22 years old.

I turned 22 today.

The big 22!
We didn't do too much. I got my hair done and We went out to dinner.
Happy Birthday to me!

Our story:

Happy Valentines Day!

{Picture taken last year winter 2008}

Larry and I met in the singles ward in El Dorado Hills California. He was 23 and I was 19. He was trying to figure out what to do with his life and so was I. I had just graduated from high school and was getting ready to go back to BYU for the winter semester when I met Larry. He was funny, nice, complementary, and pretty good looking when he got all cleaned up. We spent a lot of time together listening to music and just talking. I wasn't sure really if we were dating but when the time came for my to move back to Provo I couldn't commit to moving. Once that happened we really started dating and in a matter of weeks it went from I want to get married to when are we getting married conversations.

We took a trip to Utah over conference weekend so I could meet his parents and a week later we got engaged in his sister Carlene's backyard. We were married 5 months later in the Oakland California temple. Our engagement was a stressful time in the short while we had known each other. My parents were not thrilled by my choices of forgoing BYU to get married...and I was so young. There was a lot of tears and hurtful memories around our wedding that I don't want to really remember. I planned everything by myself and Larry's mom made my wedding dress.

It was a simple wedding really and a beautiful simple reception at the Martin house in El Dorado Hills. We got married on a Thursday, spent one night in San Fransisco, had our reception on Friday and went back to school on Monday. We never got a long honeymoon and from that point on it was school school school! We lived in El Dorado hills for 4 more months before moving to Ogden Utah and attending Weber State University where we live currently.

I am so grateful I met Larry and made the choice to marry him. He calms me down, puts up with our tantrums and is my best friend.

3 jobs?

Things are crazy right now. I am currently working 3 jobs. Yes I did say 3. Why do you ask? Because I am insane. Larry is working really hard in school trying to get the best grades and is also doing Moot Court, and Mock Trial so he is just too busy to work. I am done really with a lot of my pre-requisites for the nursing program and am just waiting to see if I get it. I am taking a full load but mainly just filler classes so I can work...and working I am! I am currently a supplemental instructor for Anatomy & Physiology. It really is a sweet job. I get to lecture 2 times a week for an hour to students because I kicked butt and got an A in both classes so I teach them the tricks on how to get an A too! I am also still working in the bookstore on campus which is busy off and on but I work there everyday and have made some great friends. It will almost be a year in April...time flies.

If that were not enough I just picked up a 3rd job which is a gross not so glamors job but is paying our rent! I work from 10pm-1am 5 days a week cleaning the gym. It is an awful job and I complain every time 10pm comes around but it pays well.

yes I scrub toilets on a daily basis. Yes I am a janitor.

Aren't we looking lovely...between the 3 jobs and the 26 unties we are taking this semester I am surprised we look this good!

Welcome 2009.

Happy New Year! We made it back to Utah! It was a long drive over the snowy mountains and I think we almost died a couple of times...but we made it alive! John came with us to visit before he starts back to school. I already miss my family and the warmer climate. Here is what it looks like from our windows from our apartment on campus. Keep warm!

A Crazy New Years Eve

We are spending New Years Eve with these little goof balls. The Martins are throughout a big party at there house with food, candy, and a hot tub. Happy New Years Eve everyone! Hope your night is fun and you have someone to kiss at midnight!

{Carmen & Howie Martin my sweet niece & nephew}

Just Call Him Lumber Jack Larry.

Larry is crazy. Oh and my brothers are crazy. Before everyone leaves to go back to school my dad wanted to cut down the front trees in our house. These trees are as old as I am and are starting to get a little dangerous when the weather is bad. So Larry being a boy, and the best son-in-law said he thought they could chop them all down. It was a crazy morning of chopping down trees and pulling them with cars. It was nuts and dangerous and I thought Larry would die because he was up in the trees with a stinking chain saw. They successfully cut down 4 huge trees and cleaned it all up and we headed over to Debbie Wong this Chinese place my family loves. It was a messy day. Its been pretty fun being back in California these last 2 weeks and I am not looking forward to going back to cold snowy Utah. It looks like John is going to come stay for a week or so though so that will be fun and prolong my sadness a little bit.

Family Pictures

I think these are the first pictures we have had of all of us in a long time. Tom was not in the country when Larry and I got married and went straight back to Hawaii after him mission and then we moved to Utah so really this is the newest in a long time! Emma Foell was baptized over the Christmas break and here is the proof! Did you know I love being with my family {most of the time} no really its pretty good some fights but not as many as we get older. Its fun watching the families grow as people get married and eventually babies will come along the way making it even larger and funner.

Recently things seem to change fast what with applying to nursing school, tutoring, marriage, jobs and everything its hard to keep up. It has been nice to take these 2 weeks off of work and school and just relax. After studying all semester and working its nice to just get a small break and have some sunny weather!