Counting Blessings

This month has been a great month so far! Not much has really happened but life has just been good! This morning my family got to talk to Logan before he flew off to Connecticut! It was so good to talk to him and to hear his voice! He is doing so well and is so strong and has inspired me to be better. I could not help but think about how good things have been for Michael and me lately. There are always challenges and hardships but often the good outweighs the bad. There are a lot of family’s struggling for many reasons throughout the world right now. All day all I could think about were the many yet simple blessings that the Lord had given me. It is true, once you are blessed, all you want to do is give back to the Lord and right now that is all I want to do. Most of all I am so thankful for the Gospel, my amazing and loving husband, and for a family is stands besides me! :)

Our February

A few weeks ago my dental office attended the UDA (Utah Dental Association) Convention up in Salt Lake at the Salt Palace! It was a 2 day convention where we attended classes and walked around all the dental booths! As on office we went to lunch one afternoon to Benihanas and it was Dr. Swenson’s treat.... it was so yummy! All us girls decided to sped the night up in Salt Lake and we got a hotel... well unfortunately the one we picked was not what we expected so to make a long story short, Dr. Swenson offered to upgrade us and put us up in the Little America! He was so sweet to do that! Anyways we had a great time on our girl’s night out! The girls at my office are all so sweet and we had a great time together!

Since then not much has happened! We are keeping busy as usual which is good. I am so proud of Michael, he is working so hard at school and is really working on his flying… I am so lucky to have him in my life! He brings me so much joy and happiness. Just when I think I have figured him out, he surprises me! The night I came back from the convention in Salt Lake, Mike had bought me some beautiful tulips and had cleaned the house, done all the laundry, and made us a steak dinner! Then a week ago, Mike treated me to breakfast, then we went to a movie, and we had a coupon to Borders so Mike let me pick out 2 books! It was all very simple but spending time together with no where to go and nothing to do for a day was great! I thank the Lord for sending him to me each day! I am truly blessed!
Last night I actually pulled out my new sewing machine that I got for Christmas and used it for the first time! I know it is bad that it has taken me this long to use it… oh well, I really was so excited to figure it all out! So I found a really simple pattern online for a baby burp cloth and for some baby booties! I know I have no one to make them for yet but I’ll be ready! They actually turned out pretty cute! I was quite proud of myself! I suppose that this is just the beginning of some really fun crafts! My Pappa was diagnosed with throat cancer back in December and so he had a surgery about 2 1/2 weeks ago where they took out half of his stomach and esophagus. He is having a really hard time and is not recovering like he was suppose to. The doctors told him he would only be in the hospital for 2 weeks and he is now going on 3 and he still has all the tubes that he started with (feeding tube, breathing tube, a tube draining his stomach, etc). He keeps having setbacks so we are praying that he will at least get the feeding tube out soon. He REALLY is missing eating and drinking! So my mom came out to help my Nanna because she has had a hard time. My mom understands a lot of the medical world just because she has delt with it so much in the past 5 years so she was able to help her understand what is going on. We were lucky to have her some down on Tuesday night! She spent the night and then on Wednesday we went to lunch, made Logan some treats, sent him a box, and then I went back up to the hospital with my mom and we played some games with my Nanna in the waiting room! On the way up to Salt Lake I saw the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen! It was the first time I had ever seen a full rainbow and it was just huge! I didn't get a picture of the entire thing but I got some of it. I am a sucker for the weather and sky and when I see such beautiful sights like that, I think my Father in Heaven for the simple things in life!

A Very Fun Valentines Weekend!

So over the Valentines weekend we had the opportunity to visit our dear friends… Emily and Rob! We had a BLAST!!!! We went up on Friday night and when we got there Em had prepared a great dinner and we watched the Shinning on TV (it was Friday the 13th so there were scary movies on). We then played a wicked game of Disney Scene It… that is an intense game! Rob had to work so when he left the 3 of us talked till our eyes were closing in the middle of conversation.

Saturday Em, Mike and I went to Porters (Rob was sleeping) and bought a bunch of crafts… I had such a hard time deciding on what I was going to make and not spend over my allotted amount. There were too many cute things! Let’s face it, I am meant to be a homemaker J Anyways… Em and I crafted all day! It was so much fun! Her apartment looked like a mini craft store between my 3 tubs of crafts and Em’s drawers of stuff! While we crafted the boys played LIFE and we all watched Disney movies… It was awesome! The best part was when we would all bust into song with the movie! Mike gave me my Valentines gift… a white pea coat!!!! I LOVE IT!!!! Mike’s gift… well I ordered him a Duke hat online and I had it shipped to Emily’s but it took longer than expected so it never came, he will get it soon enough! That night the boys took us to dinner to The Hard Hat! I love that place! The scones are awesome so by the time Em and I got our food, all we had were a few fries and we were full! That night we played a game called Celestial Companions and I am not sure if it brought us as couples closer together or pulled us apart! If our spouse answered the way we didn’t want them to then the other couldn’t believe it! We were all laughing so hard…. Lets just say Mike and I will be getting to know each other a little better!

Sunday we went to church in the morning and then headed back to their place to make lunch, taco soup! Robs cousin and her husband and Casey came over for lunch and for desert we busted out the chocolate fondue! We watched Emma Smith My Story and that was so good! I LOVE church history! After Robs cousins left we played What’s Yours Like, we were in a gaming mood this weekend! Casey, Emily and I then decided to go visit some old friends from our freshman year at BYUI. We first visited Derek and then Jenna and Ryan and their little 9 month old boy who is adorable! I miss them all so much! Later that night after Rob went to work (so sad… we wished he could have stayed home!) we played win, lose, or draw and we seriously laughed our heads off!

