Meet Harley

Some may know my obsession with dogs. Like, I'll tell you any breed of dog. Then there's that whole crying/verge-of-bawling when I see a puppy. So it was only a matter of time before Landon and I got a dog. 

This story starts in April when I had been feverishly hunting KSL for a dog. Only, the people who want to get rid of there's always decided to give the dog away before we got to see it. Super lame. The same story repeated itself again when I started looking at dogs two weeks ago. I swear I was always the first to text someone, but they'd give it away to someone else. I was getting pretty upset. Then Landon, being so loving, saw how I was failing miserably and took over the hunt. The second dog he inquired about he was able to go see while I was working the football game against Middle Tennessee. He loved the puppy, I loved the puppy just from the picture. So the next day we kept ourselves busy running errands until it was time to go pick her up. 

This is Harley. Our first (furry) child. 

Harley is 3 months old and a german shepherd/shar pei mix.We weren't exactly looking for a puppy, but she fell right into our laps. She looks all cute, but she's a little terror 80% of the time. Loves include: biting everything, farting, cuddling with mom, chasing after cars, chasing after people, loving on strangers. Dislikes include: cars coming up behind her, crossing the street, being left alone while I go pee, being put in the crate when we eat. Harley loves to cuddle when she gets sleepy, which is fine by me :) And she likes to watch TV with us and is also pretty house trained which is amazing. So hopefully we raise her to be a good dog!

P.S. Conference was seriously amazing. Every talk was so good!

Real Life

Everyday I think about something I should write in this here blog, but it doesn't happen. And then I think about writing it in my journal. But that doesn't happen either. I'm in a crux; light this blog up with life's happenings or just keep it positive and fluffy?

I'm gonna go with how life actually is, thats more interesting. More blunt though.

I'm working with football this semester as a student athletic trainer, and its not as cool as you think it sounds. Long hours, no pay, clothes that don't fit, work-induced injuries (I have to get an MRI on my left knee. Joy). Oh, and they fact that I'm the outcast in the group of 10 students. Like, the straight up weird-kid loser. Don't know how it happened, don't know why...but it has sucked ever since fall camp started August 1st. I basically cried everyday for 3 weeks straight after I got home from working 14 hour days. I guess its gotten more manageable, but I basically go all day not talking to anyone and just do my own thing while everyone else hangs out in their little cliques. 

Speaking of cliques, Landon and I have no friends. What is it with getting married and all of a sudden no one talks to you anymore? I swear we've tried to get together with people a million times and it falls through, then they go and hang out together. Cool, we'll just be over here feeling awesome and left out, thanks. Luckily we moved into the family ward because our Married Student ward was terrible. Maybe we'll make friends. Probably not at the rate we're going. 

I got my wisdom teeth out for free! Ya, unfortunately that's where the positive note ends. The study drug they gave made me throw up, I puked out my blood clots and got dry sockets in my bottom two teeth, then I missed a week and a half of school/football/everything because I was in the worst pain OF MY ENTIRE LIFE. Literally, I would rather go through child birth 10 times than dry sockets again. I couldn't even work the game Saturday, so I sat at home for 8 hours all by myself and did nothing. Like a loser. I see a reoccurring theme here...

BUT there's always an upside to life. If you look for it :) I LOVE living in the main level of our house now. No complaints, its cute, bright and spider-less. Never going back to a basement apartment again. 

I'm still mentoring athletes, just not as many as usual because of the hours I work for football. But all the guys are great! And there's something about helping them get organized that makes my day.

Speaking of football, the only grand perk of the job is working the games. I've never been a crazy football fan, but working the sideline is awesome. Especially when its broadcasted on ESPN and my sister and dad spend all night trying to find me on the sideline. Ha.

Aaaand I feel way better about this semester than last in general. After we got married I had the "wedding blues" and was depressed and just wanted to sleep all day every day and hated myself. Now I'm up early, my classes are fine, I'm productive everyday...just had to get out of that transition mode. Both Landon and I agree that living in Chicago for the Summer somehow made us closer. Presh. 

