Life Lately...

Lately our life has been a lot of... 

Kenny talking politics & voting / Teaching those little rascals in primary / Taking walks in the cold / Waking up to snow / Warm food and drinks to keep me toasty / SNOW! 

I am just trying to take things one day at a time right now. I am not going to lie & say everything is rainbows and lollipops because to be really honest things have been pretty rough lately....BUT I am working on looking on the bright side. So today's bright side is a great husband, great in-laws, & fun winter weather. 

Can school just be over with already?! :] 

Relaxation {Adventures}

Once we got back from Vegas we had two glorious weeks to enjoy before school starts again. (I say "we" because I would like to think that Kenny enjoys my time off as well :] ) In the two weeks I got a lot done, and boy did it feel great! I am actually pretty excited to start school on Monday! 

Here is what we were up to for the last 2 weeks...

Kenny brought back an amp from our Vegas trip. That means that more guitar time for Kenny.

Having the extra time, I was able to make some pretty legit dinners. I made Cuban food...legit right?! 

We had fun being silly. 

Kenny played guitar. A lot.

We went for drives and were "inspired" by YOLO graffiti. (YOLO means "You only live once" its a popular phrase these days) 

I cut myself making dinner. That's what I get for being so domestic! 

We hung out with siblings. ...and Kenny played more guitar.

Other things we did (that were not photographed) include: organizing our closet and all of our important papers (You should give me TWO high fives for this one, I have wanted to get this done for a while now), cleaning the house, celebrating Kenny's birthday with trips to guitar center and fabulous Mexican food, visits with family, attending fabulous fondu parties (thanks roommates for inviting us!), and of course there was some school preparation.

We have had a great two weeks. ...Now bring on the school!!!

Las Vegas {Adventures}

 

This weekend we took a road trip to Las Vegas to meet up with Kenny's parents. Vegas is the half way point between Provo and San Diego, so it was the perfect location for a weekend getaway for everyone. Summer semester ended on Thursday, and so we were itching to get away! We had a great time being with family and even some friends who happened to be in town!  One of our favorite things we did over the weekend, besides spending time with family, was going to a concert. A band that Kenny has been wanting to see perform just happened to be playing in Las Vegas the weekend we were there...AND the venue was just a few blocks from our hotel. It was meant to be!! We sure do love going to concerts! :]

We had a great weekend. Now, back to reality!! I have a two week break before Fall semester starts, and so I want make the most out of those two weeks. Here is to hoping that I am bouku productive!!

("Bouku" is a slang term that Kenny uses, I am trying it on for size lately :] )

Thoughts on Marriage

We have all heard it, "marriage is work." ....But it is true!! Marriage really is about work. Kenny and I work to make our marriage work.

• We work on our communication, because despite what I think sometimes, Kenny still can not read my mind. 
• We work to keep dating. I know that once we have kids, this habit will pay off. 
• We work on finding opportunities to serve each other and to say "thank you."
• We work on forgiving each other and being the first to say "I am sorry." 
• We work to try new things together and encouraging each other to reach new goals.
• We work on overcoming our weaknesses together. 

I know that this work pays off.  Now...if only I could get Kenny to read my mind. :]

Anniversary #1

One year!! I can't believe it has already been ONE YEAR! Since our anniversary was on a Monday this year, (and we both had work and I had class AND a butt-load of homework) we decided to celebrate our anniversary the weekend before the "actual" anniversary. Whatevs, it worked for us! This was a much needed break from school, and it was the perfect "stay-cation" in Salt Lake City.

We headed up to Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon, checked into our hotel and walked around City Creek Mall. We love City Creek, especially The Red Iguana in the food court! :] They serve some pretty good Mexican food, and if you know Kenny you know that we eat Mexican food all the time. After dinner we went to my favorite Independent Movie theater in SLC that only shows Sundance Independent movies. We sure do love our Indie movies. After the movie we walked around town and wandered back to our hotel room. It was nice not having to worry about homework or chores.

