The Wagner Family

Remember Us?

2011-07-10T22:11:00.000-06:00

Yeah...

We're still alive.

(Hooray!)

Here's what we've been up to for the last seven months...

DECEMBER

We stayed home this past Christmas, but my whole family decided to crash our little house for a couple of days. It was a tight fit, but fun nonetheless. We watched movies, played Wii and card games, ate tons of food...

...and opened presents, of course.

JANUARY

Happy 2011! We rang in the new year at a murder mystery dinner at our neighbor's house. I was Scarlett, a saloon dancer, and Brandon was banker Ace Lender...and the murderer!! (Sadly, no photographic evidence exists.)

Brandon started his new job at Adobe. He's really enjoying the people he works with and all the new knowledge he's gaining. We love it!

FEBRUARY

Bran got released as 1st Counselor in the YM Presidency...and called as the 2nd Counselor. Ha. (We've got a lot more Deacons than Teachers in our ward, so those squirrel-y kids keep him on his toes.)

I turned 27. (Gettin' old!) President's Day happened to land the day before my birthday, so Bran and I spent the whole day together. We went to the Carl Bloch exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art, grabbed an AMAZING lunch at Gloria's Little Italy, did some shopping (including a traditional birthday stop at Barnes & Noble), and went to the movies to see I Am Number Four. It was a fun day.

This is what my delicious spinach lasagna looked like...

...but the focaccia was to die for!

The next day, my actual birthday, I got to open my presents and blow out the candles...

MARCH

Hmm...we watched a lot of March Madness? (Jimmer is the man. We were glad we got tickets to a couple of BYU games this season--Utah State and Utah. So fun.)

APRIL

I was released from my calling as Beehive Adviser...and got called as Secretary in the YW Presidency. I LOVE the women and girls I serve with, so I'm glad I got to stay. :)

Brandon and I took a vacation just for fun! Neither of us had ever been to Seattle and plane tickets were cheap, so off we went...

It really deserves it's own post. (I'll work on that.) It was really fun to explore a new city together. And we got to see Bran's sister, too. (Hi, Sheila!)

MAY

Brandon left me for nearly a week to do some training for work in California. It was so weird! It was the longest we've ever been apart...I'm SO glad he doesn't have to travel regularly. We like having each other around. :)

At the end of the month, we went to Idaho for my little brother's high school graduation. I do have a pic of us...but it's on my mom's camera, so who knows if we'll ever see it here.

JUNE

Brandon worked SUPER hard on our garden plot...I'll have to take some pics. It looks so dang good. And our veggies are flourishing!

We've become great friends with another couple that works on our temple shift--Chris & Jenn Roundy. We've gone shooting, had game nights, gone out to dinner, torn it up at the Nicklecade, etc. We all just get along so well. So when Brandon got free tickets to a Bees game from work, we invited them to come along. It turned out to be FREEZING that night (and we were all in shorts), but it was still fun. Here's an assortment of crappy pictures we took...

I promise we're all much better looking in real life.

JULY

Speaking of the Roundy's...we got together with them for the 4th of July. Good thing it rained and ruined our fireworks plans! Fortunately, we had just as much fun playing games, grilling burgers, and watching a movie.

The best part of 4th of July is really the whole week. Adobe shuts down, so Brandon got the whole week off! We cleaned out and organized a whole bunch of junk...and then did a lot of relaxing and frozen yogurt eating. :) We also have 3 weeks off from our temple shift while it's closed for cleaning, so we actually get to spend a few Friday nights together, too!

COMING UP...

Bran's going to Scout Camp for a couple of days, then I have a week of Girls Camp. If we look sleep deprived by the end of the month, you'll know why.

Besides that, it's just work and art lessons and church stuff and life as usual.

How was that for a massive update?!

Christmas Letter 2010

2010-12-27T12:15:00.001-07:00

December 2010

Dear Friends & Family,

We hope this letter finds each of you well this Christmas! Here’s an update on our little family:

Brandon graduated from BYU in August and just accepted a new job. He will join the network engineering team at Adobe at the start of the New Year. It should be a great opportunity for him. We’re both very excited!

Kacey keeps busy running her little craft business and teaching private art lessons to some rather amusing pre-school/elementary age kiddos. They are very enthusiastic—“I wish art lessons were everyday!” It’s quite refreshing.

We both serve with the youth of our church—Brandon works with the 14-15 year old young men and Kacey teaches the 12-13 year old young women. In addition, we were called as temple workers in the Provo Utah LDS Temple in August. It has become a great source of peace and happiness in our lives. We look forward to our shift each week.

We are especially grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ—“the reason for the season.” We wish you all a blessed and happy holiday filled with love and laughter. Merry Christmas!

♥ Brandon & Kacey Wagner

Holy Snow!

2010-12-21T13:23:00.001-07:00

Apparently one of the Primary leaders told all of the kids at church to pray for snow...and it worked! Here's a shot of the Head of Snow Removal. Heyyyyy. :)

(Don't mind the truck parked in the middle of the road right in front of our driveway. ???)

With all the drifting we have about a foot and a half of snow at our house. There was so much snow all at once, they actually declared a snow day for Nebo School District for the first time EVER. And there's more headed our way!

Post-Thanksgiving Post

2010-11-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

This Thanksgiving, we stayed in Spanish Fork and enjoyed the holiday at home. I was a little worried about making all of those good Thanksgiving eats on my own, but we experienced only a few minor mishaps. Everything was pretty darn delicious!

My little sister joined us for dinner, so while Brandon went to pick her up I put out the hors d'oeuvres so they could snack as soon as they got home. It was quite the spread--deviled eggs, dill pickle spears, black olives, cheese & crackers, cookies, and veggies & dip. In fact, Brandon declared, "I love eating!" so it must have been good. :)

Sadly, I didn't take any other pictures. We were too busy being thankful and enjoying our meal! We had all of the traditional dishes--turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, rolls, green beans, and cranberry punch. The rest of the afternoon was spent snuggled up in the living room watching football and movies. Once we recovered from dinner, we each had a slice of pumpkin pie. Mmmm.

Black Friday did not involve any shopping for us. It was filled with sleeping in and lounging and Christmas decorating before we worked our temple shift.

Today, we met up with my dear friend Amy. She took a few quick photos for us so we could have a picture for our Christmas card. Sooo nice of her.

Afterward, we all went out to lunch together at the Pizza Factory. It was great to see her and catch up a little! Now, Brandon & I are back at home watching the BYU/Utah game...GO COUGARS! (We will be very thankful if they win.)

We're so grateful for all of the blessings Heavenly Father has given us. We hope each of you had a warm, delicious, and love-filled Thanksgiving, too!

"Kevin's a GIRL?!"

2010-10-25T10:32:00.003-06:00

I made some sweet costumes for our ward Halloween party this weekend. Don't worry...we won a tiny trophy. :)

"The wilderness is to be explored! CAW-CAW! RAWR!"

The Loop

2010-10-21T12:15:00.004-06:00

Yesterday evening, Bran & I decided to blow off our to-do lists and just drive...

We stopped at Sonic for road drinks then headed for Provo Canyon to enjoy the autumn scenery. We ended up taking the Alpine Loop.
The aspens were gorgeous in the dusk light.
We just laughed and talked and ooo-ed & ahhh-ed at the lovely views. It was perfect.

When it got dark, we left the canyon and made a beeline for our latest favorite dinner spot--Zupas--for some clam chowder.

A perfect impromptu autumn date, indeed.

Year Two

2010-10-11T12:10:00.006-06:00

Brandon & I were married two years ago today.

Year Two has been a doozy, let me tell ya.

Early in our second year of marriage, we found out we were going to be parents.
But that first pregnancy ended far too soon.
A Christmas miscarriage left us heartbroken and less than merry.

We've tried to smile through the insensitive comments and jokes, the difficult holidays like Mothers' and Fathers' day, the plethora of baby shower invites, and the due date of the baby that we're not having.

To say it's been a tough year would be a dramatic understatement.

But there have been good things, too...
Snuggling and laughing and talking and comforting and spontaneous bursts of song.
Date nights and hugging and teasing and homemade meals and impromptu dance moves.
Silliness and seriousness and everything in between.
A college graduation and calls to serve the Lord.

(And there's nothing that thrills my heart like unexpectedly seeing my smiling sweetheart looking more than handsome in his white suit in the halls of the temple. Words cannot describe.)

So if we have to go through hard things, we sure are glad we get to go through them together.
Bring on Year Three.

A Little Get-Away

2010-10-10T17:11:00.004-06:00

Monday is our anniversary!

We like to make an anniversary temple visit each year...and since we are there once a week now, that part was easy. :)

Brandon & I decided to forgo gifts this year and just go have fun together. In fact, I told Bran I didn't want to do anything super extravagant, but I did want to be surprised. So he made the plans and I didn't know anything about our little get-away until the morning of!

We went to Salt Lake and did a little shopping at the Gateway. (We got books, of course. It seems like we end up using special occasions as an excuse to add to our little library.) Then, we went to see Secretariat at the megaplex. We hardly ever go to movies at the theater, but apparently it's become a bit of an anniversary tradition since we did it last year, too. The movie was great...and sometimes it's nice to snuggle up next to your honey while you enjoy some junior mints and a good show, you know?

After the movie, we dined at Thai Siam. We love Thai food! Spring rolls. Yellow curry. Pad Thai. YUM. If you're looking for a good restaurant in SLC, we'd highly recommend it. And if you've never had Thai food, your life is incomplete. Go get some. Now.

The biggest surprise Bran planned was a room reservation at the Little America! We hadn't ever stayed there, but we had our wedding breakfast there so it's a special place for us. Our suite was fancy. It had a "sitting room" for all of our sitting needs...
Brandon "stored" his clothes in here. You know, to make good use of all the space. (And don't worry. He sat in every chair. :) )

It was also on the top floor of the hotel, so it had quite the views...
Last but not least, we enjoyed the Little America breakfast buffet in the morning. Like I said, we had our wedding breakfast there and it was fun to reminisce while we indulged in the buffet--fresh fruit, pastries, muffins, scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, biscuits & gravy, omelets, potatoes, sausage, bacon, waffles, pancakes, ham, crepes, and MORE! Everything I had was delicious, the service was impeccable, and the company couldn't have been better.
It was a wonderful way to celebrate our marriage. I'm married to the BEST guy. Thanks for surprising me, honey. And for taking such good care of me. And making me laugh. And all of the other little (and big) ways you make my life better. Love you more everyday!

Spoiled!

2010-08-26T16:05:00.003-06:00

On Tuesday, our very own Brandon-boy turned 27!

In celebration, he requested chicken wings for dinner so we went to Wingers...and Bran went to town...
We also went to Costco. I know what you're thinking...Costco? For a birthday? But the Costco in Orem recently got gelato in the food court. It's only $1.50 for a waffle cone with 3 huge scoops! We highly recommend it.

While there, we picked up The Hunger Games Trilogy for a steal of a deal, too. (I'm already on the 2nd book!)

Unfortunately, UPS didn't deliver Bran's birthday gifts on time. :( He had to wait a whole extra day...so I made sure the party continued on Wednesday.
I even made cute (and ridiculously delicious) devils food birthday cupcakes.
After making a wish and blowing out the stripey candles and devouring a cupcake, he FINALLY got to open his presents. But I think it was worth the wait.
He's spoiled. :)

Hope you had a great birthday, honey!

