Quick Update & Pics

It's my favorite time of the semester again. FINALS! Woohoo! Thanks to numerous amounts of energy drinks, Taco Bell trips, and Hostess cupcakes, Tyler and I are survivng thus far.
We are excited about several upcoming events. They are, and in no particular order:

• As of May 3, 2009, I will no longer be a full time student. Hooray! It's all part time from here on out.
• Tyler successfully passed his Finance 3200 class, which among other things, requires 100% accuracy on all quizzes. We are so proud!
• We liked fixing up our house so much last summer, that we've decided to do it again this year. We plan on installing new wood floors, and painting our lovely stone tiled fireplace within the next month. If you're lucky, I'll actually remember to post pictures this time :)
• Camping season is just around the corner! I totally think we all need to plan a fun camping trip... anyone up for it?
• We are going to WICKED on the 28th. I have been dreaming about that musical for many years now and am ultra excited! Pictures will be posted for sure!

That being said, here are some pictures from last year that I just recently got my hands on. Hope everyone is doing well and we'll talk to you again soon!

Excerpts from The Richest Man in Babylon

The Richest Man in Babylon is one of my favorite books. I try to read it a couple times a year to see where we're at with our goals, it helps keep me focused. I just finished reading it and thought I would share some things that I got out of it.

1.A part of all I earn is mine to keep
2.Advice is one thing that is freely given away, but watch that you take only what is worth having
3.Will power is but the unflinching purpose to carry a task you set for yourself to fulfillment
4.Enjoy life while you are here. Do not overstrain or try to save too much
5.Truth is always simple. For every ten coins thou makes take out for use but nine
6.That what each of us calls our ‘necessary expenses’ will always grow to equal our incomes unless we protest the contrary.
7.We all have more desires than our earnings can gratify
8.Let they motto be 100% of appreciation value demanded for each coin spent
9.The purpose of a budget is to help thy purse fatten
10.Like a bright light in a dark cave thy budget shows the leaks and enables thee to stop them and control they expenditures
11.Wealth is not in the coins that thou carries but in the golden stream that flows into thy purse
12.The first sound principle of investment is security for thy principle.
13.Be not misled by thine own romantic desires to make wealth rapidly
14.I recommend that every man own the roof that sheltereth him and his
15.Make preparations for a suitable income in the days to come when you are no longer young
16.Process by which wealth is accumulated first in small sums then in larger ones as a man learns and becomes more capable
17.The more wisdom we know, the more we may earn
18.Be in front rank of progress and not to stand still least you be left behind
19.Better a little caution than a great regret
20.More interest in my work, more concentration, more persistence in my effort and with reasonable promptness my increased skill was rewarded.

25 Random Tid-bits about us

Randomness

I’ve noticed a lot of these lists on peoples’ blogs lately and thought they were fun. So naturally, when I had homework to do, I devoted my time to this instead.
25 Random Things about us:

1. I am completely mesmerized by British accents.
2. I have a goal to learn how to make fish this year. Tyler’s Japanese relatives who eat fish and rice everyday are incredibly healthy and fit, so I’d like to follow their lead. I just don’t have any clue how…Recipes anyone?
3. Tyler ate his first piece of pizza at age 19.
4. Tyler LOVES reading the newspaper and would do it every day if I let him buy a subscription.
5. I love watching wedding videos at receptions.
6. I like having painted toenails, but they’re rarely done because I can’t stand painting them myself.
7. We are both addicted to watching The Office.
8. Tyler wants to own a jet someday.
9. I have a bad habit of quoting Disney movies in conversations. Usually people don’t recognize them and it’s gotten me into trouble on more than one occasion.
10.I once played a main role in a mime show.
11.I HATE most video games. Just hearing them being played in our house ruins my mood.
12.If he could, Tyler would devote an entire closet to nothing but French cuff shirts and cuff links.
13.I want to own a pigmy goat one day.
14.Tyler likes to eat sorbet that looks like ice cream, but when he eats it, he won’t scoop at it like most people do, he eats it like art: neatly scraping it down layer by layer, so the top of the carton is always perfectly smooth and flat.
15.We both love getting dressed up in fancy formal wear.
16.In Jr. High I was embarrassed by my red hair because I thought boys didn’t like it.
17. In high school, Tyler worked hard on his jumping skills and won second place as the highest jumper on the soccer team.
18.I once dressed as an emo girl so my date wouldn’t ask me out again.
19.Once the two of us were looking for some entertainment and ended up racing up and down a spiral stair case balancing eggs on spoons and it became a real sport for us. We’d still be playing it if it weren’t for the fact that our new house has no stairs.
20. All meals at our house are dairy-free.
21. I love Audrey Hepburn and even want to name my future daughter Audrey.

22. I am terrified of bats due to a freak experience where one dive bombed me.
23. Tyler loves winning… at anything.
24. Tyler likes gardens and plans on starting one of our own this year. Shaela's version of a garden is a couple of nice potted plants.
25. Tyler likes expensive things. Shaela is a tight wad. Buying appliances was very funny for us because I walked to the cheapest end, Tyler walked to the most expensive, and we slowly had to work our way toward the middle.

