A catch up post

3 years of marriage is just around the corner. March, 2016 will be here and gone before we know it. Seems like time just comes and goes as it pleases, and regardless of how slow or fast it feels, it's always consistent. It seems that these 3 years have flew by. So much has happened for us in just 3 short years, and we've been incredibly blessed to spend them together. 

So here's a recap, and my thoughts on a few of the things that have happened.

First, I want to start with something that happened a long time ago, but I feel I have finally made peace with it, and I think both Mark and me are in a really good place in regards to our marriage and sealing in the temple. I don't regret being sealed, since I think we may have had some guilt if we hadn't gone through. Of course, there was a lot of guilt afterwards too when we completely didn't understand, or feel that the temple was right for us.

Eventually we made our piece with the temple, and have since decided the church isn't the path we're to take right now. Both of us are on a journey to figure out our own sense of spirituality, sense it is something that's important to us, but for now I feel happy with my decision and so does Mark, to give the church a wide berth. Now all the church goers, don't feel sad for us. Because I don't feel sad for myself. I actually feel very free, and liberated.

Secondly, we have done a lot of traveling, even if it's just small trips. Something that I love about Mark, is that he is down to travel with me. Since we got married we have been to Hawaii, Cabo San Lucas Mexico, Louisiana, and in January we are going to Orlando Florida!!! I'm super excited. We've also adventured to Yellowstone, Moab, Mesa Verde, Vegas, Arkansas, and for my 25th birthday we drove to Glenwood Springs Colorado and hiked to Hanging Lake, which was so worth the drive, if anyone was wondering. 

We also adopted a Kitten, who is now a full grown cat. His name is Lincoln, and we adore him. He is like our child, and I think were pretty lucky to have gotten such a tolerant and loving cat. We adopted him from Best Friends Animal Rescue http://bestfriends.org/our-work/local-programs/best-friends-utah. He was part of their bottle baby program. Best Friends believes every life matters, and decided to help save new born kittens that are brought into the shelter. Kittens are very susceptible to disease in shelters, and most don't make it. Due to this, Best Friends made a kitten nursery where orphaned kittens, and new mommas and baby can come to feel safe, and receive round the clock care. In doing this they have saved thousands of lives. The kitten nursery is ran by volunteers, 22 hours a day. Lincoln was a bottle baby, and we think this is why he is exceptionally loving for a cat. 

Lincoln also helps both of us feel happier. He really is like a therapy cat. I just love animals. 

Mark has decided to go to Graduate school, and get his Masters in Environmental Science, with an emphasis in either soil science or Hydrology. I think he's leaning towards Hydrology right now. He has taken the GRE and has applied to two schools so far. We will know by March, hopefully, where we will be moving to Next august. It's very exciting, but scary too, and sad. Especially with the new baby arriving in May, i'm sure glad my family will get to know the baby some  though before we go.

We both are Graduating from UVU with our Bachelors Degrees. Me with a BS in Community and Public Health Promotion, and Mark with his BS in Environmental Science. 

We both have been able to get some good experience in our job fields, and i'm hoping that I will be able to work a little bit if needed during graduate school, but we will see. I think the being a stay at home mom thing could work out really well too. 

We moved out of our dungeon-basement apartment, and in with my mom. That has been a really nice change, and now almost everyone I love lives in Springville. Win, win! It's nice to be back, and to have a nice house and back yard. 

we got some new family pictures taken of us, my friend Amy was doing a free photo give away, so we got 2.5 year anniversary pictures taken. they're very special to me, because I was 6 weeks pregnant in them, and I will always be reminded of that, exciting but nervous time for us. I also love the way they turned out . Amy at Amyeliseallen photography does a really good job. I just love her too, so that helps me not feel so stiff, even though Mark and Me are probably still pretty hard to photograph! 

And lastly, but not in the least bit less important, we are adding a baby to our family in May,2016! Mark and me are so so so excited about it, and can't wait to meet our little one!