Houston

First, everyone who is near a Publix please go RUN and get yourself one of their $5 tulip bouquets. They seriously have brought so much light into our life during this dark and dreary finals week and end of the first quarter for SJ's job. 

Speaking of finals, Shaun was laughing at me the other night because I was camped out in the hallway for hours studying with a bag of potato chips. For being the germ-freak that I am, surprisingly the hallway rug was the most comfortable place to study that day.

But soon I will be completely done with school and will be headed to Utah for my favorite little brother's high school graduation AND mission farewell a week or so later! Yep that's right, I had no idea his papers were even in. I have been hounding him for a year now and was told he finally decided on doing a semester at BYU-I first. Last week Shaun was on FaceTime with him and came in saying he had something to tell me. AND WAH-LAH! He was opening his mission call. Everyone knew, including my husband! My family loves to surprise me for some reason. It's fun...kind of.

Mark Andrew is headed to Houston, TX on June 3rd! Which is pretty hilarious because my older brother and his wife live there. Why couldn't it be the Ft Lauderdale mission?! :) 

So proud of my brother. He has been a spiritual giant in my life.

And speaking of high school graduation, 

I decided to go rummaging in the archives and find some grad pics. 

Class of '08 and '02 

Yep we've done the math and we've heard it all:

"When Shaun graduated high school he had his eye on the 12 year olds.."

"Oh this song brings me back to my junior high days"

"Hmm, don't know if I would have listened to this at age 8"

It makes life fun!

one fine day

Shaun went out of town last night (just for a day) 

and I have come to some conclusions while he's been gone:
(yep, just one day and all these conclusions)

||i am boring||

||shaun truly entertains me 99% of the time||

||i am a talker (it's taken a lot not to talk to myself)||

||it would be completely miserable to live alone||

||if you do a school assignment before it's due, you have a whole day hw free!||

(i of course knew that one, it's just been a while since high school...)

||the stepford wives is a weird movie||

||i like Shaun's side of the bed better. Which actually used to be my side.

but he somehow won that side when we got married||

||there are no good chinese take out places in this area||

||i swear by annie sloan chalk paint. it's so easy. i

 can't wait to post about my kitchen table makeover that's in process||

||i had too much time to look at pictures from christmas break

of my delicious niece and nephew who are now ten times bigger||

hodgepodge posting

Some things to note on the blog this week. These two sister missionaries stole our hearts the past few months, learning so much about their lives and testimonies. We love "breaking bread" with the missionaries. In light of their final countdown -before transfers- we decided to start putting a {very appropriate/rule abiding} theme to our dinners (missionaries have to find entertainment in the little things..) These included a fiesta, Valentine's supper, talking in accents, breakfast for dinner--stuffed animals included, & finally a dinner dressed in black, mourning the loss of these two girlies 

OR our new album cover either works...

My mind was blown when I began to make fun of Shaun when he was drying his fingers on this vent thing. In all my years of bowling |what am I saying?! I am a germ freak. That ain't many years| I had no idea that that was used for the sweaty handed! I was also notified that it can be used to take wind-in-the-hair-model-shots but there's definitely a learning curve. Side note: I am going to cry my eyes out when the Bloom's move. Who will play strategic board games with us?!

In light of one of my favorite holiday's based on a cuteness level (ha!), let's talk about V-day stuff for a minute. I have these three shelves by my TV that I can never get decorated right. So I decided that it's going to be my "holiday spirit shelves." I dress it up with each holiday. Also we made Cupid Floats the other night which were adorable. Vanilla ice-cream and cherry 7up. It is also delicious with chocolate ice cream. It took me a while to eat it because I just thought it looked too cute! 

We had a Daddy/Daughter date night this week in our ward. I was practically bawling |okay not really| in the corner watching all the cute little girls feeling so important and giddy on a date dressed up with their Daddy. Made me miss mine. And I also was swooooning over these centerpieces. 

 And to top it all off, I got to spend the early early morning at the temple with these amazing youth.

