Life as of 03/31/2016

Well, I figure I should throw up an update on our lives too!
We just moved to Sandy. That's been really exciting. Everything happened so quickly that we both feel this is where we are supposed to be right now. Our apartment isn't very nice, but it's huge. 1400 sq feet of bliss. It's technically the basement of the house, but it's a walk out so none of it is really underground. The yard is 100% ours. They told us they don't want to use it so our dogs can pretty much roam free. It's been such a blessing.


Our landlords are straight out of India. Okay they speak English, but if you aren't staring at their mouths, you have no idea what they are saying. They cook a lot of Indian food too, so when we turn on the heat, we get a tiny curry scent. That's been fun.


Michael is still in school at Weber State. Actually we are being forced out of the Marine Corps. Since their isn't a war, they are downsizing the amount of people they have to pay. We have ben fiddling around with the idea of joining the Army & although it isn't our first branch of the military, they take care of families a lot better than the Corps does. Michael would do ROTC & become an officer through Weber State & then we would go active Duty after he finishes PA school. So as of right now, that's the tentative plan.


I'm still at MACU & still hating it. The only thing that keeps me sane is knowing that in 16 weeks & 5 days I'm done. I really want to do a huge mic drop quit, but let's be honest. I'll probably cry for no apparent reason. Oh good! I'm glad we brought up crying. It seems that's all I do anymore. That's been the most frustrating part of this pregnancy for me. I am so 100% grateful for it & you girls know that, but I have zero control over my emotions. Frank licks my foot & I cry. Michael tells me he loves me & I cry. A member looks at me wrong at work & I cry. It's been fun... Pretty much I'm super embarrassed by it.


I really miss you girls. Michael is gone 3 nights out of the week with school or his recovery meetings leaving me home alone until 9 which isn't too bad, but as I said before, it makes me cry haha


Michael has been doing so good! I had a little panic attack once I found out we were having a boy, but I then realized who better to teach Ezra about the dangers & how to respect a woman better than a man who has overcome this same struggle!? No one. I know I feel like I always bring this up, but I just have a huge testimony of the Atonement & it's truly healing power. Not only has it healed me, but Michael.


Anyway, I'm here.
I'm alive.
I'm really happy.
& now I'm crying.


:)


I love you all!


- W A G S

Random story...

It's crazy to realize where Heavenly Father will lead your life if you let him. Three years ago I never saw myself as anything but a nanny to my four sweet little girls. Who still to this day, if I talk about when I quit that job, I cry. I never wanted to work another job... I was exactly where I wanted to be.

But, that wasn't going to pay the bills.

So I applied different places and started working at the hell hole, Utah Powder Coatings. I didn't understand why I was lead to such a crappy job. Desk jobs always came easy to me, but it was weird that I actually liked doing the bookkeeping stuff. Especially after a life of failing math and HATING it. But as I said, it was crappy and abusive. So... I started looking for a new job.

After five months of searching for a new job and loosing myself in the process, I saw a listing for Timpanogos Harley-Davidson. I knew my Sister-in-law was the Accountant and she would be my manager so I thought it would be perfect. Well, most of you know how that turned out... ha ha. Way worse. Way, way, worse. But I loved the employees I worked with and I felt like I needed to stick it out. The General Manager and Owner take care of all thier employees and make everyone feel like they are really appreciated.

When I started this job, I was surprised at how easy it was for me to pick up. Must be all the Sudoku I do.. ha ha. Or my dad.. it's in my genes. Anyway, I was in charge of Accounts Payable for Harley-Davidson, and the very basic needs of Marley's restaurant in Lindon, and in Riverwoods. Things quickly picked up and I was getting the hang of it and I ended up doing the majority of Marley's. Work relationships were straining and I hated coming to work, but I loved what I did and I stuck it out.

This last summer I was asked by the Owner to completely take over both Marley's stores. To be the main Accountant. I was scared but they believed in me while others didn't, and tried everything possible to make sure "I wasn't in charge" because I was "temporary" and "inexperienced." Those next few months were terrible, backstabbing, low, and horrible. Not because I couldn't do what I was doing, but because I was being held back in every way possible by my manager and I wouldn't stand up for myself. It is hard to do.

Around Christmas, my manager decided it was time for her to quit and find a different job that would allow her to be home more. I expected those first few weeks when it was just me in charge of the accounting for Harley and both Marley's to be insane. But they were wonderful. I felt like I was flying and I realized I COULD do this stuff. It was amazing. A new manager, Chris, was hired after a few weeks and we work really well together. It's been better than expected. I used make myself sick over having to go to work before she left, but, I haven't complained about having to go to work since. Jacob will often have to ask how work was, rather than me complaining about how terrible my day was.

