Shifting Through Memories

At the beginning of last week, my mom came to visit. My mom and dad were down for the weekend to celebrate their anniversary. It was last minute. They stayed at their favorite hotel in Salt Lake City, Little America. They went shopping and seemed to have lots of fun together. Then on Monday they came to our house. We were just rolling out of bed because both Spencer and I couldn't sleep the night before. Then we went to the BYU bookstore and got my dad a sweatshirt that he liked. Then we took my dad to the airport and he took a shuttle back home. My mom had planned to spend the next few days helping me sort through my belongings.

We spent two and a half days sorting through all of my books, papers, clothes, and stuff. We threw out about half of everything that we went through. This was very difficult for me. I am a hoarder. I like to keep everything because I am super sentimental. I probably have never really thrown things away before. It's pretty pathetic. But we did really good. I think that I got rid of a whole garbage bin full of things. Some of it we threw away. Some of it we took to DI. It was kind of amazing. The whole thing was really emotional for me. It was like a mid-life crisis or something. It felt like I was looking back on my whole life and deciding what was valuable and what was not. It wasn't even sad to part with the stuff, really. But it was like having a flood of memories, both good and bad. And that whole feeling was overwhelming. On top of this, I was growing up in a lot of ways. I was realizing how foolish I have been. How complicated I have made my life and that it doesn't need to be that way. I was realizing what I really want in life and what was really important. It was seriously like a big turning point in my life. You know those moments? The ones when you just know that you will never be the same. It's like you step out of your life for a moment and you just know that your whole perspective is about to grow. Those truly enlightening and defining moments that make you who you are and who you are about to become. It was pretty intense. And my poor mom and my poor husband had to deal with it all.

I was also overcome with a terrible homesickness. It was the worse case that I have ever had. I just really want to go home and live near my parents and sisters and in-laws and nieces and nephews. I want to spend time with them and do fun activities and get-togethers. I want to go to Palisades Lake and go boating and just be with my family. Hopefully someday we can go home and live near our family.

In spite of all of this, I am really excited to move and to start this new chapter in our lives. I know that this is the right thing and I'm sure that the time will just fly by. I am really grateful that we are able to have all of these wonderful opportunities. It will be an adventure for me and my sweetheart.

I am really grateful to my mom for taking the time to help me do this. I'm sure that it was anything but fun for her. And she is so sweet and wonderful to help me out. It was really nice to have her there. And it is great to have her support in what we are doing. Thank you mom, for everything. Thank you for being patient with me and all of my emotions. And for being patient about all of my crap. You really helped me out so much. I'll never forget it. I wish I could be up there to wish you a Happy Mother's Day next week. I love you mom. Thank you for all that you do and all that you have done for me. You are a wonderful mom. I hope you have Happy Mother's Day next Sunday.

Here is a picture of the computer room after our few days of work. You can actually see the floor!!

Another Jazz Game

On May 26, we went to another Jazz game. It was game Four of the Houston/Utah series. Our friends Bush and Kerrie were here visiting for a couple of days while they were shopping for baby things in Utah. We decided that we wanted to go to the Jazz game that night. We didn't have tickets, but we got some from scalpers. I was working that day so I met up with the other three just before the game. We ate food at the game, which was really good because I was starving. Then we found our seats. We were even seating close to our friends Dan and Jordyn.

This was another really exciting game. It wasn't as close as game Three, but it was still a nail-biter. Jazz won 86-82. What a great game! Deron Williams is amazing! We had a great time and we got good tickets for a low price.

We didn't have our camera, but I had my phone camera...so here are a few pictures. Sorry about the quality.

Before the game.



Spencer, Bush, and Kerrie.



After the game.



It was really fun to have Bush and Kerrie stay with us. We wish that we could hang out with them more often. They are really great friends and we are grateful for them. It was especially fun for Spencer because he got to hang out with them while I had to work. The dogs also really enjoyed the visit. Bush played with them and they just loved all of the attention. I hope that we can hang out with them more before we move.

