A few more photo updates...

Another "week in pictures" style post. I realized just now, as I was uploading the pictures for this post, that I've posted a few of them on Facebook. I'm going to have to figure out how ot balance what I put on Facebook and here, because I'd like to post more pictures here, to be completely honest. I want this to be my more personal sharing place, you know? Anyway, we're in the ninth week before our move - it's crazy! Here are a few things that happened during our 10th week though...

First, here are a few shots of Twin Falls from this past week. The first two were taken down in the Snake River Canyon, at Centennial Park. The last one is a storm rolling in by our apartment. We love Twin Falls!

Brent, Courtney, and I went to Centennial Park on Monday, after we grabbed some lunch at Winco and brought it down there. We sat on a dock. Idaho in the summertime...so nostalgic.

Went to Starbucks (surprise, surprise) and was blessed by my dear friend and beloved barista, Marilla, with a sweet note on my iced coffee cup!

Next, Jonathan and Heidi let me borrow the second season of Downton Abbey! Can't wait to watch it...but I better hurry - there are 13 episodes and I have nine weeks! But then again, Brent and I watched 13 episodes of The Walking Dead in less than 24 hours, so I think I can do this one too. ;)

My pretty little sister, McKenzie. She's almost 8!

Brent and I have been married for seven months!!! Well, as of May 1st, which is this upcoming Tuesday. But still...nothing like experiencing the joys of marriage with you best friend! We're looking forward to a wonderful life.

This is me on my lunch break after I curled my hair. Yes...I curled my hair on my lunch break.

Brent, me, my sisters, and my mom drove to Boise on Friday night to pick up my dad from the airport. He was coming home from Florida - he had been there for a few weeks working on building a friend's kitchen. Anyway, Brent fell asleep on the airport floor! That's my little pink jacket he's using as a pillow.

My mom and dad at the Boise airport after my dad's plane got in. Love them so much more than they know - and they've blessed me more than they know!

And finally, I installed all of the original Sims games (well, except for the vacation one) on our computer. They're so nostalgic! Used to play these all the time, and now I can do it again!

Wedding Thank Yous

I am horrible. HORRIBLE.

I have not written any wedding thank yous, and it's been almost 7 months! I was told that you technically have up to a year to get the thank yous sent out, but I just feel bad. We got some wonderful gifts and I want everyone who gave to know that we're appreciative - and believe me: we are incrdibly appreciative! But I swear, I am one lazy card writer. Seriously - I was always so bad at writing thank yous growing up, and obviously that bad habit has carried over into adulthood.

Probably time to change that.

I just want everyone to know that I really will finish writing thank yous this month and send them out.

Promise!

Photo updates!

I have the Instagram app on my iPhone. It's just a picture-taking app, but it has cool filters and stuff and makes me feel like a professional photographer whenever I use it. Anyway, I post a lot of the pictures on Facebook and Twitter, but not all of them. So here's a little collection of my most recent shots from the past couple weeks.

First, there have been some new additions to the Rose & Butler homes...technologically speaking.

My brother, R.J., had his 14th birthday coincidentally enough on the 14th and his one and only gift was this massive computer. This picture doesn't do it justice - that thing is the biggest computer monitor I have ever seen, and I'm not exaggerating. He loves it, and he's going to do something great with technology one day!

Here's the laptop that Brent and I received for both of our birthdays and Christmas this year, haha! It's technically both of ours, but I use it the most so I picked my awesome family to be the desktop background.

Here's our laptop in action. We wanted to watch "The Walking Dead" in our bed (which doesn't have a fitted sheet - that's right...we sleep on a full-fledged mattress!) with speakers, but the speakers wouldn't stand up on their own (big surprise), so we used plates. We're cool like that...

Next...it's getting warm again! Seriosuly, the weather here in Idaho is perfect. This was me going on a walk about two weeks ago.

Apparently, even furniture needs to get some fresh air every now and then! I discovered this rare gem on my walk outside of one of the apartments in my building.

My mom had a medical procedure this week (nothing to worry about!) and was so cute and comfy coming off of the anesthetics...

A few weeks ago at church, Brent and our friend, Leslie, finally made their dream a reality and both wore their Batman shirt on the same day.

Yesterday (April 21st), my mom, sister, and I went for a walk on the canyon after we went out for dinner. I took a really great picture of all four of us, but unfortunately it wouldn't upload. So here are the ones that did work.

Here's my sister, Courtney, and I.

My youngest sister, McKenzie, and I!

Mama & me - we're under the Perrine Bridge!

Me and my sisters.

The Snake River Canyon...home, sweet home! It always has been and always will be, until I get to my real home in Heaven!

The first Sonic Slush of the summer! This particular gem was watermelon-flavored...

Last, but not least...TODAY!

This morning before church, Brent and I went to breakfast at Idaho Joe's. We had their breakfast buffet and it was delicious! Plus, we just sat there and talked over coffee...or rather, I drank coffee. (I haven't fully convinced Brent, yet!) It was so nice to just talk about life and the future. We felt like a cute, little old married couple! We're starting to get butterflies whenever we talk about moving - it's coming up in 10 weeks! Anyway, here we are in the truck after breakfast, before heading to church. (And look! Look at how long my hair is getting!!!)

