Brady&Mal

Merry (Day After) Christmas!

2011-12-26T17:33:00.008-07:00

This was by far the best Christmas I can remember in a long time. This year we spent it with my parents in a cabin in Bear Lake. I have always wanted to do a "little cabin in the woods" type Christmas and just get away from it all. My dad wasn't too excited- he hates the cold- but somehow my mom and I talked him into it. Brady's dad knew a guy who owns a cabin in Bear Lake so we got a screamin' deal on it. I wish I had pictures! Brady got a way nice camera from my parents, but they forgot a memory card so we couldn't use it...but that's ok, the memories are stored away with much love. Anyway- we get up to the cabin and it was like a little cabin in the woods on steroids! This thing was massive; 8 rooms, 4 of us, we could sleep in a different place every night if we wanted to.

We got there Christmas Eve and my dad made his annual Christmas Prime Rib and it was too die for! Brady doesn't like prime rib much so he got ham, but that was equally yummy! Because my birthday falls on Christmas all activities are kind of up to me (to make up for the fact that I only have one special day that I share with the most important person ever to come to this earth and then everyone else in the world) So I had my birthday cake with the big meal. It was delicious.

Christmas was wonderful! It was great having no sense of time or ugency. We woke up when we weren't tired and sat by the fire opening presents. It was pretty funny though, my brother thought he knew what he was getting so the night before he went to sleep at like 10 thinking that if he woke up early we'd all be up early- WRONG! So he comes down at 9 and stands in the doorway of our bedroom and says, "Merry Christmas Mal and Brady" and just stands there....no, just because you are up, we aren't getting up, so we ignored him and finally went upstairs an hour later. It was pretty funny because neither one of us was necessarily awake but we weren't going to respond because we knew he'd want us up there opening presents ASAP, so we just ignored him- haha, we are so funny.

Christmas was a lazy day and we all loved it. There were tons of games on so Brady and my dad vegged out in front of the TV all day long. We ended the night watching one of the movies Brady got- Warrior from Chris- and it was way good, I was impressed.

Going to bed last night was hard because I didn't want the experience to end. It was so nice to be away from it all in a place where we could all be together and just focus on family and the joy of being together. I think this is the first Christmas in a very long time that I was able to fully focus on the meaning of Christmas and how important it is to surround yourself with the ones you love. It was great to spend that quality time with my dad because we only get to see him once or twice a year. It was a little hard for my mom because this was the first Christmas since my grandpa passed away. All of the sisters (my mother and her sisters) got together and gave a special gift to each of the grand kids "from Grandpa" and I know that was super hard for her, but it was very special for all of us.

I feel so blessed to have so many great and loving people in my life. I know that everything happens for a reason and that our choices get us to where we are today- I am so glad I have made the choices I have because I wouldn't change a thing. I am in a great place in my life right now and I am so excited for the new year and for all of the experiences it has in store.

Again, I wish I had real pictures...but I don't. Maybe I'll post a picture of my new baby soon- A pistachio colored Kitchen Aid!

but until then, here are some Christmas memories that aren't real:

All of us being jolly, dancing 'round the Christmas tree

Me, being fabulous, making fabulous Christmas Decorations

Our cat welcoming us all home- not even mad we left him for 3 days

Santa- leading tons of deer to the cabin for us to look at

Update This!

2011-11-10T10:25:00.003-07:00

SO you may all have noticed that I'm terrible at blogging- I will read everyone else's, but I do not like to write them! Here is the quickest update you have ever read:

-Brady got an internship in SLC working for the church from Jan-May working for the church so we will be moving for a while (maybe) but I might be staying here to save money.

