RECENT STUFF!

I haven't taken many pictures lately, or done a whole lot of exciting stuff, but surely there are some things to remember from this week!!

• We got 4 new Ameraucana chicks last Friday. We got some of the smallest ones in the bunch. One who I call "My Little Sugar" died through the night and I found her Saturday morning. It was pretty heartbreaking! 
• The other chicks and chickens are all doing great. The three older girls are all laying and roosting in the right spot -- woohoo! The other chicks are all playing keep away with the dumbest things, eating SO much, and I'm about ready to move them out because their chirps are crazy loud!
• Jake and I spent an hour or so last Saturday cleaning the ENTIRE coop. We had been piling shavings and what not on since we moved in and it was probably 6 or so . . . maybe more . . . inches deep. The girls were making a little nest in the corner, so I thought this might help with them laying in the right place. So we cleaned it all out, put new bedding it, and now they're all laying in the right places! 
• When we were cleaning the nesting boxes out, I found 2 eggs from Courtney's chickens from probably a year ago, literally. They were blue and pretty. They probably had been frozen for the majority of the time but they honestly didn't look that bad!
• I pretty much think about having a baby all the time. All the time. 
• Jake and I have been watching Fixer Upper and it's so good. We also are somehow watching The Blacklist, Dexter, and Hell On Wheels simultaneously. I'm also keeping up with Grey's and This Is Us. I know -- impressive.
• My sister is coming for a whole week in March! Woohoo. My grandma is coming, too. It'll be fun.
• In April, we're going to Vegas and staying at an amazing resort with Chris! So pumped -- it'll be perfect right before finals. :)
• Our house is pretty much complete! There's still a few things we could add, but for the most part, it's looking good.
• Ralph paid for Jake's truck to be fixed. He's too nice. I don't know what we'd do without him.
• Jake and I are obsessed with this video, when the little boy says "Girl". Hahaha. It's so funny! Every time we are having a little tiff or anything he'll just say "GIRL" the way the kid does and it's all over.
• Jake also has this habit of pushing me off the bed right before I'm about to fall asleep or if I'm teasing him. He HATES when I do a lisp or make gross sounds with my tongue and he'll push me off. Or if he thinks I'm being too rude, he pushes me off. It's kind of funny, but mainly for him because when I try to push him off, I can't . . . he's too strong. Hahaha
• We're also so excited for April because our cousin Hailey is getting married at Provo City Center. She invited us to be IN the sealing with them, which is so special. Not only that, but Jake's family will be coming for it. We're so, so excited!
• Jake scored the highest grade on one of his soil tests. The professor recognized his name and congratulated him. Jake would never mention that but I think it's pretty fun. :)
• This weekend is a 3-day weekend! Woohoo! I think we may go to Goblin Valley with some friends but just for a day trip. It'll be fun. :)

One Positive Thing 2/6

Today I realized that I didn't have to take my test yet, but that Tuesday is also a regular day for the test! So instead of booking it to the testing center after my last class, I met up with Jake, got my debit card and car keys, left him to take his test and I went to the grocery store BY MYSELF! Usually it's me and Jake which is also so fun, but sometimes it's nice to just go through each aisle slowly. We needed so many things I couldn't even make a list for it all so I really did go through every single aisle, even the pet aisle. . . which is funny, because for our pets, you can only find their stuff at IFA. :)

But when I got to the grocery store, I got a front row spot. You know, the spots that are right next to the handicapped spots. So that was awesome! I pulled in, and then when you walk into Smith's, they have a chinese food place inside..... I was starving so I also stopped there! Haha. I got some fried rice and started shopping in no hurry at all . . . not a care in the world!!! It was so awesome!

When I left, I wasn't sure I would have time to take it all home because I wasn't sure how long Jake's test would take, but I went ahead and drove home anyway and I was able to unload everything, unpack the pork into little plastic baggies, eat my cucumbers that I had soaked in lemon juice the night before, let my chickens out to roam, check on the baby chicks, jam to Taylor Swift on our echo, and then grab my book and drive back to get him. He hadn't even texted me yet, but it was getting close to being two hours since I had left him and I just sat in the parking lot waiting for him to tell me he was done! Not 5 minutes after I parked, he was ready. He texted me, "I'm coming to kiss your face off!" Hahaha

It turns out that he was super excited about his grade, BUT DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME WHAT HE GOT . . . He was telling me that his lab partner had gotten an 80 on the multiple choice, but I, being the mean wife I am (ha ha), didn't ask what he got because I wasn't sure he wanted to tell me . . . but then later he said, "I was trying so hard not to tell you what I got!" And I said, "What'd you get?!?!!" and he said, "You'll have to look yourself!" And so I pulled up his grades and he had gotten a 100% on the multiple choice! So proud of him! Hahha

Anyway! Monday was pretty good, and we got 2 fresh eggies from our chickens.