Unfortunately we had to go home on Monday but on our way out we were able to stop and see my dear friend Jessie! Overall it was an awesome weekend and had so much fun! Emily and Robbie’s hospitality was awesome and we are going to miss them so much when they move! It is a botter sweet thing to have them leave, we are happy and excited for them to move on with life and at the same time we are REALLY going to miss them! It was a good getaway weekend which is what Mike and I needed! THANKS!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY MICHAEL BROWN! I LVOE YOU!!!!

Sickies...

Well there will be no pictures this post because they would have been horrifying! For the past 2 weeks I have felt sicker than a dog and gave it to Michael. I came down with a horrid cough and the chills at first and thought that I could beet it with a little R&R but no... after 5 days of not moving off the couch and giving Mike the chills, a fever, and my cough, I finally went to the doctor. I had bronchitis! So all the meds I had been taking (including all the cough and cold and sinus medication) were not helping much. So the doctor gave me an antibiotic, some prescription cough medication and an inhaler because my air ways were being constricted! Just last week I began getting another symptom... really bad nashua! No... I am not pregnant for those of you who are wondering... I have been on some other medication prior to getting sick which would upset my stomach slightly but I think with the combinations of all the medications I was taking, it just was not setting well with my body. Well anyways, I am finally on the up and up... not 100 percent but I am much better! Michael got lucky and just caught a cough but that was about it. After a few days of having a fever and being weak he got better a bit quicker than I. He now is struggling with a bit of a stuffy nose, it sometimes seems never ending! We were joking last night that the neighbors know exactly when we get home because we both start coughing and hackin up luggies (I think it will be that way for another week or so)! One thing that I have not gotten back yet is my taste senses... I have not been able to taste my food in 2 weeks! For someone who loves to eat, it is a sad day when everything tastes bad... even POPCORN!!!! The point of it all is we are just both so happy that we are overall feeling better; life is much easier when you are not fighting your body!

Las Vegas

To celebrate our 1 year anniversary we decide to go to Las Vegas! First it is close and second I have never been there before! So we went down on Friday night and stayed till Monday in the very nice Monet Carlo. While we were there we learned a lot about Vegas... most importantly we learned what to do and what not to do the next time we go :) Unfortunately I was not the smartest and I wore some bad shoes our first day and ended up getting some pretty bad blisters on the balls of both of my feet so we were a little limited on our activities. Most of what we did was walk the strip and visit the hotels. The water show at the Bellagio was awesome and one of our favorite things! One of the nights we were able to go up to the Las Vegas temple and do a session, we mutually agreed that it was the best part of the trip! We ate a lot, people watched, shopped, and just enjoyed the change of scenery! I already have a list of things to do the next time that we go; their is always too much to do and never enough time!

At the M&M store... its the M&M's!

At the beautiful LV temple

Walking around on the strip

One year down, and an eternity to go!!

We are excited to say that we celebrated our first anniversary! We can not believe that a year has passed since the most amazing day of our lives… and what a wonderful year it has been! How did we celebrate our anniversary you might ask? Well naturally I had to work all day Monday that night we went to dinner at Carrabbas (which is where our second date was at and where he first kissed me) and dinner was awesome! We also had the best waitress we have EVER had! Then we came home and ate a piece of cake from both receptions, I could not believe that freezing both of them really worked! Any who they were both still great! Now for all of you who don't know, Michael is very thoughtful and creative. Well he figured out that the gift theme for the first year anniversary is paper. He found this place online that makes "messages in a bottle" and that’s what I got! It is just that, a message in a bottle with a cork on top. There is a little message on the front of the bottle that says "It doesn't matter where you go in life or how much you acquire, It's who you have beside you that really matters." There is an antiqued paper inside with a poem written on it just for me! Anyways, it was so sweet! I am telling you all, Michael is the best thing that ever happened to me and I don’t deserve him. He is s so good to me and makes me feel like a queen each and every day. We have a long road ahead of us but I can’t think of anyone better to go down that road with! This year will be bringing us many new and exciting changes and so we are ready and anxious to continue this adventurous journey! He truly surprises me each and every day and never lets me down!

SWEETHEART I LOVE YOU AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!

A bitter sweet day

Well today was the day that my brother Logan entered the MTC. My mom and dad flew out here yesterday with Logan. Then last night my grandma and grandpa Wagner had a very nice big dinner for all of our family in Utah who was not able to come to his open house in Colorado and everyone was able to wish him good luck on his new journey! All morning Logan was jittery and very excited to get going. He was so excited and ready to just do it! Then this afternoon, I, Mike, my mom, my dad, and my cousin Melissa took him to the MTC. Naturally, it was hard to let go. The MTC president told us all that he left our arm and went into the Lords. What a wonderful thing to know! We are all so proud of him and the road that he has decided to take. This is a journey that will be well worth it and will help him shape who he will become. We are all very excited for him yet we will all miss him (my mom and I decided that red eyes will be a new look for us during the next week!). We wanted to thank all of our family and friends for all the love and support that you give to us and to Logan!
WE LOVE YOU ELDER ROGERS!!!!