The Graduate.

2010-08-14T23:11:00.006-06:00

My honey is officially a BYU Alum! (I like to refer to him as "The Graduate.")

To celebrate the occassion, Brandon's fam came to town. We picked them up on Tuesday and spent the day in SLC. We went to Temple Square to see the Salt Lake Temple replica in the visitors' center, watch the Joseph Smith film, and eat lunch at the Lion House.

The next day, we took a drive through Provo Canyon and paid a visit to the reservoir. We stuck our toes in the water and snapped some pics....
Thursday, we took some pictures of Bran in his cap & gown out by the BYU signage--a MUST for every BYU grad.
He's SOOOO happy to finally be done! :)
After pics, we enjoyed a graduation lunch at Ruby River. Mmmm.

Friday, August 13th, 2010. The big day! Brandon's family, my parents, and I had the pleasure of watching my dearest husband get his diploma (...er...empty diploma cover). We were all so proud of him. After the ceremony, we took some more pics of our handsome grad...
Then we gathered at our house for a family BBQ--hamburgers, pasta salad, potato salad, corn on the cob, watermelon, chips, lemonade, dr. pepper, and Bran's favorite Costco cheesecake. It was quite the spread...and Brandon deserved it!

Congrats again, honey. So very proud of all of your hard work. Love you forever! *smooch!*

MORE New Callings!

2010-07-30T16:59:00.002-06:00

Brandon & I have been called as temple workers!

Today we met with and were set apart by President Hicken of the Provo Utah Temple Presidency. (Turns out, he's from Spanish Fork, too.) Our shift will be Friday nights starting next week. As ordinance workers, we'll have the chance to work in all areas of the temple. We're very excited for this amazing opportunity...we're going to learn and grow so much. And hopefully, we'll see some of you there! :)

Pioneer Day

2010-07-30T16:45:00.003-06:00

July 24th is a holiday in Utah...Pioneer Day! Our celebrations started off bright and early. Our friends Danny & Rachel came over and we walked to Spanish Fork Main Street to check out the parade.

Here is a rather attractive pic of Bran & I waiting for the parade to begin...
Pioneer Day wouldn't be Pioneer Day without a tank, right?

After the parade, we wandered around the Fiesta Days festivities and helped ourselves to pizza, sandwiches, Dr. Pepper and funnel cakes. (Oh man, that funnel cake was good.)

Later that night, we got together for an evening bbq...chicken on the grill, corn on the cob, fruit salad, and french bread. We followed that up with some good ol' wii sports resort.

Once it finally got dark, we gathered at the sports pavilion for fireworks. Here's the O'Briens...
And here we are...in case you forgot what we look like in the past 30 seconds. :)
And here's a firework pic for your enjoyment...
We had a fun filled Pioneer Day for sure!

Gramps

2010-07-20T11:06:00.004-06:00

We drove to California this week to visit Bran's fam and his Grandpa Wagner who was in town from Minnesota. We felt a family pic was in order...
Brandon, Kacey, Julie, Gary, Grandpa & Sheila Wagner
Check out our unintentional outfit coordination. :)

Sedona

2010-06-26T20:48:00.003-06:00

Brandon finally finished school, so we got to go on our first real vacation since our honeymoon!
As part of his graduation gift, Bran's parents let us use their time share in Sedona, AZ. We drove down on June 20th to kick off our week of relaxation. The drive was fairly uneventful (except for the wildfires in Flagstaff that we drove right past!) and took less time than we thought.

We stayed at the Los Abrigados Resort & Spa. Ooo la la.

This was definitely a "get away" kind of trip. We spent the majority of our time reading, sitting out by the pool, swimming, sleeping in, going to the movies, eating delicious food, checking out the little shops, watching world cup soccer, and just relaxing. We didn't have a schedule or anything...we just did whatever we felt like without a care in the world. It was fantastic!

If you've never been to Sedona, it's kind of artsy/hippie. There are lots of galleries and psychics and stuff. We thought about having our aura photographed or getting some vortex info...but since we don't even know what a vortex is, we checked out this sculpture garden instead.
And here's a self taken pic of us in our suite...
Notice the red rock orange color in the background? Don't worry...everything in Sedona is that color.

We also had the chance to see some friends and family for a bit. Brandon's aunts and uncles--Dee & Doug, Cindie & Kenny--were also in Sedona for a visit, so it was fun to have dinner, play cards, and catch up with them. My BFF--Shannon Kaye Haight!--was also able to come up from Phoenix to hang out with us for a night. She's one of those friends that no matter how long it's been in between visits, it feels like I just saw her yesterday. Plus, I ran into one of my neighbors from my sophomore year of college that I haven't seen in years...very random, but fun! (If only we had taken some pics with our friends/family...bah!)

(Here's a shot of Snoopy Rock...Can you see him?)

We just got done with 18 rousing holes of mini-golf, but now we've got to pack up for our drive home tomorrow. We've thoroughly enjoyed our week away from reality. However, it's going to be nice to get back home...

Just in time for me to go to girls' camp! Wish me luck. :)

Husbands Are Nice.

2010-06-14T15:06:00.003-06:00

Especially when they know you need a little cheering up.

3-Day Weekend

2010-06-01T14:02:00.010-06:00

At the last minute, Bran & I decided we needed to get outta town for a few days so we drove up to Idaho for Memorial Day weekend. It rained the whole weekend, but we didn't really care since we hadn't actually made any plans. It was a very low key trip. We just hung out with my mom, ate lots of delicious food (sweet pork quesadillas...mmmm), teased my little brother, and vegged out.

(I brought the camera, but managed to take exactly zero pictures. Awesome.)

We drove home on Memorial Day and it turns out there are quite a few cemeteries visible from the freeway. It was so cool to see them all decked out with flags and flowers and full of visitors. A beautiful sight, for sure.

Just Because

2010-05-15T19:55:00.002-06:00

Today we went on a little day date. No special occasion or anything...just because. We ate a delicious lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. (Love that place.) Then we wandered through Gardner Village, just enjoying the sunshine, quaint shops, and good company.

It was a great day.

No News is Good News?

2010-05-10T21:05:00.004-06:00

I guess. But it makes for a pretty boring blog. :)

It's mostly same old, same old around here.

Brandon is in his LAST CLASS EVER!!! (Unfortunately, it's a time consuming one, so consider him busy until mid-June.)

I got another little art student, so I'm up to 3. (Working 3 hours a week is a pretty sweet gig, let me tell ya!)

We went on a little date to see Iron Man 2. Bran scored some free tickets. We liked it WAY more than we thought we would. (And the little boy next to us thought he was Iron Man, so that made it even better.)

Besides that, we're just busy with church callings and housework and yard work and artwork and just plain work.

Exhilarating, isn't it?

{Speaking of yard work, we spent this past Saturday prepping/planting our first veggie garden. I'll post pics and tell you all about it later...if things grow. (That's a big if.) Because right now it looks like a pile of dirt. And I can't post a picture of dirt. That would bring this blog to level of boring that even I can't tolerate.}

Finished!

2010-04-22T13:13:00.003-06:00

We were going to get a bench...but then realized we could get chairs WAY cheaper. I convinced Brandon aqua was was more fun than tan, too. I'm glad he gave in to my colorful whims. :) Doesn't this look like the happiest place to sit ever?

And I wish these tulips would last forever!

Nothing says spring like planting...

2010-04-14T13:15:00.005-06:00

This past weekend, Kacey and I took to our front yard in order to complete some ideas that our friend, Josh Wade, gave us.

We were able to get a great deal at Lowe's on trees, boxwood shrubs, and some perennials. A trip to the Linden (in Lindon) Nursery provided us with the forsythia plants that completed our inventory.

We woke up early on Saturday and got right to work. We figured we'd be outside for quite awhile...but we had no idea it would take 10 hours. In all, we removed 3 lilies, 3 hastas, a bunch of mushrooms, and moved quite a few of our existing daffodils. We then planted 3 trees, 16 shrubs, and 6 perennials.

Here are the fruits of our labor:

Before:

After (We still need to put in the flagstones and bench):

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Now all we have left is to plant some flowering crabapple trees in the back and do our garden...but those will have to wait until after our massive sunburns and body aches wear off - and we remember we actually like being outside.

Until then!

He lives.

2010-04-04T13:19:00.005-06:00

It's always wonderful when Easter weekend coincides with the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There's no better way to celebrate the resurrection of the Savior than to listen to His living prophets on the earth today. We've greatly enjoyed the talks and the music thus far. We celebrated Easter today by exchanging little Easter baskets and listening to the morning session of conference.

Rather than a fancy dinner, we chose to have an Easter brunch between sessions. We made eggs, country potatoes, bacon, fruit salad, and lemon poppy seed muffins. It was simple and delicious. Now we're physically filled, ready to be spiritually filled during the final session of Conference this afternoon.

Happy Easter, everyone. Christ lives!

Another Change!

2010-03-28T18:05:00.004-06:00

So remember how in the last post, I was a little bit sad teaching the Sunbeams all by myself?

Well, I don't have to be a little bit sad anymore...I just got called to be the Beehive Adviser in the Young Women's program! (That means I'll be teaching the 12-13 year old girls in our ward.)

Soooooo excited. I'll miss my darling, crazy Sunbeams, but it will be a nice change.

I loved Young Women's and girls camp and combined activities and personal progress and all of that stuff when I was growing up. Plus, the beehives in our ward are so dang cute.

(And since Bran is in Young Men's, he and I will be able to go to Mutual activities together. Bonus!)

A Change

2010-03-09T17:31:00.005-07:00

Brandon recently accepted a new calling...1st Counselor in the Young Men's Presidency! Besides being in charge of the Teachers' Quorum, he'll get the chance to participate in Scouting (which he never did since he joined The Church as a teenager) and help the boys with their Duty to God award.

While I'm a little sad we won't be serving together in the Primary anymore (and that I have the Sunbeams by myself), I'm soooooooo excited for him. I think it's going to be an awesome experience--for both Bran and the boys.

Twenty-six

2010-02-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday...and what a great birthday it was! Brandon spoiled me rotten.

The excitement began a week earlier, actually, when my present arrived. Brandon, the Wagners, and the Kendricks all chipped in for this little beauty....
All I wanted was a sewing machine, and boy did I get one! 40 different stitches and a boatload of features...I told you I got spoiled. (I've been scoping out all kinds of projects and patterns. Now all I have to do is figure out how this thing works. Haha.)

Brandon felt bad that I didn't have any presents to open on my actual birthday, but I sure didn't. I had already gotten exactly what I was hoping for. However, he had a few surprises up his sleeve. While I was getting ready, he snuck out and bought me a big bouquet of flowers.
When he handed it to me, he referred to it as a "hot mess." Apparently the lady at the flower shop had asked him what kind of flowers he was interested in and how much he wanted to spend, then amassed a giant wad of daisies...in every color she had...and an entire bush of baby's breath. It was so big and crazy, I divided it into 2 vases...

One for the kitchen....
and one for my art room...
I think he got his money's worth. :)

After the surprise flower delivery, we were ready for an afternoon of fun.
First we went to the library...now you might think that sounds lame, but I it's one of my favorite places. (And my books were due.) I checked out Cannery Row and a few other short Steinbeck novels and we were off.

