Thanksgiving 2012

Our Thanksgiving was a little out of the ordinary this year, but since it was so much fun, we might just travel every year! We took a trip to Washington D.C. and spent Thanksgiving Day with Josh's cousins and Aunt/Uncle. They were all so nice and welcoming. We really enjoyed eating/spending time with them and getting to know them better! Thanks for everything Atkinson family!

On Thanksgiving morning, Josh and I got breakfast at IHOP (yum!) and then went to the Bull Run Battlefield and walked along the trails, enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery. The ground was wet in some places so we got pretty muddy, but it was worth it! I remember reading about that place in history books and wishing I could go there and see what it was like....and I got my wish! Maybe by the end of my life I will have gotten to see EVERY historical site that always intrigued me. That means I'm going to have to live a really long time!

Walking along the trail through the battlefield

Where the Battle of Bull Run took place!

The rest of the day was spent eating, laughing, and talking. One couldn't ask for a better Thanksgiving!

The next day we headed out to downtown D.C. to check into our hotel and start day 1 of touring. We purposely got a hotel right next to all the historical sites so we could walk everywhere, but even then, it was a TON of walking! I actually LOST weight this Thanksgiving! ha!

Our first stop was the Capitol Building. It honestly felt like we were in Europe, it was that gorgeous. 

The Library of Congress was AMAZING! It was so beautiful inside, and the books were incredible.

The National Botanical Garden was as gorgeous as it sounds. It would have been really relaxing walking through it if it weren't for all the people! D.C. is incredibly crowded and Josh said this is the off season!

Josh's favorite stop was the National Air and Space Museum. It was pretty dang cool with all the old planes hanging in the air and the space shuttles you could walk through. 

We also visited the National Museum of Natural History. Dinosaurs are always cool, but the mummies were my favorite!

We also stopped at the Sackler Gallery, the National Native American Museum, and a few other museums but it would take all day to post all the pictures. We knew Tour Day 1 was a success because of how bad our legs and feet hurt by the time we got back to our hotel that night.

Tour Day 2 was different because a cold front came in over night and it suddenly dropped to 30 degrees! We had only brought sweatshirts so we had to basically run from site to site in order to keep warm. By the end of Day 2, I had caught a horrible head cold and spent the night shivering in bed with a sore throat and sinus problems. It was really weird how it just hit me like that. I guess we overdid it, but it was totally worth it! I saw more American history in 3 days than I have seen in my entire life!

The Washington Monument. 

The WWII Memorial. As you can tell, IT WAS COLD!

I was so excited to see the Lincoln Memorial. He was an incredible president and the statue of him here was just as amazing!

It was really sobering to see how many American Soldiers died to keep us free at the World War Veterans Memorial. 

The White House! This was as close as we could get to it (bummer) but still cool nonetheless. 

Standing outside of Ford's Theatre, where President Lincoln was murdered.  We decided not to get tickets to go inside because the line was too long and it was freezing! Right across the street we saw the house where Lincoln was carried to after he was shot, and eventually died.  

Josh and his buddy at the Naval Monument

Our last stop (before I decided I was getting too sick to stand the cold any longer) was at the National Art Museum and I am so glad we went! It was beautiful and had such lovely paintings and statues. I'm not a big fan of modern art, but the old paintings always get me.

This trip was great and believe it or not, we didn't even get to see it all! This means we have another trip in the future....one that incorporates Gettysburg somehow. 

Mood Killer

WARNING: this post is a little PG-13.

Nothing kills the "night time mood" more than trying to be all sexy with the dimmed lights and cute little outfit, when suddenly your husband jumps out of his skin and attacks your leg! I didn't know what to think...but let's be honest, my first thought was, "oh come on now, I've been going to the gym!"

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it......  that little black exoskeleton with long antennas and big black pinchers on his behind........

Needless to say, the rest was chaos. Josh was scrambling around the bed to grab it.... I was yelling at him to kill it.... and the last thing I remember is him capturing the little stowaway and throwing it.

We both sat there staring at each other for a long moment and then burst out laughing. "What the heck was that?" was all I could say  in between laughing and trying to breathe again.

That's when we realized that the "it" was still alive.....

Yes, instead of killing it, my knight in shinning armor decided to throw it!

He was still alive....lurking....somewhere in our bedroom. That was too much for me to handle. I immediately started shivering and scratching everywhere, imagining the ugly creature coming back into our bed while we slept for seconds.

So we jumped out of bed and began the search. I wasn't going to stop until he was found, and I have to give the little guy props, he was REALLY good at hiding.

Once the perpetrator was caught and properly disposed of, we attempted to go on with our night, but it just wasn't going to happen. I couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened and every 5 minutes I would burst into laughing again.

