Update

So for the entire month of March I've been doing that 30 day thing.  (Notice how I started it on the 4th, it's now the 31st and I'm on what, Day 11?  Ha)  Anyway, I thought I'd slip in an update post amidst my 30 day posts to update on mine and Darren's life - what we've been up to.

March has been a pretty mellow month for us.  Not that we're not busy, because we are, but nothing huge has happened this month.  It has been filled with the usual.  Darren's working hard like always and trying to get his scorpion idea moving.  He's looking into more ways to advertise for when summer hits.  He's putting his all into being a wonderful Assistant Varsity Coach for his teachers.  All the while, he's a wonderful husband.  One thing new this month is Darren got himself a bee suit and has done a few bee jobs.  Those jobs require him not only up but AT the house before the sun rises.  And the sunrise is getting earlier each and every day...

Me?  Well, my days are spent at work of course.  The nice thing about working in Queen Creek now is I have the option to go home for lunch.  I don't every day, but it's nice to be able to every once and awhile.  Also this month, I've had a lot of meetings.  Camp is coming up (well, 3 1/2 months away, but it's closer than you think) as well as the trek so I've been busy planning.  I really do love my calling and I am very lucky to have such wonderful ladies to help me.  It's a lot of work but it's fun and the girls are amazing.

April is going to be a busy month for us!  Darren's birthday falls on Easter this year and we'll be spending that weekend in Las Vegas.  His brother Ben and his family are coming down from Alaska, finally!  We haven't seen them since our wedding!  So we'll be spending Easter weekend in Vegas with the Hunsakers.  It'll be a fun little getaway.  I'm sure there's more going on in April, I just can't seem to remember it all.

Anyway, there's our update!  Just keeping busy during the week and enjoying our weekends together.  Bring it on, April.

Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago

Time for the little Emily!

This was taken at Dad's store in Indio.

Feeding little Sandra a bottle

Me at the hospital eating my rice krispies. Notice the muffin and whatever else is on that plate hasn't been touched...just the cereal and apple juice.

Gotta love the matching Easter dresses!

My aunt's wedding.  I didn't get to match this time around.

And here are some of Darren!  Haha, I wonder if he'll ever know I put these...doubt it!

He's the second to youngest in these.  So not the little guy...the one a little older than him.

Such a happy family =)

I wonder what our little kiddos will look like...



Day 9: A Photo You Took

So I realized today while looking through my facebook pictures, I'm not the best camera woman.  Pictures I take aren't anything special.  So for this post, I had to dig deep - search through my cell phone haha.  Here's what I came up with.

My house sits up against a mountain, which is wonderful!  It makes for early shade (we get shade an hour or so before the rest of Arizona) and beautiful sunsets!  The first two (I cheat, I do more than one...) pictures were most likely taken when I pull into my neighborhood on my drive home from work.

First you've got the traditional breathtaking Arizona sunset.  Purple...pink...yellow...amazing.

Second, you have a different shot.  Possibly a different time of day, I'm not sure.  I just loved how the sun was streaming through the clouds.

Now, I chose a third picture.  I'm in this one...but it's a picture that best reminds me of Rexburg winters.

I remember when I would wake up to FEET of snow every morning, and I loved every minute of it.  How could you not?  It's so white...so beautiful.  I love the snow.  I love the sunshine too, but I miss bundling up with jackets and scarves and boots and waddling all funny trying not to sink in the snow.  Love it =)



Day 8: A "Thank You" letter for someone who has changed your life

A thank you letter to someone who changed my life…my life has been touched by the lives of MANY, that selecting one would be close to impossible.  So…I decided to take my life from back when I lived in Cali to where I am now, and thank those that come to mind.  I won’t include everyone…but those that left a remarkable impact in my life and that impacted who I am today.  Also, I won’t be using any names, but you'll know who you are.  A few of you could probably name everyone else too...  =P

*To the YW Leader that wasn’t only my leader, but a friend when I had none. Who made me feel like I was the most important person in the world. Who helped me realize my value and worth – along with my potential. For the example you set…

*To the one tie I still have to California. Times between us weren’t always easy. But through it all, we have stayed friends. We can go months without speaking, but I always know that if I needed you, you’d be there instantly.

