12 Days of Christmas

I have never done the 12 days of Christmas to someone and I have never received the 12 days of Christmas from someone. However, this year, my lovely older sister surprised me 12 packages through the mail. I rarely get mail in Killeen because most everything is sent to Houston, so this was especially exciting. I got a package everyday (minus the ones that were a little delayed). On the first day I received a sisterly love book with lots of quotes. On the second day I got 2 pairs of socks. On the third day I got three chocolate santas. On the forth day I got a door decoration with four bells. On the fifth day I got 5 candy bars. On the sixth day I got potpourri. On the seventh day I got a spa treatment package. On the eighth day I got candy covered popcorn. On the ninth day I got pajamas. On the tenth day I got another spa treatment package. On the eleventh day I received letters about the meaning of Christmas and homemade toffe. And on the twelth day I got homemade pretzels dipped in white chocolate. (Kim, I probably mixed up some of the last couple days) It was so much fun!

And thats not all. On the 25th, I got a giant clock that says Families Are Forever and a cute picture fram with the texas star that also says Families Are Forever (which goes perfectly with my patriotic bathroom!) I love them Kim! Thanks for being such a great sister! I love you.

What Have You Done?

I saw this on someone elses blog and I thought it was pretty cute. It's easy to do and kinda fun. You're suppose to highlight what you've done in life. I went a step farther and italized the things I would like to do in my lifetime and added one to the bottom of the list. Everyone should do this, I think it will be fun and interesting to see what everyone has done or would like to do.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument
102. Bottle fed a calf
103. Attended the Calgary Stampede
104. Had a pet rat

3 Year Anniversary

It has been 3 years since our wonderful wedding day, December 21, 2005. Time sure flies fast. We got married at a very busy time of the year and most of the time it is hard to actually celebrate our anniversary on the right day, especially when it falls on a Sunday (which it so happened to this year).

Each day, I grow more and more in love with my handsome, eternal companion. He is my best friend. It is hard living apart and I wish so badly to be with him every day. I do know that we will be together soon, forever in fact. I just wish these 3 1/2 years would fly by faster sometimes. But like President Monson said in the October 2008 General Conference, we need to "find joy in the journey—now." http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=92764bb52a73d110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1

So, I will continue learning and growing through this experience, and not take for granted the time I get to spend with my companion. I love you dearly Bryan! Happy Anniversary!

We celebrated our 3 year anniversary at the Melting Pot. We decided to go all out and do the 4 course meal; expensive, but well worth it. The food was fantastic!

Sorry!

So I have been pretty bad at updating my blog for family and friends. Life has just been crazy and I have made it a goal to keep you informed this year 2009. So here is a whole lot of pictures that cover about 2-3 months worth of stuff. Enjoy! I will be posting more stuff, but I have to run to work, so stay tuned!

Our House Progress

So over these past 4 months, we have been working really hard to finish the kitchen portion of our house. The progress has been kindof slow because I don't live there all the time and Bryan is studying hard in school. But over the holiday we got a lot accomplished. The first two pictures are the archway with just the sheetrock. The hardest part for Bryan was moving the water pipes and creating the arch. I think he did a fantastic job!














This next shot it Bryan mudding the sheetrock and getting it ready to be textured. I am so glad I have such a handy man!













This picture shows the texture, but you can't see it that well.














This is the finished archway with the kitchen and walls painted. The kitchen is a sage green and the dining/living area is a tan.
















Here is our tiled floor. Bryan completed this earlier this year. Thanks Ryan for helping Bryan with this project!













We are cleaning the floor and getting ready to put the cabinets in. I was unable to help with putting all the cabinets in because I had to leave for Killeen to go to work. But I will for sure put pictures of the finished project. We still have to fix the ceiling and put in recessed lighting. It was been a lot of fun doing home improvements. I think next time, we'll buy a really old victorian style home and have fun with the architecture!

Bryan's Hair

Bryan and I brought in the New Year by cutting all of Bryan's hair off. Since Bryan commissioned into the U.S Army in December 2007, he has refused to cut his hair. One whole year! I really enjoyed the new Bryan look. He wanted it cut because it was too much work. He had to comb and shampoo and gel his hair every day. With it being short, it much more simple. I love him either way!

