A Gift Only A Mother Could Love

This was an awesome moment of love.

I know my husband loves me because he is willing to make this with me:

What are they supposed to be?!? Bah!

Mother's day was quickly approaching and I knew Pinterest wouldn't let me down when I was in desperate need of ideas for gifts. I came across this cute idea of making a teddy-bear out of a sock. It was hand-sewn and struck me as a gift that would provide some sentimental value to our moms. The only issue was that this project was solely picture-based...but I felt I could make sense of it!

I took Bill to Wal-Mart and we picked up some long girl socks that had some personality to them. We also bought stuffing and buttons and needles and thread. The whole time we were wandering the store, I was trying to phrase the question in my mind of how to ask Bill, a person grouped under the gender of male, to do this crafty project with me. But any way that I posed the question, I sensed testosterone-filled-rejection looming overhead.

I don't quite remember if I asked Bill if he was willing to make his mom a sock-teddy for Mother's Day or if he actually volunteered. But in either instance, I was bowled over when he told me he would do it with me. I was giddy!

After one of my late evening runs (this past summer I trained for another half-marathon), Bill and I got down to business and sewed on into the night. We had to finish this relatively quickly as we had plans to see our mothers within the next few days!

The end results seemed tragic. Bill attempted to start anew on his sock-teddy but bailed on that idea when time was no longer on our side. I finished sewing the head of my creature on to its body as we drove down from Logan to Ogden. Our teddies were anything but teddies. I may have suggested something with feline or amphibious features before a bear.

Where did we go so wrah-ah-ong? Perhaps it was in our choice of sock material, or perhaps it was our skill with needle and thread. But the pure beauty and brilliance of this was that we knew our mom's would love whatever they were anyway. :) And they did! They LOVED them!

And even if our mother's had thought them wretched...I wouldn't have ever traded our funky craft-experiment-gone-wrong for a bouquet of flowers.

To Kill a Tree on Earth Day

Bishop McMahon sat across from us on the couch. "Well Brotha and Sista Kiefa, what do you like to do togetha?" Our Australian bishop stared at us waiting for some sort of an answer. Bill and I were only married for a month at this point, and there was no need to doubt that we really loved the whole being-married-thing! But that question caught Bill and I both off-guard. "Well...we like...to do..." We stared at each other hoping that the other had an answer for our Bishop. It was suddenly apparent that neither of us had anything coming to mind. 

At last I answered, "We like to watch 'I Love Lucy' together." Which is true, but that shallow answer really bothered me. Bill and I dated for a year and were married at last! But we couldn't answer the simple question of "What do you like to do together?" C'mon!

Thankfully, it wasn't too long before we found something: Driving.

My dad's side of the family has always been into driving. They know every back and dirt road through Cache Valley's mountains. They'd go and bust snow drifts, get stuck in mud, view beautiful sights, and grow closer to one another through those experiences. I didn't really go when I was a kid, but when I came to college, I came to realize the joy of driving through canyons and through little suburbs throughout Logan. I may not be very adventurous, but I feel that it's something that I was born to love. And fortunately for me, I found a man who loves driving even more-so than I!

On Earth day, Bill and I were bored. It was late in the afternoon, but we still had some daylight to play in. We looked up a map online that would have us start up Blacksmith Fork Canyon and make a small loop. What an adventure we could have! It had a lot of potential to be muddy this early on in the year, but since this spring had been so dry, we weren't too worried. 

Sometimes it's funner to bring some friends along to share the experience with you. So we called Kyle and Kristi to come along with us!

Kyle and Kristi

We all piled into the Subby, made our way towards Hyrum, and hit the back roads. The drive was dry until we hit a little meandering stream that we had to cross several times over. We drove and we drove and we drove. It was late dusk and everything had a blueish hue to it. We found a humongous beaver dam! And hopped out of the Subby to go exploring.

The Beaver 

His dam

We continued driving on...and it was now officially dark. We figured out that we missed our turn way back when. But we kept following the back road signs indicating we could make our way out through Logan Canyon. Then we found some snow and things got a little bit scary. Luckily, between Bill and Kyle, there was enough off-roading knowledge and experience to get us out of every interesting situation. I wasn't even afraid. I have a lot of faith and incredible amounts of trust in my husband. I knew we would be okay, no matter what. We got stuck in the snow, but for only a matter of seconds. As we escaped from the snow, a small tree was chosen by providence to live a shorter LIFE. Of all the days to run over a tree...

Getting darker...

No more sun...

When the snow got in our way, it was obvious that the only way to get back home, was to come the way we came. We were all tired and sleepy - especially Kristi and Kyle, as Kyle was used to getting up for work at 4:30 AM. So we called this our ride and turned around to experience the route in reverse.

It was quieter and I don't remember much except for allowing my head to droop limply across my chest in surrender to the sleep that overtook me. It was a bumpy ride. And we had gone a lot further than I had cared to note on the ride up.

It's been quite a few months since this escapade of ours...and it has taken me months to complete this post. A lot of the details have grown fuzzy, but I still remember that feeling of companionship, of bonding and forging relationships. I will always remember driving with Bill and how much joy it brings to him. I will remember the Allred's and their willingness to do anything with us. I will remember the Subby and the endless memories that vehicle has supplied in my LIFEtime.

Experiencing LIFE with people you love makes LIFE worth living. 

Hoppin' Down The Bunny Trail

Right before Easter this year, we commenced our monthly budget. We each have an allowance that is guilt-free money that we spend however we wish! I wanted to spend mine on Easter. As a kid, I LOVED waking up to an Easter basket...and I felt like our first Easter together, we definitely needed some baskets full of goodies.

