On my own

Things are up in the air again. I guess I really don't know what I want... I talked to three different people last night saying how both Al and I really need to figure out what we're doing with our lives before we try to start a family, which I totally agree with! I need him to show me that he's responsible and is working towards being able to take care of us in the near future... this means having and holding a job, and getting on with his school. I'm debating again whether to stay here and go to school for one more semester... I could keep my job, get another semester out of the way, not have to travel back for my brother's wedding in October... I'm just not sure if being here is helping or really hurting Al to get his stuff in order. We just want to spend all of our time together, so neither of us are really focusing on what we need to... I really just wish I could see even 8 months into the future and the outcome of all of this... I was talking to Al's friend yesterday who got home from a 2 year mission in Taiwan... he's just so mature and focused and I know that Al going on a mission would really help him, and I would totally wait for him... but he's apparently against that idea now. He would get to go to Norway! I think that's just an opportunity that should be hard to pass up.

I truly don't know anymore...

I can't talk to my parents because they're against the idea of us getting married so young... well for him... I can't talk to his parents because they just want to keep me and it doesn't matter if he stays or goes... anybody in the church just seems like they'd be biased and pushing for him to go on a mission... I guess it's just all up to me to decide what's best for me and I really am lost... I guess basically I have to make my choice, whatever it is and go with it and see where it gets me... I may (hopefully) be that happiest girl I know, married to an amazing guy I love, living out our dreams together... I may be a young girl in love but struggling to make it through life being so naive when we got married... if I wait too long though I may end up losing him...

I think ideally we should wait another year to get married, but it's so hard being apart from him. We work so much better when we're together and working on/towards the same thing...

Too bad I don't think I have any 3rd party un-biased readers to offer advice... like I said, on my own...

Another day, Another dollar

Al is so cute! He's been trying hard to find a job, but hasn't been successful. So last night he created and printed up 50 flyers saying he only had 3 weeks left to buy me a ring and asking to people to hire him to mow their lawn and do yardwork. He stapled rubberbands on them and delivered them to people's doors at 11 last night!! I told him that he was crazy for doing it so late, but he said he wanted people to see them first thing this morning when they walked out. Sure enough, he got put to work for two different people. One this morning and one this afternoon. The guy from the morning is a landscaper and asked Al if he wanted to help him out with this new project he's working on. He said it wouldn't pay as much as him doing it on his own, but he would hire him for a few hours a day the next two days probably. He's now $40 closer to getting my ring :)

Things are going great with Lenny and Einstein (the puppies). they're back to their usual constant wrestling and Lenny's back jumping on tables and countertops. I've never seen a dog that could jump the way he does.

Just studying for my Anatomy quiz this evening and hopefully going to bed early! NO SCHOOL/WORK TOMORROW!!! bad side is I won't make $80, but at least I'll hopefully get the much deserved rest that I need.

Time to learn about the heart and major arteries. WOOHOO!!! :P

Past Events

A few things from the past that I wanted to remember....



Al and I went to a fair on the 4th of July with his friend Ben and his girlfriend Rebecka. We got these bracelets that are made of like string. Al got one that said A.N.J. EVR and mine says C.A.S. 4 it's supposed to be for when we put them together it's like CAS ANJ 4 EVR. Cute idea!! What's even cuter with mine being CAS 4... Al told me he wants to name our son after him so he would be Charles Aldrich Strange the 4th... so I told Al today that I wanna save my bracelet for our son to wear :) It would be so perfect!!





Another thing... our puppies!!! Al and I adopted this poodle/shihtzu mix named Albert Einstein. He's so cute and was going to get euthanized if he didn't have a home in a few days from when we first saw him, so we fostered him at first and ended up adopting him!!! And what a little model he is! ;)



we also fostered this Bichon Frise named Frosty... we ended up getting him adopted out to this super cute family with 3 kids. They've had him for about a month, but we're watching him again this week cause they went out of town and didn't want to kennel him. Al says he's his dog and that he doesn't wanna give him back.


