The Birthday Boy

On January, 21st, my wonderful husband finally caught up to me in age for ten months and turned 23! Now, if you know Nick, this is a very special birthday for him because his favorite basketball player of all time is #23 Michael Jordan. I decided to do a basketball themed birthday for him. My husband is so special to me. I look forward to this day more than he does because it is a way for the day to be completely about him. (he actually doesn't care for it at all to be honest)

(On his birthday with makeshift decorations)

I really wanted to take him to a basketball game for his birthday, so we went the Saturday before and saw the Jazz play the Bucks. Jon and Karina went with us, but Jon got lucky and won tickets for the 6th row center court through his work! We bought the cheapest tickets we could find and were up in the upper bowl seating. Jon and Karina were so sweet, they let us switch tickets for the second half. And they were really sweet to buy us a really good dinner at Z-Tejas. he other really cool thing was that we made NBA.com. Yes, be so jealous. Jon sent this little picture to Nick because he saw that we were in the video clip. We are in the upper left corner. I am in pink and Nick has his hat on. The guys were bummed out because they went to see Brandon Jennings play, and his team lost big time. But we still had a fun time.

(Sorry, the picture of the clip didn't work!)

On his actual birthday, he wanted to have his parents and siblings over for dinner. It turned out to be Dave and Carol, and Jon and Karina. He chose the menu and we had BBQ ribs and Chicken Drumsticks. They were both done in the crockpot and were really easy. (Thanks Carolyn for the recipe!) We also did baked beans and mashed potatoes and his mom brought a really good fruit salad. I didn't plan anything special for the day since he was going to go to school, but last minute he ended up missing the last train to get him down there in time so it was a nice surprise to have him home and get to relax all day. He opened his present from my mom and I. We went in on some Celtics basketball shorts. He liked them! Especially with all the basketball he has been able to play lately.

This guy is the most wonderful guy there is! I kid you not! I have never known someone to treat a wife like he does me. This man is my best friend! He always helps around the house, cooks dinner, helps out others whenever he can, and is just genuinely sweet! I am so lucky to have him.

Everyone singing happy birthday!

Here he is blowing out his 23 candles on his strawberry rhubarb pie. It is his favorite. I had never had it and I can see why he loves it.

Nick with his mom

On Saturday, we met my mom and Charlie at the Cheesecake factory and they bought lunch for Nicks birthday. It was so fun, and really delicious!

To finish off the weekend, we went and saw a free movie through my work Extraordinary Measures. It was supposed to be Invictus, but it got changed last minute. It was a pretty good movie though. We rented a couple redbox movies and ordered in pizza for a good Saturday night.

I hope you had a good birthday this year, Nicho! I love you with all my heart. I am so lucky to have you, and I can't wait to start this new, exciting, and yes, scary chapter of our lives together! Happy Birthday, Babe! -wife

Frustrated

I am frustrated!

I came home from work today to my wonderful husband who was cooking fish and rice. Lately our power bill has been ridiculously expensive because the cottage has no insulation. So...today it was freezing in our house when I got home. I walked over to the thermostat and it was at 64. I turned it up to 70. An hour later, it still hadn't kicked on. I was getting a little nervous thinking it was broken. So, we changed the batteries in the thermostat, and nothing still.

We called our landlords. Our crazy, lazy, strange landlords. The woman, Bonnie, answers. I tell her my name, and first off, she doesn't remember who I am. We have been here for 9 months and she doesn't even know my name. Thats the first awesome thing. I tell her our furnace is not working and that it is freezing in our place. Her response is, "I will have to call you back." So, she calls us back a couple minutes later and Nick answers. She gets way too confused and Nick states that it is okay to talk to him. She tells us to turn it off and wait and then turn it back on. As Nick is talking, she hangs up. We waited about half an hour and had no luck.

In the mean time, Nick heats up our rice heating pads for me and I sit on the couch. Even the couch cushions are cold through my clothes. I pretty much throw a fit having to use the bathroom and sit on the toilet. It seriously felt like I was sitting on ice cubes.

