Life Lately: Fall Catch-up Edition

A lot a lot a lot(!!!) has happened since my last post. For that, I sincerely apologize! Now to business (For those of you that follow my Instagram, probably none of this will be news...hahaha!):

NUMBER ONE: I have a tiny female human living inside me, ready to burst out in approximately 3 months! And she's doing a happy dance right at this moment. Boy was it hard to concentrate on the lessons in church today! She's the Energizer Bunny! [[While we have a particular name picked out, we want to have a backup, just in case. This is most certainly an invitation to share your ideas if you're ok with the possibility of me using them. ;) ]]

#2. We spent the 7-week summer break in Arizona with our awesome families and had a blast! We went camping, hung out with awesome friends, ate at Joe's BBQ...everything we've been missing about home! My sweet sister-in-law got our moms together and the three of them put on a beautiful baby shower! They are the greatest!! We're home now, along with a bunch of storage stuff that we'd been missing desperately. (Welcome home, Pyrex Casserole Dish!!) Over the last week, we've scrubbed the place clean and organized everything. And I mean everything!! We knew that with school starting and baby coming, it was now or never. What a relief to have it done! (Sorry for my reveling, but housework really rocks when everything has its place!)

Numero Tres: I switched my major and career goals. While I loved music to death, I lack the confidence. And though I probably would've loved photography as more than a hobby, I realized my ultimate potential before that could take off. Sometime in the next few years, I will become a certified DVM! Animals have always been my passion, and I just know that being able to make them happy will make me really happy! With one child on her way, there are bound to be more, so I'm keeping my timeline ultra flexible. Right now, I'm focusing on finishing my Bachelor's degree, then I can play it by ear after that.

4) I'm an Auntie!!! My sister had her beautiful baby boy: Xander Kane! We were so happy we could be there for his birth. He is such a special little spirit! And how cool is it that he gets a little cousin so close to his age?? When we're back in Arizona, our little ones will have playdates galore!

#FIVE: Daniel and I celebrated our first anniversary this summer! We stayed a couple nights in Logan, UT, went to the temple to do sealings (and didn't make it through a whole one before I nearly passed out... -.-), and got to see my family for a little mini-reunion down in Cedar Hills! My mom took some incredible pictures for us up in the canyon. Yes, I just barely got around to editing them...hahaha!

(What a hunk!! Am I right??)

Well, I think that just about sums up what we've been up to for the past....5...months.... Gosh guys, I really am sorry! I'll do better, I promise!! I'm only taking one class this semester, so I should have plenty of time before the baby comes to make crafts and record memories and stuff. Speaking of crafts, if y'all have any ideas of something cute you'd like to see on here as a tutorial, tell me about it and--if it isn't too hard--I'll be happy to figure it out and post!
'Til next time! (Which won't be 5 months from now, I promise!)

V-Day Festivities!

A lot of people think that Valentine's Day is a scam to get people to spend money on chocolate and flowers when you really should just express your love every day.

To them, I say...you're probably right. BUT why not express your love everyday...AND spoil your sweetheart on one special, overpriced day?? ;) Since V-day was on Saturday, Daniel and I spent the whole day having fun together!

On Friday, my sweetie gave me a beautiful flower! We went out to eat that night, and the restaurant gave me 3 more, so I put them all in my buo mug! Doesn't he look so cute with "flatters" coming out of his head?? AWWW!

I surprised Dan with a rental puppy, named Bella. We took her to the park and chased her all around! She was sooooo hyper! Dan doesn't particularly like fluffy dogs, but I think she liked him. Hahaha!

"Better than Whatever" and "Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake" cupcakes.... Are you drooling as much as I am?? They were so delicious! Cocoa Bean is the best!

Look at this handsome guy! I could take photos of him all day long!

We ended the day with a romantic dinner at home. Daniel prepared us an amazing meal of chicken, potatoes, garlic bread, and salad. (I was in charge of the appetizer: Brie and crackers, with pear slices and grapes)

It was all oh-so delicious! It was even more special that we took the time to make it for each other. <3

Did you do something fun for V-day?? Crafts? Dates? Please share!!

The Tales of Dan and Sara

Life has changed far too quickly for my poor blog to catch up. If you've been following along on Instagram, probably none of this will be news for you. However, for the rest of you, whether you like it or not, the events of the past month are throwing up all over this post...in the form of short stories, to mix things up.

