Snow & other updates

So a lot has been going on lately with starting a new semester and everything.  A few updates that probably should be mentioned:
- I know most of you know, but I quit Jamba Juice.  I got a job as a Biology 100 TA!  Woo!  It's fun.

-Billy has 2 capstone internships he is working on currently.  He is working on getting psychological tables organized and translated into Spanish for a professor (not really positive about the details of this one...he'd have to tell you) and he is about to start working at Slate Canyon which is a school for troubled boys (I think, I'm probably getting this info wrong.  I should probably just wait until he is home to do this but oh well).  Should be an interesting semester for Billy!  Some good stuff to put on grad school apps!

-My computer went crazy and we had to get a new hard drive for it.  So the only pictures currently on this computer are the ones I'm about to post :(  so sad, right?  Don't worry, we backed up all the other pictures on an external hard drive.  It's just sad they aren't on the computer anymore.  And the computer is like a brand new computer now which is kind of annoying because it doesn't know anything.

- It finally snowed!  A ton actually.  I can't decide if I'm happy about it or not yet.  I think I like it this year though for some reason.  Yikes.

-Billy is working 6:45 am- 11:45 am now!  Crazy early!  So he has to get up at 6 every morning.  It's sad not having him around in the morning but it's SO nice we get to have dinner at a normal time now!  Rather than 8:30.

-Billy is still a TA for Psych 101 and he enjoys that.  He's such a hard worker!  So many jobs!  Well, just 2.  But that is way more than one.

-We've almost been married for a year and a half!

-My birthday is 3 months from Sunday...so pretty soon.  Everyone better start preparing.  Haha jk I tell Billy pretty much everyday to start preparing for my birthday and it's pretty funny but I'm always kidding.  Or am I?

-I went rock climbing with my friend Adrianne the other day which was way fun and my arms are still sore.  It's fun having a girl friend I can have girl time with.

-Well, I think that's all the updates for now.  I could go into more detail on our school schedules if people want to know...and maybe I will later just for posterity's sake.  ANYWAYS, on Saturday me and Billy took advantage of the snow and did something we've been meaning to do for YEARS but haven't gotten around to doing...we built a snowman!  A few actually.

We started out by making some small ones on Bill's car.  Haha so funny and cute.  They were partying

Woo!

Then we made a REAL snowman in the grass in the front of our complex...the snow was perf for packing!  This was Bill's first time ever making a snowman.  Boo ya.

Using pine needles for hair

He looks like a homeless/monkey snowman...but we like him that way.  He's got his scruffy man beard and everything

That was way fun.  We have fun together.

P.s. notice my AWESOME snow boots.  They are great and I just discovered that I had them.  Also notice how wet Bill's shoes are :( poor guy!  Snow is cold.

White, Mormon girl, from beach town and brothers

My Cultural Diorama

For all of you who may follow my blog, this post is for a school assignment :)  enjoy!

I'm a Mormon

This is a picture of the San Diego LDS Temple. We have this picture hanging in our home (it was actually taken by my father-in-law, who is a photographer!).  I grew up in the LDS faith.  Growing up in this faith has probably been the biggest and best factor in my life that has shaped me into who I am today.  My friends growing up were mostly all Mormon, and they are who helped me follow a good path in life and make good choices.  My church leaders and teachers were always there to help me when I was struggling and to inspire me and get me through hard things.  As I developed a testimony of my own, the knowledge was solidified in my mind that there is a bigger purpose to this life.  Keeping that eternal perspective in mind has helped me get where I am today and I am so grateful for this joyous gospel in my life!

I am so glad I was able to be married to my eternal companion in this temple, partially because I dreamed of being married in it since I was very little, partially because it is the most beautiful temple in the world, and mostly because now I am sealed to my best friend forever!


Baseball

For a lot of my early life, I was the only girl with three brothers.  Sports, and especially baseball, were very popular in my house.  Attending my brother's baseball games, throwing the ball around with them, and simply observing my parents being so supportive of their interest in the game has helped me develop a love for baseball.  When I was 15, my parents decided to have another baby.  I was 100% sure it would be a girl, and I could not wait to have a sister.  Ha!  How could I have been so silly?  Lo and behold, a baby boy was born and I was now the only girl with four brothers.  Since I was old enough to be a big help around the house, I feel like I partially helped raise my little brother.  What a blessing he has been in my life and in the life of my family.  Another little brother equaled even more baseball!

