Keepin it short and sweet

My last post was about how shocking it was that october had come so quickly. And now here I am with only one more week until november! we are starting to make our holiday plans and a whole new type of stresses comes along. Which family when and where back and forth back and forth! Part of being grown ups and married I guess. It's fun having so many people wanting you around for the festivities! Just like my mom says, now we have two families to love us!
This past weekend we got to spend time with our best friends and the entire Anderson family. Friday we were total little kids at lagoon with Craig and Lindsey. It was my first experience with Frightmares and I was plenty entertaining for Trevor. We decided haunted houses aren't worth the money if I hide behind his back the whole time and scream. That night we watched a scary movie and I felt like we were teenagers again! We were cuddled as close as can be and  all four of us had our eyes covered. So much fun! We finally called it a night around 2 am because our deep conversations weren't making sense anymore. 
Me and the anderson ladies spent the entire day Saturday in the kitchen, preparing for Marissa's farewell on Sunday. She leaves for Seattle tomorrow and it's going to be a huge adjustment for everyone! This is one of the times it's awful being so far away. We had to say our goodbyes on Sunday. It's such a bittersweet feeling. She's going to do amazing!
Life doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon, I'm ok with that.

October Already?

I can't believe that this semester only has 2 1/2 months left. It feels like Trevor and I just barely moved back up to Logan. I have such mixed feelings about graduating this spring. Some days it seems like It can't come soon enough, and other days I hope it never comes! I had a weird realization today when I figured out that I will miss being a student. After 15 years of practice, I must say I've gotten quite good at it! I don't know what i will do out in the real world when I don't have tests every four weeks, and grades to look forward to remind me that I'm getting mostly A's in life! At the same time It will feel so great to have my degree, and know I stuck it through. I love our life as students. Me and Trevor have a pretty great routine going to the library, helping each other study, lunch breaks together, and dropping each other off at classes. I Love it! Enough for both of us to stay in school forever? Probably not. Oh well, back to studying. Only  7 months to graduation!

What I've been up to lately

My latest Craft project!! Our awful navy blue living room needed something new so I decided to get crafty. So I figured doilies and a canvas would be a good start! Add a little paint and the amazing mod podge and WALA ( no idea how to really spell that ) You can see the underlying white doilies because my camera sucks but they look really cool when it catches the light just right.

Also, I've caught onto this little treat lately that is amazing and everyone wants the recipe for! here it is!

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp softened butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar (maybe more)

3/4 cup brown sugar (maybe more)

Pretzels

1 bag  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Combine peanut butter and softened butter in a large bowl with a fork or whisk, or in a stand mixer.  Add the sugars and mix to combine.  At this point if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you’re ready to go.  If not, add a little more of each sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll (I used about 3/4 cup of each sugar).

Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the filling.  Roll each portion into a small ball, then sandwich them between two whole pretzels.  When all the balls are rolled and successfully sandwiched, stick the whole tray in the freezer for about half an hour.

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted.  Remove the pretzel sandwiches from the freezer and quickly dip each half-way into the melted chocolate.  Return to the tray and repeat with remaining sandwiches.  When all are dipped, return the tray to the freezer to set up completely.  Store the sandwiches in the refrigerator until serving time.

26.2 baby!

