Two Become One

We have a little sign in our bedroom that says, "Two Become One". I was looking at it today and thinking about the different ways that Eric and I have "Become One".

Nothing of profound importance hit me... but I realized that there are a ton of little tiny things/ways of doing things that we've picked up from the other person without even realizing it.

Seriously, none of these are monumental or live changing. I just want to remember who started some of these things.

Case 1: PB&J
The making of a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich.  We seriously eat these things like crazy 'round here. So bad. I almost never ate these when I was single. But when I did, I'd get out one butter knife for the peanut butter and a spoon for the jam.

Now, from observing Eric, I've learned that there is a better way. Gone are the days where two different utensils are needed for making PB&J's. All you do is take a big spoon and use the back of it to collect and spread out your peanut butter onto one slice of bread. Wipe it clean on your second piece of bread and then use the inside of the spoon to scoop out the jam. Voila.  I'm a changed woman.

Case 2: Lights on, Lights off

 I was taught from a very young age that you turn off a light as soon as you leave the room. Even if you are coming right back. Saves energy and helps keep the house cool. I did it growing up out of habit more than anything, but now that I pay my own electric bill, I am adamant about this.

So imagine my surprise (read "horror") in the first few months of our marriage when I'd come home and every single light (granted we only have 3 in our little apartment) had been left on! Oh the humanity! How long had those little energy/money suckers been left on with no one to use them? After much loving coaxing, I'm finally starting to train Eric to be a little bit better at remembering to turn off the lights... but we've been married for almost a year and I'm thinking I've got at least another year or so before he has this one mastered.

**In his defense, his house doesn't really have light switches. They are timed lights so he never really needed to worry about turning them off.

Case 3: 
Eric loves a clean home. As do I. However....
Eric has a "dishes rule of thumb" that he loves and lives by. Before he is about to eat the meal he has prepared, he must wash all the dishes he used in preparation for this meal. No food reaches those lips until the kitchen is spotless.

This is a fantastic rule, I agree. But man, I have the hardest time following it. Especially for dinner. I'm usually tired and hungry from the day's activities that I work super fast to get that food ready. As soon as it's done, I want to eat it! The last thing I want to do is force my fatigued and famished body to clean up the kitchen before allowing myself to eat what I've just exhausted myself making.

But if I don't do it before we eat, then I sure as darn don't want to do it after we eat either, but then, I'm ready to veg on the couch. Sooo... Eric is training me to get that kitchen clean before meal time... but he's got at least another year (or 20) before I've mastered that one.

FHE 6/18/14

Song and Lesson: Noelle

Activity and Treats: Eric

After a lovely meal of fried rice (it's become a Monday night tradition), and after waiting until exactly 6:00 pm to begin because that's when the World Cup Soccer game finished, we had FHE.

We sang a primary song and then for our lesson we pulled out our Patriarchal Blessings and reviewed them. We did this right after we first got married and it was so fun and cool to read each other's blessings and literally read about ourselves in the other's blessing. Both of our blessings have segments in them that talk about our future spouses so that was pretty cool...

We also picked out all the parts that talked about our kids and our future as a family.  It really is amazing how perfectly Eric and my blessings correlate. Especially when it comes to our relationships with the family's we were raised in, some of our specific duties that we have together as a family, and special instructions in how to manage our finances. They seriously match perfectly. It was way cool. It was really good to review them and congratulate ourselves in the areas we are doing well in and set goals for ourselves to help us do better in the areas that we need to.

For Eric's activity we went to Walgreens to get a passport picture taken for his Dental Application. We also went and got a frosty at Wendy's for treats. The rest of the activity went as follows: I watched Masterchef and Eric paid dental application fees for 9 different schools. 

Monday nights are seriously the best.

A Day in the Nursery

Yesterday, we spent the Sabbath in Idaho Falls for Father's day. So we went to Eric's home ward with his family. It just so happened the Eric's mom had been put on nursery duty for the day.... so I quickly volunteered Eric and I to come help her in the nursery.

I LOVE NURSERY.

I know that as soon as I have kids of my own, my feelings about serving in the nursery are sure to take a dramatic change... but for now, I feel like it is the happiest place on earth.

Oh my goodness I could eat those two year olds right up! They are just so darling! It was so fun to be in there and playing with them. Although it was not all fun and games... there were a few little terrors in there... but you know what, I think I love those little terrors most of all.

Here's a brief glimpse into our two-hour nursery experience.

Max and Will: The twins. These two are so stinkin' cute! They are identical little toeheads who are outgoing and ready to play at all times. Usually they know who they are, but sometimes they get themselves confused. "I'm Max!.... No, I'm Will! Wait, I'm Max!" Haha so funny. We could tell them apart easily enough because one had a scratch by his eye... so it was just funny that they had more trouble remembering who they were than we did.