- Halloween was fun

-Cat is still awesome

August 2011

2011-08-23T00:48:00.004-06:00

I know the month isn't over, but I just wanted to update our lives since the last little post.
-I quit my job so I am unemployed. Long story short: The working atmosphere was terrible and I chose happiness over pride (I didn't want to admit defeat). So if you know of any job potential; please, let me know.
-School starts in 1 week. I was supposed to be done, but of course we have the best of the best counselors helping us out at USU and I am ONE credit short of graduation. I know. Not three which is one university class; just one credit. So is life I suppose: the devils in the details (or something like that).
-Brady has two more semesters and then he is all done (until grad school- oh yes, he is going whether he likes it or not: he will thank me for the hard push later).
-He is liking his job at Harris Research in Product Sales. I wouldn't say the work is doing much for him but the atmosphere is great and he loves his boss- that's always a plus!
-We are trying to get into 24 because we love devoting time we can't get back to DVD T.V. shows, but it's not really catching on for me. Brady just likes watching something every night before he falls asleep so this is perfect for him.
-Saw The Help today and this may be the first time that I have ever seen a movie that was as good as the book. They left out just enough so that the plot didn't lose a thing but kept it all relevant and wonderful. I say go see it (and read it)!!

My old boss asked me if I wanted to be featured in the Cache Humane Society calendar which will be sold for funding toward the shelter. I of course said yes because we love our adopted baby (cat) and wouldn't love anything more than to share our story and spread the love for the shelter. Below is our picture for the calendar.

(everyone makes me fun of me, but this is totally our "family picture")

Sup?

2011-07-12T21:19:00.010-06:00

So....I am doing my homework for summer school right now...kind of. I am taking a much needed break. I am a little overwhelmed, to say the least. This summer has been pretty hectic, but super fun. We went on an amazing cruise, have gone swimming more than once, and we both got new jobs. The future is ahead of it and we can't wait for it to be here. School needs to be over, and lets be honest; we should probably move out of the mortuary soon....

....but until then, here are some pictures of the latest!

On the beach in Cozumel, Mexico

the cat is still crazy!

This monkey was munchin' on a hot dog. It was awesome.

Getting ready to soar above the tree tops: wedgie and all.

Lookin sexy before we hop aboard the shiiiiiip, Brady.

These are way out of order. I still am struggling with this blogging format. Ugh! Oh well, I did it.

What's Up?

2011-04-02T23:32:00.008-06:00

So, it has been a really long time since I have posted anything so I wanted to do a quick recap of the past couple of months:

January- We got Meow (Toots, Bowzer, etc.)
February- Valentine's Day- Went to a lovely dinner with Ma and Pa Allen. I know, it doesn't sound super romantic (and it wasn't) but we had a lovely evening.
March- Jared and Chelsea tie the knot for time and all eternity.
April- We will see how this goes. School is ending, the weather is warming up, and we are getting closer to June 12th (The Allen Family Caribbean Cruise) which I need to get ready for but I have procrastinated so far so hopefully I can end that.

Our Precious Little Angel-Devil Cat

2011-01-16T20:49:00.006-07:00

He has several names and is probably very confused, but we love him deeply 70% of the time. The other 30% we want to dump him.

Welcome: Bowzer, Meowzer, Meowsy, meow, kiki, keeker, toots. Chose whichever you wish, he won't know the difference.

Oprah Ain't Got Nothin' on Them

2010-11-25T00:43:00.002-07:00

Quick shout out to Lauren Gerber and Leelou Blogs!

http://http://www.leeloublogs.blogspot.com/

Way to go Lauren! I don't think it's silly you make money from blogging! It's a girl's dream and someone-who-will-not-be-named is just jealous.

Pumpkin Walkin'

2010-10-28T21:54:00.011-06:00

A trip with a group of great people. Pumpkins were aglow, noses were a'runnin', and babies were borrowed. In the end, not a picture of a pumpkin was taken, but good times were had all around.

Cheers to all, Halloween party pictures to come!

Who is This Girl?

2010-10-25T23:32:00.002-06:00

So, this evening I was told my several people that I need to step it up and get a new blog post going. So, this is me blogging. I will do a quick update and get to the point of this post: to help me find the identity of this individual pictured.

But first: I finally found a full-time job, I now work at Harris Research doing...who knows what.

Second: Tonight we went out with a bunch of ridiculously awesome individuals and walked amongst some pumpkins and it was so so so much fun.