Christmas Letter

For those of whom didn't receive our 2008 Christmas letter. Enjoy!I really wanted to be grown up this year and write a Christmas letter to all my family and friends. It just seems like the adult thing to do when you graduate from college, move away, or start a new phase in life. We did all three! Plus, I love receiving Christmas letters from others! (Hint, hint)
Bryan and I graduated from Brigham Young University with our Bachelors of Science in Biology and Nursing December 21, 2007. We also commissioned into the United States Army, which also happened to be our 2nd Anniversary. For our graduation present we spent a magical week at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida with Bryan’s parents. We enjoyed some time at Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Daytona Beach. The weather was absolutely perfect; so, we spent quite a bit of time at the resort’s pool, which had one of the longest lazy rivers I’ve ever been in.
I passed my Nursing Boards on March 7th and received a phone call 2 days later from the Army giving me orders to be in San Antonio, Texas in two weeks! Yikes! Our families were a wonderful help in packing our household goods on a trailer Bryan randomly purchased. The 3 day drive to San Antonio made me physically sick as I watched Bryan’s small truck pull a trailer twice its size and rock back and forth down hills or with the wind. Thank goodness we made it there safely! While I completed my 2 month Officer’s Basic Leadership Course (OBLC) training in San Antonio, Bryan worked for his parents in Oklahoma. He enjoyed time with his parents and was fed all the time. Thanks Debbie and Robert for taking care of my husband!
In June, Bryan and I reunited in Fort Hood, Texas. I was assigned to work on the Mother/Baby Unit at C.R. Darnell Army Medical Center. Unbeknownst to me, the Labor and Delivery Unit and Mother/Baby Unit are the busiest units in the entire hospital. There are about 200-300 births a month, which is pure craziness! To pass the time and make some extra money, Bryan found some local tiling jobs before fall semester started at the University of Houston.
The month of July brought us many blessings. Bryan and I were able to purchase a townhome in Houston close to a couple friends from church and his school, and I was invited to room-in with a friend from church in Fort Hood while her husband’s deployed. We prayed long and hard for direction from the Lord about our situation, and although it is not the solution Bryan or I would prefer, we feel our prayers have been answered. We know Heavenly Father is watching over and protecting us.
Bryan is glad to be in school again. Although school is tougher than he assumed, he is doing well. He enjoys learning because the information given in lectures applies to his field of study- no general education classes that are not useful, yet required. About every week, Bryan or I make the 3 hour trek to Houston or Fort Hood to spend time together. With my work schedule, I can take 4 and 5 days off at a time and Bryan gets all the holidays! We have become pros at multi-tasking and balancing our time wisely. Much of our/his time spent in Houston consists of fixing up our townhome. Bryan is doing an amazing job and hopefully the downstairs will be done by Christmas...right honey? My parents even came out to help fix up the front patio, not intentionally, but after Hurricane Ike hit! Thanks Mom and Dad!
We are grateful for this holiday season to reflect on the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. May the Christmas Spirit be with you and your family during this jolly time. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun this year. We got our friends together to make our own special Thanksgiving because we weren't able to go "home" for the holiday. So, we all participated in creating our own Thanksgiving Dinner. Sarah and I prepared the turkey. It turned out very nicely. I made the Koplin's traditional pomegranate salad and stuffing. Sarah made the corn chowder, corn, mashed potatoes, apple cake and provided the drinks. The Whipples made the rolls, bean casserole, and pie. Bryan helped with the pumpkin pie and yams. As you can tell, the dinner table looks awesome. This is right before we ate. Look at all the colors! From my experience, the hardest part of Thanksgiving dinner is making sure everything is warm and cooked at the same time.

After dinner, we played a mean game of Crazy (maybe wacky) Six. We can all attest that Katie and Sarah were the champs. Ryan and Bryan were terrible. Sorry guys:)

Bryan spent a lot of time eatin while preparing. Humm.....just messing babe!

Here is Katie with her rolls.

I'm not sure what Sarah's holding, but she is posing nicely for the camera with our first ever Thanksgiving dinner. It turned out great!