Next we went to the fabric/craft store...another favorite place. And I just got a sewing machine, so I need to start finding fabrics, right?

Then we went to Barnes & Noble. (Yes, I like books. A lot.) We scoped out the classic literature and the children's section and ended up with 4 books: The Scarlet Letter, Frankenstein, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, and James & the Giant Peach. We can never resist Roald Dahl.

We did a little more browsing, then enjoyed an early dinner at P.F. Chang's. I think I ate half my weight in chinese food...but it was sooooo good. I highly recommend the egg rolls and Mongolian beef. Divine. Plus, my fortune cookie told me that "Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together as they do in you." Why, thank you.

After that, we spent the rest of the evening relaxing at home, watching the Olympics, and eating birthday crisp. Instead of cake, I requested apple crisp with Breyer's all natural vanilla ice cream.

We put the 8 leftover birthday candles we had lying around in it...don't worry, they melted at both ends. :)
Good thing there were only 8. I blew them all out in one breath, so my wish will come true. Score!
So basically, I had a fantastic birthday. Thank you to all of you who called or text or sent cards. And special thanks to my Brandon. Best husband ever. Thanks for making my birthday feel special!

Don't Hate the Player...

2010-02-14T21:38:00.003-07:00

So you might remember our canoodling sunbeams from a few posts ago...

Well, the male half of this couple apparently has no interest in an exclusive relationship. His lady friend wasn't at church today, so he kept changing seats during sharing time, trying to put his arm around every girl in the class.

Mothers, hide your three year old daughters!

Lately...

2010-02-02T19:34:00.005-07:00

Nothing too exciting to report, but I figured we were overdue for a little update. Bran's been busy with work, school, and a little extra network engineering on the side. I've been keeping myself plenty occupied...subbing now and then, working on cleaning out my studio, and still teaching art lessons once a week.

Our stake just split...so we're now part of a brand new stake, the Spanish Fork, Utah, River Stake. Our stake center is under construction, so we're in a temporary building until it completion at the end of this year. A few of our Sunbeams are a little wary about being in a different building, but hopefully they'll get used to it quickly. Other exciting news...a new temple is being built in Payson! We were really hoping it would be in Spanish Fork, but we'll take it. Provo temple has been sooooooooo crowded recently, so we're looking forward to the new temple for sure. I can't wait to find out how our stake will be asked to help. It's exciting to be participants in the growth of The Church. (And, yes, we're in Utah County!)

Recently, Bran and I went to Les Mis at my old Pleasant Grove High School stomping grounds. It was FANTASTIC. I've also had the chance to get together with several gal pals lately, so that has been nice to catch up with friends, both old and new. We have also been socializing lots with our ward friends. Our neighbors threw a big game night last weekend. It was great to play, eat treats, and get to know people better. Tomorrow I'm going to girls night with the other women in my ward...should be fun!

Most of the time, Brandon and I stay in, though...making dinner, watching BYU basketball, tuning into a favorite show or two, playing wii, etc. We're kind of homebodies--and we love it! However, our hermit-like tendencies aren't too conducive to photo taking, so you'll have to be satisfied with a few mid-basketball game, self-taken, couch shots. :)

Chopped off Brandon's head. Whoops. (Sorry, hun!)

We're even more attractive than you remembered, huh?

I Like the Way She Thinks...

2010-01-31T20:45:00.003-07:00

Brandon: "When we pray, what can we ask Heavenly Father for?"
3-year-old girl: "Cake!"

Canoodling Sunbeams

2010-01-22T00:25:00.005-07:00

So...Bran and I have been assigned to teach the Sunbeams (3-4 year olds) at church this year. Despite a bit of apprehension, it has been going pretty well. They have the attention span of a swarm of gnats, but they're dang cute. And hilarious.

This past Sunday, we had quite the experience. During sharing time, our two littlest Sunbeams had a full-on cuddle sesh. No joke.

First, he put his arm around her.
She laid her head on his shoulder.
He softly stroked her hair.
She straightened his tiny tie.
They gazed lovingly at one another.
They smiled sweetly,
then exchanged a tiny little kiss.

All of the teachers were totally snickering. THEN...

She stood up, faced him...
and lifted her little dress over her head!

AHHHHH!!!

I totally died laughing. Who knew these things started so young?!?

On the Naughty List

2010-01-06T15:41:00.003-07:00

So...we went to my parents house in Idaho for Christmas, but didn't take many pictures. And I look like death in the few we did take. (Incidentally, I also felt like death.)

But I HAD to post this one.

Poor Brandon was naughty this year and got coal in his stocking. Look at that sad face. Hopefully, he'll be better behaved this year.

Wife of the Year 2010

2010-01-02T15:51:00.002-07:00

K: What do you want to do today?

B: We could go buy a Wii...

K: Okay.

B: Are you serious?!?!

K: Yeah.

B: You're not serious.

K: Yes, I am.

B: LET'S GO!

K: I am the best wife you've ever had.

B: You're the only wife I've ever had.

K: But I'm the best.

Christmas Letter 2009

2009-12-16T13:59:00.007-07:00

2009 has been a wonderful one for our little family.

Brandon has kept busy once again this year as a full-time BYU employee and part-time BYU student. He is one awesome network engineer, always going above and beyond on projects and assignments. This year he was even recognized at work for going the extra mile. As far as school, it's been slow going, but he will graduate with a Bachelors degree in Information Technology in 2010! He is looking forward to having more time to focus on his family and his job instead of worrying about tests and homework. Plus, he'll be the first in his family to finish college. Woohoo! We're so excited for his graduation in August. (Speaking of August, Brandon also turned 26 this year...he's such an old guy!)

Kacey started the year off with a bang...literally. (She was rear ended by a school bus while driving the new car!) After the dust settled (and the car got fixed), it turns out 2009 had a few more tricks up its sleeve--a calling to the RS Presidency, membership in the "Quarter-of-a-Century" club, and a career overhaul. Kacey decided to quit her high school art teaching job so she could spend more time at home and more time developing her talents. Recently, she also began teaching private art lessons to one adorable preschooler. (It's been quite the change having a student so excited to come to class!) She's grateful for a husband who brings home the bacon, so she can do what she loves. Life is so good.

2009 also brought with it opportunities for other little adventures. We've done a bit of traveling...mostly to Idaho and California. Nothing too exotic, but it's been exciting for Brandon to show Kacey around the Bay area and fun to visit our families. Also, we've slowly been doing the temple work for Brandon's ancestors and it's been a wonderful experience to take family names through the temple. This year we also got to celebrate our first wedding anniversary! It's crazy. Sometimes it seems like we just got married and sometimes it seems like we've always been married. One year down, forever to go!

One of the biggest events of the year meant relocation for the Wagner family. We purchased our first home, located in Spanish Fork, in May. With our new home came many learning experiences--don't grill too close to the house, what to do if you get lawn fungus, how much installing gutters really costs, etc. :) We sure do love having our very own home, though. We have been blessed with a great new ward and fabulous neighbors. It's been so much fun getting to know them all...especially their children as we've served in the Primary. This year we taught the one of the CTR 6 classes, but we've been informed that the Sunbeams might be in our immediate future. (YIKES!)

All in all, we've just loved our time in Spanish Fork thus far. (Brandon has especially loved getting to shovel snow for the first time in his life!) We feel very blessed and are so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has provided for us so abundantly. We hope this season finds you all happy and healthy and warm as we pause to celebrate the Savior's birth and its significance.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We're so excited to see what 2010 brings...

Fa La La La La, La La La La

2009-12-15T14:19:00.005-07:00

Shortly after Thanksgiving, Brandon and I busted out the Christmas decor and decked the halls of our cute little house.

Our Christmas tree is basically the same as last year...just a few more ornaments. I forgot how much I liked it!

We have this big blank wall by our dining nook that is waiting for me to do some paintings to hang on it. It looked too lonely, so I hung up some simple little wreaths...that I actually got at the dollar store. (How's that for thriftiness!)

We got this nativity last year for $20 at Tai Pan Trading. Best deal ever. I have yet to find another one I like better.

We don't have a fireplace, so hanging stockings by command hooks on the wall will have to do. (Good thing we're going to my parents' house for Christmas because I don't know how Santa would get in to our place! ;) )

We NEEDED some front door jingle bells, of course. :)

I stuck all the random ornaments we have that don't match our tree on my magnet board...

We needed some outdoor cheer as well. So I made a wreath and Brandon and I froze our buns off hanging a few lights...I'll have to go snap a pic at night sometime.

Merry Christmas!

Never Before Seen Photos

2009-12-08T12:18:00.002-07:00

When we went to the Wagner's house for Thanksgiving, we discovered a few photographic treasures from our wedding day and California open house.

This pic is just so adorable. It was FREEEEEEZING and we had just finished taking pictures, so Bran let me borrow his coat. His mom snapped this little gem and I love it!

Our open house was held in Brandon's parents' backyard. My mother- and sister-in-law did the decorating. Here's the guest book area. They even got us sparkling cider. :)

Here we are--the happy newly weds--sitting as we waited to receive guests. (I love the adorable paper lantern strands they put on the fence. They had extras, so we took some home.)

And here we are with my cute parents.
(Somehow we didn't end up with one of these shots with Bran's parents...which is too bad since they were our hosts!)

Hope you enjoyed our little stroll down memory lane. I know I did.

thanks-Christmas-giving

2009-11-29T17:03:00.004-07:00

This Thanksgiving, Brandon and I flew out to California to spend the holiday with his family. In order to save money and avoid the airport rush, we went Tuesday-Friday rather than Wednesday-Saturday. It was a good choice on our part...travel was a breeze.

We spent most of our time relaxing at home with Gary, Julie, and Sheila. It was fantastic. It was so nice to just catch up...and we had some fantastic meals. (Prime rib. MMMmmm.) But the most fun we had was our "Christmas on Thanksgiving." Since we won't be with them on Christmas this year, it was decided that we would get up Thanksgiving morning to open presents. They even put the tree up and everything.

As usual, the Wagners totally spoiled us. Games, sweaters, gift cards, kitchen stuff...they were WAY too generous. We really appreciate it. (Thanks Gary, Julie, and Sheila!!!)

I'll spare you all the pictures, but here's one of our "opening-presents-in-our-pj's" shots...

And I like Brandon's face in this one, so I had to include it. He loves Jelly Bellys...so his mom gave him some white strips to counter-act all that food coloring. :) He just looks so thrilled!

After presents, we all got ready for Thanksgiving dinner with the extended family. I decided Brandon should probably share his seat with me.

When we were all ready to go, Gary set up the camera (on a precarious pile of boxes. ha.) and we took a few family pics in front of the Christmas tree...

Sheila, Kacey, Brandon, Julie, & Gary
(Maybe someday I'll learn how to stand up straight...but probably not. Sigh.)

Sheila, Brandon, & Kacey

Kacey & Brandon
(Aren't our sweaters cute? My mother-in-law gave them to us for Christmas.)

All in all it was a great trip. It went so fast! But we were happy for an opportunity to spend time with the fam. We made it home safe and sound.

Next stop...Idaho for Christmas!

An "Incredible" Halloween

2009-10-31T16:34:00.002-06:00

We kicked off our Halloween on Wednesday night with a little pumpkin carving. Here's Bran working on his scary scar-face jack-'o-lantern...

