Apartment Renovation: The Before

My first impression upon walking into our apartment in Boston was less than stellar.  Arriving late at night, exhausted, only to find a filthy apartment was almost enough to send me packing.  However, upon talking to our landlady, she supported our proposal to update the apartment by removing the old, moldy wallpaper, resurfacing the walls, and giving them a fresh coat of paint.  It is still a work in progress and I don't have the ability to do everything I would like (such as redoing the entire bathroom) but I am happy to say that we now have a clean, livable place that we can call home for the time being.

BEFORE:

The Move to Boston

I have had a feeling lately like I need to get back into this whole blogging thing.  If nothing else I want to document our time in this heavenly place.
Alex and I moved to Boston in August of last year.  He has started graduate school and is studying Mental Health Counseling.  We drove across the country in our Subaru and while our hearts were sad to leave family in the west, we were excited to come to one of our dream cities.

About to leave Idaho

Our trip allowed us to make some stops in really fun places.  Our first stop was for square ice cream not far from my mom's house.  We had been crying so hard that we felt we deserved a treat.  I made the mistake of getting a licorice flavor.  It was gross which at the time felt like a betrayal of epic proportions.

Right after getting square ice cream.

Our hearts started to feel a little better as we drove and encountered some gorgeous scenery.  The mountains of Idaho, the trees of the Midwest, and the nostalgia of the Ohio Valley.  

We were beyond blessed to stay with friends along our trip and we felt so well taken care of.  Having a safe place to stay with people who cared really made our trek more enjoyable. 

We stayed one night in my beloved Centerville, Ohio.  We arrived late and left early so we didn't get to do much but on our way out we drove by our old house and grabbed a Graeter's Ice Cream.  Unlike the licorice ice cream, Graeter's never disappoints.  

My old Stomping Ground

Some of my best memories are from here

Excuse our hot, sweaty, crying faces.
We still felt a little sad but Graeter's always helps

Finally we arrived in Boston and were met by an unsightly apartment.  We had seen pictures before moving but we didn't really know the full status of the apartment.  We were far from impressed which all but broke my resolve to come to this new place away from family to help.  Luckily we were able to update and purge the apartment of the awfulness and we settled in not long after.

   

Because of Him

This past little while has been very busy and I am sorry.  Between deciding on where Alex will attend graduate school and normal life (school, callings at church, homemaking, etc etc etc) I feel like I rarely have a moment to myself.  One of the things that has been the most uplifting for me during this busy time has been the chance I have had to reflect on the life, ministry, Atonement, and Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  I have loved the emphasis on the things that are possible Because of Him.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which I proudly belong to), has been sharing things that we know are possible because of Him. People of other faiths have also joined in sharing and it has been a wonderful and  encouraging experience.
During this time of renewal most of us are captivated and excited about the new life springing forth-- the blooming flowers, baby animals, warmer temperatures, all remind us that life continues after death.  I do not think that it is a coincidence that we celebrate Easter in the Spring when these natural events so effortlessly remind us that Jesus Christ also overcame death and rose after dying so that we would also be able to conquer death.  Just like the plants come back to life after a period of cold and darkness, we, too, will rise from the dead and live again. All because of the Savior of the World.  It was He who made, and continues to make everything possible.  There need not be any permanence in death or sufferings of any kind.  He made it possible for all of these earthly trials to cease.  Just like in days of old, the blind may see, the Deaf will hear, and the lame will walk.  We will be reunited with those we love who have been removed from us by death or other means. We may not know when these things will happen, but they will happen.  Because of Him. Our darkest hour can be made lighter because of His Atonement and Resurrection.   In the words of Elder Worthlin: 

"Each of us will have our own Fridays-- those days when the universe itself seem shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about is in pieces.  We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again.  We will all have our Fridays.  
But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death-- Sunday will come.  In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. 
No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come.  In this life or the next, Sunday will come."

Sometimes things seem impossible and as if hope is lost.  And in those times of desperation I could, and sometimes feel the most alone.  But in my heart of hearts, I know that everything will be okay.  I may not know how or when.  But Sunday will come.  He can make all things possible.  And the only way that any of this is possible is Because of Him.

It's Awesome & Awkward

Spring is giving it a go.  Bless it's little heart.

Awkward:
- A really bad shade of yellow/green nail polish.  Hooray for moldy-looking toes.
- The twitch in my eye I've had for the past 2 days.  I can't figure out how to get that eyeball to calm down.
- Becoming friends with someone in class.  But you don't really know their name.  And time passes and you become even better friends.  And you feel like it would be dumb to ask what their name is because you have spent months with them.  And then you have to introduce them to another friend...
- Walking down the hall at school and suddenly having one lonely sock fall out of my pant leg.  "Hey," says the Good Sock Samaritan, "You dropped your sock."  The "oh thanks" I timidly muttered as I accept the blasted thing. This is a humbling moment that can only be brought on by a lone sock falling into a public hallway.
- Our plummer who lived up to every bit of his plummer reputation.  Pa-lease, would you get that thing out from under my sink.  Yes sir.  Your bum.
- Sitting, minding my own business, when the someone next to me starts telling me about how kissing his girlfriend who has a small, blonde, mustache is awkward.  And I was beginning to think I'd never know what that was like.