Growing up with my brothers, and being old enough to help be a mommy, has helped me learn patience, love, and gratitude.  I was definitely humbled when I found out I was going to have a baby brother, and I learned that Heavenly Father has a bigger plan for us then I do.  I'm not sure if a little girl could have brought the same joy and blessings that my little brother has brought to our family.  Heavenly Father knows best!

Psychology

The subject of Psychology has played a big role in my life.  We have lots of psychology books like this one lying around my home.  My Mom never finished getting her degree when she first attended college.  Because of that, she has always told me that no matter what, I would get my undergraduate degree.  She has put this idea in my mind every day of my life.  I was really grateful for this when I was in my senior year of high school because I never wondered what I was going to do next in my life, I knew I was going to college.  My Grandparents have always been very supportive of getting a higher education, and have helped me achieve my degree by helping me financially and by inspiring me through their academic achievements. My Mom is now back in school finishing her degree in Psychology.  My husband is about to graduate with a degree in Psychology.  I love the subject of psychology, and I am sometimes surprised that I didn't pursue a degree in Psychology.

One other reason I love this subject is because I have a brother who has made some interesting choices in his life.  Because of these choices, I was able to attend a lot of seminars and youth camps while I was younger that were aimed at attaining self-confidence and understanding how the human mind works and what it has power to do.  I always found these fascinating and was able to more fully understand why people did a lot of the weird things they did, even why I did a lot of the things I did, and thought the things I thought, because I attended these psychological seminars and was exposed to these ideas.


These three artifacts in my life, along with countless others, have helped me to become who I am today, with my personality and character.  They have helped shape me culturally and have given me the views and opinions on life I now have.

Mom comes to visit!

Since Christmas and the reunion and everything was so busy and went so fast, I didn't really get very much quality time with my family and specifically my mom so my mom, being the wonderful, loving, caring mother that she is, flew up to Utah after all the festivities to spend some quality time with me!  We had lots of fun to do, so we were a little stressed at the beginning trying to fit everything into a 3 day schedule haha.

We picked her up late late on Wednesday night.  Thursday morning we went for a much longer than anticipated walk (probably like 5+ miles).  I was pretty sick and Mom was getting over a cold which is why we walked instead of ran just fyi haha.  Then we went to go get my haircut!!  Let me just tell you that I HATE haircuts (which is why my hair was so long).  They are scary and what if the person messes it up and what if its too short and you hate it etc etc.  But it had to be done my hair was almost to my waist!  So we went to this salon and the girl started by cutting 6 inches off.  But we both thought that wasn't enough so she cut another 2 off!  8 INCHES PEOPLE!  It was crazy and felt so good!  I'm sorry I don't have any pictures.  Well I do have this awkward one I took with my phone to send to Billy...

It's way shorter but still way long!  And I love it so much I'm not even sad at all!  And the girl had no one after me so she taught me how to curl it :) 

After the haircut me and my mom went shopping boo YA!  It was kind of a quick shopping trip because we had to get home so mom could teach me how to make dinner (haha) and then we could get to the Draper temple because my/our dear friend Abbie was taking out her endowments!  Lets just say dinner took longer than expected and we were very late to the temple...but made it just in the nick of time!  It was embarrassing because we had super front row seats.  But it was great being there.  We got to reconnect with old ward members and friends.  Yay Abbie!!

On Friday we went out to breakfast at Magleby's!  It was the most delicious breakfast ever.  I wish I could eat those pancakes every day of my life.  After that Billy had to go to work :( so me and my mom went shopping again!  We went to Banana Republic and bought me this jacket we saw the day before that was super on sale and such a good deal and that I'm so excited about.  It looks like this:

except navy blue.  I had to include a picture to break up all the words.

We also went to the make up place in Nordstrom and got my face color matched with the right make up for my face.  Yay!  Then we went home to cook a delish dinner of chicken taquitos with cilantro ranch dressing to bring to Billy during his break of his 11 hour shift!!  Poor guy.  He was working all day while we were playing.  Here's some pictures of the food.

Yummy!

Oh yeah and we made chocolate zucchini bread!  I look like a turtle in this picture...but with rosy cheeks this time.  I'm good at looking like a turtle in pictures.

Then me and my mom watched The Help.  It was really good yet sad yet happy and made me want to read the book still!

My mom cried.  I didn't.  I don't cry during movies.  Except during movies that have little boys named Jayson die from being hit by a car.  Then I cry like crazy. (The Hereafter.  I don't recommend it.)