So before conference started on Saturday morning, I ran to Wally-World to buy some Easter goodness. I bought a boat-load of candy and eggs and plastic grass...but when the cashier went to ring up the baskets, I realized I didn't have enough money in my allowance! Crap! I told her never mind and walked out of Wal-Mart basketless.

What in the world would I put our goodies in? How disappointing!

The Global Village is inspiring. It's a wonderful store here in Logan that sells items made through Fair Trade agreements. There are so many beautiful gifts to sort through - each handcrafted by an individual in a third world country. Every time I stop in there with my dear friend Hilary (I will forever associate you with that store Hil!) I see these neato baskets made out of rolled up magazine papers...

I don't know what triggered this memory, but I decided that I was going to make my own neato basket made out of rolled up newspaper!

We don't get the paper. But fortunately, there are always leftover Statemans (USU's newspaper) in various locations all over campus. I snagged a huge stack of papers on my way out of class. When I got home, I began rolling each sheet of newspaper into big long tubes on my living room floor. I would then flatten each tube and roll them around and around in a spiral direction. Eventually, my basket was huge and shape-able. I  formed a bowl shape in the same way I always used to play with my mom's fabric tape measure. I poured Elmer's glue all over the inside and smeared it around with my finger to make it keep its form. I debated over painting it...but I really loved the colors of the newspaper speckled all over! So gray and speckley it would remain.

As Bill was growing up, his mom started the tradition of hiding their Easter baskets in the oven. I'm not exactly sure why...but I love it! I thought it would be fun for Bill and an awesome tradition that we could continue on with our future family.

Easter morning, I hid the basket of goodies in the oven and made a little trail of Peanut M&Ms leading from our bedroom to the kitchen. I called it Bunny Poop...someone else, somewhere gave me the idea...and I stole it for my own. (You have to start your traditions somewhere, right?)

Unfortunately when Bill woke up on Easter morning, he was not feeling well at all...AT ALL. I was a little bit...a little lot sad...but eventually I realized it was better for him to rest than eat all the candy that the Easter Bunny had brought him. :)

Bill stayed home from church to get some rest. But we went and visited family later on that night. We had an Easter dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Schroader's, and it was absolutely delicious (what else could be expected?)! And then we visited my family over at Grandma Higley's. We talked with lots of family we hadn't seen for a while and got all caught up as we sat in the wonderful sunshine of Grandma's backyard. Somehow, we ended up at my parent's house by the end of the night, where Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson came by to visit and drop off Easter candy. I guess I should have expected that our families would celebrate Easter with us too...but never did I expect to get so much candy!!! I thought we got a lot at Christmas. NO WAY!!!

We hit the mother-load. And my severe sweet tooth was satisfied for the next month. Sadly? It only lasted for a month...

'Twas a good holiday, that was for sure! And I'm so excited to begin forming our very own Bill and Jess Kiefer traditions. They may be odd - ovens, bunny poop, and all - but that's what LIFE is all about! You've got to keep the little kid in you alive. ;)

A Bear Lake Adventure

When you are married, childless, and attend a married student ward full of other couples in the same situation in LIFE, it is necessary to make memories together. It's who you've got in LIFE!

Our friend Kyle's grandma has a cabin up in Bear Lake West that Kyle wanted so badly to go up to visit for his birthday. Of course Bill and I were going to go! And our friends Sterling and BettyJo Anderson were certainly interested in such a fun idea...for they are all about fun and getting out and doing something with friends.

We packed everything we needed for the night and loaded up the Suburban. We went to the Allred's and packed them into the Subby. The Anderson's were our last stop. For a one night adventure, betwixt three couples, you tend to bring a lot of stuff. You never know what could happen whilst cabining. I laughed at our seemingly over-packed Subby...but later realized...you REALLY never know what could happen whilst cabining.

Kyle was so excited to show us his grandma's cabin!!! He punched in the garage code and unlocked the door to let us all in. With bags and pillows in arm, we shoved ourselves through the narrow doorway. I was hit with a whiff of animal smell...cat smell. Bill's chest tightened up and he looked at Kyle with a look of dread in his eyes. "Uh...are there cats here?" Kyle put his bags down and let out a moan of apology. Bill is extremely allergic to cats.

A past conversation must have come flooding back to Kyle's memory, for a reality check slapped him across the face. Kyle's grandma HATES cats! BUT his aunt had been the last one to stay in the cabin. She hadn't been there on vacation either. This cabin had been her temporary home for a few weeks. And this woman is apparently one of those crazy cat ladies that single girls hope to never become.

We wandered upstairs and the place was disheveled. Apparently Kyle's aunt had left in a hurry...or something. Kyle was mortified. Mouse poop trailed across the floor and cat fur was absolutely everywhere! There were bugs in the bathtubs and toilets that had gone unflushed. Bill was ready to go home right then. Suddenly all the excitement we had in preparing for this trip got up and left.

We each got to claim dibs on a room to sleep in. Fortunately, since Kyle's grandma hates cats, she had placed the stipulation that no cats enter her master bedroom. Bill and I got to stay there, where cat fur was nonexistent. I later realized how blessed I was to have a miserable husband with terrible allergies. ;) Kyle and Kristi picked a room with bunk beds and Sterling and BettyJo got the left-over room with a queen bed. At first glance, things looked manageable. We definitely needed to sweep and vacuum. Sterling and BettyJo's room had junk mail and trash strewn about everywhere so Betty and I went in to clean up. We found upon further inspection how terrible it really was. This, my friends, was the cats' bedroom...and apparently they were never given a litter box. I could not believe the state of that room. We got it cleaned up, but we opted to throw a rug away, rather than trying to save it. It should have been condemned! I feel terrible, to this day, that Sterling and BettyJo slept in that room that night. They were fantastic sports and went along with it, but...dang.