After church, we got another Sonic Slush. This time I got peach-raspberry! (Brent got plain old cherry, and was a bit jealous of my mix, haha!) We took our yummy summer beverages and walked around the CSI campus. On our very first date we walked around the CSI campus, and we took our wedding photos there too. We had a very sweet time, just holding hands, sipping our slushies, and reminiscing. We love Idaho (and each other) so much! This is us on our walk.

Finally, Brent went to work today and lucky for the both of us, he didn't have to close! He dropped me off at Starbucks for the duration of his four-hour shift. I went in to order an iced coffee and the barista asked me if I wanted a TRENTA. For those of you who don't know, a trenta is 30 ounces! The biggest Starbucks size has always been a venti, or 20 oz. The trenta had been rumored to exist only in the South (see...it's like a mythological creature!) and is only for iced drinks. But apparently, it's made its way out West. For fifty cents more - and for the experience - I went ahead and ordered it. Four hours later, I have only drank half of it. It's a monster! I'll probably never get it again...it's way too big for me, especially because I have a trenta of weight to lose. (Haha! See what I did there? Trenta is 30 ounces, and I want to lose 30 pounds...haha...ha...get it?) Here's a picture of it before I started sipping.

Well, there's my photographic update. Until next time!

Some April Updates

It's been a while since posting. I know I said I was going to do my best to post weekly, but it has proven difficult the last two-ish weeks - mainly because nothing new has happened, haha! I'm still waiting on financial aid to all come together, and Brent and I are still both working.

A few little updates though:

• This upcoming Friday will mark the 10-week mark before we move. (Almost single digits!)
  
• This Friday also marks the 9-week mark before I don't work anymore. (Can't wait to be a full-time student!)
  
• I've finished an outline for a novel and a short story! The novel may take some time, but I plan on beginning work on the short story (as well as outlining a few more) this week. One of my goals for 2012 was to enter a few writing contests with my short stories or poems, so looking forward to a few finished projects.
  
• My family is no longer accompanying us on our journey to Tulsa, which is bittersweet. Bummed I don't get to spend an extra week with them, but it is exciting that Brent and I get to start this new chapter in our lives just the two of us and make some of our own memories.
  
• Another factor of this new development? No vehicle-renting or car-towing, which means no furniture. Renting a van and towing a car was looking like it was going to cost us in the 4-digits, so we're down to taking absolutely nothing (except for clothes, keepsakes & photos, appliances & kitchen stuff, books, video game consoles, and a few things here & there) and piling it into my '97 Malibu which we plan to get what we've been calling, "road trip ready."
  
• This past month, I've watched two entire TV show seasons, both in less than 24 hours. (I almost feel guilty - that is so much TV!) The first one was the first season of Downton Abbey, which my sister-in-law Heidi suggested, and I'm glad she did! It was pretty addicting, and I watched all 7 episodes in one night. The next one, Brent and I watched together, and it was the 2nd season of The Walking Dead. That one was 13 episodes - we watched 7 at night, and 6 the next morning. I love that show, but it's pretty violent. If I had watched one or two a week it would have been fine, but that was a lot zombie-killing to take in over such a short period of time. Needless to say, I needed some fresh air, VeggieTales, and and a break from television for a while - which was probably a good thing since I got my novel outline done!
  
• On April 1st - about 3 weeks ago - Brent and I celebrated 6 months of marriage!

That's about it, really. Not much else happening, but this year has been going by fast, with no signs of stopping any time soon!

Registered at NSU!

Yesterday I got register for courses at Northeastern State University. It was an ordeal, let me tell you! Transferring can be a frustrating thing. It's the fist time I've ever had to do so and getting everything sorted out literally took from 9 to 5!

But finally, it's all over and done with. I was short a few credits of meeting the general education requirements, so even though I'm a junior I have to take about four 100 & 200-level courses. I'm totally fine with that, however, because I'll have a lot on my plate, so starting off a bit easier is probably the best way to go. I'll be dealing with coursework from two schools and be in an entirely new place, so there will be a lot to get used to.

I'm enrolled in two online courses, and they're two of the four general education requirements I have to take - American Federal Government and Film Appreciation. Then I'm taking two courses in class that are for my major (and they're my very first 300-level courses!) - Young Adult Literature and Traditional Grammar & Usage.

It comes to a total of 12 credits, and of course I'll be at Rhema full-time as well. I can't find to find out what my first semester courses will be there! Everyone takes the same classes their first year at Rhema, but they have a quarterly schedule and different blocks, so first-years (Harry Potter, much?) may take different classes at the same time - just depends on which block they get put into. There's always a chance that Brent and I might be in different blocks too, which we're hoping doesn't happen. But even if it did, we'd make it work. We'd have the same 8am-12pm schedule, so that'd make it a lot easier. And besides, we could help each other out with a class that the other one's already aced!

But we're still believing we'll get to be in the same block. Either way, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.