Thanksgiving in Cinci (and photo dump)

We just got back from thanksgiving break in Cincinnati! It's always so nice to get some down time at the farm and hang out with family. We were able to get flights last minute thanks to Jake's dad, and we were so excited to get some time off from school. Jake just got a job where he works 12 hour shifts, on top of school, research, and volunteering, so this break was much needed!

We were able to spend most of our time just at the farm hanging out together - eating food, playing games, sitting by the fire. We took June in the hot tun for the very first time, watched movies, and went to the Cincinnati Zoo festival of lights! They hadn't been in a couple years, so it was exciting to go all together. On top of that, Tracey bought a pass where all her grandkids and a couple adults can go for free for a year, so I know where we will be this summer! I'm super excited.

Thanksgiving Day was fun, too. Not too many people came over, so it wasn't too hectic and it was really fun to catch up with some of Jake's extended family. The best part was that June took a three hour nap during the time that we ate so I ate handsfree and then she woke up so happy. Everyone was wondering where she was and I was really surprised she was still sleeping, especially when it was so loud.

When she finally did wake up, Scott was the first one to hold her. Haha he sat her on the counter with him and gave her a biscuit to suck on. Too bad she has two sharp teeth and bit a piece off, started gagging, and she got a little scared. I ended up taking her outside by the fire so some other people could love on her. Then when she was ready for bed, she went down no problem. I guess there's something about Cincinnati or maybe all the stimulation that makes her so tired and sleep so well. I'm not complaining!

June and I were able to spend some time feeding the animals. She loved it, even though it was SO FREEZING. It was so cute bundling her up in beanies and jackets to make sure she was warm. She loves being outside, so it was obvious that she was going to love it. One morning when we were getting all the feed ready, a couple of the little pigs had gotten out and come to the garage (they know where the goods are) and as I was holding her, she was just straining her neck to look down so she could see these creatures walking around on the ground. She was mesmerized! She also loved petting all the cats and the dogs, which was surprising to me. I'm always scared she is going to get scratched because babies are just rough with fur, but she really did pet them softly. Except for the one time that she pulled Harley's paw, but luckily Harley is used to that. I really love watching June explore at the farm; I can't wait until she can walk around and actually do some exploring!

Here are some photos we took over the week:

Farm photo drop

We just got back from an awesome, much needed vacation at the farm with all of Jake's family. It was so fun to spend a couple weeks with everyone AND my sister and mom decided to join for a couple days too which was great!

Our time at the farm was mostly spent relaxing, helping with chores, planning future farm things, eating, swimming, and playing games. It's crazy how fast time goes when you're with everyone you love, doing things you love... We looked forward to our trip for so long and then all of a sudden it was over!

One of the best memories from this trip is when Tracey and I went to Adams County which is about an hour and fifteen minutes away to pick up some beef jerky and visit their family friends who happen to be Amish! I've always found the Amish religion so interesting, and when I got to meet them last summer, I wanted to chat with them again! We headed out in the early afternoon and stopped at Maryann's house. She had been making lunch for her family but was willing to sit down and visit with us.

When we first walked up to their door she saw June and said, "Oh that's a fat baby!" Haha I was like she sure is healthy. She also has had babies with Cystic Fibrosis so I'm sure it's obvious when a baby is a fatter baby. I definitely took it as a compliment. Inside, she whispered something to her youngest daughter and immediately she ran to the back room and then when she came back, she had some toys for June in her hand. I thought that was so nice, and helpful especially because June is super interested in toys right now.

As we sat and chatted with them, their son and then her husband, Marvin, came in to join. Maryann asked about all of the kids, remembering them all by name which is so sweet. And then they told us their big news - they're getting out of dairy farming and doing meat cows now! Apparently that's a huge switch for them but I hope it goes well. They are so nice.

We only stayed for about 20 minutes, but then we went to Miller's which is a glorified grocery store, bakery, and furniture store. It was the coolest thing -- all these Amish prepared foods and the cutest "worker girls". We bought TONS of beef jerky for trek the next day and then we went to the bakery and holy moly sugar explosion. It smells SO AMAZING when you walk in there, and then there's loads of options from turnovers to pies to breads and donuts. We got some bread and a couple turnovers and called it a day.

The cashier was a man with a beard and he was looking at June and asked how old she was. I said she's 4 months. And he asked when her birthday is and I said March 13! He said, "My wife and I just had a daughter on March 27th." I was like, "Ah that's my birthday!" It was sweet, you could tell he was thinking, "I have a baby this exact same age at home." Then Tracey told me you can tell they're married when they have a beard. Something I didn't know! Overall it was so much fun just to spend some time with Tracey and visit what felt like a whole new world.

Here's a photo drop of some of the things we did while we were there. . .

Uncle Brent! 

Chillin with pops in the car on Sunday, eating snacks and drinking 5 hour energy... (Not me, Jake.. haa) 

This was the night a videographer came out to the farm to interview us and hear the story of the farm! After all the interviews were done, we were sitting on the polaris watching the boys trying to catch the horses without grain. I think I snapped this picture, but when I looked back on it later I was in awe of HOW CUTE it is!!! We love cousins 

HUBBA HUBBA 

Christmas in Coppell

We spent Christmas in Coppell with my family and it was really fun to see everyone, especially my sisters! We were able to fly standby (Thanks Aunt Beth) and it went over pretty well in regards to getting on flights quickly and we were happy to be in Texas! It rained for the first day or two that we were there, but the weather was at LEAST 30 degrees warmer than Utah!