And it took me FOREVER to carve out my little bats. My hand was really hurting, but I stuck it out. :)

We're excited to have them flickering on the porch when all the little halloweenies come trick-or-treating.

Now for our sweet, homemade costumes...
We're INCREDIBLE!

Don't mess with Mr. Incredible. He'll sock it to ya.

And you can just call me Elastigirl.

Mr. and Mrs. Incredible...we take down evil villains in our spare time.

The best part about these costumes? We wore clothes and gloves we already had, I made the insignias out of felt and reshaped pre-made plastic masks. Both our costumes cost under $5. That's pretty incredible. ;) And I always love homemade costumes the most.

Now we're off to see all the ward kiddos at trunk-or-treat, then we'll be back home to hand out candy. Happy Haunting!

First Anniversary Weekend--Sunday

2009-10-17T17:01:00.006-06:00

Sunday, October 11th, was our actual anniversary. Since it was a Sunday, we went about our normal Sabbath activities...fast & testimony meeting, primary, ward choir, etc. But later that night, we had a homemade candle lit dinner. It's fun to bust out the china every now and then, you know?

We also waited until Sunday to exchange gifts. The traditional first anniversary gift is paper...so we ran with that. But instead of getting gifts specifically for the other person, we opted to get things we could both enjoy. I picked out our sentimental gift and Brandon chose a fun gift, then we wrapped them up and surprised each other.

I unwrapped first...

(*warning: cheesy photo op faces to follow)

Bohnanza!
Our friends Anna & Joe introduced us to the most fun you've ever had bean farming. We liked it so much, we've added it to our meager game collection. Plus, you can play with only two people...a big draw for us.

Next, Brandon's turn...

A shutterfly book!
We made a photo book of our engagement pics on shutterfly.com which we used as the guest book at our wedding. We liked it so much, I decided we needed to make a wedding edition. It turned out great!

Needless to say, our long weekend together was wonderful. We had a lot of fun celebrating our marriage. One year down, eternity to go!

First Anniversary Weekend--Saturday

2009-10-15T13:39:00.011-06:00

Our anniversary fun continued on Saturday. Brandon actually had a test review that morning, so while he was gone I relaxed, did laundry, and showered. When I got out of the shower, I was met with a surprise...
One rose for one year...and some daisies to keep it company. Bran thought a single rose looked too lonely. :)

We spent the afternoon getting prettied up for our date night, then drove up to Salt Lake and caught a matinee movie at The Gateway Megaplex. We saw Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. It was totally silly...we had a great time looking at each other and laughing at the ridiculous parts. I think Bran wishes a cheeseburger would rain down from the sky every now and then. And ice cream snow?! That's my kind of winter precipitation.

After a little trouble getting out of the parking garage (Cash only and we had no cash. The best part? It cost $1. Haha.), we drove to The Joseph Smith Memorial Building to have dinner at The Roof Restaurant. It has GEORGEOUS views...

Nothing like a candle lit dinner with a perfect view of your wedding venue.

Plus, The Roof holds sentimental value for us. We ate there right after we were engaged June 20, 2008. It was an amazing experience that day--delicious food, romantic atmosphere, and excellent service. And our waiter took this sweet picture for us.
Unfortunately, we didn't have quite the same experience this time. While we enjoyed the gorgeous view, the music, and a few good eats, our waitress was not so great at waitress-ing...or operating a point-and-shoot camera, turns out. (So the only decent pictures we have are self taken--not the best, but oh well. Nothing we could do.) We tried to focus on the positive and not let the poor service put a damper on our celebration.

Unfortunately, our service was so dissatisfactory, we have vowed to never go back...which is sad considering the happy memories we have there. But after talking it over, we came to the conclusion that it's not the place that makes the memory special, it's us. So while we're disappointed at "losing" our sentimental place, we're just so happy to have each other forever. ♥

First Anniversary Weekend--Friday

2009-10-13T21:54:00.009-06:00

In honor of our first wedding anniversary, we decided to make a long weekend of it. One day just wasn't enough to celebrate a whole year's worth of love, you know? :) We kicked things off with our "cheap fun in Utah Valley day" on Friday.

Brandon took the day off of work, so we slept in, then made breakfast in our pjs. Brandon manned the waffle maker...
Then we topped 'em off with peaches and cream...
Aren't I so ladylike? *chomp*
After a delicious breakfast and a little lounging, we showered and made our way to the temple.

We felt there was no better way to celebrate our temple covenants than to share the blessings of the temple with others. Originally we planned on doing sealings at the Salt Lake Temple where we were married, but when we looked at our family file names of Bran's ancestors, we realized we still had a lot of initiatory to do. So, we headed to the Provo Temple instead...
It was wonderful. I love initiatory anyway, but it's even more special since we're doing the work for Brandon's family. I know it really means a lot to him. And while we attend the temple often, it's an even better experience somehow when we're celebrating our own eternal family. We're excited to make temple work a part of our anniversary celebration each year.

After the temple, we made a quick wardrobe change at home, then hopped in the Rav and headed to the canyon. We had been meaning to take a scenic drive for awhile, so we finally made time to go. We drove around Sundance and the Deer Creek area. It was a beautiful day to go check out the fall scenery--clear and crisp.

Here's Bran by the reservoir...
And a cute pic of us. :)
The canyon was so pretty with red leaves popping against the mountainside. Isn't fall lovely?
After our drive, we didn't have time to head home before our evening activity, so we opted for a casual dinner at Iggy's. We finished up just in time to make it down to Provo Center Street. Some friends had gifted us some ComedySportz tickets at our wedding and we had never used them (eventhough we used to live a block away. Go figure.), so we decided we had better go before they expired. We definitely laughed a lot, and it was nice to do something out of the norm. Plus, I had never been before...and it was free. Can't beat that. :)

All in all, we had a relaxing, rejuvenating, enjoyable day. We always like being together, but it's even nicer when we have a whole day all to ourselves. It was so nice to just hold hands, reminisce about our wedding day, look back at all we've been through this year, and make each other laugh.

I'm a big fan of this whole anniversary thing.

More to come!

ONE YEAR!

2009-10-11T12:38:00.005-06:00

One year ago, at one o'clock, we knelt across the altar of the Salt Lake Temple and said yes. And what a year it has been! If all of our years are as eventful as this one, we are certainly in for a wild ride. :)

We honeymooned, settled into our little condo, got acquainted with our married student ward, I served in the RS presidency, we had our first Christmas, made our first major purchase together when we traded in my car, subsequently got hit by a school bus, agreed to buy a house, lost that house, found a new house, made an even bigger purchase and moved to Spanish Fork, I quit my job, Brandon got "promoted" to Network Engineer II, we got called to Primary, took a road trip, and experienced a million other ups & downs, challenges & accomplishments.

All in one little year.

We're so grateful for the gospel and the blessing that our temple covenants have been in our lives. We love each other more each day...and can't wait to see what else life has in store for us. How fortunate we are to be a covenant couple and a forever family.

Hooray for our first year--and the many more to come!

The Anniversary Edition

2009-10-05T18:17:00.003-06:00

I redesigned our little blog in honor of our first anniversary coming up next Sunday. We're spending the whole weekend celebrating...and I'm so excited!

Of course, anniversary posts to follow ♥.

What a Guy...

2009-09-28T12:34:00.005-06:00

I would just like to write a quick post about my cute husband. He has been very busy this semester...He works very hard to take care of our little family. Everyday he heads out to work so he can bring home the bacon. He is an excellent provider.

(We joke that I contribute bacon bits when I can. Haha.)

As if working full-time didn't keep him busy enough, Bran is also a part-time student. And this semester, he's in physics and statistics...blech! I know it's stressful for him to balance work, school, church and home responsibilities, and Kacey time, but he does such a great job!
Plus, he's silly.
And he makes cute faces.

(I told him to look cold because it was gross and rainy out that day. I like his interpretation. )

And he supports me in all of my aspirations...even if they're not particularly lucrative. :)

I just appreciate that hubby-o'-mine and all he does for us.

Saturday Night Blues

2009-09-20T17:18:00.003-06:00

So...we had kind of a late night last night.

Were we out on the town, living it up Spanish Fork-style?
No.

Were we stricken with a dire emergency in the middle of a dark, stormy night?
Nope.

Were we wallowing in sorrow after the debacle that was the BYU football game?
Of course...but that's not why we were up.

Were we in charge of Sharing Time the next day and had no idea what we were doing? Unfortunately, yes.

Who knew we'd be losing sleep over a Primary presentation so soon into our marriage? We don't even have any kids. :)

To all who doubted...

2009-09-05T21:16:00.005-06:00

To Kirk Herbstreit, Lou Holtz, Rece Davis, Mark May, Chris Fowler, and anyone else that said "it's not even going to be close..."

I want you to review the 7 defensive stances on the one yard line - against a team that averaged 51 points a game in 2008.

I want you to remember the fumbles forced on a team that had only two all last season.

I want you to realize we were dominating even when Bradford was in.

I want you to realize Jacobson is still open in the back of the end zone.

Here's to one of the best wins in BYU History. Go Cougars!

BYU 14, Oklahoma 13

We can now tell time...

2009-08-28T17:33:00.003-06:00

A few years back, my parents flipped a coin to see who would inherit my dad's old grandfather clock. The coin flipped in my favor.

While I was away at school, the clock stayed at home - waiting for the time when I had a proper place to hang it. On our recent trip to California, we brought it back - and today, we took to hanging it.

Some history on the clock - it was made in Germany and was bought by my dad when he was stationed there in the military. I think its safe to say that he bought it when he was about my age. So by my math skills - the clock is roughly 30 years old.

Here are some pictures (yes, there is still blue tape on the weights - my dad labeled them so we knew what order they went in)

It chimes every 15 minutes and on the hour. As early as I can remember, the clock has always been in our house - so its rather nostalgic to hear it's familiar chime (even if it does need a minor tuning).

It does need some minor work by a professional that deals with grandfather clocks - so until funds become available, it will return to its plastic bag - but we'll look forward to the time it can be on our wall permanently.

Old Man Wagner

2009-08-25T12:26:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was Brandon's 26th Birthday!

He celebrated by taking the day off of work so he could do whatever his little heart desired. What did his little heart desire, you ask?

Well, first he woke up at 7:02 (6:02 central time) to celebrate the exact minute of his birth.

Then, he slept in for 2 more hours.

When he woke up, he wanted eggs and hashbrowns...which we did not have. So he showered and made a trip to Macey's to purchase the necessary breakfast supplies. For some reason, Bran is always in charge of making breakfast foods, so he proceeded to cook his own birthday breakfast. Haha.

After we ate and got ready, we drove up to Provo to the good ol' Harold B. Lee Library. Bran had a book on hold that we needed to pick up. This worked into my plan perfectly, because one of the presents I had planned for him was to go to the bookstore and pick out a brand new BYU hat!
My other present for Brandon, however, was MIA at this point. I wanted to buy him a particular game, so I looked for it online. Target carried the game, but it was not in stock at any store nearby, so I had to drive to Sandy. Much to my chagrin, the Sandy store didn't have it either...the Target website contained an error! So, I ended up having to order it and hope that it got here by Bran's birthday. As of Monday morning, it still hadn't arrived.

