Mike and Jess Watts

BeWaRe of ZomBies!!!!

2011-10-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

I hope you are all still alive! See you at the safe house!

Posting from my phone

2011-10-01T10:46:00.001-07:00

Pretty cool! Just added the blogger app and wanted to try it out.

What to expect when you're....

2011-08-22T23:10:00.000-07:00

NOT expecting....

Expect...

- All of your friends, close relatives, celebrities, random strangers all to be expecting

- Unexpected outbursts of tears in public places do to spotting such gestating females or small infants

- Increased fighting with the husband keeping you from expecting

- Increased desire to hold, squeeze, stare at, or steal other people's babies

- Sudden yearnings to nuzzle, swaddle, and rock small animals

- Frequent urges to punch almost every single person in relief society from the constant baby update

- Headaches, overeating, depression, mood swings , did I mention crying?

- you know....the works!

See your doctor if you have any of these symptoms

(most likely he can't fix it for you, but at least you'll feel like someone is pretending to listen to you)

Proud of Jess!

2011-04-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs to find time to head over to the Tippets Gallery at USU to see the senior exhibit for the interior design students. Now all the graduating seniors have impressive work displayed, but one stands out above the rest.

I am so proud of my beautiful and smart wife and the hard work and long nights she has dedicated to graduating this May with a bachelors in interior design. I loved watching her work on all her projects and see her create amazing designs and spaces. She has so much talent and drive to complete such a difficult major. She truly is the one with the brains in our marriage. She is graduating Suma Cum Laude and received an Outstanding Senior Award in her graduating class.

I am jealous of her and how she always knew what she wanted to do and study in college. That is something that I still have not been able to pin point in my life.

I have entered into sales because I knew that when I convinced Jess to marry me I had a true skill. I enjoy what I do, but while watching Jess design furniture, homes, corporate headquarters, and other incredible areas I have found a true appreciation for the arts and design.

I look up to her so much! She has taught me so many things, and even after spending long nights at the studio she still finds time to work hard at Serendipity, spend some time with me, and make me smile. I cannot wait for her to graduate so instead of long nights at the studio, we can have date nights in SLC, camping trips to amazing landscapes, cuddle on our couch, and embark upon many other journeys! It's scary for her to think of what comes next after school, I was there at one point too. It will be a new thing for her to just be able and enjoy the moment rather than always having in the back of your mind due dates and check lists of what needs to be done for class projects.

It will be an adventurous and interesting time for us, but I am totally exited to see how it unfolds!

This is my wonderful husband...

2010-10-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

And today is his Birthday!!!

Yes..this will be cheesy, but here we go.

26 Reasons I'm happy to be stuck with this goofball forever:

1. He's hilarious. Makes me laugh everyday!

2. So handsome!

3. I love his creative choice of clothing and style.
4. Super hard-working.

5. Always going. He's like the energizer bunny.
6. Havasupai Falls proposal.
7. Mexico Anniversary, Brazil Christmas. Loves to travel!

8. Early to bed, early to wise....you know the rest. He lives by this!
9. He treats me like a queen and let's me buy more shoes than anyone normal person should have.
10. Little surprises, at random times.

11. He's such a good cuddler.

12. Let's me put my freezing cold feet on him when I get into bed to warm them up.
13. Everyone loves him. Such a people person.

14. His willingness to try new things.
15. Always up for an adventure.

16. Patiently taught me to love rock climbing.
17. Athletic and super fit.

18. Always entertaining. Magic tricks, jokes, name it...he does it.
19. His creative Halloween costumes.

20. Love for the outdoors.

21. His fabulous cooking skills! Seriously...he's so good.
22. Positive attitude. Even in the worst situations...he helps me be positive.
23. Is adorable with kids and will one day be an awesome dad!

24. Has an amazing testimony of the gospel.
25. Honors his priesthood.

and last but not least.....

26. He treats me like the most important person in his world and I couldn't ask for anything more!

Thanks for all you do for me! You're the best husband and I love you!

2010-09-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

This is who I did my Design Internship for! I was there when they filmed this video. If you could zoom into the office shot I am in the backgroud...pretending to be working! ha!!! She's amazing!

Enjoy!

How did I get here?

2010-07-29T17:02:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you sit down, look in the mirror and say, "how on earth did I get here?"
Now don't be mistaken, I know how I "got" here, one day my mom and dad fell in love, then they hugged and 9 months later I was here.

But you know, when you think of all of the choices made up until this very moment. The great ones, the dumb ones, the ones you never want to remember, and you you think, "Sheesh" I used to be kind of an idiot.

I have had one of those days, reflecting the past, contemplating the future, and pondering the now. (so wise, I know!)

I think of how I really don't have any friends from the past, any one I grew up with that I can call up and vent to, no one who knows everything about me and who knows exactly what makes me tick, and smile, laugh, and cry.

I think of friends made, memories treasured, but then lost and slowly fading.
I think of the decisions people make and how sad they make me feel.
I think of the memories I want to share with my kids, and the ones I hope they never find out.
I think of things I have said in hate and anger, and how I wish I could take it all back.
I think of the times I wasted, being selfish, ignorant, and flat out stubborn.

I wish I could go back. Do it all again, do most of the important things the same (mike, marrying him, loving him, etc) but change the bad. I wish I could have been a better example to my friends and siblings. I wish I could have been a better daughter to my parents, and to my heavenly parents. I wish that I could have taken experiences learned from others and not tried to learn them on my own.

I know who I am today. I know I might not have been this person if it weren't for my past.
I know I am not perfect, or far from it. I know I can try harder. I know I want to make decision now so that one day I can look back and not regret it. I know I can one day make my children proud to say that I am their mother. I know I can be a good example to a friend. I know I can help others and care less about me. I know I can be a better sister, daughter, wife, friend.

I'm learning that with everyday comes new challenges, new upsets, new hopes, new adventures, and new trials. I'm learning who I want to be. I'm learning the things that I love, and the ones I don't quite love. I'm learning about the world and how people treat other people. I'm learning about love, respect, and compassion. I'm learning about failing and succeeding. I'm learning about faith and hope. I'm learning, slowly but surely, about this thing we call life.

and one day
when I meet my maker, I want to look him in the face and say,
"This is all I could do, I have nothing else to give, I am not perfect, and I know I'm lacking"

and I know he will say,

"that is enough, I have provided the rest."

Summer's Heating Up!

2010-07-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Since my last post, I have decided to have a better attitude towards my situation and make the best of what I'm dealt with. So with all of the extra time I have had doing nothing, I have made an effort to clean my house, exercise more and get back into the shape I want to be, think about wanting to learn how to cook (I am starting today, by picking recipes I like and going to the store to get groceries for the week), catch up on some reading, and finding a job.

I start each day with a personalized to do list...and try my best to stay busy all day! Its been working, and instead of moping, I've been getting a lot done.

Since I have not posted any pictures from the end of my internship till now, I will do so with subtitles of what I have been up to lately!

Warning: Lots of pictures ahead!

The Aria - The beautiful hotel room we stayed in after 5 Weeks of not seeing each other!

It was gorgeous and we definitely had so much fun!

We got all dressed up for a night out on the town.

Then we ate at one of my favorite places - Serendipity 3

Their frozen hot chocolate is to die for!

We finished up the weekend with a family reunion in St. George
We hiked to see the Grand Canyon -Gorgeous and oh so windy!

We had some family photos done - The 3 girls!

The whole fam damily! (aunts & cousins visiting from Brasil)

Mike and I

Snow Canyon Hike

That orange blob on me is my baby niece I carried all the way in.

Olivia's Baby Blessing

Brasil World Cup Game

The fans!

