

Oh, Silly Car!

Our car broke and we are broke! Our landlord is amazingly "smart" not to fix things before something really goes wrong. Our bumper has been ripped by the parking curb stakes that are not fully pounded in our parking lot, and it will cost about $350 to fix it. Plus, on top of that we have an engine light on once in a while... humm. Brad and I just looked at the situation and laughed out loud. Well what else would you do, cry? That wouldn't do us good.

In school, I've been researching about laughter for a paper. Amazingly, it is the best medicine for us. It's been used in health care today to help cure cancers and depressions. Also, it helps prevent a common cold and cold sores. How amazing is that? Laughter is a cure for any bad day we have, such as when our car breaks or when we get bad grades on tests. Also, girls, have a cry and then with support from friends and family to make yourself laugh hard, you'll end up having the best day of your life.

So next time your car breaks, have a laugh. If you are a college student and driving one of "those cars" it will break, so be prepared.

“Feelings are chemical, they can kill or cure.” --Bernie Siegel, MD


 


By: Rachel