The white cliffs of dover

We had an early morning so that we could get on the coach to head to Dover where our ship was located! It was such a beautiful view of the English countryside! As we approach, we see the Dover castle and those famous white cliffs. BEAUTIFUL! The views we saw on this trip were breathtaking. We got on our ship seamlessly. It was the first time on a cruise for both Austin and I! We were beyond excited! However I hadn't eaten that day so we went to have lunch in the dining room and I got a little case of motion sickness. But some food and some ginger ale cleared that all up! We had our safety meetings and then we were on our way!

A day in London

After a long flight, we landed in London at about 5:30 in the morning. After a scary taxi ride (I swear we could of gotten in a million car accidents) to the hotel. We dropped off our luggage and started on our way around the city. However little did we know that nothing really opens until around 10 there. That did not stop my dad from wearing us out by the time 10 o clock came. We picked up our London Passes and we were off! Of course we had to take the cliche picture in front of the telephone booth.... but come on, how often are you in London?

We saw the Tower of London on a fun boat tour, the London Eye, Big Ben, the Westminster Abby, and much more. The buses get you around quickly as long as you figure out which ones to get on. We went to lunch at this nice italian place which is right where exhaustion kicked in. We took a quick power nap and went back on the town. We ate at planet hollywood for dinner and shopped away. Then it was back to the hotel so that we could get ready to head out for the ship the following morning! Cruise ship here we come!

Since school is done

Everyone is getting ready for heading back to school and it keeps hitting me that I am finally done:) so happy about that!
I transferred up to the Holladay branch from Payson at the beginning of July. My commute went from 1 hour to 15 minutes. I was feeling up my car every four days and that changed to every two weeks. It has been awesome! It has been quite the adjustment. Every branch does things different but I just felt out of place for the first little bit. I had no idea where they kept anything (still don't know everything yet but I am trying), getting used to different coworkers (I had the hardest time leaving Payson; my branch was amazing and I had the bestest friends there), different management, and just trying to figure out the swing of things at the new branch. I also was able to go through loan training at our corporate offices with my friend Andy from Payson and I am so glad I got to go with her, I felt so lost! They cram so much in in one week. I did my first loan this past week and I was terrified!
I also got the opportunity to switch from part time to full time at my branch so that new shift will start in September! Things have just fallen into place up here.
I spend all my free time with my family! Paul and claire came to visit and it was so fun seeing them. I can't wait until he is done with school and hopefully move back! I hand out with my sister in law crystal at least a few days a week! Plus I can't get enough of my niece and nephew, cutest kids alive!!!!
We also had family pictures done, which I will post as soon as we get them back! We have had a few additions since the last ones like 5 years ago!
I am feeling really grateful and blessed for how things are going and how things are turning out up here!

{graduated}

A little late, but I am officially graduated from Brigham Young University! I graduated with my bachelor's degree in Geography. Odd, I know. I am not really planning to do too much with it but it was something I was passionately interested in and I loved everything I was able to learn from my amazing professors and the classes that I was able to take!

I was fortunate enough to walk in April even though I still had to finish my spring semester. That term ended June 20th and what a better way to celebrate it than to welcome in my baby niece! She is adorable; I could hold her forever!

It is the best feeling knowing that I am FINALLY done with school! I keep feeling like I am forgetting an assignment or something, but it is so nice to know that I am not! It frees up so much more time! But I know that wont last too long, I'll get busy doing other things!

Graduation

Cap and gown ordered.

A month and a half until this semester is over.

Finish my online class as well.

Take exit assessment.

Walk at the end of April.

Finish my last semester at BYU in June. 

Is it finally here?!

I'll try and be better

Once I am finally done with school (which is in June by the way!!!) I promise I will be better at updating the blog. I have so many stories and pictures to put up. I have been slacking hard core. I want to be able to document everything so that I can remember everything that happens since my memory fails me multiple times.