Poor Josh...... probably not his greatest night.

We Made It!

Well, we made it through the first week of living in North Carolina. Those first few days were a little rough. Not because the people were mean or the city is horrible, because it was actually the complete opposite of that. People from the Church were constantly calling/emailing us and asking if we needed things or if we were doing okay. One couple even brought by cupcakes to welcome us! And as for the city, it's absolutely gorgeous! I've never lived anywhere as beautiful and charming as Chapel Hill. No, the roughness came from our sudden reality check that we were no longer "home." That our families are thousands of miles away and it would take a 5 hour plane ride to ever be able to see them again. I have never had anxiety or panic attacks before, but on the day that we left Utah, it was bad.

On day 2, our stuff arrived. We had only planned on it being us and the two movers to unload the truck, but then out of the blue, 7 people from the Church showed up to help too! We got the whole thing done in less than an hour! I can't say enough about the people in our new Branch (it's too small to be a Ward). They are true examples of what it means to be Christ-like and they make me want to try harder so that I too can live the gospel the way it was intended to be lived. Josh and I spent the rest of that day/night unpacking things and attempting to get organized. By 10:00 pm however, the panic attack started setting in for both of us. "What are we doing here? What were we thinking?" were the questions we started asking. So Josh had the brilliant idea to get out of the house and go somewhere familiar to help calm us down. The problem is, nowhere in the South is familiar....... so what did we do? We went to Walmart! I know it sounds ridiculous but we took a lot of comfort in walking around Walmart and buying things for our new home. Something about there being a Walmart in Utah too made everything feel much better. Like I said, crazy....

The next couple of days were spent unpacking and after a while we didn't even feel like we missed Utah anymore. Maybe it had something to do with being surrounded by all of our stuff again? Or maybe it was just the shock of moving 2000 miles away wearing off? Either way, as we went on walks around the neighborhood and began feeling more comfortable with the territory, we actually started feeling at home! We decided to be brave and go to a fall chili cook-off our Branch held on Saturday. It was awkward at first because we didn't know anyone, but within minutes that "southern hospitality" kicked in and we were instantly surrounded by new friends. That made church the  next day much more enjoyable because we actually knew a few people. Oh and by the way, coming from Utah where there is a church on every corner and everyone around you is Mormon, this whole Branch thing is soooooo different. We don't even have an actual church to meet in! We meet in the basement of an office building in a town 20 minutes away from us! It is crazy different, but you wouldn't believe how awesome it is! There is a feeling of family and camaraderie that exists in this small Branch between all of its members that is so unique and unlike anything we have ever experienced. The people are truly loving and thoughtful because they are all each other has, not because they want to get a gold star from the Bishop (sorry but sometimes it feels that way in Utah).

Now basically all that's left to do is finish decorating the apartment and then we are officially all moved in! Josh started his job yesterday. I was dying for him to come home and tell me all about it! He is going to have  A LOT of responsibility but I think he will do great. Basically he is his own boss and has the finances of 5 different MBA programs (around 1500 students) to manage. That is a lot more pressure than I would ever want, but he's the one who went into Business Administration so more power to him! As for me, I've already got a friend/walking buddy! She lives just down the street so it is perfect! We walked around yesterday and she showed me different parts of the neighborhood I hadn't seen yet and gave awesome advice and fun facts. For example, she showed me that Michael Jordan's Mom lives just down the street from us! Cool huh?! So all in all, this past week turned out to be pretty great! I even talked Josh into buying me a new bike so we can get into biking around all the neat trails they have here! We have been very blessed and I have seen God's hand working for us on more than one occasion. Thank you to all of our friends and family who have called and texted, letting us know you've been thinking about us. Your love has been felt!

Our new home

Happy Birthday Josh!

Josh turned 28 on Tuesday! It was right in the middle of our packing/moving situation so it wasn't anything grand, but he said he had fun so that works for me! I gave him his presents first thing in the morning (all he wanted were UNC clothes and jerseys, which is soooo typical Josh). Then we went to McDonalds for breakfast. We wanted to procrastinate packing as long as possible, so we sat there and talked for a couple of hours (which was actually really nice). Then we spent the rest of the day packing until dinner time when we went with his Dad to Texas Roadhouse.

Josh and his Dad

Me and the Birthday boy at dinner!

Josh got to ride the Birthday saddle at Texas Roadhouse (he wasn't too enthused but we thought it was hilarious).

Then later that night Josh's brother and his family came over for Cheesecake! I had accidentally packed away the candles (oops!) so we lit a Yankee candle and put it next to the cake for Josh to blow out (hehe). I felt bad for not having enough time to make him a special homemade cake this year, but as always, Costco never fails me.....that cheesecake was pretty dang good! We had fun sitting around the table talking to Nick and Jen and the gang, we are really going to miss them!