It's really crazy that I enjoy coming, because I have a lot more responsibility. I now do all of the accounting for Marley's Lindon, Marley's Catering, Marley's Riverwoods, the new restaurants they just opened, Good Thyme and Roll With It, a reception center called The Balcony, and they opened another one this week, Marley's Jr (where Sammy's used to be in Provo), all while helping out with Timp Harley.

I do the accounting for eight businesses now and I'm going to school, AND I LOVE it. (The raises haven't hurt either... ;) ha ha.)

I share this because, life can be so rough and so hard and if you focus on the blessings you aren't getting, you will miss out on the many many blessings that you are. Heavenly Father knows what he's doing and soon enough you will realize you are worth more than you ever thought possible.

Also, you should go try Good Thyme and Roll With It. They are right next to Los Hermanos on Center St in Provo. It is SO good and caters to everyone, gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, etc. And the ice cream is D-lish. I crave it all the time. I also get free food so that might have something to do with it. Ha ha.

Anyway, love you guys. Keep your chins up. Life is happy and all the great things.

books and movies and songs and all that jazz!

Hey girlies,

It looks like 2016 was a little hard on most-if-not-all of us. The other day I was driving with my mom and she was like "Ciarah, 2016 has been trying to literally murder you." And that is probably true.... it's been hard! BUT things have really been looking up lately! I think I had a Carly moment where I just decided I needed to do everything I could to make my relationship with myself and with my Heavenly Father better.

One of the biggest things we have been trying to do is find ways for me to control the obscene amounts of stress I've been feeling. So I have taken time out of every day to read, write in my journal, take pictures, weave (haha I'm no good but I'm learning and it is so fun), and get caught up on some tv shows (NEW GIRL IS SO GOOD!!! I JUST FINISHED EVERYTHING ON NETFLIX WITH TRAV AND WE ARE OBSESSED). Anything to get my mind off of....... everything else.

I thought I would share some of the good reads and things I've found lately. And hopefully we can use this as a place to share things that make us happy (like books and restaurants and songs and movies and things) so that we can come here for suggestions when we are in a slump.

BOOKS: 
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: everyone needs to read this book! It is the most beautifully written piece of work I have ever seen! And it's another one of those heart-tugging WWII stories so.... it's longer but I promise it is worth it!)

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: I just read this on Friday (took me one day) and I really loved it. It was a little odd (on purpose) but pretty thrilling and definitely a book written for a little younger age group but enjoyable nonetheless! I am trying to decide if the movie is something I will see in theaters or wait until I can watch it at home and hide under my covers when I want to.

Miss Mike by Benedict Freedmon: I have read this book once a year since the seventh grade. It is so good! Just. Read. It.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng: I figured since I was a little anxious and depressed anyway, I would read a story about a pretty anxious and depressed teenager. I don't think it helped my happiness project but it made me think about a lot of things and it made me so so grateful for the life that I have! And the gospel! So it's a deep, quicker read if you guys want to pick up a thought-provoking book.

(By the way, I own all of these so you can borrow them if you want!)

Other good books I've read lately include:
Family Pictures by Jane Green (loved),
The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown (loved! and it's a true story!),
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes (The movie is coming out and I was totally thrown off by the twist in the book that isn't really elluded to in the trailer but I really liked the book. It's a mushy romance that makes you happy, for the most part, and takes you away from life for awhile),
and I'm currently working on We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson, just because I'm on a creepy novel mystery kick after Peculiar Children.

***WHAT ARE OTHER GOOD BOOKS?? We are going on a cruise/spending a month in california this summer so I need some good reads!

TV SHOWS: 
Jane The Virgin: We just barely started this so maybe my recommendation comes too soon but it is so funny. Trav loves it because it's a hispanic family and it reminds him of his home/mission.

Hart of Dixie: I think the main girl is actually a terrible actress but I am obsessed with Lemon (Jamie King) and her outfits. It's got such a southern, small town feel that it takes me far away from all the worries in the whole world.

Parks and Rec: I balled for hours after we finished it. If you haven't given it a chance you need to but you have to get past the first season (and like the first half of the second season) before you can quite because it doesn't do the rest of it justice. And Trav bought me a mug that sits on my desk that says "Be the Leslie Knope of whatever you do" which is my new life motto

NEW GIRL: duh! I don't need to convince you.

