Well, Well, Well.....

DISCLAIMER: If there is actually anyone out there still checking this blog, I assume you've noticed we've taken a sabbatical from the blogging world for the past nine months. There are numerous excuses as to why I haven't updated, but honestly I kind of got sick of blogging altogether and since life has been so busy, AND we were back in UT where we didn't have to use the blog as a vehicle to inform family and friends back home about our lives, blogging became extremely LOW on the priority list (how's that for a run-on sentence?). I started the blog at the beginning of our law school adventure and since that chapter of our lives has recently come to a close, I figured it was fitting that I posted something detailing our last leg of the journey. Here is a "before & after law school" picture. Although the changes aren't blatantly evident on the surface, I can't even begin to explain the growth that has occurred within myself, Gage, or our relationship. It's been quite the ride....but I wouldn't change a thing.

So if you'd like to join me on an attempt to navigate through the happenings of the past 9 months, read on....

How do I begin? Well, as you know, Gage and I returned from Spokane last August in order for me to start my teaching career. I was lucky enough to get a job teaching 2nd grade and Gage was lucky enough to become a "visiting student" at the University of Utah School of Law for the fall semester. He also completed an externship while attending classes this fall. Needless to say, this fall went by like the blink of an eye. I was at school all day every day, planning, teaching, planning, and teaching. Gage was hard at work with his externship and traveling to SLC for his last semester of law school. December came quite quickly and Gage was an official LAW SCHOOL GRADUATE. The funny thing was that we didn't even begin to celebrate because we knew the real test (quite literally) was violently approaching. All of Gage's hard work over the past 3 years wouldn't be worth anything if he didn't pass the Utah State Bar. So two days after Christmas we began two of the hardest months of our entire marriage. Gage and his buddy, Taylor, spent ALL day EVERY day studying and preparing for the bar. Aside from studying all day, they spent 30-40 hours driving to and attending classes in SLC every week. I never saw Gage and when I DID see him, it was almost like he wasn't there because his mind was constantly worrying, thinking, and stressing about the bar.

Well, the time came - February 23rd & 24th - and the bar was finally over and done with. We spent another seven weeks waiting to see if he had passed or not (talk about a brutal waiting game). I'll never forget the day we found out what his results were. Gage was out running errands when I called him with the news that results were out. While on the phone with him, I found a thick envelope in the mail and started shaking. I remember saying "Do you want me to open it or do you want to wait?" For about two seconds Gage wanted me to wait, and then he said, "No, just open it now!" So I opened it and burst into tears....he had PASSED! All the stress and pressure from the previous months was gone! Just like that....GONE. Taylor and Chelsey had been going through the same battle (and came out victorious as well), and we went out to The Cheesecake Factory that very night to celebrate.

I think we all had permanent smiles on our faces for the next 24 hours. Oh and yes....those are braces on my face....another climactic event of the past few months. :)

So what have I been up to during this crazy time? Well I've been busy too; I've had the privilege of teaching 28 magnificent second graders and loving every second of it (well, ALMOST every second).

I have met some of the sweetest, smartest, most talented children on this earth and it has been a gift to be a part of their lives. I learned a lot this year...I could tell you everything I've learned, but that would take a whole new post....let's just say I take my job VERY seriously. We have one more week left of school and then it's SUMMER VACATION...I couldn't ask for a better job.


Just last week we traveled to Spokane for the ACTUAL Gonzaga Law School Graduation. Click on the collages if you want a better look.

We made many life-long friends while we were in Spokane, so we decided early on that even though Gage would technically graduate early, we wanted to go back up in the spring so Gage could walk at commencement with all of his friends.

The night before graduation, we had a party with all of our law school friends.

The boys shared memories and gave each other "awards." None of the girls really understood what was going on because everything the boys mentioned was an inside joke of some kind.

The graduation itself was awesome. The speakers were fantastic and the whole morning was something we'll never forget.





Our little vacation came to an end quickly and leaving Spokane for possibly the final time left me with a lump in my throat. As a whole, the trip was amazing because we got to reunite with some of our favorite people on this earth. I love the people I met there (L&H friends, friends from our church, and law school friends) and I know that the people are what made this whole experience so special.






Finally, just last Tuesday, Gage became an official ATTORNEY. He was sworn into the Supreme Court of Utah and the United States District Court.

I try not to brag (I swear the blogosphere has turned into the "brag-o-sphere"), but I have to say that I was so unbelievably proud of my Gager that day. It was the final hurdle in this seemingly never-ending process. Gage is an amazing example to our future family and I'm so happy he's mine. :)

So until next time, I guess. If something occurs that we feel is "blog-worthy," you might see another post; however, it might be another nine months before you hear from us again. Thank you for keeping up with us over the past three years and thanks to those of you who have left such kind comments and supported us throughout this process. We love you all and I know none of this would have been possible without the support of our wonderful family and friends.

Lately...