Graduation

Last Friday, my sweetheart graduated from BYU with a major in Italian and a minor in Communications. He has worked so hard and has almost straight A's. I am so proud of him! I kept telling him that over and over. He said that graduation is silly and just a formality. He also feels like it isn't really over because he starts again in the fall. I don't think that it has hit him yet. It probably won't until we are back in Buffalo and he has to watch a BYU football game on TV.

Again, I am so proud of him. He has managed to do the football stuff and Sportsman's Warehouse and go to school and get good grades and deal with me! He is such a great man. I swear he can do everything well. It almost drives me crazy. He is just too perfect, and such a hard worker. I am excited to see where he goes in life and what he accomplishes. I know that no matter what he decides to do that he will be successful. I mean look at everything he has done so far in life! I love him so much and I am astonished and proud of him. And most of all, I am grateful for him and all that he does.

Here we are before.




Here is Spencer walking across the stage.



Here is the stage and all of the professors.



Here we are after the ceremony. I bought Spencer some leis. He gave two of them away (that is just like him...he felt bad for other people and gave them away). I gave him the nut kind and the other one is green, red, and white which are the colors of the Italian flag. Spencer's parents have a similar picture of at graduation with the "Y" in the background.



Here we are again. Spencer liked this picture the best because we are doing what we always do...cuddle.



And here he is with his parents. We were so grateful that they came all the way down to see him graduate. They are so proud of him, too. It was really fun for me to sit with his mom and talk. We usually don't have much time to do that.



We went to dinner at Macaroni Grill afterword. Spencer's parents treated us, which was much too generous. It was really, really fun! We have never had the opportunity to go to dinner with just them and us as couples. What an awesome experience! I really enjoyed myself. I hope that we can spend more time together in the future and get to know each other better.

Jazz Game

Last Thursday (yeah, a week ago...we've been busy), Spencer and I went to a Jazz Playoff Game. The Jazz were playing game 3 against the Houston Rockets. Utah had won the first two games in Houston and were now coming to home-court to play game three. Our friend, Dan, had tickets but wasn't able to go due to a work softball game. He offered to sell the tickets to us and we agreed. So we went.

It was a really close game the whole time. It was really exciting and it was fun to be there with just the two of us. When we first got there, they were giving away white tee-shirts that said "One Team, One Dream." I guess that it the theme for this years playoffs.

It was fight to the very end, and sadly, the Jazz lost in the last seconds. It was very disappointing and frustrating. But there was still another home game to play before going back to Houston, so there was a lot of hope.

This is warm-up.



This is the crowd all in white. Last year, they gave away light blue shirts. I liked that a whole lot better. But it is still nice that they gave us the shirts and that most everyone was wearing them. They would put the people who weren't wearing them up on the big TV above the court and had writing that said to put the shirt on. It was funny.



This is a drum line on garbage cans that they did between quarters or in a time out or something. I liked it. My other favorite was when they did a singing-bee, where someone would karaoke for a little while to a familiar song, and then they would stop putting the words on the TV and the person would have to sing the words correctly to get a prize. I like karaoke.




This is the final score of the game. 94-92, Houston. Sad.




And here is me and my baby at the game.

Meet Bill

This is Bill.

He was given to us by Bentley, Max, Jonah, and Ruby. They made him at the build a bear workshop in the mall.

Here Bill is in his Buffalo Bills football uniform.

He also has a birth certificate.

We're going to miss the Jenny and her family, but at least we have Bill now to remind us of them.

Watch Out Buffalo, Here We Come

So after months of deliberating about what to do and where to go....we finally decided. We are moving to Buffalo, New York in May or June.


Spencer got a position working for the NFL Buffalo Bills. It is a good offer. He also got an offer from the San Francisco 49ers, but they didn't offer as good of a position. So we went with Buffalo. We are both really excited. This is a dream come true for Spencer.