And finally: My sister in law sent me this picture and it made me laugh sooo hard. I even thought it looked like me for a second. Can someone please tell me where the came from!?

Finally Finished...Kind of

2010-09-22T14:39:00.006-06:00

So, remember that dresser thing I was working on? Well I finally finished. There is still more that I would like to do to it, but I need to draw the line somewhere, and my abilities in craftsmanship have made the decision for me.

So here it is. I think it is absolutely fabulous.

More Than Just a Chair

2010-09-09T13:18:00.007-06:00

I bought this chair for $5 from KSL:

Before:

I fixed it up and now it is a cool little accent chair:
After:

Here I Am!

2010-09-07T17:58:00.007-06:00

I know all of you think I have fallen off the face of the planet, but fear not; this is impossible! So, I would like to share some things that are going on in my neck of the woods.

1- My bunnies died. R.I.P CoCo and Baby Bunny (Special K). It was a nasty and gruesome death that I would rather not talk about, but they are indeed in Bunny Heaven.

2- I decided to opt out of school this semester because....well....it's a long story. BUT I am not going none the less. I decided that my sanity was hanging by a thread and I just decided that we needed some sort of steady income or I won't be able to focus in any aspect of my life because this is such a huge stress.

3- I have been working on some project. Here are some before and after...and some just befores because I have a difficult time finishing things:

Before: (Below): A definite fixer-upper After :(Finish date unknown)

Before:Boring After (Shown): Fabulous

Before: Ragged
After (shown): Rugged/Rustic After

So that is about it. OH! And I almost got scammed today trying to sell stuff on KSL. Who knew?

Our New Additions

2010-07-01T23:12:00.007-06:00

We have a BIG announcement to make. We have welcomed two babies into our family!! They are such a joy and are so sweet. They are furry and lovable and big eaters. So, we would like to give a big official blog welcome to Coco and Special K.

Coco:

Coco is a chocolate Mini Rex. He is rowdy and spirited. He had his first taste of freedom last week and after only a few hours we caught him. He now moves faster than he did the day we got him, only one week ago.

He seems very wild, but that is probably because his brother, Special K (aka Baby Bunny) is very slow and kind spirited. They get along very well and they cuddle all the time.

Special K (aka Baby Bunny):

Special K is Holland Lop. He is sporting a plaid vest type thing to help treat a minor boo boo. He has various disabilities: his left arm is slightly deformed so he hobbles with the weight on his left side, his spine is crooked so he favors one side over the other, and his ears flop over to one side.

Baby Bunny was added into our bunny order for free because of his so called "imperfections". Me on the other hand, I saw them as perks to the cute little thing. She didn't want to sell me a bunny who probably won't last long, but I am just happy that we get to raise him for as long as he is with us.

Livin' La Vida Loca

2010-06-10T08:36:00.002-06:00

We are living in Texas, for 2 more days. If you are having a difficult time keeping up, join the club! Summer sales wasn't all that we hoped for. It took Brady a while to realized that maybe this wasn't the best fit for him, or for us. Selling door to door was really difficult for him and really did not match his personality. We took some time to think long and hard about our future here and decided that it would be best to come back to Logan where we could depend on a more stable income and a lot less stress.

So, it's official: We are coming home to Logan! We both are really happy about the decision and are looking forward to coming home and trying to put everything back together as quickly as possible. If anyone knows of any job opportunities that may be opening up shortly, please let us know!

Thank you all for your love and support as Brady and I journey through all of the choices and opportunities in our lives.

Congrats Grad!

2010-05-27T06:34:00.004-06:00

Whitney Allen (sister in law) graduated from high school! Yay! Big shout out to the newly graduated gal! I wish her the best of luck in life. So so so happy for her, she really was looking so forward to this day.

Utah/Idaho: Here I Come!

