Snowcamping!

Jason and i had the privilege of tagging along on a huge snowcamping extravaganza!!! 24 of us hiked in 3 miles in snowshoes, in a snow storm, to a lovely hut- (peter grub hut-//www.sierraclub.org/outings/lodges/huts/grubb/ ) There is even a double decker out house- it was like luxury camping- not- it was actually kinda disgusting... i dry heaved everytime i tried to use it haha! here is the trip in pictures:

gingerbread making/snowman building

Jason is so cute! hehe. he took a break from finals to watch a movie (chrismas angel- highly recommend it!) build a gingerbread house and build a snowman!!! it was such a fun night!!

Excited for tonight

Even though Jason can't take a second away from studying for finals to
take a picture he promised me that tonight we get to build a
gingerbread house and watch a Christmas movie!! I am so excited :)

hurry up

I want finals to just hurry up and be over. 12 days till we get to go home for two whole weeks! Yahoooo- but its going to be a long 12 days, a test and paper due this week, then three finals next week- i just need to get through these two weeks!

Napa Thanksgiving

So much fun, so little time, especially no time to blog while at home.. so here's how our turkey day went! We loaded up the car, 5 of us, and drove home last tuesday. Home by tuesday night and mom and dad were not even home, left a note that said, "went to meet the volturi." I was scared for a second that mom and dad hadn't been telling us something... but then i just figured they probably went to see new moon. Wednesday hmm.. i did hair all day so im not really sure what everyone else did. then.. the day we had all been waiting for arrived. woke up bright and early and off to the annual Turkey bowl game.
(im not really sure what jason is doing in this pic.. HAHA)
Then of course we stopped at 7-11 on our way home to get some drinks and ryann got a hot dog and then home to clean up and get ready for food! Thanksgiving dinner at grandma's is always the best, the kid table and the adult table, and i am still at the kid table!
part of the kids table! Funny story, all of our glasses were filled with water, but when they pulled out the maritnellis, it was a race to see who could finish their water first. Little ethan was struggling, and could not get his water down and the martinelli's was going fast- so he asked me to drink it. of course i did, and then he proceeded to say "Im sick auntie devyn, i hope you don't get sick, hehe." Thanks ethan- i can feel it coming on already- BOO! thanksgiving was delicious as usual, and after the wagner dinner we headed over to the pickett dinner. yumm two delicious dinners in one night- wow. the rest of our trip home was fun, a lot more hair, but totally worth it. and sunday we made the trek back to utah. I love thanksgiving, all the food family! and there is soo much to be thankful for. At the pickett thanksgiving we had to go around the table and say something we were grateful for starting with 'A' then the next person would have 'B' and so on.. well i got 'C' so i was definitely thankful for my 'C'ute husband, and my cute husband got 'D' so he was definitely thankful for his 'D'evyn. What a sweetheart.

New moon

New moon was better than I could have ever even imagined- I am so glad
my hubs was able to go with me and put up with my giggles tears
screams and fist clenching throughout the movie I think he almost
loved it as much as I did!!

new moon!

tomorrow.. one more sleep... 22 hours until i will be at a NEW MOON premier showing with my jason!! Thanks to one of my friends who knows some people we were able to get tickets to the 8:20 premier showing of NEW MOON! with assigned seats so no need to get there 5 hours before... maybe an hour or two though :) so excited- and even more excited that jason is excited to go with me too!

HAppy birthday ASHLEY

HAPPPY birthday to my oldest sisssy ASHLEY! She is 30 today and that does not even seem old like it used to when i was little. I remember always wanting to be just like ashley! In third grade when ashley was Miss Napa County and we had the opportunity to go to the Miss California Pageant I was in heaven! From that day on I dreamed of becoming Miss Napa just like my sissy! I even had a Miss America Birthday party that year and I was the miss america at my party! (although i never won, i did participate in miss napa county and received generous amounts of scholarship money- thanks ash for motivation.) We also made a deal when i was in 4th or 5th grade that if i never cut my hair until Ashley got married i could come live with her for a summer. Well.. i think i broke my end of the deal and ended up cutting my hair, but ashley still let me come stay with her for a couple weeks! (maybe it was only a week.. but it felt like the whole summer!) Everytime i was lucky enough to come out to utah to visit her she would let me wear her clothes and take me shopping and buy me so many clothes and we would go out to eat and she even took me tanning for my first time! I started high school and i sure could've used her home to help me know what to wear so i wasn't a big loser. well maybe my wish came true- but the next year during the last half of my sophomore year ash was able to move home, at the time it may not have been a good reason to move home but i know that was supposed to happen. She moved home and she slept in my bed with me as much as i could get her too and we hung out all the time and she even would pick me up from school to go to the mall with her :) she really made a difference in my life at that time helping me feel better about myself and letting me borrow some of her clothes :) my junior year of high school ash began teaching math at vintage- i was thrilled- not only could i come see my sissy all the time, but sometimes i even got special privilegeds (okay maybe a lot of times :)) She helped me campaign for ASB and wore a shirt of me all day and i ended up winning and becoming the Commissioner of Rallies. She always tried to talk me out of anything stupid i wanted to do and sometimes i listened and others i didn't- She continued to teach at the high school throughout my senior year and was able to announce my name as i graduated high school. The years have come and gone and to see where my big sissy is now makes me even more proud. She has done so much with her life, has such a sweet husband and the cutest family ever. I still look up to her so much i want to be a nurse like her and i want to live in napa and i want to have cute kids like her and be as beautiful as she is- To my Oldest sister on her 30th birthday. Thanks for all you've done for me. I have been so blessed to have you as my sister and i know that it wasn't a coincidence that we were born into the same family!- i love you so much!!