I spent the afternoon baking Bran's cake and prepping for his birthday dinner. Brandon spent the afternoon waiting for the UPS man to come. He's 26 going on 5. Love it. :)

Fortunately, all of his dreams came true when that big brown truck finally rumbled down our street. I didn't get to wrap it or anything...but he didn't care. He was so happy.

Killer Bunnies! Our friends Brad and Janae introduced us to this game and Brandon loved it, so now he has his very own.

For dinner, instead of going out, Brandon requested some of his favorites--spicy chicken and shrimp pasta salad. And a chocolate cake. It doesn't look very pretty (I accidentally added a little too much water, so the cake was too moist and falling apart.) but it was Triple Chocolate cake with milk chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles. The man wanted chocolate, so I gave him chocolate. Plus, I got cute candles.

Here's the birthday boy!

And his birthday wish is going to come true! (He got 'em all.)

Then, he really wanted me to take a picture of him with his giant slice of cake. :)

All in all, I think he had a very fun birthday. (He also got cards with moolah from his parents and in-laws.) We spent the rest of the night, kickin' back, watching tv, and reading books. Happy Birthday, babe. I hope you loved it!

ROAD TRIP!

2009-08-05T19:36:00.008-06:00

Brandon & I woke up bright and early Thursday, July 23 to pack up the car and head off to California. Here is the self-portrait we took to document our journey...

Check out this good lookin' driver...

We only made one pit stop...in good ol' Winnemucca, NV. They have a very nice McDonald's in case you were wondering. But we didn't want to stop long, because we just wanted to get the boring drive overwith. If you've ever driven from Utah Valley to the Bay Area, you know that most of the 770 miles look a lot like this...

Or sometimes there are miles and miles and miles of orange cones to brighten things up...

Once we reached the California border (after passing the agricultural inspection) things got a little more interesting/mountainous/scary. Because of road construction, we were driving up and down mountains in impossibly tiny lanes through heavy traffic. I don't have any pictures because I was busy praying that the lady in the oversized SUV who wanted to drive in her lane and ours would not kill us. (Prayers are answered.)

We managed to arrive safely at Brandon's parents' house in Concord. Phew. We were tired and had sore backs after our 11 hour drive...but we didn't die. I consider it a success. Plus, my mother- and sister-in law surprised us with a gift basket on our bed. It was like we were at a swank hotel. They're so cute.

The next day, the fam had to work, so Brandon & I celebrated Pioneer Day at the Jelly Belly factory. It was all I dreamed of and more.

Chomp.
Did you know that Ronald Reagan loved Jelly Bellys? And that they make portraits of famous people like Ronald Reagan out of Jelly Bellys?

Did you also know that they give you a free little bag of Jelly Bellys after the tour, so it is unnecessary to pay $11/lb. in the gift shop?

After the factory, we went shopping at the outlets in Vacaville. We browsed, picked up a few t-shirts for Bran and a top for me, and enjoyed a sample at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. All in all--a successful day.

Saturday, we relaxed at the house while everyone was at work. Then went to the grocery store to pick up some food stuffs so we could make shrimp tacos and fruit salad for the fam when they got home.

Sunday, Brandon & I went to church at Bran's old ward. It was fun to hear how happy people were to see him. Then, later that afternoon, Brandon's Uncle Junior & Aunt Marsha came over for dinner. They were babysitting Bran's 8-year-old twin cousins, Brooke & Sam, so they came too. The kids were shy, but Bailey (the dog) sure loved having some youngsters to play with!

Monday, we ran errands with Gary & Julie and prepped for a grilled cheese extravaganza. The Wagners had volunteered to make dinner for the kiddos at their church attending vacation bible school. Armed with loaves of bread, dozens of cheese singles, baby carrots, and cupcakes, we whipped up a pretty good meal for those little youngsters. They sure do like their grilled cheese.

On Tuesday, the whole Wagner clan took a day trip so I could see the Golden Gate Bridge. In true San Francisco form, it was extremely foggy. Not so great for pictures, but at least it wasn't blazing hot.

Bran and his big sis Sheila...

A few days later, we found an old pic of Bran and his sister taken years ago in this very spot...

Smooch!!!
After the bridge, it only made sense to head on over to the Golden Gate Bridge Park. I took about a million pics of pretty flowers. I'll spare you and only post 4.

We walked around, enjoyed the flowers, and had a lovely picnic on the grass. It was a lovely day.

Wednesday, we woke up early again, so we could all have breakfast at the Black Bear Diner. Don't worry, they just have about the biggest food portions imagineable. I don't think I even ate half of my meal. I hope the dog enjoyed all of the left overs!

After our "light" breakfast, we drove down to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Bran & I rode the old wooden rollercoaster, "The Giant Dipper." It was a surprisingly good ride. Then we all strolled along the boardwalk, checking out shops, and buying treats. We bought a souvenir fridge magnet to add to our collection. (So far all of them are from California. Go figure.) That evening, we met up with some of Bran's extended family at Mountain Mike's Pizza. If you've never been there, you should go. They have excellent pepperonis. :)

Thursday, Brandon couldn't contain his excitement. We had 1/2 price tickets to Six Flags! Gary made us a pancake breakfast, but we made sure not to eat too much so we wouldn't ralph. Gary, Julie, Sheila, Grandma Jewel, Brandon, and I were at the park before it opened so we could be first in line to ride the big roller coasters. Okay, Bran and I were the only ones who actually rode the rollercoasters. This particular Six Flags also has animal shows like a zoo or Sea World, so we also got to see some pretty cool tigers, whales, sea lions, and such. And Bran & I only rode a five or six roller coasters...we're not as young as we used to be. But we still had a lot of fun. Hopefully, the rest of the fam did too.

That night, Bran had to go through a bunch of his old stuff still at his parents house to decide what he wanted to keep. We added some boxes of mission stuff, Bran's amp and electric guitar, and the 30+ year old German grandfather clock his parents gifted to him to the rest of our luggage and car snacks. The Corrolla was filled to capacity! :)

We woke up SUPER early Saturday morning for the 770 mile drive back to Utah. We're so grateful to the Wagner family for all of their kindness and hospitality. We really had a wonderful time in California. However, after another 11 hours in the car, I couldn't have been happier to see our little house with the red door!

In the words of Dorothy, "There's no place like home."

New Office

2009-07-22T20:38:00.005-06:00

In recent years the Office of Information Technology at BYU has been scattered across campus in a number of different buildings. My office happened to be in the Fletcher Building.

About 2 years ago however, ground broke on University Blvd just north of the Malt Shoppe for the Information Technology Building (ITB). About a month ago, I was able to make the move.

If you drive by - you'll notice it's still somewhat under construction (at least the outside is). Final touches are happening inside - with the full parking lot and landscaping to be finished by October.

While my new office is a cubicle, I absolutely love it. I am in the southwest corner, and actually have 3 huge windows that make up one of my walls - so its quite quiet and away from most of the hustle and bustle.

Tonight, as I was preparing to leave on a week and a half vacation back to California - I thought I would take some pictures. So here's your inside view of 2302E ITB.

(I'll warn you - these are from my phone...sorry for the poor resolution and lighting)

First time I've had an official name plate.

One of my walls - it provides awesome light and makes it feel like less of a cube.

For the first time I face the entrance to my office. No more people sneaking up behind me.

This cabinet was supposed to be against the backwall - but there was cabling there - but since my monitors are laid out in the front, the space would have been useless anyways. And the open space left room for me to put my switch.

Quite a few people are jealous of my 2x 22 inch dell widescreen monitors. I love it.

From left to right: Cisco WS-C3560G-48PS ($12k or so switch), test machine/web server, Laptop, UPS on the bottom, and test housing switch on the desk.

This is the view to the right that I have all day. I love it.

And there you have it. I enjoy very much going to work and look forward to being in the ITB for many years to come.

9.

2009-07-11T22:18:00.004-06:00

That's right...We've been hitched for 9 whole months. We celebrated in the following ways:

Yesterday, Bran bought me some flowers...

Then we got treats at Sonic and went on a GORGEOUS drive. I was super sad I didn't have the camera to capture the picturesque views. We're definitely going to have to take that route again soon.

Today, we had a big barbeque with my teacher friends and their families. It was so fun to see them...I used to see them everyday at lunch, so it's strange to go months between visits. Brandon did a lot of work cleaning and prepping and grilling. He's so great...I really appreciate him! Anyway, we were so busy eating and talking and laughing that I neglected to take a single picture. Sigh.

So, to satisfy you visual learners out there, here are some oldies but goodies...

I Agree

2009-07-08T12:14:00.002-06:00

With this article:
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=7083718

The only thing I don't like about Utah is driving in Utah. People are inconsiderate, dangerous, and sometimes terribly stupid. One of the things that irritates me the most is when drivers run blatantly red lights. I'm ok with running a yellow light - and if the light turns red while you're in the intersection - that's fine; but when you keep going after your light is red...I wish I could beat you over the head with a hammer.

Perhaps something like this from Emporer's New Groove.

Oh well - I'm just glad I'm not the only one that feels this way.

"Are Either of You Good at Pulling Teeth?"

2009-07-05T15:20:00.002-06:00

No, this isn't a post about the tooth fairy or a trip to the dentist.

Brandon and I received new callings in our new ward. We're primary workers! We team teach one of the CTR 6 classes. (The Primary in our ward is huge...they are actually split into Junior and Senior Primary and they have at least 2 classes for each age group.) We just got sustained today, so we weren't planning on having a class...but the teacher that was supposed to take our little 6's didn't show up. So we just jumped right on in.

Junior Primary has Sharing Time first, so we settled in amongst a sea of kiddos. Highlights of this meeting:

Our little neighbor Cindee clapped after her little brother Chase successfully completed the opening prayer.
The kids sang that echoing "Hello" song to us to welcome us into Primary. We felt honored.
A boy in our class, Liam, wore his shoe on his head.
Another boy in our class, Spencer, informed Brandon that he planned on being a rock star like David Archuletta when he grows up.
Little tiny girls that spoke in unintelligible tiny voices shared a scripture and a talk. I have no idea what they said.
A 4 year old boy named Porter* shared that he helped his family by "riding bikes." Maybe he earns frequent rider miles? I dunno.

Then we got to meet with our class. Holy cow. 6 year olds are hilarious. Here are some comments from our get-to-know-you session/impromptu lesson from the manual on forgiveness:

"Are either of you good at pulling teeth?...cuz I've got one that needs to be pulled."
"Yesterday, a boy lit a firework and it almost hit him in his private parts."
"One time, I made a paper airplane. It was a really good one and it flew really far. And my baby sister--the one you saw in the hall--she got it and tore it up. Do you know how long it took me to make that paper airplane? An hour."
"I have five sisters. [Names his 4 sisters]...and my mom."
"Are you going to be our teachers forever?"

They are crazy...but ridiculously cute. And eager to share any random experience from their lives that may or may not relate to anything anyone has ever said.

And, in honor of Fast Sunday, I can't neglect to mention the little girl who bore her testimony, "I know that dreams can come true." (She couldn't understand what her older sister was whispering, so she went with Disney. Nice work.)