2010-05-23T21:43:00.005-06:00

Tuesday I depart for a short trip back to Utah and Idaho. My original reason for making the trip was to take my mom to U2's 360 tour in Salt Lake. But alas, Bono needed emergency back surgery and the concert has been delayed indefinitely. For my mom's birthday we gave her tickets to the concert because going to a U2 concert was one of the things on her bucket list. Her birthday was in April and the concert was going to be the first of June, so she and I had a lot of time to look forward to it. So it is sad that we won't be going, but I am really excited to go home and see my family an friends. I am super worried about leaving Brady home alone because I worry about how he is going to take care of himself. I am the biggest worry wort, and I know he will be fine, but I won't be there to make sure he is fed, and happy, and not down after a long day pounding the pavement knocking doors.

While in Utah I am going to see my sister-in-law graduate high school. I am so proud of her. She has been looking forward to this day for as long as I have known her, so I hope to see some tears of joy shed, I know I will shed a few, I always do.

It is sad that regardless of the excitement of this upcoming trip, I am scared to death of one thing: To fly there. I know it is ridiculous, but I hate hate hate flying. Luckily I wont have to fly alone; Hayley Brown (a great friend I have made out here and wife of one of Brady's friends from Providence) will be flying home with me, and then Pitter (aka Whitney- my sister-in-law who will be newly graduated) will be flying back with me. Pitter will be staying a week with us here in Midland. It is going to be so fun! We are going to go on tons of adventures and explore Midland, which I have yet to do.

It is going to be good to go, but really hard to leave Brady behind. We have grown so close out here. We have really learned how to depend on each other in a completely new way. Being out of the valley and away from family and friends, we have been able to learn a lot about each other and ourselves. I will be praying for his success and happiness as I am away. I love him so much and I have learned so much about him and from him.

First post in Texas!

2010-05-13T19:25:00.002-06:00

Alright, so we are in Texas. The End.

Well, ok there is a little more to it. We drove for 2 days, spent our honeymoon in a hotel with one of Brady's friends, moved in to our apartment, witnessed my first walmart throw down.

So now I will elaborate, now you all know what you are in for.

1- It was a very very long drive to Texas. Brady wanted to prove he was as manly as Nate Edwards (his friend who caravanned with us) by driving the entire way and not letting my help out with any of it. Hey, I am not complaining, I slept through a lot of it and was able to see a lot of beautiful...desert landscapes. Brady's bum was numb as you can imagine, but without Harry Potter in tape I don't think he would have made it to Texas with his sanity.

2- We got to Albuquerque (which I found to be the hardest word I have ever attempted to text, but my mom taught me how by sounding it out-thanks mom). Anyway, we got to Albuquerque around 9:30 PM Sunday evening, May 9th, our anniversary. We were able to get a really great price with Nate's dad's discount, so we split the cost of the room. Brady and I did a pre-anniversary anniversary the weekend before in SLC and it was great, but he promised me that he would make it up to me by taking me on a cruise (depending on how he does this summer...)

3- Out apartment is quaint and very bare. If you know me, you know that I am a glorified clutter bug. I like to pack everything in around me and nestle in for a long time. I like my space to express who I am. So I like to have a lot of things that are good representations of me. But since we only had so much room to shove our lives into the car we drove down, we had to leave a lot behind. BUT, Brady loves how simplistic our apartment is. He loves the space and lack of clutter. Don't think that as soon as we leave my stuff will be going anywhere, he can enjoy this while we are here :)

4- There really wasn't much to look at, I did sleep most of the time. The only place I was truly looking forward to seeing was Roswell New Mexico. I totally buy in to the whole alien thing, I just eat it up. I wanted so badly to go to the alien museum in Roswell, but getting to our destination won in the coin toss.

