Salvaged Title = Death.

Great news! We found a new car that we love! And when I say new car, naturally I mean a "new used car," but we love it nonetheless. Turns out my cute old junker isn't worth much more than a dime, so some peeps are coming to haul it off for us tomorrow. I'm a little sad about it. I'd really like to be able to say "now take good care of it for me..." or I hope you enjoy it as much as I did" in good faith that they will, but that would be lies considering it'll be on it's way to the salvage yard to be ripped apart for scrap metal and used parts. Tear.

Has anyone else been excited enough about a new car that within the first few hours of owning it you've been found washing it, vacuuming and detailing the interior, or just sitting in it with the music up loud, AC blowing cold, basking in all of it's greatness just because you can? Pretty sure I was..., which is slightly embarassing, especially after the husband came looking for me wondering what the heck I had been doing for hours parked in the garage,...but then I remind myself that 2 weeks ago I was driving to work with my high beams on (insert angry drivers, and headlights and fingers being flashed my way...., here) because my headlights would occasionally decide not to work or the fact that I haven't enjoyed AC in my vehicle for over 2 summers now, or that my new car actually has a lumbar support! What a concept! Or the best yet, that my old car was named as a fire hazard because of the seriously compromised fuse box and open electrical wiring. (Don't worry, that was the last day I drove that car...) And then I feel a titch less lame and entirely grateful to be able to have a "new used car"....

Although almost anything would be considered an upgrade from my past vehicle, this newish vehicle is loved and very much appreciated! :)

Disclaimer: The safety and reliability of purchasing a vehicle with a Salvaged or Branded Title cannot be guaranteed. Period. Don't do it people....no matter how much you love it or how great of a deal it appears you will be getting.

In case you were wondering, my cute little blue car, which looked and drove perfectly when we bought it about 4 years ago had a salvaged title.

It is safe to say our "new used car" most definetly has a clean title. Will we be purchasing clean titles from here on out until we die?....You betcha! :)

Happy Friday!

We're a bunch of Sickies at our house...

June was such a busy month for us. Jarom and I had a family reunion up Logan Canyon which made for our first camping trip of the year. We had a great time. We celebrated the baby blessing of one of our nephews and went to the zoo with Jarom's family, which we had been wanting to do for awhile now. Jarom finished up his crazy first half of summer semester, and began his second half of summer semester without as much as a weekend for a break. My cute little blue car finally decided to call it quits. Even with all the trouble it's given me lately, I'm so sad to see it go. I loved that car. My cute Mom won us some free tickets to the Wendover Air Show, which we couldn't pass up. It was an incredibly warm day, but Jarom and I both loved it and we had a fun little road trip :)

Since then, we've been searching for a new car, and trying to get over this sickness the husband and I managed to get. We didn't have much of a 4th of July. The both of us have been laid up on the couch or in bed for most of the weekend trying to take care of each other. We did manage to play a few games and watch some fireworks with our family, so we weren't entirely lame, and we had a BBQ and hung out with some friends prior to us being sick. As for now, I'm pretty sure our apartment is infested with a significant amount of germs. I haven't been able to convince myself to get up and get things cleaned up, but for now I'm over it, considering I can't even walk up the stairs without wearing myself out entirely, so instead we've resorted to having a Pirates of the Carribean movie marathon while eating chocolate creamies. I've decided I'm not very good at being sick and would make a terrible patient....poor Jarom. I think he's probably growing tired of my inability to decided if I'm cold or hot and my nasty cough that has been keeping him up all night.

Assuming this sickness will eventually go away (after letting it run it's course, and having taken a whole bottle of Vitamin C tablets), we're hoping tomorrow will be the last day I'll have to worry about sharing the truck with the husband, which is a stick shift mind you...

Here's to hoping for a better week than the week has been so far....

Cheers!

Easter, etc....

For easter Jarom and I went down to Hurricane to celebrate with family and to also celebrate our niece Cailin's baptism. These are my girls in their adorable easter dresses....