One Positive Thing 2/5

Today was the Super Bowl! We went to church at 9 and then hung out at home until we went to Amanda and Kyle's around 4:30. I remember last year's super bowl and during it, Jake had recorded himself singing/playing one of my favorite songs and texted it to me... I thought he was the biggest dork but looking back, it was the sweetest thing ever! We had only gone on like, two dates at that point :)

We spent the day at home for the most part, playing with the chicks and what not until we went to Kyle and Amanda's. On our way, we picked up Ruth and Anna. When we got there, it was so fun. . . there was so much food and everyone snuggled up on the floor and couches. There were seriously so many pillows and blankets it was crazy! It's always so fun to be with everyone. There was a ton of salsa and guacamole, Jake's nachos, some candy chex mix, sodas (ginger ale. sick!), and then near the end of the night... snickerdoodle cookies and hot fudge sundaes! We get seriously spoiled when we're over there!

Overall the whole night was so awesome. Even though the patriots ended up coming back and winning, we all had a lot of fun. We are lucky to have so much family so close to us!

One Positive Thing 2/4

AHH! WE GOT BABY CHICKS! AND THEY'RE SO CUTE!

Today was so good! We had our sweetest little cousin's baptism in the morning, where we were able to visit with lots of family . . . even Grandpa and Grandma Blackwelder! They flew in just for the baptism. They're the best. Sydney is the sweetest girl and we're so lucky we get to spend so much time with her!

After, we went to the Mauldin's house and ate the yummiest homemade cinnamon rolls, juice, hot chocolate, and fruit. We hung out with family and enjoyed our time. But then I had this idea: We need to get chicks today. Our cousins Anna and Ruth were there and were willing to go with me while Jake studied. We went to a couple different stores before deciding which ones we were wanting to get and then we dropped Jake off and went back to get them! Jake told me to get 3, but I got 4. . . and they're the cutest little things!!!!

We brought them home in this little "chicken crate" and as Anna was holding it, they were pecking her fingers wondering who the heck she was, I'm sure. We set up a rubbermaid plastic tub for them with a heat lamp and they all went to the food immediately. We were in heaven. We got them all out and were just snuggling them! Their personalities showed pretty quickly; one kept trying to use her wings even though she's only less than a week old, another kept trying to run away, another was fast asleep in Anna's hands, and the last one just kept eating . . . Chicks are the best. Jake says I'm probably going to spoil them, but spoiled chickens are the best because when they get older, they still recognize you as their mom and will follow you around and possibly even sit in your lap. If we're not going to have a baby or a dog, we'll have chickens that follow us around!

That night, we went to the BYU basketball game and then grabbed some ice cream and when we got home, for the first time all day, it was just me and Jake! We laid down on the floor, got the chicks out, and just let them run around the carpet . . . pooping everywhere. Hahahaha. They're lucky they're cute! He was trying to pretend to be the Mama Hen and was covering all four of them at once with his hand. They were SOOO quiet and I'm sure sleeping just under his hand. Chicks are pretty used to being smooshed under their mom's wings, so he pushed their little bodies down and you can feel their whole tiny body breathing.

Chicks. Are. The. Best.

They're going to grow so fast over these next couple of weeks and get so stinky, but we're so excited to build our flock . . . hahaha! We're weirdos. Well, mainly me.

**I don't know what happened to the picture of my all black chick . . . I'm on the hunt for it.

One Positive Thing 2/3

Oh man... Today was awesome!

Jake and I both took a test together and even though we were both trying to beat each other, we both got 92s! That's pretty good in our book.

When we went home, we tended to the chickens (of course) and then we were getting ready to meet our friends at the ice castles . . . but before I did that, I had to go check on the chickens one more time and move the light into their coop. AND WHAT HAPPENED?!?! I FOUND EGGS!!!!

I came out of the backyard dancing with three eggs in my hands with tears in my eyes . . . SERIOUSLY! I was so excited! My chickens finally laid us some eggs! And after only a few days of supplementing light and only 3 weeks after their big move! We were so excited! Jake pretty much jumped out of the car and was like, "NO WAY!" We took them inside, looked at them, took a picture of them, laughed at how dumb it was to be so excited that a chicken laid an egg . . . you know, what they're supposed to do. . . but it was so exciting! Our first eggs! We're doing something right!!

After we found our eggs (and sent pictures to our families), we drove up to Midway and went to the Ice Castles with our awesome friends Logan and Monica. They just got engaged a little bit ago and they're always fun to be around. We talked about their wedding plans and caught up on Christmas break, our wedding, and their missions over Thai food after the castles! We love them because they're both so down-to-earth, fun to be around, have our sense of humor . . . and best of all, are tired by 9:00 like we are. :) After our date Friday, we went home and watched a couple episodes of The Blacklist. We're still trying to figure out what show we want to dedicate time to.

Anyway, life's good! Even with midterms!