Fuzzy Hats!!!

I don't know why, but I just couldn't seem to squish what we got for Christmas into my previous post. They just didn't seem to go well together.

Fielding and I always seem to have a tough time shopping for each other. Each of us don't really need anything and there isn't typically a whole lot of stuff I want (except another pair of cute shoes). And as per almost tradition (the past two years), Mandi and I went out Black Friday shopping. There wasn't anything in particular I was looking for. I figured if there was it would slap me in the face with a name tag that read "for: Fielding". Nothing did that either though. But I did spot a bread maker that looked pretty cool. (Fielding has mentioned one for two year now.) So I got it. I also got a food processor. (I'm convinced that one was for me though.) =)

After those two gifts though I still had some money to burn and caved before some madness. I've been trying to expand Fielding's dress wardrobe from basic white shirts to some color, but he's barely budged to a gray shirt. I got him two dress shirts with two new ties. One set (gray) I think he'll keep. I'm not sure on the other yet though. (I left them with Mandi so he still hasn't seen them yet and it's almost two weeks past Christmas.)

After that I was pretty much done shopping except for one thing. Mandi's cousin was in Russia on his LDS mission and due home right before the holidays. Luckily his mom asked me if I wanted anything. YES! I don't know why, but I wanted a fuzzy hat and figured Fielding one probably like one too. So I asked her to ask him to get me two fuzzy hats. I was SO excited.

He brought them home with him and they are PERFECT!!! Mine is black and white bunny, while Fielding's is wolf. (He looks like a crazy mountain man.) We wear them everywhere and I think they are the best hats we will ever own. They look freaking awesome and keep our heads warm. Seriously, I don't think it can get any better than that. I'll even get a picture up soon of how freaking cool we look in our fuzzy hats. (Let's just face it fuzzy hats are awesome to see, say, and wear. )

Hooray Fuzzy Hats!!! =)

~Christmas Crazy~

I typically know that Christmas is around the corner about a week or two before Thanksgiving. Sadly, the reason I know is because of the stress due to my thinking brain. I start thinking about Thanksgiving all of the delicious food and all of the family that is going to be there. Since I never really cook much, I stress about what I might have to bring. (This I think is because I LOVE delicious food and my food is never as delicious as the food I eat.)
Following Thanksgiving is Black Friday. I go to hang out with friends and to see if I will ever truly understand the madness that causes people to push/shove and be mean to strangers for no reason other than a material object. I typically find something to buy, but never really go out hunting for anything in particular. I typically think about stuff Fielding might like or the family names we have for Christmas.
The family names are another stress for me. I don't like buying people the generic gift of a gift card. I don't know why exactly, but I like getting people a tangible gift they will love and use. (This doesn't count for books though.) It gives me the chance to get to know them a bit better or show that who they are matters to me.
The last kicker for me is seeing our families. We haven't figured out the family visiting schedule so each year seems to get crazier than the last. (especially since we like spending time with both.) This year we went to my family's Christmas Eve party and then headed over to Fielding's parent's to spend the night. The next morning we woke up and ate breakfast and then headed back over to my parent's about noon for brunch. After that we stuck around until three when we headed back to Fielding's parent's for dinner. After dinner we came home to a broken fridge.
It's funny because every year I seem to promise myself that I won't participate in the madness. I refuse to get stuck running around with my head cut off, but without fail each year I join the fray. I guess there is just some madness we can't get rid of. maybe it's genetic.

Happy Turkey Day

I figured I'd join the crowd in writing about what I'm thankful for.
As a kid, I was just so excited to play games with all of my cousins and eat as much delicious food as I could possibly devour in the two or three hours.
I'd like to say that I started to notice subtle differences over the years, but that would be a lie. It actually has been over the last couple of months that I've really noticed how much I have to be thankful for. The past year and a half has been really difficult for Fielding and I. We've had to figure out what we really want in life and better ways to support each other in our efforts. I started looking at how I could be a better person and not sweat the things that go wrong.
I'm grateful for the gospel and all of the wonderful lessons I've learned over the years. I'm thankful there are so many young men and women who are willing to commit to serve the Lord by serving his children. I'm sure it becomes difficult at times, but I'm also sure that it provides some of the greatest experiences one can ever have during this life. If you truly want to see what you have been blessed with in life all you have to do is help someone else with their burdens.
I'm also grateful for my family. My mom always taught us that family will always be there if you need them and that is still true with my family. We might be really loud and rarely agree with each other, but we are always there for each other when times get tough. I even still love spending time with them even though I'm pretty much guaranteed to leave with a headache because of the noise. At least I'll always have the memories. =)
I'd also be remiss though if I didn't say something about how much Fielding means to me. I'm convinced that no one really knows how a person is unless they are your other half. They see it all. The sad, bad, crazy, happy, and giggly. Fielding has seen it all and been there for me at every turn. I don't think there's anyone else in the world who could put up with me and love me the way he does. I'm grateful that I found him and that he knew when to give in when I wouldn't go away. =) I can't imagine putting up with three crazy cats on my own and staying sane enough to tell my tales. I love you Fielding.
-Jen

Domesticity

Okay, I think that's a word, but I'm not completely sure of it.