Big Screen

The girls in LA - day before we left - Dockweiler BeachLast Day at Kelly Wearstler - Kwang Wei & Leana (architect & designer)

Kelly & I - She made sure we took this picture full body so you could see our shoes...so funny!
She also gave me a signed book and thanked me for my work there. I had a great experience.

Fourth of July weekend with the Watts'!

Sitting around the fire roasting 'mallows

Waiting for the Cache Valley Cruise-In to start!

I named this one the Barbie Mobile

Bear Lake Fun

So here comes a story. On sunday at church our ward announced that at the end of the month they would be holding a mini biathlon for fun. The biathlon included a 2 mile run followed by a 6 mile bike ride. I told Mike about it and said I might want to do it. He laughed and said, "you could never finish that." I told him I could do it today without even training, and he bet me $100 bucks that I could not even finish the run. Well with a lot of egging on from Watts family members and my desire to spite him, it was on! The rules were 2 mile run followed by a 6 mile bike in under an hour!
Leslie set out the track. It would be a one mile in on the River walk and one mile out, then she tracked a 6 mile bike round through neighborhoods and windy roads to keep us out of busy streets. Amy & Charlie decided to help me along and ride with me for support. I had lots of cheerleaders! Mike couldn't believe I was actually going to do it without any training at all and after 2 months of eating Junk food in LA and not doing an ounce of exercise.
Monday morning I woke up bright and early and we all headed down to see what would happen.

Amy & I stretching before our 2 mile run! (No I am not an amputee, streching...)

Finishing 2 miles after about 25 minutes. (I was kind of regretting it all at this point, legs were Jello and I could barely keep up with miss marathon runner Amy)

6 Miles on a bike. I have never in my life ridden a rode bike, and definitely not for that long.

The conclusion of our race - 45 minutes!

The award ceremony - mike presenting me with my $100 dollar check!
(All done at McDonald's of course, breakfast of champions!)
I'm sure he was eating his words right about then, but I bet he'll never challenge me again, My competitiveness overcomes all pain!

Mike and his new barbecuing technique. Skewer in Fire pit. It was actually pretty good.

Going out of my mind!

2010-07-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

So I guess I was too excited to come home from LA, I forgot what I was coming back to. Now before people start getting all sorts of offended, Logan is a great place, but coming from LA with so many things to do and so many opportunities, it's definitely a change of pace. I came back expecting to have an amazing summer filled with romance, sunshine, and excitement, and all though I have had some of those things, I am just flat our bored all of the time!

I've been trying to find a job, which is a bummer. I have no friends in Logan who are available to just hang out and keep me entertained, and have I mentioned .... I'm just flat our bored.

Ugghhhh.....its pretty frustrating. I can't blame Mike, he's just too busy trying to keep us afloat to hang out with me, and I have been exercising and dieting for something to do (to gain the extra lbs I gained in LA), that I might be going out of my mind.

Not only that but the fact that since I have moved back I feel like I really need to go see a shrink, I don't know if that's crazy or if its normal for one to feel like they're losing all sanity at one point in life, but I definitely have lost mind. I can't clean my house any more than I have, the plants can't be watered anymore before they drown, and Bella cannot be brushed, bathed, tooth-brushed ear cleaned, every day (really she hates it). I also have had some pretty crazy realistic dreams that wake me up in sweats and rage. I hate it!

So really, If this post makes any sense at all....HELP!!! I need suggestions on how to stay busy, things I can do on my own considering the situation, and how to bring back the romance, sunshine, and excitement that I am so longing for this summer.

Please?

Week in review

2010-06-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

So this week has been pretty fun considering we only had to work 3 days & 3 hours.On Monday for Memorial day we went to The Dodgers game. Not my favorite activity of choice, but it wasn't terrible. What made the whole experience was having a churro and a coke (shhh, don't tell mike) ha. Friday was so slow that we were sent home. So we spent the day shopping, which I love, and I found some awesome deals! My receipt said I saved $160. Wow! I got some shoes (don't tell mike), and a cute blazer. I also got mike a little present.

Then we headed home to pick up Kait for dinner. Cheesecake Factory it was. We got there an as we waited I saw someone who looked familiar. After a few minutes of deliberation (and stepping back to see his face on a huge billboard) we decided it was Jonah Hill. We asked for a picture, and being the jerk that he is, he said, "you can go see my movie instead!" WRONG!!! Not going to ever see another movie with him in it. Lame! That aside, we had a nice night.

Then on Saturday Kylee was not up for the beach, and Kait and I really wanted to go, so we did. It was a really great time. We got to Venice Beach, found FREE street parking, which is a small miracle. The weather was nice, not to hot not to cold. We laid out for a little bit then decided to rent some bikes and ride around the boardwalk in search of Frank Gehry's famous Norton House located right on Venice Beach.

I really wanted to see this house because I did a school project on it. We had to build a famous building in 3D virtual Lego pieces. I picked this house because it already looked like it was made of lego's with its cool shapes and colors. I felt complete seeing it in person! It was SUPER cool. After a great deal of people watching and soaking in the sun, we headed home to get ready for dinner and a movie. We had the best Crepes ever and then saw Killers. Needless to say, it was lame. But it's expected from a Kutcher/Heigl flick. Not a big deal, it was ok.

Today has been nice. We went to the park and enjoyed a good nap & some Hand and Foot card game. I won! It was fun and so nice to get out of the house.

Anyway...have a good week and pray that the next couple of them go by quickly! I'm really starting to miss home! Only 10 more days till I see my family in Vegas, and only 19 more days till I'm home for good! HOORAY!

check out how gorgeous these are!

Mike sent me flowers, is he sweet?!

Love & Miss you! Kisses!

My life in Los Angeles

2010-05-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

So I'm going to try to keep this brief considering I am exhausted for some reason. Our first week of work was a little slow and kind of boring. Kelly Wearstler was out of town with 2 other head designers, so we were basically bobbing around and asking anyone in the office if they needed help with anything. But this week she's back and it was quite busy. We have learned a lot. We have gotten to go to cool antique stores and see furniture I don't think I'll ever be able to afford, learn about the business side of design like purchase orders, invoices, schedules, etc., and we have learned a lot about the design process and working with clients.

So far we have had lots of fun too. Our place is little, but cozy. Other than the one cockroach experience we had, it has not been so bad. Its a guest house behind this lady's house and this past week they have been filming a movie at the house. Its been crazy. So many trailers and equipment, lights, cameras, and action! It was kind of fun to watch and see, but a little hectic considering we couldn't even park in our driveway or anywhere near our house as a matter of fact. Our landlord is really nice, her name is Stacy and she's an artist/make up artist.

We have done a variety of things for fun. We have gone to the beach, hiked up to the hollywood sign, done some shopping (SOME...for Mike's sake), went to a single's ward dance (yeah, we go to a single's ward for Kylee's sake), and we are just loving soaking up the sun. Oh, and don't let me forget we went to GLEE LIVE!!!!! It was amazing!!! Best money I've ever paid! They were so much better live and I didn't think it was possible.

Here are some pictures of our adventures so far!

First Day of work attire!

Walk of the Stars

Single's ward dance at an industrial site!

Glee Live!!! I (heart) Puck & Finn!

They were so amazing!

We got to see the GAGA performance a week early!

Hike up to the Hollywood Sign

Cool Organ Pipe chair. If you listen quietly when the wind blows, it plays a little tune.

Kelly Wearstler Office. The great thing is that she sits out with us and not in her office!

Cool antique store we got to go to and shop around for Kelly. JF Chen

The Village Idiot - Good Food!

Beach Time!

Hard Rock after Glee!

Its Sugar store. Really cool candy store with a variety of fun things!

FRUSTRATED!

2010-05-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

That's all.