What a whirlwind the past few weeks have been! Gage and I drove down to Utah from Spokane last week and we were able to stay in Utah for a nice, long visit. We were happy to be here over the 4th of July since there always seems to be so many fun things going on during the week of the 4th. We had a few family barbecues, hung out with friends, golfed a few times (Gage), ran in the Plain City 5K, and (of course) watched the fireworks at Weber High.

Sadly, Gage had to fly back up to Spokane on Sunday in order to start school the following day. I stayed in Utah because there are about a million things I need to do before school starts!! My mom has been a HUGE help to me this past week in helping me prepare for teaching. We went to my school (Kanesville Elementary) and cleaned my classroom inside and out. It took about six hours and it was quite the job! The next day we went in and did more organizing and later went to purchase a bunch of supplies, books, puzzles, games, bulletin board stuff, and EVERYTHING else school-related. The best part about spending all that money was that it wasn't MY money - thanks to my awesome previous job, I got to spend without a conscience! :) Love that!

Gage has been working hard at school and the GU law clinic; he has been quite the trooper being in Spokane all by himself. Since we've been married we haven't been apart for more than 1 day, so these two weeks will be a little challenging! I get to go up there for the last time in a little over a week and then we will do the BIG move and finally be in UT for good. It's actually really bittersweet - I love Spokane and it will be a huge transition to be back in the Utah bubble. :)

There are many random pictures that follow.... I just decided to pack a bunch in from the past few weeks since I haven't had much time to blog.

4th of July Festivities:

I miss you, Gage!!

The Arnold boys.

Meg and Rach - we love our hammock!

The P.C. 5K - as I mentioned on Facebook, I had been battling a terrible bug/food poisoning/24-hour flu the entire day before the 4th, so we finished a little slower (24 minutes) than we hoped because I was so dehydrated. Gager was a sweetheart though and waited for me!!!




At the fireworks!

Love, love, LOVE my dogs.

Last few weeks in Spokane:
Meg, Rach, and Sam.

Rach (pictured above), one of my best friends, got me this cake when I got my job. I'm sitting by her adorable little boy, James.

Me and my good friend Steph. This was the day of her baby shower and also the day we had to say goodbye to each other! :( No fun!

The weekend before we came to Utah, we went to the Iron Man Triathlon in Cour D'Alene with our friends Heather and Tyson Dobbs (and their cute little boy, Brody). This was AMAZING. The Iron Man athletes complete a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a full marathon (26.2 mile run)!!! It was inspiring to watch; those guys (and girls) are like superhuman or something!!

So that's about it!! We hope all is well with everyone; we are loving the summer and hope you are too!

Goodbye to L&H

Last Friday was a tough day. An end of an era, if you will. :) It was my last day as a paralegal at Lee & Hayes. It's hard to believe that I worked there for almost two years! It seems like just yesterday that we moved to Spokane and I was searching for a job. Well, time flies when you're having fun. I've always said that if I couldn't be teaching school in Spokane, then I wouldn't want to be ANYWHERE other than Lee & Hayes. At first I thought it an inconvenience that I couldn't jump right into the education field after graduation, but now that it's all said and done - I wouldn't have had it any other way. I consider the experience a huge blessing and I learned so much during my time there. I got to dabble in a line of work completely unrelated to education and I have grown in a million ways because of it. I am excited to teach, but I will never forget the two wonderful years spent at L&H or the friends I made while working there.
Even though my last day was a sad one, and a few tears were shed, it was the best day of work I have EVER had. The firm put on a big lunch in honor of my last day and the food was fantastic. After lunch, one of the partners got up and made a little speech that made me (and a few others) cry! :) My supervisor then presented me with a card signed by everyone and a little "goodbye" gift. After the tears had dried and I had a chance to take a look at what I had just received, I almost fainted. They gave me $600.00 in gift certificates to start my new classroom. More tears. Gage is still a student, so that extra financial boost will be UNBELIEVABLY helpful in getting my classroom going. It was one of the nicest things that's ever been done for me and I will never forget it.
Thank you, thank you Lee & Hayes.

It's Been a While...

Yes, we are still alive. Yes, I am a slacker. No, I don't have any excuses. What have we been up to the past 2 months? Well, a little bit of everything...

WORK. Yes, I am still kicking it at good old L&H and I am thankful to have a good job during this nasty economic crisis. Gage is still finding a way to put in a few hours every week at the Attorney General’s Office as well.

SCHOOL. Midterms...appellate brief...uggghh...enough said. (We'll be celebrating the FOREVER END of LRW (Legal Research & Writing) for Gage this weekend... WaHOOOOOO!).

TALKS. I spoke in church last week and it was a really good experience; a much needed spiritual BOOST. I am happy it’s over, however, and thankfully I am no longer experiencing constant anxiety about preparing for it. Gage also spoke at a recent baptism and did a fantastic job.

V-DAY. A great night out just the two of us! We went out to dinner at the Steelhead (a new favorite of ours) and the waitress forgot about us so we only had to pay half our bill. SCORE! Gage and I were talking the whole time, so we didn’t really notice she forgot our table until she came up and apologized. A Valentine’s Day date for $16.00, pretty sweet.

