Quick update

This last month has been so fun. My sis and her family came to visit the end of October, and Kyle's brother Ryan and his family came and stayed last week. We had been looking forward to their visits all year and are both bummed that they're gone, but are excited to see them again in MI for Thanksgiving and UT for Christmas. I LOVE this time of year, and I'm finding it is easy to get into the holiday spirit as it is getting chilly here in the evenings. I started listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween and Kyle's a good sport-he had it playing on Pandora the other night for me. Kyle's last day of student teaching is tomorrow! He has enjoyed it but is also ready to be done. I'm so happy for him, and glad for both of us that he won't be so busy! I have been keeping busy working on several different crafting projects. Work has picked up a little this week-fingers crossed that it stays that way!

I am going to post pictures of the Prosser's and Haskell's trips soon, just haven't had time on the computer yet to go through them all.

Ralph's

My new favorite store. I always see it on my coupon website but I didn't know it existed in California until this week. And what a great week for this discovery because they are doubling coupons up to two dollars, meaning $1 coupons=$2 coupons. My friend Lindsey and I took advantage and bought everything we could for $2 that we had coupons for and got them FREE! I bought $230 dollars worth of groceries for...............drum roll..............$23! And that was because they made a mistake, it should have been $15. But I'm definitely not complaining. The first picture is everything and the second is everything that was free. I don't know why people feel the need to smoke to get high when they can just go shopping with coupons!!

How cute is my hubby?

I fall more in love with my husband for the little things he does all the time, such as doing the dishes, or making sure we read scriptures together. This one wasn't so "little"....

We're flying to Michigan on my birthday so he wanted to celebrate early. He escaped to our garage for a while tonight with the excuse that he was going through some old things. When I came down to get something out of my car, he came back inside through the other door. I returned to find 25 presents in our living room. He told me I could open them all tonight or open a few each day until we leave. They were so cute I couldn't stop. Each one had a note attached. They ranged from practical things that I've needed/wanted, such as new measuring cups and spoons, to funny things like a High School Musical key chain, to fun things like the Toy Story Midway Mania game similar to our favorite Disneyland ride. (It's like a video game you plug into your TV-so cool!) A few of my other favorites are things he picked out for me: a scarf, nail polish, lotions from Victoria Secret, and shoes (the note said Because girls just gotta have new shoes!). Also, new slippers with a note that says "Because I love you from head to footsie!" and hair ties that say "Because I love finding these all over our house" (hmm...sarcastic?) and the one that made me cry: a tiny baby dress with a note that said "You're going to be the best mom". As I was still drying my tears, I opened a package of adult diapers that said, "Because I will love to change your diapers someday". That even made me cry. He's so thoughtful and always keeps me laughing. Love him!

The Prosser's visit...finally!

My sis and her family came to visit the end of October and we had so much fun. One of our best and mutual friends, Lindsey, and her family planned their family vacation so we could all be here together. They stayed at a condo in Anaheim and invited us to crash with them a few days while we got our Disneyland on. We went for two days and it was the first time for all of the kids. I'm not sure if it was possible for them to be as excited as I was, but they definitely had a blast. We arrived 30 min early the first day so we could be one of the first in line to see the princesses. Skyler's three favorites just happened to be there and this picture of her waiting her turn to meet Sleeping Beauty says it all.

Some of the characters were dressed up for Halloween

Blake is a huge Toy Story fan

Nash and Gracie

Kyle met up with us after work

We were all wiped out by the end of each day. The first night Skyler went straight to the barstools when we got home. The second night we watched the World of Color show and Skyler was passed out in her stroller before it even started.

I managed to get lots of cuddling time with Gracie in even at Disneyland. That baby is so sweet!! Despite our exhaustion, the adults stayed up and played games a little every night. We've really missed all hanging out together. We need more vacations like this.