New Hair and Family Weekend

2010-04-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

So Mike has been trying to convince me to chop all my hair off for the summer. Which is strange, considering last summer all he wanted me to do was grow my hair out, anyway, I did it! I was brave enough to go in and just do something different. There weren't even any tears. I like it, but there will take some getting used to.

Also, this weekend my parents came to Logan to visit. We had such a fun time just hanging out and being together. It was nice to have them here, I hadn't seen them in a while. We went on a hike, then to Lava Hot Springs.

Lastly, school is almost out and I am getting more and more excited to see my newest baby niece, Olivia Grace Loveland, and then move to LA. But with the conclusion of school comes finals, projects, and so much more stress. So till then, I'll be running around like a crazy person trying to get everything done, turned in, packed, then I'm off.

Standby for pictures of my upcoming adventures.

Love ya!

I'm so relieved.

2010-03-25T16:40:00.001-07:00

In the last couple of months I have been on the hunt for a summer interior design internship, and after 5 offers and lots of prayer I have decided. I am heading to Los Angeles for eight weeks to do an internship with Kelly Wearstler! I am so excited. I will be away from my sweet husband for that long, but he has been so supportive and loving. He's so great!

Anyway, thanks for all the support and help I have received in this process.

Loves!

Here's Kelly and some of her fabulous work!

www.kellywearstler.com

and then the sun came out.

2010-02-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

I wish there were words to explain the feelings I experienced this week. It just shocks me to have everything I have ever believed shaken. The people you thought you knew, are just not who you thought they were, the trust you built up only to have it dissolve into nothing, and your emotions being thrown around back and forth till you wake up feeling exhausted like your thoughts were running marathons.

But then you take a moment, you sit back and just breath. The world stops spinning and your thoughts become clearer. You realize that what people do cannot affect you if you don't let it. No one can make your choices. And then you feel a warmth within your heart knowing everything you knew you knew is true, and all you can do is hope and pray that someday the ones who disappoint you will have a change of heart.

I cannot be more grateful for my testimony in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know with every fiber of my being that I have a purpose here on this earth, and everyday I will strive to become what my Heavenly Father created me to be.

Mike has been so helpful in these trying times and never lets me forget how much he loves me. He is such a good example to me. Saturday was hard. But I knew I had to shake it off and appreciate all that I have. Mike and I cleaned the house and and decided the best place to be at that time was in the temple. So we went.

What an amazing place. Just walking in the building, I could feel the sadness and hurt melt off. I was filled with joy and could not describe this transformation happening within me. I felt alive and well. I felt extremely blessed to know what I knew then. After a beautiful time there, Mike and I decided this would be our Valentine's Day tradition. There is no better way to demonstrate your love.

Like stated in D&C 45:7, "For verily I say unto you that I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and the life of the world—a light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not." And this I know with all of my heart as that Saturday afternoon the darkness went away and the sun came out in Logan, if only for a brief moment, but it shone as if to say, "have hope and faith that there will always be light amongst the darkness."

I know he hears my prayers, and I am grateful for his warm embrace during trying times.

Love is in the air...

2010-02-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

So time flies when you're stressed out and busy, but life is good. Since my last post we've entered a new year, I've gone back to school, and its February. January was never really acknowledged considering my lack of sleep in that month and how fast it went by.

To kind of back up and update you on January, I went to Vegas with the girl's for Kylee's birthday. We spent the weekend in St, George and headed to Vegas on Friday where we received VIP treatment all day long. We were on every list in town, everyone wanted us to go to their clubs and grace them with our presence. HA. We had a good time shopping, dining, and at the end of the night we even did some clubbing at a fancy club named TAO where we were escorted past the 2 hour waiting line and into the club for being so fabulous (or for knowing the owner's little brother, either way). We danced the night away and drove back to St. George way too late for anyone's safety. But in general, it was a successful girl's weekend.

School started with a bang (to the head) and we were assigned a group project. We were to design a library commons area and we had a pretty good time doing so in spite of the lack of sleep and the short amount of time we had to do so.

Grandma Maughan passed away. We really miss her. She was such a fun person, and always smiling. Grandpa will be needing lots of hugs and we will be doing our best to provide them.

and soon, Valentine's day will be here. For some reason, in the past Mike and I have made this holiday bigger than Christmas with the gift giving. Last year I got him some pretty sweet RayBan's and he in return gave me a shopping trip along with a fondue dinner. This year we even went a week early, and already got our shopping done. HA. We've agreed to not use our presents till Valentine's day, but its sooo hard considering I have been waiting for it for so long now. This year Valentine's day falls on a sunday and the next day I don't have school. So we have decided to take the whole day off and celebrate. Not that we are cheesy and celebrate this, but on the 16th we will have been married for a year and a half! I'm excited to have a whole day with my husband and to have his undivided attention (which I don't get very often!)

New Year's Eve party treats

New Year's Eve kiss

Playing in the snow with the Kidlets

Mike helping Callie walk through the snow (her snow clothes were impeding that ability)

Mike and I at Eliane & Fabio's wedding

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2009-12-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

Its been some time and so many things have happened. School went out with a bang! Mike graduated........HALLELUJAH!!!! And....I got a 4.0! I have to say, this semester almost killed us both, but it sure payed off in the end. We worked so hard that we deserved an amazing vacation. We went to Brazil for 12 days!!!! It was unbelievable! It was so fun to go back to my roots and get to know my country along side of my husband. We spent lots of time with family and got quite a bit of sun too!

For the first part of our trip we spent with my aunt and got to know the exciting city of Sao Paulo. It was so neat and so much fun. We ate every kind of fruit possible and between the two of us we probably gained at least 15 lbs. My aunt and uncle were so great at doing everything possible to give us a taste of everything Brazil has to offer.

The next part of our trip was spent in Rio De Janeiro. It was beautiful!!! and the beaches.....terrific! We stayed in a hotel right on Copacabana beach and we definitely got some sun. We got back from Rio and went to a city called Santos and spent just one night at my aunt's condo on the beach. The day was kind of rainy but we did get some time on the beach and headed back.

The last part of our trip was spent in a little town called Rio Claro, which is where my grandma lives. It was SOOOOOO HOT, but so fun. We ate a lot of different things and just got to sit back and relax. No running around. We got to meet family I had never even met and play some serious game of dominoes with my grandparents. Hilarious!

In general, what an amazing trip. With many layovers later we arrived safely home on Christmas Eve. We spent Christmas Eve with my family and ate so much I had food coming out of my ears. Lots of fun and presents and we stayed up way too late. The next morning we got up bright and early and made the journey home to little ole' Logan where we hurried over for Marilyn's delicious Christmas Brunch. Let's just say it was perfect. It was so fun to see all the fam and to catch up.

Now, here I am, without school, work, or anything else to be busy with. I don't know what to do with myself. So I have decided to catch up on my blog, and give this house the TLC it has been needing in quite some time. So I've been keeping myself busy with keeping the house clean, making some desserts, and even thinking about starting a fun new craft. It has been nice to have this break, but I am excited for the New Year and everything it has to bring. So here are some pictures of the end of Our '09! Hope you all had a beautiful Christmas and we wish you a prosperous New Year!

Confidence is Key!

2009-11-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

So I never give myself enough credit. I am always way too critical and harsh on myself. I know that I need to work on me and my self-esteem before I can help others, and I also feel like when I help others I help myself. But I definitely have to work on this confidence thing. So here is my attempt in doing so. These are some things that I am good at and should be proud of myself for!

