Pomp and Circumstance

I graduated! Finally! I am so excited to be done with my bachelor’s degree. I am ready to move to Ohio and start a new phase of life.

Here are some pics from the graduation ceremonies.

Making the walk across the stage.

My awesome family at convocation.

My sweet brother and sister.

Papa Ben and me in our robes.

Both sets of parents were so supportive as I got my degree.

After commencement my mother threw a celebration party. There were so many people there to support me. My grandma Jo even made me a beautiful quilt with fuzzy minky. Emily was sweet to hold my niece Lila most of the time. Lila loves Emily.

Lila didn’t know what to think of my parent’s little dog Missy. It was a mix of sheer  joy and sheer terror.

It was a great weekend. Thanks everyone for being so supportive!

Life As We Know It

Life is just zooming by here in Pocatello. Here is a snippet of our everyday goings on.

Benj got this anatomical skeleton model for $4 at the DI. They are normally pretty expensive, so we thought it was a steal! No, it is not a Halloween decoration. It is an actual model with all the correct grooves and holes and notches. He wants to put it in his doctor’s office someday. Speaking of which, we are going to Ohio State University! It’s official! We will probably be moving there at the end of June or first part of July. We are excited to be Buckeyes! 

Still enduring the freezing cold, hoping for spring.

Pocatello

Every once in a while we make it down to Rexburg to see family. This is Benj and our niece Lila having a good time.

Benj has been working at an assisted Living center. He won the Best Hair award at work. Hahaha.

I have been babysitting my cousins on days that I don’t get a sub job and I sure love those little boys. I have substitute taught a couple times, but I am always on call.

Benj has been doing lots and lots of gigs on his bass. He has been playing in the play Forever Plaid at the Center Stage Playhouse here in Pocatello (well, actually Chubbuck. same thing) almost every night for the past couple of weeks. He has done a great job!

I am the secretary in the Young Women’s and an assistant camp director in our ward. I love the girls and the leaders and it keeps me busy. We learned how to make three different kinds of pizzas last week. These two girls and I made the dessert pizza. It was delicious!!!

I am still cooking a lot. I am part of a group called Daring Kitchen where I get two challenge recipes a month that I get to try to make and experiment with. Check it out on my food blog: www.ediblexperiments.blogspot.com

We got a new exercise machine thingy. It is called a gazelle and I love to watch the Cosby show and exercise at the same time. It was fairly inexpensive and it folds up really nicely so we can move it around and out of the way pretty easily.

I graduate on April 8th and 9th. We are enjoying this short stage of life where life is good and we are in between undergrad and grad school. We are excited for the next stage, but loving life as it is.

Introducing…

In the last two months I became an auntie to two precious little babies. My sister-in law Jessica had a little girl and my sis in-law Beth had a little boy. Don’t you just love all the thick, dark hair!

Evelyn (Evie) Jane King

Ezra Jonathon Lawrence

We love you Evie and Ezra!

Boise Trip

In January Benjamin had an interview for medical school. It was with the University of Washington, but they had regional interviews so we only had to travel to Boise. While Benjamin was at the interview I checked out of the hotel and went to the Discovery Center of Idaho a couple blocks away. Later on I found out that my mother used to take me and my little brother there when we were little all the time.  Benjamin’s interview was really close, too so he was able to walk over once the interview was over. We stayed there until it closed. That night we wandered around down town and ended up eating at a little Basque restaurant. Benjamin felt pretty good about the interview but we wont find out if he gets accepted until the end of March or first part of April. It is our top choice, so we are really hoping and praying that they liked him.

Here are some pictures from the Discovery Center:

Benjamin is making his own remote control car thingy.

This big robot arm spelled my name with blocks.

They had a bunch of exhibits about light and color.

 

At this exhibit you can manipulate light with different shapes and colors of prisms and mirrors. 

This was a chair that let you experiment with pulley systems. You could pull your self up to the top of this big wooden structure.

In this exhibit you could make different balls float above this strong air stream. The whiffle balls floated the highest.

The big yellow thing behind Benj and me is a huge dish shaped thing. There is one across the big room opposite from this one. When you stand facing the dish and whisper, you can hear it loud and clear on the other side of the room facing the opposite dish. It’s pretty cool.

I am not sure what I am looking at, but I am sure it was cool.

I am just taking a rest on a bed of nails. Comfy. They actually don’t hurt at all.

There were over 500 interactive exhibits that kept us entertained all day. We’ll post it once Benj hears whether or not he gets accepted.

Home for the Holidays

We had quite a busy holiday season and we are just now recovering from all the hustle and bustle. Right before Benjamin graduated we drove to Salt Lake to see Benjamin’s brother and sister in law who were there from California for a wedding. Benjamin graduated on December 18th and I am so proud of him. Then we came to Rexburg for Christmas, went back to Pocatello a couple times for Benj’s job, and came back for New Years and to see my brother Riley who was home for about 10 days. As soon as all the holidays were over we prepared for another busy week and a half of traveling. We drove to Boise for Benjamin’s interview with University of Washington Medical school.  I went to Provo and auditioned for a New Testament movie that the church is doing. Benj went back and forth from  Pocatello and Rexburg each day so he could be to work in the morning and play his bass for the play Forever Plaid at night. Well, now it is the third week of January and we are just now taking a breather. It was a blast and we are so glad that we had so many fun opportunities and got to spend time with family.  Enjoy some of the pictures from the holiday season.

I know I look kind of scary in this picture, but isn’t my little niece Kalina just priceless? She is so sweet and cute and I am so glad I got to spend some time with her!

We were able to go to a couple of my little brother’s basketball games. This is Benj with my cousin at one of the games.

Nice shot, Joe!

Benjamin and our niece Lila ready to go out and play in the snow.

Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Andreasen’s.

Benj singing Christmas songs on Christmas Eve.

We spent Christmas Eve at the Andreasen’s. My little brother, sister, Benj, and I all slept in my sister’s room. This is all of us waiting on the stairs for the cue to run down the stairs to see what Santa brought.

Yay! I got a photo light booth!

We gave Joe a couple pounds of Peach Rings.

My dad got a Machete for Christmas. He was pretty excited.

Emily got me this super cute hat and a new whisk. Perfect!

After opening presents at the Andreasen’s, we went over to the Romney house. Pappa Ben is making his traditional Christmas morning omelets. Yum!

Pappa Ben always has the neatest Christmas trees!

This was the board after a major game of Carcassone. And if you have ever played that game, you know that’s one big city on that board. Five different people worked together to make that huge city and we almost didn’t make it. It was intense.

Riley came home on leave from the army bearing presents. We love you Riley!

Mario Kart Tournament!

Fireworks in the backyard on New Year’s Eve.

New Year’s Eve

Winter Wonderland at the Romney’s

Merry Christmas! Happy New Years! Happy Holidays!