I guess the last post on our blog was 2 weeks before the marathon!! Well it's over now thank heavens. And what an adventure. Dad drove up Friday night to hang with me and get ready to race. We went to dinner, overloaded on pasta and picked up our packets. The race expo was insane. I automatically was wondering if I now belong to this crowd, this group of crazy people who will run till they die. Everyone was wearing their last race t-shirts, or their 50 miler shirts to prove they were die hards. Not sure my plain pink t-shirt exactly labeled me as competition! The next morning we were up at 4:30 Am, and walking to the buses. That drive in a regular car 14 miles up black smith fork canyon is long... in a school bus, it's eternity! The whole time I was in my head wondering if I'll be in an ambulance in 5 hours or not. We got to the top and ended up getting in the bum portapotty line ( aka the slow one!). It also started raining pretty heavily, which made my anxiety about the race triple. with 5 minutes to ditch our drop bags and get to the finish we made it down the hill sporting some sexy garbage bag rain ponchos. Before I knew it we were running. The rain would let up for a minute, then pour hard for ten. I got rid of my poncho in a moment of hope, only to get dumped on even more. By mile 10 we were completely soaked! The cold water felt really great on my feet, but everywhere else was just cold.  It was the hail that really made me feel crazy. Why do we do this to ourselves? Me and dad were doing dang good! We only walked 2 times the whole race and it was about 1 block both times.  I felt better than I ever would have imagined. We put our headphones in at mile 14 to get some pump up tunes, and my ipod kept shuffling to church hymns! I was getting so frustrated!Mile 18 was probably my favorite, my 3rd wind. Then at 20 I hit the dreaded wall and just wanted to be done! I knew if we stopped I would not be able to get my feet to keep going.  I kept hearing the finding nemo quote in my head... "Just keep running, Just keep running, running running" Dad was such a great motivator. When I say I couldn't have done this without him, it's 100 % true! I was intensely relieved to see the finish line and all those who were there to support me. My besty Ash was the first one I saw and it made me want to cry! I looked ahead to see Trev, Chan, Addi and Fin and seriously almost lost it. I knew I couldn't have dad  drag me across the finish line so I kept it together =). Dad, you got me through the last 6 months, and right to the finish line of one of my biggest goals in life. I can't even express how much I needed your support and patience through all of this. You deserve a medal just for being an amazing dad. Hopefully I've forever proven that I'm a Johnson!!Besides you, Trevor definately had to be patient with me. Through injuries, bad days, and crazy races you've always been my motivation to just make it to the finish line! We're both so glad it's over. As of today, I'm never doing that again! But we'll see tomorrow;)

Just keep running...

My race is in 12 days. Me and dad ran 19 miles today and I couldn't imagine running another 7 on top of that. What did I get myself into? I could have never imagined the emotional journey this would have turned into. I have figured out so much about myself while feeling healthier than I ever have. I really do love to run. I think I just put too much pressure on myself. And on my body. I've had some really painful injuries as of late, and every time I've been conviced that there is no way I could keep going. But somehow I do. Last week I was running my usual course when i happened to come upon the TOU half marathoners. The 14th mile of my course just happened to be the last mile of the half. Unfortunately it was right when my bum hip gave out on me as well. All the race spectators were cheering me on like I was a participant! "you can do it" "you're so close"!! The worst part was that I could see the finish line, and all I could think about was not finishing my marathon and  having all my hard work wasted! It was quite the emotional moment! But with some fierce Chinese acupuncture and heafty counseling coming from the husband department I made it through. And somehow had my longest run of my life today. I wouldn't even be this far if it wasn't for trevor's tolerance, and dad's patience. My dad makes a dang good trainer. I should be his proof of success. At least we'll see next Saturday if I actually do succeed. What a journey.

Home Sweet Home!

Well me and Trevor have officially been in Logan over a week now and it feels so great to be back. Senior year seemed mostly like a daunting task that I just needed to get started on. Not one that I wasn't excited for, just anxious as well. We moved back into our little house in only a few days. I'm hoping to get some decorating in this go around but we'll see. Trevor started back at the hotel in no time. I wonder sometimes how that place functions without him? We are both facing some crazy scheduling tasks, but I think we can handle it. I started my senior practicum at Juvenile Probation and am in love with the work I'm doing. I wish I could say the same about my school work! For some reason tests and essays have become even less appealing than normal. First week of fall semester down, only fifteen more to go. It's a different experience up here with a huge portion of our friends graduated. Logan seems lonelier without the gang together. We also decided to try a new ward this year and mix things up for a change. We went to a married student ward for the first time yesterday and it went great! It feels so good to be back into our routines and what feels like normal life. It's hard not to love a place like Logan. For some reason it just feels like it loves you back.

Canada eh?