- I am a daughter of god who loves me
- I am married to a wonderful man who thinks I am BEAUTIFUL!
- I made it into a competitive studio and my work is great!
- I am a pretty good cook when I get around to doing it.
- I am a hard worker and very determined
- I have motherly instincts coming out of my ears and I think I will be a great mother one day.
- Kids happen to like me
- I am friendly
- I am personable
- I have quirks that make me different and interesting
- I think I have pretty good hair.
- I have good fashion sense when I get all gussied up
- I have amazing taste in shoes....and way too many of them
- I think I'm pretty funny
- My home is decorated pretty cute, some I'll take credit for, but mostly things people have kindly given us.
- I am good with words, especially on paper. I love to write and I think I'm good at expressing my feelings when I do.
- I'm brazilian and take pride in my heritage and language ( I speak three languages, not too shabby)
- I have pretty brown eyes....they are very dark, but I like them.
- I am pretty good at cleaning, when I want to.
- I think I have good spiritual intuitiveness (or however you would say that)
- I love others
- I am interested in others well-beings and can usually help by giving good advice
- I am smart. Not to brag but I have gotten a couple of 4.0's in my day.
- I am money smart too, I hate owing people money, and I try to never spend more than I have.
- I am good at my calling.
- I try hard to be the best wife I can be.
- I am supportive of my family and can always lend a good ear for venting.
- I have great friends and consider myself very blessed.
- I have a beautiful home and puppy that I take care of.
- I am a good person....who needs to just realize it and stop being so hard on herself.

I apologize if this post sounds self-centered and obnoxious. But sometimes you need to appreciate the good things you do, because positive thinking brings forth positive efforts, and negative thinking does nothing but bring you down. So I guess when I am feeling down on myself and like I am not worthy of all the blessings I have, then I just have to take a minute, look in the mirror and realize I am beautiful inside and out! Heavenly Father created me this way, and he created me this way for a reason, to shine and to live my life to the fullest, loving me and everything that comes with it.

so take a minute and love yourself too...

HILARIOUS!

2009-09-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for some funny mormon humor go here. Now no one go get offended, its just for laughs and giggles. Maybe this explains the comments I get all the time! HAHAHAHA...jk Mikey. Love you.

Click on this link.

Mormon Scale of Attractiveness

Home Sweet Home

2009-09-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Husband's back! He's unemployed, but he's back! And for some reason I have not been happier. Even unemployed. Pray for us. I know he's good at anything he does, he'll find something in no time. So give us a shout out if you know of anyone hiring!

Anyway, love you all. Thanks for the support through this hard time in my life. Or week. haha. Sorry for all the drama. I am truly grateful for the wonderful husband I have that even though I am sometimes irrational, he loves me and supports me anyway. He even stands up for me. I love him very much and could not ask for someone better or more hardworking than the one I have. He's the crayon box with 64 colors, not just the 8 color kind. (haha). He's perfect (well.... most of the time).

Love,

Jess

So I am officially husbandless...

2009-09-01T16:26:00.001-07:00

Now don't you fret, little readers. Not divorced, just husbandless. How do you become husbandless you ask? Well it was actually more of an ordeal than I expected. I thought you just kick them out the door, and there you have it. But no, it becomes a lot more dramatic. It involves a lot of crying on my part, blood-shot eyes for 4 days, and sulking, not to mention the other dramatic events that come along with that.

Husbandless. Mike comes home to me Friday and declares he is starting a new job, he leaves on Tuesday for BAGS. WYOMING! "Wonderful," I exclaim, as I have always wanted to be married just one year then become husbandless for the rest of my life but still having to be MARRIED without any of the privileges. Go ahead and assume my facial expression. Ticked! Anyway, there you have it. If you are ever needing to feel alone, depressed, and completely betrayed, make your husband mad enough to get a new job where he has to move to BAGS, WYOMING.

Now that I'm off my soapbox. I have had an extremely hard week. My body agrees. Everything hurts, my head, my stomach, my eyes, my legs, and my heart. I feel like I went into surgery to have a piece of me removed without any anesthesia. Ok, call me dramatic or whatever you'd like, but its harder than I thought it would be. The house is deathly quiet, my mom is 2 hours away, and most the time I feel like crying in bed all day and not getting up for school.

But guess what, reality is this, I have to go on living my life, pretending that every thing is honky dory! But at least on my blog I can vent. I can say how mad I am at Mike for leaving me here in this state. I can say that I wish we lived elsewhere that he could find a better job, Logan isn't really the job metropolis. I can say that my major is so overwhelming right now, I want to quit; and I can even say that I'm pissed at anyone involved at taking my husband away, for at least a couple more hours or days anyway.

Am I being livid and negative, probably, but I can do that here, this is my only way of venting before I go out of my mind. So if anyone is offended by my inappropriateness, please unsubscribe to this blog, and you will never have to read of my rantings again. Simple as that. Love you all who have supported and tried to help in this situation, but for now, I choose to sulk.

A day in the life....

2009-08-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

Here goes...venting sesh! Prepare yourself for whining, complaining, and anger. I hate tuesdays and thursdays! YES! I DO! Why do you ask? Well let me tell you. I get to school at 8 freakin 15 in the morning to start a ridiculous FOUR HOURS in the studio. By eleven, frustration, boredom, and hunger sets in, and my ability to listen and focus is completely gone. Then we hurry to the hub to get something to eat before booking it to our next class. Another hour and 15 minutes of lecture in the dark after lunch = very sleepy eyed, bobble headed Jess. But its not over yet folks. By now its 3:00 and I'm ready to call it a day, but oh......no.... natural disasters. Literally, that's the class I go to next. Try staying awake in that dark room of approximately 300 people and your sitting in the back where the professor doesn't even know you exist. Impossible. Pretty much, today, I slept, and might have drooled a little too. Then on tuesdays, the fun isn't over for another couple more hours where I leave class to attend an MRC meeting. Heels is not always a best choice on these days, but you know me, and my shoe fettish.

Anyway, today was a THURSDAY. Already a "not looking forward to waking up" day. I decided I would do it with a positive attitude and actually shower and get READY! I know, miracle. I got up, hopped in the shower, and did my new sassy hair! I was feeling pretty good, and decided this might be a good day. New dress, cute hair, feeling cute = positive Jess. Got to the studio, where the temperature can't decide if it wants to be winter or summer, and begin the day. LONG DAY is all I can say. By the time I waited 20 minutes for the shuttle in 85 degree weather and then got home, I was hammered. Mike wasn't even home yet. bad news. He leaves for work at 5:30 and isn't home at 5? eeekk....he's going to be a big green (smelly, might I add) monster. He's ultra stressed out with school, work, life, etc... that I know working all day will make it worse. But do I have any strength and energy left when he arrives to pick myself up then tend to his needs? Not really. I know, Terrible right?

Well as a good husband he went straight out again to mow the lawn and play with the dog who has been building up enough energy in the last couple of days to take out a small nation. She seriously has gotten on my every nerve this week. ANYWAY, I need to nap. He's mad. I'm napping and my house looks like a tornado has gone through it. Not only that, but the 85 degree weather IN the house isn't helping my energy level either.

In conclusion, BIG FIGHT! I'm telling you this only so you don't think we're perfect. Cause I know that's what you were all thinking. I was so furious, FUMING at the ears. Anyway, now he's asleep (on the couch might I add) and not cause I told him to sleep there, but because he fell asleep watching tv with Bella. Should I wake him and lure him to bed with apologizing kisses?

I think So!

Goodnight!

One whole year! WOW!

2009-08-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

So here I am to enlighten you on some events.

1. Girls' Road trip in St. George. What a fun and relaxing weekend it was! Liz, Tami and I decided to take off for the weekend to St. George and do whatever our little hearts desired. We shopped, we lounged, we laughed, we tanned, we played, we bonded, we ate. and so much more. Mike also had a little getaway to Jackson Hole with Justin and he came back so excited about his adventures.