Saturday we slept in, went to a farmers market, did some more walking, went to the Church History Museum, and did some more walking. Kenny had his Fantasy Football draft in the afternoon so we made sure to be back at the hotel for his draft. I was able to get some rest while he was "drafting." ...boys.... Saturday night we went out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. This was our big "celebratory dinner." Dinner was great, but the cheesecake was even better.

It was a great little trip away from Provo. It was hard to come back to reality. On our actual Anniversary we exchanged "happy anniversary" lovey-dovey stuff, and then I spent the rest of my non-work/school time writing a paper. Hah! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to us!

We have both learned a lot this past year. The most important lesson we learned this year is that WE ARE AWESOME. :] I can't wait for many, many, many more awesome years.

Life lately

School. Temple dates. Wonderful husband. No TV. & Trips to Yogurtland.

.....Yup. That pretty much sums up our life lately. :]

Busy days!

Lately my days look a lot like this. After a 2 1/2 year hiatus, I am back in school, trying to get into a "routine". Lots of reading, lots of papers, lots of "other" assignments (volunteer hours & group presentations), lots of scheduling and lots of organizing. It is going to be a tough semester, but I am very glad to have the support of my wonderful husband.

Making it FOREVER!

On April 19th, at 9:30 in the morning, Kenny and I finally made it forever in the House of the Lord. What a perfect moment that was. There were tears of pure joy and relief to know that we now have a forever family. :] I feel very blessed to have Kenny as my eternal companion. I am also grateful for all the love and support of our family and friends who were there to share that special day with us. Like I said, it was a perfect moment.

Exploring {Adventures}

I love wandering around with no agenda, Kenny and I have become quite pro at it. Today we explored Bicentennial park in Provo, Springville City, & Spanish Fork. I feel blessed to live in such a beautiful place. I also feel grateful to have a husband that encourages me to get out and enjoy the place we live in.

A Perfect Saturday

Today we were reminded of how much our Heavenly Father is aware of us and our needs right now. It all started with a trip to the distribution center this morning to purchase some temple clothes. There was a kind older woman who worked with us to get the clothes we need. While helping us pick out our temple clothes, she would ask us questions about our selves and "our story" and you could just see her light up as she got to know us a little better. She commented a few times how she felt "goosebumps" as we told her our story. When we were going to pay for the clothes, she offered to pay for a few things because out of the kindness of her heart she wanted to do something nice for us. She kept saying that she knew we were young, married, and on a budget, and we were doing the right things with our life to go to the temple and be sealed. She shared with us a little about herself and how she was not a member when she married her husband & how wonderful that day was when she got sealed to her husband. Meeting this kind woman was a tender mercy. It reminded us again that the Lord is pleased with us and our decisions for our life together. This woman's simple & kind act made quite the impression on me. I am so grateful for her and her kind words.

Once we had our temple clothes we traveled to the Mount Timpanogos Temple to do an Endowment session. It was a spiritual feast, to say the least. I love going to the temple with Kenny. The moments we share in the temple talking about all that we have learned or felt truly bring us closer together. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband who loves the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Heavenly Father blessed me with an amazing husband who can be a spiritual giant in our home. Kenny's testimony helps to remind me, time and time again, of the love Heavenly Father & our Savior has for me.

Those feelings of love and acceptance from Heavenly Father today were much needed and provide so much comfort - of course, just when I need it most. Heavenly Father is aware of us, He knows us personally, He knows our needs, and He knows how to give us what wee need when we need it.

Today was a perfect Saturday.

Date Night - Dinner & A Movie

When it comes to date night for Kenny and I, we seem to be the "dinner and a movie" type of couple. What can I say, we LOVE to watch movies. (That was, in fact, what we did on our first date). So when date night came around, and despite the efforts to try and do something "creative", we found ourselves doing the dinner and a movie routine. (I can't complain....it works for us!) 