procrastination

procrastination is such a headache.. like what im doing right now... well thanks to my hubby and a sweet blessing i know i can get all my homework done before thanksgiving so i can have a relaxing enjoyable trip! 25 page paper here i come!

baby Xander

so this is my second week watching this sweet baby boy Alexander, who goes by xander. he is watching me write this as week speak. He is a cute 2 month old who sleeps, eats, poops, and spits up. For the first 8 weeks of his life he had to be hooked up to a breathing monitor which would beep when he would slow down his breathing (always when he first fell asleep.) it had to be attached 24/7. but guess what his mommy dropped him off today with no machine attached. He is very normal and doing great. And today was my first time i didn't gag while changing a poopy diaper....!! or cleaning up as he spit up! i just keep loving him more and more everyday when i watch him. I am grateful for my 15 hrs/week of being a pretend mommy.. i can already tell my patience is improving.. still has a long way.. i love little xander and he is trying to talk to me now...

you know zach's been here when....

upon my arrival home from work this afternoon, i find this...

and then this...

and then the drier is running.. and i open it to find this..


and then my computer was on a screen saver.. (which is weird because after 10 min it goes to sleep..) so thats when i knew i had barely missed zach stopping by the house... he even left his facebook logged into my computer.. but i signed out too quick.. oh the things i could have done ;)
well... why wouldn't he want to come over when he ends up with this...

folded clean laundry.. before he even returns again..
(ps i love having zach live so close!!!!)

Remember when

Remember when sparkle nail polish was by far the coolest thing- I
painted my nails with it today and it make me feel like I was back in
middle school.. Heres to a happy friday!!!

Halloween weekend sneak peak

I love my nieces and nephews this is Cara Kay and I on Halloween
night :)

Homecoming weekend in Provo

This weekend was BYU homecoming and we were lucky enough to get visits from lots of family!! Mom and dad came on wednesday, then cory and katie came on thursday and so did mom and dad pickett!! We had such a fun crowded weekend.. we LOVE visitors! and here are some pictures at the freezing game (rained a little too..) we were very disappointed in BYU.... but it was still fun.
This is called a "cougar tail" its like a huge maple bar... so delish!

There is no need for a photographer.. cory got us all in..

Ethan's Jog-a-thon

On my hair-filled visit home i was able to stop by my favorite nephews jog-a-thon.. and thanks to uncle cory, he had a sweet head-band to 'keep him safe' but we later told him it was to catch all his sweat. lol. he is so stinkin' cute!

BOUTIQUE party!

tomorrow night: Thursday October 22 from 6-8 PM i will be hosting a boutique shopping party! shirts, hats, jeans and all kinds of other shopping fun! EVERYONE is invited.. i will be baking all day to have some cookies and treats as well!

"...a foxtrot above my head.."

Since sunday i have been having one of the greatest weeks.. a this will probably jinx it, but i want to sum it up.. in few words: best lesson on marriage, tithing, naps, rain, homemade chicken pot pie, paper done (10/10), hubby 100% on Ochem test, workout classes, work, sale at beauty supply, productive, 50$ tip, no more saturday work, math test done,new G's, carmel apple cider, sweetest hubbby, patience, call from nephew, special call from daddy, another trip booked home, dinner with hubs and little bro, napa today, chicago saturday, doing hair,sweet facebook updates(levin's) and soothing music.. my new favorite song i listen to on repeat- its so relaxing and makes me so happy listening(belting) these lyrics... "cuz i get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lighting bugs, as they try to teach me how to dance, a foxtrot about my head, a sock hop beneath my bed, a disco ball is just hanging by a thread.." *owl city: Fireflies* Hope you all have such an amazing week..