5- Walmart in Texas is crazy! I had to buy a lot of stuff: food, supplies, etc., and my cart was packed. I almost wanted to apologize to the cashier because she had so much work to do with me, but then I looked around and everyone's carts were full, so I didn't feel bad. But while walking to get in line some woman says, "Are you gonna say 'scuse me?" I thought she was talking to me and froze, she wasn't, she was talking to this large white woman in front of me. The white lady said she would not apologize because she didn't do anything, and proceeds to checkout with her mother. The lady who was the "accuser" was a very sure black woman who insisted that she apologize because that's what you do when you hit someone's cart at walmart, naturally. Well, the white lady wasn't going to budge and she was talking to her mother about how ridiculous this woman was for accusing her and she had no intention to say sorry. Well, long story shorter, a lot of curse words were exchanged, distance between the women grew very small, but no punched were thrown. After the angry white lady and her mother left, the black lady admitted that the only reason she didn't kick her (long list of obscenities), was that you can be arrested and asked never to come back to walmart if you fight in one of their locations. She then, looking flustered, turned to the cashier and said, "She done make me act my color". It was funny, but I didn't know where to look because I didn't want to be thrown in the crossfire for, heaven forbid, snickering staring too much. But I can proudly say that I witnessed my first near-throw down at a walmart.

As I move about this crazy Texas city, I never cease to be amazed at how random and ridiculous so many things are. The malls are random, dotted with ice skating rinks, scooter shops, and samurai sword kiosks.

I cannot wait to see what the rest of the summer holds for us, but I am happy to say, I officially love and miss Utah.

To DO Lists Just Make Me Feel CraPPy abOut my ListiNg SkilLs

2010-05-03T19:10:00.004-06:00

So this morning I woke up to a call saying I needed to be at work, I'm not going crazy, this was a minor mistake and I wasn't supposed to be there. Then I get a call at while I'm at work, at the radio station, saying that I was supposed to work for someone tonight and that it was super busy and they needed me; again I am not going crazy, but I Do Not remember telling this girl I would work for her and I am 99.9% sure it was a big misunderstanding (yet again).

So these might just seem like minor things, but my TO DO LIST is so so full and I can't believe how all over the place I feel. I am either forgetting really important things, or I'm not, or everyone is playing a horrible trick on me.

I feel like I did SO much today, and it seems like this list is growing exponentially. I hope I can get a handle on it and get it all done. Our big move is Sunday and there are a million things to do before we leave. The days are flying by and before we know it we are going to be baking in the Texas heat, but until then: I need to get a handle on things.

My mantra until we leave: I Am Not Going Crazy.

Home is Where the Heart is

2010-04-17T22:13:00.002-06:00

The semester is almost over and our BIG move is quickly approaching. If you know me, I like to procrastinate; if I don't think about it, it's not happening. Well, I have been trying to not think about the move too much for several reasons; my sanity and keeping focus on my life here is two of them. But this weekend I came home to Burley for a little R&R, I can always count on my mom to provide a huge helping of home-style comfort. This trip will be the last I make to Burley before we trek off to Texas. I was able to spend time with my mom, brother, grandparents, and Aggie (my pound pup).

It is going to be so exciting to leave for a while, just to pack up and leave Logan in Logan and have it ready for us when we come back. My cousin, Garianne, came over to my grandparent's house tonight to visit, and she reminded me of the most important part of going out for the summer: getting out and away from everyone for a while, and to grow closer to one another. She is so great to have taken me out of my chaotic mind and set me strait- thanks for that cous!

So as May 9th, our departure date and wedding anniversary, grows closer I am going to step outside of myself and embrace the exciting journey ahead of us. Wish me luck, and please everyone, stay in touch why don't ya!

It Just Feels Right

2010-04-07T19:46:00.003-06:00

As the end of school gets closer, and I get more and more joyous for the occasion, we also inch towards our big move to the Lone Star State.

My last post read that I was nervous and unsure, but now I am happy to report that i am nervous and sure. I am so excited to bid a short-lived farewell to Utah and explore what else that great US of A has to offer. I have been told that Midland, TX is pretty much just a big ol' desert, but putting that aside I can't wait.

I have been trying to decide how I am going to spend my time in Texas. We all know what Brady is going to be doing, knocking doors day in and day out 6 days a week with only 1 real "day off". He is going to be working hard for that money. I am going to have to look in to ways to keep weight on my already svelte man. Any ideas on how to bulk up my boy, I would greatly appreciate. But as I have been exploring options I am a bit torn. The other wives that are going out with the group are choosing not work. This sounds like the most excellent fun idea ever! I have considered doing the same thing: relaxing, hanging out, reading books, laying by the pool, etc. All that leisure stuff. But at the end of the day I know that I will go crazy! Like seriously crazy. If you know me at all, you know this is possible.