Here is the stadium.




The main reason that we chose Buffalo is because everything seemed to fall into place there. Actually, the funny thing is that in February I gave Spencer a list of cities and schools where both of our programs were offered. I told him to look it over because we probably needed to apply to more schools to increase our options. He said back then that he felt good about Buffalo for some reason. After that, he found out that his program was really good in Buffalo. And I found out that my program was really good. Then he found out that there was this job opening with the Bills, and he applied. When all of those things ended up working out, the choice seemed obvious.

Spencer is planning to attend Canisius for graduate school this fall. He will be working towards a Master's Degree in Athletic/Sports Administration. He may also get his MBA, we haven't decided on that yet. The program that Spencer will be enrolled in includes classes for an MBA, so it wouldn't take him much longer to finish that degree as well. This would also be useful to him in his career.

The Canisius mascot is a griffin. His name is Petey. I think that he looks funny and not very ferocious.

Here is some information about Canisius.

Canisius College is one of 28 Jesuit colleges in the nation and is consistently ranked among the top regional colleges in the Northeast.

Founded in 1870 by German Jesuits, Canisius College is named for St. Peter Canisius, a renowned Dutch educator and one of the original members of the Society of Jesus. What began in a single building in downtown Buffalo now consists of 65 buildings located on 40 acres in a residential neighborhood in North-Central Buffalo.

Mission:
Canisius College is proud to share in the Jesuit heritage, which offers students a highly personalized education solidly based in the liberal arts that emphasizes the development of the whole person. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to pursue and promote excellence in their professions, their communities and their service to humanity.

Enrollment:
Undergraduate – 3,591 Full-time – 3,310, Part-time – 281
Graduate – 1,388 Full-time – 691, Part-time – 697
Total number of students – 4,979
42 percent male 58 percent female
35 states represented
22 foreign countries represented

Canisius ranked 25th in the US News and World Report 2005 rankings of Best Universities-Master’s North. The jump of eight positions, from 33 to 25, is the largest jump by any school in the tier.

Here are some pictures of the campus.

I am planning to attend the University at Buffalo, which is a State University of New York (SUNY) college. I will be going to get my masters in nurse anesthesia (CRNA). I probably won't start until next year, but I am still excited. Our mascot is a bull named Victor E. Bull (victory bull, ha ha). He looks ferocious.

And here is a picture of campus. I am really excited to live there in the autumn. I have always wanted to be back east when all of the deciduous trees change colors.

We want to thank everyone for your patience and support while we have been making this difficult decision. Sorry we kept you all waiting so long. We are really going to miss everyone and we hope that in our last few months here we will be able to spend quality time with our family and friends. We also hope that the distance between us won't change how close we are. We love you all and hopefully we can stay in touch and visit often.

Emo Side Project

So I have heard some songs on the radio by a group Emo Side Project. The problem is that I can't actually find their music anywhere. They are a group from somewhere in Texas. And I really like their music, but it can't be found in stores or online or anywhere. It isn't even on i-tunes. I am frustrated. If anyone can help, I would appreciate it.

This is my favorite song. It's called Twitterpated.

i know those thing you say will make my every day
we'll be together for tonight and i hope
you'll be close to me you're my everything
i’ll fall in love with you again and again

if i could tell you one more thing
i’d tell you that i love you
and i want to hold you
kiss you all over
and we'll be together
and i’ll be so twitterpated

i’ll hold your hand and
sing you every song i wrote for you
i’d do you hair until
you fall asleep on my lap
and sing right back to me
you're my everything
i’ll sign our names upon this moon tonight

if i could tell you one more thing
i’d tell you that i love you
and i want to hold you
and kiss you all over
and we'll be together forever

i’ll love you till the day i die
and whisper words you'd wanna hear
and i love you so much baby
you’re my perfect lady
i'm so lost in this dream