Matthew 6:33

a beautiful day at the Salt Lake Temple

Friday was such a beautiful day at the Salt Lake Temple for my beautiful best friend. Jason and I were able to attend a wedding friday afternoon for one of my best friends Lauren. Lauren and I were basically born together and were bestest friends but then she moved to utah. We have been able to keep in contact and when i moved out to Utah we have been able to see much more of each other. I am so thrilled for Lauren and Eric Baker and It was such a sweet ceremony!!
(ps i am trying to figure out how to upload zach's Rumba video!)

My new decor

I love my new fridge decorations!

Happppy OCTOBER!

I love the rain. It rained a couple times this past week :) i don't love the snow.. it hasn't come here yet.. i hope it doesn't for a while. Fall is amazing.

birthday fun!

So my birthday which was a long time ago now, happen to fall on the first home game for BYU football.... well it didn't turn out to well but jason and i had so much fun going and even got to have a little birthday cake with the gang after! thanks everyone for coming to provo for my birthday- er i mean the football game ;)

Return with Honor.

Life is precious. you never know when your time here is up, and at any second it can be. I am more careful with my ways these days, as last friday september 18, my sweet cousin Amanda Jean Wagner Gunter did return with honor. Never as close with her as i would have liked, I do know these things about her. I regularly blog stalked her and know from her blog she had an amazing testimony of her Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, which she publicly shared. She absolutely loved her family in every way and was able to be sealed to her husband and family for time and all eternity. She was very creative and would make all kinds of things. She was an amazing example to her younger siblings and cousins and was very humble. My heart hurts for her 15 month old daughter (who is fine) and her Husband (who is recovering), all whom were in the car. My heart hurts for all her family and friends and it hurts me. Although it is such a sad time I am so grateful to have the knowledge of the plan of salvation and to know that Families can be together forever! Amanda will be waiting in Heaven to see them again, for all of us, i know we will see her again. I love this church and the comfort and strength that it brings of times like this. Amanda's funeral is tomorrow morning and i wish i was able to be there, i will be remembering her all and all the time- we were asked to wear bright colors- so tomorrow i will be in my brightest colors in honor of Amanda. Here is the newspaper obituary

Amanda Jean Wagner Gunter

and here is the sweetest video

What Matters Most

voicemail

Yesterday if you were to have called my voicemail you would've heard, "Hi this is Devyn today is my birthday so sing on my answering machine and i'll call you back, k bye!" when anyone has a birthday in my family we have ALWAYS called them singing happy birthday.. so yesterday i got the best voicemails from my family members singing happy birthday.. and thanks erin, even some david archuleta! hehe! I am going to try to save them as long as i can and i wish there was a way to post them on here! HAHA! Thanks to all my family and friends and husband for making my birthday and extra special 21st. more on my bday.. and pics to come ;)

early birthday present!

Oopppsies!i got a package this morning and there was such a random return address label i decided it was okay to open it.. and SHAZAaaam a BRAND NEW digital camera for my birthday. THANKs ASHley, ron, ethan, addie, Britt, rich, ryann , CK, erin and Zach!! Here is a picture from my new canon 10 megapixel cam!


PS i am hating my hair and need something new.. UGGhh

100% for 100 days

September 17th is 100 days away from Christmas!!! Yipppy right :) well our stake every year, (this is our 2nd year participating) sets up '100% for 100 days.' This is where we try to give 100% in certain areas of our life for 100 days and the 100 days ends on Christmas - as our gift to Jesus. The tasks that we are striving to get a 100% in are: Daily: *individual and family prayer *Individual and family scripture study *acts of love and compassion to spouse. Weekly: *date with spouse *Family Home Evening *Sabbath Observance at ward of record. *magnify your calling. and Monthly: *fast and pay tithes and offerings *Temple attendance *Home and visiting Teaching.
I am very excited to start this challenge again, i don't think i took it quite as serious last year, but this year i know it will do wonders for every aspect of my life, especially my marriage as well as my relationship with my heavenly father. It is quite a challenge but i know we can do it for 100 days, and by that time hopefully it will be habit! I challenge all of you to try out 100% for 100 days...it may not be easy but guarenteed well worth it!

it's official.