SO I have called the Buckle in Midland and I they called me back to set up the interview! I was way excited until I realized I led them to believe I was already living in Texas, oops. So I convinced them to set up a phone interview. They agreed and it is arranged for tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. I don't want too much responsibility because I will be coming home for 10 days at the end of May, and then family will be visiting throughout the summer and I will act as tour guide, naturally.

So, summer plans are all up in the air, but I am still excited for what is to come: even if I have no idea what is going to happen. If anything, I have learned to "go with the flow", something I have despised my entire life.

Texas, here we come...

2010-03-27T22:30:00.002-06:00

So the decision has been made: We will be heading to Texas for summer sales. I told Brady he had until Friday (yesterday) to give me a definitive answer. Granted, the decision was delivered at 8pm, but delivered non the less.

I am very torn with how to feel. I am excited, but I think I am still going to have a hard time adjusting. I haven't been away from "home" for more than a week or two; home being Burley or Logan. It is going to be hard leaving behind the life I have created. I have a really hard time disconnecting. I don't let people into my life easily in fear that they will exit is just as quickly as they entered. I take a really long time "setting up shop" with my living arrangements and I feel like I am finally comfortable in the apartment we have.

I know this will be good for us, to be able to leave for a while and try something new. We are young and unattached to much; save our family, friends, jobs, and school (the last two won't be terribly difficult to leave).

I know that this is going to be an exciting adventure for us that is only going to make us stronger and help us to grow together as individuals and as a couple.

I look forward to this journey and am thankful for the opportunities we are given.

Wake up world! I'm BORED!!

2010-03-25T03:28:00.003-06:00

It is...3:30 in the AM and I cannot sleep. I slept in this morning and it has totally messed up my sleep schedule. I finished Into the Wild, and then I lay in bed thinking about scary stuff and stressing myself out about dying alone in the wilderness in Alaska (that's the preface of the story... I don't just think of that).

So what do you do at 3:30 AM in the morning? Wait for the gym to open, that's what!! Ha. I am not even an avid worker but I work there and I know it will help me sleep if I go and wear myself out.

SO hopefully I will be saying goodnight in just a few hours!

Decisions, Decisions

2010-03-17T14:16:00.002-06:00

As summer quickly approaches we have been faced with various options as to how we will be spending our summer. Brady investigated summer sales in two different areas: pest control and security systems. The idea of going out for 3-4 months and making enough money to keep us afloat for the entire school year without stressing out about money is very appealing and i think it is easy to get caught up in the magic of the idea. As the summer nears, we have found many obstacles standing in the way that have made us think twice about that decision to go out. Texas, Alaska, and Seattle have all been possible places to go. I got really caught up in the idea of going to Seattle and I really could see us there, but as Brady investigates it further, it just doesn't feel exactly right. As of now, we will be staying in Logan for the summer. I am torn between joy of the security of knowing where we are and what we will be doing, and disappointment that we won't be able to leave Logan for a mini-adventure.

I know that we will be lead in the right direction and I know that wherever we go, we will be happy, because ultimately, we have the only thing we need: each other. I know it may sound cheesy, but its true. At the end of the day you only have your partner to lean on and the knowledge that you are doing the right thing.

I am truly content with the direction life takes me and I am going to stop being so focused on what we are going to be doing when and where we will be. I am learning, slowly, that I need to just "go with the flow". This summer is going to teach me a lot and I cannot wait for the adventure that tomorrow brings. Bring it on opposition, the unknown, and the future.

We Are Famous!

2010-03-03T23:09:00.005-07:00

So I stumbled upon one of our wedding pictures in handout for for a local events center in Logan. No, we didn't receive any royalties, we pretty much signed our lives, and our pictures, away long long ago.