*The one who was my best friend for years – who helped my testimony grow and taught me a lot about what I want in life. Thanks for helping me learn to really communicate my feelings. Thanks for never completely giving up on me. Thanks for giving me a shot to make things good again.

*To the friend who watched me crumble time and time again and never forced me to talk – never told me what I should do, how I should feel, was just there. Things are different with us now, but I remember how much you blessed my life. Thank you.

*To the one who was always there and still is. I relied on you throughout the years and you never let me down. You helped teach me what it means to be a friend. You helped me become a better friend. You’ve never left my side =) 

*To the one who taught me how to pray. Well, my parents taught me how to pray…but you taught me how to use prayer in my everyday life. You taught me how to listen to the spirit and have faith to act upon that which I was prompted. Thank you for being such a great friend, no matter the circumstances. When I needed you, you were there, no matter how much it hurt.

*To the friend who saw me through the roughest patch. Thanks for sticking by my side – for never letting me give up. Thanks for listening to my random stories, going on adventures with me, and thanks for watching Pearl Harbor over and over again. I am so lucky to have you as one of my best friends, and I am so excited for you and where you’re going in life =)

*To the friend who didn’t let a dumb boy get in the middle of us. For listening to me rant and rave. For forgiving me of my mistakes…thank you for always being there to talk to. I'm so glad that even though I'm a boring married person, we're STILL friends.  Thanks for being my friend.

*To my best friend. Thanks for the love you’ve shown me, and continue to show me every day. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your strength and example. For all you do for me. Thank you for your support and encouragement. I love you, always and forever. I love where we’re at and can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.

*To the friends that I was born with. You ALL have impacted my life in a specific way. Each of you have helped shaped me into who I am today. I look up to each and every one of you (even you, little one).

*And to my friends that I didn’t always consider my friends. Thank you for raising me to be the person I am today. Thank you for the home environment you created. Thank you for instilling a testimony in me. Thank you for always supporting me, no matter what.

*And lastly, for my new friends. The ones that maybe weren’t around in high school or college, but are part of my life now. Thank YOU for being the person you are. I love my current friends and couldn’t be happier. You guys are WONDERFUL.

Day 7: Five Things You Couldn't Possibly Live Without

5 things I couldn't possibly live without...lets see...I'm going to assume that food/water is a given.

1. My husband/family.  Life would not be the same without those people in my life.  Darren is my best friend, as is all my siblings and parents.  And I adore my nieces and nephews, they're amazing!  So, of course, I couldn't possibly live without my amazing husband and wonderful family.

2. The Gospel.  Without the gospel, I wouldn't have my family forever.  Also, I wouldn't have many of the blessings I currently have...so I couldn't live without that.

3. Music.  Plain and simple, I could NOT live without music.  I can't begin to express how much I love music.  I always have music playing whether it's at work, in the car, or while I'm getting read in the morning.  I love the joy it brings.  Most of all, I love singing along.  I don't have a fantastic voice or anything, but I have trouble listening to music and NOT singing along.  I just have to...and I LOVE it.  Absolutely love music in every possible way...

4. My blanket.  I know what you're thinking..."she's 22 and still has a blankie...".  Well, this blanket was made by my Grandma Gleason.  And it's not the blanket so much as just having something to hold at night.  I left my blanket somewhere a few months ago and I could not for the life of me get comfortable.  I ended up getting one of our blankets we have downstairs for the couch and used that.  I just need...something to hold close to me when I sleep.  It could be anything, any blanket, a shirt, anything really.  But I prefer my blanket.

5. Chapstick.  Anyone who knows me knows that I ALWAYS have Natural Ice Chapstick in my pocket.  And if I don't have pockets, it's in my purse.  No joke, I don't go ANYWHERE without my chapstick.  I remember my mom mentioning how when I left for college, she'd keep asking Sandra for chapstick but Sandra doesn't carry it around 24/7 like I do.  Mom had to start carrying her own.  I can not live without my chapstick..pathetic, I know ;)

So there are my 5!  What can't you live without?