The Church is true, and I love Landon. The end :)

The Abbotts: An Unexpectedly Terrible Journey

(Hobbit reference anyone? Good. Since I'm splitting our adventure into three parts, I thought a play on words would be fitting.)

So I'm bringing Instagram traditions over to the blog. Well, at least for today. But first an update:

I'm currently sitting in one of the billion Starbucks in the heart of downtown Chicago, just to use their internet. There's always so many people swarming about on the streets, speaking all different languages and wearing different styles. Its easy to just sit and people watch for hours, which I may have done today because I don't have a job and the hubs is at work full time. Its humid and stuffy when you walk on the busy streets and when it rains it brings out the concentrated smell of concrete in the air, sometimes other smells that aren't too pleasant. There's a constant orchestra of cars honking, people humming on their phones, beggars rattling their change cups, volunteers asking you if you have 60 seconds to spare to listen to their pitch...this city is so alive its overwhelming. And I'm not even the one from a small town (cough* Landon). The buildings are so tall, the thunder is literally deafening, everyone is in a rush to get somewhere. I've just been wandering the streets these last couple days trying to soak it all in and decide if this is somewhere I'd like to live in the future. And also find a job, which I may have done at Pinkberry today. Score!

Now for the throwback portion....A throwback to the first leg of our trip last week. We started out on our trip to Chicago by leaving Utah friday morning and driving to Longmont, CO to visit my family there. In the first few hours, Landon spilled a giant soda everywhere, my iPhone got completely submerged in it, I lost my wedding ring, then we didn't talk to each other out of anger nearly the whole 9 hours...it was kind of a mess. But then we got to Longmont and my dear family cheered us right up. My favorite part was just hearing Landon call my grandma, well, "grandma" like it was the most natural thing ever. It softened the anger I had been feeling all day into nothing. Oh married life, its a learning experience for sure. No matter how angry I get though, I still love the crap out of my man. Mmhmm. Anyways, we ate yummy ribs, celebrated my grandpa's birthday, visited my uncle's auto detailing shop, hit up Kohl's, FOUND MY RING! and then crashed in our amazing room in the Marriott. 

Our happy faces relaxing in our king size bed after a LONG day.

This car was packed, no spare space was wasted. 

And now I'm kicking myself in the butt because I literally took two pictures...it was a rough day. I'll do another post about the second part of the journey later. 

Moving out

Let's not even start with how long its been since I last posted...but to recap this last semester:

Working with tennis was awesome.
Landon accepted an internship in Chicago.
We almost froze to death in our basement apartment.
We got to go to a lot of wedding receptions and a few sealings.
Finals kicked our butt.
We've been watching Landon's brother's Rottweiler for the past month, and he is the dumbest yet sweetest and oddest dog I've ever met.
Marriage has gotten even better.

As of now, we're all moved out of that cold basement and up to the main level of the house! Moving stinks, but luckily we only had to drag everything up a flight of (really) steep stairs.

Then my indecisive self decided that I needed to go with the hubby to Chicago. The plan up until this point was that I was going to <i>stay in Provo, get a second job at Winco (who was --- this close to hiring me until I declined), manage our landlords properties and fix up the rentals</i>. But then I was sitting at my desk at work last week and I just had this overwhelming feeling that <b>I needed to go</b>. Now we're in the process of trying to find somewhere to live short term (which is proving EXTREMELY difficult), figuring out how we're going to pay for everything and praying that I can find work for a month and a half while I'm there. We're also trying to sublease our place here in Provo soooo if you know of anyone let us know! Its not the most logical choice, but after being away in California for five days without him, all Summer apart just wasn't an option for me anymore.

Speaking of California, it was great! Sam and Marissa got all married and cuteness, I got to see my amazing friends, I cleaned, cooked and helped plant a garden at home with my daddy and sissy. Love them! But I'm dumb and didn't take any picture of my adventures there.

Now here are some pictures (in no particular order) that will hopefully do the happenings of my life some justice:

Meet Kaiser, the biggest lap dog you'll ever meet. 

Heather's reception.

Belinda going crazy on some bushes.

Sacramento Temple.

Testing out our S'more maker last night. 

One of my favorite meals ever. Right after pancakes.

Celebrating the last day of classes at midnight with McDonald's cones.