We stayed in Yucaipa the rest of their visit and it was nice to just sit around our apartment and visit. Mitch left early to go back to work. Steph and I took the girls to Sea World one day and had a blast there. I'll post pictures of that in another post because I'm having issues with this one Skyler claims Sea World as her favorite part of the trip and we loved it too. The Sea lion, dolphin, and especially the Shamu show never ceases to amaze me. It was fun to hear Skyler giggle at the funny things they do. She's growing up so much! It was fun to spend so much time with her. She had a hard time leaving-she even asked if she could live at Kiki's house. I managed to control myself at the airport, but I cried for a couple days after. Apparently Skyler did too. :(

The last night they were here, we went to our ward Halloween party. Steph and I convinced Kyle to dress as black eyed peas with us. Most people didn't get it, we had to explain what we were. One lady just nodded sympathetically and said "Ohhhh last minute idea?" Skyler wore her Cinderella dress she wore to Disneyland and my friend Lindsey's little girl Macy was wearing the same thing! Skyler and Macy adored each other. And Lindsey's baby, Carsyn, was Gus Gus! She was so stinkin' cute. I'm also stealing a picture from my sister's blog of Skyler and Gracie's real Halloween costume because they are adorable as well.

Tom and Paula

My dad's brother and his wife vacationed in California a couple weeks ago which was exciting for us because we were able to spend time with them. They live in Colorado and it had been a while since I had seen them and it was the first time for Kyle. We met them in Palm Springs and had a really yummy dinner at a mexican restaurant and then went to their condo in Palm Desert. They had an extra bedroom in their condo and invited us to stay with them which was so much fun. We stayed up late playing Euchre, a card game that only Michiganders seem to know that I really miss playing it. It was one of the first things my family taught Kyle. The next morning Kyle and my Uncle Tom played tennis and then we all relaxed and hung out by the pool. Later in the week I was able to spend the day at Disneyland/California Adventure with them and we had a blast. They have always been so much fun. My aunt Paula is up for anything and Tom is such a good sport that he at least pretends to be even if he's not. (He did put his foot down when it came to the "It's a small world" ride and the Snow white ride). Tom was cracking me up the whole time I was with him because his mannerisms and facial expressions are identical to my dad's. They are both funny guys. Made me miss my dad even more. Anyway, I had so much fun with my aunt and uncle and was so glad they invited us to be a part of their vacation. It meant so much to me.

Update

Kyle came home with great news last week. His career is taking a turn as he was just offered a job with Merrill Lynch! The interviewing process didn't take long and was a little overwhelming for us because in just a matter of days we had to make the decision of whether or not to stay in California for now. We hope our family and friends know we didn't take that decision lightly. We miss you all so much and it isn't easy being away from you. That being said, it is an amazing opportunity for him, and after talking and praying about it, we decided if he was giving the offer he wouldn't turn it down. The next thing we knew, Kyle was taking tests and meeting with the head honcho in Palm Desert who offered him the job on the spot! I think it sounds like the perfect job for him. One thing I've learned about Kyle over the last couple years is he is always up for a challenge, and loves to take on and learn new things. Like everything else he excels at, I know he will put forth the effort needed and will have fun doing it. It sounds like the training is pretty intense- he will have to study and take several test in order to get all of licensing he needs. They're putting him to work already in a few weeks. He'll start studying during his "free time". I'm so excited for him, and proud of all of his accomplishments. And I am especially grateful for our Heavenly Father's Hand in this. It was neat because we fasted a few weeks ago for more success with work, and he happened to get his first interview that week. It is definitely a huge blessing in our life right now, especially because we will receive full benefits starting right away.

On a duller note, I'm still not feeling up to par and my job is not getting busier like I was hoping it would now that fall is here. I've been thinking about looking for something else, but the idea bums me out. I really like the spa that I'm at and was hoping to build a steady clientele. I don't like giving up, and I'll feel like a failure it I do so. At the same time, I'm not making much money and that's not so fun. If I were feeling better I would just look for a second job and do both, but I think I need to focus what little energy I have on just one job right now. One nice thing about the spa is that we have several different ways of marketing. I've been going to LA Fitness every other week and doing complimentary seated massages and handing out business cards, and I'm a part of a few different networking groups that meet together and help each other refer business. These things are in the evenings and it would be hard to get another job while trying to get more business at the spa. Also, I'm not sure where to look for a job. I'm afraid it would be hard to get flexible hours at a restaurant or store during the Holidays. We're going to MI for a week for Thanksgiving, and to Utah for 5 days for Christmas.