I have been substitute teaching at a beauty school since this past january, but as of today i signed some papers and officially have my cosmetology/barber insrtuctors license and am a staff member of Renaissance Academy De Hair Design! As of now I work Mondays, fridays and some other random days in there! I am so excited. I love the environment, the students, my fellow staff members, but most importantly the amazing curriculum of Renaissance and how they care about their students and their learning!

would you still marry me?

i try so hard to not snap or be mean to my sweet husband he has never done anything to deserve it, but the other day when i wasn't being very nice, i decided to ask my jason, "would you still marry me today..?? meaner and fatter than when we first got married?" it made us both laugh and he being my perfect hubby said of course :) so now i try to stop myself before i say anything mean and ask him if he would still marry me- it makes the mood much better. So today at church (we just switched to 8:30!!) when my legs were extra hairy and he noticed.. he decided to tell me, he would still marry me today even with hairy legs :) he is so cute.

Coincidence? i think not!

You know the things in life when you are like, wow what a coincidence.. well i don't believe in coincidences- i believe everything happens for a reason, and they are God's tender mercies or small miracles when things happen the way they do: We bought a brand new computer the day before jason's computer was smashed in the accident. Jason switched all this Salt Lake classes to Provo last week (not knowing we would only have one car) - dad/jared/jamie's car is still out in provo (while our other car is still in CA) so we have some mode of transportation. Things happen for a reason and i know Heavenly Father's hand plays a huge role in our life.
On a side note: Jason got a JOB! thanks rich!!

Life is precious.

At any second, your life here on earth can be over.. i had a moment today where my life flashed before my eyes and next thing i know we were getting out of the sunroof of my car all in one piece. Let me first say i absolutely LOVE volvo's. they truly are the safest car- not a scratch on us, not a single broken piece of glass, and our seatbelts kept us right in our seats. I wonder why this incident happened today, out of nowhere- but i think i can make it more positive and take a lot away from it. Here's the story: this labor day weekend was the perfect time for us to take a little road trip down to arizona to visit britti, rich, ryann, and cara. We left about 12 today and about 150 miles into our sunny trip, it began to downpour- so hard- jason was turning on the windsheild wipers as high as they could go- next thing we know it looks as if the freeway is flooded, then we began to hydroplane. The car spun 180 degrees before the rear smashed into the barrier once we hit the barrier the driver side tires jumped on the barrier and we proceeded to grind the barrier for about 200 feet when it popped up and we landed on the passenger side. i opened the sunroof, unbuckled, grabbed my phone and called 911. I have never been in an accident like that, and this was jason's first accident. We are so lucky no other cars were involved, we were wearing our seatbelts, we landed in the shoulder of the road, and no one got hurt. My car, probably totalled, jason's laptop, bent and BROKen. But at that moment absolutely nothing else mattered- i was so thankful both jason and i were alive. I am disappointed we were unable to continue to Arizona(COME VISIT ME :)) but very lucky we had zach to come pick us up and bring us home. It sure has had me thinking, why did this happen to us? are we doing everything we are supposed to be doing? i just think it was my Heavenly Father's way of reminding me how precious life is, we need to treat everyday like it could be our last, and that he loves me, he is there for us and we need to always remember him and turn to him, and that no material things even really do matter. We get caught up in the worldly things far too often. I am thankful for my life,my husband, all our family and most of all my heavenly father and the love he has for us.

yipppy

school, school school is our life now.. but thankfully we get a three day weekend and jason knows how bad i have been wanting to go visit my sissy so he agreed on a little road trip this weekend!!! tomorrow... AriZona HERE WE COME! can't wait to see them:
(i guess rich too..)lol

Back home..

Back home.. to utah.. weird to say that utah is home, but i guess since i am officially a resident (strictly for school purpose!) i better call it home. I already miss my mom and dad and sisters and brothers and even seeing baby addie everyday! but i am very lucky/excited that zach is here in Utah with us! He has even already been over for dinner and to do his laundry! We are so thankful to have had the help of our parents moving back in and getting everything settled and cute! My mom even made some curtains and pillows for me and i ABSOLUTELY love them!!
This is one of the cute pillows my momma made!

These curtains match the pillows in our guest bedroom

These are in the kitchen!
These are on the front door and match my living room drapes!!
THANKS MOM! I LOVE THEM!

Happy birthday Jason!

Happy birthday Jason!! i hope i can make your birthday the best! i love you forever and ever!!

1st anniversary!

8/15/09=1 year of marriage :) it was such a fun easy going happy day.
It started when I woke up late so I brought Jason breakfast(cereal) in
bed I had to go take a midterm so he dropped me off. I took my test
and he brings me home and I find roses a sweet card and our wedding
cake on the counter so we decide to try some and the cake part not so
great the frosting.. DELiCioUS!! No joke I saved it all week so I
could pick the frosting off! We then went to the fair where we watched
zachy auction off his pigs and went around the fair all day. My
parents and us and zach all had a romantic dinner at taqueria- we went
home took a nap and then went back to the fair for some funnel cake
and a little fair shopping it was so much fun to have a simple day
spending all day together for next to no money I'd say it's one to
remeber- I love you husband can't wait for a million more to come!!!