Collin and Zoe: These two are siblings. Zoe is a seasoned primary-goer, while this week was Collin's first attempt at the whole thing. Collin struggled big time and cried and cried and cried when his parents left. Zoe would pat him on the head and say matter-of-factly "Stop crying Collin!" He struggled, but we made it through the whole day with only minor trauma experienced for all involved.

Maya and Bowen: Not related... except for the fact that Bowen seemed to have a vendetta against Maya. Maya is adorable. She's confident, stands up for herself and speaks her mind. Bowen is hilarious... he acted like a dinosaur 3/4 of the time, stomping on things and growling with his claws out. But he just wouldn't leave poor Maya alone. He hit, punched, pulled, pushed etc. that poor little girl like crazy! So he was punished and what not, but my goodness, it was so hard to get angry at such a cute kid! He had a mess of curly blonde hair flopping around on his head and gorgeous blue eyes. He was a doll... just a mean one.

There were several other kids, but these are the six that caught my attention. Anyways, I loved the whole thing. I just love watching little kids interact with their surroundings... and try and communicate. Cutest thing ever. Makes me so excited for our own little munchkin to get here and SO curious as to what kind of nursery-goer she will be one day.

Monday Nights

I absolutely love Monday nights. By far, most favorite night of the week.

Eric's Monday school schedule is pretty rigorous (School from 7:45am- 6pm) and by the time he comes home, he's spent.

I try to have dinner all ready so that we can eat as soon as he comes in and then have Family Home Evening right after it.

We've changed our FHE methods/routines like three times since we've been married, and we'll definitely continue to change and adapt them. Keeps it fun. But I want to document some of the things we do, even though they're simple, they're some of my favorite memories.

Right now it's pretty simple. One person is in charge of songs and lesson. The other person is in charge of activity and treats. We alternate weeks. I still can't decide which one I like being in charge of better, they're both great.

Ever since we found out we were expecting, we've been singing primary songs for opening and closing song (figured we should brush up on those). I love it and it makes me wish we lived in a ward that had children over the age of two so that I could be called into the Primary. I'm seriously dying to be in there. I've done the RS presidency thing for the past 5 years and am ready for a little Primary sunshine.

So last night, Eric got home around 6 and we ate fried rice for dinner. (Yes, as the main dish. Weird I know, but I load that rice up with so much good stuff, it'd be silly to have it as a side dish. It's one of Eric's favorites.)

Then we sang the "Jesus Entered Jordan's Waters" song. (We usually pick random primary songs and have to try like 6 times to get the tune right. It's hilarious.)

Eric gave an awesome lesson on the importance of being self-reliant in various aspects of our lives and how self-reliance is a pre-requisite to service. We then came up with ideas on how we could become more self-reliant in those different areas.

And then it was time for activity! One thing I love about being in charge of activity is that because it is FHE, Eric HAS to do whatever is picked for activity! No complaints.

Well it just so happened that the cheap theatre was doing a special that night. Buy one ticket, get one free. But the deal was only for one specific movie, the one movie that Eric has refused to go see with me... "Mom's Night Out." But it was a steal of a deal, and I was in charge of activity, so we spent $3 and went and saw it.

It was an ok movie. Some parts had us laughing so hard. Haha Eric liked it well enough, but said that he was just stressed out in behalf of the movie characters the whole time. It's true. It's one of those "Can things get any worse?!?" movies.

Afterwards we went next door and got $1 ice cream cones at Scoops and walked around the block. We spent the rest of the night watching my belly (baby) dance around and trying to figure out what part of her body kept bulging itself out my side.

No homework. No managing duties. No cell phones. Nothing but our little family enjoying ourselves together. That's why I love Monday nights.

The List

Believe it or not, we finally think we know what we might name this baby! 

After 8 months of either disagreeing, avoiding the subject or just coming up clueless... we've finally buckled down and put a list together of names we both can at least semi-agree on.

 The first few names listed are family names of people we love and the last few are names we just think are cute.

We do have one first and middle name in mind that we're like 84% set on... but that won't be disclosed at this time. We're waiting until she's born before we announce anything, gotta meet her before we slap a name on her.

So until then, feel free to let us know which ones you like, but probably don't tell us which ones you don't like ... :)

Graduation Designing

We have two little sisters graduating from High School tomorrow!  Here's the best part... they're both coming to BYU-I in the Fall! Eric and I are SO excited to have them up here. Wait there's more.. .they're even living together at my old apartment complex.. Royal Crest. It'll be a party I'm sure.

I got to help them both design their graduation announcements... here's a couple more designs we came up with that didn't quite make the cut. But... I thought they were cute too... so I'mma put them on here.

This is the one Holly ended up going with. It's hanging on our fridge now and I LOOOVE IT!

This was my personal favorite