The grand finale of our summer... CANADA!!! Yes I, Haley Anderson, got to be the person who crossed the border for the first time with Trevor. HaHa and oh what an adventure it was. One of my cousins that I adore with all my heart was getting married! And they just happened to be Canadians. How could we resist the trip? So we hopped in a mini van along with grandma and Aunt Tonya, placing our lives in the hands of Uncle Tim and Bud. 12 hours later we were in Canada! And trev discovered that it's a lot like the states, just with more fields and cooler temperatures. The first day we were there we got to go to the Cardston Temple, and attend the session where Tiff took our her endowments. It was so special to us! Much too emotional though, reminding me of when I got to go through and how amazing it is for the first time. Then, because we only had two days there we decided to do some sight seeing. We all settled on Waterton National Park. Driving right into the park we came across a Black bear in the middle of the road! It was like animal planet in 3D baby, only better because it was real life! Later we saw another bear as well! We did everything we could including eating 2 of the finest hotdogs in canada, the famous waterton Weiners. they actually were quite delicious. And of course, we had to stop at the Welch's chocolate shop!

Grandma and Aunt Tonya decided to shop around in all the boutiques main street had to offer. Pretty much the only thing trev found entertaining were the creepy animal binoculars.

Instead he decided to try and teach me to skip rocks right on the shore below the Prince of Whales lodge. I love this place because we've come here every trip I've ever taken to Canada. Me and the girls would go right up to the ledge and throw rocks over. I was always too afraid to get close to the edge so I would throw them from much farther back. I think a few of them got hit in the head. Oops!   After our 1 day of being tourists we got to spend a whole day immersed in on of the most gorgeous wedding's I've ever been at! Tiff, The bride, asked me to sing at her reception as well so we practiced all day long to try and remind me how to carry a tune. The temple ceremony was incredible and I felt so blessed to have attended. It went by so fast and then we were back in the car for 12 more hours. It was so worth it though. We had so much fun on our last minute adventure. Once we came home we had 24 hours to pack and be ready to head back to Logan. Now here we are,ready to start a whole other type of adventure come Monday. Senior year! It feels like we never left. Home feels great.

We Love Birds... Apparently.

Somewhere in our last weeks of summer me and Trev managed to fit in a few last minute adventures. We had a weekend free so we decided to bring Addisyn, my little sister home with us to play. She is turning 13 in a few weeks, and started junior high this year. I had been having so many mixed emotions about her growing up so fast so I just wanted to steal her away for a few days to myself. I've never met a busier 12 year old so the fact that she fit me in was quite a big deal. The three of us decided to take a trip to the Tracy Aviary in SLC. If birds are going to be exciting to me at all then it's going to be with these two people. We had way too much fun.

The fact that we were matching was not on purpose at all! But it was still kinda fun.  We got to see turkeys and peacocks just roaming around, and I became informed that owls would never make good pets, no matter how tiny and cute they are. We also got to watch the pelican's feeding process which was an experience for all 3 of us!




The aviary had swans that were so pretty! Ever since watching the swan princess as a little girl I've had a love for them knowing they all could be princess's in disguise! Can you believe they are such ugly little ducklings? I couldn't help but just love this little guy. I decided to take it's picture because I felt sure that he doesn't get enough camera time.

After we'd seen all we could at the aviary apparently we couldn't get enough of birds! We took a whole loaf of bread ( it was a bread making disaster loaf) to liberty park and got swarmed by geese. Addi found it hilarious to trail the bread right next to me and watch me scream as they got way too close for comfort.

It was so much fun having her out hang out with us. When I first moved out addi was only 9 and still just a little girl. But since I've been at college for the last 3 years I feel like I've missed the whole process of her getting older. It makes me so sad! But she's amazing, and done very well the last few years without me, so I guess she will be ok =). I have such a great family!

Run Haley, Run!!

Ever since me and Trevor got married I have been training to run the Top of Utah marathon on September 17th. When I first started training I couldn't imagine how I was ever going to get up the strength and endurance to even run a half marathon. Now, here we are 6 weeks out from the full and I've already run 3! I'm pretty lucky to have my own personal trainers to push me beyond what i would be capable of on my own. My mom and dad have been running for almost 15 years and the two of them just never seem to get enough miles under their feet. So I feel this awful obligation to carry on their passion and run one of my own. This last weekend was my 3rd Half and it was by far the hardest one. My first two were awesome, and I felt great afterwards. But this last one was not so peachy. I've been fighting off an injury in my hip and it has only been getting worst the farther I run. About mile 6 i wanted nothing more than just to be done! I was so ready to text trevor and tell him to come get me! He isn't a big runner and doesn't quite undestand why people do such things to themselves. I can't say i understand either but I've been sucked in one way or another. Luckily I had mom, dad and chantal to cross the finish line with.