1 year ago..

1 year ago, i was blogging about this hour of the night writing about my excitment for the next day. I knew it was going to be the best day of my life and i couldn't wait. here i sit one year later- knowing it was the best day of my life so far and cannot figure out where a whole year went..it has been the best year of my life- a dream come true. i have been so blessed. i am so excited for a wonderful first anniversary tomorrow and looking back on the best year and looking forward to eternity.i love my jason.

Pigs gone wild..

Zach's pigs made such a great impression on the judges.. not really.. but thats okay because they are at the fair, they made weight, they have super cool names, and he will auction them off on saturday and make a butt load of money so who even cares what the judges think. besides, they are the bad boy pigs, they kept getting in fights and never wanted to fit in with the crowd, just go out to the corners of the rink and hang out there. they do what they want when they want.zach was awesome out there jumping on his pigs when the judges weren't looking and all- great job zachy- can't wait for the auction.

CALIFORNIA JUNIOR MISS!!!

I am related to someone famous- not just anyone- the newest California Junior Miss!!! After winning Modesto junior miss, my talented darling cousin was able to compete at california junior miss this week; thursday, friday and saturday. I was trying to make plans to go, but knowing it didn't quite fit into our schedule or budget- we had to pass- and boy am i even more disappointed that we didn't arrange to go sooner. I am so proud of my little cousin- i have participated in many scholarship pageants but could never quite get it- she is living my dream and i couldn't be happier that it is her! She beat all the other juniors (in high school) from california and won a $15000 scholarship- and I AM SO EXCITED!!! CONGRATS PAIGE! YOU ARE AWESOME- I AM PLANNING NOW to be there next summer for AMERICA's JUNIOR MISS! (she even won the talent portion too- shes a pro at the violin!!)
Paige and I at my wedding, she caught the boquet :)

stress=gratitude

Why do i stress out to the max!? i need to figure something out to control this chaos of my life! I cannot believe summer is almost at an end- its been one of the craziest summers of my life yet the best! from provo to chicago then chicago to ca and on the 19th back to provo- so much moving! I have been taking too many summer classes and working and applying for school and studying for many tests (i hope i pass my instructor test next week!)and studying for nursing entrance tests ugh i hope it all works out But somehow it always does- oh don't forget about money...i talked with my old married sister (JK britt) and she says that stress about money never ends,great! and even next week is our one year anniversary- so what do we do?!!! BUT on a positive note: We are house sitting this week- SO FUN! and the house is adorable and it is inspiring. I have been inspired to try to decorate my condo much cuter and inspired to have cuter clothes and inspired to join her 'we are losers club' and i've even lost 5 pounds this week... :) (maybe it's from the stress..HA) But sometimes i just have to write all this out in and realize that i have so many things to be thankful for and so much support from everyone and my heavenly father who will listen to me and help me and there is never more than i can handle. I am so greatful for the gospel in my life and the happiness it brings to me- no matter how stressed out i am i know i can get on my knees and he will listen- and i can open up my scriptures and there is an answer. I am going to go write an "I am thankful for" list.

4-H camp!

Last saturday i was getting home from my 11th year of 4H camp.. (and counting!) I love this camp so much i cannot even explain what goes on here.. 5 years as a camper, 4 years as a teen leader (staffer), and now 2 years as an adult leader (counselor). Zachy was also there as a staffer and we had so much fun helping out all the little campers have such a memorable experience.Also it is a week to spend with my very bestest friend Heather, every year its our whole week to catch up on life!! I am never as tired as i am when i get home from camp, or have as much laundry- it takes a good week to recover! here are some lovely pictures....

I already look tired!

This is the traditional PJ dance.. zach and I were the first on the dance floor!

BFFs!

getting ready to welcome the campers

Thumbs up for camp!

My newest niecey Addison

Monday July 13th at 3:16 Pm Addison was born :) She is 8.1 lbs and 20 1/2 inches long. she is so beautiful! looks a bit like little ethan and a bit like little ryry and cara. She was so alert and squirmy when they were weighing and measuring her.she even was trying to eat everything! Everyone is healthy and happy and zach had two things to say about her the first time he met her, "I like your baby ashley. She is like a lizard."

sweet back flip zach.

This evening zach thought it would be pretty cool to run up the wall and do a back flip. well he did the back flip and it was pretty sweet but this happened..

the aftermath...

sweet back flip zach.

showing mom.. she wasn't even mad!