Spring Break 2016

After graduation, Ethan and I took a month long spring break trip to visit our families and play before heading back to our full time jobs. Let's just say... we definitely made the most of our time off. First, we headed over to Colorado Springs to hang out with the Watsons for a week. During that time, we played tons of games and went on too many ice cream trips. We were too busy chatting most of the time to take any pictures, but I realize that this has become a trend, so next time we see them, I will have to remember to document. 

After fun in Colorado, we met my family in Nevada for a two-day handgun defense training course. Mark has been wanting to take us, and got the family passes for Christmas last year. I wasn't really sure how it was going to be, but it ended up being a blast! Katie had to work, but her husband, Chris, still came and it was loads of fun!

 

College Graduate!

CLASS OF 2016: WE DID IT!! 

In September 2012, I showed up at Brigham Young University in Rexburg, Idaho completely unaware of what I was getting myself into. Since my first day at that school, I have...

-taken 52 courses

-had 23 different roommates

-attended 9 semesters of school

-attended 8 weddings

-lived in 7 different apartments

-created 6 different PR proposals

-completed 5 internships

-survived 4 Rexburg winters

-kept 3 different jobs

-suffered 2 broken hearts

-failed 1 class

-switched my major 0 times

Pink & Gold Bridal Shower!

Back in February, I had the opportunity to plan a bridal shower for one of my friends. It was so much fun to plan everything, poor Ethan had a pink & sparkly home for the months leading up to the party.

Originally, I purchased a majority of the decorations, but at the end of the day, nothing was exactly how I wanted it, so I decided to save money and make everything by hand, I'm pretty pleased with how this bridal brunch turned out!

Here's a little peak into the special day!

Easter

Easter is kind of a strange holiday for young married couples. Do you get each other baskets? Do you hide them from each other? Do you make a fancy dinner? Or do you just think of the Savior and go to church and wait to start traditions until you have your own kids?

Ethan and I talked about what we wanted to do, and we decided that we would do Easter baskets. Anytime we would see an Easter section in the months leading up to Easter, we looked for baskets, but could not find anything cute. We ended up finding these cute matching totes in the dollar section at Target (holla! I'm obsessed.) And the Easter planning began.

For several weeks, we secretly decided what to put in each other's baskets. With stockings, baskets, and pretty much every holiday in general, we try to set a budget/limit so we are giving and receiving similar things. On Easter morning, I set out our baskets and when Ethan woke up, I told him we had to see if the Easter bunny had come yet!!

He did.

Birthday Month! Part II

After such a perfect birthday, thanks to Ethan, I was more than anxious to get his birthday going. I had been planning Ethan's birthday for a couple months and could not wait to surprise him, especially after all he did for me. It was torture waiting for his birthday to finally come.

His birthday is March 26, but we decided to celebrate early with Ethan's brother and our friends, Katelynn & Erik. Because of this, I decided to treat Ethan to a little pre-birthday breakfast.

That night, we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner because Ethan really wanted their steak. Look at how happy he looks with the addition of shrimp to his plate!

After a delicious dinner (and no dirty dishes to clean!!), we went back to our house and had everyone over for games and a birthday treat! We played a couple of party games, and then busted out 'pie face'. It's this hilarious game where you spin a dial and have to turn a knob on a contraction as many times as the number on the dial says. Essentially, every once in a while, the hand comes up and pies you with a face full of whipped cream. It's hilarious and everyone was laughing. I wish I saved more pictures of it, but here is what I found...

I had someone make these cute Star Wars cupcakes for his birthday. They even had a delicious chocolate chip cookie dough filling! Yum!

Birthday Month! Part I

Now that its officially not March anymore, I guess it's time to blog about all the March happenings! March is a busy month in the Watson home because Ethan and I are both March babies! However, this year, Easter and lots of homework also squeezed their way into this month, so there was a lot going on.

Ethan's brother and mom also have March birthdays, and we were able to stop by and bring Ian some cupcakes that were American history/war themed for his birthday... so fun!! And they turned out great!!

The weekend before my birthday, Ethan and I went to get good Mexican food and drank some virgin frozen drinks to celebrate, yum!!

And I got the pair of Nikes I've been eyeing in the mail from my mom!

March 9th was my birthday, and I have to say, it was one of the best. Every year, I do something fun and exciting for my birthday, but this year, Ethan insisted on planning everything himself. I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical because I tend to be let down by my high expectations, but not this year. Ethan hit the ball out of the park and made me feel incredibly special. Since my birthday was smack dab in the middle of the week, I slept in a little and went to work. I work in the Advertising and Marketing office on campus, so my co-workers put a happy birthday wish on the monitors that play advertisements around school, so fun! They also brought me other treats, and it was very thoughtful.

While I was at work, a cake-shaped flower arrangement was delivered from my sweet brother, Alec.

 


After work, Ethan and I went straight to our ballroom dance class. We were both exhausted and anxious to get home, but Ethan suggested we finish the class. Little did I know he had arranged for my friends to arrive at our house during dance class to surprise me.

Home Sweet Home!

As we pack up this apartment, our very first apartment together, I can't help but feel a range of emotions. This is the first place we got to call our own.  This is the place where we hosted our first Halloween murder mystery party, our first Christmas gift exchange, and our first Easter dinner. This is the place Ethan cooked me steak for the first time on Valentine's Day, and it is also the place I learned that I need to prepare dinner nightly, or my husband will starve. This is the first place we bought furniture for, decorated, and cleaned... every single weekend. 

There were lots of surprises, packages, milk shakes, game nights, dinner dates, Netflix marathons, flowers, prayers and cuddles in this apartment. This apartment holds lots of laughter and some tears too. 

We don't own this house, in fact, sometimes, we struggle to pay rent to the people who actually own it. But, this is the place we came home to every night. A place we felt comfortable, warm, and safe. 

However, I am so excited for the homes we share in the future. In one of those homes, we will have our first child. Eventually, we will celebrate birthdays and leave for vacations. We will buy tiny beds for our babies who will occupy the extra rooms instead of the storage that is there now. We will watch those babies put out cookies for Santa and pack their bags for the first day of school. We will teach those kids about the Savior and His love for them within the walls of those future homes. We will have many ups and downs within the walls of those future homes as these big changes happen in our lives. 

So for now, I am extra grateful for the place Ethan and I got to call home for a short period of time as newlyweds.

We spent the first seven months of our marriage in this tiny place. 

It wasn't much, but it felt like home because of who we shared it with... each other.