We Love Gift Cards!!

So as many of you know Jesse and I got married back in December. We had a plethora of receptions and as we all know, lots of receptions means lots of gifts and... GIFT CARDS!! We were very blessed to have a great turnout at the Boise reception and ended up getting everything we needed/wanted. As I mentioned in an earlier post our Memphis reception was 2 months after our wedding. In Memphis we got even more GIFT CARDS. We already have everything we need so we keep our gift cards handy and when we discover we want something we add it to our gift card wish list. Well, Jesse had read about a married student activity that the school was hosting. They were going to do a camping/ski trip. All equipment and food were included all we had to do was provide camping supplies. So we went to Idaho Falls to buy us a tent! We picked out our tent and went home very excited to use it on our trip. However, the weather went from being 25 degrees and sunny to 25 degrees and raining (these temperature applying to the hottest part of the day). The trip wasn't cancelled due to the weather but Jesse and I decided that sleeping in the rain with a low of 10 degrees didn't sound very fun. So we went on a date instead. When we got home our new tent was still sitting in the middle of the living room. We sat in silence staring at for awhile. Finally, Jesse broke the silence by admitting that he was really looking forward to using our new tent. At the same time our eyes both lit up. We quickly jumped up. Jesse set up the tent, I got the sleeping bags, and we set up camp in our living room. We even turned off the lights and used flashlights, we played some camping games (and by that I mean cards of course!!!), and slept on our new air mattress!! The best part about it was in the morning all we had to do was zip back the door and we had some morning cartoons right there in our campground. To all of you who got us gift cards, Thank You!! You helped to make our married life/this weekend an adventure!! As always, enjoy the pictures!!

Home of Elvis... Home of Jesse

We are slightly behind in updating the general public on our married adventures. About a month ago we went on the biggest adventure I have ever embarked on, ever, in my entire life! It was the second airplane I had ever been on (the first being when I was 8) and the farthest east I have ever been by... well, a LONG way. We left at 5am from the Salt Lake airport and by 3pm we were in Memphis the home of Elvis, BBQ, Rock n' Roll, and my most excellent husband Jesse. Friday afternoon we spent some time with my parents who also made the trip down. We took a tour (a long one with my father driving in an unknown city) of all the must see's in Memphis. We went and saw Graceland, the ducks at the Peabody, the civil rights museum (the site where Martin Luther King Jr. was killed), Beale Street, and of course ate dinner at the famous Rendezvous, where we met up with Jesse's parents. After being in my husbands birthplace for 5+ hours I finally got to go see "home." We spent the evening talking and then called it a night ready for a busy day ahead. In the morning we attending a session in the Memphis Temple. It was a wonderful session full of the spirit present when your surrounded by a loving family. All I wanted from my trip to Memphis was a taste of the culture, because let's be honest my experiences with culture are seriously lacking. So, my wonderful mother-in-law took us to see the local high school play. Talk about culture!! The cast had six people in it and it was a musical. These kids were more talented than any performing college group in the entire state of Idaho. Not only could they sing but they could dance. It was awesome! After the play we went home to get ready for the reception (the main purpose for our trip to Memphis). The reception was wonderful. Everyone in Memphis is so friendly. They have a good supportive community down there. It was so fun to meet so many people who love the Hyde family. Sunday after church Jesse took me to see all the must see's of Jesse's life. It was so fun to actually see where all the stories took place. We also got to go visit Jesse's second mom, Gayle. She is such a fun, wonderful, and strong woman. We love you Gayle! We went home to pack so we could start our long journey back, a journey that started at 4am and ended when we finally pulled into our apartment complex at 10pm. We are so grateful we had the opportunity to make it down. It was such a wonderful trip. It was amazing how comfortable I felt in the Hyde home. They are wonderful people and am glad they are apart of my family. Thank you Blaine and Linda! I'm glad my parents could be there as well. We love our family! Can't wait to go again! Enjoy the pictures!

Hair Cut

About two weeks after I got married I chopped all my hair off. This is the first time my hair has been this short since I was two years old! It's been pretty fun and a ton EASIER!!! 

The best part about cutting my hair was the realization that I have the best husband in the world. When I asked Jesse what he thought about me cutting my hair he gave me his opinion followed by, "I will support you in whatever you want to do." I thought that was normal because he always responds like that. However, it didn't take long to for me to realize that not all husbands are as supportive as mine. The first thing the lady cutting my hair said after I told I wanted to chop it was, "My husband would kill me if I cut my hair." Pretty much everyone I talked to after that said pretty much the same thing. They were all shocked that Jesse approved of my bold decision. I have come to appreciate this in Jesse more and more. He lets me make my own decisions and not just when it comes to silly things like cutting my hair. He is so good at giving his advice and opinion without pressuring me. It reminds me of something Sister Hinckley said. During an interview discussing the tricks to a happy marriage she said, "I am very grateful for a husband who always lets me do my own thing. ... He never insists that I do anything his way, or any way for that matter. From the very beginning he gave me space and let me fly." I have always thought that is just how things are. More and more I am realizing that not everybody has that support from their husband. Jesse is such a wonderful man. I echo Sister Hinckley in that I am extremely grateful for my supportive husband and the fact that he still lets me fly and become who I want to become. I love you Jesse!!!

Our 1st Apt

 As mentioned before we live in a tiny one bedroom apartment. It is set up to optimize space so as to fit severals rooms, of decent size, in low square footage. Our apartment has accomplished this by eliminating all hallways so all the rooms just connect to one another. One can stand in the bathroom, facing the bedroom, and see the entire apartment. Lets just say, hide-and-seek here would be quite the challenge. Even though our apartment is very small in nature we love it! It feels more and more like home everyday. All that being said we will now guide you through a virtual tour of the apt. so you can see just what we are talking about.

*As you enter through the front door this is what you see. Of course we display two elements that make us the typical Mormon family (the over sized clock and the big painting of the Boise Temple).



*Take a left from where your standing and your now in the kitchen (complete with vinyl lettering!!)

*take a right from there and you will
find yourself in the bathroom. If you turn looking straight out the door in the right edge of the picture you will be looking down the only hallway in the apartment. This hallway will lead you into the bedroom!!

*Welcome to the bedroom! There is a door to the right of the bed that will take you back into the living room.



You have now seen our entire apartment. We love it here! Thanks to everyone who helped us move, unpack, and for all those who provided all the decorations and other things that make a home a home! We are very grateful for all the support of wonderful friends and family!!

Wedding Day

Here are just a few pictures from our special day!

December, 30th 2010

On December, 30th 2010 I had the opportunity to marry my best friend in the Boise Idaho Temple. It was the perfect day. It was freezing and the wind was blowing but we were surrounded by loved ones and despite the freezing wind we were smiling and laughing in all our pictures. It was a very happy day. That day has already produced a whirlwind of other happy days. We spent a weekend in Sun Valley where Jesse mastered his skiing skills thanks to an amazing teacher. After I showed him up on the slopes he so kindly returned the favor in the ice skating rink. It was a really fun weekend and a great opportunity to laugh, learn, and grow with one another. Our fun was cut short as we returned to Rexburg to begin school and work again. It was hard to get into a routine while living out of boxes but we have since unpacked everything and have our routine down. Our tiny one bedroom apartment is starting to look and feel more like home. We are excited we have a place to call home, a place where we can be together. We have been truly blessed and are looking forward to the many wonderful experience we will continue to have together.