Jimmie & Katie's Wedding

So I haven't posted in forever cause nothing was happening, then all of the sudden an overload! So I have to much blog about. I'm going to do a post a day in hopes to catch up.



Justen's younger brother Jimmie got married yesterday to his long time sweetheart Katie. It was a really special day, from the incredible weather to the amazing reception it was great. My mother-in-law did a fantastic job at coordinating the reception and my father-in-law did a great job at making it happen. They both worked so hard and it turned out fantastic! These are just a few pictures from their darling reception.

Quick Fix

Justen and I have been so busy with school and work for the past 2 months that we've had hardly any time to spend together. Justen wanted to go check out a hospital in California... looking ahead for residency, and we decided to make a trip out of it. On Thursday we drove over to California in the evening and Friday we slept in! We went down to Laguna Beach on Friday morning. A little well-kept secret I found out: Montage Resort is right on the beach and has a beautiful sidewalk right along the beach. Absolutely gorgeous!





Friday afternoon Justen went to visit the hospital and I went to do a session at the Redlands Temple. As soon as Justen got to the ER they immediately put him to work. He was shadowing an ER doctor and they found Justen to be very useful. I think they wanted to hire him on the spot and he's only in his 1st year.

Friday night we went to Downtown Disney and ate dinner and hung out. It was nice to get out and just spend some time together. On Saturday we went driving around the area. We sort of adopted the motto, "Where ever the wind blows". We went down the Santiago Canyon, Orange Circle, Hollywood, Woodland Hills, Beverly Hills, Burbank. I can't count the number of cities we where in, but we had a great time. We definitely enjoyed a break from the norm! It was our perfect fix!
Downtown Disney

Hollywood!

Science Center & Soni's Wedding

A lot has happened in the past month. As a sixth grade we took a field trip to the Science Center on February 9th. All the kids had a blast exploring and utilizing the fun exhibits. From "The Forces of Nature" exhibit where we got a little wet, to moving a ball with your brain, the kids had a great time. We also got to watch "Sharks in 3-D". I love it when students get to explore "hands on" activities because it makes learning so much more meaningful.


Teachers being silly. Because we can!

Last weekend my Mom and Kyle were married. It was a lovely ceremony and a fun little party afterwards. From the excellent weather, to the delicious food, to the dancing, it was a ball. My mom looked beautiful and happy. I wish the best of luck to Kyle and Soni as the begin their new life together. I forgot my camera in my purse, but managed to get a few pictures of all the kids and Justen and I.

Fiesta Bowl

Yesterday Justen and I went to Fiesta Bowl at the Phx Stadium here in Glendale with some friends. We definitely aren't TCU or Boise State Fans, but the tickets were cheap and it's football so we decided to go. We were way up high, like the last row, but it was fine by me. The area where we seat was mainly isolated by TCU fans who were very nice. The game was great except for some stupid Boise State fans. From the beginning of the first quarter they held up this display board high above their heads continuously. Not poster board, but I huge science display board. It made it difficult to see. This sweet older lady behind them asked them politely if they could hold the sign down and they totally were rude to her. I was mad! It's completely disrespectful to talk to someone they way they did to her, and especially cause she's their elder. Justen finally called the S.A.F.E. security people and they came and took the sign away. The boys started arguing with the security men and they took 2 of them away. That's what happens when you choose to be punk college kids. The rest of the game was pleasant. I still wish I would have seen TCU show up for the game. I was waiting the whole time... I guess the Mountain West Conference will still have to wait to ever getting the Championships. Oh well...
Justen and Courtney
Justen with Derek and Trevor

Why Justen is insistent about taking pictures of me, I don't know!

Our Fabulous Christmas!

Since we're both in "education" Justen and I have 2 weeks off here for Christmas Break and it's been fabulous! You can totally tell that we normally are crazy busy, cause we've done absolutely nothing for 2 weeks! We've been lounging in our PJ's playing video games, ordering take-out, and playing games! Haha.... It's awesome... partly cause we know what lies ahead (lots of stress and work). Besides being lazy we've have lots of fun with our families.

We went to Vegas right before Christmas to visit my sister and her husband. We were there only for a short time, but it was nice to catch up and see each other. I also got to see my friend and her sweet new baby.

Christmas was crazy, but we bounced from house to house and enjoyed lots of fun with our families. Thanks everyone for creating wonderful memories!

We are extremely grateful for this Christmas Season and the peace we feel from knowing that our Savior lives and loves us. We have so much to be thankful for! May we all have the spirit of Christ in our hearts this next year! We wish everyone a wonderful New Year in 2010!

White Coat Ceremony

I feel really bad because its been a few weeks since Justen's White Coat Ceremony, but better late than never. On October 9th Justen received his White Coat. This symbolizes Justen taking his first step as a doctor. They even call the students, "Student Doctor" to establish that professionalism right away. Me, Justen's parents, Aunt Kris, and Grandma were all able to be there for the recognition. We are all so proud of Justen and the HUGE task he's undertaking. Next week he takes his 1st semester finals! Wish him luck!

Life as We Currently Know It

Honestly not much and so much has been happening. Time truly is flying by us so fast. Our days are pretty much routine. Justen is now in full force. School occupies much of his time, but he is doing well and is a wealth of knowledge! He constantly is telling about some process that occurs in the body and I try to keep up with his brilliance! As for me, my days are spent at the school. On average I pull 10 hour days at school and then come home and grade papers. I've recently realized that teaching isn't just a job, it's a lifestyle. I literally live teaching. That's about all I do.

My dad took his kids to NYC over the Labor Day weekend and we had a blast! It was so neat to spend time with my siblings and father while exploring New York! Over the course of 5 days we covered so much and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city. I can't say i'd enjoy living there, but I loved visiting. Hopefully one day Justen and I could make it back together! Here are a few snapshots of our trip!

Inside the Empire State Building

A view from the top of the Empire State Building

Times Square

The M&M Store

We saw 9 to 5 on Broadway while there. It was a really funny musical!

U.S. Open! We got to see Oudin beat Sharapova and Ivers beat Roddick and James Blake's match.

Statue of Liberty!