Lexi LOVES LOVES being in my pictures!!

oh them thoughts.

I just had an avocado sandwich. It was delicious. I always thought avocados were called "guacamole" up until about 3 years ago. Awkward.

Being laundry lady I have found out that I am washing pretty much the same outfits every time so I am seriously concerned why my closet is jammed pack full of clothes that I don't wear. So I decided to go through them to clear out a lot of clothes. And I found myself saying "no I would wear that for this occasion" or "I could probably wear that around the house." The sad thing is, if Shaun would just go and chuck everything, I probably wouldn't realize it was missing. So why can't I throw it away?

Why is everybody cutting their hair so short? (sorry Brit, I know you love it). I guess it's the new thing these days. I just don't like it. Rihanna, Kellie Pickler, Alicia Keys...You have your agency. People will still worship you if you buzz your head. I guess it looks like some people agree with me :

Mom's are probably so strong. I babysat my friends cute twins a few days ago while she was out of town. They are 2 years old. One was sick so I was basically holding him the whole day. One time I even had one in each arm. The next morning I woke up and I could not believe how much my arms and back was burning. Even just standing killed my back. Yes, this may be because my usual exercise consists of only taking the laundry up and down the stairs but it was brutal. And I still think Mothers are strong. 

A month or two ago I found a stink bug in a pile of my shirts and freaked out. So it was my motivation to keep stuff off my bedroom floor. I think that lasted about 2 weeks. I'll let you know how many stink bugs I find today (hey, at least they aren't roaches). 

I am thinking that my church leaders probably loved me because I loved going and partcipating in every activity. What happened? Why is it looked at as a chore or something that the parents make the youth go to? I guess all I can do is make it enjoyable so the youth leave saying "okay, that wasn't a complete waste of time.."

I had a thought yesterday how great it is that men just get up early for work and work everyday (some women too). But I was just thinking as I was watching Shaun get up for work and I just rolled over back to bed--how thankful I am! Working husbands could easily boycott. I love that they don't.

Shaun sang in church on Sunday. I basically cried the whole time. My husband is so talented, I'm so grateful that he sacrificed a lot of his venues where he shares those talents to move to GA so that we could have better opportunities and a better life. He has tried hard to make it happen out here and do what he loves but it's just not the same outside of Utah. There is just something about the people there that are so talented, meaning that they work for their laughs. They don't resort to crude nasty humor to get some laugh like they do out here. I hope he can find a way to do what he loves wherever we end up. I love seeing how happy that part of his life makes him. And I'm grateful to be his #1 fan!

I don't know how to make the main picture of my blog SHRINK. 

It's bugging me!

bad.

Leather Ladies

The other day I lost my eye mask that I sleep with (yes I sleep with an eye mask. The sun decides to say hi in the earliesssst of hours so it's a must). I was trying to explain to Shaun that I needed to find it because it is now a security thing in order to sleep. He laughed at me saying that I have only had it for 2 weeks. I argued saying it was at least a month. Then he said the words that hit me so hard that I didn't even know it hit me...until the now. 

"we have only been out here in GA for a month"

No way. At least 2!  right??

I can't believe it has been only 1 month because of how hard I'm missing people. But I guess at the same time it has gone fast (by the look of my apartment that isn't even all the way moved into yet).

I am learning more about the Georgia scene though, such as:

-never shower until you are completely done going outside for the day. Even just a walk down to the main office requires one. HUMIDITY IS MY ENEMY

-have your 2 quarters ready to pay at the toll if you are going into atlanta

-from the people I have talked to, at least in the area that I am at, non-members don't hate the Church. You are just another believer that believes kind of along the same lines as them. So very open to talk about christianity, even at the pool. I like it that way. 

-back to the sun, it hits you hard here (ash, no wonder you were always black). There are always the same 2 older women at the pool that I call "the leathered ladies." Their black skin might come off soon. 

-i have a new love for ceiling fans.

-when it rains, it pours. therefore do not drive in it.

-i understand country music a lot more being down here. (funny, but true)

-GREEN is (or should be) the state color. 