2. San Diego! What a fun week. I love San Diego, not only because its NOT Logan, but it is the home to my favorite place on earth. SEA WORLD!!! Mike and I decided that for our anniversary we would splurge a little and do a fun trip. Well my family has a timeshare in San Diego and were already going, so why not get a free place to stay. I will admit, it was a little hectic and crazy, as family vacations always are, but overall it was a great time! It was also so fun to see my sis, niece, and brother-in-law that I don't get to see very often. Many memories were created that weekend, good and bad. We crashed BOTH rental cars, had long layovers, got very sunburnt, went to sea world, got sand stuck in too many places to count, and loved every minute of it!

3. Baby Gwen! What a precious little being she is. Natalie, Mike's sister, delivered beautiful baby Gwen on August 12th and she is so awake and jittery. She's darling and mr. tate is a cute big brother.

4. Our 1st Anniversary in Salt Lake! So we got back from San Diego saturday night and still wanted to sweet our sweet new niece before making the long and boring drive back home. So we went to see her and It was getting late, and I was getting more and more concerned of the drive home. On our way home Mike made a detour into salt lake and surprised me with a night's stay at the new Hyatt by the gateway! I was so relieved we didn't have to drive all the way home. It was a really nice place and we had a great time ;) ! For our anniversary I had a fun little photoshoot so he could always remember how sassy and cute I was, since it probably won't last our whole life! HAHA. We came home sunday and enjoyed a nice and quiet day just being with each other.

Our Sweet Hotel Room

The photoshoot

Sorry they are kind of immodest. It was my anniversary, I get a freeby right?

5. My new Do! So I was totally ready for a haircut. I had had it with the mormon mommy do (sorry if any of you out there have this do, but I'm not mom YET.) I remembered the time that I was known for having a fun and sassy haircut all the time, but marriage and being a student takes its tole on your hair. Serious. It was long, and flat and BORING! So....solution.....chop it! and add some RED!!!! Becca Lee did it, and I love it very much. I finally feel comfortable in my own scalp again.

Sorry this is such a silly picture. I didn't want to pull out my camera again. So webcam it is!

6. Bella got spayed. There's not much more to that other than her looking a little like an alien with a big green cone around her head!!! HAHAHAHAHA! Its pretty funny to watch her run into things because she can't see. Sorry Bella. I love you. She's been a trooper though, and I'm impressed at how fast she's recovered.

7. Back to School! So the day finally came. No matter hwat I did to try and stop it, whine, complain, kick and scream, it came anyway. My first day was fine, kinda lame with all the syllabus and crap you have to do, but other than that it was pretty easy. I am a little nervous about the intensity of some of my classes, but it should be no big deal for me as a 4.0 student (yeah right). Anyway, its here and I'm ready. bring it on. Tomorrow....high pitched, bubbly, and exhausting Interior Design girls. so for now, adios amigos.

The dreadful update blog! Update Update Update

2009-07-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Ok friends. So I know I have been a bad little blogger and have not updated this in quite some time. Forgive me. But let me tell you what we've been up to. Life! This summer has been jam packed with small trips, weekend getaways, daily activities, and lots and lots of sunshine. I am loving not having school so much, that I just might retire. Ok, maybe not. But just the thought of school starting in less than a month gives me the heeby jeebies, or how ever your spell that. I love my major and all, but it is a kick in the pants with a million projects, so much time and money spent, and really dramatic and sometimes obnoxious ID girls. Not all! (ID readers) just some. Anywho, I've been so busy soaking up the last little bit of happiness before the ID Project devil comes to devour my soul, that I haven't had much time for blogging.

So....Without further ado, here are some things we've been doing. I know you've been dying of anticipation, without update of our fabulous life.

We dug trenches for Sprinkler, and Installed Sprinklers! Hooray!

We stole sod from the church and enslaved many men to lay it.

We have had many barbecues in our newly finished back yard.

We laid out, worked on our tan, and even did some swimming!

We sailed our little boat.

We looked a little retarded when Bella graduated from Puppy Class.

We went to the Farmer's Market.

And to the Cruise-In.

We went boating with friends.

We shot some guns.

We went camping.

And we even had a sexy time at Bouk's Ranch!

So there you go folks. An Update from the Watts'! Has your summer been this great?

Look forward to posts about our fun girls' weekend in St. George (we're going tomorrow) and our family trip to San Diego (Next Weekend)

.....then

....our annivesary

....then

...school : ( BOO!

46 Reasons I love my Momma!

2009-07-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

Ieda Bittencourt Sobreira Torres

Isn't She a Beauty?

So today is my mom's birthday and she will probably be pissed that I disclosed her real age by the 46 reasons I love her so. But here goes.

Carrying me for 9 months
Staying up with me late nights since I was a very bad baby and never slept but cried all night
Being with me at many emergency hospital visits (I WAS VERY ACCIDENT PRONE)
Having people think I look like her (what a compliment)
Being fun and active
Her love for dancing
Her stern but caring way of raising us
The way she would get mad if she caught you doing something naughty, but if you came and confessed she let it go
Her honesty
Her smile
How strong she is physically and emotionally
Her love and compassion for anyone, even strangers
Her ability to take people in and help them get on their feet
The day she called me after taking Nick to go play in the rain, something her mother never let her do
Her humor
Crying with me when I needed her too (happened alot, I'm kind of a baby)
Knocking common sense into my somewhat dense head
Encouraging me in anything I attempted
Being at dance recitals, choir concerts, basketball games, etc...
Always making us feel pretty for dances as we did photoshoots prior to dates pickiung us up
Always giving us everything we wanted, even when we probably didn't deserve it
Being a wonderful grandmother to a beautiful grandchild
Being so hard working
her dedication to everything she does
Her overwhelming love for her children
The way she let us make our own decisions and experience life for ourselves
Her counsel and advice
Her forgiveness when we sometimes made the wrong choices
My yellow car
My beautiful wedding
Her love for having the family close
Her concern for all things in life
Her quirks and imperfections
The way we can share clothes because she's so stylish
The way I sometimes steal her clothes and she doesn't mind (haha)
Her love for the gospel
Her strength in raising 3 great kids!
Her accomplishment of being married 27 years!
Her ability of looking this good and half her age!
My hopes of becoming half the mother she was to me
Her hand in helping me realize my dreams
All the sacrifices she has made to give us a better life
Her drive to improve herself always
Her will and commitment for going the second mile
Her strength to overcome hardships and making the best of them
and her example of what and excellent mother has been and always will be!

I love you mom!!! Have a wonderful birthday!!

Update coming soon!

2009-07-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

So I know I've been slacking in the blog world. Its been quite a while. But don't worry, Look forward to a new post soon about all the summer activities. We have been very busy with work, play, friends, and family; so we have lots of fun pictures coming soon!

Thanks for your loyalty and patience!

Well...

2009-06-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today. Mike came home and decided to shave his head

Nuff Said.

The NieNie Dialogues

2009-06-19T07:36:00.001-07:00

So I know I'm probably way behind the trend, but after hearing my sisters-in-law talk about it yesterday, I decided to check out the nieniedialogues.com. WOW! is all I can say. I would give anything to be half the woman this amazing woman is. Really. Read it. Change your life!

Love Love Love this arrangement! Gave me chills!!!

2009-06-17T15:10:00.001-07:00

Will this rain ever stop?

2009-06-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

So here we are again, on a lovely Monday morning in Logan, Utah! gag....not true. Its cold, its rainy, I'm working, and for heaven sakes its another MONDAY!!! Sitting here I'm feeling very crummy. I woke up late, didn't get breakfast and once again, no make up, hair in a pony tail, and being very negative. As I am about to throw a hissy fit or B* fit as some may say, I try hard to stay positive.