***What else should we watch??

MOVIES:
Joy: It's a true story and has Jennifer Lawrence in it. It is a little weird so you need to be in a different mood but I really loved every minute of it.

About Time: We probably watch this every other weekend on vid angel (IF YOU DON'T HAVE VID ANGEL YOU NEED TO CHANGE THAT NOW!!!!) It is just too good!

The 33: Again, a true story and well told.

The Choice: every once in a while I am a sucker for a good old Nicolas Sparks movie, you know??

**We are always up for movie suggestions.

OTHER:
Two dots: this is our favorite game to play on our phones. Travis calls it the sickness game because when sickness hits and you spend large and long amounts of time on the loo... you play this game. Funny that he is so many levels ahead of me because i'm the one who is sick....

5 Star BBQ: definitely our favorite place to eat right now. I was put on a autoimmune diet so we can't go here at that moment but it will be the first place we go when I get the A-OK to eat normally again. So maybe let's have a party here that day!!!

Pocket Points: I know most of you are past the college thing or not currently doing it but we love pocket points. It gives you points for having your phone off while on campus and it is the greatest! We use it to get free food all the time. Again, we are saving them up while this diet is taking place but we still love it.

Sheinside.com: I'll probably never buy clothes anywhere else again... jk. But I really do love this website and how inexpensive it is. And most of the things I have ordered are actually free people or from anthropologie originally but I haven't paid over $12 for anything so far. The quality isn't the greatest, depending on the article of clothing, but I haven't had anything fall apart on me yet or wash weird although I have heard some people have. I am just really careful.

Peanut Butter: Recent studies show that losing the ability to smell peanut butter could be the earliest sign of getting Alzheimer's disease. So everyone test their parents and grandparents and spacey spouses and things! (JUST KIDDING!! I just thought it was interesting, we are definitely looking into the studies and trying to figure out if this is coincidence of correlation, but I just had to throw something related to my grueling program out there for you!)

LOVE YOU ALL! PLEASE SHARE THE THINGS YOU LOVE AND LIKE AND WANT US ALL TO KNOW ABOUT AS WELL!!

-Ciarah

a post from car

hey guys! I'm way stoked about this blog. okay I'm gonna be straight up with you guys. life has kind of been nutz o buttz o for me. a lot of insane family changes. all of my siblings are going through tough situations and I swear it's just a non stop sob fest to pep talk fest over here. so my depression and anxiety has been at an all time high. plus it's been difficult watching all of you guys progress in some major ways (ex. marriage, careers, families etc) *DISCLAIMER: i can't even put into words how happy and proud I am of all of you and in no way am I trying to be a sob story I swear. But this blog is to update on the big and small events in our lives and this feels pretty major*

ANYWAY. I've been feeling stuck. in every way possible. I've been so focused on my family that I stopped taking care of myself. in all ways. health, spirituality and my mental health. literally all I would do is work, come home, sleep, wake up and cry hahaha like so rough. so one day I woke up and I said enough is enough. I said a pray and in it I received "make sacrifices and be obedient" so I took out my double piercings, downloaded my scripture app and bought a gym pass. making time for me and for the lord has made me happier than I've been in a long long time. of course my family is still suffering so I have hard days as well. but I know we all have hard hard days. but our hard days are a blessing from Heavenly Father. if we did not struggle and feel pain we would forget to praise the good days. the good days would blend together and become forgettable. I hope I'm making sense.

I guess what I'm saying is breathe through the hard days sisters. for a new and great day is coming. LOVE YOU ALL

-Carls

Lately

Spontaneous trips are the best!

Sometimes you just need to get away, even if just for a day. Luckily we were able to tag along with Jacob's family to Florida for a week. It was a blast. Can I get an "AMEN" for tax returns?!

We went to Universal Studio's for two days, which of course meant Harry Potter world. Butter beer IS all it's cracked up to be. Don't worry, i'm officially on the fifth book... I'll get there... someday...

Then we went to Disney World for two days and the beach for one.

We've been so caught up in school, work, our calling, and doctors appointments that we've kind of forgotten how to relax and have fun. It was such a needed trip and I'm so glad we were able to go - and get away from the icky inversion.

 Now it's back to the old grind. BOO.... but, hey, it is officially birthday month!  
Hopefully that means happy days are ahead.

But if not, I've learned that it's okay to not be okay.