Talking about November

Today is the day. Bill is going to write his paper.

I forgot to mention that Bill was accepted into Western Governor's University back in October - good things!

This. Is. A. Big. Deal.

Not because it was "difficult" for him to get in, but because Bill hates school. Bill and I have never been able to see eye-to-eye on this subject. Bill tests incredibly well and retains information like a sponge holds water, but he hates the busy-work that comes with being a student. I have to give Bill some credit...for he tried college...twice. Each time, things didn't work out so well for him. School is just not his cup-of-tea. Having spent practically everyday with Bill for the last year and a half, I've come to realize, truly, that school is not meant for everyone.

But when Bill learned more about the program his mom went through to get her degree, there was a magic little spark. WGU is an accredited online university based out of Salt Lake. Bill's mom graduated with her Master's in Nursing back in February, and it got the wheels turning in Bill's head. The way WGU works is that you pay a certain amount for tuition for each six-month semester. Then you take as many credits online as you want during the course of that semester. You only take one class at a time. As soon as you are done with one class, you can move on to the next. So really, WGU is most beneficial for those who want to get their degree fast, and save some money. Otherwise, there's not much difference in attending Utah State, or any other in-state university for that matter.

We felt WGU would be a really good move for Bill. It was geared directly toward his learning style and they offered the degree he had been looking into. With that! Bill is currently working for his Bachelor's in Network Engineering. Hooray!

The first few weeks, Bill was on fire. He tested out of classes and earned 12 or 13 credits without even having to try very hard. Granted, they were general credits, but he earned the same amount of credits in two weeks that I had to work for for four months as a Freshman. I was really happy for him and excited to see him so motivated about school!

Then as soon as he finished those up, the next task on his list was to write a research paper. Kill me now. Bill tests. He does not write. This research paper has been like the plague in our house. He had no motivation to work on it and couldn't get over the fact that he hates writing papers. His adviser calls out of Arizona every Thursday at 8:00 AM to check on him and see how things are going. There hasn't been much to report. Bill has been at a standstill for the last two months. His adviser says that this is the point that most of the Network Engineering people get hung up on. Once they get over this piece, they are usually set to go! Apparently, Bill is just following the trend...but really...since when has Bill ever followed the "trend?" ;) Oy...why now?

Then bless his mother's heart, Judy graciously offered to take a whole day and sit down with him and help him work on his paper! For her Master's program, most of her courses were based off written papers, not tests. She's an expert. And what made me most excited? Bill actually consented to doing it!!! It's a New Year's Miracle!

So while Bill and Judy are working on Bill's paper, I am here blogging away with unsurpassed, positive, happy, and elated feelings that Bill is actually getting his paper done! Wahoo! And after two hours, Judy has just emerged from the room to switch over the laundry and to report that Bill has picked a topic, has four bullet points, and will have an annotated bibliography come the end of today! *fingers of joy*

I'm so dang excited. Really. I don't think Bill will ever understand how truly happy this makes me! Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that he'll keep this motivation through til the end of the semester! ;)

(Catch my drift dear? Hehe. Love you!)

Let's talk about November.

Well....probably more important than Thanksgiving, Taylor came up to visit!!! Okay...maybe not more importantly, but I know I was more excited about it than eating food! :)

Tay stayed the weekend over at Mallory's and Hilary's apartment.

Friday night was the infamous basketball game between Utah State and BYU. Yes. THE Game of the year. Spinning off all the Occupy Movements going on the strongest at that time, USU started up "Occupy the Spectrum" where people camped out in the HPER Field in tents in order to secure their seat for the game. It was crazy, but hysterical at the same time, to see all the die-hard basketball fans and Freshmen camped out in the field.

For those who are a little less crazy, but passionate all the same, (like Hilary and Kaitlin and Mallory) they went early on Friday morning, wrapped up in blankets, and waited in line to get a wristband. Their waiting paid off and were guaranteed a spot in the Spectrum! And somehow (I'm not sure how it ended up working out exactly) they got one for Taylor too!

After the intense battle, which USU came out the victor, all the gals came over to Bill's and I's apartment and had pizza and chatted. It was good to see all of them again and to seemingly pick up right were we left off.