Take a gander, it's kind of fun!

http://wsspringevent.blogspot.com/

Dear Cold: I hate you thiiiiiiis much.

2010-03-01T08:40:00.004-07:00

If cold were tangible I would kill it in the worst possible way. I would make it suffer like it makes me.

I don't like snow activities so the whole "if you can't beat it, join in" mentality doesn't apply. I hate falling in the snow. I hate getting snow thrown at me. I hate my clothes getting wet from the snow. I don't "frolic", especially not in the snow.

Waking up with my windows frozen one more morning at 4:30 AM and I. Am. Going. To. Scream!

Go away winter. Why can't we have a perpetual Fall. I like skeleton trees as much as I adore abundant foliage. Fall reeks of comfort. You can play in the leaves and walk away dry. You can walk outside and witness beautiful harvest moons. The air is full of crisp clean air; void of inversion.

Spring and summer bring greens, yellows, reds, and all varieties of vibrant colors from mother nature showing us her love. What does she have against us 3 months out of the year that she decided to take it all away and chill us to our bones?

Come back to me....any season other than winter.

Oh Happy Day!

2010-02-24T10:28:00.002-07:00

I would just like to publicly express my love for....teachers canceling class. I was so pleased by the announcement, via e-mail, that class was canceled yet, what should I spend my time doing? Well there are literally dozens of things I could do, but what I will do is another story. So this is what I'll do:

1- eat breakfast (I actually just did this, I wanted McDonalds mcmuffin, but instead I made my own. I know I am frugal and crafty).
2- I will watch History Channel until I fall asleep (one of my favorite pass times)
3- Shower....(maybe)
4- Gym....(maybe....)
5- Hang out (most definitely)
6- Cook dinner

Now, you might notice a lot of time devoted to certain areas. I have a very hard time deciding what to do with my time. Most times I stress about the long list of things I have to and it just seems best to just not tackle any of the tasks (to make sure none of the others

I must pause to share a great example of why The History Channel is so wonderful:
The show on right now is all about President Lincoln. I have learned the following thus far: He got syphilis from a prostitute, he preferred isolation, and then this happened:
A women is talking about who knows what and then she says: "If the boys shat in his hat he would think 'oh how wonderful'". (because Lincoln was lonely).

So that's that. I have learned waaaay more than I would have in my class that was canceled and for that I deserve some sort of reward... I will treat myself to a nap and laziness.

Farewell.

Be My Valentine

2010-02-14T15:36:00.002-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all! This will be our first Valentine's Day married, but our third together. We celebrated the day yesterday, the 13th, because I work today...I know, big bummer. But yesterday was so much fun. Let's just say we didn't have much luck in the past.

Our first Valentine's Day together was a mess of sorts. We were in the early stages of our relationship and didn't plan to even spend it together. But on the 14th of February everything sort of fell into place. Brady was supposed to go to a performance for one of his classes and he was able to change his ticket to another night. Because things were very last minute we didn't have any plans. Brady threw things together as best as he could last minute and we ended up going to The Blue Bird here in Logan. We felt so lucky that we were able to get reservations at such short notice. We arrived at the restaurant very surprised to find that for Valentine's day they set up a buffet rather than menu ordering. We were a little disappointed, but really we were just happy to have found a place to eat together. We were set at a table surrounded by large families full of rambunctiously rowdy children. All around us children ran and dropped plates, screamed and threw things at one another. After we left the restaurant we went back to my apartment and spent some quiet time together. For being such a last minute setup, it was not bad, but we hoped for a better one in the future.

Our second Valentine's Day together we were engaged and very excited to be together. This year was hopeful and was well-planned. I had talked about going to the Prairie Schooner in Ogden for sometime and Brady made reservations for us to go there for Valentine's Day. If you are reading this you may be thinking how un-romantic the Prairie Schooner is, but if you know me at all you know that this is just my taste. I will take a fun and hilarious situation over a ooey gooey romantic one any day. So Brady picked me up from my apartment with beautiful roses and canvases for me "to paint a picture for our new apartment". It was sooo thoughtful. We got in the car to venture to Ogden, but as we got further towards the Canyon out of Cache Valley, we found that the snow was coming down thicker and visibility was worse and worse. We decided that our safety was more important than trying to make our reservation. Brady made it up to me by taking me out for sushi, which he hates. It was delicious and I was happy even though our plans did not go through.