*Bonus story about Porter that his mom shared in Relief Society--
Mom and Dad had made a goal to learn to speak Spanish, so they got one of those language-learning software programs. While they were watching it, they invited Porter (who is 4) to come try it with them. After a few minutes, Porter suddenly burst into tears. They quickly asked him what was wrong and he responded that he was sad that he wouldn't be able to talk to any of his friends anymore because they all speak English. He thought that they were giving up English entirely. How adorable and hilarious is that?! :)

Master Bedroom/Bathroom/Closet

2009-07-03T19:15:00.003-06:00

Here are some more pictures:

Master Bedroom:

Closet:

Bathroom:

Next time: Kacey's art room and the 2nd bathroom. :)

Living Area - Dining Area - Kitchen

2009-06-21T14:25:00.007-06:00

Everyone has been incredibly patient - and while these aren't a full house tour (mostly because parts of the house are still in boxes and/or not finished yet) - however here is our living area, dining area, and kitchen. It's a very open floor plan so its all in the same area.

Enjoy!

View from the dining area corner.

View from the couch.

Looking into the kitchen from the recliner.

View from the entrance area.

Happy Engagement Day!

2009-06-20T19:42:00.004-06:00

Exactly one year ago today, Brandon asked me to marry him!

He proposed at Temple Square just before dinner at The Roof in the Joseph Smith Memorial building. We were planning to make a trip up to Temple Square to celebrate, but the weather didn't cooperate...
This is how we felt about the previously mentioned weather...

So we improvised. We volunteered at our ward's primary activity. (Brandon accidentally made a small boy cry. Whoops!) We snuggled. We did a foot rub exchange. (We sit opposite one another and rub each others feel simultaneously. You should try it.) We ate a delicious dinner of garlic chicken pizza and fruit salad. We watched several selections from the DVR.

I suspect there is much more snuggling to come. And we'll probably hold hands. That makes us smile in spite of the rain...

Happy (Rainy) Engagement Day!

A Pleasant Surprise

2009-06-16T17:17:00.003-06:00

This is no ordinary bowl of strawberries...

When we moved in, I noticed some flowering plants in the landscaping next to our garden plot (which is currently a huge weed patch). I said, "Are those strawberry plants?"

Indeed they are. Unfortunately, we were assured they were merely decorative and had never really produced. My excitement over some homegrown strawberries quickly waned...until a few weeks ago. I noticed something red peeking through the leaves.

A strawberry!

I excitedly plucked off the little fruit and took a nibble. And now we have more ripening everyday. We may not get in a vegetable garden this summer (in fact we're planning on filling the plot with wildflowers until next year), but at least we'll have our little berry harvest.

Day Date

2009-06-13T17:03:00.003-06:00

Brandon planned a little day date for us this afternoon. We went to a matinee performance of BYU's production of The Giver. It was the final performance...and we're so glad we went. The boy who played Jonas was fantastic. And we loved the projections used to portray the memories.

(Side note: Can you imagine a world without colors?! Or not knowing what sunshine is? I can't!)

Afterward, we swung by the bookstore to pick up our very own copy of The Giver and then went to Zupa's for a bite to eat. It sure doesn't feel like June outside, so the hot soup sure hit the spot...

All in all, it was a lovely way to spend a rainy day!

Eight Months of Scandal-Free Marriage

2009-06-11T12:26:00.005-06:00

Bran and I were married eight months ago today!

So much has happened...phew. (I can't believe we're homeowners. Already. Wow.)

Since we've moved into our new ward, I've thought a lot about how long we've been married. I'm pretty sure we're the only couple in the ward without kids. Most families have at least 2. (It's weird to think about...some of these women are my age and they have 2 toddlers. Holy cow.)

Anyway, when people introduce themselves to us at church, they always ask if we have any kids. We politely reply "no," but I'm always laughing on the inside. No one ever asks how long we've been married...and since we've only been married eight months, it would be kind of scandalous if we did have any kids. Haha.
Happy Eight Months, Hun!

The Weekend of Paint

2009-06-07T12:24:00.005-06:00

We decided awhile ago that we didn't like our current door color. It just seemed kind of blah.

So this weekend, equipped with paint, rollers, drop clothes, and brushes we tackled our front door.

Here is the before picture:

After a coat of primer all around, 2 coats of white paint on the trim and 3 coats of red paint on the door, we finished our project by adding a new door lock and handle. The finished result:

A Few Photos to Keep the Public Happy

2009-06-01T18:07:00.004-06:00

Here's our little rambler! The inside is still a disaster...so once we get it together a bit, we'll post some more pics.

Brandon and I mounted this microwave. We're very proud of ourselves. :)

Our first Sunday dinner! We are now members of the River Trail Ward in Spanish Fork. Everyone at church was very nice. And several of our neighbors have stopped by to welcome us to the neighborhood. After our first Sunday in the ward, we came home and threw a few steaks on the grill.Bran and I in the backyard.
For our first little backyard cookout, we grilled up some pork kabobs.
Ooo...check out that cute guy runnin' the grill...
We are just LOVING our new home. Like I said, more photos coming soon!

Living the American Dream

2009-05-25T22:05:00.002-06:00

So tonight is our first night in our new home. After receiving some amazing help from the BYU 93rd ward, we have about 97% of our belongings at our new place. We've managed to setup our bed, most of our living area, and the beginnings of our bathroom. We even got our new over-the-range microwave hung (there used to be just a hood fan).

As we were moving, one of the ward members commented, "you're living the American Dream now." And you know what...I really feel that way. On this Memorial Day, I take a minute to express my gratitude to the many young men and women who have lost their lives just so I can enjoy my freedom and have the opportunity to live out my dreams. They truly are my heroes and are what make this nation great.

God bless America.

Homeowners!

2009-05-22T13:43:00.005-06:00

That's right. All the paperwork was signed while eating warm cookies. It's official. Our house is ours! We'll post pics of our own soon, but you can check out these taken by the seller for now...

Final Approval!

2009-05-20T09:45:00.001-06:00

We have been given final approval on our underwriting and have been cleared to close tomorrow.

At 4:00pm tomorrow, the house will be ours!

Next Week!

2009-05-15T10:43:00.002-06:00

Next week we will officially be homeowners. AHHH! Closing is Thursday and we're so dang excited!

Clarification: We are NOT excited about the putting all of our earthly possessions into boxes and moving them. We ARE excited for the unboxing of said possessions...in OUR house....that we OWN.

Happy 10th Baptism Day!

2009-05-09T19:35:00.003-06:00

Exactly 10 years ago today--May 9th, 1999--Brandon was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 15. His friend Danny O'Brien invited him to Seminary and later baptized him. 10 years later, they're still friends. Danny even served as one of the witnesses at our sealing. Talk about full circle.

Look at this cute pic of them that Bran keeps in his scriptures...
I'm so grateful to Danny for bringing the gospel into Brandon's life. And I'm even more grateful to Brandon for accepting it. Today I asked him about all the good things that have happened to him since he was baptized. He mentioned receiving the Priesthood, serving a full-time mission, being sealed to me, and the opportunity to build a home and a family to name a few. It's strange to think that our lives together really started 10 years ago, although neither of us knew it. I'm so glad Heavenly Father can see the beginning from the end!

Today, this 10th Baptism Day, Bran and I went shopping for a refrigerator, microwave, weed whacker, and loveseat for our new house. (The inspection went great. We get the keys 2 weeks from today.) We got a lot of awesome deals--like a $1500 fridge for $845, including delivery--and saved quite a bit of money. We feel so blessed to be under our original budget! Now, we just need a lawn mower and a washer/dryer.

After shopping, we drove up to Murray for a "Baptism Day/Sometime-Not-Now-But-in-the Future-Mother's Day/Congrats to Us for Being (almost) Homeowners/7 Month Anniversary (on Monday)" celebration lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. I got the orange chicken and lemon raspberry cheesecake and Brandon had a HUGE double burger and the white chocolate wild blueberry cheesecake. We were filled to capacity! Boy, was it good.

All in all, we spent a fabulous day together. Happy Baptism Day, honey! I'm so proud of you.

Nice Weather = Happiness

2009-05-06T08:29:00.003-06:00

Yesterday it was gorgeous outside. I loved it! I can actually wear shorts and not freeze to death.

To celebrate our "nice weather happiness," Brandon and I went on a good long walk on the Provo River Trail and stopped by a park to throw the football around.

We walked, we talked, we played. Sigh. Can't wait for summer!

Especially since there's a river trail in our new neighborhood in Spanish Fork. I foresee many bike rides, walks, and jogs in our future...

Three Cheers!

2009-04-30T13:24:00.005-06:00

Thanks to all of you who have been rooting for us and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Our disappointment over having to walk away from house #1 is now overshadowed by our joy over house #2.

We're under contract to purchase this little beauty...

...and we couldn't be more excited!!!

It's a bit smaller, but newer and in MUCH better condition than the first one. We are ecstatic that we found it. (If you're in Utah County and you need a realtor, I've got a good one for ya!) And it's only a few blocks away from the other neighborhood, so it's still in the area of Spanish Fork we were hoping for.

It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom rambler built in 2006 with a VERY open floor plan (that's why we love it). It has nice carpet/wood laminate floors, master suite with walk-in closet, kitchen island, pantry, great backyard with sprinkler system, vinyl fencing, back patio, shed, irrigated veggie garden, flower beds/landscaping in the front and back, a/c, 2 car garage, lots of storage space, brick and vinyl siding...It's fabulous!

And the best part--all we have to do is move in our stuff. No painting the entire interior. No replacing all the carpet. No hours of trimming back overgrown vegetation. (Yessssssssssssss.)

Second best part--the sellers are not in financial ruin. The only way this deal won't go down is if major problems are uncovered in the inspection. But the house has been very well-kept and it's only a few years old, so everything should work out this time. Knock on wood. :)

Hip Hip Hooray!
Hip Hip Hooray!!
Hip Hip Hooray!!!

Hope!

2009-04-28T11:26:00.002-06:00

We found another house and we're putting in an offer...
Keep us in your prayers!

Update: The sellers countered - and we countered back. We're pretty sure they will be accepting what we sent back - so we should find out later today! :)

Not

2009-04-21T12:38:00.002-06:00

Just received word:
Countrywide has decided to Short Sale the property.

[sigh]

Back to square one...We'll keep you posted.

To Be or Not to Be?

2009-04-19T15:39:00.005-06:00

Lots of people have been asking about our moving plans, so here's the scoop:

You may or may not already know that we are under contract to buy a house. Turns out, the seller's were about to go into foreclosure, but we put in an offer just in time. Because of their financial woes, they had to get our offer approved by their lender (Countrywide) before they could accepted it. Fortunately, Countrywide gave the sellers the go-ahead and we agreed to close on the house May 4th.

Well, that seems simple enough. But the story doesn't end there.

Sometime in the last few weeks, Countrywide put a lien on the house. Apparently, the sellers haven't made a house payment in 8 months...so they owe $12,500 in back payments and fees. Normally, when a lien is placed on a house, all those fees have to be paid before house can be bought or sold. However, the sellers are in serious financial trouble and don't exactly have thousands of dollars in cash. Or any cash, apparently.

You might be saying to yourself, "Hey! Why did Countrywide approve your offer and then put a lien on the house?"

That's what we said to ourselves, anyway. (And I bet the sellers are miffed, too. If this sale doesn't go through, they will be forced to forclose.)

So our realtor has been working things out with Countrywide. Not only will they make more money by NOT letting the house go into forclosure, but they already agreed to the sale of the house. It looks like they are going to let us buy the house and then still go after the sellers for those fees (greedy!), but we have to get special approval...and it's all up in the air.