Jarom and I bought the kids some kites and took them out one day. This was my favorite, our nephew Asher refused to fly his kite more than 2-3 feet away from him. It was hillarious...Jarom tried to show him that the kite wouldn't fly him away by flying his kite really high, but Asher wouldn't have any of it. In Asher's defense, it was super windy ;)

Jarom and Roxie Jo


Jarom's Mom plans a big easter egg hunt for the kids and family every year, this year Jarom spoiled me too. Between the both of them, we had candy coming out of our ears. He hid the biggest easter eggs known to man for me to find. They were filled with wonderful things :) I was totally surprised and was in love with my ginormous pink eggs. I just love my husband.

Nothing really new...Jarom started up his Summer semester at UVU just after a 10 day break from Spring semester. He's taking 20 credits this semester. I'm totally proud of him, I don't think I ever took more than 16 credits at a time and that was pushing it...and I was one of those wierd people that LIKED school. As for Jarom, I could think of at least a million things he likes more than an organized, established learning environment school and homework...

I had a fabulous Birthday. After planning our entire getaway to Vegas for our Anniversary, Jarom spoiled me for my Birthday and took me on a little shopping spree. (April was a great month for me) :) We celebrated my Birthday with Jarom's family while we were down for Easter weekend, and then went out to dinner to Olive Garden with my family when we got home. 23...I'm getting so old. Thanks for all of the birthday wishes!

Jarom and I have been teaching the 12 year old Sunday School class at church. It has been really fun to have this calling together. I've really enjoyed watching Jarom with the kids. He's a great teacher and is so good to fill in when I have to work Sunday's.

This Summer Jarom and I are planning a trip to Indio California with Jarom's family for a week...we're looking forward to another vacation and some sunshine, especially after all of this never-ending rain.

And to sum it up, my husband still rocks :) Last night when I got home from work, Jarom had a picnic blanket thrown out on the lawn for dinner with pillows, and games....I love coming home to him. Marriage is the greatest... :)


Cheers!

Vegas...!!

Just wanted to post a few pictures of Jar and I from our 1 year anniversary....we kept our cake, and were brave enough to give it a try. It actually tasted really good. I was impressed. It was kind of fun to see it again. I loved my wedding cake. It was perfect...

Jarom planned a sweet little getaway to Vegas for us, activites and all. I just love him a lot...I think he's pretty fabulous.

Jarom and I ate at The Hard Rock Cafe. Our waitress name was "BIG Deb". I can't believe I didn't get a picture with her (so insert one here), but she was a big, loud, tough looking woman. I'm pretty sure I would be afraid of her if she wouldn't have been so nice, and I'm pretty sure she could have kicked mine, and Jarom's butts for that matter. (Sorry hunny). Anyway, Big Deb made it a point to make sure everyone in the restaurant knew it was our 1 year anniversary and brought us out some candles and everything. It was totally fun. We even managed to get a picture with our friends KISS out front. Ignore our scary eyes in that picture...

A picture of "Jarom and Marisa in the house" - according to Big Deb :)

Jarom took me to V the Ultimate Variety show at Planet Hollywood. We loved it. Saw some crazy stuff...but I'm still stuck on the magician guy. He pulled like 7 birds out of nowhere in less than 2 minutes. 1 was a full grown parrot! I have no idea how or where he was hiding them. I even tried so close to watch his every move. I only lost sleep over it for 2 nights...it's fine. (Sorry again for the scary eyes. One of these days maybe we'll invest in a super nice camera) We also got some free tickets to an Australian version (not what your thinking) of whose line is it anyways comedy show.

We stayed at The Stratosphere. They overbooked our room so we were upgraded which was a nice surprise. We also got to go up in the tower for free, which was awesome. Neither of us had been up there before. It was definitely a different way to see Vegas at night.