We decided last minute to go to a restaurant we had read about in a magazine, it was rated one of the top 5 places to eat in Utah Valley - Milagros. Man oh man, this restaurant does not disappoint. The best part is that Milagros serves Mexican food - which happens to be our favorite. You see, we have been in search of the best Mexican food Provo has to offer. We no longer need to search any farther because we have found Milagros. AMAZING! Even Kenny (the picky eater - especially when it comes to Mexican food) gives it two thumbs up. I am pretty sure I raved about our eating experience here for hours after we left the restaurant. ...It really was that good. After dinner Kenny and I went to go see a movie - The Hunger Games. We debated whether or not we should see it because I am reading the book right now...but I gave in and we saw it anyways. It was a great movie that caught my attention the entire time...talk about suspense! Ironically enough, seeing the movie made me even more excited to finish the book. On our way home from the movie I was raving about how this was one of the best date nights we have been on. Great dinner. Great movie. 

We have many many more date nights in our future to try and get "creative"... but for now, I am grateful for these memories - an amazing dinner and a great movie with the world's best husband. Like I said, "dinner and a movie" works for us. 

Music {Adventures}

Finally, FINALLY, after living in Utah for a few months Kenny and I went to a show at the end of March. We went to go and see the one, the only, William Fitzsimmons. It was only a few weeks after moving to Utah that we bought tickets to this show... & looking back, I am a little surprised that we dished out $30 for some tickets when we were dirt poor (which we still are) and didn't have any jobs. However, now that we both have jobs and a steady income I can say that I am glad we did purchase those tickets. :] 

We turned this event into a pleasant mid-week date. We drove up to Salt Lake City after work, grabbed some grub at Crown Burgers (We had heard about this place many a times on the Travel Chanel, but we were not too impressed...it was good, not great) and watched our show at one of the smallest venues I have been to. A perfect date for the Mr & I. 

This show was one of my favorite shows that we have been to together (and I am glad to say we have quite a few concerts under our belts by now). William Fitzsimmons is one of our FAVs! Kenny loves his quiet voice and the way he plays guitar, but for me, Mr. Willy and I go way back. I used to listen to his album "The Sparrow and the Crow" non-stop my Sophomore and Junior years of college. I was going through a very rough time and his music really resonated with me. That album will forever be engraved in my life. Although Mr. Willy is one of my absolute favorites, I can find it a little hard to listen to at times, only because I am frequently reminded of my dark and dreary days. While we were at the concert I had one of those "moments" as he played some of my favorites where I really thought about where I was/how I felt and how much has changed since then. It was so weird to compare where I was to where I am today. It felt like standing in a juxtaposition of depression and happiness. The music he was singing reminded me of how deeply I was depressed, yet I stood there with my wonderful, kind, patient, and loving husband next to me.  If only I knew then that I was capable of being loved by someone so wonderful as him. I am so grateful for my husband and the pure joy he brings to my life. Yes life is hard, and there are still things that I struggle with, but Kenny makes it all worth it. He motivates me to keep going, simply because he loves me. I couldn't ask for anything more. 

...Needless to say this concert was a beautiful reflective moment for me. One that truly reminds me of how lucky and fortunate I am to have Kenny Norton as mine, all mine. 

Employment Woes!

Life has been nothing short of stressful in the Norton household as of late. However, things are starting to look up. (Thank goodness!) Within the two months we have lived here it has been a roller coaster of emotions (mainly surrounding employment issues). Let me just lay it out for you plain and simple:

- Beginning of January - moved to Utah & didn't have jobs
- 2 weeks of living in Utah - we both secured jobs
- 1 week after Kenny was employed at his job he got promoted! More money, better title/position (yay!)
- 2 days after Kenny getting promoted he got laid off. LAME!
- 1 very very very long month of Kenny being unemployed, working his tooshy off to find a job...only to have scam after scam contact him regarding employment...meanwhile we were loosing steam, and it was harder to keep a positive attitude
- Finally (yesterday - to be exact) after all his hard work, Kenny was offered a great job, close to our house, great hours, good pay, and he even gets to fly back to San Diego to train for the job!

We feel very blessed. We also feel humbled to know that there have been so many people praying for us, & Kenny in particular. We have awesome friends and family. & Even though this has been a very hard time for us, we know that Heavenly Father is always mindful of us and our situation. & we also know (without any doubt) that his job was an answer to many many prayers. Can I just say it again? ... We are so very blessed!