So, I called Bonnie back, and I told her it didn't work. Her only response once again was, "We will have to call you back." Fifteen minutes passed...then a half hour, then forty-five minutes. I told Nick I would call her in another fifteen. We planned on going to his parents if they couldn't fix it tonight. We planned on leaving at 8. At ten til 8 right as I was about to call her, furious that she hadn't returned my call, Bonnie's lovely partner, Reed, showed up at our front door. Not a call, or any warning that he was coming. (Now if you remember, I made a post about Reed back in July that pretty much explained my feelings towards him. All in all, I can't stand him.) He barged in our house and walked straight to the thermostat. I felt like a mom, scolding her young child as I quickly started getting after him. "I was waiting for you guys to call back. I didn't know you were even coming." He didn't even speak a word to me.

He is now in our attic "fixing" the thermostat. He told Nick, "Oh! This is more complicated then I thought." I am freezing on the couch with sweats, slippers, a blanket, two heating pads, and numb fingers. My nose is running because it is freezing to the touch. He just shut the attic door, and I won't be surprised if he drives away, without fixing it, and without another word.

My dear sweet husband always tries to help by talking to them for me, since he knows I will be vicious, but I always want to get a word in. So, for now I will sit cold on my couch, frustrated, trying to warm my fingers under the computer.

Twenty Ten

For our New Year, we celebrated by painting pictures of each other blind folded. If you look really closely (or maybe if you look really far away with eyes squinted) we sort of resemble ourselves.

This is Nick. I think I made him resemble Homer Simpson.

This is me. I look mentally handicapped.

Then we painted out our Family Goals for the year.

We also watched a couple of movies, and it resulted in me falling asleep around 11. I suck. But in my defense I did have work the next morning at 6.

Welcome 2010

Things we hope will happen this year:

Nick will get into graduate school

We will move in the fall

We will both be healthier and have smokin' bodies by the summer

I can keep the house clean and spider free

The last one, um, definitely difficult, but its a new year, and I will die trying. Wish me luck and bring on the new year!

Holiday Happenings

We are so lucky to be living close to both sides of family. Especially since we were able to spend our Christmas with them. Since we were going to be with other family on the 25th, we celebrated our own Christmas at the Cottage on the 22nd.

We bought our tree one night, thinking it would easily fit sticking out of the trunk of the car. After much struggle, this is what we ended up with. It stuck out a foot through each back window. We both had to have our seats jammed into the dash. Not recommended. I think we will figure out something a little different for transportation of next years tree.

Here it is all decorated! I loved having a real tree. There is something about having one that just makes Christmas better.

On Christmas Eve Day, we went sledding over by Rob and Amy's house. It was freezing, but it was tons of fun.

Jared, Nick, Jon and Karina

Nick with his Mom, just before singing tons of Christmas Carols

See how he just fits on my lap so nicely? He thinks he does anyway.

Opening presents Christmas morning

Carolyn, Erica, Karina, Jon and Jared

Making a delicious Christmas Lunch!

Nick and Jared

Our Christmas Photo

Overall, we really enjoyed our first Christmas together. I was supposed to work Christmas day, but a little Christmas miracle came along and the night before, someone called me and told me I wasn't needed.

We went down to my mom and Charlie's house in the afternoon and had a great dinner there and stayed the night. (I forgot to take any pictures there.) We saw Sherlock Holmes (awesome movie) and enjoyed our time there. Thanks to all our family for making it a perfect Christmas.

A Kansas Thanksgiving

So I know this is totally picture overload! I have been terrible at updating the blog, but I finally have time today, and so this is what you get! Forgive me everyone for the bad pictures and pictures that might make your children look gay, crazed, and possibly a little bit handicapped. Hey, they are your children, not mine. But I love them nonetheless and won't hold it against you.

We were able to do so many things that I didn't get pictures of. For example, my sisters and I looked like Zombies while we shopped at Walmart and Target on black Friday. I really did feel like it was a bad dream. However, we all found a couple good deals. Nick and I also got to go to my Dad's work and get a tour of all the jets there. We were able to relax a ton and have a movie night with too much junk food. I haven't felt that sick in awhile.

Also, I uploaded these backwards but I refuse to redo them. So you are looking at our Thanksgiving trip in reverse.

I think this state is the prettiest state there is. This is why I miss it so much!

And this too!

We were able to have a successful family lunch out at a restaurant. It was so fun to go to some of the places I miss and to spend so much time with family. I was not ready to come back to Utah.

The following are of a few of the kids trying on mine and Nick's shoes.

Exhibit A: Ava with my shoes on. Not so weird.

