Actual date this was written: September 14, 2010

Sam and I are trying to save money. We have been since we've been married. Not like save up for anything, just try not to spend too much since we're poor.

It's become a new interest for me, finding deals in food so we get to save more money. It's almost a hobby: I love it when we can find things on sale, in bulk or ways to make things from scratch that are WAY cheaper than what we would have spent buying it at the store.
One good example: guacamole. I have a passion for guacamole, and we always make it ourselves. Yum!
One bad example: Tortilla chips. The first time they weren't so bad, but the second time was a nasty fattening disaster.
Some things to make from scratch are more adventurous than others; anyone could agree. But I thought bread was a common thing to make at home rather than buy it at the store, so thought I'd give it a go.

Never again!

Attempt one: I started with a simple recipe I'd found online. "Amish White Bread." Where can you go wrong? I like following recipes-it's very easy to do correctly. But I pour the stinky, brown yeast into the water and...nothing happens. ? What? I stir and stir, but to no avail. I finally check the expiration date on my yeast, and find that it should have been used up four years ago. Yikes! (It's pretty funny considering I got that yeast as a bridal shower/wedding present...in December 2009, already three years past it's expiration date.) I laugh, and think 'no biggie, I'll grab some good yeast next time I go shopping.'




Attempt two: I got the new yeast at the store, and went back for another shot at it. I get to the same road-block, expecting to this time coast past it, and...fail! The yeast still would not activate! Whaa??? I'm kind of frustrated now, thinking "Seriously? This is ridiculous." But I calm down, and think for a moment...and realize the water probably wasn't the right temperature! I smile, relax, and go waste my time facebooking for the next hour.

Attempt three: This time I could almost taste the success. Bread. Successfully made bread. I heat up the water to the perfect temperature, measure the exactly correct amount of brand new yeast, and...that stupid mass in the bowl will only turn into a thick brown paste! It will not rise to save it's life!

I toss my hands into the air, grab a carton of ice cream, and sulk on the couch.

Good thing my husband is more resourceful than I am. He called his mom, who after a few other suggestions tells us we could pour in sugar and that might help.
Annnnndddddddd.....................

It finally worked! Yayyyy!
The only final problem was that we didn't have two pans to bake them in, so Sam spread them out on a cookie sheet and made 'french' bread instead. And it tastes great! I have such a talented husband. :)

But I still hate yeast. urg.

Actual date this was written: September 12, 2010

Well, Sam and I are now two weeks into our first full semester at BYU. And good gravy, it is way harder than BYU-Idaho. Maybe that's partly because I'm taking 16 credits and working (though only working like 7 1/2 hours each week). I've never taken that many before so it's rather challenging.


Sam had a really hard schedule too, and he was working almost 20 hours per week at the same time. That's not easy! He was really un-happy and stressed all the time, so I talked him into dropping his physics class for now (which was just a repeat anyway) and taking a D&C class instead. I'm so glad he did! I think it's working out a lot better.


We're currently trying to decide what career path my Samuel Don should take. He's planning on continuing to take Pre-Optometry classes as well as his Linguistics courses, for the rest of his stay here at BYU. But for one thing I'm not sure if they'll let him, considering he's only starting the major now and already has 90+ credits, and for another...as he put it, Optometry, along with a lot of other careers, is only like an 8 on the scale of 1-10, 10 being what you're most passionate about. He doesn't really care about it all that much, but he likes that the hours are consistent and often you can set them yourself (if you own your own...practice? business? whatever it's called).


What I think would be perfect was if he could actually find a career that was sticking with Linguistics. I think he has a passion for languages, and would enjoy that immensely.


We have also talked about him being a helicopter pilot. His parents his stared at him when he said that, almost like he was joking, but they said they were supportive and I'm sure they would be if he did indeed decide to pursue it seriously.


I too have no idea what I'm going to use my major, Psychology for, since the more I think about it the less I want a job in the field. But who cares, I'll figure it out.