This is pretty much how the gambling aspect of the trip went...I really wanted to gamble, because lets be honest who doesn't go to Vegas and slip in a few quarters at least once in their life. I've never done it before, and I just wanted to for fun, but Jarom being the good husband that he is wasn't having it. So then once he found out that I wasn't joking and that I really did want to gamble he felt bad and at least took a picture. (Please ignore the blue out of service screen)...pretty pathetic. I think so, but I'm happy I married me a good man. Thanks for ruining my dreams and sucking the fun out of my first gambling experience making me want to be a better woman, and for literally being my better half. Don't worry, I have since realized he's right and have gotten over it. ;)

I surprised Jar by taking him to the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. We saw a lot of really cool stuff. I had my first encounter with Jelly Fish and an Octopus, we played with Sting Rays, and saw some sweet Sharks (naturally).

We ended our trip by going to the Las Vegas Temple. Neither of us had been there and it was a great way to celebrate and remember the covenants we made with each other and with our Heavenly Father over a year ago. I'm so grateful for the Temple and for the knowledge I have that families can be together forever.

Orchid...

Today, I bought an Orchid, (happy 1 year anniversary to me!) and I'm as pleasant as a peach about it. :) I have been looking for a fake one to put in my front room, because I just love them and think they are totally beautiful, but they all looked so too fake. But today, when I was at costco I found a real one, and it is pretty much perfect. I was reading on the tag that you only have to water it every 25 DAYS! And now I'm even more pleased! It's pretty much the perfect flower. I think I can handle every 25 days. Now if I can just keep it alive.... Also, Jarom and I teach the 12 year old Sunday school class, but really jarom teaches it because I work every other weekend and on the weekends I've been off we've been out of town, so tomorrow is my first time teaching and I'm slightly nervous. Jarom does such a great job. He is so good with the kids, and they all love him. I can't even bring treats because it's fast sunday. I hope it goes,....well. :) I'll keep you posted. Happy Sunday everyone...

We're Home!

Jarom and I just got back from a family vacation with my family in Cabo. I needed a break, especially from this cold wet, snowy weather. The weather in Cabo was perfect. 70's-80's and sunny everyday. We had a great time, but we are excited to be back home. I can't remember the last time I was this excited to sleep in my own bed! Almost a year ago, Jarom and I went to Cabo for our Honeymoon (I mention this partially because well lets be honest our anniversary is on my mind, and I never get sick of this place). I love the people, the culture, the weather, the ocean views, and the food is amazing. This year we decided we wanted to drive up the coast to Costa Azul to try out one of the most popular body boarding and surfing locations for the locals. So we crammed all six of us into our tiny rental car to try it out. Long story short...everyone loved it. Even Jacie and I went out there time after time to hit the waves. My mom even gave it a go. The boys were a little more brave (but ended up with a bunch of salt water up there nose when they got tossed around and taken out by the bigger waves further out). Some of the waves were huge! We also went snorkeling at Santa Maria Beach and around Pelican Rock. Josh was able to barter with the locals to get us a great deal on some waverunners, so we took those out one day. And of coarse we hit up the local market for some shopping. We've been there enough that we either already have it or it's just junk...so we didn't really buy much this year. (sorry family) Just our usual vanilla. (I'm trying this new thing where I'm more frugal. I want to be able to save more and be more financially sound. And lets be honest, I don't know much about investing or retirement. I must say Suzy Orman has inspired me. I haven't read her latest book, but I want it. hint hint to the husband) Anyway, we stopped at Walmart one day and found a plastic bat with some balls and we took them out and played a game of baseball on the beach. It was seriously my favorite part of the trip. Just a couple pictures to share...