Somehow we finished!!!  Me and dad run a 16 mile run yesterday, and just like my race, I wouldn't have finished without dad. Hopefully he's up to getting me through the next 6 weeks and through 1 marathon. It really is just as much of an emotional battle as it is a physical one. Let's keep it together hay!

So much to do, so little time!!

Me and Trevor have been up to absolutely no good lately!! Just teasing.... The last few weeks have been packed full with something going on at every moment. Trevor was so excited that I finally turned 21. He claims it is a good thing to know if we were to walk through a casino I wouldn't get kicked out. Trevor made my birthday one of the best yet. I got to go out to lunch with one of my best girfriends during the day and then spend the rest of the night with my hubby. We went to dinner, caught a  movie, and ended the day with birthday Creme Brulee. The red sparkle candles were my favorite. Have I ever mentioned Trev is a dang good cook? Not every girl get's gourmet dessert for her birthday. So far 21 isn't half bad.

 That same week we got to attend the zoo together with Craig and Lindsey. We've come to the realization that any time us 4 are together, it's bound to be an adventure full of laughs. Rio tinto felt like it needed to rent the entire zoo out for a few nights for it's employees so we got the royal treatment the whole time we were there. If the free food and dorky visors werent' enought, the face painting made this night worth it.My zebra ended up leaving glitter in my pores for days afterwards but it was totally worth it. I was also very proud of Craig for even getting his face painted. After seeing Trevor with eyeliner on half his face I think he figured it couldn't be worse than that and he caved.

 

We also discovered that Trevor would get his butt kicked if he ever were to fight a chimp! He just doesn't have long enough arms...

I turn into a little kid when I go to the zoo. Something about seeing all the crazy animals in real life is a blast. I can only watch so much animal planet before i want to see the real things. I'm no bear grills though, so the zoo is perfect for my little adventurous heart. The hogle zoo didn't have very any animals this time but I learned a few interesting things about tigers from the animal trainer, and Trev learned how to make a cockatoo very angry. I can't wait to actually have little kids to take and show them the animals as well!  Nieces and nephews will have to do for the next few years.

A Celebration of Trevor... 24 years and counting

Trevor and I just barely made it through another crazy busy week. We knew that this summer would fill up fast, but we didn't understand how fast, and just exactly how full it truly would become.  Luckily, we got to have a relaxing weekend up at a cabin with some of our best friends, Craig and Lindsey Allen. It is sad how you lose touch with friends along the way, but these two are sure to be around for the long haul. We spend 3 days at a cabin with them and their family. It entailed many games of cards, a few neck and neck games of horse shoes, and one very eventful round of Mario party. It was so good to just get away and relax. 

Wednesday was Trevor's 24th Birthday!!! I think I was more excited than he was actually. I hate that birthdays aren't as big of a deal to guys as they are to girls. Either way, I was not about to just let this slide by.  We spent it with just the two of us, and I wanted him to know exactly just how important he is to me!! I made him my first ever birthday cake from scratch.  Dont' judge the writing... I never claimed to be a cake decorator. But I wasn't about to let him get off without candles and the whole shebang. He pretty much thought I couldn't get any cheesier, but being Trevor, he was happy just having things to light on fire. 

Birthday kisses.. doesn't everybody do those? Spankings just hurt. Plus I wanted to let him know that I better get 21 kisses on my birthday =)  

We had ribs for dinner and ate chocolate cake together right out of the pan. What more could you ask for on a birthday?  Trev was trying to guess his birthday present when I somehow managed to lead him into thinking I got him an ultimate breakfast sandwich maker ( who knows if they even exist). He was playing along so cute like he really would have been so excited. The sense of relief in his eyes when he saw his golf bag was priceless. 

My life would be completely dull without Trevor in it. This summer may be insanely busy, but it was so much fun to have a day just for him.And it was even better that the only thing he wanted for his birthday was to be together and relax for a night. The chocolate cake was just a bonus!  Happy Birthday Trevor! I love you!