But it is so hard when the weather sucks, I can't do anything on this stupid foot(except for I've been stubborn and instead of wearing my ugly blue shoe like a good girl, I wore heels to church, mike was pissed, it hurt quite a bit, but beauty is pain), I still have not received a check for this stupid surgery, and hubby can't seem to pass this stupid life insurance test. Work from 8-5 Monday through Friday and then watch him study all weekend. So let's just say I'm being an avid pessimist right now.

Last week I was feeling about the same, So I went to the temple and it made me realize how good I really have it. So here is my attempt at making this crummy mood go away.

I know its not thanksgiving, although the weather is similar, here is a list of all that I am grateful for.

- My amazing husband and how hard he works to better his future and our family's.

- How he tries so hard to make me laugh, even when I'm not exactly in the mood, and how much of my drama he puts up with on a daily basis.

- He is so patient, where I have none for him sometimes.

- He makes amazing breakfast, and any other meal in that matter, since I don't cook.

- He is so creative, and always has something new and outgoing he wants to do.

- My adorable puppy, who sometimes I want to kill, but who cuddles and nuzzles in places you never thought would be comfortable to nuzzle in.

- She truly makes me laugh and I have to admit, I talk to her like she's a human being, and I don't care what anyone thinks.

- She loves to chew my socks, underwear, shoes, and has even got ahold of my wedding ring; but she always keeps life interesting with all the running around we have to do after her and then the laughs we get when she's drenched in water because of all the spraying we have to do to get her to give up whatever she has.

- The friends we have and the joy they bring with all their quirks and differences. We love having people over for barbecues and fires.

- My wonderful mom, who is such a trooper, and who I have so much respect for. She works so hard to give us everything we ever wanted. My wedding was amazing, thanks to her, and I am the person who I am because of her (good or bad).

- My dad who has always been so loving and supportive. He always knows what to say to make you feel better.

- My little bro, who is growing up to be such a stud, and his caring and compassionate ways. He is also very helpful and very sweet.

- My amazing sister who is a wonderful mom to my beautiful niece. She just had some serious injuries a couple of days ago, but still is positive enough to put a smile on her face and go forth with the work.

- I love that she always has time to listen to me when I need to vent, whine, complain or just have someone other than mike to talk to.

- The greatest mother-in-law on earth, who takes care of me like I am one of her own daughters. She's always making sure we are ok, and if we need anything, she's right on it.

- She is an amazing cook and someone you like to be around and have fun with.

- My hilarious father-in-law who I absolutely adore. I get to work with him all day, and he just cracks me up. I love how he genuinely cares about everyone, and his love for country music (we are the only 2 who share that love at the office).

- My sister-in-law Leslie, she really is a great example to me. I work with her everyday, and I am always amazed at how strong she is. She is so dedicated to everything she does, and she is a great mother.

- She is very patient with me and all of the questions I have about my new job and she always makes it more fun when she's around.

- My sister-in-law Andi is also a terrific person. She is a superwoman. She cares about her family and everyone else she comes across.

-She is always so willing to help and she is so good at it. She is so talented at what she does and I love her for all she has done for mike and I.

- My sister-in-law Amy, I don't get to see very often, but when i do, she is a joy to be around. She was here a couple of weekends ago and It was fun to just indulge in her good humor and be around her adorableness. She is also a wonderful mother with 5 kids to run all over the place.

-She's a terrific runner and I wish I could do what she does. She's way fit.

- Last but not least, my sister-in-law, Natalie is a treat. Literally, every time she's here, she's making treats. Last time we made mango and raspberry ice cream, and I always have fun hanging out with her and Mr. Tate when she comes around.

-She has a good sense of humor too and great fashion sense. She's one of the cutest pregnant ladies I've seen, and we love it when she visits.

- I'm grateful for the job I have that I work from 8-5. What would I do with all that spare time? I would go out of my mind bored at home, and the money isn't bad either. I get to do things I otherwise would not be able to do if I didn't have this job. Like spending so much money on our amazing trip to Brazil in December.

- I am so grateful for the beautiful home I have the privilege to live in. Little by little that house is turning into our home, and all the hard work we've put into it has been so worth it. Its nice to have a place to entertain and to just call "home".

- I love the little interactions I have with people on a daily basis, and how much you can learn from a mere stranger.

- The trials that make us stronger.

- This rain, that makes me appreciate the sunshine.

- And mostly I am so grateful for the gospel in my life. I cannot even begin to imagine what I'd be doing with my life right now if I didn't have such a strong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

- I am truly grateful for the knowledge I have that I will be with my husband and future children for all eternity, and that we will never be alone.

- I am grateful for the small miracles I witness everyday, and the reassurance that my Heavenly Father knows me personally, my needs, and my imperfections.

- His hand in everything we do and all the blessings we receive.

- I am grateful for the life I live, and everyday I have to make an impact on the world. I hope I can be a better example to those I meet.

Well, I definitely feel better. I guess life isn't so bad. I am pretty blessed, so snap out of it Jess! Sorry for all the whining and drama anyone has ever had to put up from me, I will try harder to be an optimist and appreciate all the blessings I have been given.

Love you All!

A Bunionectomy = Vacation?

2009-05-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

The Yes and No feet. They had me write which foot was getting work done so they didn't do the wrong one!

So If you think I've just been laying around these whole four days after a bunionectomy, you are probably right. I have been. But here are some shots of my grand old time in the Premier Research housing for healing patients. haha. and torture.

I've been pretty bored, so I've watched every season finale on tv, which have been many. The first one was the Dancing with the stars semi-finals. Where Ty and Chealsea got kicked off, leaving my 3 favorites for the finals, Shawn Johnson, Melissa

(from the bachelor), and the very very very sexy Gilles.
24 was also amazing and very intense as always.

Then tuesday brought the 3 hour season finale of The Biggest Loser, and guess what? i totally called it. Helen won and I knew she'd win. She looked so skinny!!! It was amazing season, everyone should go checkout the before and afters. AMAZING!!! Jerry, the oldest contenstant won the at home proze of $100,000 dollars because he lost 45% of his original body weight and he's 74! He was only on campus for 2 weeks,and the first day he passed out in the gym. What an inspirational story.

Then weddnesday brought the best Finale's of the seasons. America's Next Top Model and LOST! Wow, both very amazing. ANTM was in my hometown of sao paulo, brazil with a fantastic runway show an photoshoots. Teyona won, and I was a little disappointed since Alison kind of grew on me, but they were both beautiful. I can't even begin to explain LOST, because that's what I was, LOST. It was crazy and intense as always, and with the drugs I was on, it was even crazier. HA!

Today is the office finale, which i'm stoked for, then parks and recreation! Since I couldn't walk for 36 hours after surgery, I stayed busy with my tv shows, but i also kep busy eating yummy food from Kneaders Bakery and any snack you could ask for.

Anyway, I can't say its all been gumdrops and roses, a bunionectomy is pretty painful. but I have lots to look forward to going home to such great friends and family who have been supporting me all along! Love you guys!!!

School's out for SuMMeR!!!

2009-05-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

Tiny House Living Room - Hand Rendering

Tiny House Bedroom - Hand Rendering

Tiny House Kitchen - Max Rendering

Tiny House Exterior - Max Rendering

So School's out, which is amazing! here are some projects I turned in towards the end of the semester!

This is an animation we did of our tiny house. It's not great considering we learned how to use the program in one class period. But its about 30 seconds and took 36 hours to render!!!

So As I don't think I've mentioned before, I got into the Interior Design Studio at Utah State. I was so proud of myself, considering I didn't think I would make it. They only took 19 students, if not less. Anyway, I'm just taking in all the summer I can since next year will be really hard and super busy, but bring it on!