The whole gang (minus Josh's Dad who is taking the picture)

The next day, after another long day of packing, we went out to the Olive Garden for another Birthday dinner with Josh's Mom (sometimes divorce is kinda nice...). I was surprised because Josh actually ordered something different than "the usual"..... maybe his tastes are maturing along with his age? All in all, I think it was a pretty good Birthday. Maybe next year things won't be so hectic and we will get to go on a nice trip or something. Happy Birthday my love! May you never die.

Saying Goodbye

The hardest part of moving far away is having to say goodbye to the people you love. We have so many amazing people in our lives who lift us up and have always been there for us when we needed them. I wanted to write this post so I would always remember the special moments I had saying goodbye to these certain special people. We love you all and are going to miss you so much! 

Josh's brother Tony and his family came to visit this summer and we had so much fun!  The weather was beautiful and the kids were adorable. This is my favorite moment with them. Josh was playing football with Tony and Jaxson, while the little girls and I collected flowers and pine cones and did a random cartwheel every once in a while :).

I adore these two giggling beauties! This is the note that I came home to after work one day that they were dying to show me :).  We had so much fun painting nails and doing "girl stuff." 

Sadie and her boyfriend also came to visit us for a couple of days before she had to start the Fire Academy. We went hot tubbing, ate at fun restaurants, did some gym time (as you can see by Sadie's huge muscles!), and played with Tony's kiddos. I was so glad we got this time together!

Then I went to Nevada to see the rest of my family. I spent the night with Grandma Helm in Boulder City and did our usual dinner outside on the veranda at MILO'S BISTRO. We talked til late into the night and then the next morning went to IHOP for some breakfast. She is an amazing woman and I am really going to miss her.

My Aunt Diana and Uncle Kenneth met up with us at IHOP so I got to see them too! The Helm side doesn't get together unless somebody dies so I was glad they could make it!

Jura has been my best friend since elementary school. It still amazes me how close we are and that we have been able to maintain that friendship over the years even though we lived in different states. I loved spending the day shopping and talking with her like old times and then later that night going to a Mexican Fiesta that her ward put on, and then staying up late talking and getting an essential oil massage from her! Thank goodness for cell phones because I would be so lost without this girl!

***(I also spent time with my Aunt Heidi and Uncle Brian in Las Vegas but sadly I didn't take any pictures. As always, Heidi and I talked for hours and got all caught up on life. Brian is going through a hard time right now and I was glad I was able to be there to talk to him and hopefully cheer him up a bit.)***

I loved spending time with my wonderful Mom in Overton. We made a little routine while I was there of going to McDonalds every morning and getting a drink and oatmeal and then bringing it home and talking while we ate it. It sounds stupid but those moments were so comforting to me and I will cherish them when I am far away from home in North Carolina. We also bought essential oils of our own (thanks to Jura's oath that they heal everything) and I gave her and Briana a massage. My mom's massage was calming and wonderful, but Briana's was a different story. I had forgotten to dilute one of the oils and ended up burning her face! But don't worry, Karma struck later that night when I did the exact same thing to myself and spent over an hour in the bathroom trying to make my swollen/painful face heal and go back to it's normal size.... Briana walked in on me and couldn't stop laughing......yes, Karma.

Briana and I have a tradition of going to "the Inside Scoop" every time I come home to visit and sharing an ice cream. This isn't the greatest picture of us, but I wanted to remember this special moment of bonding over sister talk and Raspberry Sorbet. It was a little weird for me because she is in High School now and our talks are getting a lot more PG-13, but it was fun and I hope we remain this close for the rest of our lives!

Sadie was accepted into the Las Vegas Fire Academy and as tradition stands, had to buzz off all of her hair! I was so glad I could be there for this special occasion, if not just to have the opportunity to make jokes about her looking like a turtle ;). This is her with her "Mohawk" before the rest of her hair was chopped off.

The final product! I am so proud of you Sadie, love you!

Family Night for the Fire Academy. My Grandparents live in St. George now so this was the only time I got to see them. I feel so lucky that I have had them in my life and that we are so close. It was fun walking around the academy and getting to see what Sadie will be up to for the next couple of months and even getting to see pictures on the wall with my Grandma Helm of my Grandpa Helm's Fire-Team back when he was still alive!

Briana and I goofing off before we left the Fire Academy and went to a Mexican Restaurant in Las Vegas to celebrate Sadie and this big accomplishment! A better picture of the two of us was definitely a must!

Tyson and Wrandi came to visit us once I got back into Salt Lake. The guys had fun watching football while Wrands and I talked. We are really going to miss them!