Bill and Sterling ran to the store to buy Benedryl, batteries, and tomatoes. Bear Lake in April is dead...and convenient stores are closed as well. Fortunately, they found one little place that was just closing. Sterling knocked on the door and the person just handed him tomatoes through the door and made Sterling promise to pay back before he headed out of town!

Bill, Betty Jo, Sterling, and Kristi in the kitchen.

Once we cleaned everything up, we began making preparation for dinner. We decided before hand to have hamburgers. Sterling offered to cook them for everybody and brought all the fixings for the burgers. And when I say "all the fixings," I mean, ALL THE FIXINGS. There wasn't one thing this man didn't think to bring that could go on a hamburger. With that in mind, dinner took FOREVER to be cooked. Kyle got a fire started and Kristi and Betty joined him outside. Bill and I stayed inside watching Sterling make the burgers. It was a funny experience trying to find things around the kitchen to use to cut up an onion or open a can, but somehow we managed.

Forever later, we went outside and ate. Kristi had made Kyle a blueberry muffin cake beforehand and eventually brought out to be eaten. We sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" at the top of our lungs to Kyle and enjoyed talking around a campfire as a light snow fell. Cozy kind of memories...

Eventually, we made it to bed.

Our view of the moon casting its glow across the lake that night.
Pictures can't do it justice.

The next morning, everyone was up and stirring before Bill and I awoke. Sterling and Betty were playing Bananagrams and Kyle and Kristi had showered. We women made breakfast and it seemed to take forever as well. I had to set some breakfast aside for Bill to make sure it wasn't inhaled by other starving individuals.

After breakfast and after I had showered, we played a rousing game of "Curses" and laughed ourselves silly. It finally came to that point in the day where we all stood and looked at each other and asked, "What are we gonna do now?" Swimming wasn't an option. We could maybe drive up to the Paris Ice Caves, but it would likely be snowed in. Hmm...there just wasn't much to do in Bear Lake in April! But the day was lovely and screaming our names to come outside. We wondered if the KOA would be open so that we could go rent those quadrabikes that you often see people riding around through Garden City in the summertime. We thought it would definitely be worth it to go check!

We arrived at the KOA and approached the bike place...but no one was around to rent us out some equipment. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an old man appeared and asked if we were interested in getting out the bikes! Which of course we were. He had to pump up some tires and dust off the seats, for it had been a little while since they were last used. But each couple got a "bike" to ride and we could go practically anywhere our hearts desired for the next hour and then some...we didn't have anybody else waiting in line to use our bikes when we were done! I love no pressure situations like that.

So we got our game on! We raced each other and pedaled around Garden City. This was by far the funnest thing we did! And it was DANG good exercise - a hurt-so-good kind. Bill and I took turns steering because although the passenger side had a fake steering wheel for you to play with, twirling it around and around was only fun for so long.

Kristi and Kyle

My Bill

Betty and Sterling

We two

We stopped at a park to walk down the boardwalk. The boys skipped stones into the lake and we stood around in the wonderful sunshine and talked. This was truly one of our very first experiences of Spring weather and I was feeling rather content.

On the boardwalk.

Kyle throwing rocks.

The Gang.

Eventually it was time to return our bikes. We went back to the cabin and relaxed for a bit. I took a nap (what else is new?) and Bill and Kyle went on a drive around Bear Lake West looking at all the neat cabins there are.

Ultimately, it was time for us to pack up. On our way out we went back to that convenient store and paid for the tomatoes (such honest people we are!) and headed back through the canyon to our homes in Logan.

Like I said in the beginning, it's important to make memories together. They may not turn out as planned, but it was certainly a memorable experience. I suppose that was the only criteria I had running through my mind! This experience also reminded me that you really have to try to make the most out of a bad situation, otherwise...it becomes a terrible situation. Right?

Bill and I had fun and like to talk about this experience now and again...and perhaps we will for the rest of our lives...especially when anybody asks about Bill's cat allergy. ;)

Silly Bird Girl

North Ogden Junior High performed "Seussical the Musical" this year for their annual drama performance. It brought warm fuzzies into my heart returning back to my junior high roots. Seeing all the kids eager to perform and watching people move to and fro back stage reminded me of our 2005 performance of "The King and I" at NOJH. 'Twas my first and last lead role in a play. It was certainly one of the biggest confidence boosters I've ever had in my LIFE...especially at that time in my LIFE where I was an awkward duck trying to find my place in the world. School plays are the best!

My sister Val is a drama queen die hard. As a 14-year-old, she lives and breathes theater and prayed to get one of the leads in the musical this year. She was close, but was chosen to be a Bird Girl instead. And I'll tell you what! Those Bird Girls carried the show! They were so funny! The Bird Girls were basically the narrators and back-up singers for the entire performance. They were spunky and clever and strutted across the stage with attitude and tail feathers flying! I'm sure they were the ones having the most fun on stage. Val was one of the very best and most talented. She has a beautiful smile that's eye-catching. She shines on the stage! (I have every right to brag.)

And my sister has hip-shakin' skills that I clearly missed out on.

One day, my sister will be famous. I'm quite sure. ;)

Brace Yourself

For the last four months of my LIFE, I've lived with a black brace upon my wrist. It's my fashion statement to the world! And is perfect for snagging things like shirts and couches.

I noticed a slight pain in my right wrist back in December when I started working full time at AlphaGraphics. It was an odd sharp pain that I could only feel when I bent my wrist in certain positions. I suspected that it might have something to do with my desk at work. I couldn't adjust the height of my chair, so moving a mouse was like a six-year-old trying to reach for the cookie jar high on the shelf.

The first week of school started and the pain immediately increased. My wrist would throb even when I wasn't moving! I was worried that the dreaded fate of a designer had caught up to me all too soon...carpal tunnel?

