Life: Unscripted

Lately it seems like we (especially me) are living life unscripted. Also coming to mind the quote "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray." I mean it could be worse. It almost always could, but this is just one little twist or fork in the path we weren't planning for/on after another. Now my/ our car is "hospitalized" getting fixed up. And I'm still applying to more jobs than I can remember. Mail that we need to get quickly comes almost triple the amount of time what was said. And on and on, but you know what I think strikes me most about it... I'm not worrying about it too much. I'm sitting back and saying "okay now what can we do to make sure this part works out the best we can?" Aka learning to always have a Plan B, plan c, and so on.

There's also the things that seem to be going completely backwards from how you first think, but weirdly enough, it works. Makes it easier because you worry about the new stuff popping up and not the things that you first assumed would be things to work on or get used to.

Course I've been going recipe and cooking happy since we got here and I'm enjoying the new challenges. A month or so ago, good thick steak fries (thick wedges) homemade and golden brown (Chris even learned this one. We've got it down.) Monday was Pork Loin Roast (GREAT!) and Today was homemade granola! Which smells really good, but the real test will be eating it. We'll see... especially since I took a couple recipes, picked and choose and mixed and added my own personal flair (some might call them food quirks.) :D It helps that the one enrichment activity I consistently attend is a cooking class "What's for dinner?" Swapping recipes, making roll mixes, this week learning different pies... I think Sweet potato, Key Lime, and maybe a Pumpkin cheesecake. Should be interesting.

Not to mention another unexpected twist is the fact that it is November 19th and it has only snowed around 3 times and every time it has been gone before noon sometimes even sooner. I mean, not that that's necessarily bad, but it's definitely NOT expected. I kind of miss the treacherous walks around campus and to and from my apartment that were notorious in Rexburg.

So life continues to surprise, but continues to remind me of how much I have, no matter how tight we live.

Too close to home

So today has been a busy day in general for Chris and I... well for Chris it has been a crazy week, but that another story. I guess I just want to talk a little now about some very horrible, tragic news I discovered after taking Chris to the testing center so he'd have the most amount of time he could. I got on Facebook and noticed a good friend of Chris' had an unusual post "hurt.." That's it. So I admit I clicked on his name and tried to see what had happened....
I was shocked to see posts from who I found out were his mother-in-law talking about funeral plans and remembrances of her daughter. I looked at an article from a newspaper that she mentioned and figured out that something Chris and I had seen in one of the only times we've had the news on about a tragic accidental shooting of a young woman, fairly newly married, in a 7-11 parking lot, from a gun that is so old it has no safety falling and discharging on its own, was in fact the tragic incident that took Chris' friend's wife from him.
I was/am shocked and stunned that it's someone we've got a connection to. I can't imagine being in that position. I can't imagine the feelings, the pain! I broke down and cried for him and their families and there are no words available for me who barely knew this young man except for through Chris and his high regard for him. I remember when I first heard of him and Chris told me stories of him I was excited to get to know him and the girl he was at the time so serious about and then they became engaged and got married and I thought the same of her. It'd be fun to meet people who Chris was so fond of.

I couldn't imagine losing Chris so soon or being in that situation. So right now, I'm praying - for him, their families and for us and everyone I know to remember how precious our time is and that we don't always know what could happen. So don't waste time on stupid things if you can help it. Remember what a blessing it is for the people we have in our lives, especially our spouses. God Bless.

Labor Day... or in our case, the not so Labor day

So this weekend is Labor Day weekend....
Sales, picnics, parks, stores, ads... all of that comes to mind in reference to this weekend. (OH and did I mention, fireworks, great music, traffic and Cincinnati??) However this year, in Provo, it's a whole new, slightly less exciting ballgame (minus the being together and married part.. ;) ..) I mean, we're still meeting people in our ward and we're still trying to catch up with the friends we already have here to hang out and get out of the apartment and do something fun OUTSIDE, but it's hard. Especially with school just starting. So we celebrated by being a little lazy. Playing Madden for Chris and reading books for me along with other random things... lol like watching George Lopez on TV. I'm getting to cook a lot and trying out new recipes has proved a good idea.. (gotta love cheap cookbooks from D.I.!!)
I must admit when I think about this weekend I picture WEBN fireworks on the Ohio river in Cincinnati... and all the experiences from many past Labor Day weekends. Also the many picnics that go along with it. It's a little weird to not be either in Cincinnati where I'm completely familiar with most things and people.. or in Rexburg, where I've spent the majority of the last 4+ years of my life. I don't know where the parks are, which are closest, or until this afternoon where a Post Office was. I passed by the Provo Library a while ago with Chris, but haven't been back to get a card because I didn't even have proof of residency yet. (Though I finally got a piece of mail the other day.. woot!!) It's just weird, but I'm getting a little more used to it. :)

Finally did it!

I joined the world of blogging... (partly because of much reminding and hinting and outright demnads from my twin!)
I've got some time and I thought it'd be a good way to use it and keep in touch with people. So I told Sarah I'd get it done this weekend. Hah! I did it the same day!
Life in Provo is getting into a routine. Of course who thought I'd be living in Provo... not me really, but then I guess I'll be here for a few more years ;) We have Car and renter's insurance now! Woot!
For now, I think I'll leave it at this and come back later once I've been a little more productive and fed us.