We had kind of an interesting discussion on Friday about Utah Valley. We went to the wedding reception of a childhood neighbor/friend of mine, and there were all these other young people there, wearing the latest trends and with the hottest hairstyles. On the car ride home, Sam kind of explained that people like that make him feel bad. Not bad about himself, or bad in a guilty way because he's judging them. Bad because they aren't living the way the Lord wants us to. The best way I could understand was thinking in terms of like 'Sunday Mormons.' I think he was suggesting there are a lot of people he sees constantly in Provo who seem to fit this. Who have their hearts set on the things of the world, on wearing the most expensive clothes and having the most money and the best smile.


It was kind of sad for me to think about, because it's true, I see people like that all the time. And it's frustrating for those of us who try not to be that way: they give us a bad wrap. Both as Mormons to non-members, and as 'Utah Mormons' to members who don't live in the state.


But I guess it's also an opportunity for Sam and I, and that's how I've been trying to see it. First, to resist looking down on people like this. It can be easy to do. Self-righteousness is easy to fall into-hello, it's pride. Look at the Book of Mormon and you can count how frequently the people became prideful.
And second, to set an example. To love everyone, and dress and act in a way the Lord would approve of. To focus on what counts, and try to ignore what doesn't.


I think that's enough for the day. Happy sabbath -Ariel

Actual date this was written: September 5, 2010

Well, we started school this week. We're running with the big dogs now at BYU! When I was in high school this seemed to be the easy, not-challenging-yourself school for all the smart kids in my classes. But having spent the past two years up at BYU-Idaho, I felt pretty intimidated to start.
Now I'm more just excited. It is going to be harder, but I think both Sam and I are plenty smart enough to be attending here. In fact, I felt pretty good about myself when I explained this question we had to answer in my new anthropology class to all my classmates since nobody understood it. Is that vain? Probably, but I liked it anyway.
We've been living in our new place for almost a month now, and we both really think it's great. We were stupid, though: we thought there was no swamp cooler or air conditioning, so just suffered through a few nights until my parents lent us a fan. But this past week we discovered a swamp cooler: surprise!
I've decided I need to set a goal to re-connect with all the many friends I've lost contact with, since being married. I only have because I'm selfish: my own needs were being satisfied, so I stopped seeing if I could keep being a friend. Lame. So even though I stink at being a friend, I'm hoping I can have lunch with a few girls from high school and maybe some people from BYU-I who moved down here as well, just one at a time and catch up. Then STAY caught up. Goal.
It's kind of fun that all of Sam's friends have been getting married this year. Now we can double with more people! That's another goal: to make friends as a couple. Normally we're just anti-social and do our own thing.
Changing the subject: I finished the Book of Mormon for the first time this past week. It was really a neat experience. I'm so glad now BYU and BYU-Idaho require you take the Book of Mormon class, because it got me to read! Yay! I learned a lot, and my testimony of the Book of Mormon was just re-confirmed. It was pretty cool: it wasn't like I heard a voice whispering "this is true" or anything. It was more just as it got closer to the end, I had the feeling, "you've known all along this is true. Because it is. Simple as that."
That's it for tonight, just felt like writing. tata-Ariel

...Three months later!

Ok! So lots has changed since the last one.

First: that's the only picture pretty much we've taken since April, so I decided to include it. Sometimes I tuck in my shirt now to look older. At least that's the goal. :) this was me trying to growl, but I ended up laughing. Slightly reminds

me of the bad guy in the Dark Knight, what's his face?

Joker? Because his face looked smiley but he was evil.

Anyway...

I'm not sure if I'm going to major in Psychology anymore, just because I got to thinking how much school we have ahead of us for Sam. I enjoy learning about Psychology but can't really do much with it, so I've actually been considering going into nursing. This would provide me with a job that permits people to still have families, and could help support us in the many school years ahead. But can I do it!!! I guess we'll have to wait and see. I don't have a very strong stomach,

but I've read you can get over that. And I've had a lot of different people/sources tell me I would make a good nurse...we'll see if I try to prove them right, or stick with Psychology at BYU (nursing would mean transferring to UVU or Provo College).

Sam, in the mean time, is a Linguistics major for now but may switch to Speech/Language Pathology. And after undergrad, he may try to get further degrees in Speech/Language Pathology, or go to optometry school. Again...time will tell!

As I said last time, I'm grateful to have a job. But I'm kind of at my wits end with it. I k

ind of clash with one of my supervisors, and there's so much to do all the time we've been behind since I started. I hate that there is so much room for human error: it's not just one process you have to memorize, details and all, its like twelve. With ten details each. Of course I mess up!