SPRING TIME

2009-05-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Spring feel like it has finally come to Logan! After a couple of weeks of heavy rain it was time for housework, yard work, lawn care, BBQ's, demolition derbies, and rock climbing.

I love spending time outside so first thing on my list was a patio, sprinklers, and grass. With the help of Devin and a huge help from my hard-working wife the patio and fire pit turned out pretty sweet. Anyone is welcome to come and roast a mallow when you see the fire going.

Jessica also persuaded me to make shutters on our front window. I had to take down the mailbox and we found a big hole for the original mailbox slot that lead into the home. So Jess and I made a new address sign to place over the hole and our mailbox is sitting on the front step and the mail man hates it. We received a note yesterday from the mailman that read, "please fix mailbox!" its still on the step.

Bella is huge and a hand full. The potty training is good, we just have to run as fast as we can when we hear her wiper at the door to go out or else its too late. Between the nipping, chewing shoes, or chewing on Jessica's wedding ring its been fun to have her around.

It's Mothers day and I just wanted to give a little tribute to Marilyn and Ieda.

Thanks for the love and support Jessica and I have received from you two. We couldn't do it without you two! I know I have been a hand full with both of you, I figure that Marilyn had it coming, but Ieda didn't deserve it from me, just Jessica.

It is funny to see how much children are alike to their parents even though sometimes we try or don't want to be. It is something that we may never get rid of. I always see little pieces of Ieda in Jessica and Jessica always sees little bits of Marilyn in me. Like when I over decorate the Lemonade.

We love you and hope you realize that we have the best Mother & Mother in-laws ever! Thanks for showing love to Bella we will need a babysitter in December when we are in Brazil!

Where has the time gone?

2009-04-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

So, where to start? Life has been quite frantic these last couple of months. First things first, we went on spring break to st. george and had a really great time! My parents met us there at the end of the weekend, and we spent a whole day in Vegas with Becca, Kelcey, and our sweet little Gabby!

Coming home was not a pleasant time, considering school was kicking our butts, but....mike surprised me with a little something. A PUPPY!!!! She's freaking adorable...but.....she's a LOT of work! wow! I never thought potty training, feeding, grooming, playing, and keeping her out of every nook and cranny would be SO exhausting! But it is all worth it, especially when she gives you those "big puppies dog eye" looks, and completely melts your heart. It sucks, she gets away with just about everything.

Next big event...are you ready? Drum roll please...................I got into the Interior Design Studio at Utah State! I was very shocked, but at the same time so excited! I had never worked so hard for something in my life, and it finally paid off. So here goes to another 2 years of H E double hockey sticks! I really felt like I was opening a mission call opening that darn letter.

Anyway, I was way happy, but life had to continue, so I jumped right back into more projects and finals. Grrr. But the light at the end of the tunnel is near and I can almost hear my homeland calling! That's right....Mike and I are planning a big trip to Brazil! I can't wait for this summer. We will finally be able to enjoy this summer together, without pre-wedding stresses and what-not!

Easter came and went. Can't say Easter Day was spectacular, since...I had the 24 hour flu. Let's just say it wasn't pleasant. Of course, everyone suspected otherwise of my sickness, but people really.. I'm NOT PREGNANT! Are you kidding me? I am barely surviving with a puppy, imagine a BABY!!! Getting back to Easter, we went to my parents house where we threw a second 1 year birthday for Gabby. It was so much fun! she looked like a princess. My mom went through all of the extravagances of throwing the best 1st birthday ever, and it was amazing!

In general, here we are; surviving and loving every step of the way! Thanks for all of your support through this first part of our new lives together!

V-day Recipes

2009-02-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

Well I must confess I (Mike) am a pretty good cook. I must get that from my mom or maybe even my dad, my dad is famous for his pot roast and pancakes. Jess and I have been trying out lots of new recipes, here they are if your interested.

Mexican Ceviche

2 pounds shrimp

1/2 pound white fish

1 lemon

3 limes

1 diced tomato

1/2 white onion

1/2 green sweet pepper

1/2 jalapeno

1/2 chopped cilantro

serve in bowl, eat with tortilla chips

Meat Marinade

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

2 tbsp. water

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 1/2 sesame oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. fresh ginger

1/4 tsp. pepper

Meat Dipping sauces

Herb sauce

1 cup butter or margarine

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 fine herbs blend

dash hot pepper sauce

Barbecue dipping sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp onion

1 garlic clove

2 cups chili sauce

1 teaspoon dried mustard

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp water

red pepper flakes

Tarter Sauce

1/4 cup mayo

2 tbsp chopped green onions

2 tbsp drained sweet pickle relish

1 tbsp fresh parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp fresh tarragon

Valentine's Day!!!

2009-02-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

So valentines's day was fantastic! Mike had to wake up early and work, but as soon as he got back we had a yummy breakfast together. Me, being the wonderful wife that I am, allowed him to go play basketball with his friends while I worked on a little bit of homework, which I have tons of this weekend.

We basically had 2 days of valentine's, since the night before I couldn't wait to give Mike his new Rayban sunglasses, and he took me shopping. We also tended our renters baby so they could go out on friday, since they couldn't on valentine's. Let's just say I am not very patient and not very motherly, but somehow we got this baby who cries quite often to fall asleep almost 15 minutes in tending her. It was great.

Anyway, back to V-Day, Mike and I spent the whole day together and it was wonderful. We got all dressed up and pulled out all the fun dishes we got for our wedding and have not had an opportunity to use. We decided to be adventures and try a meat and shrimp fondue. It was a lot of fun. We looked up recipes for a yummy marinade for the meet, and made some fun dipping sauces. We also made that yummy fruit salad that Marilyn makes that I was totally craving. Good food=Love! It was a lot of fun using our little fondue set and it was also delicious!

Here are some pictures...

Just trying out this cool feature on my laptop!

2009-01-21T11:35:00.001-08:00

not a real blog. sorry. I just figured out this feature on my laptop that allows me to write blogs directly from my desktop without having to go online and logging in! its so great.

ha...my logo

2009-01-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you get so bored in class!!

So the inevitable happened. School started again :(

Mike and I are back into school and going at it full force this semester. He is taking 15 credits and basically goes to school all day on tuesday and thursdays starting at 7 AM!!!! yikes.....

I, luckily, don't start till 10:30 everyday, which is great, cause I need my beauty sleep. With school comes homework, stress, projects and boredom, all things that i will try to work on this year. I will keep myself entertained with whatever i can, i will try to stay on top if assignments and not get behind, and I will try to wake up every morning on the right side of the bed with a positive attitude.

Wish us luck!

2009-01-03T09:59:00.001-08:00

So 2008 is gone and here we are, in a new year and ready for a new beginning. As the new year ended mike and I were part of many events. On december 20th our good friends Ryan Jones and Megan Haslam were married in the Logan temple and we were able to attend their beautiful ceremony and be part of their special day.

Then of course, christmas came and we had the opportunity of going to salt lake and spending a couple of days with my crazy, loud, but very fun brazilian family. We ate way too much and sang kareoke. It was good to see everyone together, and we had a great time.

On December 27th, Travis Dunaway and Kate Earl got married in the Timpanogos temple, and we were very happy to be a part of their day also. Kate looked stunning and the reception was beautiful. They had a fun photobooth and we were able to get all the friends together for some really great pictures. (which i can't post cause my scanner is currently not working.)