Leading up to Christmas, we were hanging out with the McDades, and visiting some other people I hadn't seen in a while. We went to Torchy's Tacos and Anamia's of course. But mostly we were doing puzzles (like 4 500-piece puzzles), watching Christmas movies, and enjoying each other's company. It was nice to slow down for a little bit and relax.

We also got to go to the Dallas Stars game and Jake LOVED IT! He is now a hockey fan, and Miranda and Marla even got us the cutest 2T jersey for our baby. The game seriously was so fun and it was even better that we won. For medical school, we're definitely looking at cities that have hockey teams. :)

We were staying at Beth and Bob's house which was awesome because each night we got to go home and just be by ourselves! Nearing the end of our stay in Coppell, I felt like we were going back to Utah too early, but I didn't really want to stay in Texas for much longer. I asked Aunt Beth if she could list us on a flight to Cincinnati and she said YES! It didn't end up being that much more expensive, either, which was awesome. I planned on surprising Jake while we were at the airport (and I wish I would've been patient enough...) but I couldn't keep it in! I told him the next day after she listed us on the flight. Tracey had been posting pictures and videos of the family chopping down trees, of the sheep, and awesome fires . . . everything going on at the farm seemed too fun to miss out on. Tracey was in on the plan and off we went!!

Jake was super excited to see his brothers. We had a really fun trip, but it WAS FREEZING. Holy cow it was cold. It was like you couldn't go outside unless you were wearing a full on Carhartt suit, a hat, gloves, etc. It. Was. Freezing. The creek had actually frozen over and we played a little creek hockey . . .

We ended up doing many of the same things at the farm we did in Texas like playing board games and hanging out with family, but it was fun just to be able to see everyone in the holiday season. It was crazy because for both families we were like, next time we see you, we'll be parents!!!

It was a super fun Christmas. I love our families!

Wedding: The Reception!

We did a ring ceremony before our reception and then we did speeches afterward so that our families could get to know each other a little better! 

We had cute flower girls, Jake's nieces, and little sister, and they were so fun! I think they loved doing that. And then we had the cutest ring bearer ever, Max! And we were so shocked at how well he performed his duties.. seriously! That boy is a little tricky sometimes so we didn't know how he'd do, but he walked down slowly, smiling at everyone and when he got to us, he gave each of us a kiss and then went back and sat with his family... Oh we love him! We were so glad to make the kids such an integral part of the day, especially since they were probably wondering why we kept keeping them out in the cold all day! Honestly, people should hire Max to be their perfect little ring bearer.:) 

The ceremony was great; our uncle Scott went above and beyond by preparing the sweetest eight-minute speech that included marriage advice, spiritual thoughts, and stories he thought we may want to hear. As we listened to him, I thought of all the blessings marriage can bring to Jake and me and all the fun we get to have over the years. I thought of how I get to hold his hand every day for the rest of my life. I thought of the sealing we had just hours before and how special the day was and was continuing to be. I thought of all the hard work and patience and planning it took to get to where we were and I was so grateful. So grateful that people had done so much just for the two of us.

After our ring ceremony, we had previously invited family and friends to give some speeches. I knew this was going to be a fun part, but also a part that made me cry like a baby... and it did not disappoint! The first to speak was our brother Brent and he had me AND Jake crying! His words were so sincere, genuine, and thoughtful... I love him. Lisette spoke after and could barely get her words out! Haha. Amanda, Carli, Beth, and then Ralph spoke.  They all had us laughing, crying, and overall, so grateful for our friends and family! We especially love Jake's sweet dad Ralph -- such an amazing, inspiring, thoughtful, kind man and I am so lucky to have him as my father in law. Of course he got a huge hug from the both of us! 

The reception was really so fun. I was the first one to get through the line of food, and it was SO GOOD. Our uncle Dennis did pork FROM the farm which was my favorite part! We also had mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, bread... What more could a girl (or 150+ people want?) We served apple cider, hot chocolate, and water... perfect for a cold day, probably. I snuck a Coke (and orange juice as seen in the picture below) in before the reception. Brian Busken also surprised us with cookies with our FACES ON IT! I didn't know who the culprit was, but when we were making our rounds saying hi to everyone he kind of snickered and said, "Do you like your cookies?" ... So sneaky. We have so many left over still. Luckily they taste so good, and we thought that was so nice!

We were honestly shocked at how many people came, especially since the day before it was freezing rain and the rest of the night showed it was going to be rainy... which on the farm, means so muddy. But people came and seemingly enjoyed their night (and especially the food) and it was so good to see them all. We are so grateful to Ralph and Grandpa Blackwelder for figuring out the tent situation - that baby was amazing! It had real doors on it and space heaters for those who were cold. We were able to fit everything perfectly in the tent -- the cake, the arch, the serving tables and even the drinks. Even though sometimes it felt like NOTHING was working out -- the few days before, everything just started coming together (and still is). 

As much as I can say I'm so glad this day is over and done with, I can honestly say it went exactly how I would have wanted it to and I would maybe relive it once or twice. So many hands worked for us that week. They put all the florals together, built as an arch (that is AMAZING), prepared food, positioned and re-positioned tables and chairs, made us a cake, set up the lighting in the tent, built fires, decorated, and in the end... the same hands took all the stuff down and made it look there was never even a huge, crazy tent there! I love my husband and I look back on this day as such a great day with the most important people around the both of us. So much love to everyone. 

Our Time in Ohio

After our wedding and honeymoon, we went back to Ohio to get in some major family time. Aaron had just come home from his mission and I wanted to get to know him better, but we also just wanted some lay low relaxation time at the farm. Every four years, BYU has 3 weeks off for Christmas break as opposed to its normal 2 weeks, so this year we got lucky!

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