For now, the christmas holiday break was great! It was hardly a break though. I still worked my usual hours and had both my brothers, sister in laws, and nephew over at our house during the break which was so fun! I miss having my family so close and being able to hang out with them whenever... It's been quite the transition since Paul and Claire left. At least Jeff, Crystal, Hudson and baby #2 are moving back in a few short months! I am beyond happy!

It does feel nice to get back in the routine of everyday life though. Like I said earlier, I'll graduate from BYU in June this year! It's been a  long time coming but I am grateful for the time I've spent there, it really was a great education. After I graduate I will look to transfer to a branch closer to Salt Lake and hopefully a full time spot. As far as what I want to do after I graduate? I'm not quite sure... for now I'll just go with the flow.

Aust started his second semester at SLCC. He isn't loving his english class so much but we all have to take it right? He is busy working for his dad at Piano Liquidators as well as tuning pianos. Poor guy is always so booked. I really appreciate what a hard worker he is. I dont know how I got so lucky:) He is going to a music festival for work this week in California. He will be gone 5 days and I think I am going to die. That is the longest we have been apart since being married and I know its pathetic but I am going to die! He leaves today and I miss him already!!!

Also, he has been helping me workout at the gym! He has been showing me different exercises for lifting so that I can get more toned as well as work on my abs. I actually really enjoy it! Especially more than cardio..... It's so funny because I used to LOVE cardio and now not so much! I'm hoping to keep going at least 2-3 times a week!

Well I know its a novel. I need to update it more. I'll get better.

Not enough time...

School and work have been keeping me super busy! I feel like I havent even had time to breath let alone see my husband because we both have been so busy! Thank goodness it is thanksgiving break almost... and I have to work the entire time except for the actually holiday... oh well!:) I still havent even had time to blog about my wonderful trip to nebraska to see my family! I have the cutest pictures... coming soon i swear! I hope everyone has a great thanksgiving!

a whole lot of random

just an update of randomness:)

So october is gonna kick my trash with school, tests, presentations, papers... needless to say i will be grateful when november comes and it isnt as crazy.
At the end of this month i get to go visit my family in nebraska! and get to see my favorite nephew:) he is the biggest cutie!
I am missing my family a whole lot... jeff and crystal have been gone almost 2 and a half years and paul and claire have been gone since july and so that just leaves aust and i in utah.... as we are doing all this fun fall stuff and general conference and stuff i am just missing them so much and wishing that they were here enjoying all this stuff with us...
I had my one year review at work and it went really well. I got a nice raise, they want to send me to loan training within this next year, i start integrity service at the end of october so i can progress to an MSR2 which you also get another raise and just means that you are stepping up and i am so excited! and i am also the official work party planner.... haha how i got that i have no idea!  but im in charge of all that jazz. work has just been going so well and i feel like im really growing and i dont want to leave my branch! so who knows what is in store in the future... maybe i'll stay there and work full time after i graduate? idk.
Aust and i get to go to the carrie underwood concert and i am stoked! i cant believe he got me those tickets:)
Aust is liking school and im so proud of him for all he does! He sure is busy.
Our volleyball calling keeps us busy on thursdays but its fun! now if only we can get more of the girls from our ward to come..
Today is my nephew's second birthday! oh how i wish i could be there with him celebrating and watching him open gifts and things he is too dang cute! soon i will be there! and tomorrow is my sister in laws birthday! she is so cute i just love her!

our special day:)

so yesterday as you know was our first anniversary! my husband is so amazing and so so sneaky! the stuff he gets away with..... haha he truly made the day so special! he stayed up til 6 am the night before trying to prepare it all! so he snuck these beautfiul flowers into my work:) with some notes... it turns out those notes contained hints and they became steps I had to do in order to get to the next step. After work, he took me to dinner, then it said to go to where we were married for time and eternity:) we went to the temple and sat by the reflection pool and just talked and told each other how much we love each other <3 (sappy i know! but just deal with it!)
then it was onto bowling where i had to win the game in order to get the next step.... i did of course!
then it was off to the airport where he convinced me that we were flying somewhere.... we didnt tho as it was a thursday and we both had things on friday haha so it was back home!
then he gave me a special letter and then a decoder to figure out a secret message...
the message was "will you go to the carrie underwood concert with me? (i guess he got my hints that i REALLY wanted to go)
of course i said yes!!!! and he gave me the tickets... needless to say he totally spoiled me.....FLOOR SEATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so excited if you couldnt tell!
i have the best husband in the world... i love him more than words can even describe! I am so lucky to have him and that he found me and we were able to get sealed together for eternity... :) i have no idea what i would do without him! he is my bestest friend! I love you Austin Rawlings!