The Tale of Tony Tony Chopper
So as you already knew, we moved out of Colorado and off to Snowflake. Chopper spent a week there with me, playing with my in-laws' Rotty, before we headed to the valley to my parents' house. That night, he got out of the backyard. We couldn't find him, though I searched until past midnight. The next morning, we put up posters, and within an hour we got a call. I was so relieved that he was safe with such a caring, honest family. It was a mom, her three little boys, and her parents-in-law.
So he was back home with my parents, and I headed back to Snowflake to meet Daniel. Being in his teething stage, in my absence, he took to chewing up Hilde's (my parents' dog) bed. Foam. Everywhere. Every day. After a week, my dad asked me to find somewhere else for him to live. I was crushed, but I understood that that's a lot of hassle for a dog that isn't even yours. Obviously, taking him up to school with us was impossible. The only thing I could do was give him up. And the only person I could think of was the kind mother who took him in off the streets.
So I called her, knowing she would be the only person I'd feel OK about giving him to. And she said yes. A couple days later, I drove down to spend time with him and say goodbye. I was a mess, but my dear husband calmed me down. I still miss him terribly, but Valerie sends me pictures often.

The One with the Fiesta
New Years Eve was very special. It was to be the party of the century in the Coley house. Daniel and I scoured the land for the finest ingredients to make Queso Carne. We each slaved over the kitchen, preparing for the feast. And what a fine feast it was! Authentic Mexican soda, chips and salsa, home cooked tortillas, Queso Carne, and Tres Leches cake! (I'm extremely proud of my cake)

The Accountant and the Music Major

So, we got into BYUI last minute. And I mean LAST minute. We left Snowflake on the Saturday before school started (less than a week ago), and arrived that Sunday to Idaho Falls. I met with a counselor on the first day of school, and enrolled in one religion class, and five music courses. FIVE! It's quite a rush, looking at your schedule and not dreading anything, but actually being excited to learn! It's pretty crazy. Daniel is an accounting major at the moment, testing it out to see if he likes it. He's actually rather enjoying his Macroeconomics class, so that's a good sign! We've so far been making good on our New Years Resolutions to study diligently. We'll see if our goals for exercise pan out ;)

The Nicest Lady and Her Dog

We just moved into our apartment last night. I know you're wondering, "Where have you guys been living all week??" Idaho Falls, my friends. A land of many wonders. One of them is the nicest lady in the world. She goes by "Carol", but I know she's an angel in disguise.... She is the grandmother of a very good friend of ours, and she so kindly let us stay with her from Sunday until Thursday. She'd make us dinner, feed us chocolate milk and ice-cream from her dairy, and let me play her gorgeous piano. And talking to her was such fun! And I haven't even mentioned Roxy! Roxy is the smartest, spunkiest Yorkie I've ever met. Seriously, being there was such a joy. And a life saver. We owe her one...thousand favors.

That concludes story time for today. I'll post more about our new place and school and stuff when I get the chance. :) Thanks for hang in in there, despite long absences through life changes. It's been a roller coaster so far!

14 Highlights of 2014

Here we are, at the end of another year. Pretty crazy, huh? I thought it might be kinda fun to reminisce on my favorite parts of 2014! (There are a LOT, so beware!)

1. Watching the first sunrise of 2014 together. We popped open a bottle of Martinelli's and cuddled up.

2. The proposal. It was a total surprise, and that whole day was simply perfect!

3. The Gilbert temple open house and dedication. Seeing the temple from start to finish, then being sealed there was so special to us.

4. Roadtrip to Utah with these cool cats!

5. Jerica's bridal shower! It was my first time meeting her, and seriously, she's the best! Christopher chose a good one!

6. Our wedding, duh! Someday I'll find and post all the pictures....

7. Traveling to Seattle to be at Christopher and Jerica's wedding. Such an awesome weekend!

8. This handsome man took me on my first fishing trip. The icing on the cake was seeing like 5 bald eagles, and catching 3 rainbow trout!!

9. Playing hooky at the zoo and meeting a childhood dream!

10. Catching frogs and playing frisbee golf at Perfect Park 2.0!

11. Bringing this little cutie home and watching him grow up so fast. Even though he's not mine anymore, he'll always be my Tony Chopper.