Anyhow.

My birthday was earlier this month and as my birthday gift my mom came over to help me clean my house. (I know pathetic on my part.) But unfortunately for Fielding, that is one gene/talent/hobby line I completely missed and hid from before coming to earth. I am not in any hidden cranny of the imagination domestic. I don't like cleaning, cooking, laundry, or yard work. I just don't like any of it.

In my defense (or a very small portion of it), I tried warning Fielding before we got married. I told him I hated laundry and hanging up or folding clothes was not something I did. Two days after we got married we had to go out and buy some hangers because he didn't realize it was as bad as I had told him it was.

Whoa, how did I get so distracted? Back to the story at hand. My mom and dad came over on Saturday with cleaning supplies in tow and we started to work. My dad was given bathroom duty and stripping out the seal between the tile and tub. Mom and I started in the kitchen.

Never in my whole life have I thought cleaning could be so gross and dirty, but it was. 409 became my one true friend and I'd seriously consider buying stock because it works so well. We cleaned every inside and outside of every cupboard and organized them to function better. The counters are cuter and cleaner than any I have ever called my own in my entire life. (That includes college.)

My dad finished sealing between the tub and tile and then went to work hanging my tv on the wall. Thankfully we found some studs this time around (way to go Fielding and dad) and now it's sitting pretty.

Sadly, my mom told me she only does this once and it's now my job to keep it up. (Why is it always easier for me to consider paying someone else to do the dirty work than to do it myself?) I guess that's something else to add to my list. That and figuring out how to set up the front room. Who knows. Maybe one day I'll manage to conquer some small realm of domesticity. (Not to mention the fact that my mom said I really needed to start learning how to cook. She even said it in front of Fielding. I could have died!)

Oh well what can you do. I'm off to make sure my list sparkles. =)

Power of Positive Thinking

So I've realized ...okay, so mostly I've been told that I'm really caught up in negative things and I talk 'above' people. Not too much fun to hear and far less fun to deal with, but deal with it I will.

I'm working on changing how I look at things and how I think about them. There are enough crappy things out there in the world that focusing on them isn't going to help anyone. Instead I want to focus on the happy thoughts and times in life.

When I look back at my life I want to remember all of the fun times when we were ridiculous. Like Jamie pretending she was a balloon. Kelli and I trying to sneak out on the roof, and spending a summer day lying in the freezer. (Josh's idea)

I want to remember the adventures we've had. My first trip to California with the Bartletts, getting pulled over on the way home from college, getting pulled over on a date after going to Leatherby's (why is it Mandi was there for both of those?), and even trips like Havasupai.

I want to remember all the moments you made my heart melt. When Fielding held hands with me in Connie and Carla (not the most amazing movie.), when I told him I loved him for the first time, our first Easter together, the first time he bought me flowers, and the day I told him I got a cat and he let me keep her.

Those are the memories I want to remember so as of today. I'm changing how I'm looking at things and I'm going to focus on the happiness in life. The moments you want to hold on to a relive forever.

Bootcamp continued

Okay, let's see if I can get this wrapped up since it's only been like three months since I started this tale.
Fielding and I sucked it up during the 12 1/2 mile hike to camp. (Fielding will tell you he was slow because of me. I'd say I was slow because hiking 12 1/2 miles sucks.) It was terrible. Everyone else just seemed to book it down the canyon. My brother, Josh, was a mad man and convinced me he's part mountain goat. He was up and down and sideways on those trails just for fun.


He even made friends along the way. He found some crazy lizard thing that had awesome colors and a fat tail. I forget what they named it, but it pretty much stuck around the whole trip chilling.




This is a picture of camp. It was really nice to be able to put our feet in some cool water after the hike. Especially since I had blisters on both heels and one toe. I'm pretty sure Fielding had some on his heels too. The river was a great distraction and basically where we spent most of our time. We washed in soaked in that river.