On Saturday, Bill and I were invited by our neighbor and ward member Kristi, to a Nikken product launch/get together up at the USU Conference Center. Kristi had been very involved with Nikken and had been asked to speak and share her experience with the Nikken products at the launch. Bill and I wanted to be supportive and decided we would attend, but we would have to come late.

By the time we had shown up, we had missed Kristi speaking, but we were able to hear a few more stories and see a few of the new products that were being launched for the 2012 year. Nikken is a multi-level marketing company that focuses on using and selling magnets and other products that help your body to be well. It is actually really amazing stuff! We had noticed a change in our friend Kristi just in the small time frame that we had known her...but we hadn't known or suspected what it was. But because of Nikken, Kristi has gone from a sickly, pale, insomniac, with a lactose intolerance, celiac disease, hypoglycemia...and even more troubles, to some one who has color in her face, can eat gluten, and sleep again. Kristi looks amazing! And all because of the power of magnets and natural dietary supplements that Nikken offers. It's really powerful, and Bill and I were deeply impressed - not only by Kristi, but by the other people who were in the room who had life-changing experiences because of Nikken.

Out of all the places to run into an old friend, my old next door neighbor, Denise Murri was at the Nikken launch! I used to baby-sit her kids before they had moved away to Idaho Falls! Denise was a part of a group that had traveled down from Idaho to be at the Nikken gathering. And it was really interesting to see the change in her as well. When Denise had lived next door to us in North Ogden, there was no doubt in my mind that she had severe depression. She always seemed winded and had bags under her eyes. Her and her husband were both nurses who constantly worked odd-ball hours of the day and night. It was good for them to be able to get together and go on date-night every once and a while...that's when I would come over to baby-sit.

But I instantly noticed something about Denise when we saw her at the Nikken launch - she had a smile on her face and she laughed. It was a different Denise...and she just seemed better! Healthy! Kristi and I went over and talked with her after the presentations were all done and we caught up on LIFE a little bit. :) It was good to see her and hear her share her story with me about how Nikken had helped her in her LIFE as well.

I couldn't stop thinking about my Bill...he regularly has severe migraines, a constant dull headache, allergies like you wouldn't believe, exercised-induced asthma, a hatred of water, and an ankle that gives him guff every now and again after he hurt it going wake-boarding. He has the hardest time falling asleep and cannot get up in the morning without a half-hour battle with me nagging at him. The stories these people were telling were stories that I could relate to...because my husband has the same problems! To hear how they were skeptical at first, tried a couple of products, and noticed a change...I had a very distinct feeling and prompting that this might be a solution to some of Bill's problems.

We invited Kristi and her lead, Les, to come over and talk to us later that month...with all these impressions I was having, I knew we had nothing to lose.

After the Nikken launch, I popped on over the Hil's and Mal's to meet up with the girls so that we could all go over to the USU Hockey Game...an old roommate pastime, and one of Taylor's passions. The game was against Weber State. We slaughtered them. They got away with a single pity-point after our goalie accidentally bumped the puck into the goal. It was almost more sad than anything. But we all had a good time despite the uneventfulness of the game. ;)

Hilary, Taylor, Mallory, and Kaitlin

We love hockey!

I came back with the girls and we talked and watched Hil and Tay do "melty-crayon" things on canvas. :)

The next day was our ward's first choir performance! We had been working on an arrangement of "I Need Thee Every Hour" for a few months...and it had finally come together! It truly was beautiful. I invited Taylor to come to our sacrament meeting and hear us perform. It was fun sitting by her in church again. It had been too long. :) We performed our piece and made the speaker cry...a true mark of success, in my book. Haha. It was a great sense of accomplishment! Going from shaky fingers at the piano and Bill not sure of how to direct a choir, to confidence in both our parts. Our choir was beautiful.

We had the girls come over for dinner again that evening and enjoyed some barbecue chicken and alfredo (reminiscent of the first meal Bill had ever made for me back in the dating days). And of course we talked until it was time for my dearest friends to go.

I love those girls - Kaitlin, Mallory, Hilary, and Taylor - with all of my heart. I'm so glad you are all in my LIFE.