Bill and I went to the IHC. The doctor had me do a couple of simple tests and told me I had an inflamed tendon in my thumb. Fortunately, not carpal tunnel! I was pleased. He told me it probably had to do with the "ergonomics" of my desk at work. He gave me a wrist brace and told me to ice it at night and take ibuprofen to take the edge off. If it wasn't better in two weeks, he told me to go see Dr. Lyons, the Sports Medicine Doctor at the hospital.

Well two weeks later, the pain was less, that was for sure. I got a new chair at work! I watched my posture while sitting at the computer! I was feeling pretty dandy. I got brave a couple of times and tried not wearing it at night, but that was a BAD idea. My brace became my buddy 24/7.

One month later, the pain was about the same. I could still move a mouse and do all my design and school work! It'd heal on it's own over time...right?

One of the few images during this four-month period
that actually shows me and my brace. 

Two months later...same story.

Three months later...nothing different.

Four months later...What the heck? While cleaning my apartment, I had my brace off. I went to shut our front room window and...TWEAK! OW!!! I wanted to fall to the floor because the pain was so sudden and sharp! I went back to taking some ibuprofen. A couple of days later I tried putting a pillowcase on one of our pillows and....TWEAK!  OOOWWW!!!! Alright. I can't deal with that kind of pain. I suspected it was time to call Dr. Lyons - four months later.

I set up an appointment for Friday the 13th at 10:00AM. I hoped this wasn't an omen. I really wanted this pain to go away without them telling me I'd need surgery...

I left to go see the doctor and I was a bit nervous. As usual, I was 15 minutes late. I was worried that he would ask me why I didn't come in sooner like I was told to. Now it was too late - my wrist was too far gone! They'd have to amputate my right hand. My career was over before it began! Why continue going to school? What now? What is the meaning of LIFE?!?!

Breathe.

I was whisked away into a doctor's room before I even had the chance to fill out all the paperwork. I hadn't even gotten my coat off when the nurse was in to take my blood pressure. We made small talk and he intimidated me a bit. I wasn't sure what to think of all of this. It was happening so fast! The nurse left the room and two minutes later Dr. Lyons and an Intern entered the room. Wow! I can appreciate snappy service. :)

Dr. Lyons came in with the biggest smile on his face. The Intern was young and sharp. I began to settle down a bit. I could put my fate into their hands and be totally okay with LIFE. I knew they would take care of me! Dr. Lyons had the Intern check my wrist/thumb out. He had me do some tests and instantly they knew what was wrong.

It was so fun hearing Dr. Lyons explain his thought process aloud to his Shadow! He told me they could infer a lot about me from the first 30 seconds they stepped into the room. He told me I was sharp and well-put together (flattered!). The doctor noticed my brace on the examination bed and knew immediately that it was a brace designed for my thumb. He looked through my paperwork and read that I was a Graphic Designer. He knew all about my situation and why I was there before I could blink. He asked if I had children and I told him no. He smiled and told me that a lot of young mothers have the same issue that I do due to the repetitive motion of lifting their children out of car seats and bathtubs. Let's hope I don't develop this inflamed tendon again when the day comes that I have a baby! ;)

So I had three options.

Surgery.
Physical therapy.
A shot.

The Doctor quizzed the Intern and discussed each of the options before me. Surgery was a bit drastic at this stage (a relief to my soul!). Physical therapy was a better option, but I'd have to come in a couple times a week and it'd be hard to know if there's any improvement at all for a few weeks...yada, yada, yada. Or I could get a shot right now and probably notice immediate results. My choice.

Unlike my darling husband, I don't have a problem with needles. ;) I'd take a shot.

Alright! Away we go! In comes the nurse! The doctor explains the chances of things going wrong (which are slim) and opens up the cupboard and begins pulling small bottles and a needle down to the counter. I sat on the bed trying to keep my dangling shoes on my feet and asked him what exactly this shot was that he was about to give me. He explained it was some anesthetic and two types of cortisone. The nurse rubbed an area just above my wrist with some iodine as Dr. Lyons explained ratios of medicine to the Intern. All of a sudden a needle was injected just above my wrist and I felt this creepy popping sensation as he pushed the serum under my skin.

"Whoa! Look at that one! Did you see that? See that popping under the skin! She's got such tiny wrists you can really see what's going on here!"

I finally decided that it would be okay to look down at my own wrist. Three men were hovered around my wrist in awe as I sat there thoroughly wigged out by the sensation under my skin.

Apparently my tendon had a lot of scar tissue built up around it. That's why when I would bend my wrist in certain directions, the scar tissue would pull on my tendon and cause it to become inflamed. When the Doctor injected the needle into my skin, if he got it just right, he could aim the needle to break through all the scar tissue as well as push the serum straight through to the most direct location. That popping sensation was the serum breaking up all the scar tissue. It was funky.

As soon as he removed the needle, I could already feel an improvement! Everyone smiled at the relief on my face. Wow.

And just like that, I was done! I was in and out and healed in thirty minutes. I lived with pain and an annoying brace for four months why? WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG!?!?!

I will tell you.

1. I was afraid the doctor would tell me I would need surgery. If it came to that, I would be out of school and work for a couple of days...which I really felt like I couldn't afford to miss because it would just causes large amounts of anxiety in my LIFE. It could at least wait until summer...right?

2. Attention. At first it was fun to have a brace. I liked everyone asking me what was wrong. But really only because it was a great conversation starter. "Ah! What did you do?" "Well let me tell you..."

3. It became a part of me. Wearing my brace had become second nature to me and it was no longer a nuisance. It was like putting on shoes. Since I'm left-handed, it didn't stop me from doing my day-to-day things.