What would I do without my Wrandall? We met Freshman year of college and have been the best of friends ever since! I'm hoping they come visit us in NC very soon!

And then there's my Susie-Q. We also met freshman year of college and have been like sisters from the start. I loved catching up on life and wandering around the City Creek Mall smelling Yankee Candles and catching up on the latest gossip. She is joining the Navy after she graduates this year and hopefully will be stationed somewhere back east next to me!

I wouldn't have met Josh if it weren't for Susie, so I owe her a lot. We have always been like 3-peas in a pod and have lots of funny stories from the past that we love to reminisce over when we get together. We met at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch to say good-bye. I hope this move won't stop us from always being close. 

Meeting up with Josh's Mom and Step-Dad was the highlight of our week. They are such amazing people and we love them dearly. We ate at "Mimi's Cafe" and talked about the big adventure ahead of us. They had plenty of advice to give us that will be very helpful since they just spent the last two years far far away as well (In New Zealand). 

Dreams Do Come True ~ Now Off to North Carolina!!

I have been wanting to post this for a while now but we had to make sure all of our ducks were in a row before we let the world know what's going on...

JOSH GOT HIS DREAM JOB AS DIRECTOR OF FINANCE FOR UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA!!!!!   (Go Tarheels!)

Those of you who are close to us know how hard he has worked and how long we have waited for this amazing opportunity to arrive! (Now here's where I do some  bragging...) My talented, extraordinary, dedicated, and persistent husband has been working for the University of Phoenix for the past three years, biding his time and learning the trade of finance in higher education so that some day he could take over a University (we weren't sure which one at the time but did plenty of dreaming) and be their Director of Finance. Other Universities in various states had previously made offers but it just never felt right. There was always something wrong that made it a deal-breaker. The hard part was trusting our instincts, being persistent, and continuing to apply and interview without getting discouraged and feeling like the perfect job was never going to come. And then September came....We had our Mediterranean Cruise all planned out and ready to go. We both scheduled two weeks off from work and were counting down the days til the middle of September when we could travel around Europe and experience new cultures and all the fun that comes along with that. Then the University of North Carolina called.... they wanted to interview Josh right when we were supposed to be leaving on our cruise :(. So we had some big decisions to make and finally concluded that we should put a hold on our trip and  make UNC the new plan B. So off we went to North Carolina (I got to go too!) for Josh's interview and to explore the area. Basically after a few days of our vacation we concluded that we absolutely love it there and were dying to hear back from the hiring manager as to whether Josh had made it to the final round of interviews or not.

Waiting is always the hardest part and I didn't want to waste the two weeks I had off from work just sitting around the house waiting. So I decided to go see my family! Josh decided to tell his boss he wouldn't be going on vacation anymore and head back to work, so he didn't go with me. That wasn't an option for me since another nurse had already been scheduled to fill my position so I took full advantage of my time off! I spent a week in Nevada visiting friends and family and loving every second of it!! I will write another post on that later.

While I was in Nevada Josh got the phone call we had been waiting for! He was selected as the candidate for the position!!! I was so ecstatic that I immediately started crying as soon as I hung up the phone. I was hoping that when he got the call I would be there with him so I could jump into his arms and give him a million kisses and then later that night go out and celebrate. But life is funny that way, things always work out with a twist. So I celebrated with my friends and family and Josh did the same in Salt Lake City with his family. Rest assured though, when I got back into Utah, we did plenty of celebrating which started with dinner at the Cheesecake Factory! Now we are focused on planning out the move. It is still so weird to think that we will be living on the South/East Coast very soon. But we couldn't be more excited!!! I am so proud of Josh and what an amazing example he is. All I can say is God has truly blessed us. That about sums up everything.

The buildings were so exquisite. The campus felt like we were in the
old south surrounded by massive plantations!

The inside was even more gorgeous than the outside!
This room was full of old Rembrandt portraits.

Josh goofing off (as usual) before his interview

The gorgeous gazebo in the center of campus

BYU vs UTAH 2012

Josh's Mom and Step-Dad came home from their mission last week so Josh's whole family came to visit. It worked out perfectly that the big BYU/UTAH game was the same weekend! Half the family was in red and the other half was in blue. That made the game even more fun to watch, especially since Utah won (hehe). 

Hanging out with Jaxson (our nephew/cougar fan)

That's another win for Utah!!!

The LaFeber boys in their element. It was so funny watching how animated they all got during the game!! Especially at the end when they had to push the Utah fans off the field 3 times to give BYU more chances to put the game into overtime....luckily their kickers suck ;).

The night was beautiful and the company was great...... Life is pretty dang good.