It has been a while

This blog is very over due. Life has been a little crazy with moving work and coaching. So I will start with the most exciting thing that has happened, MOVING!!!! We are finally moved in and settling into life. This process was crazy though We moved out our house and into our friends house, which was only supposed to be about a week. Two weeks later we were still there and ready to give up on the whole thing. For those who have purchased a home you know that every time the phones rings your heart stops. It is either your realtor calling with more problems with selling or your broker wanting more paperwork or more signatures. After two weeks of this we were finally ready and were going to close on Wednesday the 13th at 3:45. So they call us at 2:00 and ask if Justin's dad (who is cosigning with us on our loan.) lives in Utah. No, that is why he has an Arizona address and phone number DUH!!! They proceed to tell us that they have to have him sign so they will FedEx him the paperwork he will sign them and send them back Monday they are closed Tuesday we will sign and Wednesday the 20th we would close. I was on the verge of an a anxiety attack and this sent me over the edge. The wonderful friends that we were staying with had their family coming into town so if we did not close on the 16 we would be homeless literally. Oh ya and Justin was leaving that weekend to do a volleyball camp in Miami Florida. We are calling everyone we can to figure out how to get this thing done, after much stress, and tears, we decided that the best way to do this is fly Justin's dad up on Thursday morning sign papers in the afternoon and then fly him home that night. We are so lucky to have such great parents that love us and are willing to help us. So we get him here, sign papers, show him the house and put him back on a plane home all in 6.5 hours. Oh and did I mention that this was valentines day, ya not the most romantic valentines day ever. So we closed Thursday, spent our last night at our friends house, woke up at 4:30 took Justin to the airport then went to work. That was the longest day of my life luckily there is never a dull moment in my class. After work I was able to go get the keys and go into our new home for the first time. It was bitter sweet because here I was in our beautiful home looking at all our hard work coming to Frisian and Justin was on the other side of the country. My original plan was to not unpack anything Friday night I was going to go to bed and rest and start fresh on the morning. That didn't exactly happen I couldn't help myself and got at least 70% of our stuff unpacked. Saturday I finished ever thing else. It was so surreal waking up in this place. This is the longest post ever! I am sorry. Here are some pictures of our new place.

Here is our Kitchen! Granite counter tops

So that is the short version of the worst two months of my life. But it was all worth it to now be in and living in this beautiful home.

Happenings

This year for the superbowl we went to my uncles houes since as previously posted we are living with some friends until our house is finished. My uncle brett recently finished his basement and now refers to it as the man cave. He had it hooked up to the dish and HD. It was myself, justin, my brother micheal and his roomate. So we watched one of the best superbowls we have seen in many years on a wall sized HD theater screen. Needless to say it was AWESOME! Everyone except my uncles brett was rooting for the giants. So when the amazing helmet catch happened the entire man cave was exploding with testoterone driven yelling and high fives. I have to say it was one of the best superbowls I have ever seen. During the halftime show we went to the game part of the man cave and played pool and foosball. We ate enchaladas and the best cookies ever.( thank you becky kohler)

Another highlight to the weekend was furniture shopping. We went with our good friends the kohlers who are the most amazing people. They took us up to Ashley furniture, the selection was incredible and the prices where hard to believe. We picked out the perfect brown microfiber sofa and loveseat. We also got a big chair and ottoman, coffee table, and end tables all for the price of one sectional at another store. We are getting so excited for the move. Everytime we go to the house to see it we just can't believe that it is going to be ours. Now that we have funiture and everything I am even more anxious.




We wanted to do something nice for our great friends that are letting us live with them, so justin broke out his cooking skills. He is my domestic divo. He made his famous chicken and stuffing dinner mmmmmm!! He has raised the bar for cooking in our home. He has so many talents.
(I don't think I have picture where justin is not smiling like this. He's so cute)

I never want to move again!