has it really been a year??

wow.... tomorrow is the day that i was able to marry my best friend! it was the most amazing day of my life! i wanna just take a min to say how much i love my husband. i appreciate everything he does. he makes me the happiest person in the whole world and i am so grateful that he found me <3. he is so perfect. i can completely be myself with him. he continues to make me a better person. i cant even believe how fast this year has flown by and how much closer we have become, both with each other as well as our heavenly father. he is my bestest friend and i cant live without him. i cant wait for millions of more anniversaries with him! and i cant wait to have our own little family (in a bit...). even through the trials that we go through and will go through in the future, i know that my life with him is just perfect and we can make it through anything as long as we have each other! he is my sweetheart and i love him so so much! im so grateful for everything he does for me and for us and what a hard worker he is. i will love him forever and ever.
sorry for the sappy post
happy anniversary sweetie!

life for now..

So school started for both aust and I which is keeping us plenty busy! I really like my classes they are just a lot of work... but what class isnt haha. We also got a calling back in our home ward..... Aust and I are the new young womens sports directors! kinda funny but i think it will be really fun!!!!! the only downside?? our first game is on our first anniversary..... ya:( that day at least we get to celebrate in the morning.... haha and i guess we will do something fun that weekend since our anniversary is on a thursday! not exactly what i had it mind for our special day but oh well thats life what can you do...
On a second note.... we get to go to nebraska at the ed of october! i cant wait to see my brother and sister in law! and who wouldnt be excited to see my oh so adorable nephew:) he will be two by then! oh my gosh time needs to slow down!

So it was aust’s birthday on the 17^th! I was so excited because I had had his surprise planned for like 6 months no joke! I took him up to park city and we went on the alpine slide, zip line, and alpine coaster! It was so fun and both of us had talked about doing that since we started dating and we never had! It had been years for both of us since we have gone and it was a blast! Then we had dinner at this fun little Italian place up there at the place…. Then for the biggest surprise! I found this deal on KSL for a one night stay in a villa at the Zermatt Resort up in Midway!!! I have only been to this place once but I remembered it being beautiful and swiss! It reminds me of being back in Switzerland and I miss it so so so bad! I told aust that if we ever have enough money when we are older I would love to buy a second house up in Midway or time share or somethingJ I just love it!! Anyways we got checked in there and it was a beautiful room! It was huge and had a kitchen and everything! We went swimming and then relaxed in our hotel with some hot chocolate.. mmmmJ then we had an adventure with the smoke alarm in our room and a room next to us because apparently they are connected.. but at least it didn’t keep us up at nightJ. The next day we went to mimi’s and we had these coupons and got a free 4 pack of muffins!!!! And a free entre and 10% off! I love mimi’s!! and we also packed and then had our pictures taken for our one year anniversary!!! They are gonna be so cute! And I loved our photographer! For any of you interested her name is Hannah Smith and her business is called Etre Photography…. Loved her! Cant wait to see our pictures! Then Sunday was the big moving day of getting everything out! That was like the worst day ever… I officially hate moving! But we are now out of our apartment officially and its pretty nice so far! Sorry this post has been all over the place! Pics wont load... i'll post them soon!

moved...

Wow what a crazy month! So many things have changed this month.. its official we moved out of Orem and we are back in Sandy! Aust started a new job and is also starting school! Yes I am still commuting to Provo for school and Payson for work for now… and no it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but we are still saving more money without paying so much rent and I really do love everyone I work with down in Payson… so I will wait for the right branch to open up and I might transfer in while!