Moral of the story--Countrywide sucks.

Other moral of the story--Things may or may not work out with this house. We're hoping we'll get it...but if not, something else will come along. It will all work out somehow.

The end.

Actually,"To Be Continued..." might be more appropriate in this case.

P.S (From Brandon) -

Just as a teaser, I thought I'd add a picture to Kacey's post. Perhaps this can be our good faith that things will work out and we'll get the house - here is the Kitchen (we're planning to paint it green..)

One Half of One Year

2009-04-11T21:23:00.003-06:00

Where were you 6 months ago today? What were you doing?

Well, Brandon and I were in Salt Lake City and this is what we were doing. You might have been there too...

It's been one half of one year...here's to many more days and months and years together!

Stuff We've Done Recently...Including A Jaunt to Idaho

2009-03-31T11:11:00.004-06:00

On the 20th, Brandon and I drove up to West Valley to go to one of my dearest friend's wedding reception. (Congrats Jamie and Nate!) It was fun to see Jamie as a cute little bride and to catch up with old friends.

The next day, we drove up to American Fork to watch a little baseball. My little brother Peter is a sophomore and he plays first base for the JV baseball team at his high school in Idaho. They came down for a weekend tournament. It was a gorgeous day...and Peter is the cutest first baseman. Ever.

This past weekend was a very relaxing one. On Friday, we picked up Rachel and drove up to my parents house in Idaho. Our drive was full of treats and bad singing. :) That night, we just ate dinner, chatted with the fam, and watched a few episodes of the of The Office and American Idol off of the DVR.

Saturday, Bran and I woke up and ate breakfast in our pajamas. We ended up just sitting at the kitchen counter talking to my dad for hours. It was really nice. The rest of the day was filled with lounging, ping pong, lasagna, Wall-E, and a dip in the hot tub.

Sunday, we went to my parents ward...which made me realize how much I love our ward right now. (It's going to be so sad to leave!) After church, we ate enchiladas and relaxed in the living room before we packed up to head home.

The drive home was a bit crazier...the gale force winds and blowing snow kept things interesting. We made it back safe and sound, though.

It was nice to just get away for a bit. Too bad we suck at taking pictures...so here's a little something that has absolutely nothing to do with this post. Enjoy!

Headed to the Great White North

2009-03-26T11:21:00.002-06:00

a.k.a. Idaho

Brandon, my sis, and I are prepping for the arduous journey northward. We have all the necessary supplies--Twizzlers, peanut M&Ms, Mike & Ike's, fruit snacks, and granola bars.

I hope our rations last the 3 1/2 hours.

Obsessing Over Paint Chips and Fabric Swatches

2009-03-19T13:28:00.005-06:00

Okay, so the title of this post isn't actually true. But kind of.

Ever since we found the house, all I can think about is how we could decorate it. The possibilities are endless! Paint, furniture, pillows, accent pieces, artwork, area rugs... I can't wait!

According to HGTV.com, my style is classic casual or transitional--I like a mix of contemporary and traditional, "updated, graceful, and enduring." I'd say that's spot on. I love the bright colors and clean lines of contemporary design...but I want my space to be comfy and homey too.

Like this...

And this...

And this...

And this...
And this...

And this...
And this...
Okay, I'll stop.

We also watch a lot of HGTV. My current favorite is Divine Design. Part of me wishes Candice Olsen would come decorate my house, but the other part of me is soooooo excited to figure it all out myself. (I am an artist after all...)

But if my house looked like this after she came...
...I'd be down.

We bought a house!

2009-03-14T16:47:00.003-06:00

Well - after a week of going back and forth we accepted the sellers second counter offer earlier this afternoon. We bought our first house!

We won't post any pictures until after inspections and what not just in case. We'd rather not jinx it.

We're hoping to close on May 4th (there's a renter living there and they have to give them notice to move out, etc). It's all pretty exciting!

Family History = Temple Work!

2009-03-13T09:53:00.003-06:00

Brandon's friend Brad does family history research for a living. He has ever so kindly looked into both of our family histories. As a result, we have a lot of temple work to do!

Since both sides of my family (Kendrick side: England, Hansen side: Denmark) have been members of The Church for generations, I don't really have any temple work to do for my ancestors. It's all been done. In fact, some of my family lines can be traced all the way back to Adam and Eve. I'm not kidding. Some of my Danish ancestors were royalty, so they kept really good records of their lineage. (I told Brandon that I'm probably a princess or something...haha.) So, I've never been able to take any family names to the temple.

However, Brad did some digging and found TONS of information about Brandon's family lines all the way back to Germany and Russia in the 1700s. (What? Wagner is a German name? There's a shocker. Ha.) Now, we have hundreds of names ready to go to the temple! Tonight, some friends from our ward are coming with us to do baptisms/confirmations...followed by ice cream sundaes at our place. We're very excited. Brandon will be able to be baptized for his great-grandpa! Very cool.

Five Whole Months

2009-03-11T14:02:00.002-06:00

I got a nice surprise...

It seems like life has been so full...Has it really only been five months since we got married? It feels like we've been married forever (in a good way!) and I guess that's good, because we are going to married forever!

Happy Five Month Anniversary, Babe!

Fun With Vegetables

2009-03-10T15:10:00.003-06:00

Kacey has been very good about trying to make sure we eat healthy. Sometimes however, she does something a little special - just to make sure I eat my vegetables.

Yes - that is a spinach salad - and it's smiling at you. The shrimp scampi was also tasty. Hopefully it will have the same effect on our kids one day.

Sooner Than Expected...

2009-03-09T12:49:00.002-06:00

So...we put an offer on a house!

We'll share the details in the future if we end up getting it...

But sooooooooooooo exciting, right?!

We have Ruby back

2009-02-26T20:06:00.003-07:00

For those that don't follow Kacey's other blog, our new Toyota Rav4 was rear-ended by a school bus near the end of January (We hadn't even had it for a month). No one was injured thank goodness, but our poor Ruby looked pretty bad. For accident pictures and further details you can read about it here.

Three weeks and $6738.38 later (your Utah state taxes hard at work) we got her back. After going back to the body shop to have some minor tweaking, she's back to her beautiful self.

We hope Ruby can remain in our family for a very, very, very long time.

Birthday Celebrations

2009-02-25T16:13:00.006-07:00

My birthday is February 22nd, which happened to fall on a Sunday this year. So, the celebrations began on Friday. Brandon and I ate dinner at Outback Steakhouse. I got the house sirloin with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies and Bran ordered the prime rib with a loaded baked potato and veggies. SO dang good.

Brandon had a hard time figuring out what to get me for a birthday present, so we decided to go shopping and I got to pick out some things for myself. We went to 2 of my favorite places--Target and Barnes & Noble.

I had my eye on this scarf for a couple weeks, so I decided to finally get it...

And i picked up these big ol' sparklers at 50% off...Books are some of my favorite things. I chose a few childhood favorites and a classic...
The next evening, my sister Rachel came over and Brandon cooked a delicious dinner of spinach ravioli and steamed veggies. He also baked an even MORE delicious cake. I had requested a Lemon-Raspberry cake from Costco, but we found out it's only available in the summer. So Bran improvised and made his own version--lemon cake, lemon frosting, and raspberries between the layers. It was dang good.

But the birthday fun continued...My in-laws sent me a card and some great books. (I seriously LOVE books. I love expanding my collection. It's my dream to have a library in my house someday.)
And my fam didn't know what to get me, so my mom sent me a cute card and some cash...
I spent part of that money on this little spring-y sweater from Ann Taylor LOFT...1/2 off plus a 20% off teacher discount. Hooray for birthday bargains!
Thanks to my wonderful hubby, the Kendrick and Wagner families, and all my cute friends for all the birthday gifts and well wishes. It was a great birthday!

Paying Off

2009-02-23T08:30:00.004-07:00

The Coupon Mom

So remember how I posted about price matching and coupon clipping? Well, I've been doing it each week for the past 3 weeks and keeping track of how much I've saved.

Week 1: just under $7
Week 2: about $14
Week 3: $8

The total comes to just under $30 of savings in the last 3 weeks. That averages out to $10 a week! It doesn't seem like much at the time, but it those few cents or dollars of savings really add up.

Seriously, if you want to save on grocery items you are already buying check out these sites:

pinchingyourpennies.com
couponmom.com
coupon.com
couponcabin.com

The best way to save money is to use coupons for items that are already on sale, and the best source for the best coupons is actually the Sunday paper. (The savings will outweigh the cost of the paper if you only get the Sunday paper each week according to Coupon Mom.) So when we're in a more permanent residence, I will definitely be subscribing.

Valentine's Eve, Valentine's Day, and Kiss Day

2009-02-17T13:10:00.005-07:00

Unfortunately, Brandon and I haven't been so good at taking pictures...so none of the following events have personal photos to serve as illustrations. Oh well.

Anyway, Bran and I aren't huge proponents of Valentine's Day. We figure we don't need an assigned day to celebrate our love...We do that all the time. But we also felt like we should do something. So I declared that any gifts were to be homemade. And we also thought we'd do our date night on Friday--Valentine's Eve.

After work, we got all gussied up and headed to Outback at 5 pm. We thought we were so smart going out not only the day before, but also really early. However, we soon discovered we aren't quite so clever. The wait to be seated was 70-80 minutes. Since we had other plans, this wasn't going to work...so we settled for Chili's instead. (Don't worry--my birthday is next week. I'll get my slab of beef then.)

After eating chips & salsa and our meals, we hopped in the car and headed up the freeway to Draper. Months before, Brandon had snagged us a reservation to go to the Draper Temple open house. It turned out to be the best way to celebrate our love for each other. As we sat in the one of the brand new sealing rooms, we couldn't help but be reminded of our sealing just four months prior. The temple is such a beautiful place...physically and symbolically.

The next day was Valentine's day. We slept in. It was great. :)

Right when we got up, Bran was ready to exchange our homemade surprises. With a little help from Martha Stewart, I made these felt fortune cookies...
I typed up some "fortunes" on pink paper and packaged them all in a cute Chinese-take-out-style gift box I got at Robert's. The fortunes were actually clues to little valentine treats I had hidden throughout the house.

One of the fortunes foretold of a batch of carrot cake cookies in Brandon's future...so I whipped him up a batch later in the day. (Thanks Kira for introducing these into our lives!)

The recipe can be found on the world wide web.

Brandon was worried about making his surprise because he thought it wouldn't be as good as mine since I make things for a living...but I LOVE the card he collaged for me. It was really funny. And sweet. I'm going to keep it forever.

We spent the rest of the day cuddling, eating way too many carrot cake cookies, watching the BYU basketball game, and getting our groove on at our stake dance. (Yes, we are married and our stake put on a Valentine's dance. I felt kinda silly, but we had a good time.)

The next day, I had one more trick up my sleeve. One of Bran's fortunes predicted "an unforseen delight" coming his way on Sunday. Well, it just so happens that the 15th is the anniversary of our first kiss...now known as "Kiss Day." So good old Martha gave me this idea...

It's a popup card that makes one person smooch the other. I used the template to make my own version of me giving my hubby a big smooch. While Bran was in the shower before church, I snuck out of bed and made a trail of cookies 'n' cream Hershey Kisses that led from the bathroom door, down the stairs, to the coffee table where I displayed my card. I should take a picture of it. It's pretty funny.

