The Manntastics: 2012 Resolution

As one of my 2012 resolutions, I have decided to create a blog (for Thomas & I), to help keep in touch with family and friends in WA. Thomas and I will be here in Utah for probably 3 years at least. Trust me, we wish we could move back to WA much sooner! However, it really is smarter to stay here in Utah, where Thomas can get great schooling for a great price. And now I feel like we have another good reason to stick around as I just got an AWESOME job with Round House Racing. I feel SO blessed to have gotten a REAL job before I even graduated (which btw, my diploma is on the way in the mail!). I am an event coordinator with RHR, which is a company that puts on 5ks and triathlons. You can check out what the events are like on their websites: www.5kfoamfest.com and www.triumphrace.com. I am currently over 3 events (meaning I am the race director!), and I am the support for 5 other events. One of the coolest things about my job is that I get to TRAVEL! We put on races from Texas to Washington, and by 2013 we will be doing all of the Eastern/Mid states as well! Pretty cool, huh? The 3 events I am over are: Seattle, Sacramento, and Ogden. I feel so blessed for this amazing job - it really fits perfectly with what I graduated in too. I was hoping to do something with event planning, so when I saw the job posting, I was thinking, "that would be perfect!" I'm still getting the hang of the job as I just got hired a little over a month ago, but I am really liking it and am practically my own boss when I come into work each day - I basically have a to-do list and decide what I want to work on for that day. AND my co-workers are awesome as well as my boss, who is taking us laser tagging tomorrow!

Anyhow, enough about me. As far as Thomas goes, he is about to start another semester at UVU - he has a pretty heavy load, so I know he's going to be much busier this semester then last :( However, we always find time to do things together, plus our apartment is so small, we don't really have a choice to be apart haha - we are in a studio apartment currently, but we don't mind the closeness, plus you can't beat the price! Thomas' resolutions this year was to write at least a paragraph every day for the story he's writing (which btw he may eventually be starting up his own blog for his writing) and to draw 15 drawings a month (which reminds me that I need to post some of his work lately! He is so talented :)

Oh, and....after having a beard for the past 6 months (minus when he shaved it once at our wedding reception), he just shaved almost all of it off yesterday!! And surprisingly, I really missed that beard! I mean don't get me wrong, I knew I would miss it, heck I loved it so much that is why he had it for the wedding, BUT I have always appreciated him with a clean shaven face as well, because that means scruff! Which I love. I will have to post a pic soon of his new look.

Well, I think this is enough writing for one day. I have posted some pictures from 2011 - just a few highlights from the year (minus our wedding, which I'll put pics of up soon!) Married life really has been great these past few months - we are coming up on 4 months! I am very happy and I think it's safe to say that my man is too :)

2011 in photos

New Years Eve was low key for us, but it was nice - we got Chinese take out, watched Jurassic Park, and of course drank sparkling cider at the stroke of 12 and made a few resolutions.

Thomas made our Christmas card, and probably

will for every Christmas!

One of my stocking stuffers. Cute, huh?

These are dreidels from Israel used during Hanukkah.

Thomas and I had fun playing the "dreidel game."

Our Christmas Feast!

My olive wood nativity set from Jerusalem

Thomas and I celebrated our first Christmas together in our Provo

apartment. Though we missed our families during the season, we created

wonderful memories together nevertheless. Thank you to those who sent us

packages - it definitely made our bundle of gifts much bigger under the tree!

We bought this little tree for our little apartment - the wooden ornaments are

ones I bought in Jerusalem. I think our little tree is cute :)

Continuing a Christmas tradition: Mom's Peanut Butter Fudge

I only wish Mom was there to make it with me :(

These were our favorite Christmas treat I made: "Imperial No-bakes"

Three layers of incredible pure satisfaction. We seriously ate

a whole 9x9 pan of them (don't worry, I also made a 9x13 in. pan and shared :) We have decided to only be allowed to make them during the month of December.

It was Thomas' idea to make our own stockings this year! How cute he is :)

Visiting Temple square during Christmas time

And of course I made an apple pie

Our Thanksgiving Feast Food!

I made Thomas this cake for his golden birthday in October

(if you don't know what a golden birthday is, it means he turned 24 on the 24th!)

Of course we had to get chocolate that night.

These women are fantastic.

A couple of my best friends and sisters threw me a bachelorette party.

Nicole made me this shirt!

We found bacon for only $1.99.

And yes we did buy that whole basketfull!!

No, that is not plastic bag (as one of his roommates thought).

We went kayaking down the Provo River and Thomas got a sunburn...

On the biggest highlights of the previous year was that I graduated from BYU! I walked early in August since there isn't a ceremony for December graduates.