Glenwood

Last weekend we drove up to Glenwood where my aunt, uncle and grandpa live for a weekend visit. We met my other aunt and her two daughters (and families) there too.

The week leading up  to the little vacation I wasn't too stoaked to go. The plan was to leave Friday and stay until Monday. Which meant I wasn't going to get to see Jeb for a whole 14 days.

Imagine such a horrific thing! Sheesh!

But I decided to "get over it" 'cuz our whole family doesn't have much extra time to spend together anymore. One of the disadvantages to a growing family is more schedules to coordinate.

I ended up really enjoying the weekend.
Lots of laughter, food, conversations, and time together.

I am truly blessed to be apart of this family.

Some cousins aren't in this picture and they were sure missed.

My sisters and I had a blast with Leanne and Kati.

And their husbands and kids. So stinkin' cute those kiddos are!

I know I have said it before are I will probably say it a million times more but I am blessed.

Leanne and Kati have been a part of my life in so many ways. We may not be close in miles but they both have always put in the effort to be apart of whatever my sisters and I are doing.

We ended up making it home in time for me to squeeze in a quick visit with Jeb before he went back to work.

******OTHER NEWS!*****

Yesterday Tuesday June 21 I FINALLY passed the written cosmetology test, so as of 9:45am yesterday I am a licenced cosmetologist in the state of Colorado!

Job-Shmob

About a week ago I lost my summer cooking job at a local restaurant because the owners were having some court / rent issues and were forced to close. Mid prime time tourist season I might add. (Some people's idea of making money where we live is so irritating to me.) But, I only know the owner's side of the story. and I feel really bad for them. I can only imagine what it must feel like getting ready for your busy season and then BOOM! You are now closed!
 "Thank you don't come again!"

So, I have resolved to tackling my long and drawn out "DIY" List, that includes non wedding and wedding items alike.

I started making Jeb a quit for his dorm room last summer.
As you can tell I don't have much motivation.
But, as of earlier this week I have found the push I needed to finish it. I have 9 9" by 9" squares left to sew together then, I will actually start sewing the 63 different squares into what I hope turn out to be a quilt.

Although my Grandma is a wonderful teacher, (very patient and wise) I'm shakin' in my space boots.
I have never made anything this "grand" without her guiding my every step.

Wish me luck!

One of the wedding DIY projects I have finished is my "Planning Wall"

I'm pretty proud of how it turned out. Although its hard to see in this picture (I took it with my phone.) There are 3 calendars and "to do" lists below.

There are many more projects headed my way that I am so excited for. I have also been given opportunities to make some money doing random day jobs here and there which is nice until I can get back into a full time paid position.

I'm very lucky to be in this living situation. I have been raised to believe if you are able then, you should work. I know that I am blessed with not having to pay any bills besides my college loans and part of the wedding, and blessed to be able to spend my paychecks whenever they come on wedding items alone. But I need a job. To consume some of my time, to put some money in the bank, and to invest in my many projects to come this up coming year.

Sunday Afternoons

Jeb has started his internship down in Alamosa, which he is loving. Me on the other hand,

well, I'm doing okay.

I found a job that I get to work 10:30 to 4 Monday through Friday cooking in a local resturant.

Tuesday night dinners at my cousin Leanne's house helps out a lot too.

Oh and Friday or Saturday night trips to the local movie theater with my sister Karly have been fun too. (Last Friday we saw Water For Elephants soo good!)

I plan on having dinner with Jeb's mom Gail once a week too, since she is in the same boat as I am, her husband (Jeb's Dad) drives back and forth to Riffle every week. She is much better at this long distance thing than me.

It helps a lot that I am surrounded by people that love and support me, but I miss Jeb a lot.

I am starting to dive right in on this wedding thing, I'm hoping it will start consuming more of my time on a realistic level instead of just spending hours and hours on a new website my cousin Leanne told me about called "pinterest". Its really fun! But not very wedding planning material at this point.

Right now, the best day of the week is Sunday. "Its Sunday night in bed and I'm alright!" Just kidding I love all of Sunday.
 -Church
 -Jeb's Home
 -My Dad's big Sunday dinners
 - no work!
 - the list could go on and on.

This last Sunday we visited Lacy at her new waitress job here in town after church. It was really fun!

