Happy Holidays

We hope you're enjoying your holidays so far. I know we are.

We had the opportunity to go to Vegas for Thanksgiving to be with my family and will be heading up to Seattle for Christmas to be with David's family. I can't wait!!! 

I'm always so thankful for this time of year because it brings families closer together and lets us focus more on Christ and his love.

Remember what the holidays are truly about and enjoy every minute of it!

Good luck to all those who are taking finals right now. I'll be enjoying my Christmas movies while you're studying :)

My Favorite Scripture

This became my favorite scripture when David and I were dating around 4 - 4.5 years ago. Even though our relationship was great, I was personally struggling with a lot of things in my life. I was falling in love, going through school, dating long distance and was really struggling emotionally and spiritually. I had little to no peace in my life at that time.

Life was tough and I felt so weak. I knew I was going to marry David, but we were both struggling with very personal issues that needed to be fixed before our relationship could move forward.

These were the weakest moments of both of our lives, and the only thing that made it easier was being there for one another with an abundance of support and love. These experiences were what ultimately brought David and I together. We both helped each other strengthen our testimonies and get back onto a track where we felt peace and joy in life again.

We were with each other every step of the way and strengthened one another. I know I would not be the same person today, nor would our relationship, if we did not go through these trials together.

During this time, David and I read scriptures together every night. During one scripture study session we were reading Doctrine and Covenants 121 and was struck when I read verses 7-9.

7. My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
8. And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. 
9. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands. 

Peace immediately surrounded me. I suddenly knew that the struggles I was going through would pass and that I had become a better person than before. I had support from David along with my family and friends. I know that it was through David, God, and the amazing people in my life that I was able to overcome these challenges and have those afflictions in my life pass, being but a small moment.

I now have the knowledge and peace in my life that challenges and afflictions will pass. Even though your struggles may seem never ending, they will pass and you will eventually look back and be grateful for those experiences and adversity because those weak moments can only make you stronger.

What a great Heavenly Father we have!

Meet Sasha

You could call David and I Honda Civic fans and you would be right.

I learned how to drive on a Civic and had that car for many, many years.

This is her. Her name is named Betsy. OOOOhhhhh Betsy. (Yes, we name our cars).

Goodbye old Betsy. You will be missed.

 David also bought a Civic before I met him years ago.

And we just bought a new one. We call her Sasha.

I got a new car because Betsy was getting old and unreliable. And the fact that it would cost us more to fix her up to pass safety and emissions than what she was worth. So, this put us in a predicament. We really didn't want to put more money into this car that was costing us so much money to upkeep each year and that I really didn't feel safe in driving back and forth to Salt Lake.

SO. We got a new one. I test drove a few other cars but felt in my heart that a Civic is truly what I wanted. It's reliable and super economical. Exactly what I need in a car. I've had her now for a few months and she is just great.

So goodbye Betsy, you will be missed. And hello Sasha, we will be spending much time together.

And yes, before we sold Betsy we did indeed have three Civics at once. (David doesn't have a name for his....yet).

Glass Blowing

I bought a deal on LivingSocial to take a glass blowing class back in February for us to do as a Valentines day date. Looks like we found better things to do that day :)

We still were really excited to go to the class though! Four months later we finally got around to it. haha.

This was seriously so much fun. We were both so giddy going to the studio. Most of the drive up we were just talking about our love for the art of glass and the memories we had as kids watching and being fascinated with glass blowers at festivals and other places. Yes, I know we are nerds.

We had so much fun but neither of us have any intention of quitting our day jobs. However, I would not mind going in for round two of this. I am tempted to take the actual glass blowing class they offer but am not tempted to spend the $600 studio fee. Yuk.

I don't have any good pictures of the final product, but I'll make sure to take some soon and post it. Here you can just enjoy the videos and photos of the experience. Be jealous!

The studio. The red glowing circle is the fire pit where the liquid glass is held. 

Getting ready! 

This picture doesn't do any justice. Trust me on this...gorgeous!!

Life Lately

It's been a while but all is well. I'll try to catch you up with my life...

I GRADUATED!