I may leave before school starts, my main excuse being my whole "ADD-does-not-go-well-with-too-much-to-do, no-time-to-do-it". Thing. Particularly if I try to pursue this nursing option, which would require lots of science classes. Which have never been my cup o' tea.

But how will we save up for a new car and pay the rent if I have to do this! hmm...well we'll see.

As to our car, it's driving us crazy. (oh man, that was a good one. Not even on purpose.

:D) Since we have been married, it has broken down once every month with a significant repair required to get it functioning proficiently again. arg...oh well, Murphy (its name) is a stud, and if it can just last another year I think we'll have other options we can take then.

Our housing situation: we found a place! This will be our third time moving in eight months of marriage. Woo-ee! But I think we'll be here to stay, at least for a year.

It was kind of a crazy situation, how I found it. Being a worry wart, I was on craigslist and KSL every day, clicking like crazy trying to find a place that we could move to in August. In the mean time, I got on the waiting list for Nate & Derry's old place (which was 2 bedrooms for $450: snap!).

Come mid-June, I found one that would be available Aug

ust 2nd. We went to check it out, and both liked it quite a bit. After some thought, we decided to go with this place. We filled out an application and after they checked it out, we told them we'd be in the next day to sign a contract.

THAT same day, the guy who managed the Teuscher apartments (the ones where Nate and Jandel used to live) called us and said one had opened up, and we could take it if we moved in that weekend.

What!! What?!?!?!

How does that even happen? Seriously.

So that night I went and knocked on one of the apartments at the Teuscher's place, and asked if I could take pictures. Super awkward of me I know, but I wanted a visual to compare the two.

So here's the Teuschers apartment (of course it wouldn't have been furnished, but still gives you the layout:

And here is the other place (notice my shadow in this first one- nice):

So we chose this one,

because: we didn't want to move right that weekend and have to pay rent for two places for TWO months; it was a little bit bigger; the carpet wasn't dark orange; and it was a little bit closer to campus than the other. It is more each month, but not by that much and probably our biggest thing is we don't think we'll feel the need to move for the rest of our time here in Provo, which is awesome. Moving is the pits.

In other news...Sam's family started a book club, and switch off an educational/classic book one month, a session of conference the other month. May was 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' June was the saturday morning session of conference, and July is 'The Real George Washington.'

I also took on some house projects for my parents this summer-organizing their home to make it more efficient/get rid of junk, and putting their VHS home videos onto DVD. The former is

highly dependent on my mom, because I can't throw away anything she doesn't want me to, and the latter just takes quite a bit of time. But I figure I can do as much as possible now, and keep working on it throughout the fall/the next year. (Hopefully it won't take a full year, but you never know. )

I think that's about it, in a nutshell! Oh, I guess I can say our callings: Sam and I are, yet again, on the Activities Committee. Last time all we did was decorate the gym for a Valentine's day dance, but this time we're helping with a bigger activity-a ward camp-out. Fun fun! I got work switched this Saturday so I can go, but Sam will have to work till 6 Friday night (well me too but still) and work again at 8 the next morning, so we'll spend the night but he'll have to leave again

early the next morning. He may play the bagpipes Friday night! I'm hopeful. He's such a cutie. :)

I never said Sam's jobs, either! In May he got a job doing this guy's yard work part time. I didn't think it'd be that great a job, but it actually pays more than his other, is super flexible and his boss is a real character (which keeps things fun).

In June, he started his other job at the BYU library as a...I don't know what they're called. Person that sits behind the desk to answer questions. But I was so happy he got that job! Though the hours aren't great, and he doesn't do anything all day, I think it's a nice change of pace for him and will be a good job to have during school.

Ok! That's it! I'll just include one of my favorite pics of Sam, from before we were even dating exclusively:

Good night!

New adventures!

So we finally get to move into our new place on Monday. Considering we moved out of our wonderful first home over two weeks ago, it'll be nice to have a place of our own again. And to have different clothes to wear: I'm sick of the seven shirts I packed for three weeks of wear.