Some things just Bug me...

Trevor had to leave for work this morning at 5 AM! I think it is downright wrong for people to be expected to even be awake before that time in the morning, let alone awake AND leaving for work! It's always hard for me to get back to sleep after  he goes, so I toss and turn until I convince myself to get up. This morning I was walking around our apt around 6 or so. I don't think I was expected so early, because there were bugs everywhere! The king of all potato bugs and his followers have claimed my kitchen as their own. The spiders on our walls aren't helping my bug phobia anxiety disorder either. So here I sit, living in fear in my own apt. Me and my sister have this awful habit of putting bowls and cups over anything living so that our husband's can deal with it when they get home. Immature? I say logical. Last year me and my roommate Telisha had some dumb boys set a whole pack of pet store crickets free in our apartment. We were traumatized! They were the nasty type that blend into everything, and you can only see them when they're jumping at your face.  We ran out of bowls all too quickly, and I had to face my issues. We resorted to Tupperware.  I'm a big girl right? Wrong. I hate bugs with a passion. But, having Trevor around to be the brave one has been a perk of being married I could never have imagined. Plus he never fails to get a good laugh at the situation. Next time I'm just going to stay in bed and pretend not to be paranoid.

Life is too short..

Me and Trevor had an experience this weekend that I wouldn't wish on anyone in the whole world, nor would I ever want to go through it again.

Our plans for this weekend were simple; quiet weekend in St. George with the family. Friday afternoon we both got off work, packed up and were off. The drive was peaceful. We stopped for dinner, stopped to go to the bathroom, and swore that we wouldn't need to stop again before we got there. That was before we saw the accident.

As we came up on one of the first exits to go to Parawon, we saw flames up ahead of us directly under the overpass. As we drove by we saw a landrover completely smashed into the center pillar with a body laying next to it. A couple of cars pulled off ahead of us but farther away. Trevor got out of the car, told me to dial 911 and sprinted towards the burning vehicle. He was the first one on the scene, and as responsible for pulling the man out of the fire and trying to bring him back to consciousness. By the time the highway patrol was on the scene and ambulance on their way, CPR had been attempted and failed. I knew in my heart when I saw them trying to bring the man back that it wasn't going to work. The Landrover continued to explode over and over. I could feel the heat on my body, and Trev being so close, I panicked. I've never gone into shock before, but I'm told that's exactly what I was experiencing. Everything but the explosions sounded so far away. I began to shake uncontrollably, watching the medics immediately place a sheet over the body was too much. People don't just see these types of things every day, and I definitely did not know how to handle it. I could see people talking to me, but couldn't comprehend what they were saying.  There were so many people around but I could only concentrate on making sure Trev was OK.
I had just witnessed a man's death. A complete stranger who I would have never met in this world otherwise. But for some reason, it still hurt. I couldn't stop thinking about the family that was going to be called with the tragic news, and the life that is now completely over.
I've never felt so fragile. The rest of the drive to St. George was terrifying. The storm we were driving through seemed so intense and even 40 mph seemed too fast. I started getting angry that life can be taken so quickly. I felt completely powerless and wished there was a way I could ensure nothing bad could ever happen to Trevor. witnessing someone being taken from this earth so quickly makes you want to hold on to those you love and never let go.  Watching him respond so quickly, and becoming so close to danger made me also wish he wasn't so brave. I was so proud to see him being strong, but it didn't make it less traumatic. Not only did he have to be there for that man, but he also had to talk me through what just happened afterwards. I didn't let go of him for one second for the rest of the night. Nothing seemed stable.
By the time we made it into town, we were exhausted. The event seemed surreal. Sleep wasn't happening either when every time we closed our eyes all we saw was tragedy. I can't image being someone who has to deal with these things on a daily basis.
Now that we've had tome to separate ourselves from the accident things have been able to settle down but I still feel like I take every day for granted. It is sad that it takes an accident like this to make me truly think about the plan of salvation, and what it means to me. If it wasn't for that plan, this life would be so hopeless. It is calming to realize I will get to be with those I love forever, no matter what this world has in store for us.
It has been an emotional weekend. I hope and pray we will never have to experience things like that ever again, but it is a comfort either way that I have Trevor by my side. 
My heart goes out to the family that lost someone they loved this weekend.

www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52159471-78/crash-suv-uhp-utah.html.csp

Family and Fireworks

This weekend was all about family for me and Trev. After spending a very eventful Saturday with the Andersons, Monday was spent in good old Utah County with my family. Sometimes that's all it takes to remind you who you are and where you've come from. Even though our two families are very different, they are both so crucial to who we are today. We had a great first 4th of July being married. Hotdogs, lemonade, strawberries and cream, a nice breeze and great company. What more could we ask for? We've got some very special people in our life.