BIRTHDAY. Gage had a birthday on February 16th! The big 27. He got some much-needed new glasses, a new Oakland A’s hat, a tie, and some DVDs.
Yes, I made him pose for this picture; my mom wanted to see his new glasses. Pretty sharp, eh? Gage was also very thankful and excited when he received numerous birthday wishes in the mail from our many wonderful family members. The night before his birthday, we had friends over for cake and ice cream because he had to go study all day on his actual b-day. :( I wanted him to have at least SOME fun on his big day, so he took a break from studying and met me for a movie and dinner. We saw TAKEN... overall I’d give this movie a “thumbs up,” but it left me feeling a bit disturbed.

FRIENDS. As usual, we've made time to hang out with friends. Some of our more formal get-togethers (i.e. ones in which there were cameras present) over the past few weeks include an "Anti-Winter" party and of course, Super Bowl Sunday.





BRUNETTE. Oh yes, and you’ll notice above that I am once again a brunette. As I looked at pictures of Christmas, I realized that I was indeed becoming a blonde person. Well, nothing against blondes, but I figured that I should get back to my roots (no pun intended). Ha ha.

BABY SHOWERS. Here’s a fun factoid: I think I am the ONLY girl in Spokane that A) does not currently have a fetus growing in her stomach, B) has not birthed a child in the last 6 months, OR C) is not hoping to have a fetus growing in her stomach in the next few months. Yes, it’s true - at work and at play I am surrounded by good friends who are “with child” and I am very excited for everybody!! And I MUST admit that while shopping for a baby shower gift at the Baby Gap a few weeks ago, I was ready to have a child right then and there in the mall. Just kidding..... baby clothes ARE just so stinking cute!!!

So anyway, that's what's been going on the past little while. We’re doing great and we're definitely keeping busy! Just enjoying life in the lovely state of Washington; anxiously awaiting the arrival of warmer temps and days full of sunshine. We apologize for the lack of blogging and we hope all is well with everyone who’s reading!

Christmas Break 2008

The slideshow above chronicles our recent trip to Utah over the holidays. We did so much and took SO MANY pictures, so I thought the slideshow would be the best way to go. :) We had a great Christmas and enjoyed a jam-packed 10-day trip full of family parties and reunions with friends. Aside from the usual holiday festivities and spending time with family and friends, highlights of the trip include:
- going to the Dancing with the Stars Tour with my mom and sister
- seeing the Zags play the Utes at the University of Utah on New Year's Eve (Tickets to see a Gonzaga basketball game here in Spokane are near IMPOSSIBLE to obtain unless you are a student; Gage can go, but he can only get ONE ticket.)
- celebrating Gage's grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary
- catching some fantastic movies (Marley & Me + Valkyrie + Bedtime Stories)
- running into and hanging out with old friends

As always, it was great to see those we love and we are so happy we could be in town for the Christmas holiday. It's always hard to leave and get back to real life, but I must say that I'm getting better at goodbyes. Last year at the end of our Christmas trip, I bawled and BAWLED when I had to say goodbye to my family, but I am proud to say that not a tear was shed this year! Hmmmm.... it only took a year and a half to get to that point. ;) We hope everyone had a great Christmas and we wish you all the best for 2009!

Family Fun

My parents picked us up from the airport on Saturday afternoon and then we caught an early dinner in Layton. Afterwards, Gage went to visit some old softball buddies while I went back home with my parents.


Upon arriving to my parents’ abode, I wasted no time and jumped into the hammock set up in the backyard (after saying hello to my siblings and dogs of course). Even though Spokane is a beautiful place, Gage and I often talk about how much we miss the mountains in Utah. Throughout the trip, we spent a lot of time relaxing in the backyard and enjoying the summer nights and gorgeous surroundings.


Along with Utah’s scenery, we have also missed our wonderful families. On a few of the days, Gage and I split up during the daytime to do our own thing. It worked out great because we each got to do exactly what we wanted during the day and then we'd meet up at night to do something together with family or friends. Gage spent many days at the golf course - he was was quite the golfer this trip! He ended up going four different times! Once with friends, once with brothers, once with his whole family, and once with my dad's golf group. He really enjoyed spending time with his brothers; they are a lot of fun. I love Gage's brothers too; they are always cracking me up (Jason is missing from this photo).

We were also able to visit with his grandparents and other relatives on a few occasions; it was so good to see them again!





When Gage was doing his thing during the day, I exercised, chatted, laughed, lunched, and shopped with my mom and sister.

Each morning, my mom and I would either go walking (on her usual 4-mile route) or go to yoga (yup, my mom is a YOGI) and I had a blast spending so much time with her. In fact, I already miss her!

On the evenings we were at my parents’, I walked the dogs (Pete & Chance) with my mom and dad - something I have really missed doing since being away!

One of the nights we walked the dogs and it turned out to be a family affair (I even got GAGE to go exercise!). We came back to the house and stayed up late laughing and chatting. Good times.