They are honest answers. But really, I hated my brace. It smelled bad. The Velcro stuck to everything. It would get sweaty during aerobics. It made washing dishes a pain. I couldn't just fix my hair. I'd get stuck to the sheets at night. Driving a stick-shift was kind of a irritating. Typing was a rather annoying process. Oy.

And now I'm officially better. Today is the first day that I can bend my wrist and there is absolutely no pain associated with the movement! I'm so tickled by this fact! I just have to remind myself that I can use my right hand again. I've gotten shy about carrying heavy things or even performing normal day to day processes like opening a door.

I'm grateful for modern medicine.

And I'm grateful for my Savior. This may seem completely random, but I promise it's not. I've been thinking a lot about this event in my LIFE...and it's helped my testimony to grow. Let me recap this story, but this time, think about it in a different context. :)

I noticed right when my wrist began to hurt. It was a small pain at first. Then that pain began to grow. I knew I needed to do something about it, so I went to the doctor looking for an answer. He gave me the tools I needed to get better, but I didn't follow through with everything he told me would help me feel better. Bill had to remind me to ice it and I delayed calling Dr. Lyons. Eventually, I just came to accept the fact that this was just a part of my life. It was a burden I carried with me always. One day, the pain came back and hit me all at once! It almost brought me to my knees! I knew it was a more serious issue than I had originally thought. I really needed to make a change. So I finally gathered the courage to call the doctor. I was afraid of what he would tell me...that's partly why I had put it all off. What would he think of me? What would I think of myself? I just didn't want to hear any of those words. But the pain was too great, and I knew there was a way to feel better! I had to let go of my pride...humble myself, truly. Then when I arrived at the doctor's office, he had a big, beautiful smile on his face and complimented me on the kind of person I am! He didn't say one word concerning my stupidity in putting this office visit off for so long, even though he knew I had been dealing with this pain for four months of my LIFE. He gave me options that would help me get better...but it was ultimately MY CHOICE to pick which option I knew would be best for me. When I had made that choice, he instantly came to my side and healed me. Of course it hurt a little bit when he pricked me with that needle and when I felt the popping sensation under my skin! But that little prick and pop meant nothing compared to the relief I felt afterwards! I really wanted to hug Dr. Lyons. He was such a nice man, and he made me feel better right then and there! A few days later, I'm completely myself again! This feeling is bliss!

WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO GO SEE THE DOCTOR?!?!

I'm so grateful for a Savior who loves me - who knows and understands me. He realizes I am human! But he's given me a beautiful gift called agency. He will let me make choices in this LIFE. Some good. Some bad. And when I make those bad choices, He's there to make me whole again. He's knows better than anyone how I'm feeling...because He's been there. We don't have to live in pain if we just come to Him. I know that is true. I'm grateful for this Easter season - to be reminded of our Savior's ultimate sacrifice and that if we're willing to repent, we can return and live with Him and our Father in Heaven again!

Moral of this story? Go see your Doctor. Now. :) You'll feel so much better if you do.

Partial Park Tour 2012

Val Gal had a math competition up at Utah State on Wednesday. Then her ward was coming to do Baptisms for the Dead at the Logan Temple later that night. Instead of driving back down on a stuffy bus only to come right back up to Logan, she asked if she could come chill with Bill and I for a couple of hours. But of course!

I got off work a bit early and managed to find Val in a swarm of Junior High kids at the Taggart Student Center. She picked up a Turkey Sandwich for me when they told the kids they could have seconds, ate my Cheetos, and got me a cup of Aggie Blue Mint Ice Cream. Val's a winner...except that she ate my Cheetos. ;)

So what do sisters do for a few hours whilst chillin' in Logan?

We went Park Touring! I wanted to show Val all my favorite parks in Logan, and try to get to as many as we could in the couple of hours before my parents came to get her. There are 37 parks in Logan plus 4 future parks that you can visit...but do nothing but ooo and awe at some dirt. Here's a list of those parks and their addresses for Loganites. And there's a fantabulous park in River Heights that one MUST go to. 

We went to fifteen parks or so in about two hours. We didn't stop and play at all of them, but we got out of the car, played on some playgrounds, walked around walkways, sat on some benches, and took pictures by signs so that we could ensure that the park visit counted. 

First, we went to Adam's Park, the park closest to mine and Bill's Apartment. It has the best swings and the fastest/most-dangerous-to-bigger-bodies slide!

Val told me she's trying out to be a cheerleader at NOJH this year. I asked her what kinds of things you needed to be able to do to even try out for something like that...because I'm definitely not the one to know such things. She told me that you need to be able to do a Round-Off and the Right Splits. I had no idea she could do either one, so she showed me! Where in the world did she learn that?!? I remember when Jord could even do the splits when he was little. I apparently missed out on that gene. But I think it's dang cool!

Then realizing I had crummy shoes for Park-Touring, we drove back to the apartment, grabbed my Tennis Shoes, and snagged a couple pieces of bread to go feed the Ducks at the "Canyon Entrance Park" (aka: First Dam).

A lot of the ducks had wonky hair-dos going for them, but they sure were fun to feed. And they sure weren't afraid to approach you. Including the geese...which Val and I are both slightly terrified of. Then we went to the Harry Potter tunnel and played with our voices and looked at the faded chalk graffiti.

Oh Canada!

Supermodel Val.

Jess's has got a wonky "Duck-Do" too.

We then decided to cross the street to the Ray Hugie Hydro Park. There's never been an issue with parking there every time that I've gone there, but apparently it's a private road...because someone actually owns a little house right there. I found this information out when I saw the Logan City Truck come driving at me on the little narrow street. Feeling over-confident in my backward driving skills and trying to get out of his way, I managed to drive backwards into a tree...yes. I'm really good at things like that. But luckily I had slowed down by that point and was really just trying to park to get out of the way. I just misjudged the distance between Lex and that tree. No harm. No accident. No dent in the bumper...just a whole lot of embarrassment when the Logan City Truck Driver rolled down his window and said, "Oops." He then explained to me that I wasn't supposed to be on that road...we promptly left without playing at that park.