We started our day at the Mutual Dell with the Johnson Clan. Trevor had never been up AF Canyon which was a shame since I spent so much of my time there growing up. He also learned that no matter how much time I spent up the canyon, I still hate dirt in my toes and am a pansy mountain woman. We had a BBQ at the cabin and got to spend some time with my dad. Life always get's more exciting when you get my Dad and Trevor together. They help each other understand me a little bit more each time. 

My grandma  and her husband bud came over to mom's house tonight for the BBQ. I  have such fun grandparents, but Grandma Charleen is one of a kind. She has taken such great care of me my whole life and is about as hip and stylish as granny's get. The best part is that she adores Trevor. I have to laugh everytime she calls because Trev and his wellbeing are very important to her. Me and my big sis have always been granny's girls. It's hard not to be. We were very excited to see her.

I am surrounded by women in this world that I admire and adore, but this one trumps! My Mama... ( she hates it when I call her that haha)  She recently got married and we honestly haven't spent much quality time at home since the event. But when I do, I always realize how much I miss her.

After Mom and granny, there are 3 other very special ladies that I would do anything for. My best friend and her two little superstars. It's actually crazy how much they all three are alike. They all always look their best. Whether it's great hair or great bows. They can make you think the world is coming to an end when a bug comes around. And even if they are raging mad at you one second, blink and it will all be over and they will love you again.  My family would never be the same without Chan and her two girls, Fin and Brink.

This one is the worst! Don't be deceived by those adorable blue eyes. She'll have you wrapped around her finger before you even realized you're whipped over this 2 year old! Even Uncle "T" will chase her around and play ball for hours.This is one girl that knows what she wants and get's it just because you can't resist her. I may be no more than treats and kisses to this one, but being an aunt is unlike anything I've ever experienced.

Brinkley is just a dream. She is one of the happiest babies I've ever seen. She could make anyone want to have a baby!

This 4th of July couldn't have gone better.

Toes in the water

Today was the definition of a lazy day, and oh how it was necessary. This week ended up being crazier than expected. We had something going on every night till late, and with Trev's job requiring him to be awake before the sun every morning, we didn't get much beauty sleep. Thank heavens for an open afternoon. We were able to catch up on lost sleep and much behind laundry. But after being stagnant all afternoon, we decided to take a walk. This is one of the things I love most about summer nights. We went to the "lake" in daybreak and walked the trail around the water.We stopped on the dock and hung our toes in water. I worried the whole time that fish the size of cards were going to bite my toes off. Trevor on the other hand found his entertainment from throwing ducks rocks and laughing when they thought it was food. For some reason we are very easily entertained. It was a perfect night that literally ended with 4th of July fireworks starting early in the neighborhoods around us. How cool is that? Who says that only happens in movies. Best part is, we get them tomorrow night too! YaY for the Fourth of July!!!

Here goes...

I've come to realize lately that I like to live right inside my comfort zone. It's actually quite nice there, stress free and predictable. Then again, I've also realized I'm about as creative as a dot to dot picture. Enough is enough. I can no longer sit back and envy "those" women. You know, the women that can decorate anything, have trendy fashion,way too cute handwriting and great blogs. I'm pretty much a jeans and a t-shirt kind of girl. That isn't likely to change, but I'm ready to try something new!  So here is a shot in the dark.
I used to be a religious journal writer, and not a day went by without some sort of report before bedtime. But life gets hectic, and that habit faded fast. It actually died miserably when I started dating Trev, and every last minute with him became priority. But Since he's come into my life, things are so much more exciting. It deserves to be documented somewhere! Apparently, this is the place.