The graduation part was very anti-climatic. I was done with school in December and was already working full time. What I LOVED about it though was that my family (I consider David's family my family as well) were able to come down for the week to celebrate. I unfortunately got a bad cold the day everyone flew into town (of course during the very few times I get sick during the year). It was a big bummer considering I was hosting eight people in my tiny little apartment. All I wanted to do was sleep and rest but that was impossible. I was exhausted and I felt awful because I wanted to enjoy being with my family as much as I could. I only see them a couple times a year! Even being sick, we had so much fun together and I can't wait to live closer to family one day. Love you guys!

With David and his family

With my ma and pa 

I GOT A JOB!

I loved my internship I had during the winter semester and was so excited when they offered me a full time position. I graduated on a Friday and started working full time that Monday. Every graduates dream! I feel so grown up having a 9-5:30 work day and a salary. Most importantly though- I LOVE my job. I work at a marketing agency and so everyday is a different adventure and pairs perfectly with my PR degree. I work with our legal related clients so I work with a lot of attorneys and prominent people in the community. It's a great experience. My initial intimidation of working in law firms has faded and I now enjoy great relationships with a lot of attorneys. I don't know what I was so scared of at first- lawyers are some of the most kind and inspiring people I know. They are a great example and role model to me on how to be a better member in the community and overall person.

I work in both downtown Salt Lake City and Provo, which is fantastic! I like working in Provo because the office is only three minutes away from my apartment (score!) but I also love working downtown in Salt Lake City as well because it gets me out of Provo (double score!). The office in Salt Lake City is gorgeous! The view is tremendous and overlooks the entire downtown scene. We are located right next to the temple and the new City Creek Center mall. I love downtown and would love to live in a big city one day (I don't think David would go for it though...)

The view. I need to take a newer picture. This is the only one I have and was taken back in January (notice the snow on the buildings).  

I GOT 'THE' CALLING

I got called to be the gospel doctrine teacher in our ward. I cried whenever I was asked to be the teacher because this is literally one of my biggest fears. I never cry, so when I do you know something is up. David was sitting right next to me and was in shock because he understands what it takes to make me cry. Even though every part of me did not want to accept the call, I did. It's funny how things work out. It's been great though because I have been able to study the scriptures with more depth than I ever have before. Even though the calling is still a struggle and makes me sick to my stomach every time I think about it,  I am very glad that I accepted it. There is a certain level of success and ego booster when you accomplish one of your greatest fears. It gives me a feeling that I can accomplish anything and how fear is no excuse. I DID IT!

This whole accomplishing a great fear thing has brought a whole new outlook to life. Another thing that I am terrified about is having a baby and becoming a parent. It TERRIFIES me and is probably my greatest fear of all. (WHAT! A Mormon girl being afraid of having babies). Yes. It's not the pregnancy part that scares me and labor really doesn't freak me out either. It's the whole what you do with the kid after its here type of thing. I love kids and always have. I have always wanted to be a mother and I know one day I will. I do know that now is not the right time for David and I to have kids and I am perfectly ok with that. In fact I enjoy it. But this whole experience of being asked to face one of my greatest fears has given me faith that I can accomplish my greatest fears and still be alive and loving life!!

My rock and tear wiper. 

SUMMER PLANS

So now that I am a grown up (HA, like that will ever happen) and have more responsibilies our summer plans aren't as exciting as they usually are. This summer won't be full of spontaneous trips like our previous summers but I am still looking forward for some good ol' summer fun. We are going on a Mexican cruise this August with my family (my first cruise, yay!) and at some point we will head up to Seattle for a long weekend (love Seattle!). Other than that we are just enjoying lots of friends and outdoor time in Utah. We have an amazing ward who keeps up busy socially and are enjoying lots of bike rides, hiking, walks and drives through Utah almost every day. I just love summer and being able to spend time with the hubby. Life is just great. I am seriously so blessed.

Happy, Happy Birthday Evan Dear!

I can't believe my baby nephew is already a year old! Amazing how a little child can change your life in one year. I seriously can't imagine life without him here!

Happy 1st Birthday, Evan! Aunty Em loves you (or as Jake would put it... M&M)!

Evan when he was only three weeks old!

Meeting my new nephew!

 

Evan during the 4th of July. I love his bald little head!

4 months.

Evan at 6 months.

What a handsome little guy!

He could barely sit up on his own during this photo. Amazing how much he has grown!