We then explored the majority of the parks down in the Island. Including little pocket parks, like Sumac Park, that I had almost forgotten about. 

We went up to Cliffside and hung out at the highest altitude park. Then we went to The Point and sat on the bench and admired the view.

Since being down in The Island takes you right into River Heights, we decided to make a stop at Ryan's Place Park. It was Val's favorite! It's still one of my favorites as well.

Val shared with me her love for gymnastics and how much she wished she were in them. She told me that all her children are going to be in gymnastics. Even if they hate her for it. ;) I will be the most encouraging aunt in the world for those kids. Especially if they if they get to the Olympics.

We went back to The Island and hit five parks simply by walking across the street and touching a patch of grass.

As our window of time was growing smaller and smaller, we decided to go to Angel's Landing park and basically hit another five parks in one. Every time I go to Angel's Landing and teeter-totter, I'm bound to make little-bodied friends. The teeter-totter is magical. Val and I met a little boy from Evanston, Wyoming who couldn't believe we had already been to ten parks that day! And we did little tricks with two little girls who discovered they could ride the tee-totter with no hands.

We then took turns in the Puke Chair and I was sick. Puke-Chair-Sick.

But we had a blast going around the town and exploring little places dear to my heart. I have a fond memory in each park and it's always fun to create new ones. Dad swung by at 5:00 to pick Val up. We didn't have more than two seconds to chat, but it was nice to see Pop's face. :)

I'm glad my sister was able to come up and chill with me for the day. We had a good time and now she has a little bit more of an idea of why I love Logan. 

Money, Money, Money. It's So Funny.

I shook the piggy bank relentlessly upside down, causing all the money to fall out of the little Piggy's hole and onto the kitchen table. I kept thinking about the opening scene to Toy Story....

     [Andy is playing with his toys and mimicing the voices of his toys and holding Mr. Potato Head]
Andy (as Mr. Potato Head) All right, everyone! This... is a stick-up. Don't anybody move! Now empty that safe!
     [Andy empties Hamm the piggy bank and coins fall out]
Andy (as Mr. Potato Head) Ooh, hoo hoo! Money, money, money!
Andy (as Bo Beep) Stop it, stop it you mean old potato!
Andy (as Mr. Potato Head) Quiet, Bo Peep! Or your sheep get run over!
Andy (as the sheep, on the track) Help! Baaa! Help us!
Andy (as Bo Beep) Oh no! Not my sheep! Somebody do something!
Woody [voice box] Reach for the sky!
Andy (as Mr. Potato Head) Oh no! Sheriff Woody!

The change falling from my Piggy's bottom had been in my possession since I was probably five or six. My pennies and nickels originally lived in an empty peanut butter jar. Then mom gave me a Sleeping Beauty Bank. Then I transferred all of my change to a cute Teddy Bear Bank. And finally, when I was 16 or 17, my change found home in an actual Piggy Bank, piggy noises included when you fed it coins.

I can remember several instances where I would dump all my change onto my bedroom floor and count my change for hours...especially late at night when I really didn't want to go to bed. I've since realized that counting change is kind of therapeutic to me.

Then there was the night that I counted out over $100 in loose change. That was extremely exciting to a kid!

Naturally, when Bill and I got married, my Piggy Bank came along as part of my dowry. Having to do laundry through coin-operated machines eats up your extra quarters really quick - including those quarters in my Piggy. And one day those quarters were gone...

.........................................................

Bill and I have created a budget at least 3 or 4 different times over the course of our 9 months together and nothing ever seems to stick. On Bill's dad's recommendation, we attended Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at BATC with our friends Al and Loraine back when we were engaged, hoping to start our marriage off on the right foot. And so we did! We accomplished Baby Step #1 by creating an Emergency Fund, and then we got out of debt - minus our student loans. Then we stopped and didn't finish up the rest of the Baby Steps. 

We didn't really have any financial struggles and we weren't in constant fear or where our next meal was going to come from. In fact, we ate like a king and queen...and I gained weight! ;) But it seems that we blow money whenever and wherever as long as there was money in the account...and we're not exactly saving anything.

We finally decided to take things seriously. At last. On Friday night, for date night, we worked through our finances. We went to America First and rearranged our bank accounts and created an envelope system for groceries, gas, and allowances. We logged everything into QuickBooks and we now have a perfect understanding of where everything is coming and going! It's kind of exciting in a really nerdy sort of way!

When we came home from the Credit Union, we realized that we still had my Piggy Bank that we hadn't accounted for! Now that we had created a VERY specific plan, we ran to the Dollar Store and bought 3 bags of coin rolls and paid the cashier 32 dimes. I saw kids in elementary school always pay with change, and the other day at work, a lady paid for her print job in zip-lock bags of 100 pennies, but I had never done it myself. Now I can take pride in being able to number myself amongst the change-payers of the world!

To make it a true date night, we dished up huge bowls of chocolate chip ice cream, turned on an episode of Top Gear (a HILARIOUS British car review show - this is a snippet from my favorite episode) and began counting out pennies, nickels, dimes, and sans quarters (thanks to our weekly tribute to the Laundry God).

The task looked daunting at first, but it actually turned out to be a lot of fun! And dirty. Counting change makes your fingers black.

When we were through, we came to a total of exactly $60.00 in change, only after we found a penny in the couch and leftover change on top of the dresser.

What were we going to do with this massive amounts of change? Take it to the bank and EXCHANGE IT ALL for quarters. We figure it'll get us through the next 3 or 4 months of laundry. :)

I can't wait until we have a house with our own washer and dryer!