We have fianlly closed on selling our house, but we are now homeless living with some kind friends until our house is done. We are very excited it is a beautiful home that no one else has lived in (ya) There will be updates coming when my stress and blood pressure go down.

#7 Torturing a kitty

You Will Be Missed President Hinckley

Our beloved prophet Gordon B Hinkley past away last night, there are mixed feelings. He is the only prophet that I can remember taking counsel from, so I think of him as my prophet. So I am very sad that I will not here from again on this earth. On the other hand I can only imagine the reception that he has received in heaven. He has missed his wife so dearly since she passed I am sure that they are happy to be together forever now. I love president Hinckley so much, and I am sad that my children won't know him as their prophet, but he couldn't Live forever.

This has reminded me of how strong my testimony is and the truthfulness of the gosple. Yes we lost our beloved and adored prophet but another will be called and he will be just as inspired as Hinckley. The work will go on and Christ will still be the head of the church. It has also reminded me how amazing eternal families are, if Justin and I live rightously we can be together through eternity. I love my church and hope that I can follow President Hinckley's example of selfless service and love. The church is True!

“This is my prayer for all of us—'Lord, increase our faith.' Increase our faith to bridge the chasms of uncertainty and doubt. . . . Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future. . . . Give us faith to do what is right and let the consequence follow.” Gordon B. Hinckley

# 6 A Road Less Traveled

# 5

# 4

Harry Potter in the classroom

Teaching children with autism is very exciting, there is never a dull moment. Today I was working on reading with one of the students in the class. This particular boy has a very vivid imagination. This week he thinks that he is harry potter, he comes to class everyday and draws a scar one his forehead, I make him glasses out of paper, and he carries a wand all day. Anyway, the only way to get him to work is to somehow incorporate harry potter into the lesson. So today I went to the library and found a harry potter book for him to read. We sit down and he starts to read and as i am taking data I realize that he is reading in the first person. I stop him and ask why... he looks at me with this bewildered look on his face, then looks down at the book and continues this for a few minutes. He then looks me in the eyes and says, " because this book is about me Mrs. Shannon duh, see the scar I am harry potter!" I apologise for the mistake and continue taking data. I love my job.

Boys will be boys

My little brother Michael is moving up to Utah to attend BYU. Justin and I went yesterday to move in some of his stuff, and I was reminded why men need woman so badly. We go to the door and knocked, after a couple of minutes a young man answers looking like we might have gotten him out of bed. (this was at 1:30 in the afternoon) We tell him why we are here and go get the stuff from the car. When I walk in there is a strange aroma permeating the apartment which can only be described as non-human. There is a single couch, and a TV in the living room. In the place of a dining table (because what human eats a table) there is a drum set, and a ping pong table up against the wall. I probably could tell you everything that had been cooked for the last two weeks, it was all still in the pans in the sink. Anyway we make our way back to the bedroom where my brother will be living, and there is the smell again. I can only hope that it does originate from that room for his sake. This is the part where I really start to feel for my brother, There are two beds and a desk crammed into a little tiny room, so what is the logical solution... BUNK BEDS! That is right my brother is going to back to his childhood days of having to share a bunk bed. When we look closely we realize that both beds are still made. I guess one of the guys was moving out that day. His stuff was of course all over the room so we could barely even walk. So we cleared a little spot in the corner and left my brother stuff there. It was sad there was my brothers stuff stacked in the corner of this smelly room in this dirty apartment where he is going to reside for at least two semesters. Now I know that not all woman are neat and tidy, but this apartment desperately needs a woman's touch.

#3 Victory


This is Justin with our niece Ella. When we got to Arizona Ella was not too keen on being with uncle Justin. Erica informed us that Ella does not like men very much. Justin of course took this as a challenge considering that there has never been a child that has not liked Justin. So with much perseverance, ooohh and aww, and funny faces he did it. Ella was smitten and I got this shot. So Justin keeps his title as the baby whisperer. He will be such a great dad!