Summertime!

It sure does feel like summertime and I am loving it! This past weekend got up to about 85 degrees. The warm weather inspired Jaren and I to write a list of things we want to do this summer. This list is still in progress but here are our ideas...

- Kite flying
- Tube the river
- Have bonfires
- Go reservoir jumping
- Ride bikes to ice-cream shop or snow cone shack
- BBQ's in the park
- Go fishing
- Go to the drive-in movies
- Play tons of tennis
- Go swimming (ponds, lakes, rivers etc.)
- Get a group together and play night games
- Plant a garden
- Go hiking
- Go stargazing
- Have a water fight
- Picnic and Frisbee at the park

The nice thing about this list is that the activities/date ideas are either free or just a few dollars. It goes to show that you don't have to travel the world and have a bunch of money to have a total blast :) What are your fun summer ideas?

Here are some pictures from our weekend outdoors!

Hot-dog roast with Hans and Stephanie

Steph bought me this super cute ZUMBA skirt. I tried talking her into wearing them to dinner but she thought I was crazy ;)

Getting ready to go canoeing

Eating our popcicles

Sunday picnic at the park

Sunday picnic at the park

Swimming with friends

Three Amazing Years

This week has been really special. Jaren and I had our three year anniversary. Three years! To celebrate, we were able to spend the week at a condo in Island Park (Thanks to my uncle Richard). The only way that I can describe our time there is to say it was special. We spent our time in the hot tub, cooking on the BBQ, playing intense games of Nerf gun hide and go seek, movies, and filming a home-made "scary" movie.

Jaren and I have learned so much throughout these past three years. I can truly say that we have helped each other become better people (slowly but surely ;). As I think back 3 years to my wedding day, I remember it being beautiful. I remember being happy. I remember all of our supportive family and friends (see wedding pictures here). But, when I think of marriage, I don't think about my wedding day. I think of the things that make marriage real. I think of Jaren and I crying together. I think of the times that we forgive each other after a fight. I think of the fact that every time anything happens to me (good or bad), he is the first one I want to tell. What an amazing gift marriage is!

Here are some pictures from our anniversary trip...

Our Cabin

The power in the cabin was out for the first few hours...
this is our creative way to get water (snow melting)

Hot tub on the back porch

Playing card games (the camera flash was a bit much :)

BBQ

Movie time

Early morning hot-tubing :)

The little shop

Sling shots :)

Anniversary dinner

Invitation

My second semester of school is finished. This semester has been stressful to say the least. Very rewarding, but stressful. I did the first half of my internship this semester. My internship consisted of doing therapy, which I loved. My dream career is to be a stay-at-home mom but by being a licenced therapist, I will be able to do a few therapy sessions a week. This internship has given me much needed training and practice to be able to fulfill that dream.

Jaren and I feel very relieved to have a bit of a break for a little bit before next semester. And best of all, the LDS conference broadcast is this weekend. Conference weekends are truly two of my most favorite weekends of the year. Jaren and I were talking last night about different questions we are going to have in mind as we listen to God's word this weekend. I'm truly looking forward to it! Life is so great :)

Friendship

This weekend we had a little get-a-way with our best friends, Hans and Stephanie Petrich. We first became friends with the Petrichs in the fall of 2009. At that point, each of us had only been married a few months. We hit it off. Two and a half years later, our friendship with them has grown so much. Because Hans is graduating with his Masters degree next month, they will be moving away before August of this year. It makes us sad but we know that we will always continue to be friends (we already have future friend vacations planned J)

This weekend, in celebration of the Hunger Games Premiere, we got two hotel nights in Idaho Falls with them. We loved the movie, but spending the quality time with the Petrichs was worth so much more. I’m grateful for friendship. I’m grateful for laughter and being silly and immature (we are very good at that haha).

Here are some pictures from the weekend. 

Lunch at the hotel

Our tostada bar :)

5 minutes after this package was opened,
Steph and I had pretty much eaten them all... embarassing!

On a walk.
Such a nice day!

Feeding the geese

The HUNGER GAMES!

Playing card games

Dinner

Swimming

Sauna

Our cute boys

Fun jumping place

Jaren and Hans taking a break at the mall while Steph and I shopped :)

"The better part of one's life consists of his friendships."
- Abraham Lincoln

Memories...

I have been making some picture collages recently and it has been really fun. I made a few from my wedding pictures and man did it bring back memories of my perfect day. This April marks three years since then. My mom and I were talking recently about my wedding day. That day, we lost a bag that had my make-up, my jewelry, and my garter in it. A day or two earlier, if you would have told me that I would not have those key wedding items on my wedding day, I would have cried. But, on that beautiful April day, I did not care at all. I was marrying my best friend and life was good. In fact, as my mom tried desperately to track down the lost bag, I floated around on cloud nine. We laugh about it now.

This post may seem a bit random. I'm not celebrating a wedding anniversary or anything else that would call for a wedding memory post. It was just on my mind. I love Jaren. I love life.

Here are the pictures collages!

BRIDE

GROOM

SOUL MATES

MY FAIRYTALE

CUTTING THE CAKE

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

LEAVING FOR THE HONEYMOON