Day 6: A Moment You Wish You Could Relive

So much for posting every day, or close to, huh?

I have an excuse [sort of] for putting this off.  I could not for the life of me think of THE moment that I wish I could relive.  My first thought, of course, went to mine and Darren's wedding day, but that's a no brainer really.  The day went by fast...I remember bits and pieces, a little bit of who helped and who attented, but it's mostly a blur.  As as much as I would love to relive that day, take it in a little more, I didn't want to choose that for this.  Don't ask me why...I just wanted to do something different.  Something unexpected, becaues lets be real, you all probably thought I'd talk about wanting to relive my wedding, right?

The day I want to relive...is more like a trip.  Darren and I got engaged on Sept. 4th, 2009.  A week after that, Darren and I took a trip.  I'm not sure exactly...but I think we started this trip on the 9th or 10th, and got back the 12th?  Maybe 13th...that's besides the point.

This trip was a little get away to Utah.  We stopped in Vegas and I met the Vegas Hunsaker crew at lunch.  If I remember correctly...it was Sheldon, Chris, Shawn, June, Audrey, Jen, and Kenyon.  The other kids were in school that day.  I think we ate at Red Robin or something like that.  It was fun getting to meet my future family, they're wonderful.  After lunch, we picked up Darren's cousin Jason.  He was coming to Utah with us.  In Utah, we just had fun.  Went to an Allred concert, had lunch with Marcee and Aaron, spent time with Ford, and had a blast.  While browsing at the BYU Bookstore, I came across a book titled "300 Questions LDS Couples Should Ask Before Marriage".  The entire drive down from Utah was spent reading that book.  It was fun!

It was a very memorable weekend.  But why would I choose this over my wedding day?  This weekend was perfect.  Darren and I were already engaged, we were in love, I knew we'd be together forever, but this weekend was when our love really grew.  We got to know each other so much that weekend and we fell in love even more.  That's why I'd relive it if I could.  It was when I really really fell in love with my husband.  It was a wonderful weekend.  It was what made our wedding day possible.  And for that, I would love to go back and do it all over again.  I love my life =)

(this picture was taken that weekend)

Day 5: A Favorite Quote

This one I struggled with (hence not writing yesterday).  I couldn't think of many quotes, and the ones I could, I wouldn't call them my favorite.  For example, I love quote "You can be smart and happy or stupid and miserable" by President Hinckley, but I wouldn't call that my favorite.  Also, "Come what may and love it" is also a great one.  But my favorite...that would have to be...

"Happiness is the journey, not the destination"

(I tried to find the source of this quote but I found so many names, I'm just gonna leave it blank)

Only, I'm going to switch it up.  Happiness is BOTH the journey and the destination.  What we strive for every single day is eternal happiness.  To be with the ones we love and with our Father in Heaven.  Pure happiness.  But what good is that if we don't enjoy the ride?

I tend to focus on the result.  "After high school, then life will be perfect." Or "Once I'm married, everything will be great".  Even now, "Once we start a family...then my life is set".  I forget to live in the moment, to enjoy each and every day.  To enjoy high school and the friendships found there because most (and I mean most...basically all but one) have dwindled away.  Or to live it up in college, try my very best each day.  And now, to enjoy every day I have with my amazing husband.  I focus too much on the future and not enough on the present.

Happiness is not only the destination, but the journey as well.

Remember to take life as it comes to you.  Live each day.  Don't only focus on tomorrow or else you'll never live today.

This is happiness

Wait..uhh...I mean THIS is happiness

Day 4: A Favorite Television Program

I have always LOVED TV.  I remember watching Doug and Rugrats right before bed growing up, and having to run and brush my teeth and put on my pajamas during the commercials because the minute the clock hit 8:00, I was in bed.

All through middle school, my favorite was Boy Meets World.  Still love that show, and have seen every episode multiple times.  So funny!  Feeney!  Fuh uh uh eeeeeney!