...now if only I could go with Kenny to San Diego... :]

Valentines Day

Kenny and I have a deal for valentines day planning, we rotate every year who plans the valentines day adventures. This year was my year to plan and since we have a lack of funds I decided to do something very simple. After a normal day of work, errands, and dinner, we enjoyed a simple dessert picnic in our living room. It seems thats all we can afford these days. Our dessert picnic included candles, sparkling cider, red velvet cake, and chocolate covered strawberries. We reminisced on all that has happened between last years valentines day and now and shared or favorite memories. After we were full to the brim with sweets, we cuddled up and watched a movie. It was a fun, simple, and romantic evening in with my best friend (who also happens to be my husband! :] ). Score! Maybe next year we will be able to something a little more elaborate, but really all I need is my valentine - and he is mine forever.

Unemployed

As of yesterday, at 3pm, I am officially unemployed. (For the time being)

I have spent the last year and a half working for the most amazing people, and so it was a very bitter sweet experience saying goodbye. This job has been a huge blessing in more ways than one. I will always feel that my time spent there was a part of divine intervention. I can see looking back on the experience that it was one of those situations where Heavenly Father picks you up and places you where you need to be. While at that job I was surrounded by people who truly understood how I felt and understood the many life changing experiences that I had during my time working there. My boss was my biggest supporter, she was with me every step of the way as I met, fell in love, and got married to Mr. Norton. She saw it from the very beginning!! I will always have a very special place in my heart for the time that I spent at Perfection Glass and I will always think of those people I worked with as family.

Today I feel blessed for the opportunities that Heavenly Father has given me - including the opportunity to work at such a wonderful place as Perfection Glass.

An FHE full of dreams

Last night Kenny and I had a great FHE, it reminded me of how fun it is to be married to my best friend.  The night consisted of dinner at Souplantation (my favorite place to gorge on salad, soup, and blueberry muffins of course!) then a trip to Barns & Noble to simply browse the isles and dream of a future time when we will actually get the chance to read a novel. We then found ourselves in the "travel" section dreaming of the days we will travel the world, survey the unique architecture of foreign lands, and get lost on unfamiliar streets with names we don't know the meaning of. Last night our future has never looked so bright. I love how Kenny and I share the same dreams, and more than anything we want to be by each other's side to experience these things together.

Of course while in the travel section we couldn't help ourselves and we looked at the travel books for Utah. In a little less than two weeks we will be calling Utah home. This move has been a long time coming, and the reality that it is so close is a little surreal. As we flipped through those pages of the Utah travel book I couldn't help but get excited about our future there. I remember when we started talking about the possibility of moving to Utah, the reality of that dream seamed so far away then. Here we are just two weeks to go, and that dream will be our reality

"It's begining to look a lot like Christmas!"

It is officially Christmas in the Norton household! Well, actually, it was officially the Christmas season in our house on November 25th - the day after Thanksgiving. What can I say?! I am just really excited for Christmas this year. {remember this post} The reason why Christmas began so early (besides because of my excitement), was because we hit the Black Friday sales for Christmas decorations. Before I started getting excited about Christmas, I wasn't sure if we were even going to decorate this year (with the pending move and all)....but once I started getting excited it was all downhill from there. We stocked up on decorations for very reasonable prices and the next thing you know, our whole house is decorated & ready for the holidays!

One of the things that I am most excited about this year (in regards to our decorations) is our Christmas tree. I grew up with fake Christmas trees, while Mr. Norton, on the other hand, grew up with real Christmas trees! It was not hard to convince me that we should get a real tree this year. (Although I may be regretting that decision when we are packing and there are still pine needles on the floor) The smell of the fresh Christmas tree when you walk in the door & seeing those pretty lights lit up at night make it all worth it for now!

To get in the Christmas spirit we have already added a Christmas music station to Pandora, we watched "Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer" & we even bought a gingerbread house to decorate. Tonight we plan on watching "Santa Clause is 'Comen to Town" & reading about The Christmas Story in the scriptures. (PS. Can I just say that I love the new Christmas website that the church has?!)