I just think I should say the Lord is really looking out for Mr. Sam and myself. I wasn't really sure how we were going to finance the next few months, but then one of my old jobs took me back. Though it's been hectic, since it's at an apartment complex and contracts are just ending so there has been lots to do, I'm extremely grateful to know we need not worry where the money for rent will be coming from. This also means Sam doesn't need to be as desperate for a job, so I'm hoping we can find him something he'd actually enjoy that isn't a labor job. Everybody needs change.

On another note, I started six of my last eight credits at BYU-Idaho online this past week, and will be starting my first credit at BYU this upcoming week.

I'm kind of having a hard time deciding what to do about school. At least I'm almost positive I want to stick with the Psychology major I decided on back when I first began college, but I'm not sure if I want to try to get it done ASAP, or if I want to take half the amount of credits to get more out of them. The second option would work well with my new job, considering I've only gone to school and worked at the same time for two months ever and it could take some time for me to learn how to be more efficient so I can get everything done. BUT...I'm not sure. We'll see.

Oh! I haven't said anything about our visit to California! Yeah, we drove down to Pleasant Hill, CA on the 12th and drove back on the 19th. It was a wonderful week! We went to: San Fransisco and walked all over the place; the Oakland temple; the Jelly Belly Factory; a Six Flags; the Oakland Zoo and we saw the new Alice in Wonderland. Probably best of all though was me getting to meet Sam's sister, Jessiann, her husband and three kids. She was the only sibling I hadn't met yet, and she's closest to Sam's age so it was really nice getting to know her. And her kids are adorable! What fun, having 24 nieces and nephews now. :)

poor eyes...

1st off, I forgot to say a while back: Sam and I both got into BYU!!! Yay!!! It was a perfect birthday present, finding out Sammy was accepted as well.
2nd, we have an awesome condo we get to move into for the summer, starting April 25th. Can you say lucky? Three bedrooms, washing machine/dryer, dishwasher, half a block from BYU, and half the price of a normal place=Sam and Ariel have a lot of blessings to pay forward. Seriously though I'm more excited about the washing machine and dryer in the place than anything else. :)
3rd, the semester is almost done!!! Just got to hold on a liiiiitttle longer. I'm still terrified about writing my personality theory paper, but that's just how I get about papers. Hopefully BYU will solve that.
I also applied for a job in the mental health field recently, and was informed my resume made it past the first cut. What on earth?? I don't have a very impressive resume so this was a lovely surprise.
Ok and the eyes thing:
So one night Sammy needed a tissue, so I was bringing the box over so he could grab one but I brought it too far and jabbed the corner of the box into his left eye. His reaction was so great! It was just like a movie, he immediately said "My eye. My eye!"
Well LAST night I had just turned off the lamp, so was unaccustomed to the darkness still. I was flipping back around, and squished my own left eye precisely into his thumb. :) I could not stop laughing: that's two in a row!
I love Sam. The end

963 Country Road

This is a great example of me being a horrid journal writer: blog updating doesn't seem to be much different. Ah well.

I thought I'd show pics of our current home, since 1-it's our first lovenest, 2-it's WAY better than any other place we're going to live while trying to get through school, and 3-we're moving out in a little over a month. Gah! Heartwrenching as it is to acknowledge.

Anyway. Above, there's a picture of our office/coat room;

This is our storage room (with a mess of snowboarding gear: we cleaned it up eventually I swear);

Our living room (can you see Sam's record player between the loveseat and recliner? That's why I married him, for his collectibles);

Our kitchen (only one electrical outlet :) kinda funny. Some aspects of our home are funny since before it was a guest house, it was a shop);

Our bathroom, obviously;

And upstairs, our bedroom! We've been loving all the space available, seriously. We're going to miss this place. We got really lucky. But who knows! Maybe we'll find a great deal again, in Provo!

On that account, Sam and I were busy in February with tracking down nine W2's, filling out the taxes, taking a trip down to Franklin for Valentine's Day weekend, applying to BYU, finishing applying to BYU last minute when I realized we'd forgotten something vital that had to be mailed, and...that about sums it up. And school, of course. That keeps us busy. I have three tests and a paper due for this weekend, but we will conquer!

In other news...I turn 21 a week from today. This is exciting. :)

Love to all! -Ariel June