Awesome:
- This spring-like weather we have been having.  Take that you polar vortex.
- Caramel flavored rice cakes.  They kinda taste like sweetened cardboard and I am totally into it.
- Hearing about husband's days playing and adventuring with peeps around town.
- Refrigerated cupcakes.
- My sissy who I loved seeing on Saturday
-Random visits from friends. It was the best.
-Going to bed early three nights in a row.  And taking naps.  Pretty much food and sleep will always be a part of this list.

A Very Sick Time

Sorry if this is a little TMI.  You can skip this post if you want.  I won't be offended

Two weeks ago the flu bug decided to move in and make it's home in Alex's stomach.  Never a sadder sight did you ever see.  And it wasn't like it was just a 24 hour delio. No, this lasted in his poor little body for 3 or 4 days.  But he eventually got over it.  In the mean time, my mom and grandma and grandpa and just about everyone else I know was deathly ill with pneumonia, coughs, colds, bronchitis, etc.  But I never got what they had.  And I thought I was in the safe zone.  Until Saturday night.

Saturday night I was out.  All of a sudden, my nose exploded.  A literal bomb went off in my sinuses and within an hour I had a full blown cold with the worst sinus headache I had ever known.

Then Sunday I caught Alex's flu.  Between being unable to breathe and hugging the toilet and praying for relief, I laid in bed and called to Alex to warm up my corn bag, took warm, wasteful, showers that soothed my aching body and made my muscles sing with sweet comfort.  I would like to take a moment and thank husband and Crystal Light water flavor drops for my existence last night.

We eventually went to bed.  I woke up this morning and I am new woman.  My sinus pressure and nausea is gone! I am only left with a slightly stuffy nose and that is something that is more than manageable.  Here's to hoping that this winter epidemic is over.

Just Because

here

+ I was surprised by the snow today.  Where did that come from?

+ I am trying hard to eat right.  It is hard today when all I want to do 

is eat homemade hot fudge sauce and cream cheese frosting.

+ Does anyone want to come over 

this afternoon?  We could eat said frosting 

or fudge sauce and watch movies or talk.

I am totes serious.

+ Sometimes, Alex whistles. I love it.

+ I think the new Sprint commercials are hilarious

          + I think I will have this salad for lunch. Yumm.

+ I also love seeing students asleep on 

those long couch/bench things. They look kind of 

homeless and I think it is so precious. 

I also wish I was them sometimes (but not homeless).

+ After being inundated with homework from

 teachers the beginning of this week, I am finally ahead 

again. yesss.

+ Alex was deathly ill last week. So glad that is over.

+PS check out BYU-Idaho Sleeps on Instagram. It is awesome (see aforementioned bullet)

It's Awkward and Awesome Thursday!

check it out here

Awkward:

-Trying to spell the word “awkward.”  It always looks like it is spelled wrong.

- Pepperonis.  And what they can do…

- The fact that I still don’t know what half the hashtags people use even mean.  Like #FF #ftn #TL;DR  and #WABT.  What?

- This problem I have with nail polish.  See, if one chips, suddenly my subconscious decides they all have to go.  So I will be sitting in class or in church and be like, what the??? WHO IN THE WORLD scraped off my nail polish? And WHY is there a sparkly mess in my lap?  It confuses me.

- Forgetting I have 2 Alex J’s in my phone and texting Hey babe! What’s shakin’? to the wrong one from my old bishopric years ago.  At least he acted totally cool about it (at least I think he did.  Texting is so awkward all on its own).

- Awkwardly squatting in the grocery store, pretending to look at the 400000000lb. bag of rice that nobody buys on the bottom shelf because I really have to go to the bathroom and I want to wait until I get home. 

- Pulling up next to someone who is picking their nose in their car. And then making eye contact.  I pointed at the guy, as if to say, YOU know what you did…

- Story time: I was sitting in the library and I was on an end computer.  Since I used to work at the library, I know a lot of people who come into the area where I was working.  So this particular time when a guy came in, in my peripheral vision he looked like a past coworker.  But when I turned to look at him he had walked behind me and I couldn’t see him.  He sat down next to me and at the same time as he said Hi how are you?  I then realized that it was a guy from our ward and I simultaneously said I thought it was you! WHAT?!!! We continued try and hold a conversation but kept talking at the same time so it would go like How’s your semester going/How was your Christmas? Oh, sorry! What did you say?  For like 10 minutes until we made a mutual but unspoken agreement to give up.  At least I hope we did and he didn’t just think I was rude and not talking to him.

Awesome:

-Getting to sleep in a little this morning and waking up with husband still in bed.  Morning cuddles might be better than night cuddles.  But only maybe. 

-Cleaning the house relatively quickly yesterday. Where is my motivation to do it that fast on Saturdays?

- Sneak attack kisses.  They are pretty much my fave. 

- Having full conversations with husband through song.  Awkward for others?  Yes.  But pretty sweet for us.

- The tiny squish baby that I got to hold for a few hours today.  Bliss...

- Husband shaving his sandpaper face so I don’t get a hot rash on my face when he kisses me.

- Writing things on my To-Do list that I’ve already done just so I can cross it off and admire how much I did during the day. 

- Braving the cold for a mid-week date night.  Husband surprised me with a date night to see Thor.  It is now my favorite superhero movie.  

- Having spare time for reading.  Speaking of which, have you guys read Flora and Ulysses?  It is pretty much in an awesome category all on its own.  Seriously people.  Go to your library and pick it up and read it tonight.  Prepare to laugh your cheeks into horrible pain.   

- ONLY ONE MORE HOUR UNTIL FRIDAY!!!!