Tudesday Night Dinners

We started doing weekly dinners with my cousin Leanne and her family. Its been fun thus far and I am looking forward to all the Tuesdays to come.

Here are a few pictures from a few Tuesdays ago, it was one of the last dinners that Jeb got to go to.

News!

I have been and currently am working on our wedding site at request of Jeb's mom.
Its been pretty fun so far considering there isn't much to include about wedding details because there aren't very many yet.
There is a section to tell stories, and so far I have written 5 about how we started dating.

If you would like to take a look it is
www.mywedding.com/jebandmarylin

Have a great week!

To Sad Endings and Brand New Beginnings

Jeb and I are officially home from college, and right now it’s for good.

 I didn't finish my degree; I have decided I want to work in a salon for the rest of my life. Jeb will leave for Alamosa to do his internship this next month (which I am dreading) I am staying in Westcliffe this next year, hopefully working, starting and finishing numerous projects that include re-finishing or painting furniture I have been given these last few years, and most importantly plan a wedding!

JEB AND I ARE GETTING MARRIED!



He hasn’t proposed or anything, we have just decided that next summer is the best time to start our married life, and start our grand adventure.



We were going to get married this August but we took the wise advice from our parents and decided to wait for a year.



So Jeb will be in Alamosa and I will be here until next summer.



I am hoping to do most of the wedding by myself with help (of course) from my mom, Jeb’s mom, my sisters, our dads, my cousins, my grandma, and the list goes on and on. The numerous DIY projects that will be related to our wedding I am hoping will keep me focused and time fly.



I am also really excited to start working out at home with my cousin and my mom. My goal is to lose 5 pounds a month up until the wedding. Leanne and I are going to start swimming (after she teaches me) and my mom and I are going to walk and lift weights. That should take up a few hours of my day!



At this point wedding planning isn’t too intense, I’ve just been looking and ripping apart magazines, thinking, dreaming, and talking with Jeb and our families.



The few things I do know at this point are

·        I want my grandma to make my dress

·        I want her to make my sisters dresses

·        I want my wedding outside and reception inside

·        July 7, 2012

·        I cannot picture marrying anyone else

Jeb and I were talking a month ago about when each of us knew we were going to get married and he said to me, “I think I always knew.”

There is no doubt in my mind that I am marrying my very best friend and the only boy who stole my heart

He is the only one who I trust with anything

The only one I am 100% open and honest with

The only boy I ever dated and wasn’t bored with in 2 weeks.

He treats me like gold and loves me unconditionally

There is no one else I can picture standing at the other end of the isle when I picture my wedding.

Broke By Sunset

NJC holds a contest every spring where 4 second year students compete against each other, and well time to "break" a horse.

Students all draw out of a hat for which horse they get at 9:00a.m.

and have to work with a halter broke horse for the remainder of the day.

This is Jeb and the horse he drew (my favorite out of the four {Lucky me}) Most of the morning was filled with "Ground work" lots of touching, rubbing, and in my words loving.
Jeb saddled and un- saddled his horse a few times, made him trot to the left then to the right... lots or repetition.

Then, Jeb made his horse lay down with the saddle on his back, and again started patting, rubbing, and "loving"

Jeb also worked a lot with his rope, making sure his horse wouldn't spook around it. He made lots of noise with it around the horse, he made the colt walk over it, and walk around it, just to get used to it.

Then Jeb SLOWLY got on his colt

Calmly

and quietly

He got on!

In the middle of the day, (lunch time) the students gave their horses a break, in the afternoon Jeb rode his horse a lot, back and forth back and forth back and forth, then at the end of the day, each student had to do a pattern around half of the arena, to show if their horse could not only walk, but trot, lope, stop, and back up too. This was the only part in the day that Jeb's horse decided to not get along with Jeb, but Jeb stayed patient and worked the little kink out of his colt. After the pattern each contestant had three minutes to show something that their horse could do.

Jeb stood up in his saddle and did a rope trick.

(too bad by this point my camera was long gone :( )

I am very proud to report that JEB WON!!!

He won a few prizes for all his hard work, which made him blush, but I was so proud of him. He was so patient with the horse he worked with all day.

I am excited for him to start training horses on a regular basis, and with more than just one day to work with them.