new places, new things.

it all started when i woke up in a terrible mood thanks to my irritating job and missing victor while he is gone all day. I decided to try and distract myself by going somewhere new! I didnt know exactly where i wanted to go, but i did know that i wanted to head to downtown baton rouge. the only problem was that i didn't have the gps because victor uses it for work. Sssoooo this is the story of my journey last wednesday.....
first of all, I was so distracted by trying to take a picture of the amazing bridge over the mississippi that i missed downtown all together, after turning around, i took a random exit and was feeling a bit forlorn, thinking i would probably just have to turn around and head home before i got hopelessly lost when i saw an artsy looking store sitting on the corner. here are a few of the neat things i found inside:






after seeing the art, antiques and other nik-naks, i walked to the back end of the store and saw an old, bearded man putting away a violin. I walked up to him and asked how long he had been playing for. the short version of the story is I made a new friend, who is amazing at playing the violin (and guitar and banjo...) To be honest, I think he was feeling a little bit lonely that day too. It cheered him up to have someone interested in his stories and it cheered me up to see how happy i made him and to listen to his beautiful music. When i asked him if i could photograph him as he played, he absolutely beamed. It made me happy.

so, it turned out to be a pretty good day. I went home happy to have seen a new place and new things and met a new person.

LOUISIANA!

LA!...................................state, not city

these are our apartments, they're really nice! i enjoy spending a lot of my time here -->

there are really big bugs like this one....
ew gross, i just searched pictures of the bugs that look like the ones here and they are just too nasty to upload.

people are friendly here and no one has incomprehensible accents! hooray!

i miss my family... and victor is gone all day.... but i guess its worth working really hard for four months so we dont have to work hard for 8 months!

it's a new year!

yes, its a new year and a lot has happened! first of all, it was jacob's birthday! 10 years old!

second, we had ANOTHER birthday! victor is now 26! i got him a pair of new basketball shoes and my family gave him a wii! we are obsessed with it! super mario bros is the funnest game of all time.

third, i got a new job! i still work at downeast home, and now i also work at gymboree! so if you want baby or kid clothes, i get 40% OFF. call me and use my discount! please! i dont have any kids so you should take advantage of this opportunity! everything in gymboree is absolutely adorable! its hard to pick a favorite, but this is definitely mine:

FOURTH: i've been workin on some more furniture! my mom bought me this sewing table from my bestie, katie johnson! to be honest, it was lookin a little rough at the beginning....but it definitely had potential!doesn't it look adorable?? i love it!! NEXT PROJECT: red couch pillows to match!

and last but definitely not least:
the newest addition to the wilson family!!!

isn't he adorable??? i love him! he is so soft and cute. i rearry rearry rike him.

well that's all folks!

new favorite recipe!

i know its been a while since i last blogged, and even though i have tons of stuff that i could tell you about, i chose food. of course, right?

so my friend invited me to her house to make this deeeeelicious toffee! and guess what the coolest part is? the main ingredients are saltine crackers!

Ingredients:

• 40 saltine crackers
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chopped almonds
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil. Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.

In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread t cover crackers completely.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes, or until toffee is bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces.

my latest endeavor

one day while rummaging around the DI I came across two ugly, cheap chairs. I managed to look past their unsightly appearance and saw hidden potential!

BEFORE.....

and AFTER....

aren't they pretty??? victor thinks they look like grandma chairs..... and i agree... BUT i still love them and i am very proud of myself. :)
i dont know exactly where they're going to go yet... i think i might make a little violin/music area in our bedroom with a little table inbetween and a music stand.
how quaint.