All in all, I would HIGHLY recommend doing a homemade gift exchange. It was way better (and cheaper) than buying things. And they're all one of a kind! I would also HIGHLY recommend going to the Draper temple open house if you get the chance. Our weekend of love was really fun. Plus, we still had another day to spend together...hooray for President's Day!

Family Home Evening

2009-02-12T10:50:00.002-07:00

Kacey and I have been trying very hard to have Family Home Evening every Monday night. We thought the best way to accomplish this was to get the Family Home Evening book and do each lesson in order.

This week I had Lesson 2, which was "The Commandments - Gifts from a Loving Father." Part of the lesson was to write down commandments we are grateful for. Kacey and I made a list of 10. The book said to put the list up where you can see it. We thought our blog would be a perfect spot.

Commandments Brandon and Kacey are grateful for:
1. Love thy neighbor as thyself.
2. Temple Marriage (to leave, cleave, and be one).
3. The Word of Wisdom
4. Be Clean.
5. The law of Tithing.
6. Multiply and replenish the earth.
7. Repentance.
8. Pray Always.
9. Honor your mother and father.
10. Feed His Sheep / Proclaim the Gospel.

Four Months Ago...

2009-02-11T08:07:00.004-07:00

Can you believe it has only been four months since this wonderful day?! It feels like we've always been married. Hurray for sparkly rings and pretty dresses and adorable spouses and getting to be together forever!

My Name is Kacey...and I am a Coupon Clipper...

2009-02-05T13:53:00.003-07:00

You might be wondering how this happened to me. Well, it could happen to you too!

A few months ago my friend Anna posted about pinchingyourpennies.com This site has a feature where you can see the sale prices in your area for all the stores of your choice. You could potentially pick out all of the things that you would use, take that list to a grocery store that price matches, and enjoy all those sale prices in one place.

Sounds complicated, you might say to yourself. Well, that's what I said, too.

However, Brandon and I have been trying to find ways to spend less and save more. We've cut down on eating out and buying "extras" that we don't really need. (We'd love to be able to buy a house sooner rather than later!)

Finally, I was watching Oprah and the show was about ways people were being thrifty in these tough economic times...trading houses or furniture, cooking for cheap, clipping coupons, etc. This one lady calculated that over the past 15 years she has saved $72,000 dollars using coupons. She even has a free coupon website CouponMom.com where you can access manufacturer coupons.

So...I figured it might be worth it.

Yesterday, I purchased a little coupon accordion file to keep in my purse, compiled my sale price list, and printed coupons for things that we would use. Now we're going to be some of those annoying price matching, coupon clipping people that hold up the line at Wal-mart.

Should be fun!

Itchin to Buy

2009-01-31T19:52:00.007-07:00

Currently, Kacey and I are discussing the idea of purchasing a house in the near future (I use the word near loosely). While the low interest rates, economic downfall, and banks looking to hand out loans might be good reasons to buy; I blame the following entirely for our situation:

Yes, that's right, I blame shows like House Hunters, Property Virgins, and the like. Since we started watching them our desire to have our own home as definitely festered. It would be great to stop paying rent and have something you can call your own. That and I could finally get a dog. Well - assuming we have a yard. For now, we're very content in our nice little condo.

A Grateful Heart

2009-01-27T09:26:00.003-07:00

It seems like we've had our share of minor catastrophes lately, but as I was laying in bed last night, I was thinking about what I'm grateful for...

I'm grateful to have a place to live. It may have a drippy parking garage and a leaky ceiling and a million other "quirks", but it's cute and warm and clean and it's a place to come home to. That's a lot more than a lot of other people have.

I'm grateful that I'm safe and healthy.

I'm grateful for my husband. If I have to get in a car accident, at least I have my favorite person in the world just a phone call away. He dropped everything just to make me feel better. He's the first one I want to talk to...whether it's good, bad, sad, exciting. I am grateful I get to keep him forever!

I'm grateful for a sense of humor. Seriously? Who gets hit by a bus?! Sheesh.

I'm grateful that things are just things.

I'm grateful for family. I pray for them everyday.

I'm grateful that even though the economy is tanking, we're in a financially stable place. I don't love paying the bills, but I'm so glad we have the ability to pay them.

I'm grateful for my new calling. I'm excited to serve and make new friends.

I'm most grateful for the gospel. I know that everything that happens to Bran and I is for our experience and for our good...and the Savior knows us and knows what we are going through. What a comfort!

Last night, Brandon and I were reading in 1 Nephi 17...one of my favorites. Nephi builds a ship according to the Lord's instruction, despite being mocked. He doesn't make it after the manner of men, but the manner of God. Getting our new car smashed by a bus wasn't something we would want to happen...but we we aren't building our life after the manner of men. Turns out, the Lord knows how to make our lives into something better.

It'll all work out.

Check Out Our Place: Master Bedroom

2009-01-13T15:53:00.003-07:00

I spent the extra money I made doing pencil portraits for a co-worker on decorating our bedroom a little bit. Brandon took some pics with his new camera...

We have curtains! (Only on one window in the house. But still!)
I love a good tin star...or three...
We got some wedding photos printed in sepia at Costco and bought some mats and frames on sale at Michael's--very inexpensive, yet stylish. (My sister-in-law, Sheila got us our bedding as a wedding gift. We love it!) The lamps came from Wal-mart...of all places.
Off the bedroom, is the closet/vanity area that has a door into the bathroom. (My aunt gave us that mirrored wall hanging as a wedding gift and I just used some scrapbook papers to create some co-ordinating inlays for the side and I bought a ring of old-fashioned keys to hang...I need to figure out what to put on the other hooks...)

It's simple, but it's amazing how just a few little things can help make a room feel a little more like home.

Christmas and the New Year

2009-01-01T16:40:00.003-07:00

While we had our families in our hearts, Brandon and I had a wonderful Christmas at home--just the two of us.
On Christmas Eve, we made a big dinner of enchiladas and seven layer dip. Then we watched Joy to the World and read Luke 2.

In my family, we have a tradition of getting pj pants each Christmas Eve. My mom kept the tradition alive for us. Here is Brandon modeling his BYU pj pants. (Mine are light blue with a white floral pattern.)
My mom also surprised us with a quilt she made. She spent 200 hours working on it! Here we are snuggling in it :) We spent the rest of the evening curled up watching The Muppet Christmas Carol. Thanks Mom!! (And thanks to Peter, too--we've enjoyed the dvds!)
On Christmas morning, we got up early (Brandon is like a little boy in a 25-year-old man's body. Haha.) and checked out our stockings. We had filled each other's with candy, useful items, and a few surprises. Then I baked these cinnamon rolls that I made from scratch. We topped them with cream cheese frosting...delicious!
Brandon's family also spoiled us this year. They sent us 2 big boxes full of gifts--target gift cards, blankets, clothing, treats, and a digital picture frame. Here is another picture of Bran modeling both his Santa hat and one of his gifts. Thank you Wagners!
We saved the gifts we got each other for last. Brandon was soooooo excited for me to open my gifts...an orange nano and a stereo for my car! I LOVE it.
And I was super happy that Brandon liked the blue Canon Powershot I got him...he had wanted a new camera for his birthday back in August...but he had to wait a few months :)
We lounged around watching Christmas movies, playing with our new toys, and enjoying treats for the rest of the day. And we had an amazing Christmas dinner of prime rib and baked potatoes! We were very blessed this Christmas.
Unfortunately, we didn't take any pictures of our New Year's celebrations...except for our New Year's Eve purchase...

...But we made a big batch of Rainbow Chip cupcakes and drove up to American Fork for a party at my good friend and co-worker Stewart's house. We ate lots of yummy goodness, played games, performed our own impromptu version of an SNL skit (Stewart teaches drama. Haha.), watched Noises Off, and rang in the new year.

I was so happy to smooch my husband at midnight. 2008 was a HUGE year for us...I hope 2009 is full of its own wonderful surprises!

DIY Christmas Decorating

2008-12-09T16:25:00.004-07:00

Here is a picture of our first Christmas tree! Brandon and I put it up when we got back from Thanksgiving Break in Idaho. I think it turned out quite lovely :)

(Read this post on my other blog for more info on how I embellished our decorations myself...)

We're pretty much done with our Christmas shopping...and we're both anxious to tear open the gifts we got each other.

I was so excited we were able to get a nativity set. They can be so expensive...and the cheap ones can look, well, cheap. But we happened upon this handsome group at Tai Pan Trading for only $20. A great buy, if I don't say so myself.

Since we don't have a mantle, I got some stocking hangers and hung our velvety socks from the bar instead. Here they are waiting to be filled with Christmas goodness.

Brandon and I will be spending our first Christmas at our place--just the two of us. While it will be strange to be away from our families, we are looking forward to starting our own Christmas traditions and having a little alone time. I can't wait!

Check Out Our Place: Entry and Kitchen

2008-11-23T20:18:00.008-07:00

We love living together in our little condo--the very first Wagner residence! We've gotten a lot put together in the past month, although the kitchen and entry way are the only areas that are "finished," so we'll start there.

Here's a view of the entry from the front door...
(I had been looking all over for a "W," but then we got one as a wedding gift. It was a pleasant surprise.)

Looking back into the entry from the dining area...

View from the entry into our li'l kitchen...

Looking into the kitchen from the dining area...

LOVE the red kitchen-aid...
LOVE the descending cannisters...
LOVE the stylish spice rack...

View of the sink area from inside the kitchen...and yes i painted that painting in the background and threw those pots on the counter :)

View of the fridge area from the dining area...
p.s. Brandon loves candles. We have a billion.
p.p.s. Brandon hangs things I make for him on the fridge. :)

And I thought I'd throw in a few shots of our gorgeous dishware.
Here's our everyday look...
Eating off of these dishes makes me very happy. They make even a piece of toast look gourmet.

And our china.

Don't worry...my mom just bought this 8-setting--plus creamer, serving platter, and sugar bowl--platinum banded Noritake set for 100-some dollars when I was 18. Six years later, she gave it to me. (Good thing she's patient...) Unfortunately, the pattern is now out of production, but it's simple enough that we were able to find a relatively close pattern. (We wanted a serving bowl and gravy boat. Naturally.) But at about $200 for ALL of our china...I'll take it.

Sickly Li'l Brandon

2008-11-19T08:45:00.002-07:00

Brandon has been super sick this week. It began with a slightly sore throat and turned into a full blown illness. It has not been fun for either of us. Bran has been miserable. I've done everything I can to help...bought medicine, chicken noodle soup, ginger ale, orange juice; gotten extra blankets; taken his temperature; done some research on webMD; tucked him in; asked him what he needed about a million times; offered comfort; cleaned up the aftermath; kept him company; let him rest...but he's still miserable. And I didn't realize that a sick spouse equated sleep deprivation. But the worst thing is seeing him so uncomfortable.

Get well soon, hun! I miss my happy, silly Brandon.

P.S. Don't give me any cooties...Thanksgiving is my favorite meal of the year. I'd like to be able to eat it. :)

Wedding Pictures

2008-11-14T15:52:00.004-07:00

The wait is over. See photo proofs of our engagements, bridals, and wedding day at ryanscoffieldphotography.com . I know the anticipation has been killing you.

So WE have a blog

2008-11-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

Well, since it's official we're married - we decided we should have a "family" blog.

So here's to us!
-Brandon