-FIREFLIES ARE REAL! 

stay tuned for more obvious Georgia findings.

ps, we are in Stone MT this week for one of Shaun's trainings.

It is fun going on a little vacation that's free!

at the end of the day, I know this is where we are supposed to be. . 

even if it has only been ONE MONTH

Monsoon & BBQ sauce.

I am almost done with painting my frames which is the most exciting lately. I need to go choose the pictures now and hang them up to brighten our dull living room.

I think I should be a hunter. My hearing is incredible! All night I can hear the fan make a ticking noise and we even sleep with white noise to block out the sounds. Well that means that I have to go turn off the fan so I can go to sleep. Oh whoops, that means SJ wakes up an hour later of heat and turns it back on. I will never get used to sleeping here.

On the road to eating healthier, when I asked Shaun to go pick out a cereal he came back with real granola. Not the sugar downed type. I was shocked that he would try it. Just had a lovely bowl and it was delicious! Too bad eating healthy doesn't consist of only eating 100% granola.

One day I will be a cook like a real wife and Mom. The common phrase in our house that Shaun says is "you'll learn." I would be punching him in the face if it weren't for the giant stupid mistakes that I am making. *note to self: check that you have BBQ sauce before you cook the chicken and shred it up like you are making BBQ sandwiches. Also, even if the package says "high heat" that doesn't mean for you to put your stove on the highest notch and walk away.

Well all of a sudden flights around Christmas sky rocketed. I hate playing flight lottery.

EFY playlist played today on my iTunes-shuffle. I had a strange feeling come over me like..I could possibly be..over it? (scary thought)

We decided to join the southerns and attend a Rascal Flatts concert while we are here.

October will probably be the highlight of the year. Disneyland with the Johnson's, holding Clark, and an Elder Johnson making his way out of here.

Did we have people "house-sit" our houses back in UT? I couldn't remember. I think that rarely happened but here it's almost a must. Dorothy we're not in Kansas.

Last night in Walmart you could hear a horrifying rumbling sound get louder and louder. I was on the verge of ducking behind my cart when I look around seeing nobody react. I couldn't believe it, it was just a monsoon POUNDING on the roof of Walmart. It gets a little out of control when the highest level of your windshield wipers can't even push away the water fast enough for you to see.

outside the bubble?

I, Nicole Erin, have lived a sheltered life. But I'm grateful for that life. I think although it makes branching out and moving across country a terrifying experience, it is more fulfilling to people like me. 
Yes, I have utterly enjoyed: 
-knowing my whole neighborhood because I see them that Sunday at church. 
-being familiar with the town or even the state of Utah like the back of my hand. 
-feeling safe to go anywhere by myself {although duh, I know things happen everywhere}.
-walking across the street to church and having a church building on every literal corner {i will admit, i thought that was almost embarrassing as a teenager}.
-having my family and close friends all at my fingertips.
-familiar faces at my University. 
-having a small town grocery store seconds away
-seeing at least 3 temples in sight.

I lived in a bubble.

It sounds funny but it is strange to think that there is a world outside of it. There are places where people would laugh at the way I used to live because that does not exist where they live. I am grateful for my bubble. But I am more grateful for my husband that took me out of it temporarily to experience something new. 

It is scary and will take some getting used to but for the 5 days I have been here, {ha} 
I have utterly enjoyed:
-not knowing a soul.
-seeing a new face everywhere I go.
-not knowing where I am even if I was just a street away from my apartment.
-that feeling of uncertainty even taking the laundry downstairs wondering if I am safe. {disclaimer: I live in one of the safest communities in GA. Probably just the Law & Order talking. I have got to stop watching that}
-driving 20 minutes to church.
-skyping the friends I left behind and wondering who the new ones will be.
-making a trip out of going to the temple.

Here is to new things. New experiences to still keep my bubble, but maybe widen it a tad. 

Now if only I can figure out how people are even wearing the clothes on their backs! 

Humidity + a literal 106 degrees = I'm too hot to even think of what that could equal.