Jake gets beat up

This is what happens when jake gets a hold of the camera. one word- HILARIOUS.

some interesting observations...

things i have not seen since we left idaho:
-albertsons
-dogs in the back of trucks
-cowboy hats/cowboy boots
-sno shacks
-canals
-mo-peds
-walgreens
-pot-bellied men wearing camouflage
-liquid food coloring... i cant find it any where!

things i had not seen until we came to maryland:
-trees. you have not seen trees until you come to maryland.
-gangstas! real life ones.
-ritas! ice, custard, happiness.
-the homeless man that lives on our corner with a tumor larger than his head.

finding strength beyond my own

this summer has been really hard for me. while being married is the best thing that has ever happened to me, it's also been the most difficult adjustment. this may be due to the fact that we moved far far away to a strange land. the past four months, i have had to learn how to:
1) work. work a lot, long and hard.
2) compromise, and not just the type of compromise you learn from sesame street.... this is the type where you give up the way you think things should be done and let someone else take over very important things, because you trust them. scary? yes.
3) patience. this lesson hit me like a ton of bricks. not only did i have to learn to be patient with other people, but i've learned to be patient with myself and my life. things don't always come when you want them to, BELIEVE ME. people dont always do things the way you would, but it all works out. i've learned how to sit patiently at home all by myself for hours and hours until victor comes home from work. this has been so soooosooo hard for me. so hard that im crying as i write this. but its okay, because it's a lesson that has made me a better person. i've still got a long way to go, but im on my way.
4) self discipline. i can't count how many times i've been in the grocery store or target or ross and wanted something so badly but told myself no.

its hard to live in a place where you have no family, no friends, no favorite places, no comforting memories. it's been so hard to be without my family, i miss them so much.

but ya know what? i wouldn't trade this summer for anything. the most important, but also difficult, lesson that i've learned this summer is how to rely completely on my savior and father in heaven. that's how i've gotten through these trials.

2 nephi 4:20-23
"my god hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions... and he hath perserved me...
he hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.
he hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.
behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the nighttime."

so, with the sales season coming to an end in a little under 2 weeks, and things still undecided about where we'll be going... i'm scared. but i find comfort in the scriptures, going to the temple and victor. i swear, victor was made to ease my fears, he's very comforting.

amazingly disturbing ads!

Drink that cocoa, or this clown will murder you in your sleep.

it's never too early!

"Pears Soap- now with such a soothing lather, you won't notice that your baby has gotten into a horrible accident!"

suicide sausage!

this girl is a little too excited about her jelly.


i enjoyed these, hope you did too!

ten things that make me happy

1. swings, i love swings. why? i feel like i'm defying gravity as my hair tickles my neck and the wind blows me back and forth. all i have to do is close my eyes and let the happiness ensue.

2. kissing victor's forehead. it was just MADE for me to kiss. seriously.

3. french silk pie from perkins. not only is the pie sinfully delicious, but being surrounded by old people just makes it that much better.

4. spongebob marathons. one of the greatest things ever is coming home from a long day at work, sitting on the couch with my corn dog and lemon heads, and being pleasantly surprised when i turn on the tv and see that my evening will be spent with spongebob!

5. morning cuddle sessions with victor. mmmmm warm, safe, comfortable, happy.

6. targhee! oh how i love targhee. i love it in the spring, summer, fall but MOST OF ALL in the winta. riding that mountain is pure bliss.

7. snowcones. not only because they are delicious, but snowcones are the center of so many wonderful memories.

8. the fact that when i asked victor "what are ten things that make me happy?" he said: "cookies, cake, lemon heads, ice cream, frosting, cereal, unicorns, poop stories, and pictures." ohh my- he's pretty good! except for the unicorn thing... i dunno where that came from...

9. cupcakes! although i do love baking and eating them, decorating them is what makes me especially happy.

10. FAMILY!! the thing that makes me the very very happiest is my family. victor, mom, dad, bethany, jake, max and chip.... okay kitty can be included too. even though he's kind of a brat.

you're officially married when you start a blog...

Yes, it's true. I've started a blog. Victor and I are living in College Park, MD. It's about 15 minutes outside of DC. Living on the east coast has been quite an adventure. My first trip into DC ended up with a broken car window and a stolen GPS and Ipod!
Victor is selling security systems here in Maryland for a company named Silverline Security. He is doing really well! Especially for his first year! Right now he has about 40 sales and is looking to double that by the end of the summer.
I was working for Hallmark buuuuuuut... it wasn't working out so I quit.. Today. haha! I was fed up with the manager and minimum wage wasn't enough to keep me there! I am considering selling with Victor, that way we would be able to be with each other more and I would be making way more money! Who knows.. we'll see.