Between the lack of work and the low energy, it has been easy to get pretty down. I'm taking several supplements packed with different vitamins and I have noticed a slight increase in energy. Today was the best so far, so I'm really hoping it continues to get better. I decided I needed some projects to keep me busy and make me feel better, so I've been making crafts with a couple friends, and I've also started piano lessons! It's something I have always wanted to do, and I decided there won't be a better time than now. Our Stake Relief Society President is in our ward and we are trading lessons for massages. I have a keyboard I borrowed from my brother (which I'm hoping he doesn't want back anytime soon) so I will practice on that between lessons. I love it so far- my goal is to be playing Christmas music by December. I've also started couponing with my friend Lindsey and we are having a blast doing it. We have added a lot to our food storage and most of it was free or practically free. I've been saving between 50% and 90% on my grocery trips. The other day we went to Rite Aid and got 10 bags of candy for a $5 profit. Love it!

One thing that is helping me get out of bed in the morning is knowing my sister and her family are coming to visit in just 9 days!! I'm sooo looking forward to that. I can't WAIT to take my niece to Disneyland and meet princesses for the first time. We are also anticipating a visit from Ryan and Stacy's family in November which we are also soooo excited about.

And last but definitely not least, we have a new niece! Tabitha Amy Haskell. She was only 5 lbs 14 oz and she's so adorable! We haven't seen her yet (and it's killing me!) but I stole this picture from Stacy's facebook. :)

Haskell family pictures

These were taken months ago but I lost the pictures and haven't been able to post them. Our cousin Kelsey is so great-she tagged along and took the pictures of all of us. We love her! Amber took the pictures of the guys and of each family. I know there were some taken of her family but for some reason I don't have them. Could our nieces and nephews be any cuter??

>

Weird happenings in Cancun

-A lady pulled down her shirt and nursed her baby right smack in the middle of a food court at the Mexico City airport.......with nothing covering her breast. It made for some interesting/unwanted entertainment for those around her eating their lunch. Like us.

-Our waiter at the restaurant we went to at the airport came over with a little credit card machine for us to pay. And then he asked us how much of a tip we wanted to leave him. The choices were 10 or fifteen percent.

-When we arrived in Cancun and walked out of the airport there were at least 25 or 30 taxi driver's yelling at us to come with them. We were warned ahead of time about this so we ignored them, but it still took us by surprise how intense they were. I felt like a movie star with the paparazzi yelling at me. (In case you're curious how we got to our hotel, we took a shuttle bus. Much cheaper. My hubby did his research.)

-Luckily our hotel was all-inclusive and included gratuity because we got so tired of people asking for money outside the hotel. After our tour to Chichen Itza ended, the guide held up a box asking for tips as we got off the bus. This was after we spent $120 for the tour AND had to buy bottled water on the bus even though we were told beverages would be included. On the snorkeling trip which also was NOT cheap nor very impressive, our so-called "tour guides" in the water held up a box before we left as well, and also the men that drove us to and from the snorkeling boat. That tour at least included beverages. :)

-My only other experience at a "market" was about ten years ago when my family went on a cruise to the Bahamas and I have only good memories from it. Maybe I'm forgetting, but I just remember walking through and looking at the things I was interested in. I bought several little things for really cheap because they were very willing to bargain. In Cancun it was a very different experience. It didn't help that we were literally the ONLY ones there, so every person yelled at us, begging for us to come look at their things. They would try to wait patiently as we stopped in one place, and then yelled, "My turn! Come look here." We had a couple people lie to us to get us in there, by telling us they had t-shirts for only "one dollar". We would walk in to find out he just meant one dollar off the price. One man even lied to Kyle about the peso exchange rate hoping to make a sale. So funny.

Warning: Very long post ahead

I still haven't figured out how to make picture collages but I'm not going to let that stop me from posting all of our pictures to Cancun- they're just too good. So ready or not, here they come....