As I have thought about how different this Christmas season is going to be from all the others of my 22 years of life, I hope that this year I can make it different because I spend more time pondering the true gift of Christmas - our Savior, our friend - Jesus Christ. It fills my heart with so much joy as I think about how He truly was a gift - the most wonderful gift. It is my hope that this Christmas Mr. Norton and I spend more time talking about the Savior than about Christmas gifts & holiday parties. Because I know that if we do, we will be blessed with a very special Christmas spirit in our home that will make everything that much more enjoyable.

Julian {Adventure}

With Thanksgiving comes a lovely four-day weekend. I have been looking forward to this specific four-day weekend for quite a while now. You see - Kenny & I put together a "bucket list" of all these things that we want to do before we move to Utah, we call this list our "California Bucket List". On this lovely four-day weekend we had planned to cross off one our our bucket list items - going to Julian!

Julian is a quaint town up in the mountains here in California. I have fun memories growing up of going to Julian with people from church and taking those old fashioned photos - you know those awkward ones where you dress up in ugly clothes and have a serious face? Yeah, those. I also have fun memories of going up to Julian with friends from high school and getting lost in the little used bookstore. And it wouldn't be a trip to Julian without a slice of pie from Mom's Pie House!! Needless to say I was excited to go to Julian with my Mr. Norton & create some new memories.

The drive to Julian is nothing short of beautiful - driving up and down those windy roads surrounded by beautiful nature (my favorite)! It was all making me very excited to go on drives with Kenny up the various canyons of the Utah mountains. Once we got to Julian we walked around looking in all the shops. We even hiked up to the Julian "pioneer cemetery" and looked at those old tombstones. We winded through the rooms of the used bookstore & searched through those old smelly books. Kenny and I also went into an eerie antique store, where there were even more smelly old vintage things! :] I love getting away to Julian because you can escape the city, enjoy some crisp air, eat some pie, and get your walk on!

We ended our trip amongst the pies at Mom's and buying some fresh bread at Dudley's bakery. It was the perfect day trip getaway. We can now cross off "trip to Julian" on our California bucket list. :]

I love adventures with my Mr. Norton!

Arizona {Adventure}

Can I just say I had a great weekend?! Althought I was a little lonely without my husband by my side, I had a great weekend in Arizona. I traveled to Arizona to see one of my good friends get married & to spend time with my family and my very best friends. I almost wasn't going to go because of car problems, but I am so glad everything worked out perfectly & I arrived in Mesa just in time to go to the reception.

Driving the whole way (and back) by myself was the pits! It's lonely driving by yourself! I used to enjoy it...I don't know what happend. Maybe it's because I am married now and road trips mean hand holding, catching each other up on stories about when we were young, lauging at silly jokes, talking about all of our dreams and the many things we want to accomplish in our lives, & reminicing on our early days of dating where we were too afraid to tell each other what we were really thinking. Roadtrips with Mr. Norton are fun! Bummer he had to miss out on this trip, but I know there will be many many more roadtrips in our future. :]

After spending just a short time with my family, I spent the bulk of the weekend with my old roommates. It was great being able to spend time with them and to see our friend, Alex, happily married. I suppose I should not call my friends roommates anymore, but thats what they will always be to me - my roommates. We (plus 3 others who are currently serving missions for the church) all met freshman year at BYU & we have been a pack ever since. Being with them, no matter how much time has passed between us, is always so much fun and so easy; its as if no time at all has passed between us! I love those girls very much & can't wait till the other 3 come home!

Like I said, it was a great weekend away! I always find it hard to get back into the grind after a weekend traveling, but I keep reminding myself that in only 7 weeks we move to Utah! (That tends to help pass the time :] )  & I have only 5 weeks left at my job (which is bitter sweet). I will be sad to leave family and friends behind, but Mr. Norton and I are so excited about our adventure to Utah. I just know that we have many great things in store for us. Watch out Utah, you are about to be hit with a bunch of awesomeness.