Aust and I have become so much closer to our savior during this month and we are so grateful for the trials that we have had to and continue to go through! We know for now that this is the right decision for us and we are just excited for wherever this journey takes us!

http://www.thepinkpeonies.com/2012/07/a-giveaway-worth-entering-100-winners.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thepinkpeonies%2FpCNd+%28pinkpeonies%29

the 24th!

I just love bank holidays:) no work! and it helps that we didnt have school either! Aust and I just gotta sleep in and lounge around and then later when it got a little less hot (so i thought....) we went mini golfing!! I won both games:) AND got 2 holes in one!! plus a pounding headache because it was so freakin hot! even in the evening! I just love spending time with my bestest friend! I can't believe we have already been married almost a year.... wow! time flies!

Our adventure!

So for the past few weeks andy and her fiance ty and us have been planning to go shooting yesterday because I have never been and have been dying too! and apparently ty goes all the time so it was perfect! well other then all the fires that have been happening.. our boss {andy and i work together} went to west mountain {where we were planning to go} last weekend and ended up getting a criminal tresspassing charge because i guess he made the whole mountain private so you can no longer go shooting and four wheeling which was the plan...... i was SO bummed!!! but it ended up working out because andy's dad had made these kyaks a few years ago and so we decided to take them up to payson lake for an adventure! It was a blast! It is an arm workout thats for sure! we even kyaked over to where you can jump off the dock and after much convinving andy finally jumped! Then andy and i took them  out by ourselves and we went and stopped over by this bridge and i made the perfect parking job.... but as i was trying to get myself out.... i tipped the kyak:( i tried so hard not too but gravity eventually got the best of me and i fell into some shallow water with many rocks hahahahaha well someone had to do it so i guess it was me! we were able to get most of the water out.... {so we thought} but when we got back to the boys to have them tip it out... boy were we wrong!!!! needless to say we are FOR SURE doing that again soon!! We thought about getting way good at it and going on a river kyaking/camping trip! we'll see!

Wow its been a while...

With one of my classes this past semester I have hardly had time to do anything let alone blog... first things first! At the end of May we were able to go with my family to Chicago! It was a blast! Freezing but so much fun! We were able to see two pro baseball games as well as a few boat tours and just so much of Chicago! I will admit Aust has most of the city pictures.. i was more concerned of taking pictures of my adorable little nephew:) I was so lucky to spend time with him and that he was able to play with me and get to know me and love me:) he would run into my arms i just love him!

Wearing uncle aust's hat:)

This is a beautiful view of the city from the Shedd Aquarium

 Here at the White Sox game:) dont worry we almost died after the game

 Whenever he saw a train.... CHOOOO!

 Both the boys... out cold!

 Is he not the cutest?? look at those cheeks:)

 Milwaukee boat tour

 Milwaukee!

Here at the Brewers game!

The end is in sight!

Well I am all set to graduate BYU in June next year! Granted that is a year away, the end is in sight and I know the year will fly by especially since I have already registered up until winter semester. It feels good! I cant wait! Also as much as I have loved this semester and have been extremely lucky with my classes, I am ready for it to finally be done.... whooo! almost there!

MOAB!

This weekend we had the opportunity to go with my brother and his wife to Moab and hike at Arches National Park! Let's just say this was definitely an adventure... I'm sure I can't tell all the stories but first i must say, somehow we ended up staying in the handicap room....

I wish i could upload all the pictures but I'll just do a few.... I'm glad we could go, it was a blast!:)

And then before we headed home, we had to stop at hole in the rock! that was just as much of an adventure as moab! Plus they had a zoo!:)

bored out of my mind....

Every thursday...... Aust goes with his brother to some grappling class and I don't go because i find it boring to watch and usually have stuff to do at home.... anyway after i've done all that stuff.... im stuck at home.... lonely..... every thursday..... suggestions???