It was really bright in St. George. Landon wasn't use to the sun.

LOOK AT THAT FAAAACE.

About the Hubs

So I'm totally lazy when it comes to blog posting as you may have noticed. I just feel like there's nothing in life going on worth writing about, but its actually wonderful and grand! So I'll just do this list of 25 Things About Your Husband one of my friends did on her blog so you can learn more about the love of my life! And I learn new things about him every day so getting to 25 with hopefully be a breeze:

1. He served his mission in West Virginia. He talks about it and the people so much! He loves that place and can't wait to go back.

2. He didn't like rice his whole life up until his mission. And its a good thing he likes it now because I cook it a lot.

3. He's a tad obsessed with technology. He's always telling me about the latest gizmos and gadgets coming out, and when we walk by the electronics aisle in a store he's a goner. I literally have to drag him out.

His best friend...right after me. 

4. He's played every sport imaginable! Basketball, football, tennis, soccer, swim, track...he's quite the athlete. He misses football the most though.

5. On top of that, he loves going to the gym. He gets cranky when he doesn't go.

6. He LOVES snowboarding, he's been doing it since he was a kid. We went on our honeymoon and he could have stayed on the mountain the whole time. And he is super good! I was beyond impressed.

Sierra-at-Tahoe

7. Landon loves animated movies! He'd never say that out loud, but anytime we watch one he laughs his butt off. Its adorable, I just start laughing because of him. One of his favorites is Megamind (also the first movie we watched together. Also the first time we held hands :) )

8. If he could eat steak/pork chops with potatoes and corn everyday, I'm pretty sure he would. Good thing I'm around to keep him healthy.

The dinner I made for his birthday, which he ended up choking on...

9. He falls asleep at night in literally two seconds. And he always falls asleep on his back, starts to snore, then turns on his side.

10. And most nights before he falls asleep he says some goofy goodnight to me. Something completely random like "sleep like an eskimo in a blizzard". Its hilarious. I need to start writing them down...

11.  Ever since we got Netflix he has been OBSESSED with watching White Collar. And he wants to dress like the main character. I wouldn't mind either, he's got some nice suits!

12. I was the first girl he said "I love you" to. Which happened in a little gazebo thing by the duck pond path here at BYU. Presh, I know.

13. We've been to 10 temples together!

14. He's only changed a baby's diaper once and that was this summer. I told him that has got to change real fast when we start having kids.

Him and his cute niece!

15. He's super hardcore about cleaning on Saturdays. I would compare him to a drill sergeant. 

16. He plays piano so well! He hasn't practiced in a long time though. I love just sitting and listening to him play.

17. He grew up on a farm. I loved going there this summer and "helping" him. I really just went along for the ATV rides :)

18. He's the middle of five kids. He's got an older brother and sister, then a younger brother and a younger sister. And he missed the red-headed genes ;)

19. I've never seen someone drink as much milk as this kid. If I hadn't asked him to tone it down we'd probably go through two gallons a week. And when we forget to buy more, he has a mini panic attack.

20. He was (and I guess still is) a volunteer firefighter in his little town. He's seen some crazy accidents since they live right off of I-15. During the summer when I was visiting he got up in the middle of the night to respond to a call and in his half awake daze backed up into my car which was blocking him in. Oops!

Wearing his fireman get-up.

21. He lived in Hawaii for two weeks this past Summer...until he and I both got depressed from being apart so he came home. Guess it worked out for the both of us!

22. It was his idea to get me an engagement ring with a sapphire in it and I agreed! People always comment on how different it is.

23. The only reason he goes to mexican joints is to eat chips and salsa. Thats something else he'd probably eat everyday if he could. He LOVES it, he'll go throw a few baskets by himself.

That face.

24. He loves his major here at BYU! He's doing business management with an emphasis in supply chain and he works SO hard at making himself marketable. And because of that......

25. We're probably going to Chicago this summer for an internship he receieved!!! He hasn't officially accepted, but we both feel really good about it and are already making plans for it. I'm so proud of him! All his hard work is paying off and we're both so excited.

So if anyone wants to let us know all about the Windy City, where to go, what to do, where to live...let us know!