Happy little eater!

Evan during Christmas. 10 months.

What a good looking kid! Love you, Evan! Happy Birthday!

Where Will We End Up?

Nobody Knows!

David and I talk all the time about where we want to end up living once we are all done with school. We are both very lucky to be in careers that are both in demand and where we can find jobs anywhere in the country. No complaints here!

So here is what we have decided as of now:

Texas
Pros: Cheap housing and living. We would be able to have a nice house with property. I grew up in the south (Arkansas) and loved it. There is a ton of things to do in Texas and it would be fun to live in a place with such strong pride.


Cons: Humidity. My whole life I have lived in humid places and never really thought anything about it until I moved to dry heat environments. I don't think I could ever go back to humidity after this! Seriously, it's a huge deal breaker. We would also be really far away from all family.

Arizona 
Pros: Affordable housing. Dry heat. Close to California and Vegas.

Cons: Very, very hot! Far away from family.



Vegas
Pros: We love Vegas! David has a lot of family that lives here and we love them all to death. Housing is extremely affordable and it is close to California. Dry heat is always a plus!

Cons: Economy sucks. Still gets very, very hot in the summer. It is not 100% that David's family will be in Vegas forever.

California
Pros: This is one of our top choices at the moment. David served his mission in California and fell in love with it there. The weather is beautiful year round and of course... the beach! I love the chill California vibe and the diversity. My family lives in California at the moment and that is a huge factor. I know my parents wont live in California forever (who knows where they will end up), but I do have a sister who lives there and it seems like they will be in California for a long time. I really want to live near family, whether it is mine or Davids. 

Cons: Traffic. Very expensive to live. Earthquakes. SHARKS!


Seattle
Pros: David's family. I have the most amazing in-laws in the world and seriously would seriously consider buying a house next door to them. They are just amazing and I want them to be in my life as much as possible. Seattle is paradise in the summer, seriously. There is everything there you could ever want: ocean, rainforests, dessert, volcanoes,  lakes, trees, etc. There is always so much to do and I love the west coast.

Cons: Expensive to live. Cold weather (both David and I love warm weather).


Virginia
Pros: My family vacationed to Virginia when I was a teenager and I remember thinking that this was my favorite place in the country (remember that I have been to 48 states). I loved the beach and the history there as well. 

Cons: Very far away from family. No ties to east coast. Humidity. SHARKS!


Overall
We want to live near family, wherever that is. We love the idea of California, Seattle and Vegas, which is probably one of the places we will end up. We will also be applying to grad programs all over the country and that could change where we settle down as well. Even though we have no idea what will happen in the future, it is still fun to talk about all of the possibilities.

Catching Up

It's been a while, I know. 

Even though this year has been fantastic so far, it is very much a routine right now, which doesn't really allow for anything really interesting for me to blog about.

What my week usually consists of:

1. Working my three jobs (60 hour weeks are exhausting).
The internship I have right now is a competitive internship, meaning that there are six interns and two full time spots at the end. I really want to have one of those spots. I love my job and want to stay with this firm so much! Only problem right now is that it is unpaid, so I have to work other jobs to pay my bills. I don't mind working all of these hours though because David is gone all day either working or studying and so I don't really have anything else to do anyways.

2. Working out (I try to run a 5k 4 times a week, plus weights).
I've lost 20lbs in the past year and it's been tough. People have always told me that it gets easier, and it does to some degree, but it's still a struggle going to the gym most days. So whether I go at 7am or 11pm, I usually try to get in a good run with some weights. Discipline sure does suck.

3. Driving my husband to school 
I am too nervous to let him ride his bike to campus when it is snowy/icy outside and so I have to wake up extra early to drop him off... I just love him like that. 


4. Cleaning (I seriously have OCD).
Anyone who knows my dad can understand where this is coming from, because I get my OCDness from him. I am super paranoid about the cleanliness of my apartment and the way it smells. I really love having a clean apartment which smells nice (hence my obsession with candles). I can't concentrate on anything until my house is clean. It is a huge burden but is also a huge blessing.


