Birthday Party

in honor of the birthday yesterday, we threw a little party...

jon did the decorating

there was a sign

and a taco bar.

jon was there,

and so was i.

...and i was really excited.

the missionaries came too!

and there was cake.

ice cream carrot cake!

we love you, birthday girl!

i made a wish on her behalf.

the cake was a little difficult to cut...

... i think elder kidd was a little worried.

the only thing missing was our little missionary.  but we sure are proud of her!

happy birthday again, sister ellsworth!!

happy birthday!

my sweet, sweet little sister turns 22 today.  she is half way across the world and my heart misses her dearly...  but i am celebrating her day as if she is right by my side.  
i have a million memories of growing up with this lady.  she has taught me so much about what it means love another person, about what it means to be good to others, and my soul beams when i think about the work she's doing serving the people of france.  
i'm so grateful for her love and her example.  
happy birthday lara jane!
i love you (and jon does too)!!

Smarty Pants Part II

Jon came home with this gem last week.  The Jurisprudence Achievement Award means he received the highest grade for one of his classes last semester!  
 He makes me so very proud!!

Zoey Meets Raja

Well, they aren't lovey dovey sister kittens like I had pictured in my head... But according to everything we read, they are doing better than a lot of cats do when brought to live in the same home.  It was a very slow process letting the kittens meet, but cats are just very temperamental.  After a week of keeping them separate, we got a baby gate for the initial meeting.  This allowed them to see each other in their own space without causing too much stress. After a day or so of this I left a crack in the gate to let them slowly go into each other's space.  For the first two weeks Raja would have nothing to do with Zoey.  Zoey would get the evil cat eye from Raja anytime she got too close.  Zoey from the beginning has seemed rather indifferent about Raja.  

Over the last 2 weeks or so it has been fun to see Raja warm up to Zoey (in her very own special Raja way- Raja is not a particularly warm loving cat anyway).  Every now and then we see them chase each other back and forth, hiss a little, but there has never been a fight.  I'm hoping this slow process means that in time they will come to love each other.  I am glad they have each other while we are gone all day or when we make a trip up north for the weekend, if for nothing else but having another living breathing creature to chase around.  

Happy Valentine's Day

Yesterday, Jon and I celebrated our first Valentine's Day together as a married couple...  Of course we spent most of the day doing our usual Tuesday thing- class, work and an institute class together.  But it was the perfect Valentine's treat though, to have Jon make me dinner!  Since I do all the cooking I thoroughly enjoyed a night out of the kitchen {okay, I couldn't stay away completely- I did make the bread}!


Jon had also finished all his school work so we were able to spend the rest of the evening together WITHOUT any books!


And a little side note- Loved getting to buy a sappy V-day card with the word "husband" in it!  

Smarty Pants

So, there are a billion and half other things I need to be doing right now, but I HAVE to make a quick post about being married to a brainiac! 


Over Christmas break Jon started studying for the GMAT exam.  This is the standardized test that is essential to getting into the business school...  Jon is hoping to get his JD and MBA from MSU and the bonus of getting his MBA now is that it is only one extra year of school, instead of two if he decides to do it later!!  


For the first month of the semester I did not see this boy- ever!  And if I did he was buried in his GMAT prep book! Last week Jon took the test, and let me say what a relief it is to have that over.  And my humble husband would never brag about his scores so I'm the proud one; announcing that he did AWESOME!!!!!  SUPER AWESOME!  Did I mention my husband is a genius?!


We are so blessed!  And so grateful he doesn't have to take this test over! Now he just has to get the rest of his application in.  

I love my little Smarty Pants!!

happy take your roommate on your date day!

One year ago today, Jon and I decided to go to dinner.  I was actually the one to ask him, I told him I wanted to visit Lara when she was working {at the Pizza House}...  I tried to make it seem casual, but secretly just finding ways to spend a little time alone with him {like all the batches of hummus I would make and take over to him as a treat, which I haven't made since we've been married!}.  Well apparently I'd been too casual, because when he met me at my apartment that Friday night I was shocked and horrified to discover that he had invited his roommate Brad to come with us...  Lara ended up not working and heard the bomb drop from the other room.  

Needless to say I was not a happy camper.  I rejected any of Jon's attempts to make it up to me that night {offering to pay, trying to open my door for me, trying to sit next to me, texting me later that night and the next day}.  After walking in the door that night Lara peeked around the corner and shyly asked - "How did it go...".  

Oh, how the fury raged! 

I ranted about how Jon led me on letting me believe he was interested in me, 

about how clueless he was, 

how he ruined my beautiful plan to get him alone {because he always wanted to hang out with me AND LARA!}  How could he do this?!

Just how?!

I swore I would never speak to him again!

Well, it turns out he really was that clueless.  My sweet Jon, without the slightest bit of game... He was concerned about his roommate spending a Friday night alone {with his law books}.  He had no clue my intent was to be alone with him over a greasy slice of pizza, staring deep into each other eyes...  until he met me at my apartment and took note of the carefully put together outfit, my hair done, make-up done, and a sparkle in my eye.  But it was too late, the words, "Do you care if Brad comes?" had already escaped his lips and a flash of anger replaced the sparkle in my eyes {but only for a moment}.  

We went to dinner, the three of us, and it was kind of awkward.  I tried to hide my sinking disappointment, Jon carried on as if it was totally normal, ignoring the elephant sitting in the room {or right next to him}.  And Brad was just Brad - funny and slightly awkward.  

I think my promise to never speak to him again lasted maybe 24 hours...  I called him the next day to come over and talk about the pizza "date".  I got him to admit he liked he {and had since the moment he met me}!  He apologized about Brad, and we agreed to spend more time together. We saw each other everyday after that.

And now we get to spend everyday together for the rest of forever...

Happy one year of "dating" to the boy I love the most.