Saturday morning we made a delicious breakfast of these apple cinnamon rolls, cider and smokies wrapped in bacon!!  YUM!  It was so good I could have died.  Not really.

They were so good I was way excited to have the leftovers yesterday for breakfast :)

Then we all decided to try and go up to Fashion place mall and go to H&M and Crate and Barrel.  BAD IDEA.  It was so so crowded I was going to scream!  H&M was crazy!  You would have thought it was black friday times 10!  Yikes.  Crate and Barrel was better.  We love that store.  It was just so crowded everywhere there that it wasn't very fun.  We went over to John and Barbara's later that night for dinner and for mom to meet Hayley's new bf Dan!  That was way fun.

New years eve wasn't very eventful.  We played a few games and when it turned to midnight we all said "woo hoo!" and then went to bed.  Pretty awesome.

We started out the new year great by driving my mom to the airport at 7:30 in the morning, and getting a speeding ticket on the way.  Cheers to the new year.

Sorry for all the words and lack of pictures.  I realize our blog is not the funnest to read, and my new years resolution is to change that.  I realize these posts are lacking in humor and abounding in words, so again I apologize.  I will be better.  Bye.

Christmas in Arizona!

On Thursday the 22nd we flew out to Arizona to spend Christmas with Billy's fam!  We got in late Thursday night so we just had some late night tacos and ice cream (hehe) and chatted then hit the hay.

Friday we spent the day playing with little Sierra and Whitney (and Karen was watching a boy from the family she works for, Ty...he was a super cutie as well)!  We went to the park and played around the house.  It was really funny because at the park Sierra wanted to play Rapunzel and I was "Mother" so she kept yelling from across the park "Mother, come help me!" and other people were there and they probably thought I made my daughter call me mother.  Hahaha

Billy and Whitney had such a special connection over the whole trip, it was so so so so so so cute!  Jenny told us one night she got up in the middle of the night and kept saying "uh wuh Bilwy, uh wuh Bilwy"  (aka probably I want Billy).  So precious!!  Then another time on Sunday we got to church the same time as Jenny and Jason and the girls but came in different doors and Jenny saw us and said "Oh look!  Its Auntie Caitlin and Uncle Billy!" and then Whitney sqiggled her way out of Jenny's arms and ran over to Billy and put her arms up and he picked her up and she gave him such a big hug!  It was the cutest thing I've ever seen and I'm pretty sure Billy got a little emotional :)  Here's a picture of Whitney trying to take Billy's temperature haha

Saturday on Christmas Eve I can't really remember what we did all day but later in the day all the grown up kids went to go see Mission Impossible which was so fun!  Then at night we all went over to the Olson's house for the Christmas Eve tradition of dinner and a white elephant gift exchange party!  It was super fun!  Me and Billy had also bought a puzzle earlier in the day and so when we got home we worked on that for a few hours!

Then apparently we fell asleep on the couch :)

And Sierra put out cookies and milk for Santa!

Bruce is a very talented photographer.  He took a few pictures of us on Monday before we left and it was really fun and really nice of him.  He is so talented!

Christmas morning was so fun!  Sierra got to see her new bike from Santa and she was so excited!  And Whitney got to see all her princess dolls!  It was so cute and fun.  Then we went to church and that was really great.  After church we all opened presents and played with all our new toys :)  Jon and Kara were over too and Scarlett was so cute with all her toys!  Scarlett is such a funny cute little grunter.  We have the cutest nieces!

Sierra and Ty

Little Whitty at church :)

Christmas evening we all worked hard on the puzzle and finally got it finished!  It was super hard to do!  All the pieces looked exactly the same but we all worked together and got it finished!

Woo!

Bruce checking the underside of the puzzle to make sure all the pieces matched up correctly :)

Such an accomplishment getting it finished!

Unfortunately we had to leave the next day to come back to Utah because Billy had to work :(  So our Christmas trip was really short but really fun!

Bruce did a photo shoot of us on Monday and took some really awesome photos!  Most of you have probably seen that one of me and Billy on Facebook and he took a lot more cute ones and I'm so excited about them!  Thanks Bruce!

Barrow Family Reunion

On the 18th we flew to San Diego for the Barrow family reunion and for Travis and Cami's wedding!  It was so fun being home in San Diego for a few days.  I don't know how its possible but I kind of forgot how beautiful it is there.  I love it so much!  Anyways, Sunday morning we woke up when we wanted to actually be AT the airport!  So that was really stressful and scary but good thing we did that same thing the day we were supposed to leave for our honeymoon so we're used to being stressed on the way to the airport haha.  We got there on time though and made our flight!  Christmas miracle.