Here's a picture of Fielding roughing it. I'm pretty sure he's only smiling because I was taking the picture and it was an in between hiking day. (That and he thinks I'm cute. =)




This is Kelli and Meg trying the tube of death on the river. FYI if you're floating down a river with lime...blah, blah, blah in it. don't try to save the tube or anything that falls. Just stand up as fast as you can. Otherwise you get tumbled. I learned that one the hard way.

I know somewhere in between those days we hiked down to Mooney Falls. Not really something you should do if you're afraid of heights. I learned that one the hard way too.

The last day we were packed up by noon and all day was pretty much a lazy day. We sat around seeing what we could get rid of. Kelli and Meg adopted a dog they dubbed Sammy and bribed it into having a bath in the river. (lunch meat gone.)
Remaining tubes went to the group camp next door. The rest of the time I was enamored by the little toads we found all over the place. I don't know why, but this picture reminds me of Buddha. =)

Fielding and I left about an hour earlier than everyone else and they still caught up to us before we made it very far and we were the last ones up the hill again. Thank goodness Josh caught up to us with some Gatorade. Seriously, nothing has ever tasted so good in my entire life.
I have to say the trip was a lot of fun for me now that I look back on it. The company was great and I don't think I would have changed it for the world, but I also don't know that I'd do that hike again without a bit more exercise before hand.
I watched this little guy for hours while we waited for our stuff. He was so stinkin' cute.

Oh, not to mention I got my first ticket ever on the way home from the trip.


Thanks for the memories guys.

Vacation?!? Welcome to Bootcamp

Last year my brother and sister (Josh and Kelli) went on vacation to Havasupai.When they got back the trip sounded so cool I mentioned we should all go on a trip together. I had no idea I was signing Fielding and I up for a three day boot camp.
As time kept creeping closer, Fielding and I got more excited about the trip and all of the cool things we were going to get to take pictures of. we also got more details about the hike. It's about a 10 Mile hike to the Hilltop and then an additional 2 1/2 Mile hike to camp. Don't worry though. It's not that rough. Pretty much all of our stuff except for your pack will be packed in on the mules. Alright, I can handle that. After all it's just a bunch of walking and I've got two legs that work.
Boy was I wrong.

We left around 3 in the afternoon on Tuesday and drove all the way there with a short stop in Vegas.
(By the way if you want a buffet don't go to the Oasis. The buffet is closed right now.)




We got there at either midnight or one in the morning. I never did quite figure out what time it was there. Not ten minutes after we got there we were on our way down the trail.
Immediately my frustrations started. (I know whiner.) It was kind of dark and I had no real clue where I was going. I also was a bit afraid of falling off the trail and down into some pit. Remember, I couldn't see and I pretty much went tunnel vision within the first half mile. (I honestly don't remember anything after the first five minutes of the hike in until we could hear the water.)

I had to be one of the slowest hikers in the history of hiking and poor Josh and Fielding had to keep tabs on me and make sure I kept walking. And so I kept walking clinging to the hope that when it was done it really wouldn't have been that bad.
Again I was wrong.
I was dumb enough to ask Josh how much farther we had to go when I felt like we'd been walking forever. I even prefaced it by letting him know I knew I was going to regret asking. "Yeah, we've only gone about two miles and we've got another eight to the village. After that there's two and a half miles back to camp." Yeah, I regretted asking, but seriously what was I supposed to do? Sit down and cry? Turn around and go back? Nope, I signed up for it and it was supposed to be worth it so I kept walking and didn't complain (at least that I remember). We finally made it to the Hilltop about seven or eight in the morning and sat down for a short break. Fielding and I were both beat. Fielding's knee and back were hurting. And both of our feet were killing us. I already had a blister on each heel in addition to the one on my big toe.
We decided it would be best if most of us kept moving while Josh and Jamie waited to check in.
So we picked up our stuff and started walking again. It was torture. Since Fielding had already carried the pack 10 miles in and a bit to camp, I told him I'd switch him because he was hurting bad. I took the pack and lasted about...five minutes before I wanted to die. It sucked. My feet were killing me and I was exhausted. Not to mention now I could see all of the cliffs I could fall off of if I took a tumble. (Man, I'm such a baby.)
But Fielding and I kept going. I even remember telling Kelli at some point how glad I was that she hadn't carried any of our stuff and that I hadn't asked her to. (I think at first she thought I was commenting on how rude she was being because she made it through the hike without a problem, but I wasn't.) Instead I told her that I didn't want to be an even bigger loser than I already was since I asked how much farther after only two miles. She broke out laughing about it. (I still can't figure out if she thought I'd lost it.)
Finally, we rounded the bend and saw Havasupai Falls. It really was pretty, but I just wanted to get to camp and crash.
(To be continued.)