So as we approached our third Valentine's Day I had high hopes that our third time would be the charm. Brady took me to Salt Lake and made all of the arrangements all by himself. I was so proud. He wanted to find a hotel close to downtown SLC, but still reasonably priced. He was a little worried to find that our hotel choice was dangerously close to Pioneer Park, an infamous hobo infested park. We did not have any run-ins with any, so he was happy. We planned to go to one of our favorite restaurants in Salt Lake, RedRock, but as we drove up we were not willing to stand outside in the cold and wait for a table. We decided to go to the Gateway instead so that we could catch a movie after dinner. After dinner we went to the movie Valentine's Day, which was way way dumb and neither of us would recommend it, and then to a frozen yogurt place. I was even able to shop at Forever 21! Brady hates that store to the depths of his being, so this was a strait miracle.

The third Valentine's Day was truly the charm. We had a wonderful time together and it has set the bar fairly high for the following Valentine's Days to come.

Happy Valentine's Day! Share your love with those around you. Love your enemies and soften your hearts...if only for one day.

History? I say Nay

2010-01-30T10:37:00.003-07:00

So, if you know me at all, you know that I love t.v. At our apartment we have basic cable so our options are very limited. I have found a love for the History channel, but recently, the programming has been ridiculous. History is the name of the channel; I loved watching everything ranging from past wars to presidency conspiracies. Recently the History channel has come out with some terrible programming. If I wanted to watch an hour of "what might happen" type shows, I would not turn to the History channel, nor do I want it crappin' up my only television channel with consistent programming. And don't get me started on their versions of reality-type t.v. AX Men? Come on. I would rather watch paint dry, or water boil, but there are shows that are just as exciting. Shows like Pawn Stars is not only terribly named, but it has the most boring characters ever!

So, as I ramble about my predicament, I apologize, I just hate dumb shows. BUT, I will admit my love for shows like The Bachelor, Jersey Shore, most shows on E!, and most of the shows on MTV. There is a difference between crap and entertainment. Granted, it is a very very thin line, History channel does not have much to offer. Sure, you might learn something like the cost of a Civil War era gun or how the would "might" fall apart when people are gone, but really, when will you use that in life? On the other hand, MTV programs provide common sense: don't get pregnant at 16, don't put your life out there for the world to witness, don't date "guidos" because they are total d-bags, and celebrities give great relationship advise (what not to do).

So I wish to put this out to the World and the History Channel: Stick to what you are good at. Keep it simple, history makes programming exciting enough.

Ok...I Will Begin Posting...

2010-01-29T19:27:00.002-07:00

Right now I am sitting at work thinking about life beyond today. Where will I go? What will I be doing with my life in 5 years? Where will I spend the majority of my life? Boredom is no friend of mine. I find that my mind wanders like crazy when I am not busy, or watching t.v. So as I am sitting here, bored, my mind is racing through endless possibilities. I don't know what I want to do for the rest of my life. I can't imagine choosing a career that I will be stuck in for the rest of my life. There is really nothing out there that catches my interest enough to sign up for the next 40+ years. So the thoughts going through my mind are both causing anxiety, wonder, and excitement. Really, I can do whatever I want. We live in a country where the possibilities are endless. I truly feel so blessed to be a citizen of this country. I am so blessed to have the world at my fingertips and the possibilities bountiful.

I can't wait to see where my life, and time, takes me.

And So it Begins...

2010-01-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

We are officially "bloggers". If you know anything about either of us you will know these things:

1-When I say "we" I mean that I, Mallory, will be doing most of the blogging

2-Neither one of us is terribly consistent, so don't be surprised to find that months will pass without updates of any sort

So stay tuned for a random account of our journey through life together....

HAPPY NEW YEAR