They're both so cute and funny!!!! :)

We also have two Rex Rabbits. Their names are Creme and Cookies. They're like plush soft and it's funny to watch them run around when we let them out of their cages!! They're tiny bunnies in the picture. It's from when we first got them at about 5 weeks old, but now they're full grown and much larger. But still cute!! :)







I think as of now I've decided that I'm going back to Texas for fall. I'm not doing well in classes here and feel like I'm just wasting money. Plus I just need to regroup and save money before I move on with the next big part of my life!



We found the ring that I love! it even goes along with my anniversary band so well that I'll probably turn it into the wedding band. Everything seems to be going great except that he needs a job, and we both need money!! I need to buy the Mazda from my parents and pay for a wedding!!!!



Chris is thinking of getting married in October which is super crazy!!! But I'm happy for him. Tiffany seems super cute :)

I'll post another one tomorrow probably about other things Al and I have been up to this summer. So much to catch up on :)

Best Boyfriend EVER!!

Ahh!

Yesterday was a nice refresher of how amazing Al is!!

I got home from church and was surprised with him standing there with a picnic basket and a blanket ready to take me on a picnic. He took me to Bicentennial Park. It's beautiful there!! He had made us PB&J sandwiches (just how I like it) with a huge bag of crunchy cheetos and a big jug of cold milk. (one of my FAVORITE meals ever!!) Then he topped it off with oreo cookies for dessert and was taking pictures of me the whole time telling me how beautiful I looked. Then he pulled out a baseball bat and a glove and he pitched me softballs and encouraged me through my attempts at hitting them. Then we took this super romantic walk through the wetlands there along this cute trail and he got some super cool pictures of bugs and leafs. He's a great photographer. After our walk we just sat on the blanket enjoying the warm sunshine. It was a wonderful afternoon!!

Sad thing, though, when we got back to his house, I got off the scooter and was helping him unstrap the basket and scortched my knee on the pipe. I spent the rest of the afternoon with cold water and a bag of ice on my knee. It would not stop burning!!! :( I even put on some aloe and nothing helped.

I woke up this morning though and didn't even notice it. So I'm glad it's finally getting better. Just have a nickle-sized blister... :)

Still going through the Pros and Cons of staying here or moving home... too hard to choose.

Pictures to come soon!!!

Think About It...

What would happen if we treated our Book of Mormon like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our pockets or backpacks?
What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped it open several times a day?
What if we spent an hour or more using it everyday?
What if we used it consistently to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we searched for new applications?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?

What WOULD happen if we treated our Book of Mormon like we treat our cell phone?

After reading this I haven't been able to get it off my mind. What is simple analogy with a powerful message. How different our lives would be if we only did treat our Book of Mormon differently.

How do you treat your Book of Mormon?
Think about it.

Starting Up Again

So... It's been a while since I updated anything... and with so many things happening, I thought it might be fun to keep track of it all :)

I've been going to BYU since Spring 2010, and am taking Human Anatomy this semester. Hardest class I've EVER had!!! :(

Rachel Hornibrook got engaged and her wedding is October 9th in the Portland Temple!!!

Just trying to keep up with it and decide what I'm going to do this Fall.

Move back to Texas: Save money on rent and school, quick pharmacy tech license, work and go to school towards nursing... be home with my family.

Stay at BYU: stay with Al, experience a "real" semester, not have to travel back for Chris wedding, keep job at BYU, Fashion ReMix for work, Lion King on Broadway...

I'm actually having a really hard time deciding what to do!!

Other than that, I'm loving life with Al. We really have a great time together!!! He makes me laugh all the time, takes such good care of me... all I wanna do during the day is spend time with him!!!! He's such an amazing boyfriend and whichever location I end up in, I just hope I can be with him! I wanna spend the rest of my life with him and we just need to get things in order before that can happen.

**'Tis the season to get engaged... tra la la la laaaa la la la la!!**