Life With My Best Friend: Some dating fun...

We made pudding a lot. Firstly, it's deliciosa. Secondly, it was a longstanding joke between us since we started dating. Haha but that's a secret.

This was like the first time we went out after we had decided we were really "dating". We had fun hiking, playing in the leaves, taking pictures and enjoying the colors! and holding hands the whole way:)

haha I like this one. We set up the camera and ran over the the bridge, and it caught us as we were sitting down. We look very excited:)

We also went four wheeling with my dad! He took us up and we had fun riding around and enjoying the excuse to cuddle the whole time:) This was also one of the first dates we had when we were really dating.

Look how blonde our hair was!

Me with brown hair. Mike didn't like it.

Halloween costumes! It was such a fun Halloween! We went to Mike's ward party and at the end, there was a big dance party and Mike and I went crazy. We are both dancers, so we were really just having so much fun jumping around and getting lots of looks from all the others:) (of course, everyone else was just jumping up and down in a big crowd, so we kind of stood out as we were really dancing out by ourselves.) It was one of the funnest dances I've ever had

I curled Mike's hair. He was pretty embarrassed.

He wouldn't even drive in the car without covering his hair. He promptly washed it out when we got to his apartment...I was a little disappointed, not gonna lie...

Temple square!

KAIIZEN!!!!!!!!!!! On our way to Mexico to visit the orphanage. Mike is the program director (I am his cheerleader and supporter and helper), and he is in charge of everything. Planning the trip, getting volunteers, holding meetings to prepare everyone, driving down there (he drove a big 15 passenger van for like 15 hrs straight), leading all the volunteers and playing with the kids and helping everyone out. He is amazing! He really is an amazing leader and the kids absolutely LOVE him at the orphanage. He is great for this and it's a really great opportunity for the both of us. We will go down and help at the orphanage and teach at the elementary school and give service to the community 4 times this year! It's awesome!

We also get to go to the beach. And SLEEP there the last night! It's a private beach and really safe...so no worries. It is just so wonderful to fall asleep out on a tarp and look at the stars and hear the waves...love it!!

The third grade class we taught:) We put others in charge of the other classes. This time was a really fun lesson about what makes a good story, and how their lives are stories and that they can rewrite them and make them however they want. They are in charge of their stories. Most of these kids come from really poor homes, many abusive, and they just don't have a lot of hope to get out of their situations. But we are trying to help them realize their potential by our lessons each time we go. They made paper chains with their goals on them (they were all so proud and wanted to read every goal to us and show us..it was so cute to see how excited they were about it!) and we hung them up in the classroom so they can always see them. They are the cutest kids.

Talent show. Five of the guys did "Juan" Direction. Haha they were, apparently, the cousins of One Direction. It was pretty hilarious and the kids at the orphanage LOVED it! Here is Mike doing a little part of the dance/singing.

We also provided Christmas for the kids at the orphanage. It was so fun to see all of them open the presents that "Santa" had brought them. They were all so excited and happy. Can't beat the smile of one of those cute little kids:)

This little girl is just super cute! We secretly want to adopt her...haha

When we went to deliver rice and beans out to the poorest part of the community, a family went with us and they handed the little girl over to Mike to hold the whole time, and she was just so comfortable and happy in his arms the whole time:) We visited some amazing people who lived in one room houses with dirt floors made out of wood or tin or sheets or whatever they could find. Never have I met people as humble and happy...they were so grateful for our package of rice, beans, milk, pasta, and other basic food supplies. And even though they had hardly enough food for their own children and families, they always wanted to offer something to us and give us something they were making. These are amazing people and I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to help them out a little bit each time we go down!

This little boy also loved Mike and followed him EVERYWHERE

I worked at UVRMC last semester in Pediatric and Labor and Delivery. Great experience! This semester I've been working at the University of Utah Hospital in the ICU, and also a little at the Utah State Hospital...with all the psych patients. Despite how crazy it's been and how worn out I've been, I loved it and learned so much!