 12. That awesome weekend when Clara and Kim came to visit!

13. The best date ever in Sydney, NE.

14. Flying to AZ to surprise my silly sisters! They both danced so wonderfully in the Nutcracker!

2014 has been such a crazy awesome year! I visited 4 new states, drove thousands of miles, cooked more meals than I ever have before, and gained a whole other family! (Having 2 families rocks!) Daniel and I ended up no where near where we imagined, but we're closer than we've ever been. With so many adventures in one year, I can't wait to see where 2015 takes us! 

Happy New Year, everybody! Finish the year strong!!

The Best Day Ever

Two days ago, my husband let slip that he had a secret date planned. Rookie mistake: you don't tell me you have a secret date for later, because I'll be so giddy that you'll be forced to take me the very next day. Which is exactly what he did. ;) 

First surprise: Unbeknownst to me, Sydney, Nebraska is home to the very first Cabela's. The very. first. one. How cool is that?? We only live about 40 minutes away from Sydney, so what a fun date! We got ourselves some fudge, Dan held his dream gun (tricolored .45 1911), and we had a grand old time!

Some people like Bass Pro better, but to us...they're both great. Stick me in a room with real live taxidermied animals, and I'm happy as a bear! (Pun intended) I was, however, slightly disappointed that there wasn't a huge pond full of game fish. But, hey, the elephant made up for it!

Second surprise: A few weeks ago, I heard a commercial on the radio for a restaurant called Perkins. There was such a restaurant near my neighborhood when I was really young, but it went out of business over a decade ago. I still associate it with fond memories with my family. Hearing that they still exist got me real excited, and I had to tell my sweet husband all about it, to which he replied, "Perkins, who?" 

The dear man remembered my excitement, looked up the address, and took me for lunch. <3 It was just as delicious as I (was too young to actually) remember.

Third, very unexpected. surprise: As we pulled into Cabela's, after Dan pointed out our lunch destination, and as I gazed toward the half-frozen urban lake, I screamed. There, in the grass, on the lake, on the sidewalks, were hundreds of Canada geese! As a child, these were my favorite bird and I always dreamed of meeting one up close. 

Though they outnumbered me, they had reservations about my intended up-close meeting. As they fled faster, I knew what I had to do. The feeling of a hundred geese flying all around you is exhilarating! They certainly didn't want to, but they flew.

And so did I.

It was a day that couldn't be dampened by work calls, rent payments, or cold weather. As the chilling Nebraska wind froze my face, I couldn't stop telling my husband, "You are the best! You're seriously the coolest! I love you so much! Did you know that?? Do you know how much I love you?? I can't believe it! This is the best day ever!" I meant it.

My husband, everybody. Man of the Year. <3

FHE: Out and About

After Daniel got home from school yesterday, we hit up a flea market and an antique store. Let me tell you, there's some crazy inspiration going on in my brain now!

Afterward, we went to Home Depot to get supplies for a new project--more about that later! We stopped in at Walmart for some much-needed supplies, and brought home our traditional frozen pizza and fruit! We cooked it up while I helped him with his homework, and it was super delicious!! Digorno, you're my fav!

Since we missed the first session of Conference, I decided that FHE was the perfect setting to catch up, and, to make it more fun, suggested we build a fort! Dan was skeptical about it at first, but once we started, he got way into it and it turned out pretty awesome! Chopper loved it, too, though we had to put him to bed. Hahaha!

How did you spend your Monday night??

An Overdose of Green

Our favorite park is, by far, Pioneer Park. It is filled with green grass, green trees, and an abundance of wildlife...not to be confused with the one in AZ, which is filled with scary people. We visited a couple days ago, and found a bunch of random, awesome, things. Behold:

A frog.

A much bigger frog. 

An epic staff.

 Ants.

And a bunch of failed outfit pics, the best of which is this one. 

JK, the best is probably the one with the ants. :P 

Moral of the story: parks are fun, frogs are fairly easy to catch (no warts yet, knock on wood), and I need to work on poses if this whole outfit thing is going to work. What do you think? Would outfit posts be totally hokey cheesy, or should I try to make it work? Comment below, friends!

Shirt: Kohl's // Shorts: Gap // Purse: Forever 21 // Shoes: Payless