Meet our friend

I thought spider webs like this existed only in haunted houses. This was a spider that really liked our water heater. We found the gigantic web when we were cleaning our home before we moved in. It was absolutely disgusting. I think it had been living there since our house was built. After discovering this I immediately went to Lowe's and bought a six pack of bug bombs. The package said that one can would cover up to 500 sq feet. Our house is only 1500 sq feet so three would have been plenty according to the company. I wasn't taking any chances. I chose to use all six, one in each room. I had my dad use the vacuum to suck up the web because he is tall and could reach up there. He faked that a spider came out and it totally freaked Shay out, I didn't know she was such a screamer. Since then I have seen a few spiders but nothing too bad. The joys of owning a home.

Our fun winter weekend

It's official: I am a TERRIBLE photographer! Perhaps a better way to put it would be that I am a nonexistent photographer. This past month we took an incredibly fun trip up to Island Park with the fam for my birthday. For once, we actually remembered our camera. The trouble is that we never took it out of our bag. Pathetic I know.
I wish we had really cool pictures to post up of our fun in the snow, but alas, we are empty handed, so instead I'll give a brief run down.
Island Park was an absolute blast!! Tyler surprised everyone with his superior snowmobiles. We've always known he was athletic and adventurous, but holy cow! He was incredible out there! Normally I get bored riding on the back with people, but those days are over. Tyler has converted me to passenger riding for the first time in my life. Not only did he show me up... he completely smoked me. It's so unfair.
In my defense, I was sick and had to stay indoors after the first day so I never really got a chance to defend my driving skills out there, but either way, he was fabulous!
I'm happy to say that I can still leave him in the dust on the dirt bikes, but I guess we'll just have to see how that stands this spring :)
Other than that, we've been super busy with school. Big surprise, huh? Tyler is taking several gross sounding math classes, which he is totally rocking at, and I am continuing with my communication studies. The light is finally at the end of the tunnel though, because I will graduate next fall, and then Tyler the following spring.
We are loving our house and have yet to post pictures of the final product up here, but it will come... all in time, right?

It's Catch Up Time

Since the computer labs have been closed this past month for the break, our internet access was completely obliterated. You know what that means right? It's catch up time!

This month has been a busy one! One of the coolest things we were able to do was to escort my favorite new Elder to the glorious missionary training center. I have never been so proud of my not-so-little baby brother!

Being part of his preparation and watching him grow has been such an awesome experience! For the longest time, a mission was the farthest thing from my brother's mind and we all knew it. One day last spring he confronted me about his desire to serve. I nearly fell out of my chair! I was completely overjoyed because I've always felt that his potential was completely through the roof!

The coolest part about Jake's call is that he refused to let other people know about it ahead of time. His way of announcing it to the family was in the form of a surprise party at a friend's house. It took at least 10 minutes to convince our parents that the envelope Jake was holding was in fact a mission call. Once that realization hit, everyone in the room was in tears.

What an amazing amazing experience and what an inspired missionary!

Okay so... this isn't exactly the most dignified picture, but I love it! That's my Jakie!

Finals

I'd like to start out by apologizing for slacking on my picture posting duties. Tyler informed me that I need to get pictures of the new and improved house up ASAP. I'll get to those at some point. For now, we've got one major thing on our mind: Finals. Ug. In light of that special occasion, here is a poem. It was sent to me by a friend from highschool (thanks Simon!). I'm not sure if he actually wrote it or not, but I got a kick out of it:

'Twas the night before finals,
And all through the college,
The students were praying,
For last minute knowledge.

Most were quite sleepy,
But none touched their beds,
While visions of essays,
Danced in their heads.

Out in the tavern,
A few were still dirnking,
And hoping that liquer,
Would losen their thinking.

In my own room,
I had been pacing,
And dreading exams,
I soon would be facing.

My roomate was speechless,
Her nose in her books,
And my comments to her,
Drew unfriendly looks.

I drained all the coffee,
I brewed a new pot,
No longer caring,
That my nerves were shot.

I stared at my notes,
My thoughts were all muddy,
My eyes went a blur,
I just could not study.

"Some pizza might help!"
I said with a shiver,
But each place I called,
Refused to deliver.

I'd nearly concluded,
That life was to cruel,
With futures depending,
On grades earned in school.

When all of the sudden,
Our door opened wide,
And Patron Saint Put-It-Off,
Ambled inside.

His spirit was careless,
His manner was mellow,
And all of the sudden,
He started to bellow.

"On Cliff Notes, on Crip Notes,
On Last-Year-Exams,
On Wingits, and Slingits
And Last-Minute-Crams.

"His message delivered,
He vanished from sight,
But we heard him laughing,
Outside in the night.

Your teachers have pegged you,
So just do your best,
Happy Finals to All,
AND TO ALL A GOOD TEST!