Although we were not engaged this time last year, I had gone up to Idaho Falls to celebrate Thanksgiving with Bill's family. It was certainly a Thanksgiving I will never forget...spending it in a hotel because the Herrin's house had flooded, and using a stranger's house to cook and eat our Thanksgiving feast in. :) Uncle Dave slipping and breaking his ankle. Bill being sick. Trying bacon-wrapped water chestnuts. It was absolutely crazy and wonderful.

With that being last year, we shared Thanksgiving with my family this year.

We have the long-standing tradition of having dinner over at Grandma Sorenson's every third Sunday of the month. This year we would be having Thanksgiving at Grandma's as well. It wasn't that much different than every other time that we go over there, but it was nice to spend time with family! :)

We also have the tradition of going to the movies on Thanksgiving night. This year we went to go see "The Muppet's Movie." It was hysterical! Bill and I still quote it all the time. Waka waka!  We loved it.

We stopped by at the Kiefer's after the movie and collected more leftovers before heading back up to Logan. :)

The next day, we went Christmas Tree Hunting with my family. Bill had never been before, and I had missed out on it last year. I was super excited! The Sorenson's and the Nichol's swung by and picked us up at our apartment before heading out to Preston to pick up our tree-permit.

It was a lovely day for Tree Hunting! It wasn't bitter cold, and it wasn't snowing...yet. We met up with Chad and Shallen at the hardware store and bought our tree permits. Bill picked up a nice pair of gloves that, to this day, he is quite fond of. We also made my family stop at the gas station so that Bill and I could grab some breakfast from Burger King. Thanks familia.

We drove up Mink Creek (? I believe it was) and had to face the slippery icy roads of the mountains. Dad fishtailed a couple of times...but he made sure we were safe. Then out of nowhere there was a freak whiteout! It was kind of scary, but we were able to park, and just as we did so, the storm passed and we were able to go searching for my family's tree.

We found it pretty quick! It was just on the side of the road, begging to take it home with us. :) Not able to resist its pretty pine brows, my mom and dad consented and cut him down. Done. That was the quickest tree we had ever found.

 Team effort to cut down the tree!

Pops and Bill

Bringing the tree back to the Yukon

The loveliest and easiest-found tree on record

Randomly, I ran into a girl I went to high school with! Jessica Morgan! Here family was up in Idaho hunting for Christmas Trees too! Crazy coincidence! Later on, my dad and Bill had to go help her family dig out their truck when they tried to go further up the road. I'm glad I have great men in my LIFE - ready to help at the drop of a hat.

We ate lunch, but we still had to wait for Chad and Troy to find their trees. Bill and I talked with little Tyler for a while and then I played with Kaleb in the snow. Just then, everyone returned to the vehicles with beautiful trees in hand. What a glorious site to see!

I look forward to the day when Bill and I have a home big enough to bring home our own real Christmas Tree. For now, we get to use my little fake tree that I bought last year! When we got home from Christmas Tree Hunting with our family, Bill and I went and got Chinese Food...which is a weird tradition that my family had kind of picked up on the last few years I was at home. I kind of wanted to carry that tradition on. :)

Then it was important for us to have ornaments to decorate our tree with! So we went to the dollar store and picked up some red and gold ornaments and some silk poinsettia flowers to place in our tree. It was also important to have a Christmas tree topper! So we went to Wal-Mart and found a beautiful star to place on top. I was pleased. I had a red fleece blanket back at home that we would use for the tree skirt.

 Our first Christmas Tree

Detail of our Star Christmas Tree Topper

While at Wal-Mart, sifting through other Christmas goodness, Bill came up with a brilliant idea. He wanted to place a lit up wreath on the front of his suburban! Heh heh. I wasn't sure how exactly he was going to do that, but I know my husband is a genius and is very resourceful. He would find a way to make a wreaf...I mean wreath...light up and attach it to the Subby! So we bought all the parts we would need to do that. A wreath, a strand of Christmas lights, and a big red bow. It would be perfect. 

The wreath that will somehow get onto the Subby...

And a few days later, Bill, did in fact, figure out how to put the wreath on his suburban! It was so cool!

 He did it!

"The Wreaf"

If I have a very favorite part about the Christmas season, it all revolves around decorating the tree. I love eating Chinese food together, and getting creative about our holiday creations. It's the part that always comes to mind when I think about the joy in Christmas. :)

And that my friends, was November.

(And Bill is almost finished with his annotated bibliography!)