We had a 6 hour layover in Mexico City and we passed the time by playing our favorite game-Settlers of Catan. (Ours is actually a different version-Settlers of Zarahemla)

For some reason when we arrived at our resort, they didn't have us coming for two more days. Luckily our papers showed otherwise, and they sent us to another resort that we think was even nicer. We got there late and went right to bed but when we woke up the next morning and walked out of our building and were directly on the BEACH we realized we were in paradise. I couldn't have been more excited about the beautiful scene around me.

One day the it clouded over and rained for about 3 minutes and then cleared up again

None of the pictures do it justice. The restaurants all had really pretty views

Even the hotel lobby was pretty






We spent most of our time lounging by the many pools (I think there were 5) and on the beach. There were swim up bars in the pools where I enjoyed many diet pepsi's, and Kyle fell in love with the virgin Miami Vice. (A strawberry and pina colada daiquiri) There were also snack bars with hamburgers and fries and at least 10 restaurants that we could choose from for each meal. With our black "all-you-can-eat-for-free" wristbands, we were set for the week. We found that the buffets weren't delicious, but the rest were great. We could order as much food as we wanted, including appetizers and desserts. It was great not having to wait for a bill or worry about a tip. My favorites were the Thai, Mexican, and Italian restaurants. Kyle made sure to order a couple Miami Vice's almost everywhere we went and I'm pretty sure that's what made him sick all week. Let just say, we didn't do any exercising while we were gone, but a part of Kyle kept running.

Should I order another daiquiri...

No I shouldn't have.....

There were mariachi players at the Mexican restaurant

Kyle requested a song and they serenaded us

One day we took a short snorkeling trip that we were really excited about. We've both had really cool experiences in the past so we had high expectations. But we weren't able to explore on our own because we had a "guide" that insisted we follow him. And maybe it happened to be a bad day, because there wasn't a lot see. It was still fun though, and on the boat ride back one of the guides put these hats on us and offered to take a picture.

We spent one day on a tour to Chichen Itza and that was probably our favorite part. We left in the morning and came back in the evening so we were able to see a lot. On our way we stopped at the Yucatan Cenote, which is a really cool cave with fresh water that we were able to swim in. It was considered magical to the Mayans. The trip included lunch at a Mexican Restaurant and after that we went to Chichen Itza. We welcomed the rain that started as soon as we stepped off the bus because the temperature must have cooled 20 degrees. AND we heard thunder for the first time since.....I don't even remember! We haven't had a thunderstorm in Cali yet. Another night at our resort we sat outside and watched a lightening storm. The waves were so loud next to us that we couldn't hear the thunder.






This Mayan girl sang to us. She was so sweet. She was selling little handmade hankerchiefs and I had to buy one from her.

Looking down from the top

There was a different show every night at our resort and we went to the Circus show which was seriously fascinating. There were amazing acrobats, a juggler, a poodle dog that did really cool tricks, a Michael Jackson impersonator (random? yes.) and a hoola hooper that had 4 going at a time and picked them up off the floor with her feet. It was crazy and I loved every minute of it. After that Kyle suggested we stop at the dance club and see what was going on. We found the dance floor empty and my husband surprised me by asking if I wanted to dance...not slow dance, but dance dance, by ourselves with everyone watching. I couldn't turn down an opportunity like that, mostly because I wanted to watch him. I haven't seen him dance for like 2 years back before we even started dating. And he didn't want to stop! I had fun for a few minutes and then truly starting getting embarrassed when nobody would join us. That was our goal, of course. I snapped this blurry picture before I pulled him away. It's something I hope to always remember.

They say all good things eventually come to an end, which of course was true for this trip and I was a little depressed coming home. I loved spending so much time with Kyle and I knew coming home meant he would be starting his busy life with student teaching, work, and school. I'm so glad that we were able to celebrate our marriage by going on such an amazing trip together and to experience another part of this beautiful world we live in. And I'm extremely grateful that unlike our trip, our marriage will last an eternity.