5. Cooking (not as much as as I would like).
I love cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. Unfortunately, my lack of time and funds hasn't allowed me to cook as much as I would like. David doesn't get home from work or school until at least 11:00pm (and that's on a good night) and so cooking week night dinners doesn't really exist. I've been obsessed with my juicer lately and so my average meal is fresh squeezed juice right now.

6. Missing my husband (a lot).
I love my husband so much. He is a trooper. Some people are naturally gifted to be good with school and grades, but it is a huge struggle for David. He spends hours and hours studying for tests and reviewing material for his classes and still doesn't do as well as he wants. It's hard for me to see David struggle with school after all of the hours he puts into studying and going the extra mile for every assignment, but he still pushes through every day. I am so proud of him and for all of the hard work he does, but that doesn't mean that I can't miss him a lot. Both of us are just anxious for this semester to be over with.

 -----
Even with a routine life right now, it is still fantastic. I am so blessed to have such fantastic family, friends and co-workers. I have learned how to manage my time more wisely and to take advantage of every second I can when I am with my husband.

Life is great. I love everything about it.

Some recent events:

I got a new look! What do you think?

Even though he doesn't look happy in this picture, he was thoroughly enjoying his massive hamburger.

I just love him!

David had a long day at school and so when he came home I had a fun and relaxing night planned.

David is a candyholic and so he loved this candy bouquet that he could enjoy during our movie night.

One of my childhood best friends, Miriam, moved to Provo! I love this girl so much and we always have a good time!

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011 is a year I will never forget.

We have a tradition in our family where we alternate every Christmas and Thanksgiving between families and this year it was our turn to be with the Christiansen's for Christmas. I remember two years ago when we had Christmas at my house that nephew was just about to turn 1 and how I remember talking to my family about how we couldn't wait for the next two years to pass so that we could watch Jake grow and see his reactions at Christmas when he would actually understand what was going on. Little did I know I would have TWO little nephews for this years festivities, even better.

Christmas was just perfect. The perfect combination of laziness, activities, family time, game time, movie time, relaxation time and play time.

The only thing that was not perfect.... the WHOLE family got the fue. Out of the 13 of us at our house this Christmas, only David and my brother lucked out of not getting the stomach flu. It wasn't one of those flu's either where everyone had it at once. Each day we would wake up and then find out that yet another person got sick that night. It was horrible and made it hard to do family activities together because there was always that one person who was out for the day. Luckily, it was only a 24 hour bug and passed through each person's body quickly. Nevertheless, it still sucked.

Because I finished with school this December I made an extra long vacation this year for Christmas, THREE wonderful weeks in warm and sunny California. Warm, I think would be an understatement though, it was 85 degrees plus almost the entire time. It was TOO hot! Plus, I got extra sick with the flu and ended up staying in bed for over a week and a half. It wasn't ideal, but I would much rather be sick while on an extended vacation at my parents house than while I would be at home with work and everything else to worry about.

Anyways, here are some pictures and videos of our Christmas. I love my family. What wonderful memories were made. I am so blessed.

It was a daily tradition to blow bubbles with Jake in the backyard. It's little things in life that count, right?

This is what a pile of Christmas presents look like from six families. Wooo!

We have our nice Christmas meal on Christmas Eve. One of my favorite traditions we do are Christmas poppers. They are silly little things that you pop and inside are paper crowns and even cheaper toys/gifts. Always so fun!

I helped my nephew Jake get cookies and milk ready for Santa! He was so excited!

This is the letter that Jake wrote to Santa. He told me exactly what to write, it was ADORABLE. If you can't read it- it says "Dear Santa, My name is Jake. I am two years old. I was a very good boy this year. I would like a razor scooter and a kite for Christmas this year. I hope you like the cookies. The carrots are for Rudolf. Thanks for the presents" haha! This boy is so awesome!

Relaxing time!

Merry Christmas from the (not so pretty) Hoggs!

Both my sister and David were surprised with iPads. Priceless moments!

My adorable nephew, Evan. He is such a joy.

We had quite a few fire pits while we were in Cali. Why not when it feels like summer outside?

Bringing in the New Year!

We were blessed to have my Grandma come visit us for Christmas. Love you Grandma!

Making popcorn/cinnamon/cranberry decorations for a tree.

Our poor cake. We attempted to make our first fondant cake for my parents wedding anniversary. Needless to say, the cake tasted great :)