And thus begins our new and official budget as husband and wife! We've totally got this! And to live up to the Dave Ramsey motto, we're going to "Live like no one else, so that one day [we] can live like no one else." :)

Happy budgeting!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neigborhood

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Logan?

Quite a few times.

But yesterday that was reaffirmed to me. And I'm experiencing nostalgia. 

As a student as Utah State, I am privileged to wander around on one of the most beautiful campuses everyday. The campus is just as sensitive to the seasons as the trees are in Sardine Canyon. But wandering campus is only so exhilarating when you follow the same path day in and day out.

The summer after my Freshman year, Taylor Anderson and I finally got off campus and began living in the Logan neighborhoods. We realized the significance of little insignificant driveways and 627 1/2 East apartments. We park-toured through all of Logan City and had Family Home Evenings up little Green Canyons. I ran every other night through the dimly lit streets of west-side Logan. Sketchy? Quite. But so memorable it could never be forgotten.

Then school starts again...and you're swept away into a monotonous routine that you follow everyday. You go to work, you go to school, you live in your little shared bedroom studying homework until the early hours of the morning...when really you're just watching YouTube videos with your roommates. And often times you drive to your boyfriend's apartment to watch Top Gear with his roommates. Really? You don't get out much. And it's bitter Logan-cold.

Then your boyfriend becomes your fiance! And then he becomes your husband! And holy Hannah! LIFE is bliss in your cozy little apartment and you can't get enough of seeing one another! And you've got bills to pay. So you go to work cleaning campus apartments every day for the summer. As much as you love USU...sometimes you just need a break!

And school starts again. And you get a new job in Providence! A little break-off city you know you could come to love if you had time to explore. But you go to work and suddenly have to book it to class when you realized you worked five minutes too long to make it to Bob's class on time. Then you come home, work on the computer, and develop an inflamed tendon in your thumb because you sit inside in front of the computer for too long everyday. You need sun.

Then March 12 comes along. It's Pop's birthday, the University is on Spring Break, and the day is BEAUTIFUL! You come home to all the windows of the apartment wide open with a lovely breeze blowing through! It's sunny, the bathroom is clean, the sheets are changed, and you can't help but love the feeling of complete and utter sunshine in your heart! The weather is contagious. 

So contagious your husband catches it too.

He even suggests you go on a walk...and it's been such a long time since you've done that. :)

We walked and we walked and we walked. We walked streets I had never been down before. I was in complete awe of the individuality of Logan's little homes and millions of obscure apartment complexes. There is a place for everyone to live. Don't even doubt it! I got house-hungry. I can't wait for the day when Bill and I can buy our own home - paid in full with cash. Wouldn't that be so neat? Logan was unveiled before my eyes all over again! Gah! I LOVE THIS PLACE!

Bill and I got so caught up in our walk, before we knew it, we had walked down to Main Street! Dang. The time just flew by us and the fresh air must have got to our heads. 

We could see A&W's from the corner where we stood. We were tempted by the thought of a Root Beer Float. But we're trying out a new budget and realized that a Party Pail of Ice Cream from Smith's has a lot more value in it than a Styrofoam cup from A&W's. So we walked over to Smith's and bought a Party Pail of Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and a bottle of Root Beer and walked home! Yes! We walked! We didn't drive! And we passed pocket parks, crossed over canals, and met up with felines. My life was complete with Root Beer in one hand and my husband in the other.

I love Logan. And I just want to thank the weather for giving us that taste of Spring before it's truly due to arrive. LIFE is grand.

Whirlwind December

December is filled with good things. And family. And traveling...lots and lots of traveling.

And work:

My internship at Alphagraphics had been going incredibly well! But unfortunately (and yet fortunately), the main graphic designer for their business sneaked a really important project out from underneath them. She was promptly fired.

My boss asked if I would be willing to take her place and now become AlphaGraphics main graphic designer! I was flattered and honored and really intimidated. I felt like I had a lot to learn, but nothing makes you learn faster than actually doing the work itself! So I worked full days over the Christmas break! It was really nice to have something to do to keep me busy! The good news? I love it.

And my birthday:

Bill is finally married to an official, official adult. We can now go into a bar together instead of him leaving me outside leashed to the bike rack. ;)

My family came up to celebrate with us and treated Bill and I to some Cafe Sabor. Fiesta time!

Then Judy took me on a shopping trip around Layton for my birthday. We went everywhere! Thanks to Rodworks, a cute metal-craft store, Bill and I now have a fantastic piece of artwork hanging in our room. I had searched everywhere for the perfect thing to fill up all the white space on our wall. It could not have been more perfect in color or design!

And we went to Zupa's. I can die happy.

'Twas a great birthday.

And "Nikken Goodness":

We ordered product from Nikken in hopes that it would help Bill feel better about LIFE. But not only does the product benefit my dear husband, he has to share with me!

We LOVE our Nikken products! It's interesting how much better you can feel if you treat your body right! Our very most favorite things are our water filter (Bill will now drink water!) and our Nikken Sleep System. Our bed is truly amazing to sleep in. We have a comforter that utilizes the power of magnets and infrared technology as well as pillows with magnets that make for the best night's sleep you could possibly ask for. Bill can generally sleep through the night now. And I don't hear him snore. I'm always excited to get to go to sleep.

The Nikken Goodness has arrived!

Water filter.

In true Jessica fashion: a mustache made from the leftovers of Bill's magstep-insoles.

Taking turns playing in the biggest box I had ever seen!

And family parties:

We drove out to the annual Schroader family Christmas Party in Erda, Utah, at Uncle Paul and Aunt AnnMarie's home. Nothing but houses and farmland. It's beautiful out there!

And Bill and I made a pretty fantastic "Gingerbread House" made out of graham crackers. It even had gummy bears sitting around a campfire for a perfect holiday scene.