Exhibit B: Alex has Nick's manly shoes on. Could have picked a cuter pair of mine, but ok.

Exhibit C: Landon stole these from Ava because he insisted that they were the best pair for him. Not so ordinary.

Landon successfully took a good picture of me.

The kids and all their cheesy smiles.

This is us playing a pretty funny game called "Curses". I laughed so hard that I was crying a few times.

Cute little Alex

My handsome man on Thanksgiving.

Most of the Coates family

This is Ava taking our picture on Thanksgiving.

This girl really needs to learn what a real smile is. She is so funny.

Thanksgiving day...

continued

continued

continued. There ended up being well over 30 people at my Dad's house for Thanksgiving. It was so much fun to see all our family there. Nick got to meet tons of family he probably didn't even know existed on my side.

The lake behind my Dad's house. This is the other reason I miss Kansas. Nowhere else has so many lakes. Almost every single neighborhood has one.

Nick, Matt and Landon fishing.

So we just had to go see twilight while we were together. Shenna and Andrea ended up having some friends come along too, so we had a whole row of people there. It was fun, except for the fact that we went to the late showing and I missed half of the movie. From what I hear I didn't miss much though. The parts I saw were totally lame. And ridiculously cheesy. Andrea, I now see where Ava gets her face to smile for the camera.

Everyone in the theater.

Driving to the theater.

My Dad teaching the girls all the cool things there are to know about the bass guitar. (Are there any?) Just kidding Dad.

We were also all able to make it to the Zoo. I never realized what a good zoo we have there until I went back. I loved the zoo! Here is Nick with his favorite animal.

Landon with the Lions.

Alex and I with the Tiger.

My sweet husband offered to carry my purse around half the time. I love him!

Ashley and Michael. You would think we were in Alaska the way Michael is dressed. He was scared of the outdoors there.

Part of our group.

Goofy Landon.

We had so much fun going to Kansas for Thanksgiving. I loved showing Nick around the town. I drove him by my first house there and the High School and showed him everywhere there is to show. (Not really much) But I think he liked it enough that we will go back and visit when we can. I loved seeing all my family and a couple old friends. All in all, we had a great Thanksgiving. Thanks for the fun times everyone! We miss you already.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This is a little late for the Thanksgiving post, so it will be a combined Christmas/Thanksgiving one. I have a lot of pictures to post from various things throughout the month, but we are again without internet so this is a short post until I find time to do all that I am wanting to.

I am so blessed.

The blessings I recognize and that I am thankful for are the following:

• I have a wonderful, loving husband who means the world to me
• I have the best family imaginable (inlaws included!)
• Nick is finished with his graduate school applications (HUGE relief)
• We have nice new discounted 600 thread count sheets on our bed
• I no longer have to try to cut meat with a knife equivalent to a butter knife now that i have new ones
• I only almost hit the car in front of me yesterday while driving on the ice, keeping this year free of accidents thus far (minus the deer incident)
• Nick got a phone where the battery lasts more than 3 hours
• We were able to go to Kansas over Thanksgiving to be with family and friends
• Our neighbors got rid of one of their loud barking dogs
• We have a real Christmas tree, and all the decorations are put up for the Holidays
• We are able to live so close to family and spend time with them
• I have a job. Not just one, but two, when some don't even have one
• Nick is able to go to school and work
• Nick is patient with me
• It didn't snow for real until yesterday (now I am no longer happy to step outside the front door)
• I have sisters who will laugh with me about almost anything
• I have an electric blanket on my side of the bed
• Neither of us have gained all of the weight we have lost back yet
• Christmas time is finally here!
• David and Carolyn for giving us their couch so we don't have to be scared to sit on ours any longer
• I have a husband who will forever make my heart melt everytime he smiles at me
• I am able to live so close to temples
• LeBron James
• A nephew who can always make me laugh (see Andrea's blog about Landon's writing)
• I have a husband who will eat whatever I cook even if we both know it is not very good
• Winco foods for their really cheap groceries
• I have a Savior who loves me and died for me
• I have this time of year to especially remember him and be greatful for everything I have and all that I have been blessed with

I have so many things I have in my life that I am greatful for and that I am sure I don't deserve. I would write them all if I had time. Now, when I have a day where I think all is wrong in my life, I will be able to look at this list and realize how perfect it really is.