Now my current favorite tv show, that's a tie between 2 shows.  I guess one isn't current anymore...but there are re-runs on every day and I LOVE it.  It's a hilarious show and I never get sick of it.  That would be...

Who doesn't love this show?

And finally, my current playing favorite show is of course

Who doesn't some evening drama?

Day 3: A Favorite Book

Anita Stansfield.  She's an LDS author of romantic novels.  She's got...49 books (I just counted on her website) and my mom owns probably every single one.  Those were the first books I actually read for fun, and I fell and love.  Sure, each book is the same storyline with a few different details, very predictable, but I love them.

My favorite books from her collection are the Gable books (there are 2).  I have read those two books so many times that I almost don't have to read them anymore.  I can just skim the pages and I see the book playing out in my mind.  Love it...

You know what?  Now...I want to read some of her books!  I'll have to find some time for some leisure reading =)

What's your favorite book?  Or author?

Happy reading!

Day 2: A Favorite Movie

A favorite movie...again, too many to choose from!  There's one movie (well, maybe more than one..) that I can watch over and over again and never get sick of it.  This movie is what cheers me up.  I remember one evening inparticular in Idaho, I was having a rough night.  My roommate Keira was asleep (so I thought) so I went outside, wrapped in a blanket, to sit and think.  I was frustrated...and I had only been out there in the cold for a few minutes before Keira showed up, wrapped her arm around me, and got me to come back inside.  I went back to our room, got in bed, and she put this movie on.  What a friend...

Pearl Harbor

The first time I saw this movie, I didn't want to.  I was maybe 14 and thought it would be a dumb documentary about WWII.  My friend convinced me it was good, and I instantly fell in love.  It's got action, romance, and some very handsome actors!

There you have it.  My all time favorite movie, Pearl Harbor.  It can cheer me up instantly.  Best part, I know every line backwards and forwards so I don't even have to be in the same room half the movie and I'll still know exactly what's going on.  Love it...  What's your favorite movie?

Day 1: A Favorite Song

So anyone who knows me knows that I love music.  An absolute favorite song is almost impossible to decide on.  I love so many songs for so many reasons!  So lets think...

(I started this post on Friday, it is now Monday and I still don't know a favorite song!)

So I'm going to go with favorite artist.  Taylor Swift!  Typical, I know.  But I LOVE her music.  I love it because they are SO much fun to sing along to.  Also, I can pick a song to match every mood.  I love blaring a song in my car and singing at the top of my lungs.  Ask Raina and Keira...we spent many of times in Waldo singing "You Belong With Me" at the top of our lungs.  It's fun!  So there you have it.  Not a favorite song, but MANY favorite songs =)

Maybe one day I'll get to go to a Taylor Swift concert.

30 Day Challenge

So..I've decided to do something to help me actually write on this blog.  Life is busy, but I don't really want to write about the busy stuff...most of you don't care.  So I thought I'd try this 30 day thing, it'll give me something to write about!  Now, I don't know if I'll write every day, (I'm never on the computer over the weekends..) but lets see what happens.  Here's the line up.

Day 1: A favorite song.

Day 2: A favorite movie.

Day 3: A favorite book.

Day 4: A favorite television program.

Day 5: A favorite quote.

Day 6: A moment you wish you could relive.

Day 7: Five things you couldn't possibly live without.

Day 8: A thank you letter to someone who has changed your life.

Day 9: A photo you took.

Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago.

Day 11: A photo of you taken recently.

Day 12: A song that you want played at your wedding(or was played).

Day 13: A guilty pleasure.

Day 14: A vacation you would like to take.

Day 15: A person you admire.

Day 16: A song that makes you cry.

Day 17: An art piece.

Day 18: A time when you felt passionate and alive.

Day 19: A talent of yours.

Day 20: A hobby of yours.

Day 21: Something you know you do differently than most people.

Day 22: A website.

Day 23: A way in which you want to be remembered.

Day 24: A movie no one would expect you to love.

Day 25: A recipe.

Day 26: A childhood memory.

Day 27: A physical feature you love.

Day 28: A scar you have and its story.

Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans you have for the next 365 days.

Day 30: A motto or philosophy.

Here we go!