Sunday Jarom and I will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary! I can't wait to pull out our wedding cake and be all traditional and whatnot. Jarom surprised me with a trip to Vegas and he has some fun things planned. We leave Wednesday. I'm so excited! Road trip :)

I can't even believe it's been a year. Marriage is so fabulous, but I'm not going to sit here and pretend that it's been perfect...in fact I went into marriage with the famous saying that "The first year of marriage is the hardest" in the forefront of my mind...but it seemed everyone I talked to denied that statement all together saying it had been a breeze which left me feeling like I had failed to some extent...but the reality of it is, which I can look back and understand now, is that we haven't failed at all, but have infact gained much more than we otherwise would have. Jarom and I have had our fair share of challenges, trials, and disappointments, but we've always been by each others side and supported one another, even while we were dating.

I'm apologizing in advance for the tangent I'm about to go on, but let me just explain that I only asked for 8 days off for this vacation...and I got 12. Today was supposed to be my first day back...and I got put on call. So we are going on 13 days here people! I have had way to much time on my hands, and too much time to think. I'm not complaining or anything, and I love PTO, but sometimes it's just nice to come home and get back to life you know? Anyway...

I thought I knew what a perfect marriage was, because I saw a great example of it everday, until one day it was gone...just like that. I have since learned that marriage isn't about being perfect. It's about making mistakes and forgiving one another, because that's how we learn and ultimately how we grow. It requires sacrafice, hard work, effort, and more importantly marriage is a choice and a committment you have to make everyday.

Is it possible to have a "marriage that is too perfect?" I think so. In my mind, perfect marriages are dangerous. In a perfect marriage, there is little room for growth and improvement and it is easy to become comfortable. You are probably thinking who am I to say...I have only been married for a year. Don't get me wrong, I know I still have so much to learn, but I have also learned a lot. And isn't that what trials are for...to help us learn, and grow, and become better people? So, for me, I'll leave a perfect marriage for the next life, avoid taking the things that matter most for granit, and continue striving for a marriage that is even better today than it was yesterday...

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a little hopeless romantic. Occasionally I'll make Jarom sit down and watch a good chick flick with me...and I love quotes. So here's one for you:

"You only have three choices when it comes to love; give up, give in, or give it your all. You decide which one's worth it..."

Happy Honeymoon Anniversary Jar! ;)

Blonde moment...

Today....I flooded my kitchen. I know, awesome. Not feeling so bright at the moment. Who floods their own kitchen. How embarassing right? I am the biggest multi-tasker. If I'm not doing 5 things at once, I go stir crazy. It drives Jarom nuts....

This afternoon I thought I would be productive and get an early start on dinner so I threw some frozen meat into the sink to thaw, put the plug in the drain, flipped on the water and walked away! (Real smart Marisa) Walked back a few minutes (too long) later to find water pouring over the sink, and all over the floor. I screamed Jarom's name, grabbed every single towel in the linen cabinent that we own (after turning the water off of course) while Jarom grabbed our worthless piece of work mop, and then we laughed...alot. About an hour later we had it all cleaned up.

That's what I get for being too inpatient to stand and wait for the sink to fill for a whole 2 minutes. What can I say...it's a really big sink!? :)

On a happier note...we leave for cabo a week from today, which is probably a great thing. I could use a vacation and some warm weather. Lately nothing I say comes out right. I've been saying the most unusual things, flooding my kitchen, having the strangest of dreams, and sleeping terribly. (Quick sidenote: can I just say that Jarom can fall asleep in 25 seconds flat. Literally 7-8 deep breaths and he's gone, with the occasional snore and all. How abnoxious...)

I love April. For the past 21 years of my life, my birthday has always fallen right in the middle of finals week, but not anymore! So instead of being my crazy stressed out self over final exams and grades, I'll be crazy and stressed out about turning 23. (I still find myself doing the math in my head to make sure that's really right, because the thought of me turning 23 seems crazy)

I also am really excited and looking forward to celebrating my 1 year Anniversay with my hunny. (I love you Jar). I can't believe it's already been a year! Our upcoming anniversay has come up a few times in conversations over the past few weeks and everytime, Jarom will accidentally call it our "honeymoon" instead of our anniversary. It makes me laugh. My husband... :) I love him.

Anyway, that's all I have for now. Don't judge people.

Happy Monday!