That night we went out to eat at the Spaghetti Factory and had some really quick and snappy service! This was really great news for Ben, who was trying so hard to stay positive during our family trip to Salt Lake. It was a miniature Christmas miracle for all of us. :)

Bill and I went to the Gateway and wandered the Lights around Temple Square that evening as well. We spent a good portion of our night lounging about in a high-end furniture store and pretending we led sophisticated lives. We also spent a lot of time waiting for Trax to come by and pick us up. It was a busy holiday evening in Salt Lake!

And a Christmas concert:

We had tried and tried to get tickets to the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert featuring singer, Nathan Gunn and actress, Jane Seymour. It is such a popular event that your name is put into a drawing and if your name is drawn, you get tickets. It's the only way they can fairly divvy out the tickets to the world-renowned concert. Both Judy and I were not so lucky to get tickets.

And then by some miracle, Greg and Judy received tickets from a neighbor who works with the Tabernacle Choir! We were going to go to the Sunday performance of Music and the Spoken Word with a mini-concert to follow! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I especially loved the story and music of Good King Wenceslas narrated by Jane Seymour. It was very powerful and so beautifully done. I can truly say it is one of my new favorite Christmas stories. Perhaps...it can become my tradition to read it each year.

And by crazy coincidence, we sat next to the Barker's, one of Bill's best friend's family! They also happen to be in my Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson's ward. It is such a small world! Out of the thousands of seats in the conference center and the four different concerts they could have gotten tickets to, we sat next to them. It still blows my mind!

And more family parties:

On a particular Sunday night, we had dinner with the Schroader's and got to chat with the cousins. This year Aunt Bonnie came up from Arizona with a few of her kids (while Uncle Bill and the other boys stayed home for work and school). This is especially good because Bill got to see his favorite cousin Cassie. She's a definite keeper! And I got to play with glow sticks with Quentin and Josh! It was so much fun!

And Christmas Eve:

Greg and Judy host a family Christmas Eve Dinner every year and we get to eat some delicious food. This also involved chatting with the cousins and having some family bonding time.

Since Bill and I had plans to share Christmas morning with my family, the Kiefers all got to open our Christmas presents early! It was fun to watch Ben race through and open all his presents with a giant smile on his face. :)

Judy's perfume gift from Ben.

Judy and Greg

What could it be?

Ben's Deer/Camouflage Pajamas...where did he go?

Ben

Judy's very own pair of amazing bowling shoes!

Bill with our emergency preparedness items!

And Christmas Day:

We left from Greg and Judy's a little bit later and showed up at my parent's late Christmas Eve. We all stayed up talking until at least midnight. If we didn't rush off to bed soon...there was no way Santa was coming!

Christmas morning was a particularly special experience because Bill got to spend it with "little kids." Each of our families do Christmas a little bit different, so it was fun to share my holiday traditions with my husband.

Bill got a Nook. He can die happy.

And we got Nerf Guns. I told my mom that Bill wanted Nerf guns, but then I proceeded to buy some for him as well. Come Christmas morning, Bill was ecstatic with joy to see that he got three Nerf guns for Christmas...because I failed to communicate with my mom. It was a good mistake. This is just the beginning of Bill's dream to one day have an armory full of Nerf. I'm married to a ten-year-old. :)

Marie got a fluffy bowl chair from Santa. She promptly tipped over into the Christmas Tree. Twice.

That afternoon, we went off to Grandma Sorenson's and had a luncheon and opened a few more presents. Everyone got to play with their new gadgets and toys all day long! It was just the way Christmas should be.

Madre and Pops

Bill got a classy man-scarf!

Jord opening his very own iTouch.

Stan is almost just as excited as mom is about her new laptop.

Freddy doing the "Smoothie Girl" dance when she got a new set of Magic Bullets!

The beautiful mess of Christmas.

Jord and Bill are so excited!

Val Gal opening her very own iTouch. Frown be gone!

And ice-skating:

Bill and I really wanted to go ice-skating because it had almost been a year since we had done so.

We invited our friends, the Allred's, to come a long with us.

I thought I could ice-skate (it's always my idea to go). And yet? I'm very wobbly and quick to lose my balance. Bill tried to teaching my how to skate properly...but old habits die really hard. But we had fun anyway!

My Caddy-boy and I

Kyle and Kristi

That night the Allred's came back over to our place and we stayed up talking for hours and hours around the kitchen table...like we usually do.

During the middle of our sit-and-chat, our friend Chris Roche came over to our apartment to introduce us to his new fiance, Linda! Whoot! They met early in December singing together on Sundays at the Senior Citizen centers in town. Linda felt like Chris really needed to meet her family. They got engaged over Christmas. They planned to get sealed January 28, 2012. It was a quick courtship and a short engagement, but it was the right thing to do. They are perfect for each other! We were so happy that they stopped by to tell us the good news!

And a New Year's Eve Party:

The Higley New Year's Eve Party always involves a pot-luck and a white-elephant gift exchange.

I scored some Christmas Lights. :)

Bill's first gift of Snickers.

Erin, Madre, Oakley, and Savannah

Maddi picking out a gift.

Erin's "Kraft Kit."

Maddi, Carson, and Jeff

Bill's Night Vision Goggles!

Todd, M.J. Sophie, Val Gal, Oakley, and Nan.

Oakley got some Angry Bird Band-Aids

And then we always play some sort of game. This year, we played a game called, "Would You Rather." We made up our own rules in true Higley-fashion and had a blast asking each other questions, debating, and laughing until we cried.

And before you could blink - - - "Happy New Year!"

December was a whirlwind! But I'm glad I had a husband to share it with.

Merry Christmas Darling, Happy New Year too. :)