The next great event was Amy's wedding/New Years Eve. Amy Watts Knudsen (as we now call her) decided at the spur of the moment to get married on new years eve. At first we were all shocked, but rapidly rearranged our schedules and did our best to make this day very special for her. It all went very well and after quite a bit of effort from Andi and Marilyn, then wedding came together like a dream. It was beautiful. Her ceremony was an emotional one, especially for mike. The reception was so much fun and we almost danced up until the ball dropped. unfortunately, we were all too exhausted to wait for the real count down, so we did one 15 minutes early, and started cleaning up.

The night was still young when we left, and as mike and i were on our way home, the clock struck 12! We drove the streets honking the horn and shouting "Happy new Year!" It was great to contemplate on the very eventful year it had been for the both us.

Since 2008 started we became closer as a couple, went on a beautiful spring break trip to havasupai falls, where we got engaged, finished 2 semesters of school, planned a wedding, bought a house, remodeled the basement, got renters, enjoyed a hot and very long summer, got married in the most beautiful place (the salt lake temple), had a beautiful reception with all the ones we love, went on an amazing honeymoon to MAUI, moved in to our new little home, started and finised a very hard semester of school for the both of us, and now you are all caught up! It truly was a very eventful and amazing year!

So getting back to the story, we arrived home where we enjoyed a great new years kiss, got into our sweats and headed over to my in-laws house for a late night game of "Ticket to Ride" with leslie, nolan, and nat! We played till wee hours of the night, and had a hard time waking up the next morning. New Years day was a slow, but relaxing day. We hung around and made some good New Years resolutions. Here are some ( maybe you could help me keep them):

- Teach Mike portuguese: we have started this by putting a sticky note on every item in our house with the items name in portuguese, then the english translation.

- Plan our trip to Brazil - we want to go visit my family either in the summer, or during christmas break!

-Go to Brazil - maybe bring whoever wants to join us

- Be more active - this last year i have been pretty disappointed in myself, I have become quite lazy, and the spot on the couch where i usually sit with my laptop is starting to wear. I need to be more active (unlike right now) and make an effort on a daily basis to exercise

- Learn to cook- I feel like a terrible wife, because i'm not a very good cook. My poor husband comes from a family with amazing cooks, and i feel he is getting skinnier because of my lack of cooking skill!

-Keep my house clean - I usually do a pretty good job, but lately i've been slacking. I need to be on top of the daily house chores and not leaving them till saturday like i have been.

- Be more patient - I feel like with time I have become more snappy and sassy with people. My goal is to be more patient and understanding witht he ones I love.

- Be on time - I blame my tardiness on my brazilian blood, but I do admit that I have to do a better job of being on time to things because mike is very punctual and he gets very upset when we're late. I also can't procrastinate homework.

So there are juts a few. Here are some pictures of these events!

Football Game Sushi Time

Dancing Painting

Seven Peaks Bridals

Temple August 16th, 2008 Maui Honeymoon

My 20th Birthday Family Pictures/ Thanksgiving

Roosters before BYU vs. USU game USU vs. BYU at the Energy Solutions Arena

Christmas!!!!!

Lots of snow!!!! Watts Family Dinner

Watts Family Plaque Photo Natalie wasn't even drinking....haha

Dave and Marilyn have the moves! The sisters breaking it down

impressing that she was completely sober but singing...........

It's been a while

2008-11-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

So it has definitely been a long time since I have updated this thing, but as you may not know, life is getting harder and harder as I get into my program. The workload is outrageous, and deadlines come so fast! Mike is also very very busy. Between the both of us having school, and him working, we don't ever get to spend much time together, which is definitely frustrating sometimes.

But there are good things happening in our lives. One we just got back from a very relaxing, but short, weekend in st. george with Nikki and Devin. we had a great time going to thriller, laying out by the pool, and watching the boys do what they do best, NCAA 2008! It was nice to get out of this logan cold, and have a break from homework (even though we all brought it), and life in general.

In this time period, Mike turned 24 on October 13th! It was a week of celebration which started with Natalie coming into town and Marilyn and Dave taking us out to Hamilton's for a birthday dinner on thursday. The next day we had a little family party with the sister, (we missed you Amy) where it was so fun to just hang out and have all the kids run around. Natalie made a delicious cake, which I'm craving, and we Andi helped me a nutrition test, which saved my butt.

The next day was saturday and he thought we were going to be doing something, just the two of us. Devin and I had been planning a little surprise party with all the friends at cafe sabor, secretly. We arrived to cafe sabor, and he was very surprised to see everyone there. It was a great time!

Here are some pictures!

Wedding and Honeymoon

2008-09-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile since we actually posted anything on our blog. We have been busy. We had a beautiful wedding at the Salt Lake Temple and at the Rice-Eccles stadium. We loved seeing everyone there and we are so thankful for everyones support! We are especially thankful for the help from Andi, she did an amazing job! We owe you Andi. The reception was fantastic and it was a great time seeing everyone dancing and having fun.

Hawaii was a blast it was great to relax after a long hard-working summer. I just wish we could have stayed longer instead of coming home and heading right to school. The resort was spectacular, the food was great, and the beach was well needed. There were lots of highlights I would like to share but the best of course were the.... sea turtles!

Updating info!

2008-07-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

We got a little carried away!

Gabby's Baby Blessing

So it really has been way too long since I have had a minute to update this! Sorry, but life's been pretty hectic with wedding planning. Luckily, we're in the final stretch of things and almost everything is finished. Our house looks great! Mike has been working like a dog to finish our basement so our renters can move downstairs, and we can move in. He really has learned alot and i'm so proud of him.

I've been working at Rodizio, and just this last week was able to work as a nanny for 3 kids (2 year old - Ella, 9 year old - Lucy, and 11 year old - Gabe). All i can say is that I'm not quite ready to be a full-time mommy just yet. I was there all week while they're parents were out of town, and I about went crazy!

We also have had 3 wedding showers! We have been truly blessed with some many presents and things we need, and are so lucky to have such great friends and family!

Most of the pictures are from the 4th of July. We went to Yuba Lake with my family and some friends and as you can tell, we had a really great time. It's always nice to spend a couple of days together, since we are STILL doing the long distance thing.

All in all, it has been a really busy last couple of months, and not exactly the easiest, but hopefully, in the long run, the most rewarding! We have had time to learn much about each other and our families. We also have been able to develop a greater patience and understading for each other.

2008-06-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

2008-06-03T23:23:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun doing our engagement pictures with Lindsay. She was great! mike hasn't ever gotten that many kisses in one day, so he was happy! Wedding plans are going good, and everyday we get more and more anxious! The house is well on its way, we have renters in it already, and mike has demolished the basement! good way to get out his frustrations. Other than that, we're just hanging on, driving back and forth between salt lake and logan to see each other at least once a week. With the way gas prices are right now, it really has been difficult, but i hear that distance makes the heart grow fonder.

Roomate Pictures!

2008-04-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

So the roommates and I decided that for our final hoorah we would go and get some pictures taken for memories of our freshmen year. We have had an amazing year, and I have learned a lot from these girls.

My roommates include: Ashley Erekson, Gretchen Rinehart, Sarah Fennemore, Amanda Young, and Candace Brady.

Home Sweet Home!

2008-04-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

So now that wedding plans were well on their way, there was just one thing left on our minds.....and I'm not talking about our honeymoon ;) We, well...I, was stressing about where we were going to live after we were married, Mike didn't seem to concerned (he always has things under control).
A couple of days ago, while talking over dinner with Dave, (mike's dad) he made a comment about how Amy (mike's sister) was selling her home in Logan, since she had just recently moved to Salt Lake City. That definitely sparked my interest. We knew we would never be able to afford it, but when you really want something, there's always a way.
So with a little help from Mike's parents and his amazing credit, we are buying our first home! Woohoo! I can't wait. But I guess that means a house comes with all of the responsibilities. I better start learning how to cook!