Once we got to San Diego we went home to shower then went to church which was so fun because my entire extended family was there and all my friends were there too!  So it was a blast reconnecting with everyone.  The whole family came over for dinner that night and we sang Christmas songs and shared family stories and it was great.  We all slept at a hotel in Del Mar.  Grandpa is so great to put these big reunions all together and make it so everyone is able to afford coming!

Monday we all took family pictures on the beach!  For some reason I haven't seen any of those pictures and don't have any...sorry!  We took some fun ones though...hopefully I can put some up soon.

We all went for a hike up at Torrey Pines.

Sorry this is as big as these pictures are going to get.  I didn't take any pictures and I don't know how to save the pictures people shared with me.

Pride rock with little Maggie haha!

After the hike we all went to In-N-Out (or Up and Down burger as my Grandpa calls it).  We took up the whole place practically!  There were so many red shirt people!

After In-N-Out we all went to the San Diego Food Bank to help sort and organize food that was donated for the holidays into expired, good, etc.  It was so fun all doing service together as a family!  We got so much done!

At night we had another family gathering where we read each others stories and ate and had a great time.

Grandpa and his story telling hands...

Tuesday everyone exercised in the morning (some crazy people got up at 5 and ran 11 miles!) then we all had to get ready to go to the temple for Cami's endowments!  That was really great.  I like going with people that are going for the first time because it helps me look at everything in a different light.  After the temple we all went out to souplantation (Billy's fav) and later went to the Groom's BBQ dinner up at Gene and Michelle's!

I had to include this picture because look how BUFF Cody is!!!  How the heck did that happen??  Wasn't he just 5 years old like yesterday?  Now he's all grown up...sniff sniff.  And I guess this is why he gets all the ladies...

I love this picture of my mom and her Dad

Me and Bill talking to Uncle Mike.  I look like I'm sleeping but I still like this picture

I also love this picture of my mom and her sister aka my Aunt Susan.  Don't they look so much alike?

Then Wednesday was the big wedding day!  I woke up at 4:30 that morning (I think it was that morning) to go running with Uncle Kenny and everyone at 5!  We ran 8 miles!  Boo ya.

The wedding was awesome.  Travis and Cami are such cuties.

My classic picture with the sheep from the nativity.  3 years in a row getting a picture with him.  BFFs

Travis and Cami walking out of the temple

Cuties!

The reception was later that night up in Murietta.  It was really fun!

The cupcake display

The reception...so pretty!  Sorry I don't have more pictures.  This is the best I can do from what people gave me :)  I'm really bad at taking pictures of my own life.

 

And after the reception they left in a big Escalade limo complete with fish tanks inside!  Pretty awesome.  And that was the whole reunion!  Everyone left the next day for home.  We left the next day for Arizona!  Woo hoo!

Matt & Amy's Wedding!

Billy's dear friend Matt Keller got married on Saturday December 17th and we got invited to go to the sealing!  The Barrow Family Reunion in San Diego started on the 17th, but we stayed to go to the sealing and flew home on Sunday the 18th.  The wedding was wonderful!  The sealing was so great, I kept feeling that they are both so perfect for each other and I was just exploding with happiness!  It was great!

Here they are coming out of the temple.  Amy looked beautiful!  I felt so bad for her though because it was FREEZING and she was in short sleeves!  But at least it wasn't snowing!

Matt's family

Matt and his pals

 

The reception was like a fairy tale!  It was in a greenhouse type place and it was the most beautiful reception I think I have ever seen!!  I loved it so much.  Amy has good style that's for sure!  You can't really tell how magical it was from this picture...but just believe me that it was extremely magical.

Super pretty centerpieces.  I would have loved them when I was little because they had jewels all over them.  And I love them now too!!

Beautiful ruffly cakes

Cutting the cake

They served crepes at the reception.  They had people making them and flipping them and then you got to put whatever toppings you wanted on them and it was way fun.  Very cute idea.

Their exit was very exciting.  We all held sparklers up and they walked through them to their car and as fireworks went off in the sky too!  It was so magical I couldn't believe it!  It was such a fun wedding!  Oh and the next morning when we were at the airport we saw them there too!  They were on their way to Cancun and had the same time of flight as us :)  That was pretty funny.

P.S.  Happy New Year!!